Hiya, Pals! 👋 I’m Sharon - artist, designer, and the face behind Riamelin.
Back in 2010, out of necessity (and with no real plan!), I became self-employed. In hindsight, I probably should’ve learned a bit more about what that meant - but once I get something in my head, I just go for it!
I’ve lived with chronic fatigue syndrome since I was 15, which means some days are OK and others are… less so. I never really know what sort of energy I’ll have until the moment. I knew early on that I’d never manage the typical 9-5, and while being self-employed usually means never switching off and working twice as hard (often for very little pay), the flexibility to work my own hours was something I couldn’t do without.
The name Riamelin came from my computer gaming days and, over the years, it’s become a home for all my creative adventures.
In the early days, I made and sold wee handmade ornaments out of wool. One day, I created a Highland cow - and it was so loved that I turned it into an enamel pin, which sold amazingly well (and sadly gets copied a lot these days). One pin turned into a range, and then branched out into keyrings, stickers, and postcards.
In those early years I sold on Facebook and I also opened a wee shop on Etsy - and I ended up sticking with it for 14 years. That little shop made over 5,500 sales, reached 39 countries, brought in 1,849 lovely reviews, and earned the support of 5,179 repeat customers along the way. It was a brilliant start and played a huge part in helping me grow my wee business. 💙
Most recently, at the end of 2024, I decided to focus more on design and move into T-Shirts - and that’s where Sarcastic Scots was born. It’s my next chapter: bringing more Scottish humour, wit, and the occasional eye-roll to wardrobes everywhere.
The enamel pins, keyrings, stickers, and postcards are still available (for now!), and you can shop them below. 💙 (They’re also still on Etsy, but I’m not relisting anything or stocking up if they’re selling out so grab something while it’s still available. 🥰)
