CoinOp

Teresa Robinson’s Work Station!

Teresa Robinson runs smallthings design and stone&honey, two beautiful jewelry lines produced right here in Portland, Oregon. She has been crafting her creations since early 2002 and is a whiz with merging precious metals, stones, and a modern aesthetic. Pinball has helped with printing her packaging solutions over the years, and we’ve always admired her work. Read on for her thoughts on staying inspired, being a rock hound, and the creative process.

What inspired you to start making jewelry? How long have you been running the business?

I learned to make jewelry while studying abroad in Mexico my final year of college. I really, really loved it, but never really thought of making it a full time job. I was getting a more ‘serious’ art degree at the time, so after I came back from mexico, I finished up with college, threw everything in the back of my car and moved out to Portland.

My first couple years here were spent jumping from job to job, but nothing really felt like it fit right, and I just kept thinking about making jewelry….so at the urging of a friend, I pulled out my little stash of silver from Mexico, rounded up a couple of tools, and got to work again. I started selling things on consignment at a couple shops here in Portland, and things just kind of took off from there. I made a conscious decision to quit my day job sometime in the fall of 2002, and was pretty determined to make this whole little business work. It’s been 7 years now, and I feel incredibly lucky that it’s all worked out so well and I get to make things for a living. Running a business around it all can get a little nutty, and I’ve definitely learned from many a mistake over the years, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I am a HUGE fan of designer-producers. Tell us about your creative process – from initial concept to final polish!

When I start out on a line, it’s usually just an idea for one or two pieces, or a general theme and then it just expands from there. For smallthings, I look at lots of pictures, do some little drawings and then shrink them down and get to cutting. I know that some jewelers do a lot of sketching of a whole piece or final product, but I tend to focus more on the images themselves, and then make the rest up as I go along.

I also have two other lovely ladies who work here, so when it gets down to the final details on things, I get to ask for second opinions/critiques, which can be really helpful too. And then they get free jewelry out of the deal, so it works out well for everyone!

You’ve expanded your wares recently with the launch of stone&honey. Tell us about the inspiration for that expansion?

stone&honey was born out of a really random experiment that just happened to go right. I was feeling really uninspired by smallthings, and a little limited by tiny pieces of glass, so one afternoon I headed to the rock shop (Ed’s House of Gems on Sandy! Fossils and crystals galore!) and was really taken with these amazing hot pink pieces of Brazilian agate. I had started doodling this little wonky honeycomb-ish pattern the day before, and really liked that, so it was like, how can I take these two things that have nothing to do with each other, but that I really like, and put them together? And it ended up being this kind of magical combination that was just weird enough to totally work.

stone&honey has been really great and fun because I feel like I have a lot more room to play around and try new things, where as smallthings has a little more of a set aesthetic and parameters.

Pinball has helped with the printing of several types of hang tags, cards, and display systems. Can you share some insight about how you present your jewelry?

I love packaging! We send out all our smallthings orders in little tins, with die cut inserts designed by the lovely Jenn Armbrust of Motel, and printed by you guys! And then for stone&honey, we wanted to go a little more organic, and Shelley had the brilliant idea of using leather, so we made up a little leather pouch/envelope with a chipboard necklace card that fits inside. I love chipboard. Love it to death.

Any tips for staying inspired while running a creative business?

It can be really hard to stay inspired! Especially when something really creative that you love turns into a production line. I don’t want to be a total downer, but once you’ve cut out the same little bee or flower about 2,000 times, it really gets less than exciting. I have to remind myself to just play around in the studio when i need to. I find that some of the best things happen when I just take a break and make something completely for myself, rather than constantly feeling like I have to make something sell-able, or that will fit into a bigger collection. It’s a good reminder that I make things because I like to, and it’s not just my job. So yeah, play more! stress out less!

Favorite reads / blogs / other designers to share with CoinOp readers?

We are big fans of the interwebs here at the studio. (maybe a little too big!)

Here are a few of our daily reads:

design for mankind:  Erin rounds up a lovely collection of art/design, and I want it all!

the carrot box: for when i need a jewelry fix. amazing round up of some of the most insane and beautiful rings you’ve ever seen.

style rookie:  have you heard of this girl?  she’s a twelve year old fashion blogger who puts together the craziest most amazing outfits and is far cooler than i could ever hope to be.

design sponge: we spend far too much time oggling all the prettiness on there. before and afters are the best!

go fug yourself: most hilarious bad celebrity fashion commentary ever.