Well, as I write this, it's 44 days until Christmas. It's crazy, isn't it? How time flies this fast, I have no idea. The studio is hopping already! With the addition of a second assistant this year, it feels like Santa's workshop as the three of us zoom around answering customer questions, printing orders, making pieces, and shipping our little hearts out. But I am NOT complaining!! Being able to work for myself is a blessing every single day. Anyhoo, having help this year also meant that I was able to launch several new products in my shop this year, and I'm so grateful that they turned out to be winners. This post is dedicated to these newbies, many of whom are now best sellers in their own right!
One of our new products and big sellers this year has been memorial jewelry, accessories and ornaments. Many of the prototypes you see in our shop were made for friends and family who lost a loved one. I'm always saddened when an order comes through, but I feel better when I ship it out knowing that it will hopefully help someone through a difficult time. See all ornaments - memorial, new baby, newlywed, pet, family, etc. here!
We got wrapped up in wrap bracelets this year big time. Our leather wraps - beaded and bar - are big sellers and a lot of fun to make. They look great on men and women and even teens! We get to do so many different styles of these that it never gets boring!
The leather wraps were such a hit that we immediately branched out into silk ribbon wraps! We carry 16 ribbon colors and some of these suckers sell so fast that they're constantly on re-order, lol. Our most popular colors are Deep Blue Sea, Terracotta Twist, Ocean Waves, Newspaper, and Chocolate Truffle.
At Risky Beads, we're not shy about loving leather. We launched our wide variety of hand stamped leather cuff bracelets last March and never regretted it for a minute. We carry 1/2", 1", and 1 1/2" widths and customizable plates in aluminum, copper and brass. These sold like crazy at Father's Day, so we stocked up like crazy for Christmas!
In the summer of 2013, we were contacted by CaliLiliIndies™ and asked to help design and ultimately produce Cali's new line of pride jewelry! The pieces we designed will actually appear in her upcoming indie film eVe N' god™ as well as being for sale at Risky Beads! Cali's movie and message are about female empowerment, sexuality, and acceptance, so we were definitely on board!
Now don't go thinking that just because we're pro-female around here, that we forget about the men! No way! We launched our Wallet Insert Cards to give people another way to express love, commitment, and anything else on their minds, and they've sold very well! Say whatever you like and give it to that special someone to tuck away in their wallet and peek at it whenever they like. It's a great option for people who don't wear much jewelry. (P.S. We also launched personalized collar stays, a great gift for spouse, dad or boyfriend!)
And, finally, we got a little cuckoo crazy this year and decided to open a second Etsy shop called The Twisted Screw! You can read all about the new shop here and see all the BDSM and fetish jewelry we've made. The shop is doing well, and it's nice to have a home for my more...um...deviant side. LOL.
So, in conclusion, we hope you'll shop with us this Christmas. We promise to answer convos quickly--most folks are amazed at how fast we respond. We take our time with each and every order and are happy to send a gift to someone on your behalf. We'll even include your note! Thanks for reading and happy shopping!
~Lori, Blair, and Shantel
