DaWanda Backstage

Hey guys,

In today’s seller interview, we have the pleasure of meeting Marceline, the createress (that’s a word, right?) behind Asking for Trouble, the shop called home by some of the most adorably kawaii characters ever to come out of Glasgow! Marceline’s collection of beautiful handmade stationery, accessories and gifts feature little pandas, cupcakes, rabbits, oranges and more, all of whom should come with some kind of cuteness-overload warning – resistance to smiling is futile ;). Check out her shop and read this brilliant interview for a look behind the scenes:




(photo by Robert Perry)



Please tell us a bit about yourself:
I live in Glasgow, Scotland and spend my time doing lots of creative things. I make stationery, accessories and gifts as Asking For Trouble, work as a freelance web designer and also co-write Super Cute Kawaii, a daily blog of cuteness.

How did you discover that you have creative tendencies?
I’ve always been creative – my mum has lots of stories of me drawing things when I was tiny and my dad is an architect so it was always fun to visit him at work with all his drawing tools. It was always my ambition to go to art school, which I eventually did to study Printmaking.

Where do you find your inspiration?
I’m very much inspired by Japan – I’ve been there twice and just love everything about it – the kawaii characters on every product, the fashions, the gardens and all the traditional art and designs. It’s a never-ending source of inspiration. I also find regular brainstorming sessions with my best friends never fail to inspire the best ideas for new products or promotions.

Do you have any role models/inspirations in the area of Design? If so, who and why?
I like to do things my own way, even if it isn’t the “correct” way, so I don’t really follow anyone too closely. Lots of people inspire me in various ways: Deth P Sun for his sketchbook work, Gemma Correll’s amazing illustrations, the Ink & Spindle girls with their fabric printing business and of course, all my fellow crafters in the Glasgow Craft Mafia.

How did you come up with the ideas for the products in your DaWanda shop?
A lot of it is just doodling in my sketchbook at craft markets – most of my characters are from quick doodles which can be inspired by whatever I can see around me. I then use my illustrations on whatever stationery items I would use myself. I’m a huge stationery fan so I figure if I like it, other cute stationery fans will too.

Which materials do you use to create your products?
I use my computer and Illustrator for most of my printed products. I also hand print stationery with my gocco printer and custom rubber stamps. I also use a lot of felt, washi (Japanese paper) and Japanese fabric in my one of a kind items.

Please give us a brief summary of your creative process?
Usually, I start with a doodle from my sketchbook, which I’ll scan into my computer so I can re-draw and colour it in Illustrator. I then think about what products it would be good for. For badges and stationery items, I work on the design to fit various products and send them away to be printed. For handmade items, I usually print out a template for cutting or stamping and try things out until it works. I make a lot of prototypes that never make it to a final product but that’s the fun part!

What characterises your products/your style?
Cute! I hope my products make people smile.

What do you want to achieve in the future as a Designer/Creative?
I’ve just started designing my own fabrics and would love to have my own fabric range. I’d also like to license my designs to other companies so I can have products available that I can’t easily make myself, like wrapping paper, plush toys, bedding etc. A girl can dream!

What role does DaWanda play in your daily creative life?
I always enjoy listing new products on DaWanda, as it’s definitely the easiest site to use. I love changing up my Shop Window to highlight a set of products in a theme.

Has anything weird or wonderful happened to you on DaWanda?
The funniest thing is how involved my mum now is in my DaWanda shop. She’s Dutch and speaks lots of languages so she does all my French and German translations. She gets one batch done and then I go and create a whole new range of products and she has to start again! It’s really great that we can have this little project to work on together.

Please give us the names of three of your favourite shops on DaWanda:
– gemmabear
– Bukubuku
– SiebenMorgen


P.S. If you’d like to be considered for one of our Monday seller interviews, then please send a filled-out questionnaire to azra[at]dawanda[dot]com