Meet Catie Curran Crookshank | Jeweler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catie Curran Crookshank and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catie, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
There have been many moments in my life where I doubt myself on if living a creative life is worth it, but I always come back to art. Art is ingrained in an artist DNA. I don’t think they can thrive without it. An artist can leave a creative career but they always find their way back.

I ultimately decided to become a jeweler because creating jewelry speaks so deeply to my soul. It gives me an outlet for creative expression and allows others to express themselves through my art. That is so satisfying.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
brand Catie Curran Designs specializes in handmade jewelry using beetle wings! Yes they are real wings from real beetles! They are the exoskeleton hind wings called elytra of the Green Jewel Beetle native to Thailand. I ethically source mine from a farm so that they are not taken from the environment. This species of beetle lives only 3 to 4 weeks as adults and their entire lifespan is only 2 years, spent mostly as grubs underground.

The amazing iridescnense is all the work of the beetles! I don’t paint, coat, or alter the wings in any way. For some of the jewelry, like the popular Vertex earrings, I cut the wings and set them in resin. I find my process to be very unique and pride myself on my designs.

I have been creating jewelry my entire life so art and jewelry are a part of my soul! If I’m not creating, I feel like something is missing. I have been working with these beetle wings for the past 10 years and I’m still learning new techniques! I just started creating new resin suncatchers last week. I can’t wait to work on my next piece and I always have something new brewing in my brain.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My best friend is an introvert with 5 kids! So it would be somewhere kid friendly with not too many people! Hahah!
She comes for the beach so I love to take her to Isle of Palms. If we didnt have the kids, we would hit up the thrift stores like the good wills in Mount Plesant on the way back.

I love all of the markets that I vend at. My favorite one is the Charleston Pour House night market every month! You get free music, good drinks and such awesome craft vendors!

For kids, going to the Ashley River Park in Dorchester County is a great time too. My little one loves the splash pad and walking the pond paths to look for the alligators.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mom is such a huge support. She stuck by my side when an art degree sounded a bit risky. She’s always told me I could become whoever I wanted to be. I hope to be as support a parent as she is.
My grandmother is also my number one fan! She is always the first one to buy my new designs!

Website: https://Catiecurrandesigns.com

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/catiecurrandesigns

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/catiecurrandesigns