Today on the blog we introduce you to BCFs (Best Creative Friends) Dana Sanchez and Nancy Gaines, better known as the Yourdori Girls. Their story is creative to the bone and their friendship is filled with support, laughs and of course crafting and when they are together there is no shortage of ideas.
This creative duo live in the northwest part of the USA with Dana residing in Vancouver, Washington and Nancy just across the river in Portland, Oregon. Two different states but just a hop, skip and a jump away.
While the girls each have their own style, their creative style is much in alignment. “We love all things cute and vintage with a pop of color. We both drool over vintage goodness, and have a soft spot for anything from the past…hoarding our inherited items as if they were valuable treasures because to us, they are!”
“While Nancy is a pro with a sewing machine, able to sew the tiniest stitches to make the most amazing and adorable pocket cards, I like to play with paint, color and mixed media. We both adore paper, scraps from the past, old books, and the wonderful variety of scrapbook papers available today,” Dana shares about their individual talents.
One of Nancy’s 3 vintage sewing machines
We asked the girls to whom they give credit for inspiring their creativity and they both gave that credit to their grandmothers. When asked what inspires them today they credit colors and textures, claiming to be color and texture addicts.
“We love them both…. they draw the eye, inspire emotion, and help tell our stories,” Dana shares.
Do you teach and if so tell us a bit about what you teach, where you go and some of your favorite places? “We are a team, but we have different talents. I have taught Bible Journaling and Art Exploration,” Dana shares. She added, “Nancy is often asked to teach Creative Photography. We also teach and encourage via our website www.yourdori.com. We have taught about everything from setting up a website and working with social media, to how to create mixed media backgrounds in journals and on canvas.”
“We are both very familiar with every store in the Portland and Vancouver areas that sells anything we can use in our crafting adventures – from the Dollar Store to Jo-Anne Fabrics, there is no place we haven’t searched for deals or new ideas.
When asked what they were happiest doing they stated, “We are the happiest when making stuff! We love to create, whether it is layering color, or setting up the perfect photo shot, we arrange the color and textures we love into pretty things that we hope others will love as much as we do.”
These gals make everything creative, even planning a party. They invited this sweet little hedgehog to the planning party and the notes alone will make you curios.
We are not sure how they get anything done when each little thing they do is so much fun and so creative!!! Hedgie in a cup = extended photo shoot and lots of grins and giggles. The planning turned into a creative, festive tea party that the team put together to support their local community. The party planning was fun, the event was beautifully executed and the follow up blog posts are so fun to read. Jump over to their blog for all the details and for help in creating your next party. Simple and easy creative DIY ideas will add just the right touch to your event.
No detail was too small and they had so much fun coming up with the ideas and executing them together. You can see their creating friendship so clearly in each photo. 
There is creativity in every aspect of planning a party or event, from the invitations and place settings to the food and the activities. Bring your ideas into your events to make them extra special, just as Dana and Nancy suggest.
What is your favorite Canvas Corp Brand Product? “We love all the possibilities of canvas fabric in all its forms and textures. Canvas Corp sells such a fabulous variety of blanks, from aprons and banners to table runners and art canvases. It comes in different weights and textures, even different colors. It’s the perfect starting point for lots of other CCB products.”
We asked each of the girls to share with us their favorite project and Dana shares her canvas that was part of our first Crew Challenge where each crew member was asked to create a 4×4 mini canvas that represents their personal design style.
“The little 4×4 canvas I made was painted with Tattered Angels Paints and made as a “Something About Me” challenge for CCB. Nancy Photographed it in her signature style. Presented this way it is a big part of how we work together…trading off tasks and inspiring each other to new ideas which is one of the things that makes it our favorite!”
This mask is one of our favorite projects Dana created and the story behind it makes it even more fun. We all would love for our children to embrace our creativity and when Dana’s son asked her to create a steampunk mask she jumped at the chance to create and to build something special for her son. It was a privilege to be part of Dana’s creation as she brought to life this amazing mask with found objects, trinkets, findings, paints and treasures. The end result is just stunning.
After creating such an amazing mask she needed the perfect spot to store it and this old radio was the perfect object to repurpose and embellish to house her special treasure. To see all the details about how Dana created this box check out the blog post – Steampunk Radio Box
Dana has also been a great supportive team member on the Creative Crew, leading many Crew Members in a Periscope class where she helps others make their way onto Periscope or improve their channels. We love how amazing our Crew is and that we work together to help each other learn, grow and build who we are on the inside and on the creative side.
Nancy contributes her photography, sewing skills, energy and endless ideas to the duo, stunning us with her eye for the artistic. Nancy has spent a lot of her creative time on photos for yourdori.com, the duo’s new venture. To learn more about the yourdori story check out this post on their blog and follow them on their journey. “We are truly kindred spirits. We are in each other’s heads and quite frequently finish the other’s sentences.
We are crafty soul mates and she totally has my heart. She so gets me,” Nancy says on her blog. Here is a post Nancy created with some of her favorite photography techniques. She is always trying new photo shoot ideas with fun props, focal points and color stories…always something unique and inspiring. 
When asked where they like to create the most they both said said their home studios, surrounded by supplies and inspiration. They both have carved spaces out of their family areas for crafting and photography. Here is a shot of Nancy’s studio with amazing touches of color and tools that do the trick…like the 1970’s light she attributes to helping her when lighting her photos in just the right way.
“We often get together in Nancy’s little apartment for day long coffee, crafting, and chatting sessions. Her place is the Tiniest Museum of Cute in Portland. Your eyes can’t help but land on some cute arrangement or a stack of vintage suitcases,” Dana shares. Here is a shot of Nancy’s props which look adorable on their own!!!!
We love to know a bit more about each of our crew so we asked them each to tell us one fun thing about them that we might not know. Dana shares, “When Nancy gets upset she starts talking in Jamaican, she lived there for several years. It is pretty hilarious when she starts talking to her sewing machine like a Jamaican cab driver. One fun thing about me is that I’m a professional nanny by trade and went to a Nanny School way back in the dark ages of 1988. When I get angry I just sound like Mary Poppins.” Dana’s 4×4 looks a little like a modern Mary Poppins with her umbrella.
When asked to share something that might inspire others, both girls said, “Our ultimate goal is to encourage others to step out of their comfort zones, share their story and chase after their dreams and passions.” They shared that their joint business, Yourdori, is not just the creation of a travelers notebook style journal and planner where you can organize your day and your ideas. It is a “home for your story.” They spend time sharing and teaching their business and creative process, hoping it will inspire and encourage others to find their voice and to share their story too. “We are all about moving past inhibitions and self critiquing into the exploration of creativity.”
Follow Dana Sanchez & Nancy Gaines at Yourdori Girls
Email them with questions about their blog and their journal – yourdorigirls@gmail.com
You can also follow them on Instagram – Dana as Dapoppins; Nancy Gaines as Yourdori Photography Girl and the duo at yourdorigirls.
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'Featured Crew Members: Dana Sanchez & Nancy Gaines' have 3 comments
July 7, 2016 @ 10:37 pm Jean Marmo
Love reading this!!
July 14, 2016 @ 5:17 pm Jane Sassalos
I will be meeting Dana tomorrow and I am so excited! I saw her hilarious vid about the packages left on the porch across the street. She was funny because, as a crafter, we relate to exactly those feelings. By the time a package arrives, I forgot what I ordered or why so it is like Christmas every time a package arrives. I cannot wait to see what these two are up to!
July 15, 2016 @ 11:19 am Tstahl
Delicious pictures that bring such life to the soul. What I love about the #yourdorigirls is they allow your mind to wander in a relaxed but interesting world. More like a safe non-frantic carnival than a walk on the beach. My daughter and I attended a tea party they hosted and she was overwhelmed with joy at the little worlds of creativity all over the table. She still talks about it! What a gift they have together.