Tell us a bit about yourself (name, location,
affiliations, personal stuff).
My name is Crystal J. Robinson and I live in the ever-growing county of Chesterfield just south of Richmond. I have lived here my entire life. I got my BFA in Interior Design at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1998 – I can’t believe it’s been a decade since I’ve graduated college! I am 31 and I have a wonderful husband (who was also my high school sweetheart, awww) of going-on 8 years and we just had a sweet little baby boy 3 months ago.
Apart from creating things, what do you do?
My day job is an interior designer at a small local firm. I love spending time with my family, my husband and awesome new baby boy. I also enjoy working in my yard, going to hear live hip-hop and jazz and experiencing new local restaurants.
What first made you want to become an artist?
I think I realized that I wanted to be an artist in elementary school. Going to art on Thursdays was the highlight of my week. I liked the reactions that people would have when they saw my work and it made me feel happy. I always looked up to my art teachers from elementary school all the way through college.
I also remember making and selling tie dyed tee shirts when I was about 8 or 9. I think that‘s when I realized that I could actually make money by selling stuff that I made and the little entrepreneur in me was born.
Please describe your creative process (how, when, materials, etc).
I learned the French Serti technique of silk painting at VCU in a fabric design course. I fell in love with it then. Not only did I (and still do, of course) enjoy the process of silk painting, but I also enjoyed designing the patterns. Applying repetition, proportion, scale (you know, those basic design elements) to make something practical; something you could wear, intrigued me. Everyday surroundings inspire me. I see pattern all around. I’m always seeing things and saying to myself how great of a fabric design it could make. I barely ever get to get these ideas into production, but no worries though; I keep a sketchbook with all of these ideas. I look forward to the day when I can bring them all to fruition! I am also inspired by classic patterns (like polka dots and stripes). I love to reinterpret and modernize the old classics by redrawing them or using fresh colors.
I currently paint on silk scarves, ties, eyeglass cases, and tissue covers. I started off doing the scarves, and I also loved to machine quilt. One day the concept came to mind to combine the two and my quilted silk pillows were born! Now, in addition to the pillows, my quilted pieces include throw blankets, sleep masks, baby shoes, and bookmarks.
I also make tee shirts and mousepads with iron-on transfers using the same hand-drawn imagery I use in my silk pieces. Making the transfer stuff is a much quicker process and gives me a bit of a break from the intensity of the silk.
What handmade possession do you most cherish?
I don’t know if he is considered handmade or even a possession, but the first thing that came to mind was my baby! It reminds me of a button made by fellow Etsy seller muthacrafter, that Beth, (monkeyandme.etsy.com) one of my Richmond Craft Mafia sisters, gave me when I was pregnant that says “I’m so crafty I make people”. So clever.
Name your top five books, movies, songs/musical groups, and websites (besides Etsy).
Book: The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley– I read this book in high school and it completely changed my outlook on the life and the world. I also like instructional books like pillows by Katrin Cargi, In Stitches by Amy Butler and Readymade – How to make {Almost} Everything – A Do-It- Yourself Primer.
Movie: Pulp Fiction – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this movie! Samuel Jackson is my favorite, “Mmm-mmmm. That is a tasty burger.”
Musician: Nina Simone- her voice and piano playing is the best in the world, I’m sad that I never got to hear her live.
Website: Flickr – I found out about this site through Etsy, but it has been a great promo tool as well as a great place to meet other crafters and it is super easy to blog from so there are no excuses.
What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Start small. Do something you like. Keep working to try to find your niche. Be patient and don’t ever get discouraged. I’ve been with Etsy almost from the beginning ( I started in December of 2005) and I haven’t sold a ton of stuff, but I’ve gotten excellent exposure that I couldn’t have gotten elsewhere. I remember when I first got started; I thought I would never sell my first item! I say just keep making the stuff you love and someone that loves your work will find it and give it a new loving home.
What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see?
Every day when I visit Etsy I make my round of the forums – I must say I am more of a lurker than a poster - but I have to see what’s crack-a-lackin and that’s the place to find the most current info. After that, I check out the Treasury and then the Storque. I love it when new features are launched, it’s like Christmas time. It’s nothing better than noticing something a little different on my screen and clicking into it for the first time – you just know it’s gonna be a treat. My most fave new feature is Shop Local. It’s a brilliant concept and it’s interesting to see what’s happening right around me, before Shop Local I had no idea there were so many Richmond artists on Etsy!
As an old Etsy head I would love to see the return of Alchemy! I miss it with all my heart! I think that the majority of my sales were through Alchemy and I actually enjoyed the process of communicating so closely with my customers. Custom orders are my favorite. I also miss the Top Sellers and Top Items lists. They used to be my first stops on my daily visits. My goal was to be a Top Seller, it gave me something to strive for and I looked up to the artists that were on that list. One of my most proud Etsy moments was when my skull scarf made it onto the Top Items list. Although the “top” lists aren’t there, I still operate is if they are – it gives me motivation.
How do you promote your work?
I have business cards and promo cards and magnets that I include in every order and give out at shows. But, mostly I promote online. I am a member of Flickr, MySpace, StumbleUpon, Wists, Fuel My Blog, PopGloss, Indie Collective, Delightful Blogs, Stylehive, thisnext, Squidoo, and IndieFinds (I’m sure I’m missing one or two!). I’m not as active as I would like to be on all of them, but I think just having your name and links out there is great exposure because you never know who will see your work and really connect with it. I am also a member of the Richmond Craft Mafia; we have cards that we each put in with our orders and this is great form of cross promotion.
In addition to these things, I have a blog, crystaljsilk.blogspot.com, that I try to post on at least weekly. At one point I was posting daily (pre-baby) and it has really gotten my search rankings up! Most of my customers find me through random searches.
In ten years I'd like to be...
Working full-time in my own open studio where I can make and sell my work.
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