Crazy Plates

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Brigita Robinson brings whimsy and joy into everything she makes.

The artist behind the Bull Mountain Farmer’s Market’s Crazy Plates fashions thrift store finds into colorful, one-of-a-kind sculptures that give old pottery new life as birdbaths or pastry plates into funky garden art that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

“For me, what’s really fun, because it’s a hobby, people walk through and look. I love to watch people because they smile. I hate to say it, but I don’t care if they buy one. To me, the joy is seeing that. It’s just eye candy,” she said.

Robinson, who’s always enjoyed crafting, was inspired by similar, but much larger, sculptures she saw while visiting a McMenamin’s restaurant. Those pieces were anchored to the ground with rebar. She loved the look and set out to create something more functional.

She scores thrift stores and flea markets for interesting bowls, plates, and pottery, which she puzzles together to make her crazy plates. 

“I put all my bowls in a stack and all my plates in a stack, then I just go out and play,” the retired teacher said of her crafting time. “It’s just a fun thing to do. Today I sold 13 or 14 of them, and to me, that just brings joy to my heart, not because I made a lot of money but because I get to go home and make more,” she said with a laugh. 

Her best-sellers are Christmas-themed pieces, and gnomes, she said, are gone the moment she puts them out on the table.

“You can use them for desk cadies, serving trays, centerpieces. Anything you can do with them, and they’re just fun,” she said. “They make a really good gift to re-gift. Put cookies or pastries around them and leave it. If the host recipient doesn’t want it, they can do the same and pass it on.”

The only thing they’re not good for: shipping – Robinson’s stacked creations are too fragile for mailing.

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