I had a serendipitous moment recently, discovering that a friend of a friend is an awesome, independent jewelry designer. Kristin Austin is the creative force behind the brand bird+beau, and I asked her to tell me more about her story, her design inspiration and her hopes for the future.
L&L: What got you started in jewelry making?
B+B: I've made jewelry for as long as I can remember. I used to make it for myself or as gifts until people started telling me I should sell it. That was years ago, before Etsy was around, so I put a few items on Ebay, in local shops, and I did a few shows. I enrolled in metalsmithing at school and worked a part time job at a bead store alongside a goldsmith and my passion for jewelry went from there.
L&L: How did you come up with the name bird+beau?
L&L: Where does your design inspiration come from?
L&L: Where can people find your jewelry?
B+B: Currently, anyone can shop for my handmade wares online at www.birdandbeau.com. I have a calendar of events on my site that I keep updated, which includes shows mostly around Raleigh, but I have one coming up at the end of the month in Wilmington. Also, a great friend of mine has been wonderfully nudging me to get my wholesale pricing together, so I am working on that and hope to pitch to a few boutiques within the next couple of months.
L&L: What got you started in jewelry making?
B+B: I've made jewelry for as long as I can remember. I used to make it for myself or as gifts until people started telling me I should sell it. That was years ago, before Etsy was around, so I put a few items on Ebay, in local shops, and I did a few shows. I enrolled in metalsmithing at school and worked a part time job at a bead store alongside a goldsmith and my passion for jewelry went from there.
L&L: How did you come up with the name bird+beau?
B+B: The name bird+beau was inspired by my reason, me + my fella - and
to save money for our wedding day, for our future. It kind of just came
to me one day, driving to work actually, and I knew it was a good one
and perfect for what I wanted to do. It was sweet and meaningful, and I
thought it would apply well to how I envision my brand growing - to
include small wedding day details for other birds and beaus!
L&L: Where does your design inspiration come from?
B+B: I am
all over the place with my interests - I love modern design, but I have
a sweet spot for vintage stuff too. I like girly things and simple
things and nature and geometric shapes and color and texture and the
list goes on. Most recently, I have been creating a lot of faceted
pieces, like in my POP collection, and modern geometrical flowery
designs cut from brass. I'm liking those a lot.
L&L: What are your long term plans for your business?
B+B: My long term plans for bird+beau include
handcrafted wedding day details. I love making jewelry and I am hoping
to get my torch set back up this spring, so that will take my jewelry to
a new level. I also hope to start
incorporating more accessories- wedding day and every day. Good things are sure to come!
B+B: Currently, anyone can shop for my handmade wares online at www.birdandbeau.com. I have a calendar of events on my site that I keep updated, which includes shows mostly around Raleigh, but I have one coming up at the end of the month in Wilmington. Also, a great friend of mine has been wonderfully nudging me to get my wholesale pricing together, so I am working on that and hope to pitch to a few boutiques within the next couple of months.
Be sure to visit the bird+beau website to check out the entire collection of Kristin's jewelry! Also check out bird+beau on social media:
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