Featured Artist: Carolyn Jenkins

I'm excited to introduce you to Carolyn Jenkins from For Paws and Home. Carolyn is the first shop to advertise on here on The Chilly Dog and I am very happy to share her creative story.

Carolyn was born in Washington DC and spent most of her childhood in Winchester, Virginia. Her philosophy is simple, "Never give up and follow your dreams."

What is your favorite craft or hobby and how did you learn it? I love all crafts, but my "go to" is crochet. My Grandmother taught me the basics and I've taught myself more along the way. When did you realize your creative passion? The old pot holder loom when I was little. I couldn't get enough of it!

What or who inspires you in your crafting and/or your life?

My Grandmother and my pets.

Why do you create?

I get a sense of accomplishment and happiness.

What do you create? For the last couple years I have been concentrating on pet products. What are your favorite tools and materials to work with? A hook and yarn. You can take it anywhere and if you don’t like it just pull it out and start over. What other interests do you have? I love gardening, reading and playing with my pets.

How did you choose your brand or shop name?

Although my shop right now has mostly pet items, I have in the past had items for the home and plan to in the future. So "for paws" refers to the pet items and "for home", the home items.

Is crafting a hobby, business, or something in between?

I would love crafting to be my full time business. Right now it’s something between.

What is a typical day for you? My dogs hate for me to sleep so they are kind enough to wake me up between 1-3 a.m. So there it begins! Dogs out, coffee on, check emails and Etsy shop, do a little computer work and then I start working on my projects. Around 5 a.m. wake up rest of house, fix breakfast and get ready for work. I leave around 7 a.m. for my hour drive to work then get to spend the day dreaming of ways to get to my crafting in until 5 when I leave to come home. Fix dinner, clean up, do a little crocheting then off to bed. Then we get to start all over again in a couple hours.

What is an ideal day for you? To be crafting all day with a nice walk in the woods or beach for a break. Where do you do most of your crafting? In a back room in my house or crocheting in my recliner while catching up on some TV.

What projects are you the most proud of?

Sadly, an angel and a couple table sitters that many years ago I had copy written, but over the years I have lost the patterns.

How do you deal with crafting failures?

Sometimes failures turn into something better or if I can somehow turn it into something I can give to the animal shelters I will do that. Try, try again in the end.

What is the strangest thing you have ever created? My funny cat I think is cute and strange. What keeps you busy when you are not creating? The usual cooking,cleaning, shopping, taking care of everything. There just is never ever enough time.

Have you ever experienced a dry spell when you put your crafting aside? If so, what brought you back to crafting?

Yes, I have gone through spells where I just took a break, but in the back of my mind it was still nagging at me like a wicked spell calling me back in.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about yourself, your craft, or business tips to help others with small crafting businesses?

Keep up your spirits when sales decline, which was September for me. I was getting very down but I kept telling myself it will pass. Do a lot of reading. You learn so much with forums and teams on Etsy.

Now I am a bad one for socializing, I know I should be doing much more, but right now I have a hard time squeezing it in. As long as you enjoy what you are doing don’t give up.

Stay Connected with Carolyn:

Shop For Paws and Home on Etsy
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