2023 Arkansas Made Mother's Day Gift Guide: 21 Gifts by Arkansas Artists

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.

Spring never ends when you're wearing this cast bronze or sterling silver handmade daffodil necklace or earrings. These necklaces and earrings were designed using the texture of actual petals during the casting process. Atop each flower is a bead of yellow jade to echo the sunshine color of living daffodils. Find the Daffodil Necklace and matching earrings by Bang-Up Betty online here or at our jewelry and gift shop at 429 Main Street in Argenta.

The queen bee deserves a beautiful handmade, framed bee by Little Rock artist Studio Dust Co. Available in store at Bang-Up Betty.

If mom loves to knit or crochet, she’ll adore this handmade yarn bowl or ceramic thimble vase by Fayetteville, Arkansas artist Pyrogenic Arts.

This gorgeous watercolor print of the Old Mill in North Little Rock is a little piece of spring you can keep on your wall year round. Find these prints and many more Arkansas scenes by Bentonville artist Joseph Buchanan in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Sometimes gorgeously simple isn’t as simple as it seems. These monogram initial necklaces are each made 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. Find these Monogram Initial Hexagon Paperclip Chain necklaces online here or in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Meow! These incredible wooden cats by North Little Rock artist Paul Milholland have moveable heads so you can position the cat looking at different angles. Find these sculptures in store at Bang-Up Betty.

We love flowers that never die! these gorgeous ceramic floral ring dishes by Hot Springs artist Carla Churchwell are available in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Moms and birds go together like birds of a feather. If you’re mom is into birdwatching, be sure to check out our new collection of bird jewelry called the Aviary Collection by Bang-Up Betty. Find it online here or at our store in North Little Rock.

Let mom know how loved she is by so many with this handmade print by North Little Rock artist Chelsea Allen. Prints available in many styles and colors in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Mom’s morning coffee routine needs an upgrade. These gorgeous handmade mugs by Hot Springs artist Carla Churchwell come in loads of different styles and are available in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Birthstones are beautiful and meaningful, and if you order one of Bang-Up Betty’s birthstone cluster or strand necklaces in advance we can customize the stones you’d like, so you can mix and match your family’s birthstones. Birthstone necklaces by month are available in store or online here.

Tell mom how much she means to you with a handmade card. These colorful and meaningful greeting cards by Maumelle artist Sherry J. Williamson are available in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Have I mentioned how much we love birds? These wire-wrapped bird nest necklaces are available in silver and gold and also with your choice of white or blue pearl eggs. Bird nest necklaces are available in store at Bang-Up Betty or online here.

Elevate the art situation in mom’s house with a stylish triptych of prints by Little Rock artist Banimilk. Find these prints and much more of her work in store at Bang-Up Betty.

What do you get the mom who has everything, including anxiety and too much on her to-do list? A ceramic worry wart by Hot Springs artist Carla Churchwell. You tell it your worries so you can set them free. Find a huge selection of Carla’s worry warts in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Let mom know she is a rainbow with one of these gorgeous handmade macrame wall hangings by Little Rock artist Amy Darragh of Creative Cords. These rainbow macrame hangings are available in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Does mom have a generous spirit? Then she’d probably love one of these “shine” necklaces by Bang-Up Betty that benefits Methodist Family Health in Little Rock. Find them in store or online here.

Show mom you love her with a little handmade wooden ring dish created by North Little Rock artist Paul Milholland. Find these gorgeous hearts in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Make mom’s kitchen so much cuter with a one-of-a-kind handmade ceramic spoon rest by Hot Springs artist Carla Churchwell. Find a huge selection of Carla’s spoon rests at Bang-Up Betty.

If mom is into horoscopes, she’ll love one of these gorgeous, colorful hand-printed works of art by Little Rock artist Bri Peterson. We’ve got the entire collection of zodiac prints in store at Bang-Up Betty.

These beautiful handmade flower vases by Hot Springs artist Carla Churchwell are the perfect way for mom to bring what she’s growing in her garden indoors to enjoy. Find a wide selection of Carla’s vases in store at Bang-Up Betty.

Bang-Up Betty is snarky, meaningful, well-made jewelry made in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Shop our handmade artisan jewelry alongside clever gifts and local art and crafts at our Argenta storefront located at 429 Main Street in North Little Rock above Ristorante Capeo.

Simple, Elegant Birthstone Jewelry, Just In Time For Mother's Day and Wedding Season

Simple, elegant birthstone strand necklaces and earrings make perfect Mother’s Day, birthday and bridesmaid gifts this spring. You can even select your own stones to create a custom multi-stone birthstone strand necklace.

For more than a century, birthstones have been a delightful way to celebrate your children, loved ones and yourself in a simple, gorgeous, meaningful way. To me, birthstones are a language for people who know birthstones, much like folks who are really into astrology sort of have their own language. This proud Virgo has always adored her birthstone—sapphire. But I notice immediately when I meet a person wearing other birthstone jewelry. I can see right away that someone very dear to them is an August baby. Or maybe their sweet grandmother left them her collection of amethyst jewelry because they shared a February birth month, much like my incredible grandmother gave me her September gemstones because she adored that we shared a birth month. I like to guess which precious person their birthstones represent, and if I’m lucky, they’ll share the story.

Last year I created a collection of birthstone jewelry that is still very dear to my heart, especially because I originally created it to give to my bridesmaids, mother, mother-in-law and my honorary bridesmaids at my wedding (See all of my handmade and heirloom wedding jewelry here!). This spring I added to it with a line of necklaces and earrings that are simple, elegant, straightforward pieces the layer well when you’ve already got a special necklace you wear all the time or you just can’t pick one necklace to wear. My Birthstone Cluster Strands represent all of the colors of the year and come on individual card backs that explain just what they mean and why these stones are important. Their matching earrings are just as elegant and versatile and also pair perfectly with my original Birthstone Cluster Necklaces, which feature pendants made of birthstones.

Below is a sample of the many birthstones and styles available now. To view the full collection of Birthstone Cluster Necklaces, Birthstone Cluster Strands, and Birthstone Cluster earrings, click here.

Faceted sapphire stones represent September’s birthstone in our simple, elegant birthstone jewelry collection that’s perfect for layering. Find the matching faceted sapphire earrings here.

The January birthstone, garnet, with its rich crimson hue, is particularly luxurious and elegant. Garnet is named for the latin word for pomegranate because of its luscious color. Garnet is associated with creativity, purification, love, strength and protection. Find our January Birthstone Jewelry here. Photo by Collin Buchanan.

The May birthstone, emerald, with its rich green hue, is particularly exciting and energizing. Emerald is associated with love, domestic bliss, friendship and positive actions. Find our May Birthstone Jewelry here.

September and August birthstones shine in the light on these birthstone cluster earrings. The August birthstone, peridot, with its otherworldly green hue, evokes magic and mystery. Peridot, a form of olivine, is associated with protection, happiness, well-being and transformation. The September birthstone, sapphire, with its deep blue hue, is rare, cool and dreamy. Sapphire, a variety of corundum, is associated with wisdom, spirituality and kindness. Find our September and August birthstone jewelry here. Photo by Collin Buchanan.

Choose your stones to create your own custom multi-stone birthstone necklace and represent everyone in your brood.

Our original Birthstone Cluster Necklaces feature birthstones set into cluster pendants and are customizable with stamped discs that fit up to three letters. Monograms, the word “mom” and a heart shape fit perfectly. Photo by Collin Buchanan.

The November birthstone, citrine, with its amber hue, is particularly warm and inviting. Citrine, a variety of quartz, is associated with clarity, energy, creativity and imagination. Each birthstone necklace comes on a card back that explains the stone’s significance. Find our birthstone jewelry here.

Hammered in Arkansas: A Jewelry Maker's Best Moments of 2018

Bang-Up Betty has been stamping handmade jewelry in Arkansas since 2013. Celebrating a 5th anniversary, seeing Julianne Moore wear my jewelry and supporting great charitable causes were among some of the highlights of this Arkansas jewelry maker’s 2018.

Looking back on the year, especially as all my friends are sharing their “best nine” Instagram posts, I always like to pick and choose my personal “best nine” since photo “likes” sometimes don’t do the right things justice (but are always appreciated and welcome!). 2018 was a banner year at Bang-Up Betty. I celebrated some huge milestones, saw celebrities wear my jewelry, got to raise money for several local causes that are close to my heart, and was recognized in some really amazing ways.

Thank you so much to everyone who brought a piece of Bang-Up Betty handmade jewelry into their lives or gave it to a loved one this year. Thank you to everyone who came to see me at pop-up craft shows and events. Thank you to everyone who shared social media posts and told pals about my jewelry. Thank you to my stockists across the country who brought my jewelry to their cities. Every year I do this is more magical than the last. Every morning I wake up grateful and astounded at the support my home state of Arkansas has given me. Thank you, thank you, thank you again.

Now, for the countdown…

Janelle Monae wore my I Believe in Science pin along with many other makers’ enamel pins during her Today Show performance.

1.) Janelle Monae wore my pin. The Janelle Monae. She wore my pin. My I Believe in Science enamel pin. She wore it in an assortment of feminist and activist pins on her Today Show appearance. I am still in recovery.

That’s my I Believe in Science enamel pin on the right. On Janelle Monae’s outfit for her Today Show appearance.

At some point in time I packaged that I Believe in Science pin with my own hands and sent it off and it landed on the lapel of THE. JANELLE. MONAE. I am breathless.

Bang-Up Betty has been making artisan jewelry in Arkansas since 2013 and celebrated five years in 2018 with a pop-up in Little Rock.

2.) I had my 5th anniversary. In April of 2018 I celebrated five whole years of making jewelry in Little Rock, Arkansas, and threw a big party complete with this confetti cake that WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL CAKE I MADE. I made a unicorn-shaped cake for the occasion and Betty the cat ATE IT when I wasn’t looking the night before the party. He is a savage.

Betty the cat perches in the Bang-Up Betty handmade jewelry studio. His name and personality inspired the name of the business, and he is a small internet celebrity. Follow him on Instagram at @bettyisaboy.

3.) Betty the cat made the evening news. Anytime I can get Betty the cat in a magazine or on the tv is the best time of my life. In 2018, KARK stopped by my jewelry studio and fell in love with Betty. I think he got more air time than I did and I have no complaints.

Only in Arkansas: Bang-up Betty's creations are not the usual jewelry items.

Arkansas bride: My gleeful expression after saying my vows (that I wrote!) at the Edgemont House in North Little Rock, Arkansas, in September. Photo by Katie Childs.

4.) I got married! This is really number one on the list BUT THE LIST IS OUT OF ORDER. Collin, don’t get mad.

In September 2018, I got hitched to a very wonderful, supportive, encouraging, hilarious, handsome, incredible guy who was totally fine with us having a weird wedding. It was the most fun day of my life and we’ve been keeping the party going ever since we said “I do.” You really can’t stop the party once you buy a six-foot inflatable dancing man for your wedding and can’t return it.

The inflatable dancing man at our wedding at the Edgemont House in North Little Rock, Arkansas, may have been more of a hit than the bride and groom were. Photo by Katie Childs.

Read all about our wedding in this blog post I wrote about how crafty I was and how ridiculous our decor was.

Julianne Moore wears a One Tough Mother Necklace by Bang-Up Betty at a Moms Demand Action conference.

5.) Julianne Moore wore my One Tough Mother necklace AND I raised close to $600 for this incredible charity that’s so close to my heart. I had no idea that when one of the loveliest women I know bought a necklace from me, she meant to bring it to the Moms Demand Action conference and give it to Julianne Moore. Julianne Moore then wore it in a PSA for the organization that encouraged people to vote!

Arkansas jewelry designer Bang-Up Betty’s “Stay Gold” collection is inspired by the Golden Girls and features vintage and limited edition pieces. Plus those big Miami colors!

6.) I made a jewelry collection inspired by The Golden Girls. I had so much fun designing this collection of vintage-inspired jewelry that my husband then photographed for me on our Lanai. Hahahaha. I’m a Dorothy at heart, but the necklace in the image above was inspired by Blanche.

See more of the Stay Gold collection and read more about what inspired it here!

Bang-Up Betty was voted Best Artisan for the fourth year in a row in the Arkansas Times’s Best of Arkansas for jewelry design.

7.) Y’all voted me Best Artisan in the Arkansas Times’s Best of Arkansas issue! For the fourth year in a row! I am so incredibly grateful for the support my fellow Arkansans have given me over the years. Thank you for giving me the courage to keep making jewelry and putting myself out there.

You also voted my jewelry best in Arkansas Handmade Products in AY Magazine’s Best. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Bang-Up Betty jewelry was voted best in Arkansas Handmade Products by AY Magazine readers.

Bang-Up Betty’s Love is Queer Bracelet 100% benefits Lucie’s Place, a shelter for homeless LGBT in Little Rock, Arkansas.

8.) I got to support Lucie’s Place by making things. Earlier this year, I dedicated this Love is Queer bracelet to Lucie’s Place, donating 100% of the profits to the nonprofit organization that provides shelter for homeless LGBT in Arkansas. I love being able to use my craft to raise money for progressive nonprofits in the state of Arkansas and across the country.

My new Birthstone Cluster Collection features rough, raw and natural gemstones and is inspired by nature. Photo by Collin Buchanan.

9.) I released the Birthstone Cluster Collection, which is inspired by nature and features raw, rough-cut and natural gemstones to celebrate the wearer. Happy birthday to you! These necklaces are by far my favorite things to make right now and can be personalized. Grab your custom birthstone necklace, or maybe one celebrating your child or another loved one!

What a Jewelry Designer Wears to Her Wedding

Your wedding jewelry should be as magical to you as your wedding day. Especially when you’re a jewelry designer.

Full disclosure: I bought my wedding dress on a Dillard’s pink tag sale rack for less than $100. And I made my jewelry. That’s about as handmade as my wedding got, though. I don’t know how my discount dress ties into that, I’m just really proud of that deal I got.

My jewelry was literally the last thing that was ready for the wedding. I made my necklace that same morning. Like, four hours before the ceremony. Not because I wasn’t worried about it, but because I wanted it to be so perfect.

I wanted to wear something of my Grandmother’s, and I chose a little amethyst, gold and diamond charm of hers that I love so much. It was on a very worn, lackluster box chain, and that just wouldn’t do, so I built a new chain for it out of Czech glass beads, creating two graduated layers to frame the charm perfectly. I love this charm so much because it looks like a tiny stained-glass window and is so rich and warm in color that I can’t help but smile when I wear it.

I built an elegant and vibrant Czech glass chain in graduated layers to frame this beautiful little amethyst, diamond and gold charm that belonged to my Grandmother. I was sure that I wanted to wear something of hers on my wedding day.

For my “something borrowed,” my sweet sister was kind enough to lend me the handmade brass bangle she wore at her wedding. My “something old” was my Grandma’s diamond ring. For my “something blue,” I had my deep blue sapphire engagement ring that makes my heart sing whenever I see it. I think the little black diamonds studding the middle band are the best touch and really make the teenage goth girl inside me happy, er, sad.

My earrings I actually made as part of a collection of jewelry I released right after the wedding. I called it the “Stay Gold” Collection, and it was inspired by The Golden Girls. They usually pair with a pineapple necklace and include the same chain as my wedding necklace. This pair I’ll keep forever, but you can snag your own if you like them.

My wedding earrings were intended to be part of my Stay Gold Collection inspired by the Golden Girls. They featured a brass spiral circling Czech glass bead chain and matte gold chain in a long, elegant chandelier shape.

For my bouquet and each of my two bridesmaids’ bouquets, I created a brass charm stamped with C + S to attach to the ribbon. Anyone who knows me knows I wasn’t going to get through one day without stamped brass.

How about this amazing bouquet of tropicals by Hannah Allen?! Is it not a dream come true? It’s certainly mine.

I personalized my bridal and bridesmaids’ bouquets with brass charms stamped with our initials.

Little Rock floral designer Hannah Allen created this luscious bouquet of tropical plants and local flowers. It’s so dreamy!

Our wedding was a tad unconventional. We had yeti cake toppers, an inflatable dancing man on the dance floor, and I threw the bouquet to all the single men, much to the relief of all of my single gal pals. It was the most fun night of my life.

Back to jewelry. I wanted each of my honorary bridesmaids (and bridesman) to have something special from me, so I created each of them a unique necklace of their birthstone using real, natural gemstones, some in their raw and unpolished forms. I dropped each of the stones into resin to create a cluster of stones so that each one was unusual and couldn’t be repeated.

For each of my bridesmaids, my honorary bridesmaids and my honorary bridesman, I made a unique necklace of their birthstones, using real stones set in resin in an unusual cluster setting. I personalized them with their initials.

I loved making these cluster birthstone necklaces so much and getting to know all of the stones involved. I spent a lot of time researching and learning about gemstones, from their structures to their origins to their symbolism and historical use. I had to collect them all, and I made more necklaces so you can claim one, too! Find your birthstone necklace here.

See the entire Birthstone Cluster Necklace Collection and find your birthstone. Let me know which one you like the best!

Shoutouts to:

Katie Childs Photo for slaying my wedding photos.

My husband Collin Buchanan for photographing my birthstone jewelry.

Hannah Allen for going above and beyond with my tropical wedding flowers.

Angela Alexander for doing my hair and makeup perfectly.

The Edgemont House for being the most beautiful home to get married in.

Boulevard Bread Co. for the most delicious catering that I ate probably way past when I should have.

Kelli Marks of Cathead’s Diner for making our beautiful cake (and bringing donuts!).

Our friends and families for celebrating with us and supporting us. You are everything and more to us.