Amber and Brenna of Three Streets

Amber and Brenna are the the business owners, beauties, and brains behind Three Streets. When asked about how how knew each other, it all went back to an incoming freshman pizza party in college. Which makes total sense how it all came full circle with some of the pizza themed products they create out of ceramics - which we are pretty much obsessed with! They had both graduated from school in LA and began their journey with Three Streets shortly after.

Amber: We were both art majors, studied together, and knew we wanted to continue being creative but we were feeling we needed a creative outlet. And we started out wanting to start making chia planters – we started with clay working in Brenna’s backyard.Since I worked at a ceramics studio teaching kids, we had a kiln and a way to fire it and we were just messing around trying to figure this out. Initially we had a friend who was going to join us who is now in Northern California who was going to help fill in the different areas of our shop on Etsy and be able to hold each other accountable in making stuff. Because since after college, we lose that motivation and need that accountability.We started selling at different markets and began finding out what worked and didn’t work and our first big thing was Maker’s Arcade in the Fall when we got to meet so many San Diego makers and got to connect with people and be a part of this great community which has inspired us to keep going, making, and growing! I still feel like we’re in the beginning learning stages of our business.Brenna: We’re starting to do more events, and we saw that if we were going to grow and make any sort of profit off of what we made, it would be at these events. Etsy is great to catalog all of your stuff and see what works, but doing the fairs and talk to the people who are interested in your stuff and have conversations with them about the pieces and imagining in their space is really fun! That’s been our favorite part of making and selling our stuff.It’s fun how at these fairs that people would comment about how happy it makes them to walk by our stuff because our items are a lot brighter and colorful in comparison to other ceramic products. So even if they don’t buy our stuff, it’s great to interact with them and make them happy that way! And at these fairs, we get to talk to these makers and we get inspired that way by being encouraged by their stories and they too have day jobs.

It isn't uncommon coming across artists who have a side hustle alongside a paycheck type of job. But it's always great to see how their day-to-day job does contribute to the creativity of the side hustle we pursue. This is no exception with Three Streets.

A: I work at an artist studio teaching drawing, painting and ceramics. And it’s great that I get inspired by the children I work with and it all feeds into the making of our things.B: I work at Lambs Players Theater in Coronado and do everything you can imagine! From front of house to costume changes!It’s just great to use our passion projects as an outlet to create and do something separate from our day-to-day jobs. And also, the fact that we get to work together adds that social aspect to our side hustle. Because at the end of the day we do need that support system.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id="vc_gid:1475132631111-71c8e40d2de96dca2a2fa38ffe3973e8-3" include="2290,2289,2288,2281,2282,2283"][/vc_column][/vc_row]Ceramics is a whole different ball park. We don't normally get to see or hear about the process of say, a mug or a plate getting made. We just see the object and when we love it and buy it. But Amber and Brenna explain that there is a long process involved that requires a lot of patience. We got down to the nitty gritty of their favorite pieces to make, the history behind the name Three Streets, and the heart behind their hustle.

A: Mugs are some of my favorite things to make. I just love getting the clay ready, throwing, and getting into the flow. Which is really fun especially when you hve a great podcast to listen to and get lost in because you get in this mindset of making and creating and I enjoy that part a lot! Brenna does a lot of the glazing and detail work so it ends up to be a great collaboration. I also enjoy making planters and things for plants because with my lifestyle I always think I need this type of pot for this plant and I end up making a lot of stuff for myself and then for Three Streets.B: A lot of the stuff we make comes from wanting it for ourselves. Like the pizza pins and earrings that we made!Three Streets began with our friend, Mar, in Northern California – and we’ve been talking about starting up a shop and started talking about the streets we grew up on, and once we got Brenna involved we put together the street names which were: Highlands (Amber), Homestead (Mar), and Hilltop (Brenna). It’s really the converging of these three separate areas in California. And originally we were going to use our Etsy shop and label the different shop sections with the street names. So as we would make things, it would be added to our corresponding sreet name so we can hold eachother accountable. Since Mar is sin Norhern Califronia and doesn’t have access to a kiln right now, she’s still a part of Three Streets and will be able to join in later on. So what we ended up doing is combining our sections since what a lot of what we do is collaborative so we don’t necessarily label our products with the street names as far as we are concerned. But we still kept the name Three Streets because now we believe the third street is the customer.It’s really more about friendship and all of us coming together. And if Harry Potter taught us anything, it’s the magic of friendship and the magic of three.B: I tried to make a pizza vase the other day and it pretty much fell apart. And it’s one of those things where you learn as you go.A: With clay it’s such a process because you have to be committed to finishing a piece because you make it, you let it dry, you fire it, then you let it cool, then you glaze it, then fire it. So you have be patient in seeing the end of something and giving the object a chance.B: You also have to be okay with something not working because as soon as you put something in the kiln, you can to a certain extent predict what’s going to come out, but it takes time and sometimes you just never really know because it could crack.A: And whether or not it comes out the way you want, opening the kiln and seeing the product is similar to that feeling of opening a present on Christmas Day where we can finally use this thing!B: It’s that point where it’s finally an object and not in between or in the process. It’s being able to see the final product and knowing that yes you can pour coffee into it now and drink out of it within minutes of taking it out. It’s really just so exciting!A: The process normally takes up to two weeks. And especially with the gold detail, it takes three firings. So we have to be really good at time management and planning things out. We definitely have to think a little far ahead more than we’re used to.B: We started to do a big push for fairs so there’s a ton of hustling involved to get ready for the Fall and Winter fairs. I think it’s so much fun to sell our things at these fairs and in person because we do put so much work in an item. So when we get to see someone excited about it that makes us very excited. Like last winter, there was a platter we made and loved so much that when we started speaking to this woman who did end up buying it, it was like seeing it go off into a good home.A: It’s really a special moment where we get to talk about the process or the making of the item. So being able to be at the fairs and talk about all the work put into it is so fun to share. And that’s what we want!

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid element_width="6" grid_id="vc_gid:1475132631203-95c6b292969472262463a4f46bdb7097-4" include="2279,2287,2282,2283"][/vc_column][/vc_row]Coffee is always better when enjoyed with a friend. And we are lucky enough to have gotten coffee with this quirky dynamic duo - Amber and Brenna! So what happens when you combine besties and beautiful products? Pretty much the brainchild behind Three Streets. From ceramic plates, mugs, and pretty pizza pins - they can make it all. And we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the pizza pin club!Getting to sit down with this dream team made time go by so quickly, we forgot we had an avocado toast and full cup of coffee in front of us. If they taught us anything, it’s to always surround yourself with people who will lift you up and challenge you. That is exactly what Amber and Brenna do for each other in making their business not only a success but a lot of fun! We are so excited for the upcoming fairs they'll be a part of including one this weekend called Maker Faire! For tickets to check out Maker Faire that will have Three Streets alongside other local makers, check them out here!