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Bean, wearing one of her cookie hair clips. |
Tell us a bit
about yourself.
I come from a
family full of artists- all different kinds. I was lucky enough to be born with the same gift. My imagination runs wild and it’s hard
for me to stay focused on one type of art when there is so many to choose from.
I’m a hands-on kind of girl and I don’t mind making a mess (although, I hate
cleaning it up). I was born and
raised on Long Island. There’s
tons of competition here, but I learned that you can’t get discouraged by it
and only learn and grow and become a better artist. I’ve been told that in the art world “everything has been
done” and that as an artist it’s our job to turn it into something
special. I sort of disagree with
this…there are plenty of things that haven’t been done yet…we just aren’t using
our imaginations to their fullest potential. As artists, it’s our jobs to show the world something they
haven’t seen yet and inspire future artists.
When did you
decide to pursue photography professionally?
It’s never
really been a “profession” to me, really.
I started my own business a few years ago, but it’s such a cut-throat
industry that eventually I just found it more fulfilling to just photograph for
myself. There’s just so much you
can do with photography if you’re not afraid of criticism and rejection. However, if you start out shooting for
yourself, you won’t be afraid to stray away from your comfort zone.
What was the
first art medium you worked with?
Probably
something made by Crayola. Does
that count?
How did you come
up with the names for your Etsy stores?
For my vintage
shop, History, I was looking for a way to incorporate “vintage” without being
too literal. RABBITteeeth I
recently confessed to my boyfriend that he was the inspiration behind the
name. Basically, he looks like a
rabbit when he sleeps and I just liked the way it sounded. I added the extra ‘e’ for no special
reason. Finally, I have SugarClips
opening soon, which is my hair accessory shop. I just thought it sounded cute.
![]() |
Strawberry Glazed Donut, $10 at SugarClips. |
When did you
start making hair accessories?
Sometime between
2006-2008. I honestly don’t
remember exactly when, but it was my very first Etsy shop. I sold feathered headbands. I turned it into a print shop, but eventually
closed it due to being too busy with school and work.
What inspires
you?
A good song,
childhood memories, nature, Disney World and Tim Burton.
Out of all of
your art endeavors, which is your favorite?
I guess
photography would have to be my favorite since I’ve been working on my skills
since I was 15.
Where do you get
your design inspiration?
Again I’m going
to have to go with Disney and Tim Burton.
There are just so many elements to both. Disney is extremely whimsical and Burton has a mix of both
whimsy and creepy, which sums up a lot of my work.
![]() |
Sugar Skull, $10 at SugarClips. |
Do you plan
ahead when you’re designing, or are most of your designs sponataneous?
A little bit of
both. For my hair pieces, I could
be out shopping and have something pop into my head and I’ll spend hours
planning it or I will be sitting at my desk kneading clay for however long
until something strikes. When it
comes to my photographs, 99% of the time it’s planned ahead.
Do you prefer
listening to music when working on your pieces? If so, what?
I do prefer it,
but more often than not I’ll find myself working in silence.
What is the next
step for you?
Most likely
getting the hair accessory shop up and running.
What is your
favorite piece(s) that you have in your store(s) right now?
My favorite vintage piece is a piece I just
sold. It’s Betsey Johnson dress
from her 1980’s “Punk Label” collection.
It was one of those Little Black Dresses with a Betsey twist. ![]() |
Bean, wearing the Soft Pretzel clip. |
You can check out Bean's photography at Christina Fiorino Photography and her Etsy stores can be found here: History, SugarClips, and RABBITteeeth.
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