The Riamelin Story
Started in 2010 with wool and a dream, Riamelin grew into enamel pins, stickers, and more. Now rebranded as Sarcastic Scots - but the originals are still here!
Photo of me and the original coo, from back in the day. š
Hiya, Pals! š Iām Sharon - artist, designer, and the face behindāÆRiamelin.
Back in 2010, out of necessity (and with no real plan!), I became self-employed. In hindsight, I probably shouldāve learned a bit more about what that meant - but once I get something in my head, I just go for it!
Iāve 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 Iāll have until the moment. I knew early on that Iād 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 couldnāt do without.
The nameāÆRiamelināÆcame from my computer gaming days and, over the years, itās 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 forĀ 14 years. That little shop made overĀ 5,500 sales, reachedĀ 39 countries, brought inĀ 1,849 lovely reviews, and earned the support ofĀ 5,179 repeat customersĀ along the way. It was a brilliant start and played a huge part in helping me grow my wee business. š
Most recently, at the end of 2024, I decided to focus more on design and move into T-Shirts - and thatās whereāÆSarcastic ScotsāÆwas born. Itās 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. š (Theyāre also still on Etsy, but Iām not relisting anything or stocking up if theyāre selling out so grab something while itās still available. š„°)