Roland R-Wear Launches Thriving Rhinestone Business

Brandi Bilskey bought a Roland EGX-350 engraver just before Thanksgiving. By cutting templates for rhinestone patterns, she quickly began producing custom apparel with the bling that her customers now crave.

Biliskly launched Blings & Things, a thriving rhinestone apparel business in central California, selling personalized clothing and other merchandise embellished with rhinestones. Most of her customers are women who want shirts with bling.

"The Roland EGX-350 allowed me to start my business with little investment."

“The Roland EGX-350 allowed me to start my business with little investment,” said Bilskey. “I was able to pay for the engraver in the first two months of business. Profits and customers have just kept increasing ever since.”

Current clients include many of the local businesses in the Central Valley that require high visibility rhinestone apparel. This includes dance studios, cheer and dance organizations, high schools, local colleges, elementary schools, teachers, hair studios and gymnastics groups.

“I have made thousands of designs with the software and engraved in a lot of plastic,” said Bilskey. “The machine requires little maintenance and is easy to learn and use. We do designs that range from simple one size stone to very complex designs with multiple colors and several sizes of rhinestones and layers in the design. The EGX-350 can handle them all.”