Where there’s a crafty will, there’s a crafty way!
- Tamika Morris
- Nov 1, 2024
- 3 min read
The Swap Tracker is excited to share stories that shape our crafting journeys. In this article, we’re featuring Tiffany McGill, known as Tiffanycraftinglikeavbossmcgill,
as she opens up about her experiences crafting abroad after years of creating in the USA.
🌍✂️ From the USA to Ecuador, Tiffany’s paper crafting journey has truly spanned the globe! For her, crafting isn’t just a hobby—it’s a way to connect with a global community and feel at “home” no matter where she is. As a Military Spouse, she’s taken her love for paper crafting to every new place, building lasting friendships along the way. Now, living in Ecuador post-retirement, she faces a new challenge: finding quality crafting supplies without local stores or easy mail-order options. But as Tiffany says, “Where there’s a crafty will, there’s a crafty way!”
In her own words
Crafting Abroad
When I started on my paper crafting journey, I never expected it to become my passion. I was not a crafty child; nor did I like “playing with paper.” As an adult, all I want to do is play with paper all day! The paper crafting community is an amazing community. You form long lasting friendships with people from around the world, even if you never get to meet them in person. As a Military Spouse, paper crafting was something I was able to bring with me no matter where we moved. It was always nice to have a piece of “home” in whatever country we were in. Up until now, I have had access to an American P O Box so I was able to purchase any of the American paper craft items. We also lived in countries that had a few paper crafting stores and/or easy access to supplies. After my husband retired, we moved to Ecuador. Buying supplies here is quite the challenge. Due to Covid, the little paper crafting supplies they had are not longer available. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem because you can just order supplies, right?! Well, not exactly. We do not have a mailing system here and trying to get items from the USA can be very tricky and expensive. What do you do? Call on your Crafty Community! Look on Facebook Market Place and search for crafty groups in your area. Don’t be afraid to reach out, even if you’re not fluent in the country’s language. The Crafting Community will find a way! My specific challenges is finding quality cardstock and patterned paper. I had to look in places I normally would not. I found strong quality cardstock in the painting section. Some of the cardstock is watercolor paper but it’s great for making mini albums and card bases. It only comes in white, but it works. I have also found some low weight (thin) cardstock in the school supplies section. I have found that most other countries label their paper crafting supplies as “Children’s Crafts. I have seen cardstock labeled as “Children’s Play Paper”, “Children’s Construction Paper” (even though it is the smooth scrapbooking cardstock and not the gritty sandpaper construction paper from the USA), “Children’s Art Paper”, “Poster Paper” etc. You definitely have to go to the store and see/feel what they are offering. As far as patterned paper…I have to use Digital Scrapbook Paper. They just do not have patterned paper in the city that I live in. The closet city that has patterned paper is 6 hours away, and again, we do not have a mailing system so I can’t just have it shipped. I invested in an EcoTank printer and print what I want at home. The printer ink here is cheap, so I’m not concerned with how many pages I print. In the USA, I rarely used digital scrapbook paper. I had no idea how many designs were out there; and I don’t know if I’ll ever go to back to buying paper collections in the store! My favorite paper companies, EchoPark and Carta Bella, have digital papers so I’m not missing anything. I print on the lightweight cardstock I found in the school supply aisle. I do not have a 12 x 12 printer, so I will have to color block if I need to cover a large area. I did bring my favorite non-consumable supplies, such as scissors, paper trimmer, etc with me. There are a few stationary stores that sell quality scissors and Cricut items. I am always on the hunt for great supplies.
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🌎💌 Despite the challenges of finding supplies, Tiffany’s love for paper crafting has flourished in Ecuador. From exploring local stores for cardstock to embracing digital scrapbook paper, she’s adapted and discovered new techniques along the way! The Crafty Community remains an amazing support network—one that crosses borders and languages. Thanks to resourcefulness and a little help from friends, her passion for crafting continues to thrive no matter where life takes her! 🥰✈️ #CraftyAdventure #CreativeConnections #CraftingAbroad
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