2023 Holiday Handmade Local Gift Guide: 33 Gifts by Arkansas Artists and Makers

There’s nothing more special than a handmade gift. At Bang-Up Betty, we’re focused on finding and supporting Arkansas artisans and artists who make art and gifts we truly love. Our jewelry and gift store in downtown North Little Rock showcases unique, unusual and excellent Arkansas-made items that you can bet will bring a surprised smile to your loved ones’ faces this holiday season. Not only is every piece of jewelry (and there are hundreds) made here in Arkansas by us, our storefront is stocked with art, pottery, candles, and more by artists all across the state of Arkansas. Here are 33 of our favorite local Arkansas gifts that you can find at Bang-Up Betty:

These little ceramic vase faces by Hot Springs ceramicist Carla Churchwell are perfect for holding your favorite flowers and come in all colors, sizes and expressions.

Bentonville watercolorist Joseph Buchanan painted these Christmas cards especially for our shop.

Maumelle-based artist Sherry J. Williamson’s handmade ornaments incorporate her paintings with gorgeous glass beads.

Sometimes gorgeously simple isn’t as simple as it seems. These monogram initial necklaces are each made in our studio at Bang-Up Betty from hand-cast bronze and fired in a kiln. Each piece is uniquely handmade. The chain is an elegant paper-clip style chain that’s 14k gold-filled, so it’s hypoallergenic. Chains are 18 inches long, but if you’d prefer a longer necklace you can add an extender here.

Russellville multimedia artist BabyCreep turned her art into wearable, giftable keychains and we’ve got some right here at the shop.

Hot Springs ceramicist Carla Churchwell’s bold use of color and illustration make for perfect pottery gifts, and everyone needs a spoon rest in their kitchen.

Springdale artist Sigrid Lorfing’s gorgeous, colorful paintings are available as prints at Bang-Up Betty.

With the total solar eclipse coming up quick (April 2024!), our Solar Eclipse necklace makes a timely gift. The sterling silver moon swings back and forth over the bronze sun. Find the Solar Eclipse Necklace by Bang-Up Betty in store or online here.

Maumelle-based artist Clever + Tidy makes these perfect little floral Arkansas keychains that we carry at Bang-Up Betty.

Little Rock print maker Bri Peterson created an entire zodiac collection of insect-themed prints for each astrological sign, and we’ve got them all at Bang-Up Betty.

North Little Rock candle maker Dogtown Scents is known for her incredible-smelling candles, and she’s brought us a small batch of wintery candles complete with Arkansas crystals in them.

Bang-Up Betty is known for our snarky sticker collection, and you can find tons of water-bottle-safe options in store or online here. They make great stocking stuffers!

Little Rock artist Kasten Searles created this amazing coloring book featuring the many drag queens of the south, and we’ve got it in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Hot Springs ceramicist Carla Churchwell does it again! We absolutely love her handmade mugs that come in gorgeous colors and prints. Find them in store at Bang-Up Betty.

If you love Russellville artist BabyCreep’s ceramics, you’ll love her printed tea towels that’ll add a pop of color and creep to your kitchen. Find them in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Bang-Up Betty has been stamping custom mantra cuffs longer than anybody in town and offering hilarious and inspirational phrases as well as custom options. Find them online here or in store at Bang-Up Betty.

We love Sherwood-based artist Ashlee Nobel’s (Lee Lee Arts + Design) mystical illustrations and they fly off the shelves here!

Keep Arkansas proud with these handmade ornaments by Fayetteville artist Pyrogenic Arts. Find them in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Maumelle-based Sherry J. Williamson made these clever “Merry Dissentmas” cards as a nod to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and we’ve got them in store at Bang-Up Betty.

If you love Bentonville artist Joseph Buchanan’s watercolor holiday cards, you’ll love his Arkansas matted prints, including scenes of War Eagle Mill, the Old Mill, Argenta and more. They’re available in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Hot Springs artist Carla Churchwell’s ornaments are just as creative as the rest of her pottery! Find her one-of-a-kind ornaments in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Bang-Up Betty’s newest handmade artisan jewelry collection, the Anatomy Collection, is all about the human body and medicine. Check out the entire collection online here or in store. This jewelry would make a great gift for the doctors, nurses and med students in your life.

Speaking of anatomy, North Little Rock artist Chelsea Allen created these clever felted ornaments featuring body parts, mushrooms and more, available in store at Bang-Up Betty.

We love a pretty soap gift! These pride soaps by Maumelle-based Summit Valley Soap smell as good as they look. Find them online here or in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Bang-Up Betty is known for snarky pins, which make great stocking stuffers. You can shop lapel pins online here or in store.

North Little Rock wood artist Paul Milholland of Milwerk Modern makes the grooviest wooden sculptures of birds, cats, whales and more. We think this one would be a great gift for a hogs fan. Find it in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Bang-Up Betty loves to make custom stamped keychains if you have a special word of phrase you’d like to gift to someone, but we also have a ton of already stamped hilarious keychains in store. Find keychains online here.

Arkansas artist Chaotic Creative Co makes these cheerful packs of positivity postcards for folks who love to send hand-written notes. Find them in store at Bang-Up Betty or online here.

Local literature is the best literature! Bang-Up Betty carries a selection of locally written and printed books published by Et Alia Press.

Locally made artisan jewelry makes the perfect gift, and Bang-Up Betty delivers with hundreds of unique designs made by hand in Arkansas. Find these online here or in store.

Little Rock macrame artist Amy Darragh of Creative Cords makes the most beautiful, colorful macrame creations, including these rainbow wall hangings she made especially for us here at Bang-Up Betty.

We love a forest of tiny ceramic Christmas trees! Hot Springs ceramicist Carla Churchwell made a massive forest of these little guys for us so you can build your own tiny forest at home. Find them in store at Bang-Up Betty.

We bet you’ve got someone in your life who loves birds, and our Aviary Collection of bird-inspired artisan jewelry would be the sweetest gift for them! Find the Aviary Collection of bird jewelry online here or in store.

Bang-Up Betty Voted Best Artisan, Best Gift Shop and Best Jeweler by Arkansas Times Readers

Bang-Up Betty’s jewelry store and gift shop is home to artisan handmade jewelry, Arkansas art, locally made pottery, clever and quirky gifts, and a giant inflatable unicorn named Franny.

Thank you for voting Bang-Up Betty BEST ARTISAN, BEST GIFT SHOP and BEST JEWELER in the Arkansas Times Best of Arkansas 2022! I’m so completely stunned. We’ve only been open 10 whole months in our storefront, and it’s such an honor to be called the “best” when I’ve poured my absolute heart and soul into this space to fill it with joy, sass, color, unicorns and surprises in such a short amount of time. Thank you for entrusting me to make special and sentimental pieces for you over the last nine years. Thank you for sharing your stories with me. Thank you for letting me bring strange, unusual and sometimes just plain pretty creations into the world with my hands every single day. Free unicorn hugs at the shop to celebrate!

Bang-Up Betty’s handmade jewelry includes snarky and feminist styles like the “Ask Me What I’m Reading” necklace, “Nevertheless She Persisted” necklace, “I Dissent” RBG necklace, and “I’ll Cut You” butcher knife necklace.

Bang-Up Betty is snarky, meaningful, well-made jewelry made in North Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as feminist pins, stickers and gifts. Since 2013, Bang-Up Betty has been crafting custom and personalized jewelry and other quirky, nerdy and feminist necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Shop Bang-Up Betty’s unique Arkansas-made jewelry through our “jewelry and stickers” tab, where you can also order custom name necklaces, mantra cuff bracelets, stamped key tags and more. Thank you for voting Bang-Up Betty “Best Artisan” for handmade jewelry in the Arkansas Times’ Best of Arkansas nine years in a row!

Visit our new Argenta storefront at 429 Main Street in North Little Rock! We’re located above Ristorante Capeo. Our hours are:

Wednesday - Friday: 11am - 5:30pm

Saturday 11am - 5:00pm

Check back for extended holiday hours.

Thank you for voting Bang-Up Betty best Gift Shop, best Artisan and best Jeweler in the Arkansas Times Best of Arkansas 2022! Visit us at our centrally located storefront at 429 Main Street in Argenta (downtown North Little Rock. We’re only five blocks from downtown Little Rock!

Opening day at Bang-Up Betty’s storefront! Opened in August 2021, our gift shop and jewelry store offers unique hand-crafted jewelry, Arkansas made products, clever gifts, rainbows, unicorns and joy just across the river from downtown Little Rock in the heart of the Argenta Arts District in North Little Rock.

2022 Arkansas Made Mother's Day Gift Guide: 14 Locally Made Gifts Mom Will Love

Mid-mod birds, macramé vases, honeybee necklaces, Arkansas-made bath soaks, gorgeous Arkansas art and more make our 2022 Arkansas-made gift guide.

On the hunt for an original Mother’s Day gift? Make it extra special this year with something colorful, delightful and handmade locally by an Arkansas artisan. These handmade creations by some of our favorite Arkansas artists and makers are sure to bring a smile to the moms in your life. Each of these Arkansas-made gifts can be found in-store at Bang-Up Betty’s handmade jewelry and gift store, located at 429 Main Street in Argenta.

North Little Rock woodworker Paul Milholland’s mid century-modern wooden bird sculptures are impeccably made and delightfully fun to display. These birds are one-of-a-kind, so if you see one you need, hurry in before it flies home with someone else! Available in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Every piece of jewelry at Bang-Up Betty’s Argenta jewelry store and gift shop is made in-house, including the popular One Tough Mother necklace that’s a hit even when it’s not Mother’s Day. Available in store or online.

Bentonville water-colorist Joseph Buchanan shows North Little Rock’s iconic Old Mill a lot of love with this gorgeous matted print of his original painting. You’ll also find scenes of Argenta along with the Old Mill. Available in store.

Hot Springs ceramicist Carla Churchwell’s unique handmade flower pots are one-of-a-kind. We especially love her mandala flower pots that match her mandala ring dishes. Available in store alongside a huge assortment of Carla’s pottery.

Little Rock artist Kristin Sauer designed these Argenta tea towels especially for Bang-Up Betty. This design is also available in store as a print. Tea towels are available in store and online.

A gorgeous faceted drop of citrine is the honey on this bee necklace by Bang-Up Betty. Find this necklace in store and online along with tons of nature-themed jewelry and gifts.

Abbi’s Teas are hand-blended in Little Rock by Abbi Siler, who hand-crafted this custom “Bang-Up Bettea” tea blend exclusively for Bang-Up Betty. It’s an exciting black tea blend with tropical notes and a dash of edible brew shimmer to make your cup sparkle. Find it in store and online.

Hot Springs ceramicist Carla Churchwell’s flower frogs are always a huge hit, and they make especially great Mother’s Day gifts. Place these floral flower frogs on a jar or glass and slide the flower stems through the holes to keep your flowers perky and upright. Available in store.

These luxurious and creative bath soaks come in three cosmic scents and are made in Bentonville by The Bathing Native. Grab them in store or online.

Little Rock macramé artist Amy Darragh (AKA Creative Cords) made these beautiful macramé vases using upcycled mason jars. They’re perfect for holding Mother’s Day flowers, and they’re available in store.

Looking for a Mother’s Day gift that gives back? These “Elect Women” necklaces by Bang-Up Betty give back to Emerge Arkansas, a grassroots organization working to get progressive women elected to office in Arkansas. Available in store or online.

Sherwood-based artist Ashlee Nobel (AKA Lee Lee Arts) created these colorful llama prints based on her original art. They pair well with a “badass mama llama” card. Available in store.

Maumelle-based artist Sherry J. Williamson is known for her dazzling, colorful paintings that utilize meaningful quotes. This greeting card includes a Mr. Rogers quote we think is extra special for Mother’s Day. Available in store.

Bang-Up Betty’s birthstone jewelry is always a big hit at Mother’s Day, especially these customizable Birthstone Cluster necklaces. Available in store and online. Custom birthstone pendants take a few days to make, so it’s smart to order ahead and use code LOCALPICKUP if you’d like to pick it up in store.

The Strong Women Gift Guide: 18 Feminist Gifts For and Featuring Badass Women

“Grown Ass Woman” stamped mantra cuffs, Kamala Harris ornaments and more RBG gifts than you can shake a gavel at make up part of our Strong Women Gift Guide at Bang-Up Betty.

Girl power runs deep at Bang-Up Betty. From our infamous “I’m Speaking” Fly Necklace to our Smash the Patriarchy Lapel Pin, we’re kind of known for making a strong feminist statement. We’re also owned by a strong woman who makes our jewelry by hand and personally selects all the badass feminist gifts for our gift shop and jewelry store in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Here are a few of our favorite gift picks for the strong woman on your list.

Women’s lit is our favorite! This set of no.2 pencils commemorates some of our classic favorite women authors. Each set of pencils comes with the five pencils shown in the photo.

Tell the boneheads to back off with this Don’t Tell Me To Smile Feminist Skull Keychain.

This cute but fierce Ruth Bader Ginsburg oven mitt makes a statement in any kitchen. Get your mitts on it before it sells out again!

These adorable little string dolls fit perfectly on your keys and each have a quote or bit of life history about the person who inspired them. Each string doll keychain comes on an informative card back, too. We’ve got Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Rosa Parks, Medusa and more.

Pick up a tiny feminist hammer and join the cause! These Smash the Patriarchy Lapel Pins are one of our signature designs that never go out of style.

Let this Nevertheless She Persisted Necklace serve as a reminder to persist and resist.

A gift for a goddess! Say it with a mug…This mug is shaped as Philotes, Goddess of friendship, and says to anyone that receives it: “World’s greatest friend!”

Rosa sat so Ruby could walk so Kamala could run. This beautiful print by Arkansas artist Sherry J. Williamson illustrates inspirational quotes from Kamala Harris, Lucille Bridges (mother of Ruby Bridges), and Rosa Parks. It’s available in store at 429 Main Street in Argenta, North Little Rock.

This cute little Ruth Bader Ginsburg paperweight is like a little token of strength and encouragement to keep on your desk.

Think of these hand-stamped custom Mantra Cuff Bracelets as your Wonder Woman cuffs. (Cuffs don't come with super powers, but you do!) These custom cuffs are also available in silver and can be personalized with the phrase or word of your choice.

This Votes for Women puzzle is fun to work and also informational. It’s made up of people who helped pioneer the right to vote for women and it comes with a poster. Puzzle available in store at our Argenta storefront.

People think that Medusa was just a mean old hag that turned men to stone, but really she was a scorned woman and don’t we all want the ability to turn men into rocks? This medusa necklace is from our art history jewelry collection.

We adore women’s lit, and these wooden bookmarks are gorgeous, useful and inspiring gifts. This Zora Neale Hurston bookmark makes our hearts flutter.

“When they go low, we go high.” This gorgeous Michelle Obama magnet will add inspiration to your home.

This RBG handmade ornament is too precious to put away after the holidays end. Keep this cute little Ruth Bader Ginsburg hanging around all year.

These Nasty Woman Statue of Liberty stickers are a Bang-Up Betty original. They’re great for cars, water bottles, laptops and stocking stuffers.

Celebrate our first woman vice president with this Kamala Harris ornament. It’s so cute you’ll want to decorate with it all year long.

“Going high” takes on several meanings in this handmade “Go High” necklace. Inspired by Michelle Obama’s famous words, “When they go low, we go high,” this bronze necklace has the words GO HIGH pressed into a solid bronze mountain range, for when you need some extra motivation to get over the next ridge and revel in your hard work and commitment, or for when you need a beautiful reminder to take the high road and let the bullshit wash under you like water under a bridge instead of splashing around in it.

Bang-Up Betty is snarky, meaningful, well-made jewelry made in North Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as feminist pins, stickers and gifts. Since 2013, Bang-Up Betty has been crafting custom and personalized jewelry and other quirky, nerdy and feminist necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Shop our jewelry alongside unique gifts and local art at our new storefront in the Argenta neighborhood of downtown North Little Rock, Arkansas, located at 429 Main Street.

2021 Arkansas Handmade Gift Guide: 14 Gifts by Arkansas Artists

Necklaces made with Arkansas rice, creepy baby sculptures, ceramic incense houses that puff through their chimneys and wintery candles are just a handful of Arkansas made gifts we love.

There’s nothing more special than a handmade gift, and at Bang-Up Betty’s new gift shop in downtown North Little Rock, we’re focused on showcasing unique, unusual and excellent Arkansas-made items that you can bet will bring a surprised smile to your loved ones’ faces this holiday season. Not only is every piece of jewelry (and there are hundreds) made here in Arkansas by us, our storefront is stocked with art, pottery, candles, and more by artists all across the state of Arkansas. Here are a few of our favorite local gifts that you can find at Bang-Up Betty:

Dogtown Scents candles are made in North Little Rock and smell better than any candles we’ve found at big box stores. We’re big candle snobs, so I was excited to try these out at home and am happy to report that they make our home smell lovely and they really fill up a room. It’s so frustrating when you buy a candle and you can’t even smell it once you burn it, but we were NOT disappointed with these. At $17 they’re a great price, too.

We’re delighted by anything whimsically creepy, and these ceramic baby sculptures get our giggle boxes going. They’re made in Russellville by ceramicist Baby Creep. They’re $20, and I’d love to see you fill a whole wall with them. There is a hole at the back of each so it can hang or sit on a surface.

If you’ve ever driven across the Natural State, you’ve probably laid eyes on a rice field. As the top rice producer in the nation, Arkansas produces more than 9 billion pounds of rice each year - which would explain why rice is an important dinner staple for many Arkansans, especially those experiencing hunger.

This Arkansas Rice Flower Necklace pays homage to Arkansas’s staple crop while giving back to the Arkansas Foodbank, the largest hunger relief organization in the state. The Arkansas pendant, created by North Little Rock jewelry designer Bang-Up Betty, was made by casting real Arkansas rice flowers (from Cornerstone Farm, near Altheimer, AR) in bronze, and it’s also available in sterling silver.

20% of the sales of these necklaces go directly to the Arkansas Foodbank. Each bronze Arkansas Rice Flower Necklace sold raises enough money to fund 58 meals for hungry Arkansans, and each silver necklace funds 67 meals for Arkansans in need. Bronze Arkansas necklaces are $58, and sterling silver ones are $67.

North Little Rock artist Sulac created these original works of art for Bang-Up Betty, and we adore these beautiful painted ladies. Each piece comes framed, so they’re ready to gift. At $50-$80, they’re also affordable original artworks. We have a shelf full of unique original ladies waiting for you in store.

Springdale-based artist Sigrid Lorfing creates astoundingly beautiful, intriguing and colorful works of art, with prints available at Bang-Up Betty. Her work really lights up a room and starts a conversation. Sigrid’s prints are $40 in the shop.

Hot Springs-based ceramicist Carla Churchwell’s playful pottery brings a smile to our faces. These funny face pots serve two purposes: they’re egg separators and they’re also succulent pots that you can water through the mouths. These little cuties are $20 at Bang-Up Betty.

These custom keychains made in North Little Rock by Bang-Up Betty make great stocking stuffers. You can customize them to say a funny inside joke, an inspirational phrase or something else special to you. They’re $22, and make great co-worker gifts too!

North Little Rock artist Miranda Young-Rice makes these gorgeous printed tote bags. Her whimsical animal art is also available as bandanas, prints and cards at Bang-Up Betty. These totes are $25 and available in store.

We love these cat skeleton prints by Sherwood-based artist Lee Lee Arts so much that we asked her to make this design into the label for our Bang-Up Betty-inspired craft brew “Betty’s Ninth Life.” If you missed the beer while it was in circulation, you can grab the original print at our shop. They’re $25.

These completely adorable ceramic houses by Hot Springs artist Carla Churchwell are actually incense holders! You put a cone of incense under the house and it puffs delightful-smelling fragrance out of its chimney. They’re $18 in store.

These greeting cards by Maumelle-based artist Sherry J. Williamson are little works of art so beautiful you’ll want to frame them. At $5 each, you can load up and save them to use all year long.

Speaking of RBG, our I Dissent necklaces are made in North Little Rock and benefit the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers’ scholarship fund. This hand-stamped I DISSENT necklace is like a contemporary dissent collar, nodding to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I’ve paired the stamped bar with a silver-plated gavel charm, because there are many tools for smashing the patriarchy.

We just got these beautiful Argenta prints by Bentonville watercolorist Joseph Buchanan and they're incredibly special, not just because they're gorgeous paintings of my favorite neighborhood, but they're also by my talented, kind, wonderful father-in-law. He's very humble, and I have to brag on him. His work has been featured in national publications, ad campaigns and in his children's wedding invitations. I'm very thrilled to share his work with you at our shop. There are two styles of Argenta prints, and each is $20.

Our shimmering Bang-Up Bet-Tea tea looks as good as it tastes! Bang-Up Betty teamed up with Abbi’s Teas and Things in Little Rock to create this hand-crafted custom loose leaf tea blend exclusive to Bang-Up Betty. It’s an exciting black tea blend with tropical notes and a dash of edible brew shimmer to make your cup sparkle like our jewelry.

What’s in our Bang-Up Bet-Tea blend: black tea, blue cornflowers, passionfruit, mango, cinnamon, papaya, lemongrass, ginger, hibiscus and black brew glitter. Each bag is $14 and brews approximately 12-15 servings.

Bang-Up Betty is snarky, meaningful, well-made jewelry made in North Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as funny and feminist pins, stickers and gifts. Shop our handmade jewelry alongside unique gifts and local art at our new Argenta storefront located at 429 Main Street in North Little Rock above Ristorante Capeo.

These Kid-Friendly and Grown-Ups Virtual Charm Necklace Classes Teach Beginner Jewelry Making in a Creative Way

Running out of crafts to keep the kids entertained and creative while social distancing? This hands-on beginner jewelry class will virtually teach kids how to make charm necklaces, and it’s interactive so they’ll get their questions answered and extra help if they need.

Get crafty and social while maintaining a safe distance during this kid-friendly virtual workshop where we’ll remotely make charm necklaces together. Participants will receive a package in the mail that contains the tools and supplies before this online workshop with jewelry maker Stacey Bowers of Bang-Up Betty. They’ll be sent enough chain to make about 3 necklaces and 3 charms that you can either make separate necklaces with or add multiple charms to one necklace. You’ll be sent a private link to join a Zoom video call where Stacey will walk everyone through how to make these fun necklaces and be ready to answer questions about beginner jewelry making. This workshop is recommended for ages 10 and up. We’ll be using pliers to open and close jump rings, so if you think your little one might need extra help, we recommend being there to lend a hand.

You will be able to customize the color of your necklace’s chain and submit requests for charms. At checkout, you’ll be asked to give us a list of 5-8 things you’re interested in and we’ll do our best to raid the charm stash and send you something that suits your interests.

If you would like to return the tools after class by dropping them off with Bang-Up Betty in Little Rock/North Little Rock or mailing them back, $4 will be refunded to you after we receive the tools.

This class will be held online Saturday, May 23, from 2-3 p.m. Space is limited, and reservations are required. Invite your friends! Reserve your seats by purchasing this listing. Please, no coupon codes for classes. I’m trying to keep the prices on them as low as possible already :-)

To reserve your seat or find out more information, click here.

Are you a grown-up looking for something creative to do and a great way to safely socialize? Check out our grown-ups interactive virtual Naughty Word Necklace workshop.

Get crafty and social while maintaining a safe distance during this virtual Bead ‘n B*tch workshop where we’ll remotely make “Naughty Word Necklaces” together. Participants will receive a package in the mail that contains the tools and supplies before this online workshop with jewelry maker Stacey Bowers of Bang-Up Betty.

Get crafty and social while maintaining a safe distance during this virtual Bead ‘n B*tch workshop where we’ll remotely make “Naughty Word Necklaces” together. Participants will receive a package in the mail that contains the tools and supplies before this online workshop with jewelry maker Stacey Bowers of Bang-Up Betty. They’ll be sent a private link to join a Zoom video call where Stacey will walk everyone through how to make these funny, clever necklaces and be ready to answer questions. You will be able to customize the color of your necklace and the letters you’d like, up to 8 letters, and they don't have to be naughty! Feel free to put your own name or someone else's name or your pet's name or any word you like that's 8 letters or fewer. You’ll be sent enough chain to make a necklace that is up to 20 inches long. If you would like to return the tools after class by dropping them off with Bang-Up Betty in Little Rock/North Little Rock or mailing them back, $5 will be refunded to you after we receive the tools.

This class will be held online Wednesday, May 13, from 6:30-8 p.m. Space is limited, and reservations are required. Invite your friends! To reserve your seat or get more information, click here.

Want to RSVP on Facebook for updates and invite your pals to join you in this virtual jewelry class? Click here.

Interested in participating in a creative workshop in person once everyone is open for business again? “Like” Bang-Up Betty on Facebook for workshop and class announcements. You can also join our Crafty Betties Facebook group to be in the know. In-person crafty workshops are held inside Stifft Station Gifts in Little Rock, Arkansas. If you haven’t heard of it, Stifft Station Gifts is the cutest little gift shop around that is actually deceptively gigantic inside and filled with Arkansas made goods, clever gifts, amazing bath and body products, the entire Bang-Up Betty handmade jewelry collection, and so, so, so, much more. Shop Stifft Station Gifts online!

Interested in participating in a creative workshop in person once everyone is open for business again? “Like” Bang-Up Betty on Facebook for workshop and class announcements. You can also join our Crafty Betties Facebook group to be in the know. This beaded praying mantis workshop is coming up this summer!

Freekend Weekend Pop-Up Brings Together Arkansas Artisans and Food Trucks Aug. 4-5

Hand-Stamped Necklace by artisan jewelry designer Bang-Up Betty, vintage clothing from Crying Weasel Vintage, and handmade leather clutch by O'faolain

It's a TAX Free-kend Weekend Pop-Up Shop at the Moxy Warehouse! Brought to you by the same crew who brought you the Speakeasy Pop-Ups last year! We are excited to come together again and bring you a few new vendors, some of our new goods, AND at TAX FREE prices! Woohoo! 

We will have a preview party Saturday night with complimentary beer so you can sip and shop and we will be there on Sunday as well with a complimentary self-serve (careful now) mimosa bar!

Freekend Weekend Pop-Up brings together Arkansas artisans with Little Rock food trucks for a shopping weekend that coincides with Arkansas's tax holiday

RSVP on Facebook!
 

Vendors List:
AR-T's
Bang-Up Betty
Crying Weasel Vintage
DOWER
Krystal Bijoux Jewelry
O'Faolain

Food Trucks:
Viva Vegan (Saturday Night 6:00pm-10:00pm)
Philly Phresh Water Ice (Sunday 10:00am-2:00pm)

Wanna know more about tax free weekend? 
Learn what it's all about and what items are tax free at: https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/images/uploads/exciseTaxOffice/faqsConsumers.pdf

Handmade leather wallet by Dower, Arkansas t-shirt by AR-T's, Glamfestation brooch by Krystal Bijoux Jewelry

Thanks for Voting Bang-Up Betty Jewelry Best Artisan in Arkansas

Bang-Up Betty jewelry voted best artisan crafter in the Arkansas Times's best of Arkansas

I am so grateful and so humbled that y'all voted Bang-Up Betty jewelry best Arkansas artisan crafter in the Arkansas Times's Best of Arkansas 2018. It's so thrilling and so rewarding to hear from you that this little handmade jewelry business I started five years ago is meaningful to someone other than just me and my mama (who still doesn't approve of my nope middle finger necklace, that's for sure). 

I feel that making jewelry has been a part of my life forever. My sister Amy would take me to the original Argenta Bead Company in North Little Rock (where The House of Art is now), and let me pick out beads and make shiny things, and I felt so loved and encouraged by everyone in that shop, especially Ellie Roy, the owner. I made some TERRIBLE jewelry when I was 12 years old, but they let me try to sell it (no one really bought it), and therefore planted the seeds to Bang-Up Betty a long time ago.

Handmade necklaces by Arkansas artisan jewelry designer Bang-Up Betty. Find the I'll Cut You Necklace, Custom Heart Necklace, Made of Magic Unicorn Necklace, Salty Pretzel Necklace and more in the shop. 

I ended up working at Argenta Bead as one of my first jobs (I've always simultaneously had at least 2 jobs, always, because I'm a workaholic) and learned a lot more about making jewelry. I left for college with an arsenal of beaded necklaces I made myself, and I fit right in at the art studio in school. 

I put jewelry away in college and focused on getting a degree in communications (and minoring in binge drinking). I graduated with a good knowledge of marketing, writing, media, design, Español (my actual minor) and my entrepreneurial spirit intact. I interned at marketing firms, film sets and worked at stationery and invitation companies (hey, Mint Julep Paperie!) out of college, which sparked my first small business, Betty Pearl, hand-drawn greeting cards I printed myself. Like my jewelry, the cards were cute, offensive and salty. That's just what I do. 

Betty Pearl Valentine postcards, the prelude to Bang-Up Betty handmade jewelry 

I sold my stuff on street corners (at craft fairs! got you!!) while simultaneously working as a writer and editor in the Little Rock publishing scene until selling $4 cards ran me ragged and I retired Betty Pearl. Pretty soon after that, I found myself back into beads. Creativity and entrepreneurship needs an outlet. 

I made funny, four-letter-word bracelets for my friends as holiday gifts in 2012, after teaching myself how to stamp and drill copper and brass. When the bracelets were a success, I launched an Etsy site to make some money off my handmade jewelry on the side. It got kind of big kind of fast. 

One of the first Bang-Up Betty jewelry designs, a handmade stamped copper bracelet, called the four-letter-word bracelet. You could order customs! You still can in my brass or silver mantra bracelet. Photo by Arshia Khan. 

In the next couple of years, my handmade jewelry was featured in Bust Magazine, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Bustle, Cosmo UK and more. I created my own website. I expanded the business into wholesale, and now stores across the United States carry Bang-Up Betty jewelry, enamel pins, koozies, shirts and more. Oh yeah, I expanded the products as well. There are now about 100 designs in my repertoire, where I started with about four designs. I did all this while maintaining a thriving career as a nonprofit marketing director.

And when I say "all this," I mean all this. I do 98% of this business by myself. Designing and making the jewelry, marketing retail and wholesale jewelry, maintaining the website, fulfilling orders, photographing products, attending markets and craft shows, planning events, professional development, bookkeeping... that's all me. Shout out to Collin Buchanan and Katie Childs Photo for photography help and Lee Lee Arts + Design for graphic design help. 

Anyway, I've derailed from thanking you for voting Bang-Up Betty jewelry best artisan (for the fourth time!!). I guess I just wanted to share a little bit behind why this makes me feel so special. It's a lot of work (see above paragraph) to start, manage and expand your own business, especially if you yourself MAKE nearly every single thing that you sell. And it can be really scary to put your art out there, especially if it tends to lean one way politically and you live in a state that trends the opposite way. Sometimes my hands hurt, but my heart is always full. Thank you. 

Handmade jewelry artisan Stacey Bowers (AKA Bang-Up Betty) in her studio in North Little Rock, Arkansas, with her popular Smash the Patriarchy hammer. Photo by Katie Childs. I'm talking about myself in the third person. This is weird. But, you know, captions.