Meet Chelsea Vaughn, my featured artist and boss babe for this week's Wallpaper Wednesdays! If you're drawn to a calming, cool-toned, and white color palette with a sprinkle of watercolor and hand lettering - you may just end up like me and not be able to get enough of her work. Who am I to not invite her to create free wallpapers and to share her story? You know I just had to introduce you to her!

Chelsea is the founder and owner of Ten Acre Paper Co. - a creative paper goods business focused on the art of watercolor and hand lettered designs. One of the first words that come to mind when I think of her work is clean. Her work truly stands out on its own without any distraction - and when viewed together as a whole, forms a cohesive brand that is so tranquil and calming. Okay, so let me just show you some of her work so, you too, can be amazed!

Didn't it just woo you just now? Scrolling through her Instagram feed, you will be delighted with quotes like the one above in her signature hand lettered style along with beautiful imagery that makes you want to keep scrolling. Recently, I've noticed that she's been adding a few new things to her shop: watercolor states and new wedding suites, which you can take a peek at below. In her Etsy shop, you'll also find a collection of art prints, cards, and stationary. She's been getting busy since she launched her shop in June of this year (2016) and has already created quite an impressive selection to choose from.

Can you see how it's totally not hard to fall in love with her work? It speaks for itself. I have been over here rooting for Chelsea ever since I discovered her because I absolutely love what she does and how true to her style she is. I can't wait to see what she comes up with as time goes on, but a little birdie did tell me that she'll be coming out with some new bookmarks and Christmas pattern cards soon, so that's something to look out for! 

Let's get to know Chelsea even better and be inspired by her journey so far as a creative entrepreneur. Then, scroll to the bottom of this post to see + download all of the lovely free Fall + Thanksgiving wallpapers that she designed for you all to enjoy!

Q & A

chelsea vaughn

ten acre paper co.

Holly Springs, North Carolina

website | etsy | instagram | facebook

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST TURNING POINT IN YOUR LIFE THAT MADE YOU WANT TO PURSUE YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

I think the biggest turning point was realizing that it was actually something I could do! I feel like there is always a fear behind doing something on your own, without complete knowledge of the whole process, but you learn as you go and it has been a great experience for me so far. // “Great people do things before they’re ready” - Amy Poehler

HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU MADE THAT DECISION?

It was so great and pretty freeing, actually. Obviously there was a lot of work ahead, but when you do something that you have so much passion and drive for, the work is pretty enjoyable :) - And it was so exciting to start on something this big from scratch and be the one in charge its whole creation - so many possibilities!

WHAT INSPIRED AND MOTIVATED YOU TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH YOUR DECISION?  

Reassurance and support from my husband, my family and other entrepreneurial creatives - then confirming with myself and being confident that I could do it! I also listened/watched a good amount of free webinars and videos by other creatives that were packed with super helpful and interesting information and they really inspired me to stay confident about this big decision!

WHAT WERE THE FIRST STEPS YOU TOOK TO GET THE BALL ROLLING?

I made a list of everything I could think of that needed to be done before launching and went step-by-step until the end! I did a lot of research, talked to a friend who is a great CPA, thought of a name (which took so long! I also blogged a little about this process), gathered inspiration, created a cohesive brand for TAPC and started brainstorming + creating my first products!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS AND WHY YOU CHOSE TO PURSUE THAT PARTICULAR BUSINESS.

Ten Acre Paper Co. launched in June, 2016 with a passion for watercolor and hand lettered design. Beginning with a focus solely on greeting cards and art prints, TAPC has already expanded to include stationery, wedding suites and custom paper goods! Ten Acre Paper Co. is all about finding space for the meaningful things in life and I hope my designs help remind you to do so.

I chose to pursue a creative paper goods business mainly because of my love for tangible art. I love being able to hold an art print or receive a greeting card in the mail from a friend. I am a full-time graphic designer by day and am facing a computer screen a good bit, so this was a great way for me to explore my hobby and expand my creativity by working with my hands.

WHAT TYPES OF CHALLENGES HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED SO FAR AND HOW ARE YOU OVERCOMING THEM?

A big challenge for me is trying not to over do it by doing too many things at once! You’ll see that I listed the quote I live by as “you can do anything, but not everything” - and it’s something I struggle with all the time! I have so many ideas running around in my head and sometimes it’s hard to figure out which to really pursue and prioritize. I also want to be as productive as possible and do things that are best for my business, so the decision to do one thing over another is sometimes daunting!

WHICH PRINCIPLES AND VALUES HAVE YOU BASED YOUR BUSINESS UPON AND HOW DO YOU HOPE TO CARRY THAT THROUGH TO YOUR CUSTOMERS?

As I mentioned briefly above, Ten Acre Paper Co. is all about finding space for the meaningful things in life. Other principles and values that build up TAPC are being bold, brave, kind and mindful. I try to not only portray these principles and values in my art work, but also incorporate them into my own life. I believe that living out the things you promote is one of the best ways to carry it through to others.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT HAVING YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND BEING YOUR OWN BOSS? 

I’ve come to really love having my own business and being my own boss because of the amazing freedom. I grew up as an only child and have always been pretty independent, so I think that characteristic funnels well into doing this on my own and staying motivated. I also generally have a tough time making big decisions, but this position has really pushed me to learn to think quickly and act upon things that need fast turnaround. I also love that I am involved in all aspects of running my small business - from gathering supplies, keeping track of accounting info, communicating with clients and setting up collaborations with other creatives to, of course, creating the artwork. I’m always learning something new!

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH AND WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS IN 5 YEARS?

In 5 years, I’d love to be a well-known paper company that offers many more products and variations of paper goods that really exemplify the principles and values of the Ten Acre Paper Co. brand. I can’t wait to grow personally as well as creatively and really hone my watercolor and lettering skills - maybe even branch out and explore other techniques! I also hope to build connections and friendships + collaborate with many, many more creatives.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO IS CONSIDERING STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS? 

Four things-

1. You can totally do it.

2. Have patience and don’t feel discouraged about taking small steps.

3. Reach out to other creatives and connect to those within your local community.

4. Build your business around principles and values that keep you positive and motivated.

I AM ...

excited for the future.

I BELIEVE ...

in working hard for your dreams and doing whatever it takes. It doesn’t come easy, you’ve gotta earn it!

I LOVE …

my friends and family, comfy jeans and striped t-shirts, decorating my home, connecting with other creatives, the fall season and everything that comes with it, coffee, netflix, mountain views, black and white photographs, laughing endlessly with my husband and staying up late!

MY GREATEST FEAR IS …

taking something for granted and not realizing it until it’s too late.

MY GREATEST LESSON IN LIFE SO FAR IS …

things happen and sometimes you’ve just got to say “c’est la vie!” ( aka: “that’s life!” )

I AM PROUD OF ...

my continual motivation and drive for this company.

MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IS ...

marrying my husband, Spencer.

A QUOTE I LIVE BY IS ...

“you can do anything, but not everything” - David Allen

MY IDEA OF A PERFECT DAY IS ...

open-ended watercolor at home in the morning light with coffee and a candle, a walk in the park with my husband (+ our future dog :)), an afternoon nap + snuggles with my cat Ferris, dinner out at a cozy/casual/southern-style restaurant and then champagne and cake back at home with board games and Netflix.

MY DREAM IS ...

to leave a positive impact on the world in more ways than one.

I WILL ...

never stop trying to improve.

I love Chelsea's story! The idea of starting a business from scratch is overwhelming to say the least, but once you make up your mind, there is nothing that can stop you from making it happen. An idea may sprout in the mind, but in order for it to grow, you have to be the one to bring it to life. Chelsea is the perfect example of someone who had an idea and who did not let the fear of the unknown stop her from figuring things out and paving her own path. She had a plan, stuck to it, and the most important part - she was confident. Her turning point was that she knew she could do it! It's amazing to think that she just started this journey four months ago. Look at what she has built thus far, and she's only getting started.

Chelsea's story is so encouraging, isn't it! Realize that you too, are capable of walking out your dreams and are able to create something amazing from scratch. You don't need to know everything, you just need to be willing to take the first step and learn along the way. There's no better time than now to take your ideas and make them a reality. Move your ideas from the stages of dreaming to doing, and you will see incredible things happen just as Chelsea has. Have confidence in yourself and trust in the process that you must go through to get to where you want to be.

Cheers to Chelsea, another inspiring boss babe who touches us not only with her story, but with her beautiful work!

Thank you so much for stopping by and sticking around until the end of this post. Isn't Chelsea amazing! Please do me a favor and show her some love at the links provided above, and let her know that I sent you (to stalk her, of course). There are tons more free wallpapers available at the button below, so click it and be happy because free stuff is always a good idea! To stay in the know of all current happenings, you can follow me along on Instagram ( @hlovelyliving ) for exclusive content that I only share there. If you tag me on your photos of you using your wallpapers, I'd love that so much because that means that you're enjoying them, and that means I'll keep them coming!

What inspires you about Chelsea's story? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Disclosure: All designs are original and for personal use. Artists retain rights to all designs and they may not be copied or reproduced in any form or likeness. I love when you share, but please link back to the original post. Enjoy!