I’m back with another Featured Maker blog post today! If you missed the first two, you can read all about sewist and fabric shop owner Georgie here, and wedding photographer Rachel here.

I love finding new creative accounts to follow on Instagram and Nikki and I thought it would be fun to share the love on the blog. I'll be interviewing a Nikki’s Supply Store pal or customer about their favourite crafts and stationery so grab an iced tea, sit back and let’s get chatty…

Today I'm chatting to Angie Chua (she/her), an illustrator, muralist and stationery store owner in Palm Springs.

Hi Angie, lovely to meet you! Please could you introduce yourself?

Hi there! I'm Angie Chua and I'm the founder, heart, and soul of Bobo Design Studio where I design and create wanderlust-inspired travel stationery. I'm also the owner of Bobo Palm Springs, a stationery shop in Palm Springs where I sell works from women of color artisans, queer artists, and fun stationery goods from Japan.

That sounds amazing and is definitely on my visit list if I'm ever in Palm Springs! I'd love to know you and Nikki "met" as Palm Springs is a fair old trek from bonnie Scotland!

I actually first met Nikki online as we followed each other’s accounts like good internet small biz friends do, but we really connected once we got to meet in person when she was visiting California and made a stop at my store! Our vibes and aesthetics instantly connected! She came back to visit when we both attended the Alt Summit Conference here in the desert, and I look forward to having her host me in Scotland! Just a good ol’ stationery nerd out sesh halfway across the world.

Love an Instagram small biz friendship! I know you're an illustrator by day, but I'd love to hear about your other favourite creative hobbies?

I absolutely love creative journaling. I don’t subscribe to any particular style of method of journaling like planners or bullet journaling, but I am in awe of people who do and their creativity and discipline. I mainly journal as it pertains to travel and new experiences. Thats's why I created the Wanderlust Passport Travel Journal to help me remember all the cool things I’ve been fortunate to see and do in a fun, creative, and analog way.

A non-work-related creative hobby I love and always want more time for is rug tufting. I got a rug tufting gun and love the process of making a rug.

Love your Wanderlust Travel Journal so much and I've always wanted to try rug tufting too! Is there a craft or creative practice you'd love to try but haven't yet?

Ceramics. I have always wanted to get into throwing clay and playing with all the glazes! I won't let myself go down that road because I know it will be all-consuming for me!

Oh, I feel that in my bones! Too many hobbies, not enough time or space!

We love a bit of retro stationery around here and I get the impression that might be your vibe too. What was your favourite stationery item growing up?

Oh, I dream about this item at least once a month. But I was a child of the 80s and we had these little flip-top cardboard boxes for our pencils that we kept at our desks at school or at home. This photo isn't mine, but im like 99% sure I had this same exact design. There was nothing better than getting a new one every year. When it came time to transfer your existing pens into your fresh new box, you’d see the pencil shavings and crayon wrapper bits on the bottom and wedged in the corners. I can smell that old pencil box now just thinking about it!

Mmm, new pencil smell is the BEST!

What's your favourite drink or snack while you're creating?

I find I do my best creative work at night. Thanks ADHD. So I'm less about a good treat, and more about having the right music to vibe with. But if I HAD to pick a drink or snack, in the morning it would be coffee for sure, and in the evening, it would be a margarita - ya know, to keep the creative juices going.

Excellent choices! I know this is a tough decision, but what's your favourite item at Nikki's Supply Store?

I love all the products she designs - her tapes, sticker sheets. It's all so dreamy! I'm also a fan of her biscuit themed goods because who doesn't love a biscuit!? I also love her Japanese stationery selection. To die for!

Biscuit Lovers Vinyl Stickers

Very glad to see that the British biscuit love has crossed the pond! Thanks so much for chatting to me today, Angie! Finally, where can we find you online?

You can find Bobo Design Studio's instagram here, my website here, and my YouTube channel here. The shop also has it's own Instagram here.

I’ll be keeping an eye out for creatives to include in our Featured Maker posts as well as the fortnightly Nikki’s Supply Store newsletter - so please keep tagging @nikkissupplystore in your photos on Instagram! It’s really handy if you can tag the photo as well as the caption, as this makes them easier for me to find.