Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Meet Your Makers: Ashley Croyle of Papyrusaurus

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your handmade business. I'm Ashley Croyle and I'm the creator/artist behind Papyrusaurus. I specialize in all sorts of funky home decor items made from book pages and other upcycled paper.  Everything from crazy wall hangings, to ornaments, to funny typography prints, usually with a geeky twist.  I love to make things for all my fandoms, particularly Doctor Who and Supernatural.

How did you come up with your business name? I've always had a love of dinosaurs, which has only grown since having two boys that also adore all things prehistoric.  And since I work with paper it was only a matter of time before the light bulb went on and BAM! Awesome business name. 
 

Where do you live?  I recently moved to Erie with my little family.  While we miss the Pittsburgh area, we're not so far away that we can't visit.  And I'm excited to conquer a whole new city with my zany work.

Who’s in your family? My fantastic fam is comprised of myself and my two sons; Finnegan (6-years old) and Calloway (3-years old). They're a little young to really help out with the business but I do have them convinced that picking up paper scraps is a super fun game that we need to play every day.
 

If you could sit down and talk to any person, living or dead, who would it be and why?
This is sort of sappy, but it would be my grandfather who passed away about 15 years ago.  I'd want to be able to tell him all about my kids and all the goofy things they do that remind me of him. He was an incredible, funny, kind man and I know he would have gotten such a kick out of these two hoodlums. And I'd want to show him all the things that I make because he's one of the people that first got me into taking apart and building things when I was really young. He always kept a spot in his workshop for me to tinker with wood scraps and bolts and washers and wire.  So, yes, definitely him.
 
What inspires you? Oh gosh...everything.  I like to tinker with things just to see if I can make something pretty. And of course I have a habit of getting  really into shows and going on benders of designing new prints to go with them.  My friends are always a wealth of inspiration as well, throwing out wacky ideas and quotes all the time.
What is your favorite item you make for Boutique 208 and why?  Probably my pine cone ornaments.  I make a billion of them for online sales, but the ones at the Boutique are more one of a kind since I use a mix of different books and scrap book papers that I don't normally do for my online shops.  
 
What is your favorite item at Boutique 208 that’s not one of your own and why?  Anything from John the Craftist.  The blend of Pittsburghese and wit on her prints and cards never fails to make me double over laughing.   They're so simple and yet completely genius.

What advice can you offer to someone who would like to start selling their handmade creations?  Don't give up and constantly strive to improve yourself and your business.  Sure there may be people that don't like what you do, but there will be even more people that do and you just have to find them. 

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