Photography and Handmade Cards with Creeks Edge Studio
Adorable Cat Card by Creeks Edge Studio
Have you ever seen a beautiful picture or a card and wondered how it was created or what inspired it? Or wondered how they were created? We had the privilege of interviewing Creeks Edge Studio who does just this, she creates gorgeous cards and pictures all from her photographs. She also gives you some advice she’s found being an entrepreneur and even some encouragement for beginner photographers! You can find more of her gorgeous cards and photography in her Etsy Shop . Then you’ll find a number of photography classes at the end of the interview. Thank you for joining us for this wonderful interview of Paula from Creeks Edge Studio !
By Michele of VAMICreations and Paula of Creeks Edge Studio
How did you start Creeks Edge Studio?
The original name for my Etsy store was “Creative Cards by pghr” and as I wanted to branch out from just “creating cards” I felt that the shop name was too restrictive!!
What gave you the idea/inspiration?
Beautiful Flower Photography by Creeks Edge Studio
My husband and I moved to a house on a dirt/gravel road about 9 years ago. We have a wonderful creek that runs next to our house. So when I was thinking about the name change and looking out our window the creek was my inspiration. I felt that CreeksEdgeStudio could offer way more than just greeting cards!!
Tell us a little about yourself.
I grew up in a relatively small town in W. PA. Took business and liberal arts courses at our local Penn State University campus. Married for 36 years. Worked in several sales offices until I found a pretty good job in sales/management/accounting at a local business and ended up spending 27 years there.....retiring 2 years ago.
How long has Creeks Edge Studio been around?
I have had an Etsy/web store since 2015. CreativeCards by pghr came about as I started selling greeting cards at local events and needed another outlet for connecting with people outside of my local area.
Cat Nap Photograph by Creeks Edge Studio
What is Creeks Edge Studio all about?
Who knows (lol)!! It is my get away, my sanity - at times, my insanity - at times!! That saying that was going around - “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” pretty much defines some of what I do!! I absolutely love to take a picture and then create some type of greeting card...and that is where the insanity definition is in play. How many cards do you receive in a year’s time, very few. Most communication is done through email, text or social media. So the Studio has to evolve into creating something that people can actually use...totebags, pillows etc. I found a wonderful material that I can use my own printer to print my photos directly and then incorporate into other finished products.
How do you choose the pictures and pieces you create?
Photography has changed over the years. I have a large number of glossy photos that were taken on vacation trips....with a great many of what you thought were “great” pictures tossed in the garbage. Now I can head out with my camera, take many, many pictures upload them onto the computer and immediately see the results. You can “create” that perfect shot with wonderful programs and while I do use Photo Shop it is an awesome feeling when the photo you took only requires you to crop it to fit a certain size frame!! The result of the photo usually determines the item created.
What has inspired you to create different pictures and pieces?
Cat Photograph Pillow by Creeks Edge Studio
My inspiration comes from a perfect sunrise, butterflies on a lilac, the sun glinting off of a recent snowfall, my cats doing something goofy....it just all depends on the circumstances around me, I guess.
What is your favorite type of picture/piece to create?
I would say pictures of either cats, butterflies and birds....
My greeting card photography got its start when I was volunteering for a local rescue. I am that “crazy cat lady” and specifically worked in the cat room. So when all the chores were done, I’d sit on the floor, camera in hand, and play with all of the cats. I used most of my shots on the rescue’s website with the hopes of finding homes for the cats. As I was doing local craft/artisan events with items other than photography, I thought I’d try to incorporate the pictures into a greeting card format. At that time, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the cards went back to that rescue. Of course it also helps that we have a number of our own “four-legged” kids, several from that particular rescue, that appear in a number of my creations!
What would you tell a new photographer for encouragement?
Don’t strictly rely on your cell phone for all of your photos. Purchase an inexpensive DSLR camera and learn how it works. If you have the opportunity to take a class, do so.
You can always learn something new!!
What is something you are passionate about and why?
Creeks Edge Studio
I guess I am most passionate about the state of our environment today. I try very hard to be a good steward of my little corner of the world. It worries me that the number of birds that we have at our feeders is becoming fewer and fewer. It worries me that the great pollinators are dying off.... I have spent many days outdoors with my camera and in the past few years, I can tell you that the number of butterflies and bees are dwindling rapidly. I guess that is why I do spend so much time outdoors trying to capture as many photos as I possibly can!!
If you had one (or several) things to share with a woman entrepreneur, what would it be? What would you encourage them about?
Don’t give up!! If you believe in yourself and what you are attempting, keep at it!!
I saw a quote online that I think about often: “Success is often three feet away from where we decide to quit”.
What is a lesson learned for being a woman entrepreneur that you wish someone had told you when you first started?
Don’t get discouraged. Accept that in order to be a success, you have to be willing
to take your “dream product” to the next step through evolution!!
Flower Photograph by Creeks Edge Studio
What is your dream for Creeks Edge Studio to be (where do you see Creeks Edge Studio in 5+ years)?
Obviously, I hope that the Studio is still a part of the Etsy/Internet Community in 5+ years. And, I would love to see my photography, in some form or another, in more people’s homes! I never anticipated being able to print my photos on material, so who knows what might be next!!
If you like this, you may like:
Note - This post contains affiliate links, which means I will make a commission at no extra cost to you, should you click through and make a purchase. And as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
If this interview inspired you to trying your own hand at photography, the below list is a number of online classes to include one by one of my favorite people, Jenna Kutcher!
Jenna Kutcher is an amazing photographer and entrepreneur who took a $300 Craigslist camera and turned it into a multimillion dollar business. She has a course called the Photo Lab that walks you through a 5 Step system to show you how to build your own photography business. While I have not taken this course, I have most of her other courses and absolutely love them! She’s fun to listen to and is a master at explaining things in a way that allow you to follow and work through everything to achieve massive results. :) I can’t wait to see what you do with her class as I’m looking forward to continuing through them myself!
Bluprint Photography Classes are a great to watch over 80 different classes for a small monthly fee if you subscribe to Bluprint or you can choose one at a time. This is one of my favorite ways to watch and learn about so many different skills and you can find my review of it (and some of what you can find with the subscription) here. Jenna Kutcher even has a class here if you wanted to try her out before starting the Photo Lab.
Udemy has many photography classes to include this Master Class for a Complete Guide to Photography which goes on sale periodically (sometimes for 90% if you catch them at the right time :)
One of the choices for online degree in photography is from the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design and is just one of the online degrees they offer for creatives.
The Great Courses Plus is a wonderful way to take photography courses from some of the experts that have photographs in National Geographic, History Channel, Smithsonian Institution and many more. These courses come from their partners which include the above mentioned as well as the Mayo Clinic, and the Culinary Institute of America.
The School of Photography has a wonderful list of online photography classes as well as tutorials on how to use Lightroom and other photography equipment. You can also get certified by them through their courses.
Skillshare has a large number of photography classes by those who do photography for a living. There are classes on everything from street and documentary photography to lifestyle photography, art photography, social media specific photography, even iPhone photography, Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom classes.
Adorama has a post on the 10 best FREE online photography courses as well as a variety of posts about photography and different equipment.
For some options on purchasing cameras or camera equipment from Amazon, see the below recommendations. Of note, while I have done research on the best recommended cameras and equipment, different cameras are best for different types of photography. I.e. what is best for travel may not be the best for still photography and each person is different. Here are a couple of articles I used as reference points Best Mirrorless Cameras under $500 and Best Travel Laptops for Working on the Road. Personally, I use and have used MacBook Pros for over 20 years and absolutely love them. They are great for everything needed while traveling and at home and I honestly would not use any other computer. But I know that depending upon what people use them for, other computers may be better (to include building them yourself if you have the technical knowledge :)).
Thank you for joining us for this interview with Creeks Edge Studio and find more of her amazing photographs and cards in her Etsy Shop .
If there are other courses I should add please let me know by commenting below or sending me an email. I’d also love to hear from you about what types of resources you want more information on as well as Makers you would like to nominate for a Maker Feature! Please email or leave a comment on this article! Looking forward to hearing from you and have a great day!