About

Welcome to Honey Bee Mercantile

About Me

Hi, I’m Marchelle, the heart behind Honey Bee Mercantile. My husband Alan and I make our home in East Tennessee, nestled near the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. What started back in 2001 with handmade wedding invitations has grown into a faith-filled business creating rustic, primitive, and farmhouse-inspired printables, labels, and treasures for your home and crafting projects.

I’ve always loved designing, photographing, and crafting—but I also have a passion for shopping for primitive, vintage, and antique finds. Whether I’m thrifting, collecting, or upcycling unwanted items into something new and beautiful, I enjoy bringing character and second chances to pieces with history. Many of those treasures, along with my designs, make their way into my shop so I can share them with you.

At the heart of my work is my faith. I give God the glory for the talents and blessings He has given me, and I’m so thankful for the wonderful people I’ve met through this journey.

👉 Want to know more about how Honey Bee Mercantile began? Keep reading below to see our full story!

 

Our Story – Honey Bee Mercantile

Why Choose Us?

We are a Christian-based company offering unique, high-quality products at affordable prices. With a commitment to excellent customer service, we proudly stand behind everything we make and guarantee 100% customer satisfaction.

Our Story

Hello, and thank you for stopping by! My name is Marchelle, and my husband Alan and I live in beautiful East Tennessee, near the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. We’ve been blessed with twenty-two years of marriage and a life full of creativity, faith, and family.

How It Began

Our story goes back to 2001, when I first began designing and selling wedding invitations and favors on eBay. Over time, I discovered a love for primitives and started offering items like hang tags and address labels. For years, I purchased tags and clip art from other artists—until one day I realized, I can create these myself!

After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in 2012, Honey Bee Printables was officially born. I started with simple design software, later investing in Photoshop, and began building my own line of digital and printed goods.

What We Offer

Today, we provide both digital downloads and tangible products, including:

  • Pantry, farmhouse, and kitchen labels
  • Feed sack logos
  • Note cards and stationery
  • Hang tags and folding tags
  • Address labels and business cards
  • Framed art and prints (on paper and fabric)
  • Calendars, ornaments, magnets, and more

In 2024, customer requests inspired me to open Honey Bee Mercantile, a companion Etsy shop dedicated to rice paper prints and other tangible items. Alongside Etsy and Facebook, we now sell locally at The Primitive Mercantile in Madisonville, TN, and here on our own website.

I also have a passion for shopping for primitive, vintage, and antique treasures—not only to decorate our home but also to share with my customers. I love thrifting and upcycling unwanted items into beautiful new projects, giving them a second life and a touch of character.

My dream is to retire early and build this shop into a central home where all our products—and eventually a blog—can be found in one place.

Just Us

Alan, my wonderful husband, is my best friend and the love of my life. He supports me in every way and often lends a hand in our business. By day, he works as Warehouse and Shipping/Receiving Supervisor and Master Scheduler at a local automotive manufacturer, where he’s been for 29 years.

I work full time in Human Resources at a petroleum tank manufacturer, but my heart is in design and crafting. Though we couldn’t have children, God blessed us with 18 amazing nieces and nephews—our “children” to love and spoil.

Hobbies & Passions

I’ve had a camera in my hand for over 40 years, and photography remains one of my greatest joys. Many of my designs feature photos from our travels—old barns, churches, waterfalls, historical landmarks, and more. We love to travel, especially to historical places, and those adventures often inspire my art.

Beyond design and photography, I enjoy paper crafts, wood/decoupage, sewing, music (I serve as our church pianist), and creating anything that brings beauty to everyday life. Alan is a history enthusiast, a book lover, and has a passion for old cars. Together, we make a great team.

I also love shopping for primitive, vintage, and antique treasures—both for our home and to offer through my business. Thrifting and upcycling are some of my favorite pastimes, as I enjoy giving new life to unwanted items and turning them into something beautiful and useful again.

Home Sweet Home

We are grateful to call East Tennessee home, surrounded by mountains, lakes, rivers, and breathtaking scenery. The Smoky Mountains—Cades Cove, Wears Valley, Cherokee—hold a special place in my heart, as I grew up vacationing there with my family. Those memories fuel my love for capturing God’s creation in photos and art.

Our Faith

Above all, we give God the honor and glory for the talents, opportunities, and blessings He has given us. Honey Bee Mercantile exists because of Him, and we are so thankful for the people He’s brought into our lives through this business.

Thank You

We are honored that you’ve taken the time to read our story and learn about Honey Bee Mercantile. Thank you for joining me on my creative journey! If you have a special request or an idea for something new, we’d love to hear from you—we’ll do our best to bring your vision to life.

God bless,
Marchelle & Alan