Not So Cli-Shéa: Meet the Maker: Erica from The Sticker Party Shop

Happy Monday! I'm back with another installment of my "Meet the Maker" series. Today I'm introducing you to Erica of The Sticker Party Shop!

I first came across Erica when I stumbled upon her Etsy listing for Bachelor in Paradise planner stickers. They got me laughing and so I started looking through some of her other listings. With planner stickers for other shows like The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Orange is the New Black and Grey's Anatomy, she's got something for everyone! Not to mention, stickers for every holiday, season and everything in between (even your Amazon prime orders!) I knew I HAD to ask her to be one of my makers and lucky for me, she agreed!

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Hi! My name is Erica, I'm 24 years old, and I'm from Montreal, Canada. I finished up my bachelor's degree in Communications a couple years ago & now I focus on running my Etsy shop, The Sticker Party, full-time. I'm a self-taught graphic designer--I've been fiddling with Photoshop ever since I was 11 years old, so to be able to design stuff I love and sell it online is super gratifying!

What is it that you make and how did you get started?

I design hand drawn planner stickers; everything from appointment reminders, to fun decorative stickers, to checklists, to TV show trackers. I came across a YouTube video in 2015 where someone was showing off her planner full of colorful stickers, and it looked so beautiful! I always enjoyed doodling in my school agendas growing up so I was immediately drawn to the idea of decorative planning. I did a quick search on Etsy and noticed that people were selling planner stickers on there, but I thought to myself, "I can design my own!" The next day I bought a Silhouette Portrait machine and started making my own stickers. A few designs later I figured I may as well boot up an Etsy shop of my own - and here we are :) I just surpassed 7000 sales!

Loves: I'm a reality TV show connoisseur. I love all kinds of reality TV competitions and my faves are Big Brother, Survivor, and The Bachelor. I actually design stickers that help track evictions, eliminations and rose ceremonies - they're a big hit! I'm also big on leisure time: face masks, bubble baths, manipedis, and Netflix all day everyday, please.

Hates: I try my best not to be a hater so I'll keep my list short & sweet: bigots, taxes, and doing dishes.

Any Guilty Pleasures:I genuinely can't think of any!

Cocktail of choice: I'm not that fussy about cocktails, to be honest. I love a cold beer on a hot day. Oh and champagne. I guess I'm partial to fizzy drinks!

What advice to you have for fellow makers? Keep to your self-imposed deadlines as best as you can. Take breaks: close the office door at the end of the day, turn off social media notifications, and check your messages in the morning or on Monday. Also, keep producing. It can be hard when you're juggling filling orders and trying to make new products (trust me, there isn't enough time in the day), but new products will keep the ball rolling. Finally, take care of your customers! Show them you're listening to their suggestions and that you're grateful for their business. They are, after all, the ones enabling your creative enterprise.