2025 Wrap Up: Thank You for an Amazing Year!

After the prior year's sales of 2,555 pieces of jewelry, I sat down and came up with what I thought was a pretty ambitious goal for 2025: selling 3,500 pieces of jewelry. I even added a "stretch goal" of 3,650—math that felt satisfying because it averaged out to exactly 10 pieces a day.

Well, the final numbers are in, and I am floored. The grand total is 3,760 pieces sold! However, more than the number of items sold, I’ve been so touched to know all these pieces headed to homes where they’d be worn, gifted and loved. I feel honored to have created dozens of custom pieces, particularly for lesser-known identities within the LGBTQ community. Hearing your stories and seeing how these pieces represent your identities and milestones is the best part of being an indie business. It is exactly what I was looking for when I decided to spend more time “in” the craft again.

Giving Back

This record-breaking year also means we were able to donate more to organizations championing LGBTQIA+ rights, social justice, and environmental causes (see the Giving Back page). I’ll be continuing to support these groups in 2026, and as the business grows, I plan to increase both the amounts and the number of recipients. As a self-described "reluctant capitalist," I believe a successful business should be a tool for good; these contributions are incredibly important to me as a way to help shape a more just and compassionate world.

What You Said in 2025

Your feedback keeps me motivated every single day. Here are a few of my favorite moments from the reviews you left this year:

"OMG!!! This shop checks all the boxes!!!" — Melinda

"As soon as I received this package I knew I needed to leave a five-star review... everything was so beautifully put together and taken care of I have never received something so thought out." — Cheyenne

"Love the colors & design and everyone else seems to too—I literally can't wear them without getting compliments!" — Katie

"Fabulous pair of earrings... the seller created a custom listing for my niche pride flag! She absolutely nailed the colors." — Rae

Phenomenal customer service! ... She was kind and enthusiastic about getting me my perfect earrings from beginning to end." — Lexie

"LOVE THESE EARRINGS!! BUY THEM FOR EVERYONE YOU KNOW." — Alice

Looking Ahead

I had hoped to spend more time this year finding a rhythm that balanced teaching with creating, and while I have “concepts of a plan” about this, mostly I found myself too busy weaving to devote significant time to teaching. 

However, I’m looking forward to actually implementing those concepts this year! Yes, I promise—hold me accountable! I’m excited to introduce more kits and video tutorials. Thanks to my sales this year, I finally updated my camera; my previous one served me well for 13 years, but it was most definitely past its prime.

I'm excited to keep building a creative community with my DIY crafters via my Blue Buddha Boutique shop, even as I continue to grow my own jewelry shop and expand my line to more retail locations.

I’m still soaking in the gratitude for such a whirlwind year. I have a lot of thoughts on the "hard realities" of scaling a craft business like this—and I’ll be sharing those soon for my fellow makers—but for today, I just want to say thank you.

Thank you for supporting a small-scale artisan. Thank you for choosing handmade. And thank you for making 2025 a year that exceeded my wildest "stretch" goals!

Below you can see a few highlights from the 3.6k pieces sold. Here’s to a creative, prolific, and ring-filled 2026. ✨