BIG NEWS: I’m officially a speaker at the Movable Book Society Conference 2025!

I’ll be flying to St. Louis, Missouri this September to give a talk at the biggest international gathering for pop-up book artists, paper engineers, collectors, and publishers. It’s the place to be if you love dimensional storytelling through paper!

For the past three conferences, I’ve taken the open mic stage to share a few minutes of my journey. And every time, I told myself: One day, I want to be up there as a real speaker. This year, that dream comes true.

My talk will dive into how paper engineering has become more than just a creative outlet for me. It’s become a platform for storytelling, entrepreneurship, and social impact. I’ll share how Pumapapel has grown from a freelance passion to a full-blown design studio. I’ll also talk about what it means to pioneer this field in the Philippines and why making space for new creative voices matters.

Plus! I’m This Year’s Make-and-Take Workshop Facilitator

For this year’s Make-and-Take souvenir, I’m designing a passport-sized pop-up Travel Guide to St. Louis. Conference-goers can assemble their own pop-up book and collect stamps of iconic St. Louis landmarks and food!

The stamp collection is extra special because it’s a collaborative effort between 24 artists (20 Filipino, 3 SEAsian, 1 USA). Each stamp is designed in the artist’s unique voice.

This project was open to members of The Fold, our creative community. I couldn’t be prouder of the group that came together to make it happen. It has always been my mission to bring Filipino creativity to the global stage, and this collaboration is one way I get to do exactly that.

Check out our talented creatives by swiping through below!

Meet me at the fair!

The MBS Conference offers both in-person and online tickets, so whether you’re flying to St. Louis or tuning in from your home, you can be part of this incredible event. Click the link below for full details and registration info.

Learn more and register for the MBS Conference

And if you want to follow the journey of our collaborative souvenir, check out our updates on social media (@pumapapelcrafts). We’ll be introducing the artists and sharing sneak peeks all the way until the big reveal!

See you in St. Louis!