Sunday, December 2, 2012

Recent Handmade Purchases - Art, Coasters, Kitties, and Vintage Goodies

It's really, really hard to shop for your friends and family on Etsy and not end up buying cool stuff for yourself.  And when I say it's hard, I mean like impossible.  So, as is my long standing tradition on my blog, it's time to get nosy and see what I spent some of my money on...for me!

First up is a new little friend I've been eye-ing for quite a while.  He is so cute and he looks fabulous in my bedroom just smiling at me while I sleep.  I cannot confirm or deny whether it was I who bought the last two cats she had today.  You can torture me...I'll never tell.


Next up is a little vintage decor treat that I found on Cyber Monday on Etsy.  Risky Beads started out as a home for quirky beaded jewelry and though I've moved on to mostly metal stamping, I still have a great fondness for my beading days, not to mention the fact that I still have all the beads!  So, when I found this vintage abacus at a vintage shop called Charlie's Nest , I had to have it! It combines my joy of beading with my joy of running an Etsy shop!  It's going on the wall in my office/studio once the holidays are over and I can actually get to the walls in here.


Moving on, I have yet another fetish that I've probably never divulged on my blog, and I blame this fetish on my mother who convinced me that I would drop dead immediately if I ever sat a glass on a piece of furniture without a coaster!  As a result, coasters play a big part in my comfort zone, and I bought this new set from Nature's Heavenly Art because it combines my coaster fetish with my tree fetish.  And let me tell you something, these things are STURDY.  My eldest cat decided to push two of them onto my hardwood floor the other morning because I was not awake enough for her and they survived without a mark.  That's my kind of coaster.


And now the last purchase for this post is the perfect addition in my new home.  I can't wait to frame it and finally decide where to hang it.  It just makes me so happy every time I look at it!  It's burlap art from My Adobe Cottage.  It is seriously amazing people.  Seriously.


I've made some other purchases (of course), but I don't blog about them until I get them so stay tuned for some more insights into my consumer behavior. :)  You can always read about past purchases anytime! You'll find some great shops that way.  Have a great day!
~Lori

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Gift Cards From Etsy!!


 Did you know that Etsy has gift cards now?  That's right... site wide gift cards that can be purchased and then redeemed at shops that accept Etsy's Direct Checkout.  They can be purchased in the following increments: $25, $50, $100, $250 and can be a physical card or something that you print at home for an instant gift! There's even an option in search to show shops that accept this form of payment! So if you're baffled by what to get someone on your list, give Etsy's gift cards a try.  They will L O V E you for it; trust me!!  For more information, see this post on Etsy's blog.
~Lori

Friday, November 30, 2012

New designs just in time for Christmas

We are busy, busy, busy at Risky Beads right now, so I just wanted to take a moment to share some of our new designs for this season.  Many of them are ready to ship (in a qty of 1).  Here we go:



See all compass designs HERE

(for the Robert Palmer enthusiast, lol)




Female version is HERE.




These are just a few of the new designs, and it's time to get back in the studio to work on Christmas orders.  You can view my entire shop HERE.  And more even more handmade fun, shop everywhere on Etsy.

Until next time-
Lori



Monday, November 12, 2012

Ode to the Band Geeks...

I got so many requests for Weapon of Choice pieces featuring musical instruments that I've developed a bit of a collection.  So, not to toot my own horn (lol) but here they are:







I also have a violin, electric guitar, and microphone.  Any charm can be put on a key chain or a necklace.  
~Lori

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Geeky Gifts for the Nerdy at Heart

It can sometimes be difficult to shop for the intellectually-advanced, so I've tried to design a few pieces to give you some ideas....  Keep in mind that I can switch charms out.  I carry the following geeky charms: microscope, molecule, beaker, glasses, calculator, laptop, medical, graduation, and typewriter







You can view my entire shop here.  More gift ideas coming soon!
~Lori

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Friday, November 9, 2012

All in the Family... Gifts for Those You Love

Today's gift ideas are family-oriented.  Many can be customized as well!  Let's climb the branches of the family tree...

(great for grandma too!)


also available in a key chain

(can be customized for grandpa too!)




There are literally hundreds of items in my shop and please ask if you don't see what you want!
~Lori

Thursday, November 8, 2012

BDSM Inspired gifts...

Sometimes you just want a flavor other than vanilla, you know?  ;-) Here are some designs paying tribute to the kinkier side of the life.  First up, a bestseller:

Also available in copper and nickel silver!

Prefer it as a necklace? Order here.



I have so much fun designing these pieces! If you'd like to see more, click HERE.

More gift ideas soon! 
~Lori

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

New Designs -- You Gotta Have Friends!

Christmas is approaching fast, and Risky Beads has some holiday help this year (yay!) and some new designs perfect for the BFFs in your life.  Many of these are also ready to ship today!  Here we go:






And finally, a best seller...


You can see all friendship inspired designs HERE and stay tuned to this blog for more gift guides for the other special people in your life!  You can view my entire shop HERE.

Happy Shopping,
Lori