About Me & How AKLP Started

I first started selling cards when I was 16. I’d stock up at my local scrapbooking store on patterned paper, cardstock, glitter, ribbon, and whip up cards to sell at school. I’m not sure if I made them for Christmas or Valentine’s Day first, but lots of my friends and teachers bought them! I shortly went by the name Ana Rocks Inc. and would write that on the back of my cards in marker. Within the year, I decided to “get serious”, so I switched the name to Ana K Creations and bought a stamp that went on the back of my cards.

By the time I was a senior in high school, I knew I wanted to grow up and run my own card making company. I envisioned Ana K Creations cards being mass produced and sold in Papyrus stores. I went to Whittier College to major in business and economics to learn how to make this happen.

I made cards in college for a bit and even set up shop at the local farmer’s market once, but my interests changed. I became focused on my studies. I loved one of my professors who emphasized that a great business does well in its books, and does good in the world. Social responsibility became important to me, and I started volunteering at Bridge of Faith, a 5013(c) in Whittier that helps women who were in foster care become independent women of worth.

I never stopped loving paper, though. I got an internship working for the purchasing department for a paper merchant. I was being paid to buy paper -- how perfect is that?!

After I graduated in 2011, my internship became full time. I’m still there today, but now as the Domestic Purchasing Supervisor. I’ve learned a lot about paper through my professional career. I’ve toured a paper mill and seen wood chips turn into mulp and make its way into a ream of copy paper. It was so cool! I have been introduced to SO MUCH cool paper. Paper that Michaels doesn’t stock.

With all the paper I have access to at work, it’d be silly not to do something with it. I scratched my creative itch by designing and making invitations for friends and family. I don’t have a degree in design, but I pushed myself to be creative and work with what I know. I learned a lot about my craft during this time, and I saw my style develop.

I did a few paid jobs here and there, but my goal was to have fun and just share my love of paper— so I switched my name to Ana Karen Loves Paper. I really like my name, can you tell? Haha.

More Than Just Cards

Cards help us communicate. I don’t know about you, but expressing myself in person is not always easy. After my husband Joe was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I knew it would be so much easier if our family and friends knew, but having the conversation in person, several times with different people, felt scary and exhausting. So, we took a photo with our dog Sushi, and sent out Thanksgiving photo cards with a message going over the diagnosis, and expressing our gratitude for the support system we have in our recipients.

For me, cards are an easy way to express how I feel. I hope I can encourage others to express themselves in cards too--and yes, it’s totally and encouraged OK to be cheesy!