New Silk Ribbon Wrap Colors from Risky Beads!

Ever since we launched our silk ribbon wrap bracelets last year, they've been a big hit!  We started with 9 colors, moved to 16 and as of today, we're up to 23!  Here's a look at our new chart:

We've added Red Rattlesnake, Wildcat, Zebra-licious, Coconut, Seaweed, Poolside, and Silver Lightning!  These ribbons are available at both Risky Beads and our (naughtier) sister store, The Twisted Screw.  Here's an example of how they look with our copper and aluminum bars:

Create Silk Ribbon Wrap Bracelet in Poolside

Diva Silk Ribbon Wrap in Zebra-licious

More soon...lots of new stuff in the works!!

Lori

MORE New Valentine's Day Gifts from Risky Beads!!

Lest you think we were finished showing off our new designs for V Day in our last post, we're back with even more goodies this week!  It's always fun to design for Valentine's Day each year because it's all about figuring out how to express that warm, squishy feeling you get when you care for someone... hard core... or even just a little.  So let's take another journey down Lover's Lane and see what's on deck!

Let's start with the fun ones... perfect for your BFF, bestie, etc...

You're My Lobster Key Chain

You're the Icing on My Cupcake Key Chain

And then let's move onto the more serious...

Heart Cut Out Anniversary Key Chain

See it as a necklace.

I Love You More//Impossible Set of 2 Bar Key Chains

Skinny Tie Valentine Tie Bar

Personalized His and Hers Key Chain and Necklace Heart Cut Set

See the set as all necklaces.

I Love You More // Impossible Set of 2 Leather Cuffs

Teeny Anniversary Necklace

Save on a Set of 2

You Are My Anchor Key Chain

Hope that gives you some good Cupid inspiration!! 

** View all Valentine's Day posts!
**Visit us at Risky Beads and start browsing!
**If you need something a little more naughty for your valentine, skip on over to our other store, The Twisted Screw!

Our USA order deadline is February 3rd!!

Living on love... Lori

New Valentine's Day Gifts from Risky Beads!

Okay, love birds, time to stop swooning for a moment and concentrate on Valentine's Day because it's less than a month away!! Yikes! Please note our handy count-down clock, too! ------------->
There's no need to go into full-on panic mode, though, because we at Risky Beads have been very, very busy coming up with brand new designs for this year!  Here is a sampling of our latest creativity....

Key chains are one of our very best sellers, so let's start there.  You'll notice that we run the gambit from the silly to the sentimental.

Personalized Infinity Key Chain

Nuts About You with a Squirrel Charm

See our Peanut Version and our aluminum version, too!

Personalized Lesbian Key Chain

(yes, we can make a M/M one also!!)

Your Love Is Out of This World Key Chain

Better Together Key Chain - Personalized

Now let's move on to our Personalized Collar Stays which are selling fast!  They are hand stamped on lightweight aluminum and are a GREAT way to give your man a personal and private message that he can wear all day.  Personalize with your own text.

Tonight...You're Mine Collar Stays

I Love You.  Like Crazy.  Collar Stays

Now, collar stays are kind of tiny and sometimes you need to say 'I Love You' with a lot more words.  Well, we have the answer:  personalized aluminum wallet insert cards.  Some examples....

If You Live to Be 100...

Personalized Quote Wallet Insert Card

We've also been having a lot of fun with our leather wrap bracelets, leather cuff bracelets, and silk ribbon wrap bracelets that we launched less than a year ago.  All have become steady sellers in our shop, and here are some examples of some new designs!

Set of 2 Couples Anniversary Leather Wrap Bracelets

Personalized Anniversary Bracelet - Silk Ribbon Wrap

(Choose from 16 colors!)

The MINE leather cuff bracelet

Well, that's just the tip of the iceberg...but enough for today! We've been developing more new designs this weekend and will have them up next week so stay tuned!  If you need more #valentine right now, here are some options:

** View all Valentine's Day posts!
**Visit us at Risky Beads and start browsing!
**If you need something a little more naughty for your valentine, skip on over to our other store, The Twisted Screw!

Our USA order deadline is February 3rd!!

Doing the Cupid Shuffle, Lori

ETA 1/27/14: See the next V Day post!

Recent Handmade Purchases - What I've Bought Lately!

I am long overdue for another handmade purchase blog post!  The goal of these posts is just to have a little fun!  You get to be nosy and see what I spend my money on, and I get to introduce you to a few Etsy sellers I really like!  So, let's get on with it!!

This year seemed to be a lot about aromatherapy for me.  I go through phases where scents feel very motivating to me.  And when I can combine my aromatherapy fetish with my soap fetish, I'm extremely blissed out.  Topping it off with awesome packaging and I'm likely a lifetime customer, lol!  First up is my Juniper Seed Mercantile purchase:

Juniper Seed Mercantile's Grapefruit Aromatherapy Spray

Juniper Seed Mercantile's Ginger Lime Foaming Hand Soap

My soap fetish was in full swing after this as evidenced by my discovery of Naiad Soap Arts!  The owner, Erin, puts a ton of care into her products and I found a couple of scents that I'd been trying to hunt down for awhile.  One of these is Beach House.  Virtually every Etsy scent and/or soap seller offers a version of a beach scent, but (surprise! surprise!), I'm very peculiar about what I like.  I want something that doesn't overwhelm me with coconut and palm trees, something that feels right in summer or winter.  This is it:

Beach House Sugar Whipped Soap

You can even try out her sugar whipped soaps in smaller batches before investing in a big jar!  I also recommend her key lime & grapefruit combination if you're into soap that smells so juicy, you accidentally eat it in the shower.  It has sugar in it for exfoliating purposes, so it's not a complete caloric mistake, lol.

If you read past posts on what I buy, you'll see that this next seller, Chicks in Hats, is a favorite. This is the second year in a row I've purchased this calendar for my Mom.  She's a complete chicken addict/collector.  Julie, the shop and chicken owner, takes these pictures of her own chicks!  They are beyond adorable.

Chicks in Hats 2014 Calendar

Now, onto some other gifts given this year.  This summer, one of my nieces turned 11!  She's big into swimming and an inspiring kid to be around.  Here's what she got on her special day!

Just Keep Swimming Wooden Block Decor

from BubbleWrapped

Personalized Clutch Purse by Lil Tin Purse

I customized the purse with the quote: "DON'T WISH FOR IT, WORK FOR IT!" and had her first initial, A, as the scrabble tile. She absolutely went BONKERS over it.  

Signage must be on my mind this year!  Because I work from home in my fabulous studio, I get kind of annoyed at the number of people who solicit in our neighborhood.  Every ring of the doorbell is an interruption of my creative spirit, lol!  I bought this sign to help cut down on that.  It's sort of working.  Now, I just get folks who ring the doorbell and then explain to me that they're not actually soliciting whilst they are trying to sell me something.  I think some folks need to review the definition of  'soliciting.'

No Soliciting Wooden Sign by Daisy Patch Primitives

Awhile back, I wrote a post about all the packaging fun we're having in my shop and forgot to include the fabulous washi tape I got from the Sewing Post!  If you decide to enter this shop, you do so at your own risk! It's unbelievably addicting! Washi tape is worse than beads--addiction wise.  You will start putting tape on your tape.

Choose any 10 rolls of Washi Tape 

And finally, the gift I bought for my Dad for his birthday this year (and last year, lol!), Cherry Pie Heart Pops!  They are delicious (he tells me!!).

12 Heart Shaped Pie Pops From Old Time Favorites

Well folks, that's the latest look at where my money goes. I'm happy every time I get to support a handmade micro-business because I know how having a successful shop can truly change your life.  If you've never shopped on Etsy, why not give it a go this year?  You can read these posts for previous purchases!!

Be sure to check out all the new products we launched in 2013 HERE!  And all of our personalized Christmas ornaments HERE.

Talk soon,

Lori

Christmas 2013 - New Products We Launched This Year!

Christmas Snowflake Double Wrap Bracelet

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!

Pet Memorial Christmas Ornament

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!

Personalized Wrap Bracelet for Men or Women

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!

Personalized Longitude Ribbon Wrap

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. 

Personalized Half Inch Leather Cuff Bracelet

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!

 We Don't Fall In Love We Rise™ Spiral Ring

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!

Personalized Wallet Insert Card

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!)

I Belong to Mistress Slave Necklace

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

Risky Beads Expands! Welcome to The Twisted Screw!

Well, boys and girls, madness has officially sunk in at Risky Beads. For a long time, I've wanted to open a sister store where I could explore the more...well...twisted side of my brain, and in October 2013, I did it!

Welcome to.......

The Twisted Screw is a new shop on Etsy dedicated to personalized BDSM and fetish jewelry and anything else naughty we decide to think up.  We've already had a few sales (hooray!) and here's just a sampling of the pieces you'll find there...

We're adding more inventory weekly, and you can see everything HERE.  We hope you'll come by and take a peek and help us spread the word. You can follow the shop on Twitter @TheTwistedScrew.  

The Twisted Screw and our first shop, Risky Beads, are stocked to the hilt for Christmas! Time's a wasting, so start shopping now! Our international order deadline for both shops is Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013.  After that, we'll be taking only U.S. orders for Christmas. 

More news soon.......stay tuned and happy shopping!

~Lori

Risky Beads International Order Deadline for Christmas is Wed., 11/6/13

Dear Santa Key Chain

The Risky Beads international order deadline for Christmas is fast approaching!! (International = all NON-U.S. orders.) Wed., November 6, 2013 is less than a month away. Shop now for affordable personalized and custom gifts for everyone on your list... right down to your pets!  See our Christmas countdown clock right here ----------------------------->

After November 6, 2013, we will only be accepting U.S. orders through the end of the year.

Enjoy FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING on orders of $99 or more for a very limited time using code WORLDFREESHIP at checkout.

So don't end up on the Naughty List, come take a peek at everything Christmas!

~Lori

Risky Beads Announces Partnership with Cali Lili Indies™ to Produce New Pride Jewelry Line

Today is National Coming Out Day and here at Risky Beads, we're proud to announce our partnership with Cali Lili Indies™ to design and produce her new Pride jewelry line!  Cali Lili Indies™ is producing a new indie film that deals with female sexuality, bisexuality, and the struggles to accept oneself. You can see a teaser here:

Cali Lili Indies™ Pictures Words Music In Motion™ presents 

eVe N’ god™ 

this FEMALE is Not Yet RATED™ 

The jewelry we designed will actually be in the final cut of the film!  We started with one of Cali's trademark pieces, an anklet.  It can also be worn as a bracelet and you can choose from this or 16 other colors!

♀ FeMPoWered™ Anklet/Bracelet

And then we followed that up with a triangle coiled earring which can be purchased singly or in a pair...

Triangle Spiral Earring

Next came the spiral ring with an inspirational saying for all women:  

▽ we don't FALL in LOVE we RISE™ △

▽ we don't FALL in LOVE we RISE™ △ Spiral Ring

Our final piece is a key chain...

♀ FeMPoWered™ Aluminum Bar Key Chain

There will be more designs to come!! We're working on two more rings that we hope to have listed by end of day tomorrow!  

Cali... in her own words:

On October 11, 2013, National LGBT Coming Out Day, Cali Lili Indies™ introduces a new avenue in Pride Jewelry worn in the upcoming Indie feature film eVe N' god™ designed for the film.as a "love story in spirals and triangles." Freedom to love is beyond a civil right; it's an individual birth right . When I accepted myself as a Truli*Indie™ film and music maker, I sorted out the challenges by writing my Declaration of IndiePendence™ exploring the relationship between society and the artist; we need each other.

I wear one earring, one anklet, and one spiral ring as expressions of my freedom to love and in recognition that individuals who identify among the many indie variations described as fluid female / bisexual can be especially misunderstood. I offer these pieces in hopes they may spark a conversation about the wide range of the rainbow, the many indie variations of freedom TO love ... because we don't FALL in LOVE we RISE.™

Updates : Cali Lili Indies™ LGBT FeMPoWered™ Civil Rights Indies :

http://calililiindies.tumblr.com/post/62041208097/eve-n-god-tm-this-female-is-not-yet-rated-1

Twitter @CaliLili™

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Cali.Lili.Indies

Tumblr http://calililiindies.tumblr.com

Mailing list: caliliitm@gmail.com   

♥ ♀ ♥ ♀ ♥ ♀ ♥ ♀ ♥ ♀ ♥ ♀ ♥ ♀ ♥ ♀ ♥ ♀ ♥ ♀ ♥                  

Stay tuned for the new rings and have a great Coming Out Day!!

Take care, Lori