Hi, my name is Julie Hollifield, the little lady behind Craftpaca.

I have a Texas heritage, but have also planted roots in California and Indiana, where I currently run this craft label. I have always been interested in making things by hand and earned a degree in Fashion Design from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles (2004). After working in the California fashion industry for a couple years, I moved to Indiana to explore nature and craft, while receiving a degree in Apparel Merchandising and Business from Indiana University (2007). New York is next on the list of dwellings, beginning in 2008.

A bit more info

Things I love include organic materials, rock climbing, riding bikes, beards, barefeet, plaids, woods, softness, the moon, sewing, animal noises, shades of white, whispers, films, sand, green tea, mountains, strong coffee, snow, holding hands, sloths, raccoons, bandanas, lakes, elm trees, fog, the scratching sounds of records, bears, thunderstorms, boots, tiny animal claws, trains, birds, Japan, the desert, cat sneezes, birthdays, and vegetarian treats.

How this label mainly works:

• Inspiration sneaks into my mind, usually deriving from nature, vintage items, or my travels.
• I start working my design ideas out using Adobe Illustrator.
• The next step is to darken and print my design onto a transparency sheet.
• Building the silk screen comes next, which involves finger muscles that I never knew I had! After stapling wood planks together, the silk must be pulled and stretched until it is smooth and tight. A thin layer of photo emulsion is then applied and set in a dark place to dry.
• The next day is the best part because the design from the other day is burned into the screen using my homemade light box.
• After high pressure rinsing and painfully long drying, the image is happily printed onto fabric.
• The fabric is then cut, sewn, and turned to make the animal shell.
• Finally, polyfill is stuffed and I stitch the bottom closed.
• A little pat and squish, and the pillow is ready to go away to a new friend.
• Finito!