{ About the Artist }
Hello everyone, my name is Susan Duane. I was born & raised in Buffalo, New York where I live with my husband, Peter and our three beautiful children. I've been a stay at home mother since of the birth of our first child 8 years ago. I have a Bachelors in Business. For years I worked as a Paralegal and then in the mortgage industry where I met my husband. When I was a working professional I never really found my niche, nothing ever nurtured my creative spirit. Ultimately, I really believe that I was born to be a mother. It is by far the most challenging, rewarding and amazing job I've ever had! My family is really my life.
When I do get a few free moments (usually when I should be cleaning my house!) I find that Etsy is a remarkable place to fill my creative needs. In addition to being a mom & artist (I am reluctant to refer to myself as such) I also love to cook and I enjoy reading thru my favorite magazines, and taking a trip to Barnes & Noble is a real treat!
Ever since I can remember I've been making something. Over the years my family & friends have received many handmade gifts from a few precious quilts, to knitted hats & scarves, handmade cards & scrapbook albums. I love giving a piece of myself. I think it is so meaningful.
In the last few years I've been frequenting our local estate sales. I have picked up so many lovely finds. I love thinking of ways to preserve a piece of the past using these cherished items. I found a wonderful source for vintage wallpaper and my frames were among the first items I created for my Etsy shop Paperhill. By incorporating some of my vintage finds each piece really becomes a unique, one of a kind keepsake. I also make notecards, journals, beaded pens & anything else I can think of using my wallpapers.
My most recent find was the estate of a wonderful sewer who had a successful custom sewing business for 30 years. I purchased her entire amazing collection of vintage fabrics from the 1950's, 60's & 70's. Thankfully, my husband is really easy going! We are looking for a more permanent place than the living room to store it. I opened my second Etsy shop, Paperhillfabrics last month to sell the fabrics by the yard. A few of the fabrics have already shown up as purses at Paperhill. I have plans to add pillows, aprons & other goodies once I get things a little more organized.Thank you all for letting me share my story and a big Thank you to Amy for inviting me to be a part of such a wonderful group of artists.
With warm regards,
Susan
{ Shop Details }
The first time I saw Susan's shop, I fell head over heals in love with her vintage paper covered photos frames. So elegant, yet so simple, each of her pieces represents her dedication to bringing life back to vintage wall papers. With clean lines and carefully placed ribbon and embellishments, you could surely find a home for these marvelous pieces of vintage art! You must visit her shops below :
Warm Blessings,
Amy
