I figured it was high time I covered things that get asked frequently. So… here they are!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who are you and where are you located?
I’m Donna, a Canadian blogger who resides on the west coast of Canada. I am a sole home owner and have 2 cats and am a mom to a young adult son. I also run an online store.
2. Where is your store? What do you sell?
There is no brick and mortar store. I do however sell Funky Junk’s Old Sign Stencils online HERE.
I offer wholesale and retail and ship pretty much worldwide.
3. Do you sell the things you make?
Not at this time. But I do create frequently to encourage creativity and fuel new ideas.
4. What’s the paint colour that runs throughout your home?
Where there is beige on the walls:
Canada’s Cloverdale Paint’s Bamboo Beach, half strength, kitchen quality eggshell. It’s the PERFECT mocha undertone that isn’t pink nor green. It’s the perfectly clean brown and looks great with everything.
In some updated rooms such as the salvaged bathroom above, the colour strength was cut to half to brighten things up.
Where there is white on the walls:
Cloverdale’s interior eggshell in pure white, straight out of the can. I get the gallons tinted with 2 drops of white to brighten it up.
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5. What sign equipment do you run?
I own a Graphtek 24″ cutter, alongside CorelDraw and Signlab software. I run it all on a mac these days, set up with Parallels to run the PC side of things.
If you desire to cut decals for your own use, I’d suggest to look into a Silhouette machine for a mere few hundred dollars vs thousands.
What I use my sign equipment for today is for stencil proofing. I draw my own ideas, and cut them out of vinyl to trial out. Once approved, my files are sent to my manufacturer for mylar fabrication.
6. How do you make your stencils?
I design the stencils, then send the files out for mylar fabrication. The stencils are produced and shipped from Ontario, Canada.
7. What kind of camera do you have?
I currently use Nikon D800 full frame as my ‘good camera’. I’ve written a post about what I have HERE.
I also wrote a post about all my camera equipment I use HERE
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8. Do you host workshops or speak?
I have, and I can! Among the list is Bella Rustica Nashville, Lucketts Spring Market Virginia, Crafty Affaire Chilliwack, Women’s Expo Chilliwack, and many others.
I’ve also been a keynote speaker at Blogpodium, Canada’s largest blogging conference in Toronto and have spoken at Snap, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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9. Where do you find your junk?
You can spot my fav local destinations in my travel section HERE
10. Where do you find your pallets?
Generally on the side of the road.
I’m more into ‘loose’ reclaimed wood these days and oversee falling down fences or barns for most of it.
11. Is pallet wood safe to work with?
THIS post will explain everything.
But basically put, use any reclaimed wood at your own risk. Wood is porous and anything reclaimed is questionable, and shouldn’t come in contact with food sources.
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12. How do you take pallets apart?
I generally saw them apart or have used this wooden wedge HERE.
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13. Can I pin your pictures or feature you on my blog?
Please do! No need to ask at all if it’s just the odd photo here and there with the watermarks intact and you’ve linked back to the original post. If you desire more than one or two photos, please contact me prior.
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14. Do you accept guest posts?
I don’t. I’ve tried them in the past but they didn’t do well as folks tend to come to my blog for my own content. I will however feature other artists I choose myself from time to time.
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15. Can I, a business, add a paid link inside one of your posts?
Sorry. Google says no so I have to as well.
Plus, I only endorse companies where I have tried their products and like them.
Would you like to send me something to review? Please email me at donna@funkyjunkinteriors.net
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16. What are the fonts you use in your signs or stencils?
I don’t divulge that. You are welcome to purchase the stencils from HERE though.
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17. How do I subscribe to your blog?
You can enter from the sidebar from desktop or select from HERE
18. What trails do you bike ride along?
I frequent the Vedder River Rotary Trail. Find out where it is and read all about it HERE
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19. Do you work with sponsors?
I would love to! I’m currently seeking opportunities with payment, tools, products, travel, and drop shipping goods. Please email me so we can talk.
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20. What’s next?
I hope to travel more.
I muse about creating a membership.
I often think about offering an online course.
Or travelling to retailers to visit.
I’d love to work with sponsors for DIY and travel.
Any suggestions? I’d love to hear what you’d like to learn!
Until then, you can find me right here.
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donna@funkyjunkinteriors.net
This document was last updated Jan 2 2019.
Have any more Frequently Asked Questions? Fire away! I may add them.
Donna
I’m envious. I try so hard to balance blog, and home. I fail miserably….You make it look so easy…GREAT JOB!!!
Tammy
You are amazing….can’t believe all that you do and still find time for the priorities! Great job. Loved this post, it answered a lot of questions.
You “Are” amazing! I am just getting started w/ my blog posts and realize that it is a lot to handle plus, still find and make things to sell to earn some extra cash One VIP question that I’d LOVE to know is how do you make enough money to survive on?
comment as option not working this a.m. 🙁 this is me!
sweetinspirationsbyjpdesigns.blogspot.com
JP, I have a dayjob as well. I’ve run my own sign company for the last 21 years which has allowed me to ‘play’ with all things blog. The blog is now starting to earn and help out, which allows me to work less on the dayjob and more on the blog side (my preference).
Donna I love your blog and your “down home honesty”. It is always a joy to sit with a cup of tea and catch up with what you are working on next.
For anyone interested, one of the best places for free items (no strings attached) is http://www.freecycle.org/ Trust me, it is worth looking into. It is world-wide and the whole objective is to keep tangible things out of landfills. I’ve moderated one of their groups for about four years now. It is near and dear to my heart and enables people to reinvent things and furnish their home on the “cheap”.
Best to you and your continued success!
Linda
I am so excited that you will be publishing your ebook! How can I pre-order a copy??
thanks
Oh my 🙁 You are so far away… I’m Magda, from Poland and I follow your blog for some time. I found Your blog, when I tried to find some information about wooden crates, as I currently build a bookshelf made of crates. I found many usefull information here and also few good ideas for what I would like to thank you 🙂 You are a Star of DIY for me:)
I so love your blog. I am not a blogger just a blog reader junkee….I feel as if I know you and your son!!! You are such an inspiration!! Hey you should come to the US east coast. You could always stay with me!! Keep up the good work!
I love you blog for the inspiration, for newbie bloggers…your warmth,your kindness and willing to share so much! You sit on my side bar, like a good neighbor a place to visit and share…..Thank you for the time you input for all of us
I would like to add that Donna is even warmer and more down-to-earth in person! She did a trufly amazing job for us at our fundraiser in Nashville- us “southerners” love her! I predict that big things are coming her way and she more than deserves it! She is such a hard worker, never complains and is genuinely talented. That girl can crank out the beautiful junk right off the cuff!
Donna- have I said thank you for all that you did and are doing for our Bella!!!
Oh my… thank you back, Miss Linda! I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat! It was such an honour to come your way and meet so many that read my little Canadian blog! Thanks for giving me that opportunity and for such a good cause. 🙂
Oh- Donna- I am so happy to know you even better. I really admire what you do and what a dear person you are. You are much more than a project on display and that comes through on every post- xo Diana
Hi! I’m so glad to see such inspiration and creativity in a fellow Canuck! Way to go!!
What I was wondering was, I thought I’d heard something about a book (not about making signs) that you’d already published, but never learned the title. I’d be very interested in knowing if there are any previous titles I’ve missed!
Thanks!
Hi Laurie! I can’t email you direct as you come up as a noreply.
I’ve had two book offers, but both didn’t materialize for two different reasons. The first, the company went under a restructure and pulled out and the 2nd, the offer just wasn’t the right fit. Third time lucky perhaps? 🙂
Very important info, thanks!
Débora
Hi Donna
This information about you and your family is so heartwarming. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I know that good things are coming your way in good time.
Hugs.
Thank-you Joani, and I have to say, you are one of my dearest commenters. Thank YOU for continuing to tune in day after day to talk to me. 🙂
Donna,
Thank you for being so real.
How do you do it all? You don’t.
Amen, sister.
Speaking of which, my last post is growing dusty 🙂
Blessings,
~ Dana
Cooking At Cafe D
It was lovely to read this post and get to know you a little more. I think you do an amazing job of balancing your life with your son and all your other commitments. Kudos to you. I have a question about your answer about Google that I would like to email you about, if it’s okay with you and you have time.
Debbie 🙂
Donna, I love this post… for many reasons but first- you shine thru it. Second because you said you don’t do it all in one day!! And after being in my garage today from 10am to 10 pm- I needed to hear that!!! You are so amazing and I love all that you do and cannot wait to get your ebook!! ~ Lori {Vintage Charm Restored}
Loved getting to know you even more! And why did I not know about Granny and Grumpa? I MUST visit that place! I am glad things are working out for you Donna!
From a fellow British Columbian; I love your site!
Loved your blog!!
Hi Donna,
I love your blog and you are truly an inspiration to me. I love the look of your blog. Did you use a designer or did you do it yourself? I need help with branding and logo design.
Thanks,
Debbie
Hey Debbie! I took pictures of the junk elements, (clipboard, etc) and emailed them to my designer, Bethany via B Spoke. She then further designed everything and had the works coded by Josh Leuze to go live as my design. It’s built from scratch! 🙂
I did my own logo.
I love this blog! I am inspired by the blog design and graphics. Did you design them? Are you able to share any information on how you got started and anyone that you would recommend to build a blog theme and logo?
Thanks!
Hey Linda! I’m also a graphic designer by trade so I did my own logo, but had help with the blog. I took pictures of the junk elements, (clipboard, etc) and emailed them to my designer, Bethany via B Spoke. She then further designed everything and had the works coded by Josh Leuze to go live as my design. It’s built from scratch!
My tip to getting started is to open up a free blogger blog account and start. Just start. Pick a subject you eat, sleep, and dream about then go for it! Make sure a .com is avail for your title, fire up a FB page and get rolling!
Love your site and your designs. I’m always looking for ideas on making things from junk. What an inspiration you are.
I’m now a subscriber and looking forward to your emails.
Brenda
Donna, thank you. I knew I wasn’t crazy. I’ve loved this stuff for years and my family thought I’d lost it. I’m using all your ideas…LOL.! Congratulations on the success of your new life.!!
Hi,
I just randomly found your site on google when I searched ” funky kitchens”,
LOVE the site..
please add me to your email list, I look forward to reading more !
thanks for sharing your ideas !
peace,
pat
Love this
Donna, what a great job you do ! You make me miss B.C. as all areas you mention in your FAQ’s of where to find things, visit, etc… are very familiar to me.
As the woman says below “you are very creative”. Our son still lives in B.C. and has a ceramic tile / hardwood flooring business and at present is doing a place in Granville (8 garages, lots of reclaimed wood +) Can’t wait to show him your staircase in your “about” photos avec la chat aussi !
Have a super day, be blessed,
Tracey
are the burlap coffee sack kitchen valances for sale? My son is building a
new home and those would look perfect in his kitchen window.
Hi Brenda, no, I don’t sell ready-made creations however I do sell stencils so you can make the signs I do! https://www.funkyjunksoldsignstencils.com/