Well friends, I think I may have found a paper kindred spirit!
In Episode 105 of Joleen’s Happy Time Craftcast, I’m chatting with Michigan artist Krista Reuter, and we have SO much in common—including our love of paper, yoga, making things, and finding creative possibilities in unexpected places.
Krista creates incredible layered paper artwork that transforms flat sheets of paper into dimensional pieces filled with light, shadow, texture, and movement.
And naturally, we had LOTS to talk about! 📄✨
🌟 Meet Krista Reuter
Krista is a Michigan-based artist whose hand-cut and hand-formed paper creations explore the relationship between light, shadow, depth, texture, and space.
Her inspiration comes from sacred geometry, nature, Lake Michigan, and even the Iowa cornfields where she grew up.
We talk about her paper choices, her painting and dipping techniques, embroidery, tearing, folding, cutting, burning, repetition, and the engineering that goes into turning a two-dimensional sheet of paper into something wonderfully dimensional.
💕 The Magic of Happy Accidents
One of my favorite parts of our conversation was hearing about the happy accident that changed Krista's artwork.
While working with layers of paper, she noticed the beautiful shadow created when one piece of paper sat slightly above another.
That simple observation led her to explore space between layers and eventually became a major part of her artistic process.
Sometimes the best ideas aren't planned. Sometimes they're sitting right there on the table waiting for us to notice them. ✨
🌱 Finding Your Creative Flow
Krista talks about the importance of getting all those voices out of your head and settling into what she calls the creative flow.
She also encourages artists to allow happy accidents to happen.
I loved this because sometimes we get so focused on doing things "right" that we forget to leave room for curiosity and discovery.
And that's one of the things I love about making things—you never really know where one little experiment might lead.
📄 What About All Those Scraps?!
Oh friends, we HAD to talk about scraps.
Because if you're anything like me, throwing away a tiny piece of beautiful paper can feel almost physically impossible.
Krista uses her scraps as part of her creative process. Larger pieces become other projects, torn pieces become something else, and even those tiny decorative scraps can eventually find their way into her artwork.
So, unfortunately, Krista did NOT give me the magical formula for when a scrap is officially too small to keep.
Apparently we're both just going to keep everything.
✍️ Assemic Writing & Creative Play
Krista also introduced us to assemic writing, a form of mark-making that doesn't rely on readable words.
Think of it as letting your hand move across the page without worrying about what you're writing.
It's a wonderful way to loosen up, experiment, make marks, and get out of your own head.
And I loved hearing how Krista sometimes switches to her non-dominant hand to see what happens.
There's something really freeing about taking away the pressure to make something "good" and simply allowing yourself to play.
🎳 And Then There Was the Bowling Ball...
Of course, I had to show Krista my latest project!
I found a bowling ball at a yard sale for 50 cents and turned it into a completely bedazzled ball covered in tiny faces cut from Reader's Digest Condensed Books.
Because clearly that's what one does with a 50-cent bowling ball.
And now she's headed for my coffee table where everyone can enjoy her!
That's the beauty of creativity. Sometimes you don't need a reason. You just need an idea that won't leave you alone.
🧘♀️ Art, Yoga & Creativity
Krista and I also discovered that we're both yoga teachers, so naturally we had to talk about the connection between art, yoga, breath, and creativity.
Krista has an upcoming workshop that combines assemic writing, drawing, painting, crafting, yoga, and breathwork to help participants connect with both their physical and artistic selves.
I love this idea so much. 💕
📚 A Happy Book Recommendation
I also shared a book I'm very excited about from my friend Lacy Walker: Learn to Watercolor Adorable Animals.
It's a beginner-friendly watercolor book with 20 step-by-step animal projects, and the included watercolor paper has the outlines already printed on it.
No sketching. No tracing. Just grab your paints and PLAY.
It's exactly the kind of thing I love recommending because it makes creating feel accessible and fun.
💖 What Makes Us Happy?
When we got to our Happy 10 questions, Krista chose “curiosity” as her favorite word.
I think that's such a perfect word for an artist.
Curiosity is the beginning of so many things: What happens if I try this? What if I change that? What if I look at it differently?
And when we talked about what brings her the most happiness, Krista talked about family, connection, laughter, and that wonderful feeling when everyone is simply enjoying one another.
And honestly, isn't that what Happy Time is all about?
Making things. Trying things. Staying curious. Laughing a little. And finding those moments that make life feel really, really good. 💕
Until next time, friends, I hope you do all kinds of things that make you all kinds of happy!
Happy creating,
Joleen
PS: 🎥 Watch the full episode below:
Guest Bio
Krista Reuter is a Michigan-based artist known for her hand-cut and hand-formed layered paper creations. Her work explores light, shadow, depth, and the transformation of two-dimensional paper into three-dimensional artwork. Inspired by abstract patterns, sacred geometry, nature, and the landscape around Lake Michigan, Krista uses techniques including cutting, tearing, folding, scoring, embroidery, painting, and more. She earned her BFA from Iowa State University and continued her education at the Royal College of Art in London. Her award-winning work has been exhibited internationally, and she also brings together art, yoga, breath, and creativity through workshops and teaching.
Follow Krista
Episode Chapters with Timestamps
[00:00–10:00] — Joleen’s Five Happy Things & New Creative Kits
[10:00–15:00] — Meet Krista Reuter: A Paper-Loving Kindred Spirit
[15:00–22:00] — Exploring Paper, Paint, Light & Shadow
[22:00–28:00] — Creative Flow & the Magic of Happy Accidents
[28:00–34:00] — Sacred Geometry, Nature & Finding Inspiration
[34:00–40:00] — From Flat Paper to Three-Dimensional Art
[40:00–45:00] — Scraps, Assemic Writing & Creative Play
[45:00–49:00] — Joleen’s Bowling Ball Project & What’s Next
[49:00–54:00] — Lacy Walker’s New Watercolor Book & Big Raven Farm
[54:00–59:00] — Krista’s Art + Yoga Workshop & Happy 10
[59:00–End] — Curiosity, Creativity, Family & Happiness
Quotes from the Episode
“The more that you do something in a repetitive manner, it’s amazing how much it can grow into something really amazing.” — Krista Reuter
“You just need to do and just do what you love and continue it.” — Krista Reuter
“I love what paper can do.” — Krista Reuter
“You can take something that was one thing and turn it into something completely different.” — Joleen Emery
“I love taking things that would otherwise go into the landfill and giving them a new life.” — Joleen Emery
Resources & Calls-to-Action
🎨 Connect with Krista Reuter
👉 Instagram
👉 Website
🧘♀️ Krista's Art + Yoga Workshop
Krista’s upcoming November 14 workshop combines assemic writing, drawing, painting, crafting, yoga, breathwork, and intention-setting for a creative and mindful experience.
👉 Learn more
🎨 Lacy Walker’s Watercolor Book
✂️ Joleen’s Creative Retreats
Ready for some Happy Time of your own? Check out Joleen’s upcoming retreats, including Pick Your Projects, Art Journaling, Christmas Pick Your Projects, and Tarot retreats.
👉 Explore the retreats
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