Book_Cover_for_Sale_on_Naughty_Secretary_Club.jpegNot only am I am a total fan-girl of Naughty Secretary Club, the lady behind the kitsch-y shop of wonder, Jennifer Perkins, is most deffo one of my InspirOgirls, fo’ sho’!

Not only is she a craft-girl, business owner and teev presenter, she’s an author-girl too and has just released her brand-spankin’ new how-to book of awesomeness - Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girl’s Guide to Handmade Jewelry. The book is packed with more than 50 kitschy-secretary-themed jewelry projects, turning your standard office fare, like binder folders and shredded junk mail, into craftalicious jewelry - coolio-a-go-go!

Come meet Jennifer, she’s the one in the Super-Talented-Girl outfit!


Describe the lady behind NSC in five words…
Quirky, potty-mouthed, over-accessorized, sarcastic, obsessed

NSC - what’s that all about? What is it? What’s with the name? Tell us all about it!
When I started my company I was fresh out of college and working at a telecommunications company here in Austin as an administrative assistant. I was without a boss for a long time and no one ever gave me a thing to do so I taught myself web design and discovered crafty chat rooms while I was at the office to pass the time between 9 and 5. The name Naughty Secretary Club fit because in a way that is what I was. I was being naughty working on my own business while I was on the clock for someone else.

Not only is NSC a kick-ass site filled with caa-ute items I want to own, it’s also a bee-youuu-tiful book - tell us about the book - how did it come about? How long did it take to create?
The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry was a long time coming. Several publishers had chatted me up though the years about putting a book out but I always avoided the subject because it seemed like such a daunting task. I was finally just at a place where I felt like I had the time and the inspiration so last summer and fall I whipped that baby out. They rushed publication and that is why the book is out this fall. After it was all said and done writing a book was not near as tricky as I thought it was going to be and I am looking forward to writing and making the projects for the follow up!

contents.jpegWhat’s your fave project in the book?
It’s like Sophie’s Choice making me choose. It was fun to use resin again with the Secretaries Delight Bracelet since I had not done it in years. I wear one of the Secretary’s Day Bouquet Bracelets almost every time I go out, so that says something. However I think the Specs Appeal Necklace is my very favorite. It’s fun because it has a picture of my hubby and I plus I love reusing old odd ball things like vintage children’s glasses and making them into new creations.

I love craftin’ but I’m no pro - will I be able to do the projects in the book - please say yes!!!
You bet your bottom dollar you can. All the projects have skill levels starting with First Day on the Job for newbies, You Deserve a Raise for those that know their away around the craft table and Running the Show for those that consider themselves crafty pros. There are projects for all skill levels.

You’re also a teev star too, what’s your secret to success?
I think people get a little taste of success and forget what got them there. I always try and send handwritten thank you notes to people that do nice things for me. I never say no to an interview even if it is for a high school girls report on crafty ladies.
Being nice and thoughtful goes along way. I hate mean people and my parents always raised me to do onto others as you would have done onto you so I think if you stick with that motto good things will happen for you. Being a success in any industry is also about marketing. I love marketing and PR and if I quit crafting I would go back for MBA and do that full time. You can look at any band on MTV and quickly see that it is not always about talent that makes a band, it is about their look, who they know, what they do and more. Same with any industry if I were just a good jewelry designer that would not get me very far and that is not the only part of my job. I need to let people know I am a good jewelry designer and work on getting my name and product into magazines, on TV and in the hot little hands of key people. So I credit a lot of my success with being nice and also with being a little marketing obsessed.

A little luck also goes a long way too.

What inspires your creations?
I get my inspirations from so many different places. I love all things vintage and get lots of inspiration from 50’s Barkcloth and old children’s books. I read lots of fashion magazines and do lots of web surfing to try and stay on top of what is all the rage for that month and that always inspires me. Not in a I want to copy that way, but in a I’m inspired to tweak that idea and make it into something else kind of way.

What makes you jump-in-the air happy?
Going to the Round Top flea market with my mom twice a year.

What would your go back and tell your teen self?
In small town Texas growing up I stood out like a sore thumb. In grade school I was mocked and called Punky Brewster and Rainbow Brite. It could have been the fact that I was in love with Boy George and wanted to emulate his look and God Bless my ex-hippie parents, never one to stifle creativity, they let me dress myself. In high school I ran around with the Industrial kids and could often be found at a Ministry or KMFDM concert complete with knee high combat boots, fire engine red hair and lip rings. In the early 90’s these looks were not common place, especially not in Texas (outside of Austin) I got a lot of dirty looks, people whispered under their breath, teachers told me things about how I would not ever amount to much. I would go back and bring a copy of the Wall Street Journal article that featured me and a VHS tape (they didn’t have DVDs back in time) of me on Craft Lab and tell those people to kiss my ass and tell myself not to worry. So in other words I wouldn’t tell my teen self to change a thing. Sticking to my own personal sense of style, never caring much what other people thought about me and being very opinionated has served me well.

What tunes would be on a NSC soundtrack?
My husband mocks me because my musical taste is so all over the place. I just downloaded She and Him, am kind of obsessed with a song on the Hairspray soundtrack, I just sang CeCe Peniston the whole drive home from the Vets and I sat through an Ozzy Osborne video earlier and knew every word. In the last year I have seen Van Halen, Santogold, Loretta Lynn, Spank Rock and The Kills. It so depends on my mood and in most cases I never met a song I didn’t like.

Quick fire round…What’s your favourite…
Book: Island of the Blue Dolphins. It was my favorite book as a little girl and I re-read it every few years. It’s a true story of a young girl who is left on an Island alone for years to fend for herself. Maybe it helped shape me and my independence more than I realized.
Magazine: Elle or Fruits
Website: etsy.com
Food: Enchiladas
Hangout: My living room.
City: Austin
phrase: Instead of ‘totally’ or ’sure’ my sister and I say ‘Totes McGuillicuts’

What tips would you give wannabe craft girls?
Spend as much time educating yourself on business and marketing as you do on honing your skill. You can’t have success without skills in both departments.

The colour pink. Discuss.
I love pink. I grew up in a giant pink Victorian house, my wedding colors were hot pink and lime green, the walls of my old studio were bubblegum pink, I have a tattoo of a hot pink tiger on my arm. So ya, a pretty big fan of pink.

Go visit Jennifer, buy her book, buy her items of fabulousness at: www.naughtysecretaryclub.com