By Taylor Haggerty

Christina Robbins, a current senior who’s also dual-enrolled at Schoolcraft College, has started up her own jewelry website to sell homemade pieces.

The business has an interesting story behind it: Christina’s mother started making jewelry and teaching her tricks of the trade and Christina continued on with the hobby into high school, where she took the class offered here and learned more complex skills.

“I loved it so much that I went out and bought my own supplies,” said Robbins. She frequented one bead store so often that they later provided her with a job over the summer. While she was making money for that, she was interested in getting a solid income from her pieces.

“I know a lot of people who I have talked with or met sell their stuff on a site called Etsy, but they take a large portion of the profit, so I wanted to make my own website to sell my pieces.”

The biggest dilemma that Robbins had was creating the website itself. While she had pieces to sell, she had to ask a friend to make the website for her. It took a lot longer than she thought it would, and she ended up missing the Christmas market, she said, but she had it up and running in January and it all runs smoothly now.

Christina is currently working as Art teacher Susie Kramer’s assistant in the art room. “I encourage anyone to take jewelry at Central because it is a really fun class and you can make some really unique custom pieces,” said Robbins.

“Art definitely isn’t for the weak; you need to be a strong individual in order to showcase your work…. The greatest feeling in the world is showing your pieces to someone who once told you that you couldn’t do something.”

Christina will be attending Eastern University next year where she will major in Art Education and minor in photography and jewelry. She wants to be a role model for anyone who might want to express their “creative genes.”