Christina Leta interview & jewelry giveaway - ends 4/26

'Overgrown' glicee print from Christina Leta

Hey there. How have you been? I am so glad you stopped by! Christina Leta from ChristinaLeta.Etsy.com  has popped over for a chat. Christina makes some lovely art and one of a kind jewelry pieces; click the photo captions for more information on any of her designs featured here. 

Christina specializes in creating custom heirloom jewelry. Clients send her a treasured bauble with whatever info they want to share: perhaps a photo,  a description of "their style", or even a brief history of their special heirloom. This talented lady then then "re-imagines (it) into something you can wear & appreciate in your daily life. "

Sacred Spare Parts Necklace from Christina Leta

Lucky for us, Christina brought along a little something special to share! Her whimsical Sunshine Clock Earrings will be given away to a random ArtSnark reader on April 26th. The random drawing details and a photo of this fun prize are at the bottom of this interview. So without further interruptions let's grab a  chair and cup of your favorite beverage and get to know each other......

Have you always liked making art & jewelry?



CL: I’ve always loved making art. I grew up surrounded by it because my mother is an artist. The funny thing is that I didn’t always like making jewelry & that is the majority of the business that I do. It’s actually a skill I had never even tried until a few years ago. When I first started it was a disaster; I was not thrilled with the craft at all! But something about it obsessed me. I had to keep trying, keep reinventing, repurposing, re-imagining. Eventually I fell in love & here I am today. 

Deco Movement Earrings from Christina Leta

What are your favorite materials to work with? Why?



CL: For jewelry, it’s definitely watch parts. I save every crumb of watch bits because you really never know what you might use them for. I had a “throw away” bin sitting on my worktable for two years, never emptied, & one day I came up with a use for this completely random watch part, so I had to dig through the “throw away” to get them all out. That’s when I learned sometimes it’s okay to kind of compulsively save some things, at least when it comes to watch parts, you just never know! They really do have infinite potential-- and they’re recycled, what more could you ask for in a material?

English Rose Necklace from Christina Leta

What inspires you?



CL: Open-mindedness I suppose, because I never know what will inspire me until I see it ... and then something in my brain clicks. It could be the realization of how something is made, or how some unexpected thing could be repurposed, whatever the end result I always try to look closely & critically at as much as I can — to just absorb as much as possible of that innovation hiding in the mysterious little details of life. 

Do you listen to anything while creating? If so, what are you listening to lately?



CL: Pandora has been a good friend to me. Right now I am obsessed with Massive Attack radio-- it’s the perfect mellow soundtrack for my work with its French & gypsy themes & magical undertones, I love it!

Lucky Penny Earrings from Christina Leta

What is your favorite item in your shop right now?



CL: The Lucky Penny earrings are definitely my favorite. I found the old pennies in a little box of treasures I picked up on one of my many adventures to find supplies to repurpose & I loved the shape & patina of them. I knew they’d make a great component to something. I had been saving the green rhinestone earrings because they were one of my favorite vintage finds. When the two ingredients came together for these earrings it gave new purpose to these beautiful but otherwise unused pieces of history & that’s my goal for each finished piece that I make.

How long have you been selling your creations? 

CL: It’s been a little over two years now, it started just before Christmas of 2011 when I decided to make all of my gifts that year & from there I enjoyed it so much I just never stopped!

My Thoughts Have Chosen To Abandon Ship by Christina Leta

Why did you decide to set up shop at Etsy?



CL: Etsy seemed like an online tool that was easy to use & fun to be a part of. The site really helped me to make an online presence for myself in a way that’s user friendly & not too complicated. 

What are some of your favorite Etsy shops?



CL: Woolandwater & swanbones are two of my top favorite illustration artists shops. Freespiritheidi’s jewelry I really love for its intricacy and mind-blowing creativity. Creaturesfromel is so far my favorite sculpture artist on Etsy. I’m really drawn to a storybook aesthetic, which you will find with each of these shops. I also really appreciate artists with the skill and patience to create things that I simply cannot.

Crescent Necklace (for Francesca) from Christina Leta

What can you tell us about your custom creations?

CL: Custom is by far my favorite kind of project! My friends and customers bring me piles of old & curious odds and ends... and it all has a story! There is always some fascinating origin or sentimental value. Giving objects (with special memories already attached to them) a functional modern purpose is the most rewarding form of repurposing. On top of that it always makes the person it belongs to so happy!

What do you like to do when you are not creating?



CL: Shop! I am an obsessive shopper. If I am not making something then I am probably shopping for things to make something out of. I also really enjoy pizza & movies. And occasional urban exploration: I love abandoned places & it just so happens there’s an entire subculture called urban explorers who love the same thing! It’s sort of a weird hobby I’ve always had. Now I've just happened to discover there was a term for it.

Gypsy Timepiece Necklace from Christina Leta

Christina, thank you visiting with us today! I've enjoyed wandering around your Etsy store and love the shops you recommended - fantastic finds! With your love for historic and interesting items, it is easy to see why the urban exploration would appeal to you. Who knows where the next inspiration will come from?

Readers, thank you for hanging out with us today! Please take a moment to leave a comment. I often receive messages from featured artists on how much they enjoy your feedback. PLUS if you leave your comment in time, you will be entered in the April 26th random drawing for this super cute pair of Sunshine Clock Earrings made by Christina!

Sunshine Clock Earrings from Christina Leta

There are three ways you can enter this random drawing before 1 a.m. (EST) on 4/26:

1) leave a comment on this blog
2) visit Christina's Etsy shop & return here with a link to your favorite item
3) share this interview in your misc social network or blog and return to say you did.

Please be sure to leave an email address if it is not in your blog profile. I will not share this information, but do need to be able to contact you if you are the lucky winner!

This random drawing is open worldwide and prize ships free to winner. I will post the winner here on 4/26.