Welcome to Penny’s Dream
Well, hello there. I’m Penny, and welcome to Penny’s Dream. If you’re expecting a highly polished operation with separate design, production, photography, shipping, and marketing departments, I should probably clear that up right now. It’s me. I’m all the departments. Penny’s Dream is a small creative business with a real shop in Saltville, Virginia. I make cards, stickers, magnets, bookmarks, signs, notecards, writing sets, gift tags, and whatever else wanders across my craft table and refuses to leave. Some things are sweet. Some are sentimental. Some are Appalachian. And some have a little more sass than good sense. That pretty much describes the shop, too.
How Everything Gets Made
Most projects begin with an idea. Sometimes it is a complete idea. Sometimes it is only a little piece of one that eventually turns into something useful. My tools include a printer, a cutting machine, cutting mats, paper trimmers, cardstock, sticker paper, magnetic material, a laminator, glue, and more craft supplies than one person probably needs. Sometimes everything works exactly as planned. Sometimes it does not. Those projects may require negotiations, muttering, coffee, and another sheet of cardstock. There is a fair amount of testing involved. I print, cut, assemble, adjust, and try again until the finished piece works the way it should. Then it gets photographed, packaged, and prepared for its next home.
The Real Shop and Etsy
Penny’s Dream has a real, physical shop in Saltville, Virginia. Etsy is another place where you can find some of the things I make. Everything in the Etsy shop is a real product that will be packaged and mailed. I photograph the actual finished products so you can see what you are really getting. The sticker in the photograph is the sticker. The magnet is the magnet. The card is the card. What you see is what I made, and what I make is what I send.
What You’ll Find Here
There is no single category that covers everything I make. You might find a sweet thank-you sticker beside a sassy door hanger. A sentimental card may be sitting next to a bookmark involving an opinionated dog. Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, birthdays, family, Appalachian humor, flowers, animals, and everyday kindness all tend to show up eventually. I make what interests me, what makes me laugh, and what I think someone else might enjoy giving or receiving. Many items are handmade and limited edition. Once something is gone, I may make it again, or I may wander off and create something completely different. Around here, that is part of the fun.
What This Blog Will Be About
This blog will probably cover a little bit of everything. There may be craft projects, tutorials, shop updates, stories from behind the craft table, and lessons learned because I did something wrong the first time. There may also be stories about living, working, and creating here in Southwest Virginia. Knowing me, something completely unrelated may wander in from time to time, too. This will not be a perfectly curated corner of the world. I would rather it feel like you pulled up a chair while I’m working. So welcome to Penny’s Dream. Have a look around. Stay awhile. Just don’t be surprised if there is cardstock on the table.