Meet Kristin Hall | Owner of Vintage Alley Designs

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

Hi Kristin, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I love to be creative, and ever since I was a little girl I really enjoyed making jewelry. I am also an entrepreneur at heart and loved the idea of having my own gig. When COVID hit in 2020, and we had to quarantine, I found myself needing an outlet more than ever. So I decided to start a business. The idea of starting my own business excited me for several reasons. It would give me the creative outlet I longed for and it could potentially provide a bit of income for our family. I also had a great desire to bring joy to people during trying times, and I hoped that my jewelry could inspire joy, even if it was in small doses.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When I started Vintage Alley Designs, I was focused on resin jewelry (mostly necklaces). I liked working with this medium and was having fun but in January 2021 I found my passion! I was 9 months pregnant and found myself resting a lot (not something I do well!). I watched many videos on Instagram of artists making polymer clay earrings and I was completely intrigued. I had already worked with clay a bit and enjoyed it, so I decided to invest in a clay stash and some tools and see how it went. I FELL IN LOVE!! Whenever I worked with clay, I was completely inspired and I lost track of time. I had so many ideas floating around in my head of things I wanted to create. I bought a journal and began jotting down all of my ideas. I’m coming up on a year of working with clay and I love it as much today as I did on day one. I think what sets me apart from others is my desire to create something unique, that hasn’t been done a thousand times before. It’s also very important for me to create a product that is well made. I have serious OCD when it comes to creating. Haha! I’ll show something to my husband and tell him “well, this one is going in the trash” He looks at me like I’m crazy, because he doesn’t see any flaws in it. I want to make sure that customers are getting a quality product, that I have really poured my heart and soul in to. I want my jewelry to contribute to the beauty that they already possess! This journey has been a lot of fun, but it hasn’t always been easy! Running a small business is hard work!! The most important thing that I’ve learned in this process is to keep going. Honestly, there have been days when I felt like giving up for various reasons, but I pushed through and kept plugging. I’m so glad I did. It’s been very rewarding and well worth it!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Let me preface by saying that with two little boys, my husband and I are kind of “homebodies”. Some might even call us boring! Haha! There are so many fun things for us to do in the Denver area though. I am a total foodie! So, if my best friend were in town, I would take her to many fantastic restaurants, such as La Loma, White Chocolate Grill, Bad Daddy Burgers. We would go to Pegasus in Castle Rock. The ambiance is great and the food is fantastic. We would also have to check out Scileppi’s for drinks and dessert. It’s an old Catholic church turned restaurant and it’s fantastic. I would take her to Red Rocks Amphitheatre to see a concert. It’s the most beautiful venue I’ve ever been to and it’s a must-see. We would hit up the Ameristar Blackhawk Casino, which is not a far trip from Red Rocks. I love old mountain towns and Blackhawk never disappoints. Though I’m not a huge gambler, I always enjoy going to play around up there for a bit and walk around the town. We would get ice-cream (my favorite treat!) and walk around Washington Park. Ooh, we’d also do an escape room! I recently did one for the first time and had so much fun! To me, having fun has always been more about who I’m with that what we do, so I would just be so happy to spend a week with my bestie, regardless of where we ended up!

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?
Oh, there are so many people I want to give a shoutout to! I have had so much encouragement and support along my journey and couldn’t have done it alone. First and foremost, I give credit to my Savior, Jesus Christ. Truly, I am nothing without Him. He has blessed this little business of mine, and I am so thankful. I also want to give so much credit to my husband, Brad. He has been nothing but supportive of my dream since day one. He does whatever he can to make it so I can focus time and energy on this business. We have two young boys (four and 11 months) and I also have a full time job, in addition to running Vintage Alley Designs. I could not do all of this without his love and support! My parents have been a great support to me as well! My dad has always encouraged following my dreams and starting my own business. He’s been a wonderful sounding board for me during the process. As I began dreaming about starting my business, I found a course designed to help entrepreneurs and I wanted to enroll. My parents generously contributed some money for the course and told me how much they believed in me! To be supported and loved that much means more than they will ever know. This journey has led me to meet some incredible people! I’ve met so many other small business owners who have inspired my path and given me great feedback. I’m so thankful for everyone who has supported and encouraged me along the way!

Website: www.vintagealleydesigns.com

Instagram: @vintagealleydesigns

Facebook: @vintagealleydesigns

Other: You can also find my jewelry in The Emporium Castle Rock, Curate Mercantile in Littleton, Festive Cup Coffee Shop and Boutique in Highlands Ranch and Ella Bliss Beauty Bar locations across Denver. Or feel free to reach out via email! I love hearing from you! Email: info@vintagealleydesigns.com

Image Credits
Jamie Lee Photography (for family picture only)