Friday Follower - Holly

The three girls were shocked at the surprise announcement. "But I thought he was dead!", exclaimed Suzy.

This set of three 25mm badges has been created with illustrations cut from a vintage book and are the creations of Holly Leonardson - this week's featured Friday Follower and a fellow resident of Brisbane (yay!) And please don't argue with me that it isn't Friday as it still is in some countries so forgive my tardiness as I have been out of town and away from a computer.

Holly creates accessories influenced by some of her favourite things such as animals, vintage children's books, colourful fabrics, buttons and handwritten mail under the brand of Pannikin. You can find and buy these items through Holly's Etsy store.

Let's find out more about young Holly and her inspirations for Pannikin:

1. Pannikin is such a cute name. Where does it come from?
Pannikin is the name of a street I lived in as a little girl. I found it appropriate due to the nostalgic childlike nature of my accessories.

2. You have some lovely original products. What is your creative background?
Ever since I was little I have been creating. My favourite thing to do was to draw and colour in and my parents were always encouraging of my artistic and creative abilities. My first job was at a bead store, which ran a variety of classes. I was taught many jewellery making techniques ranging from wire work, to working with polymer clay, working with sterling silver and so much more. The great part is that all this was taught by my new found friends/work colleagues, who are professional jewellery designers, makers and artists.

3. What is your design process. Do you find vintage items and then get the idea for a product range or is it the other way round?
I don't really have a set process. My mind is a little overactive at times and I find it hard to keep up with all my ideas, so keeping a small art diary on me at all times is a must, for sketches and my excessive (but handy!) list writing. For example, with my badges, I go hunting for all kinds of papers and fabrics and try to experiment with different sources, like old comics, novels, vintage wallpaper, fabric and printing. Other times I like to bring home a whole wodge of supplies and just play around with them until a few ideas form.


4. What else do you do when you are not making things for Pannikin?
Unfortunately this isn't my full time job. I work full time in retail to pay the bills and work on Pannikin as much as I can when not at the dreaded 'day job'. I really like exploring as many op (thrift) shops and antique stores as I can. It's almost like a game of hide and seek!

When I can, I love to draw. Soon, I will have a few tote bags screen-printed with my illustrations, so keep an eye out for them - I'm very excited by it all! Other things I like to do include poking around on Etsy, listening to music, seeing my friends and baking. There is nothing better than whipping up a batch of fun little cupcakes and sharing them around!

5. Do you have any future plans for your craft business?
The goal is to successfully work from home and to be my own boss; I couldn't think of anything better than that! (Except maybe having my own brick and mortar store full of wonderful handmade creations, mainly by Australian artists and designers).

6. Is there something interesting about you that you could share and that isn't common knowledge?
I have an ever expanding bow-tie collection. There is a drawer in my wardrobe entirely dedicated to them! I like traditional bow-ties that wrap around the collar of a shirt or dress, but I also love making my own bow-tie brooches from any kind of fabric.

Thanks Holly, we look forward to seeing new ideas and products. To read Holly's blog, visit Pannikin.

All photos are courtesy of Holly Leonardson. From Top to Bottom: The Surprise Announcement Badges, Hedgehog Necklace, Plastic Owl Brooch, Old MacDonald's Farm envelopes.