Join me as we chat with our Club Chaos featured designer.

We celebrate community over competition in this space and love to showcase designers doing amazing things with their talents.  In this month’s guest designer feature we are highlighting Shani from Sunshine and Munchkins.

This featured guest designer graciously provided our members with a bright and cheery sunshine bundle. You can see the designs below.

Inside Club Chaos, members are exposed to tons of different artists and get to experience a wide variety of styles and tastes.  Club Chaos is a crafting sisterhood and crafting home, not just a place to download files.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links.

Read on to meet our featured designer of the month and learn about Shani’s creative process, her current projects, and so much more!

Hey Shani!  Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Shani (rhymes with buh-nan-ee).  I have been married for 15 years and have 4 kids.  I currently live in Spanish Fork, UT.  My favorite colors are dusty pink and mint/teal.  I started Sunshine and Munchkins 7.5 years ago with the desire to share what I was creating with others.  I figured that if I was looking for ideas and inspiration, then maybe other people were too.  Besides SVG files, I also create printables and recipes, share kid activities and travel, as well as motherhood and lifestyle topics.

Share a little about the significance of where your business name comes from.

“Sunshine and Munchkins”  I love sunshine and light. I always feel most like myself when I’m able to enjoy the warmth and brightness of the sun.  And ever since my oldest was born, I’ve referred to her, and now my other kids, as my “munchkins”.  (Not, of course, to be confused with the munchkins from Wizard of Oz.)  So it felt natural to combine the two concepts.

How did you first get into designing?

I started by creating free printables.  In 2018, I began experimenting with my Silhouette design software because there were designs I wanted to use for myself that I didn’t want to pay for or I couldn’t find what I wanted.  I never expected that 5 years later I would be creating SVG files on a regular basis to share on my site!

What is your favorite type of design to create?

That’s a hard question!  I’m always thinking about how a design can be used in multiple ways: on shirts, hats, totes, signs and in paper scrapbooking.  I’m an eclectic crafter so it’s hard for me to stick to just one type of design.

Do you prefer designing or making the actual item? 

I have created more designs than I could actually ever use to make projects.  But there is something fun and satisfying about making a design, cutting it out for a project and seeing the physical item in front of me instead of just on the screen.

How would you describe your style?

I would say somewhere in between simple and fancy.  Most of my designs are pretty straightforward without a lot of elements or layers.  But I really enjoy adding extra details and being really selective about the fonts I choose in order to create a certain feel.

What’s something you wish you knew when you first started designing or creating? 

Like I mentioned above, there is no way that I can make a physical product for each file I create.  But when I started designing and creating, I thought that I had to make the item or I wasn’t being authentic.  This caused me to feel like I couldn’t create new files if I wasn’t going to see the whole thing through to an actual product.  Now I use a lot of mock ups which are a great tool for me to be able to share multiple project ideas without the time and resources it costs to make them myself.

Who or what inspires you? 

There is so much creativity in the world!  I am constantly in awe of people’s talents and I am often inspired by what I see around me.  Quotes or short sayings that make me smile or are relatable for others.  Whatever is currently going on around me: weather, seasons, holidays, objects.  If I’m stuck creatively, I like to go to Pinterest and type in a few words to bring up images that get my wheels turning.

What does a typical day or week look like for you behind the scenes? 

It really varies.  I fit a lot of what I do in the “in between” moments.  I have two kids in school full time and two who are with me all day.  (Naptime has been golden over the years.)  I try to designate certain days/times to work on creating new designs, writing up the blog posts, taking and editing pictures and then sharing about it on social media.  I am a one-woman band so I have to be careful not to try to do too much, otherwise I get overwhelmed and other parts of my life get out of balance.  Although I will say that after 7.5 years, my family is pretty used to seeing me stage a photoshoot before dinner or helping me out by modeling a physical item. A common question from my kids is “Is this for your blog?”

What’s your most popular item in your shop or on your blog?

I don’t currently have a shop, however, I offer a lot of free files on my site. The most downloaded SVG file is the “Yours Mine Ours” that I created for Earth Day.  “Pantry Labels” is my second most popular and the “Triangle Treat Box” comes in third.

When you aren’t designing what can we find you doing? 

I have a lot of interests and rotate between whichever one I have time for.  Reading is a favorite pastime of mine and I like a wide variety of books.  I also like listening to podcasts and the occasional audiobook.  (I’m a die hard physical book lover though.)  When the weather is nice, there are few things I enjoy more than sitting outside in the sun and reading.  I enjoy cooking and baking although most of the food I make takes 30 minutes or less prep time because, kids.  In the warmer months, I try to be outside as often as possible with my family.

What is your favorite food? 

I am terrible at choosing favorites!  Food is one of my favorite things to enjoy in life.  That being said, I would probably have to say crab dipped in melted butter is definitely up there for savory food.  And for dessert, a layered chocolate cheesecake or mousse will always make me happy.

If you could be any animal what animal would you be? 

I probably thought way too long about this question, but one of my favorite animals is a tiger so I’m going to go with that.  They are fierce, strong, powerful and confident, which are all things I aim to be.

What’s next for you? 

I recently finished a collaboration with Expressions Vinyl where I created 11 limited edition patterns.  This was a new experience for me but one I really enjoyed!  I would love to push myself a little more creatively and use new mediums for creating designs.  I have always wondered what it would be like to have a small online shop so I may explore that a little more in the future.  But in the short term, I plan to continue sharing designs and projects to inspire others!

Where can we find you online?

Blog: https://sunshineandmunchkins.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunshineandmunchkins

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunshineandmunchkins

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sunshineandmunc

Check out the designs that Club Chaos members get to sample this month from Sunshine & Munchkins:

Stay tuned for our next Club Chaos featured guest designer!