Meet Kristin Campbell | Creator of Purple Flamingo Creations

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristin Campbell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristin, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have always been the creative type, and somewhat of an entrepreneur. As a child, my art was featured in district art shows. In September of 2001, when I was a sophomore in high school, I made bracelets with American themed phrases on them and sold them to benefit the Red Cross. Creating new things has always been my happy place, but it was the push of family and friends that really encouraged me to start Purple Flamingo Creations. My dad bought me a Cricut for Christmas of 2019, and I started creating things on that, sharing my work on Facebook. Friends and family asked me to make custom creations for them, and started encouraging me to open an Etsy shop. I took the leap and opened COPurpleFlamingo, not sure if I would be successful or not. What started out as a little shop with ten products in 2020 has grown into a shop with over 300 products and 2000 sales. The more I learned about crafting, the happier I felt and so I kept pursuing more avenues to share my art through social media, farmers markets, craft shows, and my Etsy store. While it is technically a “side hustle”, since I am a full time kindergarten teacher as well, it is still extremely fulfilling personally and emotionally to be able to create and put a smile on my customers’ faces.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I create a lot of different things using a few different crafting styles, but I think the creations I am most proud of are my custom logo tumblers for small businesses. They have been one of my best sellers in my Etsy shop. My process involves using a logo from a small business and creating a custom wrap that showcases their brand. I add things like hand drawn elements, a background that matches the vibe of the brand, and any other details the customer requests. Of all the tumblers I create, these are the most fun because I get to dive deep into the brand and research what makes them unique, and then using those details to create something that is as unique as they are. I love scrolling through their social medias and websites to gather clues and then turn those clues into art.

Getting to where I am today professionally has been a long and slow road, which is fine! It has given me time to learn from others, and dip my toe in carefully to new ventures before diving in. I have grown a lot in the four years since I opened my Etsy shop, both as an artist and a small business owner. I follow a lot of fellow small business artists/crafters on social media, and I learn so much from them! Hearing their stories, seeing what they are doing, gives me ideas on how I can better myself.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would definitely go to Snowl at least once during their stay! Not only do they have delicious drinks and desserts but it has some very aesthetic picture taking spots for us to document the fun. We would also go to every farmer’s market we could find, because I personally can’t resist supporting other small businesses.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My late dad, Ray White, is a huge part of the reason that I am where I am today. He always encouraged me, shared my Facebook posts, and celebrated my successes. He is not the only person who supports me, my mom, my husband, my children, and my friends are all major contributors as well, but his passing in October of 2023 really brought to light how his support affected my success. After he was gone, every single success was tinged with a bit of sadness because he was no longer there to shout “Hooray!” or “That’s fantastic!” and cheer me on. Instead of letting that get me down however, I chose to keep making him proud, and keep pushing myself to new heights.

Website: https://copurpleflamingo.etsy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purpleflamingocreations/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/purpleflamingocreations

Other: On Tik Tok as PurpleFlamingoCreations

Email: purpleflamingocreations@gmail.com