GIVEAWAY from Orchard House Signs

Happy Galentine’s Day! I want to give you a present from Andrea at Orchard House Signs and I think you’re going to love it.

To enter the giveaway to win your own 12×5 sign, here’s what to do:
-Comment here with a show or movie you find quotable. (This is just a fun way to get you entered and learn a little bit about each other. Orchard House Signs has great options from Star Wars, Princess Bride, Harry Potter, Psych, Dr. Who, etc.) 
-Go “like” the Orchard House Signs Facebook page and let her know (on her share of this post) you were sent by A Musing Maralee. Be sure I’m tagged so I can see it.

It’s always fun when you look through someone’s Etsy page and think, “I bet we could be friends.” just based on the kind of work they’re producing. There’s so much humor, grace and heart in what she’s created. I had fun perusing her work and knew just what sign would be perfect for our family:

It’s such a great quote—a mix of perseverance and swagger, delivered by one of our favorite heroes. It’s just the reminder our family needs to keep going even when you seem outmatched and everything is against you. Sometimes you have to focus on getting through it instead of on the odds.

So let’s learn more about Andrea and how she creates her work! I hope you feel like I did: I bet we could be friends.

How did you get started making signs?

I kind of got started making my signs by accident! My husband bought me a personal screen printer for my birthday, because I like making t-shirts. That fall, the adoption/orphan care ministry at our church was hosting a craft show as a ministry fundraiser. So, I thought, “Hmmm . . . I wonder if I could screen print onto wood??” Earlier that fall, a neighbor’s tree had fallen on a section of our wooden fence, so I had pieces of old fence pickets lying around. A cousin gave me boxes full of Ben Moore paint samples leftover from my uncle’s paint store. I bought some high quality acrylic paint for screen printing the text, and pulled it all together to make some signs. Lots of them. Maybe 150 altogether? They sold like hotcakes. When the craft show was over, one friend suggested that I start selling them on Etsy. I had literally never visited Etsy in my life, so I just shrugged it off. But, then I kind of missed making the signs, so I decided to look into it. The rest is history!

What inspires you to create?

What inspires me to create? Hmmm . . . My life, I suppose. One of my first creations was a huge set of signs from 1 Thes 5:16-18. I just thought, “These are words that I need to keep in my heart and mind.” So, let’s make them cute and give them a place over my mantle. As human beings, we can be unbelievably forgetful. I love having pretty things in front of me that remind me of who God is, what He has done, and what he has called us to. I also love other inspirational or funny quotes from life. The movies I love. The books I love. And I just love to make things. I’ve always been a work-with-my-hands kind of person. It’s a form of stress-relief for me.

How do you find time to work?

Time is always an issue around here. There never seems to be enough of it. But, I know I’m not alone in feeling that. That is definitely the hardest part of this business. Most of my work happens during the school day. My 3 older girls are in public school now, so I really don’t like working when they’re home in the evening. My youngest is still home schooled, but as a 6th grader, she does a lot of her work independently. So, yeah . . . I work while she works. AND I get help from the entire family. My husband cuts the wood. My 17- and 16-year-olds are paid employees of mine. They paint and sand most of the boards. I do all of the screen printing, designing and admin. My younger girls help as needed with packing and shipping. It’s definitely something that involves the entire family now.

What advice would you give to a woman considering turning her hobby into a business?

My advice to someone who is considering turning a hobby into a business . . . Realize that there will be times when you HATE it. That’s just life. This thing that you know that you love becomes a chore and there are times that it feels like it is taking over your life. Don’t let that discourage you. Just expect it. But along with that, it’s important to keep appropriate boundaries. If you feel like it is taking over your life, it’s probably time to take more of your life back. Maybe the shop needs to close for a few days or weeks. One thing that I found is that I really needed to close sooner in December. Obviously December is a big money making month, and it’s really tempting to stay open as long as you can before Christmas. But, then I found myself feeling resentful. I felt like my business was taking over my family’s Christmas, and I wasn’t ok with that. So, yeah . . . boundaries. BUT . . . while there are times that you will hate it, there are more times that you will love it. What a cool thing that I make money doing something that I love!!! Also, try to keep it fresh. When I’m tired of looking at the same old wood and paint, I like to go back to the drawing board and create new signs.

So check out Andrea’s work on Etsy and see what 12×5 sign you could win!

-Comment here with a show, book or movie you find quotable. (This is just a fun way to get you entered and learn a little bit about each other. Orchard House Signs has great options from Star Wars, Princess Bride, Harry Potter, Psych, Dr. Who, etc.) 
-Go “like” the Orchard House Signs Facebook page and let her know (on her share of this post) you were sent by A Musing Maralee. Be sure I’m tagged so I can see it.

You can enter both ways and get a total of two entries into the drawing. I’ll pick a winner at noon CST tomorrow (Valentine’s Day!).