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Okay, so I had this contest on my blog. I have to say that, choosing a single artist to highlight was difficult,
considering all the wonderful entries I received. But, choose I had to and I can honestly say that the artist
suggested my Melanie at Whimsical Creations, a beautiful little Etsy shop, was my favorite. So, Melanie got
a Sampler Basket and I got a great store to do a feature on!
You can find out more about Melanie, a wonderful artist in her own right, by visiting her Etsy shop or
checking out her blog.
You're just dying to know who the artist is, aren't you?
It's Marisa from Elegant Snobbery. Maybe you know her better as her alter-ego, Tootsieandgracie. Either
way, her art work is beautiful!
I have to admit that I'm not an art collector. My walls are mostly covered in family pictures or objects ~
shelves that hold knick-knacks, wall sconces, etc. Every now and then, though, I'll see a picture that really
grabs me and I just have to have it. Marisa's bright, cheerful works of art have inspired me to redo my
kitchen in cupcakes. I swear. My husband just rolled his eyes at me and asked me what color paint I
wanted. My daughter's have taken it as a sign that we should have cupcakes prepared and displayed at all
times...to keep the theme consistent, you know.
I figure that if her art is enough to inspire me to redecorate a room, I just had to share her with all of you.
Marisa is a native Californian currently living in West Texas. As a stay-at-home mom of two little girls, it's a
wonder she can find time to create anything at all. She's admittedly busy, but says, “My free time is limited,
but when I do have a moment, I like to design new illustrations or blog about my life as a mom and an artist. I
am also an aspiring author, so I always have a story or two to jot down.”
As if that wasn't enough to take up all her time, Marisa is the proprietress of not one, but two Etsy shops
that seem to be thriving.
ElegantSnobbery is a pleasure to browse through, from her lovely banner that is a perfect blend of fun and
sophisticated to the prints and original illustrations that grab your attention with their lively colors and
whimsical subject matter. This is a shop you can't enter with feeling your spirits lift and your mood lighten.
Her ladies are so elegantly snobby, and Marisa has included a bit of insight into each of their listings,
which makes the print all the more fun!
Marisa says of her shop, “Elegant Snobbery has been around for about 7 months and is filled with whimsical
colored pencil illustrations and prints that are bright and bold. I pretty much just draw what I love, so my
pictures are usually filled with sweet cupcakes, beautiful flowers, critters of all kinds, and fabulous looking
ladies with awesome hairdos and bejeweled clothing. I also love Garden Gnomes and have a collection
based around them.”
I love the solid brightness of her prints, an effect achieved by using colored pencils, which is one of my
own favorites, for much the same reason that Marisa chose this medium. “I enjoy acrylics and watercolors,
but will pretty much stick to colored pencil, since that is where my heart is. Colored pencil has been my
passion since I was 12 and received my first set of professional colored pencils. I have always wanted to be
an artist, but the colored pencils were so rich and vibrant in color and I just couldn’t get enough of them.”
Being a mother doesn't often allow us creative-types the time we need to express ourselves, though.
Believe me, I know! Especially when our children are little. Marisa has found the perfect way to handle
this, I think. She handed her child a marker and allowed her a creative outlet of her own! The result is
Marisa's other amazing shop.
Tootsieandgracie has the same blend of colorful, happy art with an added dose of whimsy. “Tootsie and
Gracie is my collaborative shop with my three year old daughter Gracie. It began a few months ago when
Gracie showed an interest in having an Etsy shop of her own. I am my daughter’s number one fan when it
comes to her adorable artwork, creatively scribbled pictures only a three year old could draw. So one day I
handed her a permanent marker, gave her a piece of my paper and let her go to it. Afterward, I used my
colored pencils to fill in her lines. We got an overwhelmingly positive response, so I opened up our shop.”
Marisa's business, though, is her hobby. How does she plan to integrate the two more solidly? “At the
moment, art is just a hobby, but I have great plans for this to become a full time business in the not-so-far-
away future. Becoming a children’s book writer and illustrator has been my goal since I was a little girl, and
once my daughters are older and not running amuck in the house while I’m trying to draw, I think I will have
more time to get my stories put together and send things out to publishers.
“I have been given some offers for consignment over the holidays that I am pretty excited about. Other
than that, I’m so busy that I think my Etsy shops are enough for me!
“In a year, I hope to have a shop full of artwork that others would be proud to have hanging up in their
homes. In 5 years, I hope to have a children’s book written, illustrated, and published. I would also like to
write Young Adult fiction, so perhaps I’ll take some time off from illustrating to work on some of the ideas I
have in my head.”
With all these irons in the fire, I wondered where she managed to find constant inspiration. “I draw what
makes me happy, and at the moment, I have an insatiable sweet tooth. There are going to be a lot more
cakes and cupcake illustrations in my shop, especially as the holidays hit and I really go dessert crazy.
Other than that, I think the color inspires me the most. I love color and putting beautiful colors next to each
other. The brighter and more vibrant the color, the happier I am. It is like an addiction that I have to fill by
drawing!
“The thing I like best about my art is that I get to express myself and create anything that I want. If I like it, I
draw it. If I don’t, then I don’t. I’ve ended up with a whole shop filled with pictures that I just love, and hope
others love them too.
"I would just like to make people smile. My artwork is cheerful and colorful and fun, and I hope that long
after I am gone, the smiles will remain.”
Apparently, her tactic is working. Her shop is filled with awesome art work and her sales are healthy and
growing. How could they not, really?
Marisa's Random Question:
What fictional character do you relate to the most?
I relate very much to the character of Becky Bloomwood from the Confessions of a Shopoholic series by
Sophie Kinsella. I’m a complete shopoholic and, while I’m not nearly as bad as the character in her book, I
certainly would like to learn to save my money for the future!!
considering all the wonderful entries I received. But, choose I had to and I can honestly say that the artist
suggested my Melanie at Whimsical Creations, a beautiful little Etsy shop, was my favorite. So, Melanie got
a Sampler Basket and I got a great store to do a feature on!
You can find out more about Melanie, a wonderful artist in her own right, by visiting her Etsy shop or
checking out her blog.
You're just dying to know who the artist is, aren't you?
It's Marisa from Elegant Snobbery. Maybe you know her better as her alter-ego, Tootsieandgracie. Either
way, her art work is beautiful!
I have to admit that I'm not an art collector. My walls are mostly covered in family pictures or objects ~
shelves that hold knick-knacks, wall sconces, etc. Every now and then, though, I'll see a picture that really
grabs me and I just have to have it. Marisa's bright, cheerful works of art have inspired me to redo my
kitchen in cupcakes. I swear. My husband just rolled his eyes at me and asked me what color paint I
wanted. My daughter's have taken it as a sign that we should have cupcakes prepared and displayed at all
times...to keep the theme consistent, you know.
I figure that if her art is enough to inspire me to redecorate a room, I just had to share her with all of you.
Marisa is a native Californian currently living in West Texas. As a stay-at-home mom of two little girls, it's a
wonder she can find time to create anything at all. She's admittedly busy, but says, “My free time is limited,
but when I do have a moment, I like to design new illustrations or blog about my life as a mom and an artist. I
am also an aspiring author, so I always have a story or two to jot down.”
As if that wasn't enough to take up all her time, Marisa is the proprietress of not one, but two Etsy shops
that seem to be thriving.
ElegantSnobbery is a pleasure to browse through, from her lovely banner that is a perfect blend of fun and
sophisticated to the prints and original illustrations that grab your attention with their lively colors and
whimsical subject matter. This is a shop you can't enter with feeling your spirits lift and your mood lighten.
Her ladies are so elegantly snobby, and Marisa has included a bit of insight into each of their listings,
which makes the print all the more fun!
Marisa says of her shop, “Elegant Snobbery has been around for about 7 months and is filled with whimsical
colored pencil illustrations and prints that are bright and bold. I pretty much just draw what I love, so my
pictures are usually filled with sweet cupcakes, beautiful flowers, critters of all kinds, and fabulous looking
ladies with awesome hairdos and bejeweled clothing. I also love Garden Gnomes and have a collection
based around them.”
I love the solid brightness of her prints, an effect achieved by using colored pencils, which is one of my
own favorites, for much the same reason that Marisa chose this medium. “I enjoy acrylics and watercolors,
but will pretty much stick to colored pencil, since that is where my heart is. Colored pencil has been my
passion since I was 12 and received my first set of professional colored pencils. I have always wanted to be
an artist, but the colored pencils were so rich and vibrant in color and I just couldn’t get enough of them.”
Being a mother doesn't often allow us creative-types the time we need to express ourselves, though.
Believe me, I know! Especially when our children are little. Marisa has found the perfect way to handle
this, I think. She handed her child a marker and allowed her a creative outlet of her own! The result is
Marisa's other amazing shop.
Tootsieandgracie has the same blend of colorful, happy art with an added dose of whimsy. “Tootsie and
Gracie is my collaborative shop with my three year old daughter Gracie. It began a few months ago when
Gracie showed an interest in having an Etsy shop of her own. I am my daughter’s number one fan when it
comes to her adorable artwork, creatively scribbled pictures only a three year old could draw. So one day I
handed her a permanent marker, gave her a piece of my paper and let her go to it. Afterward, I used my
colored pencils to fill in her lines. We got an overwhelmingly positive response, so I opened up our shop.”
Marisa's business, though, is her hobby. How does she plan to integrate the two more solidly? “At the
moment, art is just a hobby, but I have great plans for this to become a full time business in the not-so-far-
away future. Becoming a children’s book writer and illustrator has been my goal since I was a little girl, and
once my daughters are older and not running amuck in the house while I’m trying to draw, I think I will have
more time to get my stories put together and send things out to publishers.
“I have been given some offers for consignment over the holidays that I am pretty excited about. Other
than that, I’m so busy that I think my Etsy shops are enough for me!
“In a year, I hope to have a shop full of artwork that others would be proud to have hanging up in their
homes. In 5 years, I hope to have a children’s book written, illustrated, and published. I would also like to
write Young Adult fiction, so perhaps I’ll take some time off from illustrating to work on some of the ideas I
have in my head.”
With all these irons in the fire, I wondered where she managed to find constant inspiration. “I draw what
makes me happy, and at the moment, I have an insatiable sweet tooth. There are going to be a lot more
cakes and cupcake illustrations in my shop, especially as the holidays hit and I really go dessert crazy.
Other than that, I think the color inspires me the most. I love color and putting beautiful colors next to each
other. The brighter and more vibrant the color, the happier I am. It is like an addiction that I have to fill by
drawing!
“The thing I like best about my art is that I get to express myself and create anything that I want. If I like it, I
draw it. If I don’t, then I don’t. I’ve ended up with a whole shop filled with pictures that I just love, and hope
others love them too.
"I would just like to make people smile. My artwork is cheerful and colorful and fun, and I hope that long
after I am gone, the smiles will remain.”
Apparently, her tactic is working. Her shop is filled with awesome art work and her sales are healthy and
growing. How could they not, really?
Marisa's Random Question:
What fictional character do you relate to the most?
I relate very much to the character of Becky Bloomwood from the Confessions of a Shopoholic series by
Sophie Kinsella. I’m a complete shopoholic and, while I’m not nearly as bad as the character in her book, I
certainly would like to learn to save my money for the future!!
