Solo Exhibit & Giveaway: Crazy Fox Studio

Update: Congratulations to Kat (commenter #21), winner of the necklace and Cora (commenter #9), winner of the 25% Discount!! Big thanks to Linda and Crazy Fox Studio!

I first found Crazy Fox Studio 18 months ago for one of our earliest Three Ways exhibits. It’s been marvelous to watch Linda’s designs evolve over time while she remains true to her process of building with pieces of the past. She haunts Canadian flea markets looking for treasures like this Victorian rhinestone belt buckle that she’s repurposed into a romantic necklace.

The first time I saw one of her pocket watch necklaces, I was completely intrigued. This one is filled with bits of ribbon, yarn, and vintage gypsy lace with turquoise glass “eggs” nestled inside. They’re part locket, part scientific specimen, and fully engaging.

I resisted as long as I could, but the lure of this “Inspire” necklace was too strong and I bought it. The skeleton keys give it a delicious weight and jingle while the glass-encased butterfly wing is endlessly fascinating. But it’s the vintage mail box tag that really speaks to me. Whose was it? What letters did they patiently await?

Lately, Linda has begun to create these copper cuffs. A variety of patinas lets the hand hammered detailing of the copper shine. A vintage brass escutcheon (I feel so important when I toss around the word “escutcheon”) is layered on top for a delightful clash of old and new.

Every now and then she’ll surprise you with a bit of original art. This brooch contains a wee hand painted watercolor nest which has been set into a silvertone bezel and sealed with clear resin.

Curator V: You describe your work as “recycling for the heart and soul”. Can you elaborate on what that means to you?

The jewelry we make is from re-purposed vintage pieces that were once loved and cherished by someone. Old skeleton keys, that may have once opened hidden, secret doors…Rhinestone buttons once adorning a bride’s wedding dress…Old pocket watches counting the seconds to a lover’s tryst…

All these pieces have a history. Some of the stories we know, some will always be a mystery and that is what is so exciting to me. We try to find unique vintage items and marry them to other vintage items to create one-of-a-kind pieces. In this day and age, recycling is the way of the future. As well, I really feel we have to take the time to appreciate the quality and workmanship of our ancestors.

Each piece at Crazy Fox is made with heart and soul and will hopefully make the wearer’s heart and soul happy.

Curator V: How did you go from being a graphic designer/illustrator to making jewelry?

Since I was a little girl I always remember drawing and making things, so jumping from design/illustration to jewelry crafting is really not a leap for me. I still work full-time as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. While this is a challenge designing logos, brochures, books, puzzles and games for clients, I was searching for something that would make my heart sing.

While I love designing for clients it never really feels like my own work. When I design any jewelry or accessory for the shop, I design pieces that make me happy and hopefully make others happy as well. I realized this was something that I loved! Family and friends had been telling me for years that I should start selling my jewelry. I’m still trying to balance the two jobs. In the future I hope to make Crazy Fox not only my passion but full time career as well!

Curator V: You just celebrated two years on Etsy…congrats! How have you changed as a seller over that period of time?

When we first started on Etsy, we really did not know if anyone would like our work. Etsy gave us the confidence to start to think bigger. This last holiday season we participated in 3 shows which was a huge step. These shows were really a success, and the feedback was overwhelming. I don’t think we would have taken that leap without being on Etsy first. We had no idea that there would be a market for re-purposed jewelry.

I’ve always been a big believer in following your dreams and listening to your heart. I really feel Etsy supports that. They encourage handmade and helped make handmade “cool.” So, people are coming out of the closets with their cool designs. For us living in a rural area where traditional design ideas are more common, Etsy introduced us to a world where the more creative you are the more sales you make!

Curator V: Could you share a little bit about your creative process? Do you start with a design idea, then find the pieces to make it or does it work the other way around?

The first step in the process is always the treasure hunt! For year and years I have been collecting keys, brooches, buttons, fabric… anything that I thought was beautiful and had a story. I’m always thinking of what items would look great together, the perfect marriage so to speak. It never happens over night, however.

After the gathering I start to make little collections of what looks good and wait for all the elements to come together. Sometimes pieces are made really quickly, other times it takes days or months. I really wait for the piece to tell me it is complete. Once the piece is designed my husband, who is a photographer, takes the photos. I really think the photos are so important on Etsy or any online site. They are what gets the buyer to your shop!

I try to write down where everything came from and always ask the seller if they know any history about the piece I buy. I normally know more about the piece than what I write in the description on Etsy. That is why I encourage everyone to drop a line to the sellers if they want to know more about the piece they are buying.

Curator V: How would you describe the woman you design for?

I think the woman I design for has a sense of romance and mystery to her. She is a little different than everyone else and likes to be able to tell a story about the great piece of jewelry she is wearing. She also realizes the past is so important to who we are in the future. That the things her great-great-grandmother loved are still beautiful today and have a soul and will make your heart happy when wearing them.

Curator V: What can we expect from Crazy Fox Studio in the future?

In the future, there will be more of the same re-purposed jewelry and a lot more copper pieces. My husband does all the soldering and copper work. We don’t have a lot of these bracelets, escutcheons/keyholes in the shop yet, since they sold out over the holidays! The patina on these bracelets is so beautiful and iridescent.

We will always love the hunt and the creative process after the hunt, so who knows what we will dream up…

And right now I’m working on Crazy Fox Papers! I figure I have been designing for clients, so it is now my turn to be my own client. I’m in the process of creating a Woodland line featuring foxes and bear. The line will include cards and articulated paper dolls.

This leads me back to my childhood when I would spend endless hours creating a world with paper dolls.

You can follow Crazy Fox new designs and with what is happening at our blog.

Linda loves a good giveaway so this week there will be TWO winners! First prize will be this “Willow Sage” necklace that combines the green glass and rhinestone filigree setting of a 70 ear old broken bracelet with a vintage skeleton key. A second winner will receive 25% off any single item in Linda’s shop! To enter, visit Crazy Fox Studio then return here and leave a comment with your favorite item. Two winners to be chosen at random next Sunday, January 29th.

(Reading this via a feed? Here’s a direct link to the giveaway so you can enter.)

Tagged as: handmade, jewelry, recycled/upcycled, vintage