This time last year I was mostly oblivious to Covid-19 and was busy planning my upcoming jewellery collections. With it being a leap year as well as the Tokyo Olympics year, 2020 was feeling particularly hopeful and exciting.

In February the Leap Collection was launched with 29 pairs of earrings (one for each day of Feb) made from all the supplies I've collected over the years. It turned out that one pair per day of one-of-a-kind earrings just wasn't enough, so I then made 2 pairs a day. At the end of the month the Last Leap event rounded it all off. It was a crazy busy month, and my best February ever.

Yet during all this busyness, some time in mid February, a dark cloud appeared in the distance, a grumbling, worrying cloud that was getting closer by the day. I kept 'leaping' into 2020 with gusto, but by the end of February the reality had hit. This wasn't going to be the year my business REALLY took off, this was going to be hard and scary and confusing and awful.

Yet somewhere in that mess of emotions came light. I connected with so many amazing creatives all over the world in 2020 thanks to @indie_roller and I added some new products too. And even though my kids missed heaps of school, we all reconnected as a family on a whole other level. It wasn't all rainbows and butterflies, but we got through and in some ways we rebooted our thinking. Prioritising others can make you do that.

So here I am approaching another year, with a little trepidation, but with more peace and quiet. Welcome to Rise and Shine. The new Collection is launching on February 1st and every single day in February.

Keep sparkling,
Vx

What is a FUKUBUKURO?
Traditionally in Japan at New Year businesses bundle up their products and sell them in a 'lucky bag' (the kanji 福袋 (fukubukuro) literally means happy bag). The 'happy' part comes in as you can't actually see what's in the bag before you buy. Fun right? Oh, and there are bargains to be had too, as long as you are buying from places you love.

Is the Biku Fukubukuro like a traditional lucky bag?
Yes...and also no.
YES: There are a number of items at a discount bundle price presented in an actual bag!
NO: Before you buy you know what products are included in the bag and the savings you'll make. There are no end-of-line, random items in the bags. Everything is from current stock or made especially for the bags. This year you can even request certain colours to be included in the bag.

So, how do I grab one?
Click the link here and you can see what's available. Make sure to request your colours before you buy though, otherwise you'll receive a random selection.

Important info for UK customers.
Biku will cease shipping to the UK in 2021 due to changes in VAT after Brexit. The final day for UK purchases is Monday December 28th 2020. I hope to find a work around in the future, but for the time being it will be closed at the end of 2020.

When does the offer close?
Monday 4th January 2021 at midnight.
UK Fukubukuro will be shipped by 30th December, rest of the world and Japan shipping is on Tuesday 5th January 2021.

After a Christmas and New Year studio hiatus, it was time to challenge my design muscles and see what my brain could come up with. It needed to be woken up after a very busy year of working in this business. I wanted to challenge my creativity in ways I hadn't before to get myself back into the swing as quickly as possible.

Not just a challenge, a MEGA challenge of daily proportions. That's more like it. 29 pairs of earrings, each unique and created from the materials I had on hand in the studio. No ordering supplies, no popping to the craft shop to stock up...simply what was in front of me.

Every day from 1st -29th February, I'll be uploading a pair of one-of-a-kind earrings to the Biku webshop. Each pair is unique and never to be repeated. Keep popping into Facebook and Instagram to see the daily offering.

Imagine walking into a restaurant/party/bar wearing something that nobody else owns? Something that they  can't actually get even if they wanted to? Something with a story.
Are you in?