Crafty Folk: Silver & Earth Design

Welcome to another Crafty Folk post where we feature one of our members and invite them to share a little about themselves and their creative practice. We absolutely love chatting with our Brisstyle members and hope that you enjoy learning a little more about them too! This week we spoke with Robbie from Silver & Earth Design.

How would you describe your work?

My work is in a transition stage at the moment. Since I started making jewellery using beading techniques about two years ago, I have been working with semi-precious stones and silver wire work.

This year I have been learning new techniques with silver and mixed media that I love working with as well and this recent work has been described by others as industrial looking. Whichever media I am using I love the design process of exploring the textural and colour qualities of the material and finding a perfect asymmetrical balance in my pieces.

 How did your Etsy shop come into being?

I had heard of Etsy about a year ago but hadn’t really explored the website or system until this year. I had tried putting my work into a couple of boutiques in quite exclusive precincts but I didn’t like losing control of the pricing. So when I looked into Etsy and found that you can get your label out there and control all aspects of your shop I thought I would give it a try. I also love doing markets and found the Etsy market possibilities fantastic. I have done two now and love the creativity, passion and support of fellow Etsy marketeers.

Who or What inspires you?

I have always been inspired by ethnic and cultural designs and patterns. With my latest work it is the materials themselves that inspire the design. 

 Do you ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ as part of your creative process?  If yes, how is your art / craft eco-friendly?
Yes, in my mixed media pieces I recycle by incorporating all sorts of materials from Reverse Garbage combined with Sterling Silver. I am also working with resin by setting my original drawings, prints etc into resin (reuse) and then combining with the other materials. From the start the packaging which I designed has always been made of recycled corrugated cardboard.

Can you describe your studio / work area?

This question has had me in a tizz – I am really an organized person but to look at my studio at the moment you wouldn’t guess. At times, I get into a bit of a creative frenzy with a few designs and techniques on the table at once. My studio is really a spare bedroom quickly usurped when my two daughters left home. I am putting together the equipment for working with silver and also have a beading section. Still it is more functional than it was when I used to do ceramics in one corner, drawing and painting in  the other and had just started jewellery. The clay dust was in the painting and the pastel was in the beads!  

What is your favourite thing in the shop at the moment?
I am loving the bold geometric rings. Using old offcuts of acrylic and designing sterling silver shapes to contrast I think they look a bit edgy. Also my watercolour series – watercolour paintings set into resin and inset into a bezel ring have intense colour.

A big thank-you to Robbie for sharing her crafty life with us. You can find Silver & Earth Design on Etsy. Stay tuned for our next 'Crafty Folk' post.