Creatives of Colour with Dana Joy & Pocono Pam

Happy Monday, friends! Today we are shining a spotlight on some very talented artists of colour who are creating beautiful cards, layouts, mixed media pieces, and more in our community. Inclusion and diversity in the crafting industry will only help it to thrive by creating an inviting space for more papercrafters to create alongside us! And wouldn’t we love sharing our papercrafting hobby that brings us so much joy with more people?

To help us with this post, we invited our friends Dana Joy and Pocono Pam, and we hope that you’ll discover a creative (or two, or all 15!) that you had not found before, follow them and share their work with others! Let’s hear from Dana!

Welcome to the Scrapbook and Cards Today blog. I’m Dana Joy and I’m thrilled to be here with all of you. Today Pocono Pam and I are sharing the spotlight with amazing creators who inspire us every day. As we celebrate Black History Month, it’s important to value to talent and artistry of our fellow creators of color. These wonderful humans work diligently to bring their card making and craft talent to the world. Pocono Pam and I are truly proud of them and we want you to be too. First, let Pocono Pam and I introduce ourselves to you!

My name is Dana Joy and I am the face behind Got Joy Creations. I have been card making for over 20 years and truly have a passion for it. Having the opportunity to work with amazing companies has given me the chance to spread my wings and really get into designing and creating on a larger platform. In 2020 Pocono Pam and I collaborated with Hero Arts to create the Unity Collection. If you are not familiar with this collection, this collection started off with a warm and genuine open conversation with Aaron the owner of Hero Arts regarding people of color not being valued or celebrated within the crafting community.  Representation is so important, as crafters and cardmakers of color need to feel support, appreciation, and respect when expressing their values, experiences and skin tone in their work. We are celebrating this spirit through unity, and this collaboration is a pathway for everyone to see themselves in their art. With being able to have such wonderful support, we have created beautiful stamps, bold prints, and hot foil plates. Here is one example of a stamp from the collection I turned into an embroidery piece.

Now, let’s welcome Pocono Pam to the blog!

Hello everyone! Pam here!  My childhood was filled with a love for crafts and coloring, and that passion has stuck with me over the years. In 2009, I moved from the Bronx, New York, to the serene Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, where I stumbled upon the vibrant stamping and adult coloring community. From that moment, I was hooked.

I delved into the world of crafting with enthusiasm! I find joy in exploring diverse ways to use my stamps, with a particular fondness for adding unique touches like afros to images. Representation matters, and I believe it is crucial to see ourselves, our family, friends, and neighbors reflected in our creative expressions. Recently, I authored The Cardmaker’s Chronicles, a place where one can capture card ideas, sketch intricate designs, and plan your projects. I am proud to be a part of the paper crafting community! Together, we can craft a world that reflects the beautiful diversity around us!

Now it’s time to have our creatives of color inspire you. Below are the names and links of incredible artists that you should follow. Their work is fantastic and I know they would be thrilled if you followed their journey of creating. Welcome friends to the SCT blog! Pocono Pam and I love and adore you! Keep creating and shining a light brighter for this community and beyond!

Hello everyone!  I’m Robin Marshall Clark but you can call me The Delta Crafter.  I have been a craft lover since I was a child and crafting has always been an outlet for me.  In my 20s, I channeled my time and efforts into other activities, which left me little time for crafting.  In the early 2000s, I found myself right back in love with crafting through scrapbooking.  That spun off into other fun crafty ventures like vinyl projects, planning, and bible journaling.  As the years passed, I found myself doing less scrapbooking and more card making.  It’s still a passion that I enjoy engaging in weekly.  I’ve loved helping others explore this craft as well, teaching classes for companies and online crafting events. 

I also enjoy sharing this passion on YouTube and other social media platforms.  One of the best parts of card making is that it provides joy when you make and when you give the card.  What’s better than that?!  I’m honored to be on the SCT Magazine blog sharing with you!

Find more of Robin’s creations here: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Mirisha is the creative behind The Diary of Belle Rose. As a cardmaker and crafter, she resides in North Carolina, and is the proud mom of 3 fur babies, Molly, Heaven and Zoey. Whatever the crafty project, Mirisha loves the process of creating and bringing her ideas to life. In addition to crafting, she enjoys singing in her church gospel choir, mentoring, and watching movies with popcorn on the side. 

Find more of Mirisha’s creations here: Instagram | YouTube | Facebook

Hello! My name is Shalana Glass. I am originally from CA, however I’ve called PA home for the last 30 years. I have two daughters, Aria and Kayla and a granddaughter Alaya. I am a Sr. Regional HR Manager by day and a card maker machine by night.

I tapped into my creative side years ago when I began scrapbooking to preserve memories. I later found I could use the same products to make cards, GENIUS!! Cardmaking became my newfound passion! Cards are a blessing in disguise. Automatic smile creator!

I love stamping, coloring, and trying new techniques. I am blessed to share my talents as a Design Team member for Technique Junkies, Pajama Crafter Stamps, and Brutus Monroe.

Find more of Shalana’s creations here: Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | TikTok | Blog

Crafty greetings, all! My name is Kandice Johnson, aka #dewyworks. I am a program analyst by day, and a crafter by night, and really, anytime there is time! Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, as a child, I always had a love for paper crafting and stationery. Now as an adult, I am following my passion of creating and sharing what I love. I know I don’t always tell someone that I’m thinking about them, phone to say happy birthday, or get well soon; but now through my paper crafts, I can do just that! Through my paper crafts, it’s my personal way of sharing my love and thoughts for the people in my life. In addition to sending cards to my family and friends, since 2018, I am also the proud owner of a small home-based crafting business, DewDrop Works, where I sell my crafty creations and do custom orders.

My style is eclectic, from clean and simple to mixed media, I like a little bit of everything! I truly believe that everyone should create to inspire others, in whatever medium or outlet that may be. And hopefully, that’ll inspire others to create – sharing positivity, laughter, and the beauty that surrounds us!

Find more of Kandice’s creations here: Instagram | Facebook

Tina Keyner is the founder of Social Paper Plan, she creates items used for various paper crafts, teaches creative workshops, and has built a community around memory keeping. Tina has over 25 years experience working in the paper crafting industry and uses her expertise to inform others of new trends, techniques and influences creative freedoms.

Find more of Tina’s creations here: Instagram | Shop | YouTube

Hello, My name is Danielle Mack and I’m an illustrative painter based in San Marcos, Texas. In addition to working in my art journal, I enjoy designing products for artists to use in their practice. My art celebrates the feminine spirit and our connection to Earth and one another. My style is soulful, whimsical, and free-spirited.

I find inspiration in nature, afros, jazz, and handmade jewelry. I enjoy sharing my process with others through online classes and YouTube videos. It’s a beautiful way to connect and invite others into my world of creativity.

Find more of Danielle’s creations here: Website | Instagram

Hey there! My name is Jessica Morris, but you might know me at JessiKate Creates on YouTube and IG. Eight years ago, I was introduced to cardmaking and I haven’t put down the paper trimmer since. Patterned paper, stamps, alcohol inks & markers, watercolor: I love it all, and I love challenging myself to use the items in my stash in new and unique ways to stretch my creativity and my crafty wallet.

Encouragement cards hold a special place in my heart since I think there is always room to lift folks up and spread more love and support. When I’m not busy making cards, I can be found cooking up a storm in the kitchen or outside enjoying the beauty of nature in coastal Virginia. I hope you’ll follow along on my cardmaking journey as I share tutorials, tips, and crafting inspiration.

Find more of Jessica’s creations here: Instagram | YouTube | Facebook

Hi, I am Natasha and I am from Austin, TX. I am married to my college sweetheart and we have two beautiful children. I began papercrafting about 5 years ago and have been hooked since. I get excited to learn new techniques and experiment with different mediums.  If I am not playing with paper, you can find me with thread, as I sew and embroider too.

Find more of Natasha’s creations here: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Blog

Hello, my name is Timothy Thomas. I was born and raised in Arizona. I have been a fan of art since I was a child and I loved being creative with my hands. I got into card making in 2014 and it is a hobby that truly brings me so much joy.

I really enjoy coloring stamped images and using them as focal points for my cards. I’m currently on design teams for Scrappy Boy Stamps, Sonoran Desert Crafts, Crackerbox Stamps and RubberStamps.com. I’ve previously worked with Stamp Anniething Stamps and Kindred Stamps. My favorite themes of cards to make are Christmas and Birthday. I also enjoy making shaker cards. I try to post daily on Instagram.

Find more of Timothy’s creations on his Instagram feed

Hello! My name is Carol Weatherspoon and I’ve been married to the love of my life, David for 19 years. We have one precious daughter named Paige who is my crafting sidekick and she’s 10 years old. I work full-time as a Customer Service Manager for a plasma company (where I’ve been for 26 years!). I absolutely love making cards, trying new techniques, and just making people smile with my creations.

I’ve been blessed to serve on several design teams where I’ve had the chance to showcase beautiful products by having fun in my craft room. I’m currently on the Scrapbook.com and the LDRS Creative Design Teams. I’ve also had the incredible opportunity to appear on HSN for LDRS Creative. That has truly been a dream come true. You can find me on the web and I would love it if you reached out and said hello!

Find more of Carol’s creations here: Blog | Instagram | Facebook

We know that you will find so much inspiration in the blogs, social media feeds and channels of the wonderful creatives of colour above, and we hope that you will take the time to check each one of them out! Thanks for joining us today, and thank you to Dana & Pam for adding colour and beauty to our day!