“Zest for your nest” — a giveaway with Gingiber!

It’s Monday again, which always happens as the result of a fun, full weekend.

Monday’s used to not feel very fun, but now I look forward to their “welcome back to routine”, and today for extra good reasons :) Our XL sponsor this month is Gingiber. I’ve admired Stacie for years (literally) and we even have a custom illustration of Bauer (below). It hangs in our nursery since Maxwell and Bauer are the best of pals. But the illustration is more than art to me — it’s a lovely reminder of just how well handmade connects us.

I’m very excited for you to get to know Stacie (and her creative process) through our interview below, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post. She’s offering a 4-pack Safari print bundle to one Maggie Whitley Designs reader :)

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“Hi, I am Stacie. I am a mother of 2 (soon to be 3), trying to find the balance between running a growing small business and caring for my family. I create animal-themed illustrations and sell my work on art prints, pillows, tea towels & greeting cards. I recently started licensing my artwork with companies like the Land of Nod and iPop! I am 28 years old and just relocated back to Springdale, AR so that my husband could start his first tenure track faculty position! My life is always in motion, and I love it!”

“I would encourage my fellow makers to make products that they adore. Don’t just follow the trends. If you love your products, believe in what you are doing, and put in a lot of time perfecting your craft, I think that you will find success. I would also encourage you to not look around and compare yourself to other makers. I stay off of Pinterest for that very reason! The visual stimulation can be overwhelming and let self-doubt creep in. Comparison is often called the thief of joy, and it is so true! Keep your head down, find passion & joy in what you do, and surround yourself with a circle of encouraging makers!”

“I am inspired by color and patterns. I often look to vintage quilt patterns for inspiration when I am starting a new project. I am also inspired by my kids. For instance, my daughter’s favorite animal right now is a bunny, and I find myself sketching bunnies by the dozen!”

“I find that when the days are long, I make a big to-do list and try to knock through the items as systematically as possible. I would love to have more days filled with simply sketching and being creative, but lately I have been putting in a lot of time doing the manual labor portions of Gingiber, such as sorting calendar pages or cutting out pillow patterns. So, having a to-do list keeps me on task.”

“Balance? What is that? Kidding. But seriously, my husband is such a huge supporter of my business, and often you will find my whole family up at the studio working and playing together. I am in a busy season of life, having just moved to a new state, my husband starting a new job, and my kids starting school. So we squeeze in together time whenever possible, even if it means eating dinner at the office, or a quick weekend getaway. Sure, the lines are blurred between work time and family time, but right now we are making it work.”

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GIVEAWAY // One MWD reader will win a bundle of four (4) Safari Prints from Gingiber (valued at $85). Use the widget below to submit your entries. We’ll select a winner on Thursday the 18th — good luck!