Workin' for a Livin'

Carrie Whittemore, owner of Blueberry Hill Design Works Bennington, NH www.facebook.com/blueberryhilldesignworks Describe your work and what it entails. I am an "ink-slinging grandmother" – a screen printer by trade. We have a family/women-owned business offering screen printing, embroidery, vinyl and our latest creative venture, laser cutting/engraving out of my home in Bennington. We work with local schools, small businesses and nonprofits to provide customized apparel. What do you enjoy most about your job? Even after 12 years, I still love the feeling of lifting the screen after pulling the design to see the artwork on each piece! What I truly love is the opportunity to work with my daughters every day. What is the most challenging aspect of your job? Clean up. Getting the ink out of the screens and reclaiming them – it's kind of like putting away the Christmas tree, it's way more fun to put it up and decorate! What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a similar career? 1) Know that it's going to be messy. Ink has a mind of its own and ends up in places that make you scratch your head 2) Start small and build up. It's a lot of work and you need to be sure you enjoy what you do any time you work for yourself. 3) Making connections with people – it's the best way to build your business! What is your favorite thing about working in the Monadnock region? Connections. Not only do I work with family, but we provide a service to friends and neighbors, people whose teams we watch, businesses we frequent and schools our friends and neighbors attend.