Friday Feature -- Memories for Life Scrapbooks

This week's featured Etsy artist is also the featured Etsyblogger for the month of August -- Memories for Life Scrapbooks! Her scrapbooks are really unique and fun. The flip-flop scrapbooks especially caught my eye, in particular these Wedding Guest Book flip flops!

Now wouldn't that be perfect for a casual beach wedding? I have to say, this is further evidence to support my claim that one can buy ANYTHING on Etsy. Such nifty, creative stuff!

Enjoy the interview!

1. To which Etsy Street Teams do you belong (if any)?

EtsyBloggers and the Iowa Etsy Team

2. Please tell us about the items in your Etsy shop. What do you make? How did you learn your craft? What is involved in your creative process?

I make all things paper crafting related...scrapbooks, mini albums, custom full-size albums, Custom Name and Word albums, flip flop albums. I also make greeting cards and wedding invitations that I sell at craft shows.

I owe my start in paper crafting to my aunt and 4-H. My aunt was our club leader and we had a different project each month. The month we made hand-stamped greeting cards...I knew I'd met my dream hobby! Scrapbooking came shortly after :) That was over 12 years ago!

3. How did you get involved with Etsy?

I'd seen it mentioned several times in magazines and went to check it out. I was instantly in love!

4. What inspires your creations?

Inpiration comes from all around us...you just have to know where to look. I get color combos from clothing/fabrics, billboards, junk mail...you name it! I also love looking through scrapbook magazines and taking bits and pieces from different projects to make them my own. I also love advertisements for design ideas for layouts.

5. What is your biggest challenge related to your Etsy shop?

TIME! Time to create, time to promote, time to blog, time to stock inventory, time to photograph new items and list them...I need more hours in the day!

6. What is your favorite item in your shop (currently for sale or previously sold)? Why is it your favorite? My Custom Name and Word Albums are my favorite item in my shop:

And apparently they are everyone else's too...they are by far my most popular item.

I love creating something different and unique for each customer. I want them to know that their album was made just for them :)

7. What advice do you have for other folks selling or buying on Etsy?

Have fun with it and don't expect to sell something your first day (or week or month) after you open shop. It takes time to get your presence known. Enjoy the process and everything else will fall into place :)

8. Tell us two (or more) other interesting things about you.

*I have been with my boyfriend for 9.5 years! No wedding plans...no baby plans...and we love every minute of it :)

*My first car was a 1963 Rambler Stationwagon...and I still drive it to this day :)

*I have been fortunate this year to give back to the 4-H club by teaching a group of girls how to make handmade greeting cards and by being a judge at the county fair...such a good feeling to give back to the organization that started it all for me :)

9. Where else can we find out more about you and/or your creations?

Blog: http://memoriesforlifescrapbooks.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1641211284&ref=name

Photobucket: http://s634.photobucket.com/albums/uu64/memoriesforlifescrapbooks/

Plurk: http://www.plurk.com/memoriesforlifescrapbooks#