meet a maker monday

being the inquisitive little feltmaker that i am, i thought it might be interesting to hear about other maker's stories. so a little while ago i asked if anyone would be interested in being interviewed for my blog. i was hoping to make it a monthly feature but have been so overwhelmed by responses that it is now a weekly feature!

so, grab a cuppa, put your feet up and lets meet kerry of pennydog ...

Please introduce yourself...
I'm Kerry, 24 and living in Leicestershire with my partner of 7 years Alex
and our 2 greyhounds, Penny and Fletcher.

How would you describe your work / style?
Contemporary but feminine and not too brash for saying I work with plastic! Suitable for all ages.

Who, or what, inspires you?
Everything! Usually I see something (in a fashion not too far removed from the Magpie)and think, "Will this work inside resin?"

Do you sell your work? If so, what helped you decide to start selling your
work?
Yes, I started selling before I started making though! It's a strange story but I started out on Etsy selling my photography work, which then evolved not too long after into another shop once I'd got the hang of the basics of resin. I saw lots of others were doing it, so thought I'd give it a go, I've always had a bit of an entrepreneurial vein since I started up wheeling and dealing on eBay at 13 years old!

Where can I buy your work?
pennydog is the main site, but I am also on
Folksy (pennydog's folksy shop) and Etsy (pennydogaccessories) as well as a few other places.

Do you have a blog address?
Yep! pennydog's wordpress blog

How did you learn your craft? How long have you been creating?
I've only been using resin for 2 years and started out wanting to make photo jewellery as a little extra when on photography assignments to squeeze a bit more cash out of my customers! I'm completely self taught, and it was back when resin was only used for modelling really (and high end costume jewellery) in this country, so I learned through looking at forums and sites dedicated to the other applications of resin and also places like Craftster.org in the States.

Is there any other craft skill you would like to learn?
I'd like to master acrylic and use the two materials together and also silversmithing, though realistically I know I haven't got time.

Anything exciting planned for 2010 you'd like to share?
YES! I just landed the job of editor of the relaunch of Popular Crafts magazine and am giddy as anything about it! I'm also working on a large chess set for a personal project and will be exhibiting at the 4 day Patchings Art Festival in June,

Have you had any work featured in magazines/books/galleries?
Yes I have my own book which I wrote and released in 2009, and have written for Crafts Beautiful, beads and Beyond, Make Jewellery and Bead magazine so far, with my knitting needles featured in several knitting titles.

If I wasn't doing this, I'd be...
Bored!

I couldn't do this if it wasn't for...
My resourceful partner Alex. He sorts out my problems when things go wrong and isn't afraid to give criticism, which means when I get praise I know I'm really onto something!

Marmite...love it or hate it?
Hate!

What's your weakness?
Buttons!

What advice would you give to someone just starting out?
Remember you only have one pair of lungs and wear a vapour mask. I think I've seriously damaged myself and wouldn't want anyone else suffering for their art!


thanks for taking the time to chat kerry, your new job sounds fantastic - please pop back to let us know when the first issue will be available!