Jennifer Heynen

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by, I'm so glad you're here. If you love colorful happy stuff then you've come to the right place. Sewing, painting, and crafting are some of my passions. I've been a self supporting artist for 19 years. The Basics: My last name is pronounced "Hi nen" even though I will answer to "Hey nen" because that would be the logical way to pronounce it. But most people call me Jangles after my company Jennifer Jangles. *My favorite spot on earth is the beach. I call it my happy place. I also love aquariums and tide pools. *My studio is in Athens, Georgia, but I am from Indiana. *I have become, since moving to Georgia, a huge fan of football, especially the Bulldogs. *If I weren't an artist, I would be a meteorologist. My Biz Story: My journey to where I am now started when I made my first Valentine for my dad when I was two. I made a clay ladybug when I was three, and sewed my first placemat when I was four. I haven't stopped making things since. I took every possible art class in high school that I could. I wanted to be a fashion designer. I would design and sew my own clothes for school. My parents would cringe when I walked out the door, but I did get voted "Best Dressed" in my class. My senior year I found ceramics and fell in love. I then majored in ceramics at Indiana University. I hit the road selling my handmade tiles and mosaics. After seven years of traveling and doing artfairs I was ready for less traveling and more making. That's when I began creating ceramic beads. I created a line of jewelry that was sold across the country in gift shops and museums. My book Ceramic Bead Jewelry was also written during that time. Now to back track a little, remember back in huh school when I wanted to be a fashion designer? Well I kind of gave up on the fashion part but not on the sewing and textiles. I always told Nik that when I was 35, I would go back to school and get my masters in Textiles. Well 35 came, and I still had the interest, but being the wife of a professor, I know what grad students go through. I decided maybe grad school wasn't what I wanted. So at night I would stay up super late and design repeating patterns for fabrics. When I turned 36 I hopped on a plane and headed to Quilt Market. I walked around with my portfolio in hand showing fabric manufacturers. Thats when I met the folks at In The Beginning Fabrics. I fell in love with them and the way they go about producing fabric. Currently I am designing my 14th line of fabric. Crazy, I still can't believe it. Designing fabrics then led to designing beads, ribbons, bags, jewelry, garden flags and more. I would now tell you about my hobbies, but, it's kind of the same as my work. I know it's confusing to some people, but if you love what you do as much as I do, then it's never really work. So if I am not making something, then I am hanging with the Heynen boys, walking the dogs, or sitting on my porch drinking a mocha. You can also find me under the Jennifer Jangles name on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.