We like our arm candy a little on the chunky side – heavy bronze bracelets, over-sized cuffs, resin bangles – we love them all, piled high. Tiro Tiro by Teresa Robinson makes a few of our favorite bronze pieces, like this Aureus bangle and Clarus bracelet, both gorgeous enough to stand on their own, but even better when mixed with multiple styles.
Teresa fell in love with her craft during a six month stint in Mexico, metal-smithing her way through a jewelry class during a semester abroad. You can feel a touch of that influence in her pieces which have both ancient native and modern urban qualities, as seen in her chunky Polis necklace pictured under construction above.
We asked Teresa to let us in to her Tiro Tiro studio and found just what we’d hoped in a Portland, Oregon studio: workbenches full of interesting tools, a cow hide rug, chickens and tons of natural light. Take a peek with us and then shop Tiro Tiro’s enduring pieces here.
Name:
Teresa Robinson, Tiro Tiro.
Daily necessity:
Green smoothie, coffee, fizzy water. Oops, that’s three!
To get the creative juices flowing I…
Space out, then just get to making. I’m definitely a ‘think with my hands’ kind of person.
Favorite object on my desk:
A teeny, tiny figurine of a white bunny wearing gold pants.
Favorite morning of the week:
Sunday, because it’s the slowest/laziest.
At 10:00 a.m. I am usually:
Finishing up breakfast and hurrying out to open the studio before one of my two rad studio assistants gets to work. My workspace is in my converted garage, so it’s a super quick commute.
My favorite current project is:
This year is all about collaborations with other makers, more one-of-a-kind work, and limited editions for some of my favorite shops.
My favorites workbooks/paper goods:
I like a nice Rhodia pad
, anything with a grid, really. I always need to have a nice notebook for the myriad of to-do lists. I’ve tried doing them on the computer, but nothing is better than writing something down and getting to cross it off the list.
Soundtrack in the studio:
Bat for Lashes, The Cave Singers, Lovers, The National, and soooo many hours of This American Life.
Most common visitors:
Lately, one or all of my four chickens peeking in from the backyard…
The snack we always keep on hand:
Seaweed snacks!
Easiest way to brighten up the space is:
In an often-messy production space, just sweeping the floor can make a world of difference! Fire in the wood stove in the winter, all the doors and windows open in the summer time…
Favorite way to spend the lunch hour:
Sadly, I usually spend my lunch hour at my desk, Internetting.
Favorite design neighbors:
I am lucky to live in a town with an amazing community of other makers and designers, and luckier still to call some of them dear friends. Here are a few of my favorites in Portland: Betsy & Iya Better Late Than Never, Caravan Pacific, Pigeon Toe, Sarah Barner, Takara, xobruno.
My necessary extravagance is:
Going out to dinner. I love good food, and there are few greater pleasures in life than sharing an amazing meal with a good friend.
My top distraction is:
Instagram. I’m definitely a little addicted to it.
Books always in studio:
Jewelry design and reference books, no surprise there!
Organizational item I can’t live without:
I just got a large whiteboard for the studio and completely dorked out over a color-coded system for our inventory and production line up. There’s a whole grid thing, and neon magnets… I think it’s going to change my whole life.
