The 2nd issue of VivaLaModa is here!

Check it out! Great article on aprons as a new fashion trend on page 52 and check out the photo of the month I picked to write about on page 43. It's a little bit sexy!

--Lori

Use Your Head and Win Some Bread!!

PUZZLED SOLVED!!!! SEE BELOW FOR ANSWERS
Solve this Word Search and win a $15 gift certificate to my shop!

This Word Search features pieces from my Leftovers Series. However, it also includes 3 more names of pieces that I'm in the process of creating. Those pieces are NOT in the word list below the puzzle. The winner of the $15 gift certificate will be the first person who finds the 3 dishes that are not in the word list and comments below with those dishes listed exactly as they appear in the puzzle. You should be able to click on the puzzle itself and print it.

And the missing 3 are?????? If you've never seen the completed The Leftovers Series to date, you can view a slide show of it here. Good luck, have fun, TGIF!!!
--Lori
If you have advanced knowledge of the pieces I'm making....you're not eligible to win this prize. Sorry...
and the winner is...

Vintage Jewelry Collector said...

Red Bean Chili
Liver and Onions
Belgian Waffles

What exactly IS a Nursing Necklace?

Well, it's part tool...and part treasure.

A nursing necklace is first and foremost a tool that many mothers find helpful when nursing their little ones. Some babies are very focused when they're nursing, while others are easily distracted and/or have a roaming hand that likes to pinch mommy or pull her hair and make her uncomfortable while she's trying to relax and feed. A nursing necklace can help solve that problem by giving your baby something to hold onto while nursing. There are different types as well. Some are very bright and consist of lots of beads and colors to catch baby's attention, some are suitable for teething, and some are more simple and meant to be used as a focal and anchor piece. The ones that I make fall into this category.

One of the benefits of the type that I make is that they don't look like nursing necklaces. If you're wearing one of these, I can promise you that no one is going to call the fashion police if you don't have an infant within a three foot radius of your person. Nursing mothers purchase my donut pendants just as often as non-nursing gals do because their babies like to hook their little fingers through the hole and hold on while they're nursing. The stones are smooth and cool to the touch and they have a little weight to them and it gives some babies the perfect way to get comfortable when they're hungry. It's sort of like having the perfect drink holder in your car. Everything just fits. The necklace--the color, feel, and shape--can also become a cue for your baby that it's time to settle down and feed especially if you start right from birth. A baby with a nice, full tummy sleeps better and so does her mommy!

I developed the Nurse Purse in July 2008 because moms have a lot of things to remember when they're running out the door every day. The Nurse Purse is a smaller nursing necklace enclosed in a drawstring bag that mom can keep in her purse or diaper bag so that she'll always have it with her no matter where she is. The 'purse' that accompanies each pendant is made especially for Risky Beads by Jenny Nguyen of jennyndesigns.

The Nurse Purse comes in a ton of different designs and colors and makes a great baby shower gift and I gift wrap for free! If you'd like to purchase one but don't know what color the new mom would like, I can always send a gift certificate either by snail or email! And if you have older children waiting on the new baby, you might want to check out my Risky KIDS section. Some of my customers have had their nursing necklaces borrowed by their daughters only to find them using them to 'nurse' their baby dolls so I always keep a few training pendants listed. :-)

You can find standard nursing necklaces in the Necklaces/Pendants section of my studio, and generally speaking, any stone with a hole in the middle can be used as a nursing necklace unless I specify otherwise in the listing. If you don't see something you're looking for, please ask because I have tons of stones that aren't listed. The Nurse Purse has its own section in each of my shops, and since ArtFire took their RapidCart feature live today, you can look to your right and see Nurse Purses available for purchase straight from my blog, no registration necessary and free shipping worldwide!

And now for the treasure. There will be a day when your baby grows up, and he won't need to nurse anymore. Sometimes that can be a more difficult transition for mom than baby. But remember that nursing necklace you have? It still fits, right? And it's still pretty, right? And the memories are still with it, right? A nursing necklace can be a great transition object as you and your child wean. It becomes a happy reminder of the bond you shared, and a way to help your child know that the special connection you shared will always be there...close to your heart.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at riskybeads [at] gmail DOT com.

--Lori

Images:

Mother Breastfeeding Her Baby by ElizabethBonura
Pineapple Angst by Risky Beads
Sweet Simplicity 2 Nurse Purse by Risky Beads
Small Nest Box by LazyLightningArt

Buy This So I Won't-Volume 8-Kid at Heart

Well, boys and girls, it's that time again, time to regale you with the next installment of...Buy This So I Won't! Before we get too far into this though, I need to let you know that I'm writing this based on the assumption that not a one of you has truly grown up because, come on, where's the fun in that? Okay, off we go...

First up is a little fellow that loves bananas even though a banana could kick his butt! That's right, he's the Tiny Sock Monkey from These Loving Hands at ArtFire. He comes in 4 different colors for $12.00 and is SO UNBELIEVABLY CUTE that I want to hot glue him to my shoulder like a parrot and carry him with me wherever I go. (I had an abbreviated childhood or something; cut me some slack people.)

Maybe he eats Gerber bananas?

Next up, is another little guy you could glue to your shoulder or perhaps take with you on a blind date or to a fire sale! He's a Sock Ninja from uppitywomandesigns at Etsy. He's 14" tall and wears all black because it makes him look fierce and skinny. Just think how much easier your day would be with this little warrior by your side smacking that chocolate chip cookie out of your hand and handing you a piece of celery! For $20, that's a steal!

And you can take him to the gym with you because he works out!

I think that's Hot Yoga.

And our last contestant is on board to help you with your other 'issues,' if you know what I mean, and I think that you do. Ellie the Elephant from lilsproutknits at Etsy is more than happy to be your 'elephant in the room' until you deal with your mother-in-law, your boss, your child's teacher or that weird noise your car is making. For $34, she won't make a scene; she'll just sit there and look like the pretty determined reminder that she is. So much nicer than that post-it stuck to the bottom of your keyboard, right?

You don't have to be a jewelry artist to love her beady little eyes...

And so while I suppose that despite my best efforts you have grown up, can someone please Buy These So I Won't? Surely someone out there needs a tiny little sock monkey, a fierce ninja, and a silent but steady elephant more than I need an empty wallet, right? You realize that they're just going to keep staring at you, right? That's what they do. They're really, really good at it!

Until next time...Lori

P.S. Enter my Desert Island Giveaway!

Desert Island Giveaway

**Congratulations!! Dancerinthemaking has won the giveaway!!!**

This is one of my most popular and sexiest pendants....Eggshells at Midnight.

Because you never knew where you stood with her... Was she there because she wanted you or because she didn't want him? Because your bed was empty or because his was full? You got better and better at lying to yourself and making it last all through the night.

Would you like to win it? Perhaps for yourself or a very special someone? Well, come on in! It's winter, and many are already dreaming of summer, so this is my Desert Island Giveaway. It runs from Tuesday, 2/17/09 thru Sunday, 2/22/09. Here's how to enter:

All you have to do is visit my shop, Risky Beads, and decide which 3 pieces from my shop you'd want with you if you were trapped all alone on a desert island and why. The winner will be chosen from a random integer generator on Sunday. You can enter only once and please leave your email address. Entries with no contact info will be deleted. Have fun!

--Lori

ETA: 2/22/09 Dancerinthemaking has won the giveaway! She said:

"I would want Copper Sparkle Nurse Purse as i can put stuff in it. Crocodile Tear would be good as it's so shiny so maybe i'll be able to use it catch attention from passing planes or ships. After Dinner would help me know the time.."
Thanks to everyone who entered and stay tuned for the big ArtFire giveaway I'm hosting on my blog starting next Sunday!

The Leftovers Series--A Tasty Little Slide Show

Pour Some Sugar On Me

Attention!

If you'd like to get your sugar on tonight, head on over to Sweet Life in the Valley's blog and enter the V Chocolate's giveaway!! It's a giveaway and Valentine's Day so all calories are instantly negated. That's like Einstein's Law of Caloric-tivity or something.

Me want free candy.

Can you brew a little Love Potion?

**Winners Chosen--Contest Closed**

Valentine's Day is almost here! Think you're ready? Well, prove that you're up to the task by brewing a little semantic Love Potion and win this pendant:

Love Potion
I don't know what you put in my drink, but all of a sudden I have this overwhelming feeling that you should buy me dinner.

Here's how to enter:

Go to my Etsy shop and write a little love note using only the names of my pieces. You can add words like 'the' and 'a' if you like, but the winner will be the person who forms the most coherent and romantic love note using the highest number of my pieces with the fewest extraneous words. You can enter up to three times, must only use items that are currently for sale and only their titles, and cannot use the piece in the giveaway--Love Potion. Comment below with your entries.

The winner will be chosen on Valentine's Day, Saturday, February 14, 2008.

Good luck, Lori

Get 15% off your order in my Etsy shop 2/9-2/11 with code POTION15P. Convo before purchasing!

Sometimes I just want to write... v. 2

the older i get
the more respect i have
for the love that waits inside me
it's arrived here at the point of patience
hungry but not starving
eager but not foolish
it is real
and renewable
it will sustain me
until you get here


Photo credit: Lone Heart Skeleton Key at Ashbury Lane Art & Design
poem-me (Lori Ward, 2/8/2009)

Buy This So I Won't-Volume 7 Vintage Kitchen

This week's column is an admission of sorts. As I surf Etsy and ArtFire in the course of my daily shopkeeping, I always come across things that I'm one click away from buying, and for some reason I've been doing way too good at avoiding one certain weakspot in my shopping psyche--dishes!

Now, I know what you're thinking. I got married and got dishes then and that's all I really care about dishes and fine china's for the birds so who cares? I care! And I'm terminally single and can barely cook! (Don't call the police just yet.) See, dishes can sometimes seep into my decor OCD if I start getting just a wee bit bold in the kitchen and, you know, decide that it's okay to buy lettuce that doesn't come in a bag. So, were I to induldge my desperate urge to revamp my kitchen so that it would match my bedroom (don't ask, okay? my apt. is very, very small...), here's where I would start. My bedroom is brown, dark chocolately brown with every other brown and a little blue drizzled in... this would look great in my bedroom, but we're supposed to be talking about my kitchen! ::ahem::
First, I would revamp my casserole dishes. With this 9" x 4" Unique Pyrex Casserole dish in a Bulls Eye Pattern from SleepyOwlVintage for $24.00. I love the colors, the pattern, the retro-ness of it!! It's perfect and it matches my sheets. (I can't help it! My wardrobe's the same way. I could wear my bedspread and just kill 2 birds with one stone.)


And because I like to delude myself and pretend that I might actually cook two dishes at once someday, I'd have to add this Retro Mod 60s Pyrex Terra Chocolate Brown Casserole Dish to my collection from junkculture for $14.00. It's 2.5 quarts. Now look at that dish and tell me that it's not gorgeous. It's hypnotizing you, isn't it? You're...getting...very...hungry....


I think my obsession with circles it's becoming very, very apparent. I'm an abstract art obsession-ado as well. I can't deal with art that looks back at me. I just need colors and shapes. Hmm...and trees. I can deal with trees. So, that's enough casserole dishes.

Now, once I make these dishes, I have to have something serve my (imaginary) dinner in right? Well, look no further! I have two choices battling for my wallet at this moment. The first is French Onion Soup Bowls by Hull-Set of Two by Surrender Dorothy for $21.89. I love French Onion soup, but these bowls make it look even better!


The second is Pfaltzgraff Soup Mugs In The Gourmet Pattern Set Of Three also from Surrender Dorothy for $22.00. Getting a hold of discontinued Pfaltzgr aff is always good for a sugar high, and these are simply gorgeous!!!!

Now, I have two more items to show you. One is for after dinner. Granted, they veer a wee bit from the color scheme and concept, but I don't care, I love them!! Plus, you can use them to help you drown your sorrows after you bought too much! They're 5 Recylcled Blown Glass Stemmed Vino Glasses From The Early Eighties again from Surrender Dorothy for $32.50. Can't you just see the Tequila Sunrise?

And finally, I'll breakdown and show you the last thing that I'll be lucky if I make it to morning without buying. I wouldn't even put these in my kitchen, I'd put them in my bedroom as matching knick knacky vases or something like I need more of those! I can't help it; they're so freaking adorable! Set of 4 quirky coffee mugs for $14.0o by Sl eepyOwlVintage.

*dies of the cuteness and knick knacky potential-ness*

And so again, dear reader, I come to you with my constant refrain of Buy These So I Won't because it took me about 45 minutes to write this post and in that 45 minutes, I didn't spend a dime. It would be great to wake up tomorrow morning and not be able to buy anything on this list because someone else already did! Have a heart; it's almost Valentine's Day. Save me from MYSELF!

Yours very gratefully,
Lori

And of course, you have until noon tomorrow to enter the February ArtFire Giveaway on my blog!

Advertise and Analyze--Project Wonderful

The last two weeks have been very different than most of my Risky weeks. Usually, a big chunk of my day is spent making new pieces, photographing them and naming them, and then listing, listing, and listing, but sales have been really slow since Christmas for a variety of reasons so I've been spending my time promoting my shop(s) in other ways and indulging other facets of my creativity. Sometimes it also just nice to take a break and focus on something else.

I decided to dive into Project Wonderful, finally, and I learned a lot about more than just Project Wonderful. First, I created a few 125x125 square ads, mostly animated, and then signed up on the site and loaded them into my account. PW supports many other sizes, but I found that most of the sites I wanted to advertise on accepted the square size. I'm interested in hearing from anyone who has success with another size. Then I added some funds from my PayPal account. I suggest starting with $10. Next, rather than bidding with one ad, I created a campaign. (PW told me this was a relatively new feature.) Basically, you choose a set of criteria that you want to bid with and then PW goes out and retrieves all the sites that have PW ad space meeting that criteria. A word of warning--if you don't put any exclusionary criteria in, as in you don't specify type of site you're looking for, number of hits you want that site to get per day, and no minimum bid, etc.--PW is likely to come back with half the internet for your perusal! And you will probably freak out the first time like I did.

I tried this instead and got better results: I created an ad that focuses on my Nurse Purses, which are a specific type of nursing necklace for nursing moms. I then set my criteria to look for square ads in the Parent/Kids section only with 100-500 hits per day and per week. That gave me a reasonable list to work with. Once I got that list, I went through and physically looked at each site to see where the ad placement was, if I liked the aesthetics of the site/blog, and when the last time was that the site was updated. No use running an ad on a site that hasn't updated in a week unless you can tell from the PW stats that the site still gets a lot of daily traffic regardless. Then I bid on sites anywhere from $0 to $.20. Sometimes you're the high bidder and you get right in, other times you're not, but you'll get in when the high bidder's bid expires. Once you bid on several sites, you can check back in throughout the day(s) and see which sites are getting the most views and which are actually garnering hits. Then you can do a cost/benefit analysis by tilting your head to the right and going, "Hmm, that site ain't worth it," canceling that bid and perhaps looking for another one or staying where you are. Maybe one of your sites is getting 5 times as many hits as others, but you keep getting outbid. Perhaps you should dump the under-performing ones and bid more to stay in the running on the site that's working for you. Keep in mind, though, that 3 hours of data is not enough for historical analysis!

Stay tuned for my next post on the subject: Project Wonderful = Serendipity!

Enter the February ArtFire Giveaway through noon tomorrow, Sunday, 2/8!

Sometimes I just want to write...

Even in the darkness, you pull something out of me. Sometimes it's something that I'm thirsting to give you; sometimes it's something that I want to hide. I don't know how you find sunshine in darkness or how you tickle the soil just enough to make it too hard to stay still. I just want to know that if I show up the next time, again I might leave a little lighter.

Photo credit: from the dark-8x10 fine print, JoannasPhotography
February Giveaway--still time to sign up!

Great Information on Staying Connected!

Surfing this morning, and I found some great links about

A Crash Course in Comments

Using Outposts in Your Media Strategy

Both are useful and simple marketing strategies and they explain things in plain English! Enjoy!

Still plenty of time to sign up for the February ArtFire Giveaway!!

February 2009 ArtFire Giveaway!!

CLOSED FOR NEW ENTRIES!!--Winner is Elaine R

Well, welcome to February and therefore, to the February ArtFire Giveaway! Our January Giveaway was a huge success, so we're back this month with another fabulous bundle of girly goodness!!!! There are 11 sellers participating in this giveaway, so the entry rules are a little bit different. Please read them carefully as any entries that don't meet the criteria will be skipped. But first...here's the loot!!!

(There is one more item on the way that's not pictured.)

This month's prize consists of these fabulous gifts: Pink Sugar Natural Soy Wax Candles by Soy Scentual, a jar of Pamper Your Hiney Satin and Silk Lotion in Love Spell from Shine Your Hiney Soap, a Have a Heart beaded bookmark from bijouxdesignsforyou, a 7.5" hematite and Swarvoski crystal valentine bracelet with a toggle clasp from Jewelry to Keep by Suzanne Baxter, matchbook notepads (6) and floral envelopes by Recupe Fashion, a bar of Pomegranate soap from soapdeli, handmade valentine notecards from timelesspaperarts, Hearts Aflame earrings by GemKitty, and the Access ceramic pendant from my shop, Risky Beads. The item pictured separately arrived a little later; it's a beautiful Irish Wool and Linen bracelet from Painted Bull. One item hasn't arrived yet: 5"x7" Red Berries on Blue photographic print from MNH Photography and . These products retail for $110.00!!!

But, wait, it gets better!!

Each owner of these shops has volunteered one of their products because they want to promote their shops but also ArtFire as a venue so we are all offering 10% off in our shops during this giveaway! Use this code when purchasing: RBFEBAF10P** ArtFire is a relatively new site in the grand scheme of the online handmade market scene, but we like it because it's very open and has a fee structure that allows us to put our money into our product. If you've been considering giving ArtFire a try, I encourage you to do so. The site is growing fast; the administration is extremely responsive when there's an issue, and there are many different platforms for community involvement and improvement that are community driven.

So on behalf of Val at Soy Scentual, Patti at Shine Your Hiney Soap, April at bijouxdesignsforyou, Suzanne at Jewelry to Keep, Nathalie at Recupe Fashion, Rebecca at soapdeli, Kalla at timelesspaperarts, Kathy at GemKitty, Deon at MNH Photography , J.J. at Painted Bull, and me (Lori) at Risky Beads, here are the rules for entering the February ArtFire Giveaway!

The winner of the contest will be chosen by the random number generator at random.org, so each comment is one entry unless it's incomplete, in which case it will be skipped. To enter the contest, you must visit at least 6 of our 11 shops listed above, come back, and leave 1 comment mentioning your favorite item from those 6 shops. You can earn extra entries by doing any or all of the following, putting each one in a separate comment:

--visit the other 5 shops you didn't visit in your first comment and mention your favorite item in your comment
--blog about the giveaway and link back in your comment
--tweet about the giveaway and link back in your comment
--purchase from any Artfire shop from February 2-8 (deadline is noon) and link back with your order #. Your seller will give it to you or ask for it.
--purchase from any of our 11 shops and receive 2 extra entries per shop and link back with your order #. Your seller will give it to you or ask for it.

Please remember to leave your contact information in your comment. We can't contact you if we can't find you!!! Anonymous entries with no email address will be skipped.

Have fun, good luck, and Happy Valentine's Day!! May you find some heart fire on ArtFire!

-Lori

**Some sellers have other sales running, so some items may have different or even bigger discounts!

Any comments that do not/did not meet the requirements of entry are/were deleted.

2/10/09: Congratulations!!!! The winner of this giveaway and $110 worth of fabulous, handmade girly goodness is Elaine R. She has 48 hours to respond to my email and claim her prize or I will draw again.
The March giveaway kicks off on Sunday, March 2, 2009 so stay tuned! In the meantime, visit ArtFire!! New shops are opening every day! Thanks for entering! ~Lori

My Funny Video Valentine

A little snippet of Valentine fun...Risky Beads style!

Buy This So I Won't-Volume 6 - Puppets

It's that time again, time for me to tempt you with hand-crafty goodness that's hanging out on my I Would Buy This If I Didn't Also Have to Eat list. Those of you who are familiar with my shop know that I'm a big fan of Little Red Riding Hood, and that's despite the fact that she runs me ragged through the streets of NYC. I can forgive her for that because Manhattan is an exciting place. But it does get old after awhile when I have to rescue her from one perilous situation after another.

In order to do this post tonight, I've taken her to an secure and undisclosed location because, dear reader, I have to confess that while Red and I are so BFF, I'm a wee bit infatuated with her arch nemesis. You know how irresistible bad boys can be, right?

*sigh*

So without further ado, let me introduce you to this week's candidate for Buy This So I Won't hailing from the Etsy shop burchanddaughters, The Big Bad Wolf.

In drag.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Cross-dressing is no big deal in 2009. We're a modern society; we just elected Barack Obama; we don't care if a Big Bad Wolf needs to work out his Mother issues in a pink bonnet, we celebrate it! If he doesn't want to embrace his inner metro-wolf and do away with that uni-brow, then good for him! Teeth whitening? Ha! Over-rated! Cover that gray? Are you mad? Leave him alone! Hasn't he suffered enough? He's already doomed to live his life as someone's puppet!

...And yet there's a soft, squishy part of me that wants to buy him, bring him home, make him comfortable on my uncomfortable sofa and sit across from him with a legal pad and just listen to his wolfly woes. But then I'd have to leave Red with Alice in Wonderland, and I don't think I could bear the separation anxiety. Some days she's the only reason I get out of bead in the morning. So, I beseech you as I type, to Buy This So I Won't, to give this brave, brazen, Big Bad Wolf a home free of conflicted little red riding girls and grandmas, and with that I'm off to rescue Red before Alice offers her something to drink...

Have a good week, Lori

Stay Tuned for More Gifty Goodness

The January ArtFire Giveaway has crowned its winner, but never fear for the February giveaway kicks off next Sunday, February 1! It's a giveaway perfect for Valentine's Day because there are 12 ArtFire shops for you to fall in love with. Yes, a dozen reasons to stay tuned!! So, grab a thought and make a mental note to remind yourself to pop back in, and in the meantime, if you're shopping for that special someone...

She was so hot she came with potholders.
Sizzle, $19, free shipping

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Lori

January 2009 Spoil Yourself Rotten ArtFire Giveaway!

***Winner Chosen--please see below! 1/25/09***

Welcome to 2009, to a new year, and a new opportunity to spoil yourself rotten with some of amazing gifts and goodies compliments of six wonderful ArtFire shops! It's been sooo cold this winter, I wanted to put together something that reminded me of comfort and warmth. Lots of cream and caramel and coffee and toffee and sugar and spice. ArtFire is a relatively new venue, so I've rounded up some fantastic sellers so everyone can see what they have to offer! Here's what's up for grabs:


You'll get: a Caramel Coughdrop pendant from my shop, Risky Beads, a bar of Sage & Cinnamon soap from soapdeli, Frosted Pink Sugar 3-in-1 Bubbling Body Wash, Creme de Menthe lip balm, and Vanilla Frosting Whipped Body Moussee from Nella Scents Bath & Body, a 10 oz. bag of Fleur De Sel Gourmet Carames from Laura Lee's Tasty Treats, Cognac Crystal earrings from cctexan3, Good Morning Grumpy Body Soap Coffee and Creme Brulee Scent, Maple and Brown Sugar Room Spritzer, and a Toffee Crunch Soy Candle Melt by SimplyTemptedBathandBody, and a trial size of Dragon's Blood Hand and Body Lotion from MeaCulpaBodyandBath! In total, these products retail at $88.50 before shipping, but you can win them all for FREE, and here's how:

To be entered into the random drawing for this giveaway, you must visit at least 3 of the 7 ArtFire shops featured in the giveaway and come back with a comment about your favorite item from that shop. The shops are: Risky Beads, soapdeli, Nella Scents Bath & Body, cctexan3, SimplyTemptedBathandBody, Laura Lee's Tasty Treats, and MeaCulpaBodyandBath.

You can earn an extra entry by commenting about all 7 shops instead of just 3, purchasing something from one of the shops featured above (each shop you purchase from will earn you one extra entry), by blogging about the giveaway, or by mentioning the giveaway on Twitter with a link back to this post. If you choose to blog or tweet about it, please come back and post the link here so I can note it. The context will close at noon, next Sunday January 25th and I'll announce the winner then.

Good luck!~ Lori

ETA: Please leave a way for me to contact you if you win!

ETA 1/25/09: The winner of the January ArtFire Giveaway is Donna! Donna said, "I went to all 7 shops. These are my faves:
MeaCulpaBodyandBath-LILY OF THE VALLEY Shampoo and Conditioner
Laura Lee's Tasty Treats-My Big Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies
SimplyTemptedBathandBody-WARM VANILLA SUGAR 'QUENCH' BODY FROSTING
cctexan3- Black Agate nugget bracelet
Nella Scents Bath & Body-FROSTED PINK SUGAR 3 in 1 BUBBLING BODY WASH
soapdeli-FALLING FOR YOU SOAP FOR EXTRA DRY SKIN
Risky Beads-UNDERWATER KALEIDOSCOPE
I tweeted.
http://twitter.com/donnak4/status/1135740217."
The winner was selected from 143 valid numbered entries by random.org. Congratulations!!! Stay tuned for another giveaway kicking off next Sunday!

Buy This So I Won't-Volume 5 - Handmade Soap

Yikes, I think I'm a bit tardy with this issue, but the New Year can be quite the whirlwind, can't it? This week's candidate for Buy This So I Won't is actually a class of products from different sellers all hailing from Artfire and is a vain attempt to address one of my most expensive Achille's heels. I have absolutely, positively no ability to resist handmade soap. I have a handmade soap addiction that's fed by the ridiculous buzz I get from aromatherapy or something. Seriously, if I'm having a really bad day, all I have to do is go pick up a bar of soap from the stack that's just waiting to be used, sniff it and WHAM, I feel better. (I will neither confirm not deny that I keep a soap sample in my purse for aroma therapeutic 911 emergencies.)

Now, some of you who pass through my world, may know that I like to make bracelets out of food to entertain myself, but I'm not nearly as skilled as these soap makers who keep making bath & body products that look better than my mother's banana bread. Honestly, do I really need to feel hungry when I'm taking a shower? No, I don't. If I made it to the shower without going near the fridge in the first place, I don't need to be rewarded with a bar of soap that looks like the neopolitan ice cream I just successfully resisted. So, dear readers, your mission this week is to BUY THESE SO I WON'T and don't eat them by accident...

Coconut Cream Pie with Shea Butter by soapdeli $5.00

Snicker Doodle Sugar Bubbles by the soap seduction $10.00

(anyone seen my fork?)

Pumpkin Crunch Cake Body Soap Design Series (Vegan Friendly) by SimplyTemptedBathandBody $6.00

(Is your tummy growlin' now?)
Lemon Sugar Cake Mini Bundt Cake Soap by Adoration $4.00

(One of these days, I'm going to accidentally take a bath with a Hershey Bar or a Reese Cup.)
Peanut Butter Cookie Whipped Goat's Milk Cold Processed Soap by Hendrick's Hearth $4.25

*Whew.* I made it through this entire post without buying any soap. Omg, that means there's a light at the end of my bubble bath. hee hee

Until next week, Lori

Lessons Learned

So 5 months ago, I decided to write about my first year on Etsy...only it took me 5 months to write it and life intervened and ArtFire and 1000Markets popped up along the way, so the result is now a book about my first 18 months on Etsy. Yes, 18 months of things I learned the hard way, strategies I employed to bring sales in, and tips about marketing, branding and finding your niche. The lessons can be applied to any online venue, save the information on how to make a poster sketch and snag a Treasury, and I hope they'll help new and struggling shop owners make an easier go of it!

And if you're considering branching out and giving ArtFire a shot, there's also a $5.00 rebate inside that you won't want to pass up!

Click here to see the table of contents.

This book is a labor of love, not just a list of answers to FAQs. I hope it will inspire you and help to renew your energy and fine-tune your focus for 2009! The book is $9.00 and in the form of a .pdf file. It will be emailed to your PayPal address unless you email me and specify otherwise.

Have a great week!
-Lori

ArtFire vs. Etsy so far

Well, it's only January 4, and my ArtFire and Etsy sales are neck in neck. Etsy is a little bit ahead, but I'm shipping free at ArtFire, so the Etsy overage is pretty much shipping. Now, my ArtFire fees are $7 a month flat; my Etsy fees so far are over $11 and will only go up. I typically spend about $120.00 a month at least on my Etsy fees.

Hmmm... ArtFire's got something here.

* I like their one page listing process; it saves so much time, plus I can see everything pertinent to that listing all at once.

* When I have a question or an issue and ask about it in the forums, it gets answered fairly quickly. ArtFire has also already purchased advertising that didn't involve sellers having to purchase spots that only the big money sellers can afford and that sell out in .0001 nano-seconds.

* Their version of an Etsy-mini, which you can see on the right hand side of my blog is easily customized. I choose the listings I want and what squares I want them in. That's nice when you're a control freak like me, lol!

* Their are STATS!! You can see where people are coming from. Are they finding your shop via your blog, Twitter, an ad you placed?? You can see where you need to keep advertising and where you don't. Imagine that!!!

* The site is still in beta mode, and some people don't like the fact that it doesn't look 'as polished' as Etsy, but there's a real feel of community at ArtFire, and you don't have to spend your life in the forums to feel it. It feels like a more level playing field. After all, no one's going to relist their whole shop and knock your listings back ten thousand pages. There's a bit of equity in that $7 flat fee.

Once their preliminary account offerings sell out, that price will go up. Now's the time to lock in that price.

Think you might like to try ArtFire? Click this link and register. I don't think you'll be sorry!

--Lori

New Year's Eve at Risky Beads!

To thank everyone for a wonderful, risky year...

here's a 15% off coupon valid in all 3 of my shops today! It expires at midnight tonight. Want FREE shipping as well? Then shop at ArtFire and it shall be yours! If you're shopping at ArtFire or 1000 Markets and don't see a piece you want from my Etsy shop, just Email me and I'll move it for you.

No code needed, make your purchase and I'll refund you. ArtFire shipping is already set to zero. If you're shopping at Etsy, please convo first.

Thanks and have a safe and Happy New Year!!

Buy This So I Won't-Volume 4 - Working for Peanuts

Well, I skipped last week for obvious vacational reasons, but I'm very excited to bring you this week's and the last 2008 installment of Buy This So I Won't! I was putting a Treasury together on Etsy over a week ago, browsing all over the place, and I stumbled into this shop to get out of the (cyber) cold. If you have a beverage in your mouth right now, this would be a good time to swallow.

This week's selection is workingforpeanuts. Jeanne, the shop owner, has my deepest respect because she clearly values the art of self-entertainment. (Go, Jeanne!) So, with that said, I'd like to introduce you to:

Lena! According to Working for Peanuts, Lena is "dressed for a dinner party. Why don't you invite her to yours? She'll help you with your decor. As part of your centerpiece, or hanging on a Christmas tree, she'll add some flair." Lena can be yours for $27.00.

Well, Lena's Christmas options may have flown up the chimney by now, but there's no reason she can't be someone's New Year's Eve sweetheart!

Now, if you decide to take someone else to your New Year's Eve celebration, then Lena won't be left all alone--not by a long shot. She has a plethora of peanut buddies to hang with, each as unique as she is. Go pay them a visit; trust me, you won't be sorry. I mean, you might snort milk up your nose, but otherwise, you won't be sorry. Yes, they are made out of real peanut shells that Jeanne opens, hollows out, and then glues back together. Talk about up-cycling! Now, you'll think twice about every peanut you eat, won't you? Oh, yeah...won't you please Buy These So I Won't?! Seriously, people. How is anyone supposed to resist her? She can skate better than me!

Lucinda-lots of zip
$24.00

Oh, and I couldn't close this post without wishing you and yours a very happy New Year!

Abe-Baby New Year
$15.00

I swear I'm about to click...

Thanks for a great year and here's to a prosperous 2009!

Take care, Lori

Buy This So I Won't-Volume 3 - Signs

Well, boys and girls, it's time for yet another installment of what has become a very guilty pleasure of mine: my weekly waxing about things I want but won't allow myself to buy. This week it's art. My art habit is vast and would be horrifically out of control if it weren't for the fact that I live in a very small apartment that is literally slammed full of everything at the moment. There is no more room on the walls for another piece of abstract art (aka crack cocaine to me). There are probably fifty photographs in my Etsy favorites that I would buy right now if I knew how to mount pictures on my ceiling without killing myself. But this week's fascination is art of a different type; it's an extension, I guess, of last week's pick but it goes a little further...it's signs!

My love affair with signs comes from that same font-tastic place inside me that makes me swoon over walls of over-stuffed bookshelves. I fantasize about building a dream house where all the walls are bookshelves--like in the Clue house-- and they're also all secret walls like in Scooby Doo so that when you lean on them, you end up in a room with more bookshelves! I know what you're thinking...."Oh my god...

and you're right but hear me out. , for

and and I really need to remember those things.

Sometimes I need signs to inspire me, to remind me why tomorrow matters to me:
and why it doesn't matter to others I care deeply about:.

And so, dear reader, I burden you with this task this week (perhaps someone can make me a sign?) to Buy These So I Won't! That's right, I'm asking you to make the first move.

Because if a sign can do it, you can, too!

(And if you do, convo me with the transaction # and I'll give you 20% off any piece in my shop, Risky Beads, because you just saved me some money! Offer is valid at Etsy or Artfire.)

All signs can be found at StencilStudio's Etsy shop! Go pay them a visit! They have many, many more signs that the ones in this post! Have a great holiday!

Until next time,
Lori

Keeping Up With the Trendistas

There's been a trend happening on Etsy the last few months that I really don't like. It typically surfaces in these marketing emails I get every day that advise me how to get someone's 'look' by buying particular items on Etsy. They link back to Etsy's blog and are part of the 'Etsy Finds' series. Here are a few:

12/14/08 Etsy Finds: Get Laurie of Two Trick Pony's Look - Home Decor Edition
11/30/08 Etsy Finds: Getting Susanna Carrillo's Look - Home Decor Edition
11/23/08 Etsy Finds: Getting Kat Heyes' Look - Home Decor Edition
11/16/08 Etsy Finds: Getting Christie Chase's Look - Home Decor Edition
11/9/08 Etsy Finds: Getting Drink and Dream's Look - Home Decor Edition
11/2/08 Etsy Finds: Getting Adelle Robinson's Look - Home Decor Edition
10/26/08 Etsy Finds: Getting Abigail Ahern's Look - Home Decor Edition

I skipped one that was about getting the 'Joni Mitchell' look because that's a little different, and there's no shame in being a fangirl. There are probably even more if you go further back into the series, but I think that's enough of them to get my drift.

I sigh every time I see one of these articles. I understand the idea behind them, I suppose, but isn't Etsy about individuality? Don't we want people to come to the marketplace because they can get unique, one-of-a-kind products? Why are we encouraging people to come to Etsy to replicate someone else's style? Granted, there are millions of people who want to do that and who do it everyday; that's why Target and Wal-Mart make millions selling budget home decor products. But is that really who the Etsy customer is?

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the answer is 'yes.' The Etsy customer isn't this uber-indie pot of a gold waiting for all of us at the end of the rainbow, but rather a 'regular' person who gets excited when she/he sees all of the amazing products on Etsy and decides on her/his own to forget about Target and come over to the Orange Side. Do we really think this customer needs to be told how to emulate someone else's style? If they were smart enough to get to Etsy, I think they can handle their own home decor obligations.

Come on, it's just marketing, you say. Lighten up! And we have the perfect Abigail Ahern look-a-like lamp to help you! Okay, wait just a minute. Let's back up the boat here...

Do you 'just-like-insert uber-cool designer-here' sellers want to be labeled as such? Do you make your pillows and lamps and drawer pulls to be re-branded as a alternative (cheaper or not) to someone else's idea? Um, I doubt it. (Feel free to tell me if I'm wrong.)

I've felt a tide rising on Etsy for the past five months or so, and I couldn't quite explain it, but I think the Orange (sugar-free, blech) Kool-aid is rising above many of our heads because the entire marketing focus is centered around defining the seller and the buyer. Don't smack me, but that's what Wal-Mart has done, right? Think about it. Wal-Mart, to its credit, has become the world's largest retailer by defining the seller...

If you can't sell your goods to Wal-Mart because you can't sell in bulk or at the price point they demand, then you automatically lose out on a huge customer base. If you do sell to Wal-Mart, they become your biggest customer and their demand typically swallows your inventory capacity, making it a challenge to even have product to sell to other vendors. The product you do have left to sell, you have to sell at a higher price to make up for the cut you gave Wal-Mart. Who wants to pay more for your product when they know that their customer can go buy it for less at Wal-Mart? Begin endless cycle...

and the buyer...

If you don't shop at Wal-Mart, you're paying more for almost everything now, considering Wal-Mart sells discount products, groceries, prescriptions, Big Macs, manicures, Starbucks, and eye glasses. As the recession continues, mid-range retailers are filing bankruptcy. For example, Linens-n-Things, Circuit City, etc. Wal-Mart sells electronics and sheets and towels and candles much cheaper, so see ya later mid-range retailer. When will Wal-Mart do my taxes?

Okay, so what does that have to do with Etsy? Well, aren't they defining the seller by narrowing the exposure of thousands of sellers through myopic marketing campaigns and practices? If Etsy consistently arranges the e-windows of it's shop to reflect products that look like they were hand-delivered by the editors of an indi-mag, then isn't that what Etsy is? Are we supposed to sip lattes at a locally owned coffee establishment, flip through the latest issue of a crafty magazine and think, I saw something just like this at Etsy? I thought we were supposed to think just the opposite.

And haven't they just defined the buyer? Why is a buyer going to come to Etsy for something other than what's in that magazine if that's all she knows? Because I left my business card on her laptop when she went to get a refill? Man, don't make me do that. I don't even drink coffee. And what about the live shopping events this month with big names in the crafting and indie-fashion world? You could attend these events and watch what someone else wants to buy.

What?

I need help with a lot of things in life, but I can assure you that shopping is NOT one of them.

Time to start packing my non-trendy orders. Proudly.

-Lori