The Judy Cutie Clip is here! This is another product we’ve been working on for quite some time, although not as long as the Cutie Cub—which we detailed in another blog post.
This clip is named after one of our favorite people, Judy, who is our contact at our manufacturer. What’s funny is Judy didn’t think this all silicone pacifier clip was a good idea the first time around.
The Start of an All Silicone Pacifier Clip
We actually started on the Judy Cutie Clip back in April of 2018. Yes, two years ago. Lindsey reached out to Judy about the one piece silicone design and Judy said “no.”
It wasn’t a harsh “no,” it was more of a “no, that’s not really possible.”
But Lindsey couldn’t stop thinking about it and pushing Judy to consider the possibility of manufacturing it. So for nearly a year, Lindsey kept pushing the idea and concept of the silicone pacifier clip further.
Lindsey knew it was possible—she came across a silicone dog leash attached to a metal clasp. She sent photos of the product to Judy and said “look Judy, it is possible!”
One thing Lindsey has learned through this whole entrepreneurship and business journey is that you have to stand up for yourself. If you have an idea and concept you believe in, you have to stand up for it and push it forward.
And that’s what Lindsey did for a year!
Designing the Judy Cutie Clip: One Piece Silicone Design
Part of detailing this process for you to see is including the initial designs and ideas on paper. And yes it’s true, a concept must start somewhere even with a simple sketch on paper.
That’s what you see here—Lindsey’s sketch of the Judy Clip:
Lindsey jokes that she needs to frame some of these early drawings as a reminder of where everything starts but also to remember that she can’t draw. She knows she can’t but putting the concept on paper gets this beautiful process started.
Then in August 2019, the drawing and design of the Judy Clip you see today came about. Here is that drawing as the one piece silicone design took shape:
This is the point Lindsey hit the ground running with the concepts and samples, and the Judy Clip was becoming a reality… a real product.
The first concept consisted of an ornament, cut to be the end loop of the clip, and a Cutie PAT handle that Lindsey cut and laid flat to be the middle of the clip. She put a paper clip between the two pieces so Judy could see her vision.
It’s amazing to see how this all comes about. There’s nothing fancy in the beginning. No 3D printers or anything involved. Lindsey is resourceful with what she has and just creates what she believes in doing.
Here’s that exact concept with the ornament and Cutie PAT handle:
The First Samples:
One of the first samples Judy sent Lindsey a photo of … well, let’s just say it looked like an alien. It got a lot of laughs. Lindsey said, “Judy, we sell things that are pretty and stylish.” It just didn’t fit the brand.
Did it really look like an alien? Look for yourself and see what you think:
Beyond looking like an alien, this sample also seemed squished and not on-brand for Ryan & Rose. It wasn’t the same roundness and design as the handles of Cutie PATs, or the cord of Cutie Straps, or the beads of current Cutie Clips. It just wasn’t there yet as a Cutie Clip.
But this is how the process goes—it takes these early drawings to see what we don’t want and pivot and refine. It’s not fast.
Lindsey also had to fight for a consistency in the bead size and not have a larger bead for the connection point at the bottom with the metal clip. Lindsey wanted everything from top to bottom to be consistent and uniform.
Throughout this entire process, Lindsey and the team are testing for safety and quality. With each iteration, safety and quality is a top priority. Always.
Next, we have multiple designs that Lindsey was considering last fall:
One of the designs, the flat clip, was a consideration but the more Lindsey thought about it the more she didn’t like it because it resembled traditional pacifier clips. It didn’t resemble the future of pacifiers clips and where she wanted to take clips in the coming years.
You can also see the progression in design and how it took time to perfect the clip from Lindsey’s idea.
First Judy Clip Mold & Refinements to the Design:
With any silicone products, Lindsey is always considering the dimensions, the softness and hardness, the attachment points, the functionality, the toughness… and so much more. There’s a lot to consider.
One of the first considerations was whether she wanted the connection point (to the metal clip) to move or not to move. Lindsey decided she wanted it to move on this particular clip, so it could move while on a baby and have more flexibility to adjust as the baby moves about.
One of the first issues was the attachment point between the loop and the beads in the middle. The way it was first attached caused the silicone to rip when the loop was opened. Something you don’t know will happen until you have a sample and test it all the way around.
Lindsey also worked with Judy and the metal clip manufacturer to create a new metal attachment point on the stainless steel clips specifically for the Judy Cutie Clip. The reason for this—all of the current attachment points wouldn’t be safe enough for this silicone to metal attachment. It needed to be reworked to make this clip safe. We had to make sure the silicone would not come off the metal clip and that the silicone would not detach.
This is also why it took so long—a new stainless steel clip design for this all silicone pacifier clip. It’s all in the small details that make this clip great and why it requires time for refinement.
What’s the perfect length? How did Lindsey decide on the length?
Well, if you didn’t know, Lindsey’s first Cutie Clips back in 2013 were 7 inches long. That’s the length she determined after considering all of the traditional clips and how much shorter new pacifiers clips needed to be. She found that 7 inches is a great average length and that’s the size of the Judy Cutie Clip today as well.
Bead Size:
You’ll find different bead sizes for all of our products, including the Judy Clip. We vary the size of the beads from clips to straps to tensils and tags. It’s all different to make each product unique.
Attaching to a Pacifier:
As you may guess, attaching the Judy Clip to a pacifier is one of the most important aspects of the clip, if not the most important. Lindsey knew this silicone attachment was going to be different than attaching with cord. The initial concern was the silicone slipping and becoming loose, but Lindsey and the team worked hard to refine the design and materials so once the loop is around the pacifier, it remains tight and in place.
Little Details:
You’ll notice Lindsey added the R&R logo to the back of the clip, on the last bead right next to the loop. That way when you attach the clip and pull it up to place the pacifier in your baby’s mouth, the R&R is then up right and facing out.
It’s the little details like logos and having “Cutie Clips” on the back of the metal clips that bring everything together and really finish off these beautiful clips.
Naming Our Cutie Clips
All of our pacifier clips names here at Ryan & Rose have meaning. Each clip is named after someone and is intentional. So for this clip Lindsey named it after Judy, our manufacturer contact, because she wanted to let Judy know how much we appreciate her and how much she is valued here at Ryan & Rose.
The Launch of the Judy Cutie Clip
The Judy Cutie Clip is now a part of our Cutie Clip offering. We had a small launch within our Cutie Community on July 16. So if you didn’t get one, do not worry! More are on the way and you’ll be able to get one soon. We will be launching the Judy in future LE colors and core colors.
We’re excited because this has been a long process, but a process that is so worth it!
As Lindsey says, we’re constantly striving for perfection in everything we do and offer, which is why products like the Judy Clip take time—take years—to perfect before it’s launched and you’re able to use it with your little ones.
While we could have launched the clip back in December 2019, it just wasn’t perfect yet and we don’t release something just to release it. It must be perfect and it must be safe.
More small silicone clip designs are on the way. We know you are going to love them.
Discover More…
As we mentioned, the Judy Clip was first available to the Cutie Community (an incredible group on Facebook) so if you’re not a part of the Community yet, make sure to join today.
Also follow us on Instagram @ryanandrose for product updates, new releases, and overall positivity from Lindsey and the Cutie Crew.