Ralph Lauren In Rhinestones

I finally decided to go ahead and bling up those onsies I bought for the celebrity baby shower I'm working on with Celebrity Chitt.  You'll recall in a recent post how I discussed deciding to go with the Ralph Lauren onesies.  Well, two of the three are Ralph Lauren and one is Little Me, which was also a little pricey.  Although I think deciding to go with the higher end brands for this particular event was the right decision, it still took a little courage to apply those rhinestones to such expensive--and let's face it already pretty darn cute--onesies.  But I did it, and here's how they turned out.

Light pink Ralph Lauren onesie with my added bling

Flowered Ralph Lauren onesie with "Baby of Mine"

Little Me onesie--just as cute as the other two, I think. Love the little bow!

Now, all I have to do is finish the headbands and we'll be ready to ship. I really hope the new mommy likes everything! What do y'all think?

New Design Featuring Tulle Circles

You know those nifty little tulle circles people sometimes use for gifts, or to put the rice in at weddings? Well, for months I've been thinking about a way I could incorporate them into a tutu design.  I finally came up with something yesterday. Here it is!

Circle tulle tutu with rhinestone trim

I love this emerald color of rhinestones!

What do you think?  I sewed them on in layers and then hid the stitches--sort of--with rhinestones.  This one is a size newborn and I think it would look so sweet on a little bitty baby with a big flower headband.  The circles come in just about every color and I think I'm going to try making some more tutus with them. I think they could be turned into leaves pretty easily, too, so a flower skirt would be really cute. And just in time for spring! It would look really cute over a more traditional tutu or as an apron.  My new model is a little too wide at the waist for such a little tutu to lay just right, but I thought it would look better on her than on the table.
Speaking of my new wire mannequin friend,  I think she needs a name.  Any suggestions?

Like a Rhinestone Cowgirl!

Every time I say the word "rhinestone" I think of the Glen Campbell song, "Rhinestone Cowboy," and since I live in Texas, I can pull the whole cowgirl thing of, sort of, hence the title of this post.
I was super excited when my giant order of rhinestones arrived this week.  I ordered them about a month ago and was starting to wonder if they would ever arrive.  As soon as I opened the boxes I started to think of all of the great things I can make with them!

I now have over 30 different colors of rhinestones!  Most of them are the crystal ones, which are the most popular, but I also got a ton in some really cool colors.

I really like the red, pink, and blue ones. I think I have 3 or 4 different shades of blue.  And each color has plenty to do several projects with.

I went ahead and got started blingin' it up yesterday by adding my school district's logo to an apron for cafeteria duty. What do you think? Sorry the pic is a little blurry.

Oh, the possibilities! Aprons, t-shirts, dresses, what's next? Wouldn't your child's teacher love a little smock or apron with her school logo or mascot on it?  Maybe "Teachers' Have Class" or "Mrs. Smith Rocks!" something like that (I pretty much refuse to put an apple or  #1 Teacher on anything but that's debatable.)
What about your hair stylist?  Could she use a "Hair Diva" t-shirt? A "My Boss Rule's" t-shirt for the coolest boss you've ever had?  Bling on a bib or a onesie? Just think of all the awesome bling that can be created from this many rhinestones!

So Many T-Shirts, So Little Time

When I first opened my boutique on Etsy, I told my mom--ever the bargain shopper--to be on the look-out for good deals on quality items I could use.  I had her looking for ribbon, beads, headbands, t-shirts, basically anything I could use to create my tutus, hair accessories, dresses, wreaths, and bling t-shirts.  Well, when you ask my mom to shop, you better be prepared to add on an extra room to store everything in.  The box I got today had 20 t-shirts, a ton of ribbon, and some buttons in it.  I offer to pay her back but she always says to just give her stock options once my business goes public.  I always tell her not to hold her breath but I know that's just her way of being involved and helping me to be successful.  If there's one thing my mom is good at, it's finding good deals. If there's a second thing she's good at, it's passing the things she buys on to other people.

This is one shipment of t-shirts from my mother!

People ask me sometimes how I can afford to sell my rhinestone t-shirts at such a low price.  Sometimes they even ask if there is something wrong with the ones I have priced at $10 while other people are selling similar products at twice as much or more.  No, there's nothing wrong with them!  I just don't have to charge as much because I hardly ever buy my own t-shirts.  I charge more for t-shirts I do buy myself, ones with more expensive rhinestone transfers, and the ones I custom design myself. If it's a shirt my mom bought, I usually charge for the cost of the rhinestones, shipping, and just a teeny weeny bit for the time it takes me to apply the transfer.  I don't believe in over charging people just because you think you can or because other people charge more.  I also know some tutu and wreath artisans who pay a lot more for their supplies than I do.  I understand that these people have to charge more for their products to make a profit. Artists who buy their supplies through retail stores, like Michael's or Hobby Lobby are likely going to have to charge more because they are paying more for the items they need to make their products. I buy my supplies wholesale, in bulk, through reputable companies on-line so I get a much better price and I still get a quality product.
If you are looking for specific supplies and you'd like some help finding the best prices, message me and I'll tell you who I use.

I hand placed all of these rhinestones, so this t-shirt costs more than ones that I use pre-set transfers to create.

This t-shirt was a pre-set transfer so the labor cost is minimal!