Mechelle Designs with an attitude

Mechelle with Mechelle Designs is one of those artists who knows how to use color. Those colors that she chooses makes you want to see more of her work. Her talent in illustration has led her business life to freelanceing. She has also worked for companies as a graphic artist.

I was reading her profile and she has sold her work at the Smithsonian Institution gift shops. That had to have been a wonderful feeling to receive that recognition!

I have picked out a few of my favorites from her online Etys studio. I really like the “birds with attitude.” Enjoy the sites!

Tell us a little about yourself:
I am a wife and mother of three children ages 12, 10, and 5 years old. We live in a suburb just outside of Atlanta.

When did you open your shop on Etsy?
I opened up my Etsy shop in December 2007

Tell us about your shop:
I create original art, prints, note cards, journal/sketchbooks, tags, pendants, and magnets.

What inspires you?
I marvel at the beauty of God's nature when I observe plants, animals, trees, and flowers. These creations inspire my work tremendously, but in a humorous way.

What is it about paper that draws you to create with it?
I love the fact that I am able to use my artistic ability to create a piece of art in a functional way.

How do you create the perfect balance between family, house-hold duties, work and paper?
That is an ongoing struggle since I have a child that goes to school a half a day. Time is very limited.

Do you sell mostly online or at craft shows?
I sell online primarily but also at fine art and craft shows

What do you have on while you're creating, if anything, and is it tuned to something specific?
I love listening to talk radio while I create.

If you could learn a new craft, what would it be? Why?
I think soap making looks like so much fun to do. It is almost like baking a dessert.

Please leave a comment and let Mechelle know how you feel about her work.

Thanks for stopping by our blog,
Aletha

EtsyPaper Team Weekly Featured Member - Aletha Williams

* This is a re-post of our most wonderful Aletha of AJs Designs.  She will be taking over the team's featured members posts for us and I wanted to recognize her and her terrific shop once more.  Be sure to give her a BIG THANKYOU when you see her on Ning and our team threads!  Thanks Aletha!!!



Our next featured team member is Aletha Williams. Aletha is the creative mind behind AJ's Designs. She creates gorgeous cards, artwork, and really intricate mandalas (my favorite). Aletha has been a member of our team since November, 2008. We have 3 questions that tell us a little about Aletha and her shop and she has chosen 7 out of all of the questions that were submitted by our team members on the forum post. Here are her answers to our questions - happy reading!


Tell us a little about yourself :

I am now residing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I am married to a wonderful man. (I count my blessings every day. And, I make him count at least once a week.) We have two beautiful children, a daughter and son. Our daughter has given us two grandsons who are now age 14 and 11. Our baby, well he’s 27 now, just married in January to a beautiful woman. No grand kids there yet, he is still in law school.

Tell us about your shop:*

When did you open it?

I opened my shop in February 2007. I really got busy with it in 2008. I still do not have everything posted.

What items/type of items do you sell:

I sell collage art, hand bound journals, mini wall art (collage on stretched canvas no larger than 5”x7”), art cards, greeting and note cards, mandalas, mandala art cards, seasonal items such as ornaments and holiday cards. Just about everything I create involves paper and rubber stamps.


Getting to know you - 5 Questions (or 7,lol)

1. Name top 3-5 items (for crafting purposes) that you cannot live without.

I cannot live without rubber stamps and paper. I have an over abundance of both and I still keep collecting both. If I every decide to have a garage sale, just to clean my studio, I would probably be able to make the next two house payments. The other items that I could not live without are my X-Acto knife, paper trimmer, watercolor brushes, and rulers.

2.What is it about paper that draws you to create with it?

I have always been drawn to paper. We cannot live without it. It is part of our everyday life. I remember growing up and making my own “little books.” Some were small enough that Barbie could hold them. And then I did grow up and was lucky enough to land a job in a print shop. Thus began my career in graphic arts and print production. I was introduced to typesetting on some of the first photo type computers (I’m getting ready to show my age here). And I gained experience in operating printing presses. I realized then that some of the art that I created I could reproduce. Reproduction involved typesetting, dark room work (shooting negatives), burning printing press plates from those negatives to make the positive, getting the press ready to make the job complete. The most fun was choosing the paper for the job. I could not wait for a paper salesman to come and peddle their wares. They brought the most beautiful poster samples that was printed on “the stock of the month.” Now began my career in collecting paper. The fire marshal would probably have a few words of concern.


3.Do you have a special space for your crafting, or does the kitchen table do double duty?

I do have a studio. It is a 6’x8’ attic room. I have spilled over into the attic for storage. Whatever project(s) I am working on seem to over flow onto the stair landing. If I am doing a lot of tearing and meticulous trimming I will be in the living room and/or sun room. The dining room table I use as a catch all and packing for art festivals. I store my inventory in the spare bedroom closet. My shadow box frames are stored in the downstairs hall closet. My husband and I share an office with our computers. He’s the Director of News and Analysis for RigData and he telecommutes. He’s also a writer. Hmm..two creative people living together 24 hours a day. I do allow him to have his own desk in our office and he gets to use the kitchen table in our sun room. Hey, I had to learn to not talk to myself…he thought I was talking to him!

4.Who is your biggest fan?

I have to say that my biggest fan is my husband. You probably can tell that by now. He has to live with me. Next will be the kids. They check Twitter to see if I have posted anything new and if I haven’t, they ask why. Then there are my parents, the rest of the family and friends, who always gets something handmade as gifts.


5.How did you learn your craft?

My craft is rubber stamp art and I am self-taught. I was needing a creative outlet and during a year of watching Carol Duvall and the rubber stamp segments I kept repeating to myself, “I could do that.” I guess that my husband got tired of me talking to myself and bought me my first rubber stamps as a gift. I already had all the paper stock and he knew my creative side. He did create a monster. He asked me “just how much paper and how many stamps do you have?” Needless to say I changed the subject.

6. Do you have more than one Etsy shop?

No, I have the one Etsy shop: http://ajsdesigns.etsy.com/
I do have three other online shops and a blog. They are:
http://ajsdesigns.artfire.com/
http://ajsdesigns.1000markets.com/
http://zibbet.com/ajsdesigns
http://ajsdesigns.blogspot.com/


7. Why do you do what you do?

This is a very good question! Through the years ( I hope there are many more), I have realized that one of the biggest sins you can commit could be against yourself and others. That sin is not using your creative talent. What I mean by that is…be it God, the gods, nature, evolution, or just being human…if you do not use the talent that is given you, and nurture and let that talent grow, you are performing a disservice to yourself and the world. Let it shine! Practice one hour, four hours, or 24 hours a day. Just don’t let it go to waste. “That’s just my opinion, I could be wrong.” —Dennis Miller



Find her here:

SHOP - AJs Designs

BLOG - AJs Designs

NING - Aletha

EtsyPaper Team Featured Member - Joy Charde

Hello & Happy 2010 to all! We are getting back into the swing of things and have our first featured member of 2010 (drum roll please).....Joy Charde, the creative artist and owner of Art of Joy! I absolutely love Joy's beautiful artwork and am very pleased to feature her here on our team blog. Having purchased one of her gorgeous calendars, I can truly say her attention to detail is fantastic and the quality of her products is top notch. Be sure to visit Joy's shop to see more of her wonderful items:)

Tell us a little about yourself:

My name is Joy Charde. Currently, I reside with my wonderful husband of 11 years and my almost one year old rolly-polly guy in the freezing cold Upstate New York. I work full time at a public library... so between work, baby and my etsy shop, I'm super busy!

Tell us about your shop:

* When did you open it?

I opened my paper shop on July 31, 2009

* What items/type of items do you sell?

I sell cards, stickers and other paper goodies!

Getting to know you - 5 Questions

1. When do you find/make time for your crafting?

Any time the baby is asleep (fortunately, my little one loves to nap).

2. Do you have a special space for your crafting, or does the kitchen table do double duty?

I don't have a space for crafting, so yes, the kitchen table is my "studio".

3. Is there someone in your life that may have inspired your creativity?

Aside from his claim that he's my biggest fan, my husband is a great source of my inspiration. He is always giving me ideas and encouraging me to try new things! Sometimes, he shops at the craft store with me, so I can find just the right tool to make my creative life easier. He also gave me the idea for my shop name. I frantically called him one day while he was at work, and demanded a shop name... He came up with "The Art Of Joy" - because my stuff is fun and "Joy" is my name. He's so awesome!

4. When did you join the etsyPaper Team and what has been your favorite thing about being a team member?

My favorite thing about our paper team is the support we are always giving each other. You guys rock!

5. What is your favorite item to make, the one that makes you smile just thinking about working on it?

I absolutely love making my stickers! They bring a huge smile to my face just thinking about them!

Find her here:


SHOP: The Art of Joy

BLOG: Creative Mamma

NING: Joy Charde

EtsyPaper Team Featured Member - Amy Vander Vorste

It's time for our next EtsyPaper Team featured member post! I am pleased to to feature Amy Vander Vorste of Avlor's Imprints. She is a valued member and also maintains our team Twitter account. Read her feature and visit her shop and blog (links can be found below). Enjoy!

Tell us a little about yourself:

(Waving to everybody) Hi! I'm Amy Vander Vorste and I'm a stay at home mom. My darling hubby and I have 2 wonderful kidlets under the age of 10, a runt fuzzball cat named Tuna and the rollie pollie Hammy the Hamster. Besides playing with paper, I enjoy fiber arts (knitting, spinning, card weaving, naalbinding, etc), learning about Japan, studying the Viking age, and tinkering on the computer. My shops take up most of my "hobby" time (and then some), but I try to do something non shop related every week.

Tell us about your shop:

* When did you open it?

Avlor's Imprints opened December of 2007, after nudging by a couple of my friends. It's been a fun journey so far turning it from just a little hobby to a business.

* What items/type of items do you sell?

At first I was all over the map with the items I put in my shop. But I've focused in on stationery (printed and print-your-own), labels and tags, and promotional items. Designing, adding a touch of whimsy and seeing the finished printed products is always a thrill.

Print-your-own stationery is what I started with because I like the convenience of just printing some when I need it. So my slogan for printable stationery was born - "Save money by having cards and stationery on hand! Save trees by only printing what you need! Include a personal note in your orders for an excellent presentation! Great for promos!"

I don't just print my own designs. Helping other sellers by making promo cards or graphics with their product photos is fun too!

My hubby even designed one of the sets - Spaceman M.E.L. (I keep trying to convince him to do more sets, but he's trying to get back to writing on his book.)


Getting to know you - 5 Questions

1. Is there something that you've never tried with paper that you'd like to try?

Making my own paper. Someday soon I will slate the time to just try it with the kiddos. It sounds wonderfully fun and messy! Experimentation and exploration are incredibly important to being artistic. I like to encourage people to try new things and to not worry about being good at it right away. Try something new when ever you can. I've tried metal smithing, roasting my own coffee, spinning my own yarn, historical re-enactment, learning Japanese, designing my own stationery, photography, and many other things. Some things I am good at, some I'm terrible at (like smithing) - but I love trying them all.

2. What is your first crafting memory?

My grandparents lived with us when I was a kid. My grandmother taught me to crochet ... several times, because I kept forgetting it. But her patient persistence gave me a love of making things and a pride in accomplishments that has stayed with me to this day. She also gave me some of her good old German tenacity in the process. I hope to pass these on to my own children too. My son is asking to learn to crochet so he can make a stuffed tiger. I'm slowly teaching him, and it's cool to see the other side of learning the first craft I learned.

3. When did you join the EtsyPaper Team and what are your favorite things about being a team member?

This last spring is when I joined the team. It's the first team I applied to join and I chose it because there's a good community here. People here are very friendly and make you feel welcome right away. If you need help, advice or encouragement - you can count on the EtsyPaper team. I also like how we're professional but laid back at the same time. We promote each other - like we do with the business card exchange. I feel its important to be active and of help in any group we join. This limits the number of teams we can join, but it's more rewarding. I've joined only one other team (EtsyTwitter) and that's enough for me.

4. How has being part of the Etsy community changed your craft?

Being in the Etsy community has challenged me to:

* be more professional -> I "brand" now because if Etsy. I'm proud of the products I make and I want people to know it.

* plan ahead and schedule more efficiently -> So I can do more. Not everything, just more.

* try new things and ways of doing things -> I've tried several methods of cutting my stationery by hand and I know what works best now.

* add special touches -> Each product has a little something that makes it special. I also enjoy sending my products as a gift to my buyers.

5. Do you have more than one etsy shop?

Yes, I do. This summer I started a second shop because I wanted to narrow the focus of the items I sold in Avlor's Imprints. Having the variety of two shops is great. But two is my limit!

* Name of shop(s) & link:
Ojami - http://ojami.etsy.com/

* Types of items you sell there.
Otedama (Japanese juggling and jacks) game sets and Bento accessories (lunch Bags and Bento lunch box bands).
I started making Otedama sets after making sets for my son's class at Christmas one year. I was hooked on the little game. (True confessions - I'm not coordinated enough to be good at the game. But I keep trying because it's fun!)

Then the Bento related items came from a need in my own family. The school lunches here leave much to be desired. After reading Japanese lunch blogs and forums at justbento.com and lunchinabox.net, I got in gear to make healthy reasonably sized lunches for my kiddos and myself. (I posted about this on my blog, so I won't go into detail here. http://avlorsimprints.blogspot.com/2009/08/back-to-school-packing-healthy-lunches.html) I couldn't locally find resusable lunch bags that would accommodate the Japanese style bento boxes we use or the bands that hold them closed, so I made my own. I hope it will help others wanting to be health and eco conscious.

Find her here:

SHOP: Avlor's Imprints

BLOG: Avlor's Imprints

NING: Amy Vander Vorste

EtsyPaper Team Featured Member - Michelle Neuendorf

It's a new month, a new season, and EtsyPaper Team featured members are back! I am thrilled to feature Michelle Neuendorf of MichellenStamps. I absolutely LOVE her creative and beautiful cards. Read her feature and visit her shop and blog (links can be found below). Enjoy!

For those of you who aren't familiar with the featured members posts, our members have submitted questions they would like answered and our featured members choose five (so far we have over 50 questions!). Here we go...

Tell us a little about yourself :

My name is Michelle N. I am 39 years old, and a Wisconsin native. I've been happily married almost 18 years (wow, that sounds like a long time!), and have 3 kids: 15, 13 and 10(two girls and a boy). I am a Stay at Home Mom, and have been ever since my kids were born. I really love being at home, and am thankful that I can be.

Tell us about your shop:

* When did you open it?

I opened my shop in March of this year. I had heard of Etsy a while back, but had never really looked into it. When I make cards, I love having someone to share them with. I had been a demonstrator for a rubber stamp company for 6 years, so I had a venue for the cards I made. Once I quit that though, I still wanted to share what I made, so thought I would give Etsy a try. It sure has been a lot of fun too!

*What items/type of items do you sell?

Greeting cards are my favorite thing to make, so that is the majority of my shop. I have cards for many different occasions, but I leave most of them blank, so the sender can use them for whatever occasion they need.

I do have a small gift section as well, with some great notebooks with matching pens, acrylic post it note holders and ceramic tile coasters. I've just started adding some card sets and some Holiday gift tags and cards.

Getting to know you - 5 Questions

1. Name top (3-5) items (for crafting purposes) that you cannot live without.

If I had to choose just one thing, it would be my great cutting scissors. I love to cut certain elements of my cards out, and sometimes what I am cutting is very small. So a sharp pair of scissors is essential.

Which leads to item 2. I almost always raise the cut item up with foam dots. I love the extra dimension that gives to a card.

If you look through my shop, you will see that I also love ribbon. I think about 90% of the cards I make have ribbon on them. There are so many fun colors and patterns to choose from today!

One other thing that I must have, is loads and loads of patterned paper. I don't think I will ever run out of it, but I still keep buying more. It's so much fun!

2. When do you find/make time for your crafting?

I find it pretty had to craft when the kids are home. My ideal is to have more than an hour, and preferably 3-4 hours, where I can sit down and create. It always take me a little while to get started on that first card, but once I have that made, I can roll. When I demonstrated, I pretty much shut down for the summer. This year, I did back way off on my shop during the summer, but still tried to make a few cards a month. Now that the kids are back in school though, I will soon be in full swing. There are times when I spend the whole day at my stamp desk.

3. Do you have a special space for your crafting, or does the kitchen table do double duty?

When I first started rubber stamping, it was the kitchen table. But I always felt like I had to clean it up every time I used my stuff (we did need a place to eat after all). It wasn't too long though before I had my husband make me a spot in the basement. It was pretty basic at first, and still isn't overly fancy now, but I have a very nice sturdy desk, and lots of storage space. I love my stamp area! The best part is, I can walk away from the chaos without having to clean it up each time.

4. Do you remember the first item you made, and if so, do you still have it (or a picture of it)?

Oh yes, that is the beginning of my story :). I was pregnant with my second daughter, and went to a rubber stamp party (so that would be 14 years ago). I never considered myself artistic, but when I saw rubber stamping, I knew that was a craft I could do. After all who can't color in the lines. So I bought what I needed to make her birth announcements. That was right around when rubber stamping was becoming popular, and the line was, "Just think of all the money you will save by not buying cards!" Ha Ha Ha! I've invested so much money in my craft I could own a Hallmark store :) But, I love making cards just as much as I did in the beginning. Here is a picture of the announcement:
5. Are you a clean or messy crafter?

Like I said earlier, I have a nice stamp desk. It's at least 5 feet long and pretty wide. But it never fails that I end up with about 6 inches of cleared space while I am crafting. I get so busy creating, that I don't take time to put away what I am done with. So, the answer would be, I am a very messy crafter. Eventually, I can't stand it any longer, and I can no longer find what I need, so I have to stop and pick it all up before I start my next project.

Find her here:

SHOP - Michellenstamps

BLOG - Michellenstamps

NING - Michelle

EtsyPaper Team Weekly Featured Member - Emma Wilson

We missed a featured member post last week but we are back with our feature this week. Our next featured team member is Emma Wilson. Emma is the creative mind behind Pumpkin Sputnik. She creates notebooks and cards using images from her own beautiful photography. Emma has been a member of our team since January, 2008. We have 3 questions that tell us a little about Emma and her shop and she has chosen 6 out of all of the questions that were submitted by our team members on the forum post. Here are her answers to our questions - happy reading!

Tell us a little about yourself :

Hi! My name is Emma, I live in Glasgow, Scotland with my lovely husband and two gorgeous children. I have a degree in Design and Craft, so this is what I always wanted to do, however, the kids are my full-time job at the moment until they are a little older.



Tell us about your shop:

*When did you open it?

I opened my Etsy shop in August 2007.

*What items/type of items do you sell?

I make lots of notebooks, note cards and writing sets. I've also made wedding invitations and change of address cards.

Getting to know you - 5 Questions

1. Name top (3-5) items (for crafting purposes) that you cannot live without.

PC, bone folder, corner stamp, printers, guillotine.

2. When do you find time for crafting?

I try to do as much as I can while the kids are at school, 3pm comes around really quickly though!!

3. Do you remember the first item you made, and if so, do you still have it (or a picture of it)?

One of the first things I made at school which really inspired me to do what I did in Art School and after was an enamelled copper pendant - I was about 9. I remember the day so clearly, I was so excited when the art teacher showed us what to do and how it would come out. It's a butterfly shape and yes I still have it. When I was in Art School I specialised in enamelling and went on to make silver and enamel jewellery afterwards until I had the kids. I've also always made my own greetings cards for Christmas and birthdays, even when I was small!

4. Do you have a special space for your crafting, or does the kitchen table do double duty?

I'm very lucky to have use of the attic room - I do have to share it with lots of stuff which needs stored away though.

5.Why did you decide to become an Etsy seller?

Gosh, I remember being so excited when I found Etsy - I could actually sell my stuff online at a really low cost and be in complete control - fantastic! And it looks great!

6. What do you have on while you're creating, if anything, and is it tuned to something specific? (i.e. tv, radio)

I always have either the radio on or some music, I hate it when it's too quiet. Music helps me relax and focus and the radio keeps me company!



Find her here:

SHOP - Pumpkin Sputnik

BLOG - Pumpkin Sputnik

NING - Emma

EtsyPaper Team Weekly Featured Member - Kalla Vieth

Our next featured team member is Kalla Vieth. Kalla is the owner of Timeless Paper Arts. She creates an assortment of beautiful "scrappy" items and has been a member of our team since January, 2008. We have 3 questions that tell us a little about Kalla and her shop and she has chosen 5 out of all of the questions that were submitted by our team members on the forum post. Here are her answers to our questions - happy reading!

Tell us a little about yourself :

My name is Kalla Vieth. I live in South Dakota, I'm married, have two kids and one dog. I was a hair stylist for fourteen years when I decided to leave the hair business to be home with my kids. Best decision I ever made!

Tell us about your shop:

*When did you open it?

Sept. 5, 2007

*What items/type of items do you sell?

I have all sorts of paper crafts...from mini note cards, altered items such as tins, binder clips and notebooks, to chipboard albums and scalloped tags..and more! Simple, yet elegant is how I describe my creations.

Getting to know you - 5 Questions

1. Name top (3-5) items (for crafting purposes) that you cannot live without.

Tonic guillotine cutter- the large one Doodlebug craft knife, Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue, Mini Glue Dots, bone folder

2. Why did you decide to become on Etsy seller?

In the beginning, I guess the "why" part was to sell my cards. I made cards for family members and it was actually my husband who suggested I sell my cards. I knew about Etsy... just needed to do some more reading up on it. I was nervous about putting my work out there for all to see, lol. Once I felt comfortable enough, I signed up. I had only cards in my shop when I first opened, and not very many. Today, I have more variety and probably will keep it that way as I am always looking for new and different things to create.

3. What is your favorite technique/ your "specialty"?

Altering. I love covering things with paper!

4. How did you learn your craft?

I've never taken a class of any kind...ever. I didn't have the Internet when I started nine years ago, so I learned scrap booking and card making techniques by reading magazines. Then later, as I got into more advanced things like altering, I searched the Internet for tutorials or asked on message boards.

5. How did your shop get its name?

It was challenging coming up with a name! I sat down one day with a pen and notebook and wrote down whatever came to mind. The ones I liked the best were already taken (I was doing a domain search too). I also had to find a name that covered everything that I do, and not just scrap booking. Since I consider myself a papercrafter, I liked how "paper arts" sounded...and "Timeless" came from the materials I work with- scrapbook supplies. Scrapbook supplies are acid-free/long-lasting...or "timeless". Put them together, and I have Timeless Paper Arts!

Find Kalla Here:

SHOP - Timeless Paper Arts

BLOG - Timeless Paper Arts

NING - Kalla

EtsyPaper Team Weekly Featured Sellers -Danielle Joeckel

Today we have Danielle Joeckel as our featured EtsyPaper Team member. Danielle is the owner of Pick Me Paper Designs. She makes wonderful cards, planners and journals and is a fairly new member to our team (but very active). We have 3 questions that tell us a little about Danielle and her shop and she has chosen 5 out of all of the questions that were submitted by our team members on the forum post. Here are her answers to our questions - happy reading!


Tell us a little about yourself :

I live in Gainesville, FL with my husband who is now in his 4th year of pharmacy school, and will be finishing next May. We have one poodle named Sherman, who we just love to death. I am a teacher by day, and I am also taking night/weekend classes to finish my teaching certification. And of course, a crafter! Between these activities, I stay very busy! When spare time rolls around, I love to read and run.

Tell us about your shop:

*When did you open it?

I just opened my shop in February with a few items..I didn’t really know what I was doing or how to get the ball rolling! I have since changed it a little bit, and it’s in the past month or so that I feel more confident about what I want to include in my shop and how to do it.

*What items/type of items do you sell?

I have a few stationery sets and tag items, but my passion is books: wedding planners, baby shower journals, pregnancy books, things of that nature. I really enjoy designing fun and creative covers for these items that will make people want to carry them around.


Getting to know you - 5 Questions

1. Name top (3-5) items (for crafting purposes) that you cannot live without.

Paper, obviously! I absolutely LOVE picking out new and exciting papers. Also, stamps (another obsession) ribbons, and mini glue dots (love them, buy them all of the time!)
Oh and my Purple Cow cutter..I can’t live without that thing!

2. Do you have a special space for your crafting, or does the kitchen table do double duty?

Right now the dining room table does double duty. Honestly, we really didn’t use it that much anyway! We have a condo and not much room for crafts, or anything extra, so my husband graciously lets me take up the whole dining room area. It’s quite messy too, so I need to work on being more organized! One day I hope to have a whole “crafting” room.

3. What do you have on while you're creating, if anything, and is it tuned to something specific?

I always have something on while I’m crafting-I like background noise. Occasionally music, but I’m a little far from the itunes on my computer to hear. If I’m home alone, I will have on HGTV or something similar. If my husband is home then ESPN might be on instead!

4. Are you a clean or messy crafter?

Definitely MESSY. Like I said before too, I don’t have a lot of space, but I am still thrive best on organized chaos. Like I might have one piece of paper under five other things, but I always know where everything is. Now once I’ve finished a piece, I’ll tuck it away for safe keeping.

5. Do you have a day job? If so are you up all night crafting?

I do have a day job. I am a fifth grade teacher. So this time of the year is busy with graduation stuff, end of the year field trips, things of that nature. I am also in school myself working on my certification. I actually start a Saturday class on 5/16 for 6 weeks, so that is majorly going to cut craft time for a bit. L I am bummed about that! I try not to stay up too late. I just can’t function like that or the next day at work. Plus once my eyes get tired and I’m just wiped, I figure anything I make will not turn out the way I would like, so it’s better to stop and get some rest.



Find Danielle Here:

Shop: Pick Me Paper Designs

Blog: Pick Me Paper Designs

Ning: Danielle Joeckel

**Danielle also has a newsletter that you can sign up for on her blog!**