I recently had the pleasure of meeting Kelli and Vicki at the Heirloom Rubber Stamp and Paper Arts Festival in Grapevine, Texas. These two ladies are full of fun and energy - and - are continually rearranging their displays! So if you happen to see them at a show, stop by their booth a time or two because it will never look the same and you will always see something new!

Seeing just how fun and exciting their products were I thought an interview with them would be even more fun. Vicki graciously accepted the offer of being interviewed and here's what I found out ….

How many employees do you have?
“Kelli & I are a 2 woman show although, we have an amazing Design Team that helps us create wonderful samples that showcase cool ways of using our products. ”

How/When did your company become a reality?
“Depends on what you call reality. Glue Art & Paper Studio came together in April 2005, but you could say we've been planning this all our lives. We met years ago & throughout our friendship we always discussed the idea of going into a creative business together. We started getting serious in 2005 & have been going ever since. ”

Which one of you is more creative?
“Definitely I am (Vicki)! Seriously though, Kelli is the creative genius of the duo, but we both bring different talents to the table. There is a good mix of creativity, product ideas, marketing, display & merchandising, and business sense that help us to be a good team. We've really learned how to work together to bring out the best in each other to help serve the business needs. ”

How can people find/purchase your products?
“Our website, www.howdoyouglue.com. We sell directly to stores; through our on-line store; and, through periodic craft shows & scrapbook/rubber stamp shows. All of these resources are listed on our webpage, as well as the means of emailing each of us directly. ”

Has the recent bump in the economy changed your plans for your products?
“Not really. Our products are dictated by the "light bulb effect"; Kelli always starts by saying "I have an idea", hence the light bulb, and we go from there. At this point we are creating primarily wood products that can be used in a variety of creative ways. We aren't limited to wood though, so I'm not sure what you'll see from us in the future. ”

What is the most unique way your products have been used/altered?
“That seems to be an ongoing process due to the creative flair of our Design Team and unique ideas given to us from our customers on how to use our products (check out our Design Team's blog). I love the variety of ways our Crafter's Card File has been used. From a "not-so-ordinary" A-Z address file to a means of organizing extra photo's for your desk or for scripture/quotes or even website passwords, I've seen so many cool uses of our product. Plus the fun thing is getting to see how people use their imagination to decoupage, paint, stain or decorate one of our items. To take a plain piece of wood and give it life for a particular room or for a special gift is so fun & the possibilities are endless. ”

What is a typical day like at the Glue Art & Paper Studio?
“I think Kelli would agree that our days are rarely typical, so this is a hard question to answer. Both of us have other jobs, so we tend to be a "Jack-of-all-trades", which suites our personalities quite well. We primarily work independently and come together on occasion for creative work days. We frequently talk on the phone about our individual tasks & as a means to motivating each other on cool ideas we've been thinking about. There is a bit of juggling schedules, but we are still a small business and that is the reality of it all. We really enjoy creating new products (Kelli's arena) and designing/altering our products (my fav). The only thing I miss is having more time to work with Kelli. We are friends first, and that has made this business really fun and very fulfilling. ”

It was a pleasure meeting Vicki and Kelli and I really appreciate them taking the time to talk with me. These 2 ladies have a great business idea and even better products. Together they have created the perfect environment to live the great American dream of having their own business.

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Stop by the Glue Art & Paper Studio to check out these fun products.