Marjie: It seems this journey began with micro beads. Why micro beads? What was the draw?

Suzanne: It happened quite by accident, actually! For all the family and friends who had offered their creative talents to make our 2002 wedding so beautiful, we decided to hold a thank you luncheon. I thought it would be fun to bring out shoe boxes for everyone filled with projects to craft after lunch. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the legend of the shoe box party was taking shape!

I wanted the projects to be very special and my friend Ellen Finnerty happened to stop by as I was preparing the shoe boxes.  She brought with her a pen that she had stamped on and covered with clear glass micro beads. It was beautiful and just what I was needing for that "something special" that my luncheon guests could treasure. I set out in search of the pieces the project called for, including glass micro beads, the latter producing an instant state of sticker shock! I found a 4 ounce jar for ten dollars and the weight included the jar itself! To make the luncheon projects, I would need at least two of these jars. My rational side allowed me to purchase only one jar.

I took it home and sat down with Brian to discuss this obstacle and get his opinion. Of course, as newlyweds, my Brian was inclined to listen to every word. But he didn't just listen! A few days later he came home with a 50 POUND bag of clear glass beads and said, "Will this be enough for the party, Honey?" WAS IT EVER!

The luncheon was a wonderful success and everyone went home with their own little bags of micro beads. But I still had 48 pounds left! Knowing I would never be able to use that many beads myself and thinking that others out there must be looking for affordable micro beads too, I posted them on eBay. They sold like hotcakes! I still had some left for teaching an online internet class, and offered the beads for sale to the students there. The response was overwhelming. Brian and I saw the potential of this 'bead mine' we were sitting on and realized we were about to "Bead The World!" - our Pennywise Arts motto today!

It is amazing to us how fast this company has come together and grown. We have a great customer base and a rapport with each one that goes beyond a business relationship. Brian and I love our customers and listen to their needs and suggestions. They are the ones that keep this company going strong!

Marjie: So from this shoe box of beaded pens a PWA Yahoo Group grew. How many were in the group in 2003? And how many members are there today? To what do you attribute this flourishing success of mirco beading artists on the PWA Yahoo Group?

Suzanne: I remember waaaay back when I first started the group we were an 'on topic' Yahoo group - ha! What was I thinking?? It's so much better now that we wander off into uncharted territories of conversations about life, family, jobs, art, bugs, and everything in between! PWA has really become a 'home' on the internet for me, and so many others. The sisterhood we share as artists and friends has been the greatest blessing and surprise of this whole journey! We started with just a handful of local ladies and now the group has grown to over 1700 women from all over the world. We keep things fun and lively with weekly techniques and templates to inspire our members and teach them new ways to incorporate our products into their art. Many of these classes are now archived on our website but there are lots more that we haven't had the time to add yet too! I think the true success of the group can be attributed to the "home town" feeling that people get when they walk through the virtual door into our community. Everyone is so kind and our members really rally together to do amazing and wonderful things! Every day I am in awe of the way they reach out to one another and bless one another with thoughtful words, cards, surprise gifts and more.

Marjie: How did the name of Pennywise Arts come into existence?

Suzanne: Oh boy. It's really not all that special of a story. Once we decided that we were going to go into the micro beads business, Brian went online to file the paperwork necessary to become licensed in the state of Washington . The first question he came to asked for the business name. I took all of about 5 minutes to decide on "Pennywise Art Supplies". I suppose it was because I was trying to be so cost conscious when I bought my very first jar of micro beads! Gradually over the years the official name has been reduced to Pennywise Arts or just PWA.

Marjie: The recurring airtime on HGTV of That's Clever must generate new business and along with that there seems to be a host of new 'fans'. How do you handle this fame of being seen on T.V. and what keeps you grounded?

Suzanne: (Laughing) Auditioning for the show was something I didn't give a whole lot of thought to which is probably a good thing or else I wouldn't have done it! It was an amazing experience that gave me a new appreciation for people like Carol Duvall who are in front of the cameras on a daily basis. I had no idea how much work it would be! But it was worth the whole 8 hours for my 12 minutes of fame because I had a blast taping and sharing the show with my friends and family. The fan mail was totally unexpected. The first few came in and I politely responded with thanks, answering questions and all. But then the wave hit and I woke up one morning to something like 300 fan mails. I was in shock! The first thing I did was call my mom, who has always shared in my excitement of crafting even though she is not herself a crafter. Then I set out to answer each and every message. I'll admit to using "copy-paste" on many occasions but each reply was personalized at the very least. Fame is short lived, and not really the substance of real life. It was fun while it lasted and is fun each time the show reruns but I find so much more personal satisfaction in the day to day interaction with my family, friends and customers. I stay grounded in the fact that my fame didn't come with a maid, a chauffeur or gobs and gobs of money. There is still a lot of work to be done and lots and lots of stuff yet to bead!

Marjie: So, do you bag beads all day long, 7 days a week? How do you keep up with the orders and still make time for all the other things in your life?

Suzanne: In the early days there were always money hungry teens around our house! I talked my son and many of his friends (and if necessary many of their friends too) into working for me as bead baggers! One day we had the whole process set up in our living room. We always joked about how it "looked"... Picture a huge bin of clear (white looking) micro beads, two scales, little plastic bags and at least three kids working to portion them out with little scoops, by weight into the bags. It just so happens that the cable guy came to work on our line that day and when he walked in the door, he just stood and stared for the longest time. Brian was quick to explain what we had in the bin and we later learned that our cable guy was a retired police officer! While he had seen many a strange thing in his line of work, he hated to even tell us what he thought of our 'operation' when he first walked in!

Those first three years were the hardest. Anyone with a small business knows that you work harder and longer for less pay than you ever would in a "real" job. There were no real vacations, just long weekends strategically scheduled around holidays and times that business was traditionally slower. Having the business in our home meant it was always there and the orders had to be filled in health and in sickness, which sometimes was a major challenge! No one was allowed to watch television without doing SOMETHING for the business, be it bead bagging, labeling, sample making, etc. You could relax and enjoy the show, but your hands had to stay busy! We worked hard as a family and somehow we pulled it off. Almost a year ago we moved the company into a warehouse space, which has really freed up a lot of room in our house! And Pennywise was finally grown up enough to warrant a personal assistant for me and that has made the job much easier to handle. Yvonne now does most of the shipping and daily operations but I still insist on being involved so that I won't lose my edge on the process or lose touch with my customers!

Marjie: Tell us about your family; the Prince Jordan and King Brian.

Suzanne: My very best good friend, Brian and I have been married for 4 1/2 years now (as of summer 2007) and what a great time we've had thus far!!

 

I met Brian eight years ago in an online chat room - amazing but true! (My mom thought you could only meet axe murderers online - boy did I show her!) The home computer was a key ingredient of our relationship then and of our success in business now. Brian is a self proclaimed "geek" in that he is totally enamored with all things technical. He loves problem solving, creating templates and has been working for the last three years on a custom bead coloring machine. According to Brian it is very near the testing phase and I hope to have lots of new bead colors rolling out soon! PWA is our "first born" together, but we are also raising a 15 year old future 'rock star', known as Prince Jordan. Jordan's band Recluse is a very talented group of four teens. They play all original metal/rock music and have put on many shows locally. In August, they made their big debut in a Seattle club and we couldn't be more proud!

 

Marjie: Tell us about your pets.

Suzanne: We have a cat named Zak, who thinks he's the king of the castle, but Brian says otherwise! He's a huge 18 pound Maine Coon that is all about being scratch behind the ears. He greets all of our guests when they arrive and expects to have as much attention paid to him as the humans of the family. During shoebox parties, he is often found under the table, where many hands can reach down to pet him as much as possible! If someone gets up from the table, he is quick to steal a chair! He's definitely a "party" cat, which fits our family perfectly!

Marjie: Was there a princess Suzanne before she became the Queen of Beads? Tell us about your childhood; where you grew up, were you a tomboy or frilly?

Suzanne: I had a great childhood! I grew up in the Puyallup/South Hill area of our beautiful state of Washington. I was a total tomboy and loved being outdoors, playing sports with the boys, riding bikes, writing, drawing and doing pretty much anything creative. I still have a lovely statue which is proudly displayed in my studio. I made it at the age of 6. (See photo) Who knew then, what creative adventures were growing inside that little girl!!

Eventually my family built a custom home on an airstrip in Spanaway , WA which is where I spent the bulk of my teens and where my mother still resides. I've always loved anything 'paper', stationery, books, notepads, cards, you name it. I had a huge collection of BIBHUIY (stands for bought it but haven't used it yet) papers, even way back then! Back in those days, I wrote long handwritten letters to family and friends, doodled, tried my hand at poetry, creative writing and journalism. As a senior in high school, I selected communications as my college major. I never completed that degree, but I think I communicate with the best of them through our online Yahoo community!

Marjie: What was the first 'crafty' thing you remember making, as a child?

Suzanne: I have a fun memory of making free hand three dimensional paper flowers around the age of seven. I cut large petals from colored papers and glued them into a circular pattern, overlapping one another. The center of the flower was formed by shaping a tube of complimentary colored paper about 1" high. I snipped one side of the tube to create flaps for gluing it down to my flower and then lots and lots of snips on the top edge to make the center look three dimensional. I remember that in first grade, I was invited to actually teach this project in art class for a Mother's Day project! I was so proud and of course, had a blast!

Marjie: Is there a certain family member to whom you attribute the 'talent' gene?

Suzanne: I sure didn't get it from my mom!! We joke about that, so she knows it's all in good fun. I suspect that the creative genes probably flowed through my mother's side of the family though, as she has a sister, Barbara who is an incredible writer and her other sister, Alma Jo was very blessed with artistic creativity also.

Marjie: When did you first begin stamping, what was your first stamp, and do you still have it? (the stamp, that is, ggg)

Suzanne: I bought my first rubber stamp at the age of 16 from a store that no longer exists called JK Gill. It's a little 1" unicorn and YES I still have it! That was long before stamping was cool or even established as much of an art form. I didn't discover the joy of doing anything other than putting that stamp on envelopes until much later in my life. A friend (whom I've never forgiven) invited me to a home party for D.O.T.S which is now Close To My Heart. I picked a card from her sample basket and told her "Sell me everything I need to make this card!" Being that it was embossed (isn't that what got most of us hooked on stamping?) that one card ended up costing me about fifty bucks! My stamp collection has grown considerably since then, and now occupies the better part of TWO library card catalog cabinets, with stamps stacked 3 deep in all the drawers!

Marjie: What inspires you and gets the creative muse going?

Suzanne: The things that inspire me the most are my friends. There is so much wonderful artwork being shared on PWA every day and I feel so blessed to have such a huge 'family' of creative friends that let me row along on their creative rivers of energy! The online classes, swaps and challenges always keep me on my toes and the drive to produce something of quality to share keeps me on what I hope is the cutting edge of all things beadie.

Marjie: What are some of your favorite design techniques?

Suzanne: Shaker cards are my number one passion. I just love doing them in all shapes, sizes and colors! Having a husband who is handy in technical drawing is really nice, especially when I want to create a new template to fit a particular stamp size/shape! Our free online templates make the task so quick and easy, what's not to love?! After shakers I would have to say that I like doing the beaded lace technique next. This technique produces stunning results in no time flat! If you haven't guessed, I'm really into quick and easy instant gratification techniques!

Marjie: What else have you done? What are some of the other business endeavors in your life and if you had not journeyed down the Micro Bead path, what might you be doing today, instead?

Suzanne: Oh gosh, what haven't I tried is more like it... I've done office work, and restaurant work, I've tried my hand at creating handcrafts to sell, and ran several holiday boutiques which are so popular in this area. I am a journeyman cake decorator but consider myself retired from that craft. In the year 2000 my father and I were just getting started in the espresso business. We did espresso catering for a few weddings and had a blast together! We were in the process of setting up a latte cart at a ferry landing in Steilacoom, Washington when he suffered a fatal heart attack. I didn't have the heart to follow that path without him and let the plans for it go. I really attribute my entrepreneur sprit to my dad and his belief that I could do anything I set my mind to do. He was my number 1 fan and was always supportive of everything I wanted to try. Shortly after his passing I met Brian and he easily stepped into the role of my cheerleader! Together we dreamt up a business plan for a mobile espresso delivery truck. In fact, we were in the process of outfitting my step van when the whole "bead thing" happened and life took me in that direction. I still have my espresso van which will probably become my PWA convention mobile in the near future! And some day, we'll probably set up the espresso equipment in the shop and offer free latte's to our employees, just for fun.

 

Marjie: What are your hobbies and do you have time to do them?

Suzanne: I still love to be outdoors, and to read books and write letters and journal. I enjoy scrapbooking and delving into family history too. I have boxes and boxes of ephemera from my very own ancestors and I look forward to carving out some time to actually create art with them. Of course there is never as much time to just play as I would like, but some days I just have to say "Play Today" - the rest can wait! When those days come around, I call them "migraine days". This started back in the early days of PWA when several of us local members would call in sick to work on the same day with a supposed migraine. Then we'd get together in my studio and work on art projects that we'd been wanting to finish for a long time! What I like best about those kinds of days is the sisterhood that develops with the women in attendance. Like an old fashioned quilting bee, it seems to be a time of bonding with other women through heartful sharing of thoughts, art, life and experiences. I love that!

Marjie: What is one really grand thing you have always thought about doing but have not done it yet? And, will you do it?

Suzanne: I have a dream of writing a book, memoirs about my father and the influence he had on my life. I started it shortly after he died, but haven't found the time to complete it. The outline and notes are still handy though, and yes, I do plan to finish it one of these days!

Marjie: Where do you see Pennywise Arts 5 years from now? 10 years from now?

Suzanne: Five years from now, I would love to see Pennywise as a retreat center for artists to escape the rat race and just relax in an environment full of natural inspiration outside with lots of art inspiration as the inside decor. We have some property on Camano Island that is right on the Puget Sound that would be perfect for this! I picture it starting as a bed and breakfast type of place, offering classes or just space to "be". We also hope to gain a strong handle on the micro bead industry and actually become the main supplier of colored glass beads to the US and world wholesale markets. Our goal is for Brian to work full time for Pennywise and be able to pursue his other project ideas and plans. I am also very interested in expanding our retreat and workshop offerings and taking them to other parts of the country. I want the company to be successful enough that it can send me to all of the shoebox parties that happen all over the world! Ten years from now? More of the same I guess, how much better can it get?!

Marjie: What famous quote would you like to share with us in conclusion of this interview?

Suzanne: Hmmm... I'm not so sure how famous it is, but one of my favorite quotes is by an author by the name of Maryanne Radmacher-Hershey and it has been on my computer monitor for about 8 years. She wrote, "Tap your dream on the shoulder until you are certain that it sees you". I know from personal experience that dreams really do come true if you are willing to be open to them! Just keep your mind open to possibility and when the opportunity presents itself grab it and work hard to make your dream a reality!