20 Questions with Shawna Clingerman
Sweet Shoppers, we’re half way through another month and that means it’s time to put another of our talented designers into the spotlight! Shawna Clingerman has been part of our team since our first year in business, and her whimsical style has developed and grown so much over the years. I love hearing about her boys and her drive to make her life better, and I know you’re going to enjoy hearing more about her in this edition of our Featured Designer spotlight! Don’t forget, her featured designer kit, Good Feeling, is a wonderful sample of her unique style that’s perfect for just about any occasion, and it’s FREE until May 31st with your $10 purchase in the shoppe!
Just The Basics
How tall are you?
I’m a super short 5 feet tall, right on the nose! I am shorter than just about everyone I know and I can’t imagine what it would be like to be able to see the top of everyone else’s head! I sorta love being short though, it suits me.
Where do you live now?
I live in Vancouver Washington, it is a suburb of Portland (Oregon), and I absolutely love it here! The northwest is just so beautiful and lush and green, and people in the Portland are infamously quirky, so I fit in perfectly!! LOL! I’d be hard pressed to be convinced to move anywhere else.
Do you talk to yourself?
All the time! It is not unusual for my hubby or one of the boys to be like “what??!!” when I’m yelling at my computer or mumbling to myself.
If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
I think I’d have to choose hot pink. High energy, fun, and totally cute and girly at the same time.
Cake or Ice Cream?
CAKE – oh my gosh I love cake so much, especially white cake with butter cream frosting – or even better, a CUPCAKE!
Go out or stay in?
Go out, I love to go out! Actually if I don’t get out enough I sorta start to go a bit nutty. I love being out and about, soaking up the world and spending time with people that I love.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Make a beeline for the coffeepot.
Besides designing, do you have another job or occupation?
Not unless you count being responsible for the health, and well-being of 4 nutty boys plus a hubby!
Read the book or watch the movie?
I’ve been so all about reading lately so definitely read the book.
What’s your biggest fear?
Being alone, I can’t imagine what life would be like with out people I love to share it with.
Inside The Artist’s Studio
What’s your best selling kit ever?
Hands down “I Can” that I released this past January has been my very best seller.
What’s it really like being a Sweet Shoppe Designer?
BUSY!! A lot of us commonly release a new kit almost every single week, so that constantly searching for inspiration, and getting down to business right away after each new release date.
Are you a planner who knows what you’re working on way in advance, or do you work till the last minute?
I’ve been really trying not to fall into the trap of working up to the wire, because that can only result in craziness! But I do struggle a lot with planning ahead. I’m sort of a fly by the seat of my pants type of person, so when an idea strikes me it is really hard not to just get all wrapped up in it and start it there and then. I always have a running “idea list” but honestly, everything on it is crossed off because I find myself doing it as soon as I have it written down!
What’s your favorite thing about being a digital scrapbook designer?
The constant creative release, sometimes sitting down in illustrator and drawing a new damask or an endless swirly pattern is really soothing, and it is great to make something that I really am proud of, and to be able to see others appreciate it and use it to make something beautiful of their own.
When you scrap, do you prefer to use your products or those from another designer?
If I have a product that goes with my photos I will choose my own kits. Often a kit is based on an a feeling in my own life, so I sorta feel like using that kit to make a layout is sort of taking my designing project all the way through to the very finish.
Food For Thought
What do you do over and over again that you hate doing?
CLEANING! I hate hate hate housework and yet I have to keep doing it day after day after day!
If you could live forever, would you want to? Why?
This is would be a very definite NO – life is beautiful and there is so much that I am thankful for day after day, but let’s face it, life is also crazy hard – and I’m pretty sure I don’t have the fortitude to keep it up for an eternity!
What is the number one motivator in your life right now?
I’m working super hard right now to pay off the remaining bit of our debt! We’re big Dave Ramsey fans, but recently I’ve sort of refocused and am setting aside as much of my income as possible to help us get those things GONE – we’re close, and closer now that I’m really getting with the program, but man, it sure will feel good to be debt free and to be able to start saving my money for things I have been dreaming of for forever (new floors is on the top of that list!)
What music do you listen to to lift your spirits when you’re feeling down?
I’m so into dance music right now, it’s kinda funny! It is all mindless pop, but the catchy beats just get me smiling – Tennyson and I make sure to fit in at least one dance party into our day each day. 🙂
Who was the last person you said “I love you” to?
Each of my boys as they went to bed tonight – I’m of the opinion that that is one of those things you say as often as possible – there’s no such thing as telling someone you love them too much!
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Now that you’ve gotten to know Shawna a bit better, take a peek at some of her favorite products, and don’t forget you can pick up her awesome kit, Good Feeling, FREE with ANY $10 purchase made in the shoppe between now and May 31st!
