Kristina Bilonick sceenprints on new + vintage clothing and makes superneat glass jewelry. Her work is all over the place, in numerous shows and fairs! She's also taken on managing the Ballston Arts + Crafts Market this year! We're glad she is joining us with her screen printed designs and jewelry!

1. What do you make and do you have a website?

I make hand printed apparel and kiln fired jewelry. My designs are a mixture of retro-vintage images and nature silhouettes and I print on a variety of new and vintage clothing. My glass jewelry ranges from kitschy (like my fried egg pendant) to elegant glass dangles in a variety of colors.


you can check out my stuff at www.kristinabilonick.com


2. Why do you make things?


I've been making stuff for as long as I can remember, but I really took the 'leap' a few years ago when I quit my full time job and started depending on my sales for half of my income..then you really are motivated to make and make..but it doesn't feel like work when you're having fun!


3. When did you start making things?

I have a picture of myself at age 8 (before my ears were pierced) wearing some paper clips on my ears with cardboard 'lightning bolts' dangling from them.. and my sister and I used to make toilet paper evening gowns for our barbies..


4. Why buy handmade?

Buying something handmade makes you feel good. You know the money you spend is going directly to the artist, you are getting a one of a kind or limited edition piece that has that handcrafted quality you can't find and stores, and if you're buying something as a gift, you know you're giving an interesting unique piece for the same price or less than something you'd find at the mall.


5. What craft supplies would you take to a deserted island?

hmmm.. how big is my life boat? almost everything I do requires lots of equipment so I'd probably have to invent some kind of new craft when I got there.. sand sculptures and shell jewelry and palm-frond outfits!


6. What crafters or artists do you love?

too many to mention!..there are lots of awesome crafters in dc. I particularly dig Daisy Lacy's screen printed vintage wear, REALM jewelry by Jesse Walker, Dirty Pictures hand printed rock posters and Ben Claasen's bittersweet comics..Lots of cool stuff going on within the Craft Mutiny group too!


7. What new craft/skill do you want to learn?

I'm dying to add airbrush techniques to my printed wearables.. gotta love the oldschool graffiti, and unicorns and stuff..I may be too late to jump on that bandwagon, but I wanna make spacey-landscapes like Bob Ross painting Mars.


8. Tell us something funny about yourself.

uhhh.. I have one eyelash that grows longer than the rest..it's really scary. I think it's precancerous..is that funny or gross?


see you soon! xo, kristina