Today we’d like to introduce you to Debbie, Kate and Cai.
Hi Debbie, Kate and Cai, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It all started with three girls with the lifelong obsession to craft and hoard supplies. We are Debbie, Kate, and Cai of BoneKitten Boutique! At the beginning of the pandemic, we started making masks for our friends, family and coworkers at the height of the mask shortage in 2020. We broke out the sewing machine and fell in love once again with the art of sewing. We then started branching out in minor clothing alterations and more sewn accessories like scrunchies, headbands, etc. Though we are indeed lifelong crafters, our attention spans are quite short and we all have aggressively diverse aesthetics for our styles. This caused *The Expansion* in fall of 2020, we were so excited and had so much time on our hands at home we started making clay jewelry and accessories. With everything from witchy vibes, bohemian chic accessories to kawaii cute crafts, we started making a little bit of everything. With this expansion and new products, we had way too much for ourselves so the only reasonable thing to do was to start selling our wares. With this in mind, BoneKitten was officially born!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There were many hardships along the road in the formation and continuation of BoneKitten. Since we were a business born in the middle of a global pandemic, it was hard to connect to our community while locked at home. We started to sell our wares at local vendor fairs, one of our only options since opening a business in quarantine isn’t exactly ideal. Also, we all have full-time jobs and are very much hobbyists. One of our leading ladies, Kate, is a full-time Manager and a full-time student at Texas Tech. This in itself is challenging, but throwing a business into the mix really becomes a juggling act. Debbie has a variety of side projects on top of her job and spends “free time” as a podcast host (of Know Waco & The Poltergals). Cai works full-time as a cake decorator and uses her amazing detailing skill in and out of the kitchen. Balancing three schedules and a growing business has its ups and downs but this is a passion project for us all. We all wear multiple hats and just try to have fun- no matter what happens! This is why our motto is “Here for a good time“ and we live by those words.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We are known for our handmade artisan jewelry and goods, made in the heart of Central Texas, Waco. We specialize in custom clothing — mostly upcycled wares — polymer clay jewelry, and wearable accessories like scrunchies and fashion masks. We love anything Kawaii, Anime-themed, gothic, or bohemian and our overall style is being cute~but with edge! We pride ourselves as a small women-owned business that makes unique and distinctive pieces that express bold style and originality. We cater to the adventurous and free-spirited and think our brand has a little something for everyone in our community.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Taking risks is what really turned our passion into some semblance of a “business “. We consider ourselves as artists and creatives first and foremost, so with that comes the fear of putting yourself out there into the community. Each individual piece we make has a tiny piece of heart in it so it makes the process more vulnerable. Specifically, in the vendor and crafter community, you get to make so many interpersonal relationships with other vendors and the community your goods really tell a lot about you as a person.
We took a huge leap back in July and rented out a spot in a local downtown boutique (Black Daisy Boutique) to help get our name and brand out into the community. Black Daisy has cultivated such an amazing atmosphere in the shop with over 32 locally-owned women-owned vendors and we are so proud to have made the roaster. So far, we really haven’t really made our money back or have become famous *yet* but we really have loved the opportunity to be more visible and accessible in our community. We really feel like by being involved with our community and taking risks are the only way we flourish and move forward.
Pricing:
- Earrings $10-$25
- Custom shirts $10-$25
- Scrunchies & Masks $5
- Keychains and small accessories $5-$10
Contact Info:
- Email: bonekittenboutique@gmail.com
- Website: https://bonekittenboutique.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/bonekittenboutique
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/bonekittenboutique
- Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeButC8h/
