That's probably enough for now! More new pieces coming soon.. stay tuned! Visit Risky Beads to shop and don't forget to use code FALL10 for 10% off thru 10.31.15.
~Lori
Monday, September 28, 2015
New Designs at Risky Beads - Coffee, Wine, and Monograms
Fall is here and we've been busy coming up with new designs for our shop! Here's a sneak peek at some of the new pieces - all of which are available on Etsy. Thru 10.31.15, you can use code FALL10 to get 10% off!
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Risky Beads / The Twisted Screw Chain and Leather Cord Chart
Just uploading this here for reference. :)
Friday, August 7, 2015
Celebrate 8 Years on Etsy with Free Shipping & $5 Flat Rate International thru 8/9!
Today, August 7, 2015, marks 8 years on Etsy! It's crazy to think that Risky Beads started slow with a few crazy beading ideas and has grown into what it is today! Celebrate with us with Free Shipping on all USA orders and $5 Flat Rate International thru 8/9!
Offer also valid at our other shop, The Twisted Screw!!
Offer also valid at our other shop, The Twisted Screw!!
Friday, May 22, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
Shopping & Selling on Hatch.co - 3 Reasons why it works for me
As someone who's been selling handmade, hand stamped jewelry for several years (in fact, we just passed 21,000 sales on Etsy!), I am always looking for new sites on which to sell my products. When I started hand stamping a few years ago, I immediately branched out into 3 other venues (ArtFire, Zibbet, and 1000Markets), and while I had some success on those sites, they either ultimately failed as venues (1000Markets was sold to Bonanza) or turned out to be too much work for not enough profit (ArtFire, Zibbet). As a result, I began to pull all my resources back in and focus just on Etsy and decided that I would be *very* picky about the next routes I took to expand.
And I was.
In the last couple of years, I decided to take some new strategic steps to grow my business. My initial goal was to sell on venues that weren't just trying to be Etsy clones. Another was building my own web store and lastly, accepting an invitation to sell on Hatch.co.
And it was the right decision!
Hatch has a few features that make it a palatable marketplace for someone like me and my little business. I thought I'd share a few.
1. First and foremost, it's a juried site that features only handmade products. Hatch invites sellers in and accepts applications here. Here's what they're looking for:
"We seek out makers who take pride in their creations and want customers to feel proud owning them. Every item on Hatch is made by people who are creators, designers, artists, and makers first; sellers second. Craftsmanship trumps the bottom line. Process is just as important as the end result. We are looking for young creative businesses who are looking to grow. They may be a one-person operation now, but their aspirations run larger. Hatch can help you get there."
In my couple of years on Hatch, I've never once seen a seller or an item that didn't belong in the handmade marketplace. That's a tall order to fill and yet, they've done it. Hatch also screens every listing that submitted to make sure it meets their standards, has good photos, etc.
There are approximately 1000 sellers on Hatch and Anastasia Leng, Hatch CEO, puts their philosophy this way:
"One
key difference is that Hatch is highly curated. We reject 90% of
seller applications that are coming in these days, and we value working
with the best makers & designers who take great pride in what they
do. Our vision is to become the place to discover the best designers and
makers out there, a place with a consistent level of product quality, a
place where every maker is proud to be showcased next to the other
makers in our community."
2. Hatch offers a structured selling experience that's uncomplicated and values the personal relationships makers form with shoppers. If you're like me, you've probably given a few sites a try and found out in short order that you have to learn a whole new category structure, listing process, and SEO (search-engine optimization) strategy just to get your products out there. Hatch is different. The listing process is simple and obvious. I don't have to stress about things like, "How will a customer know where/when to provide their personalization?" or "Did I post my production time in 17 places so hopefully a customer will see it?"
In fact, my favorite part of selling/listing on Hatch is the way they handle variations. For instance, look at this listing of a wrapped bracelet in my shop on Hatch. See those little red dots? They identify exactly what info the customer needs to provide for me in a way that is easier on me and on my customer! My business is about the tiny details, and nothing makes me happier than being able to clearly communicate that!
Also, you can list a product in up to 5 categories (!!!) and the tagging process allows you to choose from selected tags for your materials, style, theme, and who the item is best suited for.
I've been very pleased with the customer service at Hatch as well. Anytime I have emailed support with questions, concerns, or suggestions, I am always responded to in no more than 24 hours and a few of my suggestions have even been incorporated into the site.
3. Customers are able to shop personalized items of every sort in an easy, fun, and systematic way:
It's important to me to support small businesses when I shop, and I appreciate that Hatch makes that easy, fun, and apparent. When you find yourself overwhelmed either buying or selling on Etsy, take a little time to visit Hatch and see what you think. Already visited? Let me know what you think in the comments! You can visit Risky Beads on Hatch here.
More soon ~ Lori
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
Mother's Day Order Deadline is Friday, May 1, 2015!
Mother's Day is Sunday, May 10th this year, and our order deadline is this Friday, May 1, 2015! (Applies to USA orders; international deadline has passed.) Handmade products take longer to make, and we need time for each and every order. Need some ideas? Read our recent post with Mother's Day ideas and check out all of our shopping destinations:
Risky Beads on Etsy - huge variety
Risky Beads on Hatch - super easy personalization!
Risky Beads NEW website - 15% off sitewide with code MOM15
And don't forget that Father's Day is right around the corner!!
~Lori
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
New Mother's Day Designs from Risky Beads
Mother's Day is coming quickly! It's Sunday, May 10, 2015, so about a month away. We have tons of new designs for mom this year -- some are brand new and some are freshened up! Let's take a peek! Our layered key chains are always a hit, and this year, we've freshened them up with some new looks!
Next to our layered key chains, our ribbon wrap bracelets are an uber-popular gift idea and on trend! This year we've added 7 new ribbon colors this year and the bracelet below features one of them, Forgotten Forest, with our new initial discs add-ons.
Customers have been asking us for a larger key chain for awhile now, one where we could fit longer quotes. We've had a new aluminum tag cut just for us, and we're showing it off with our new Mother's quote key chain.
We can even customize the back up to 25 characters!
Our 3 layer necklaces are always popular, and we've freshened up this design a little with new metal options and chain options.
We started stamping the 50 states this year, and this key chain is a simple reminder to Mom about how much she and home means to you.
Another new option this year is double-sided aluminum cuffs! Here's an example for mom, but the sky's the limit with what we can do with these amazing bracelets! (Plus size available.)
Inside of Bracelet
And lastly, we launched a secret message style of key chain this year to give you a chance to make your special message to mom personal and to have an even cooler 2 layer key chain to boot!
Lastly, and possibly most proudly, we debut our new Birth Announcement Key Chain for new mommies!
We hope these new designs inspire you to make this Mother's Day a great one and remember that we're always here to answer questions and help you out! Contact us on Etsy or at riskybeads@gmail.com.
Until next time
~Lori
Monday, March 16, 2015
Friday, January 23, 2015
LGBT Couples - Valentine's Day Gift Ideas
Here at Risky Beads, we're proud to cater to couples of all persuasions and have many designs tailored to gay and lesbian couples. Here are a few designs:
(We carry both charms)
(We carry male stamp as well.)
We have so many more designs to choose from in our shop or you can filter specifically by COUPLES and see designs dedicated to all love birds! You can also view our previous Valentine's Day Posts here.
Stay Romantic, Lori
P.S. Cater to your naughtier Valentine at our other shop: The Twisted Screw.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
It takes two - Valentine's Day designs for Couples
Being a couple is pretty awesome, right? Whether your a long-established one or a brand new one, we have great designs for Valentine's Day. We proudly cater to couples of any persuasion! Here are a few:
See all of our Couples themed items HERE. Stay tuned tomorrow for a post dedicated to LGBT couples!
Hug your sweetheart today, Lori
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
New Valentine's Day Gift Ideas from Risky Beads
Well, the new year is off and running isn't it? For those of you who've found true love or even just fun love, Valentine's Day is right around the corner. We've been busy at Risky Beads creating new designs for the occasion! Here's a sampling of what we've been up to:
We've launched our new beaded bangles for all occasions, but we have some specifically designed for Valentine's Day:
<-----------
---------->
(leather cord or ball chain, your choice)
Also available as a Key Chain/Necklace set
(See all Collar Stays here.)
And, of course, we came up with some brand new quirky ideas for Valentine's Day, too! A great way to say 'i love you' to anyone in your life from family to friends to lovers....
Stay tuned for our new Couple's pieces tomorrow! And if your Valentine is little naughtier than others, check out our sister shop, The Twisted Screw!
Stay crafty-
Lori
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