CheapTweet Blog

This week, we talked to Camille Jackson, sole proprietor of Diamonds and Guns by Action Jackson.

Camille is originally from Houston, Texas, but has lived in Austin for five years and proudly deems herself an Austinite. She graduated from UT Austin in May 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in government and Spanish. And though she doesn’t have a degree in design or any of the arts, she’s had the creative juices flowing since she was very young. She’s had a musical instrument in her hands since she was nine. Since graduating, she devoted most of her free time to developing her jewelry business, Diamonds and Guns by Action Jackson, as well as writing and recording music for guitar, bass, and vocals (she hasn’t had the time to master drums quite yet). You can find Camille on her blog, on Twitter and in her Etsy shop.

How did you get started making jewelry?

Fashion and clothing has been a very integral part of my life since I can remember. Growing up, my mom made a lot of my clothes and always took me fabric shopping with her. I distinctly recall having to touch every single piece of fabric that I walked by, from the rich velvety deep blues to the vibrant pink and green Pucci/art deco mod pieces, and always being in awe of the multitude of colors and patterns that were available.

When I was about ten, I took up jewelry-making at the persuasion of some of my friends who were really into it,and after finding I was into it too, I realized they were on to something. My mom, who’s always been a huge supporter of mine and who’s always encouraged me to flex my creative muscles, bought me a case of really nice beads from our local bead shop around that time. I’m sad to say that my time spent making jewelry and beaded crafts for my friends and family didn’t last for too long after that. However, my love for fashion has persisted through the years and at some point in college, I found myself wishing I could make something as beautiful as the pieces on the pages of my favorite fashion mags. What sprouted from that was creating custom hand-painted canvas shoes and bags for my friends and eventually coming full circle to making jewelry again, which in a weird way has been somewhat bittersweet for me. Diamonds and Guns has been growing ever since.

Tell us a little bit about your jewelry.What sorts of pieces do you specialize in?

I love color. I think it stems from all the trips to the fabric store with my mom when I was young. In addition to that, I have an inexplicable fixation with shiny things. So, the colors incorporated in my work really run the gamut and almost every piece of jewelry that is currently available incorporates Swarovski crystals. I primarily use various plastics (cellulose, laser-cut acrylic, and lucite), polymer clay, and aluminum chains for the sole reason that these materials allow for the broadest range of color usage. My absolute favorite pieces to make are my cameo necklaces; there’s a certain sweetness and nostalgia attached to them that I really adore.  Overall, there is definitely a dichotomy within the jewelry I make, which even the company name is representative of: Diamonds and Guns. Diamonds are the finer elements like cameos, Swarovski crystals, chandelier pendants, etc…, while Guns represents the rock and roll elements of pistols, skulls, and thick-linked chains.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Everything around me! I’m constantly thumbing through magazines, whether it’s the newest issue of Lucky or Austin’s very own Rare Magazine, which I always relish picking up with the start of each new month.  I love really classy vintage and retro relics and keepsakes. So everything from Audrey to vintage damask prints to steam punk aesthetics is always sure to be a worthy obsession for me. One of the most important inspirations for me is definitely music, which has always been a huge part of my life. The name, Diamonds and Guns, is also representative of this (you can tell I really thought the name through) as it is the name of a Transplants song. Whenever I’m making new pieces, I always make sure that I have music playing.  I think everything I’ve gained from constantly having music be a part of my life has bled over to what I’m able to do with my jewelry. I hope to someday buy all my favorite albums on vinyl when I have the money to do so. And who knows? Maybe the improvement in the music quality will translate to better jewelry.

How do you market or promote your work?

Ha ha. This is actually something I’ve only recently come around to realizing I need to do more of and with better techniques. On the whole, I’ve really just been trying to brave up to trying new things. I finally started selling in Austin boutiques and stores (you can find some of my work in Parts and Labour on South Congress Ave). I’ve recently signed up for more shows (to sell at) than I’ve done in the past to try and find my perfect niche, which includes Blues on the Green, Austin Roller Derby Tournaments, and Austin Fashion Week.

Someone suggested to me recently that I work more with putting myself out there for the online public community. So, I breathed a new life into my spiderweb-ridden blog last month and have been pouring in the hours on it since. In addition to my blog, I started up a flickr account so that I can provide archive slideshows of older pieces that I’ve sold for all to see. I have also been working to actively keep up with my Twitter and CheapTweet account. I think one of the keys to a successful business, especially in Austin, is word of mouth. With that in mind, I try to wear my pieces as much as possible and pass on to my friends as well as the members of the awesome Etsy Austin team what I’m up to.

How do you use Twitter to help with your jewelry-making and your business?

I make sure I’m on CheapTweet when I make pieces that are real deals and when I have sales going on in my shop. I also try to connect with my friends to let them know what I’m working on and to encourage to pass it on. Like I said before, word of mouth is completely invaluable, especially when it’s via internet, which is arguably the most relevant medium nowadays.

Do you have any tips or advice for someone just getting started selling her/his own work?

Do I ever!  Take the time to ensure the quality and image of not only your work but also the pictures you take, your business cards, and any online promoting you do (blogging, Twitter, Flickr, shop appearance, etc.).

Ask questions. You would be amazed at the plethora of helpful information and resources that are out there for your use and digestion. Several books are available on how to build up a burgeoning business. People who have owned their own business know so much more than you could imagine, and every kernel of knowledge they possess is helpful because hey, they’ve been through what you’re going through! If you’re unsure about a certain direction to take with your pieces/work, ask people their opinions. I always post the newest jewelry I’m working on on Facebook so that everyone I know can leave feedback.

If you want to sell online, do it through Etsy. So many people have found out about my work through Etsy that would have never been able to if I’d originally just started my own website for my work. I’ve even sold jewelry to people in London thanks to the amazing network Etsy provides. On a similar note, if there is an Etsy team or a crafter’s organization near you, join! So much of what I’ve learned and have done has been in huge part thanks to my amazing Etsy Austin team. They are a big reason why my business has been able to grow and why I’ve had the majority of the opportunities I’ve had thus far.