Cats, The Crosby Show, Berber rugs, and Texas. What do they have in common? I found them all on Growing designer Christy Cucuro's tumblr. Working from Austin, Texas, the RISD grad makes neon necklaces that combine a childlike fascination with arts 'n' crafts materials and an artist's eye for color.
Christy's inspirations for her Spring/Summer 2012 collection range like all the weird and wonderful stream-of-conscious associations on her blog, combining Mayan salt stones, Native American motifs, and pop culture. But top of her list of materials this year were Perler beads (the little plastic cylinders you ironed into shapes, or chewed on, in art class). Keep scrolling for a picture-by-picture insight into the world of Growing and for Christy's favorite Tumblrs.
Shop all Growing here.
Alice Newell-Hanson: I love your Tumblr! What kind of images inspired you for spring?
Christy Cucuro: Thanks! My Spring/Summer 2012 collection came out of spending a lot of time in nature and a lot of time experimenting with colors and materials. I'm always searching for inspiration and posting photos. Some things I always find inspiring: traditional tribal jewelry, flowers and plants, the Texas landscape, trips to Home Depot, textiles (especially Moroccan boucherouite rugs), museum visits, and my friends' work.
ANH: What are some of your favorite Tumblrs?
http://weirdfriends.tumblr.com/
HTTP://ERMIETUMBLR.TUMBLR.COM/
http://plantsandanimals.tumblr.com/
http://mineralia.tumblr.com/
ANH: When did you begin playing with Perler beads?
CC: I first used Perler beads as a kid. I was always making jewelry for me and my friends. I'd sit in my room for hours and hours, obsessed with my miniature bead loom, making little swatches of colors. My family got some crazy gifts. I think I made a concentric circle rainbow coaster for my mom.
ANH: Cute! What other materials did you use for this collection?
CC: Handmade salt stones, recycled cotton T-shirts, hemp cord, and gold thread.
ANH: And how do you make the stones?
CC: I make them out of salt, mixing in cinnamon, tea leaves, and pepper for varied organic textures and colors. Then they get baked, drilled, sanded, and varnished.
ANH: Can you tell me about your studio? Where is it? What do you get up to?
CC: I share my home studio (in Austin, Texas) with my painter/printmaker husband, but my stuff sort of explodes everywhere and takes over his space. Sometimes I'll have a vision of what I'm going to make, but most of the time my designs come from experimenting. A lot of ideas come at once!
ANH: What's next for Growing?
CC: I'm always looking for new, unexpected materials, but I'm also really interested in updating materials we've all used at one point. Next season, I'm using a lot of the same materials with the addition of some mixed metals, colorful painted wood beads, and possibly some playful items cast in gold. I've moved from a tribal-inspired palette into primary colors (nautical flags, Hudson Bay blankets, and Gee's Bend
Christy's inspirations for her Spring/Summer 2012 collection range like all the weird and wonderful stream-of-conscious associations on her blog, combining Mayan salt stones, Native American motifs, and pop culture. But top of her list of materials this year were Perler beads (the little plastic cylinders you ironed into shapes, or chewed on, in art class). Keep scrolling for a picture-by-picture insight into the world of Growing and for Christy's favorite Tumblrs.
Shop all Growing here.
Alice Newell-Hanson: I love your Tumblr! What kind of images inspired you for spring?
Christy Cucuro: Thanks! My Spring/Summer 2012 collection came out of spending a lot of time in nature and a lot of time experimenting with colors and materials. I'm always searching for inspiration and posting photos. Some things I always find inspiring: traditional tribal jewelry, flowers and plants, the Texas landscape, trips to Home Depot, textiles (especially Moroccan boucherouite rugs), museum visits, and my friends' work.
ANH: What are some of your favorite Tumblrs?
http://weirdfriends.tumblr.com/
HTTP://ERMIETUMBLR.TUMBLR.COM/
http://plantsandanimals.tumblr.com/
http://mineralia.tumblr.com/
ANH: When did you begin playing with Perler beads?
CC: I first used Perler beads as a kid. I was always making jewelry for me and my friends. I'd sit in my room for hours and hours, obsessed with my miniature bead loom, making little swatches of colors. My family got some crazy gifts. I think I made a concentric circle rainbow coaster for my mom.
ANH: Cute! What other materials did you use for this collection?
CC: Handmade salt stones, recycled cotton T-shirts, hemp cord, and gold thread.
ANH: And how do you make the stones?
CC: I make them out of salt, mixing in cinnamon, tea leaves, and pepper for varied organic textures and colors. Then they get baked, drilled, sanded, and varnished.
ANH: Can you tell me about your studio? Where is it? What do you get up to?
CC: I share my home studio (in Austin, Texas) with my painter/printmaker husband, but my stuff sort of explodes everywhere and takes over his space. Sometimes I'll have a vision of what I'm going to make, but most of the time my designs come from experimenting. A lot of ideas come at once!
ANH: What's next for Growing?
CC: I'm always looking for new, unexpected materials, but I'm also really interested in updating materials we've all used at one point. Next season, I'm using a lot of the same materials with the addition of some mixed metals, colorful painted wood beads, and possibly some playful items cast in gold. I've moved from a tribal-inspired palette into primary colors (nautical flags, Hudson Bay blankets, and Gee's Bend