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Hello there World! If you are reading this you are probably a friend, or let's be real, you're more likely family. But in the case that you aren't and you stumbled upon my website through my endless attempts of nailing social media, then Welcome and let me introduce myself!
My name is Cristina and I am a soon to be 30 year old from California now living in the wonderful state of Wisconsin. I really took my love of cheese to another level. I grew up in a small town just North of Santa Barbara, California then moved around quite a bit before really finding my footing in San Diego. Having grown up in a little old town that no one had ever heard of before, it was surprising to fall in love with such a big city. But there I was finding myself trying to convince all my friends to move there because it was "the place to be". I must have been a pretty good sweet talker because before I knew it I was surrounded by a handful of my childhood friends and making new friends along the way. Slowly, as time went on, each one of my friends started taking their life path to different states; Washington, Arizona, and Florida. Soon after, I found myself following my life's path out to Wisconsin. It was a culture shock to say the least. I went from living in a city with a population of 2 million people to living in a town with only 16,000. The town I am originally from has double that! I found myself struggling to fit in in the weirdest ways. From my style to my taste buds, I stuck out like a sore thumb in the very laid back state I now call home. I did what any girl would do and tried taking on hobbies way out of my comfort zone. I was going turkey hunting, pheasant hunting, fishing, coyote hunting, bear baiting (pretty interesting experience for a girl who is terrified of bears), and deer hunting. Basically anything outside where you could catch or shoot something - did I mention I'm from California!? I don't know how to do any of these things! I am always up for a new adventure or dipping my foot into something unfamiliar but the fact of the matter was that I wasn't utilizing my passion of art and design. When my house started to become overfilled with Holiday crafts and the endless threats from my better half telling me I needed to stop making so much stuff because 25 totes of decorations was becoming a little much, I turned to Jewelry making. Every time I would pass beads and pendants in a store or local craft sale, I would fall in love; the colors, the imperfections in natural stone beads, the intricate detailing in charms, the tiniest sparkle in a genuine stone. I'd always think to myself how I would love to make a piece of jewelry out of the things I was seeing. But lack of a current social life thrusted me into a future image of me wearing 15 handmade necklaces, a cluster of bangles down my arm, rings on every finger, sitting on the couch, alternatively eating a bag of chips and peanut M&M's because I would never get to show off the beautiful pieces as much as I wanted to.
Insert "Teenie and Teal" idea here. It came to be one day while I was grocery shopping. I gave myself the weekend to think about it and come Monday I was still full speed ahead and completely gung-ho about starting my own Jewelry line. A small investment later, many trips to craft stores, a few cuss words and here we are! I have found so much joy in the pieces that I've designed that it baffles me it took me this long to figure it out. For me, it's not just about sitting down, throwing a few pieces together and calling it good. It's so much more than that. It's going for a drive and seeing all the amazing colors of the trees for my first fall in Wisconsin. Being so inspired that I draw something up, shop for the perfect color mixes, create my piece, taking a step back, and working on it until I feel it's absolute perfection. The satisfaction that each piece instills in me is beyond words. My jewelry may not be for everyone and I may end up find myself sitting on the couch covered in every piece I've ever made but I hope that doesn't end up happening until I'm old and my hands are tired from creating a successful jewelry line that brings people as much happiness wearing it as it has brought me designing it.
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