Welcome to Paper Dot Design! A shop where stationery love meets digital design :)
Hello everyone!
I’m Rafaela and I am so glad that you are here and taking the time to read a bit about me.
STATIONERY has always been a passion of mine! I was always that girl who buys all the planners, stickers, scrapbooks - and more - that she can, even if she does "not need another notebook", as my mom - and now my husband - used to say.
And you know what? I have always been TECH-SAVVY too. It might seem like an odd pairing, eh? But these two worlds have been my cherished hobbies forever, especially during my college days when they were a comforting activity in those LONELY moments away from home.
As life got busier in my 20s, I struggled to have time to dedicate to these separate passions. It wasn’t until I discovered digital planners and digital stickers on ETSY that I found the perfect blend of my interests. It was as if I had stumbled upon exactly what I had been searching for!
So I started being creative on the computer and ended up providing invitations, stickers, party games, and so much more for my friends' weddings, baby showers, and birthday parties. I even designed MY WHOLE WEDDING STATIONERY - which received so many compliments if I may say so!
In 2019, my husband and I moved from Brazil to Canada and, 4 months later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit us all... It brought so many challenges to my job search, to have my family visiting me from abroad, to keep my sanity while in a strict Canadian lockdown.
In May 2020, I turned my hobby into my TOOL TO HANDLE ANXIETY and, why not, maybe as a source of income. Paper Dot Design was born during those uncertain times. Initially, SELF-DOUBT held me back. And, while I was still figuring out this platform, I finally got a full-time job, and then another - yes, I worked at 2 FULL-TIME JOBS for 2 years! -, I could not invest time into this baby.
However, this shop is the apple of my eye. This is what I truly love to do! So, here I am a few years later, after a lot of training to build new skills, a lot of market research and mentorship, proud to say that PAPER DOT DESIGN is now here to stay!
Please feel at home and let me know if you have any questions, okay?
Can I mention again how glad I am that you are here? HUGE THANK YOU!
Love,
Rafaela Bruno.