Plain Penny worked in classrooms for 11 years, supporting Kindergarteners, first, second and third grade students in a lovely, music and arts focused charter school in Western Massachusetts. During her time there, she started creating handmade cards that incorporated lots of glitter and shine. In 2012, her husband bought her a nifty technology toy, in the form of a cutter that could be hooked up to her computer. This opened up a new world of creativity. Her cards became masterpieces.
In 2015, she discovered that she could use this same set up to make tee shirts, AND that she could make them shiny, using a special vinyl material that was becoming more widely available. Woo hoo! After outfitting her family and friends in glitter shirts, the only way to maintain her habit was to find a new outlet.
In 2014, she had joined Rock Voices, which at that time, was still a local community chorus that sang Rock and Roll. Their logo cried out to be glittified. A sample was made, the director was on board, and Shiny Penny was born. Since then, Rock Voices has grown to include 17 locations, and Penny has been fortunate to grow in harmony.
From these auspicious beginnings, people have asked Penny to create tee shirts based on their ideas and visions, usually just one or a few, each one handcrafted and unique. This is her niche; bringing people’s tee shirt ideas to life, and making small quantities in chosen styles. Making them shiny makes her very happy. As the business grew, she was able to phase away from teaching and was finally and completely self employed in 2020.
Visit her website gallery for photos of the many designs she has created, and remembered to take pictures of.
