Claire Oliver

With passion, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit, Brie Durkin forged a channel for her life-long hobbies through BKD Signature, her own start-up crafting business.
“I have been crafting my entire life,” the junior psychology major said. “When I was younger, I didn’t have an outlet, so it hindered my crafting; I didn’t need all that stuff.”
For Durkin, the breakthrough happened last summer when a friend introduced her to Etsy.com, a Web site for crafter enthusiasts to buy and sell handmade creations and the supplies to make them.
Durkin began posting items for sale on the site in March, such as crochet beanies and headbands. She recently added glass pendants backed with Japanese chiyogami paper to her repertoire.
She said she often fills custom orders, as long as the requests are within reason. It is through her projects that crafting becomes especially rewarding, she said.
“I love the concept of handmade,” Durkin said. “Custom orders have their own personality, and when you custom order, you know [the piece] is made with love and personally for you.”
Her customers have been pleased, as well.
“I love how versatile the jewelry is in general, but what I loved most [about her work] was that she was able to custom-make mine,” senior Tess Malone said. “I picked out pictures and printed them on cardstock, and she turned them into fabulous jewelry within a day.”
Even with her more standardized creations, Durkin said that patterns produce different results each time.
A self-described perfectionist, Durkin said she will redo a project several times to perfect it. As a result, Durkin said pricing has been a challenge, especially with today’s market.
“The economy is not exactly working in favor of handmade [crafts],” she said.
Durkin said she has made an effort to balance affordability with labor costs and adjusts her rates according to her customer’s needs.
While the majority of her customers are her friends, classmates and family members, she posts her items on the Etsy.com Web site, as well as on the Facebook fan page she created.
Durkin doesn’t mind this as it has assured her that her creations are appreciated.
“I know that [my work] is going to a good home,” she said.
She hopes to work on expanding her business this summer through participation in craft fairs. She will also contact boutique owners in McMinnville and in her hometown, Carmichael, Calif., about the potential of selling in their stores.
Aside from the possibility of increased sales, Durkin said she is looking forward to the feedback these new opportunities will bring.
“I’ve [already] expanded my skill set,” she said. “I’ve learned how to provide products that customers are interested in and how to present them.”
Above all, Durkin said her customers are her main priority.
“I get joy [from crafting], so it’s more about making sure the customers are satisfied,” she said.
Those who purchase from her have noticed this passion, which is evident in the quality they received.
“Brie loves making this stuff,” Malone said. “It feels cool to support someone doing something they love.”
For more information about BKD Signature, e-mail Durkin at [email protected] or visit her Etsy account at www.beegrl88.etsy.com.