Shelby was born and raised in the Chicago suburb of La Grange, IL. She received her Bachelors of Fine Art from Iowa State University with a focus in photography, drawing and painting with a minor in Advertising. Utilizing her studies straight out of college, she explored her love of art by working at several different fine art galleries, participated in group art exhibitions and produced several solo shows. 

After leaving the gallery world professionally, Shelby's interest shifted toward graphic design as a full time career. She currently works at Boyd Gaming and continues to expand her knowledge of design personally and professionally. Not only did Shelby switch careers successfully, she expanded her fine art repertoire to include 5 murals over the last 4 years, one of which raised over $4,000 for the Dubuque community.