This is no SHABBBY SCRAP giveaway!

This is a new interview and Giveaway with Marleen from The Shabby Scrap Shop.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ShabbyScrap .  Marleen's works of art are as pretty as she is!  She makes handmade wedding guestbooks, album, and journals.  I hope you enjoy the recent interview I did with her.

Tell us a little about yourself:
-Wife of a great man with a beautiful singing voice
-Mom of 3 hilarious, creative, smart people
-Totally messy
(OH I LOVE that you admitted that!!!  ME TOO! lol- Nicolette)
-Creative
 -Tired

  

When did you start making these items and why? I started making journals and paintings as gifts for my friends. People kept saying I needed to list them on Etsy. One week, around 10 people told me I needed to look into Etsy. I was skeptical and really didn't think anyone would want to purchase my work, but I figured I should listen to my friends. 48 hours after I listed my first few items I made a sale. The week I listed my wedding guestbook I made 18 sales. Now 4 months and 250 sales later I actually have a full-time job!

What inspires your art? I am inspired by the past, the present, and the future. I absolutely love taking old, chipped, dirty items and finding away to make them beautiful, usable, and relevant to today's styles and trends. I also love creating beautiful things for people to store their thoughts and memories in. I think thoughts, memories, dreams, fears, prayers, and the funny things kids say are treasures that can easily be forgotten. I want to remember them always. 

How did you go about picking your shop's name: Shabby Scrap Shop? My husband gets the credit for that. I had some names picked out, but he thought it needed to reflect my work more.  We brainstormed around shabby chic and scrapbooking.  Once we found a name we liked, that wasn't already taken on Etsy, Shabbyscrap was born.  (You know that is funny...many of the shop owners I interview say their husbands helped in picking their shop names. - Nicolette)


 









What is your favorite item in your shop at the moment that you have created? I really like the "New Mom Journal" I have right now. As a mom of 3 kids, I know how easily the funny things they say and the sweet things they do can be forgotten.  I think having an easy place to jot down things and add pictures, drawings, etc is a necessity. I mean how in the world would I remember when I my son asked me if the Incredible Hulk was green "everywhere", or the time he told me "Mom, I wanna marry you???  Too bad THAT GUY (pointing at his dad) got you first!"

 
What are some of your favorite materials to work with? I love cardboard. You can make it look like old wood, so it's really fun to play with. I also love vintage buttons, hat pins, seam binging, and paper.

How hard is it to juggle being mom and your shop? At first I was totally surprised by suddenly finding myself with a full time job. I home school 4 kids. I wasn't sleeping in order to get everything done. Thankfully my friend moved in and became a full-time nanny. I now have a lot more balance. I get up, do devotions, do morning lessons with the kids, and then she takes over while I work. It has actually made my time with my children so much richer because I have something that is mine. (TOTALLY AGREE!!!  That is what I always push here on the blog for other moms....don't lose yourself in your kids! - Nicolette)

I asked Marleen if she could name four of her favorite Etsy shops.  She listed the following:

 Vintage Gatherings
www.etsy.com/people/VintageGatherings
Mary provides me with many of my vintage supplies, she is so helpful and reasonably priced.

Birdtoast
  www.etsy.com/people/birdtoast Birdtoast is run by my friend Dawn, every item in her shop is impeccably made. She introduced me to Etsy.

 Lonkoosh
 I love this woman's jewelry
www.etsy.com/shop/lonkoosh

 Bomo Bob
  www.etsy.com/shop/bomobob amazing prints










  
Why do you like being on Etsy?  Etsy is a wonderful outlet for creative people who used to feel like they had to "grow up" and give up their love of creating. ( I love that!- Nicolette) There are so many gifted people in the world and I love being able to find there work on etsy!



  If a novel could describe your life...what novel would describe yours (or movie)? Twilight...just kidding ;) Although I can relate to being unconditionally loved, but it's by God not a vampire.  (Amen sista!  :) Nicolette)

 Exciting and new things coming up for Marleen's Empire:
  COMING SOON!!!!!!  shabbyscrapshop.com

GIVEAWAY  

30 piece HIPSTER HOLIDAY GIFT CARDS (as shown below)

 

I hope you love these giveaways as much as I do!  I love seeing all the different and talented artists from Etsy.  

Here is how this will work, as always, please follow my blog and then make sure in the comments you post that you always put your email so I can contact you.  I would hate for you to win and then I can't contact you.
1. To enter the giveaway do 2 or more  of the five things below and come back to this post and comment as to what you did:
-Heart (favorite) her Etsy Shop. http://www.etsy.com/shop/ShabbyScrap
-Heart (favorite) your favorite item http://www.etsy.com/shop/ShabbyScrap
-Follow her facebook page   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shabbyscrap-Journals-Albums-and-Art/137645899655427
-Follow her on Twitter: twitter.com/#!/ladylighthouse
Once you do that your number (number will be assigned to you based on what number comment you are for example:  If you are the 5th person to comment, you will be number 5) Random.org will choose a random number and whoever is that number on the comments...will win!

GIVEAWAY ENDS Dec. 13