The Stationery Sisters Interview & Giveaway!

Lets take a look into the shop of The Stationery Sisiters! I absolutely love this shop! She has such great prints that are personalized! I'd love to put one in Bug's room...once she gets one!

Tell us a bit about yourself
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. I met this wonderful man and we got married! Shortly after, we moved to Houston, TX. After 2 years, we had our little girl. Life is good. I love to cook, I’m an absolute foodie! I work full time so I try to balance spending time with my daughter and husband while still doing enough around the house.
What made you want to become an artist? 

Since I was young I had a love for drawing. As I progressed in school , I slowly started to notice I didn’t have time for my passion of drawing. By the time I got to college I had absolutely no time to draw and just lost that passion. After I settled down with my husband and my daughter I realized I needed something that is only for me, something that I can call my own. I played around with everything you can think of; sewing, scrapbooking, and whatever else I thought was a good idea at the time until I realized that I love to create art on the computer.
What is your favorite item to create? 

I only make digital art prints and am still expanding my line. Although I’m starting to get my feet wet with motivational art prints that I will have up on my shop soon. I’m really enjoying it because it makes me excited to think that people will soon be looking at my art on their wall for motivation. Ideally, I would like to eventually create greeting cards and stationery.

What advice would you give to new artists on Etsy? 

I am new myself but my advice would be make sure your products are unique. Although you will have a lot of artists selling things that are similar to yours, you need to find your niche. I’m still figuring out my niche but remember, hard work, promotion, marketing, and persistence will get you far.
How do you promote your work? 

I promote my work through my blog about my passion for art and paper products. I also use facebook, twitter and the Etsy forums. I also try to get the word out on blogs that would relate to my art prints.
Do you have any websites connected to your shop (blog, facebook, twitter)?
My blog is http://www.thestationerysisters.com/
Facebook : www.facebook.com/pages/The-Stationery-Sisters/140677335990455
Twitter : www.twitter.com/stationerysis
What is the inspiration for your work? 

Everyday life. Inspiration comes from everywhere. It can come from something I see on TV and then I’ll jump to my computer and start creating. Or it can be from a color palette or as simple as one of the blogs I follow. I also have an obsession with fonts and think of them as art, so I incorporate a lot of that into my work.

Do any of your items go toward a special cause?  

No, but there are a few charities that are dear to my heart and I would love to be able to donate a % of my sales to that cause when I get up and running on my feet.
Do you have a job outside of Etsy? How do you handle both? 

I work full time as a department manager at a high end retail department store. It is very difficult to handle both but after I leave work I will create a schedule for myself. After I get home I will cook dinner then watch TV as I create on my computer. I make sure I don’t spend all my time on the computer without chatting with my husband and daughter. When my mind is at a creative block, I use that time to spend with my family or do something around the house. On my days off, I make sure my housework is done in the morning so I can get to work on my shop. There is no perfect formula; you just have to see what works best for you.
Where do you create? 

Mostly in the family room watching TV. I don’t want to be stuck in an office feeling like I’m being forced to create.
What are your goals for your shop? 

I would like to eventually expand to stationery and greeting cards. I would also like to make a living out of this, and quit my job. Or at least make some extra cash enough to add an extra addition to our family.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us? 

I create because I love to do it. But I create art prints because I want them in people’s lives, in their homes and in their hearts. I want my prints to leave my hands and into the hands of someone who would give it a nice home and in return, that home would give it character. 

You can win your choice of any one print 

in The Stationery Sisters shop!

If you don't want to wait for this giveaway to be over you can buy it now here!

 Here's how to win!

Mandatory Entry:

Visit The Stationery Sisters Etsy shop and tell me what you would choose if you were the winner!

Each one of these is a contest entry. 

Please post a separate comment for each that you do with your email address.

Become The Stationery Sisters facebook fan & invite your friends to become her fan as well.
Follow The Stationery Sisters blog on blogger or rss Feed
Follow The Stationery Sisters on twitter & Tweet about my Etsy shop
Follow The Stationery Sisters on twitter & Tweet this giveaway & Interview

Blog about The Stationery Sisters Etsy shop.

*For each entry requiring you to blog or tweet please include the link where we can find it.* 

Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Friday, February 25, 2011. 

Sunday, February 27, 2011 a winner will be randomly drawn from eligible entrants 

and notified by e-mail, and the winner's name will also be posted here. If no email is listed I will choose another winner. Winner has one week to respond to my email to claim his/her prize after initial contact. 

Contest open to U.S. residents only.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who participated and congrats to the winner!