Abi & Beyond is a craft and jewelry business created by two ACU students that has completely skyrocketed after opening April 7 of this year. It is run by Karson Tutt, management major from Tuscola and Allison Wulfert, musical theatre and bible double major from Farmington, New Mexico. Everything sold by Abi & Beyond is handmade. Their main product is jewelry, including chokers, anklets and bracelets. They also sell other crafts like keychains, hats and greeting cards. Everything is customizable, meaning you can request whatever color, size or style for any item. The group also attends various craft fairs around Abilene and hosts a multitude of events such as craft workshops, product scavenger hunts or free giveaways.
In addition to selling handmade crafts, Abi & Beyond is a faith-centered business. Every item sold comes with a handwritten note of encouragement. Some of the products have “powerful” words on them. With those products, the customer receives a miniature devotional that coincides with the word on the item. In addition, 25% of the revenue every month is donated to Houses With Hope, an organization that builds homes for widows in Kenya and helps sponsor children.
“Faith is the whole basis of it,” Wulfert said. “We do it so that hopefully someone will hear the gospel or be encouraged to lean on the Lord through the reminders of the words. We aim to make God the main focus and reason for everything we do.”
“The process of starting this up has just been absolutely crazy,” Tutt said. “It’s been nonstop events for a month now, with the weeks prior to that getting prepared to have our grand opening. While it has been extremely stressful and crazy, I couldn’t be more thankful for the success we’ve had.”
Tutt started the business alone while she was on vacation in Colorado, because she wanted money for a cellphone. She posted a picture on Twitter asking if anyone wanted to buy one of the chokers she made. By the time she got home from Colorado, she had 30-40 orders waiting. Her demands kept growing and eventually people from other towns were buying necklaces, leading her to build a website to sell her items and ship them nationwide. Soon after, Wulfert messaged Tutt on social media asking to meet for coffee and explain visions she had for the meaning behind the business. Shortly after, the women became partners.
Karson Tutt (left) and Alli Wulfert (right)
“My favorite thing about working with Alli is that I know she can relate with me about so many of the things I’m feeling, whether it’s the amount of stress we’re going through or the deliriousness of being up at 3 in the morning together, preparing for a craft fair the next day,” Tutt said. “She’s so easy to talk to, and she’s such a hard worker. She has done so well, jumping into this craziness with me, and I love her for that.”
Tutt and Wulfert hope to continue growing their business this summer. Despite living 10 hours apart, they will continue their creative visionary. Tutt and Wulfert say that by August they hope to release even more items, such as home decor, car accessories and more products for men. They also state that they desire to hire employees to help with making products for online orders, craft shows and to help with social media. “We definitely want it to grow into something big,” Wulfert said. “We’re already carried in two boutiques – one in Abilene and one in Cisco.”
The easiest way to check out and order any products is online at www.abileneandbeyond.com. In addition, you can to follow the Instagram and Twitter account @abiandbeyond for updates on events and sales.
