Create. Connect. Inspire.

When I launched the Cloth Paper String studio I had two primary objectives; to foster creativity and facilitate connections. 

First, I want to encourage women to tap into their intrinsic desire to create beauty around them. I believe we were designed to create and be creative. Too often that creativity is pushed aside and left to wither. Maybe we are too busy. Maybe we have tried various projects in the past, but they didn’t turn out (hello Pinterest fail!). Maybe we want to take up a new hobby but we don’t know where to start and get overwhelmed with options. Maybe our budgets or living spaces are tight and we can’t invest in tons of supplies that take up a lot of space (but does it bring you joy?).

It hurts my heart when people say “I’m not creative.” It’s just not true. Everyone is creative and can benefit from spending time pursuing and strengthening that part of themselves. There has been so much research recently describing the mental and physical benefits of engaging in the creative arts. Just like physical activity, eating and sleeping well, and spiritual health play a role in your well-being, so can creative hobbies.

Cloth, Paper, String can help with all of these aspects. In the studio, there is space for women to gather and create. I stay up to date with crafting trends, I have decades of crafting experience in many mediums and am constantly learning new skills, the studio is well stocked with tools, and I have a worldwide network of other crafters to draw advice and inspiration from. And I offer all of this to you! In the studio or online, the Cloth, Paper, String community is here to help you be successful in your crafting adventures. 

But making pretty things is only part of the purpose of Cloth, Paper, String. We live in a very busy world. We can fill our calendars in an instant and fall exhausted into our bed each night, but still find ourselves disconnected from others, with only superficial interactions. 

Cloth, Paper, String is building a community of crafters. Here in Northern Virginia, and online. I want people to meet each other, get to know one another. When we are crafting together we talk and laugh. We talk about our joys and our frustrations. We see that others are carrying similar loads, and we learn that we are not alone in our day to day experiences. I’m always amazed at the connections and commonalities that we discover every single time a new crafter comes to the studio. If you think about the quilting circle or barn raising tradition, the simple act of creative activities in a group can have deep impacts that are not at all related to the finished product. Opening a space for these connections to happen is the most important part of Cloth, Paper, String to me. Even more than helping you craft something pretty to give, or wear, or hang on the wall, I want to help you to create connections to others.

Finally, I hope that our community of crafters can inspire others to step into the creative arts.To try new things and have fun. If they see something one of our crafters made, maybe they will give it a try and unleash a talent or enjoyable pastime they didn’t know they were missing.

So there it is, the Cloth, Paper, String motto: Create, Connect, and Inspire. I invite you to join us on this journey.