Save 15% on our Ceramic Word Stones. Now through Friday, September 30, 2016.
Offer good on stock items only. Sale cannot be applied to previous offers.
Etsy Shop – Recovery Stones
Limited production recovery stones. Available in our Etsy shop only.
Easy Does It; First Things First; First Thought Wrong; Principles Before Personalities
$5/each
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CourageInStone.com on Etsy
Did you know that we have an Etsy Shop? It’s slightly different from our website – pop on over and see what we have to offer! Gifts, one-of-a-kinds, and limited production stones.
In the Etsy store, we’ve put together some sweet little trios of tokens that come in a gold gift bag. These gift bags are perfect as party favors, house warming gifts, pick-me-ups for a friend, congratulations and so much more.
Over on Etsy we also offer limited production engraved river rocks. These are overstock of custom designs that we’ve created over the years that are not in our regular stock inventory. From graphics like pumpkins to inspirational sayings, you never know if something is going to be the perfect stone you’ve been looking for! Hurry though, once these sell out, they are gone forever.
We also have one-of-a-kind glass stones, like this ‘Hand Over My Heart’ imprinted glass stone.
So, hurry on over and read our 5 Star reviews and make us one of your favorite shops!
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Friends Forever
If you want to be happy…
“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.” ~Andrew Carnegie
Limited production engraved river rock – found in our Etsy shop.
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Biggest Sale Yet! Save 20%
The Genie doesn’t photograph well…
Save 20% and qualify for free standard USA shipping when you purchase $50+ site wide.
Use coupon code: ENDOFSUMMER
Hurry, coupon expires September 15, 2016
Fine print: Coupon may only be used once per customer, and cannot be used on previous orders or combined with other offers.
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And Now Introducing…
Back in October, I wrote a post describing how a ‘Behind the Scenes’ day came to be. You can read it here. My talented photographer friend from Three Continents Photography came out to the warehouse and captured a ‘day in the life’ of CourageInStone.com. I have to admit, it was kinda weird. When you’re having your photo taken of your everyday actions, it’s terribly difficult to remember to act naturally. But, all the dusting and cleaning and primping paid off and I think she created a perfect photo story of what life is like here at our offices. Hopefully you’ll enjoy ‘meeting’ us and getting to know us a little bit better.
I will start by showing off a series of my favorites from the day. These photos I think capture the essence of our business, personalities and philosophy.
Obviously, packing is a huge piece of our business. Like the packing station, it took years of trial and error to fine tune our shipping methods. Finding the right packaging materials and most efficient manner of shipping sounds easy, but it’s an oddly tedious undertaking. Customers order all kinds of different combinations of items. And the difference of a few ounces in weight or a day or two quicker in time in transit can mean a huge difference in shipping costs. So over the years we’ve gotten pretty darn good at using each shipping method to our advantage. So, while our shipping ‘department’ is only one person, it’s a very, very important and detailed part of the company. Here’s Beth in action!
One of the super fun parts of the job is bringing in or designing new merchandise. It’s a tricky thing, though. Even after years and years of practice, sometimes we just don’t get it right. But, when we do, it’s super satisfying and exciting. Once we decide on a new product, photos need to be taken and merchandising begins. We have to think of descriptions, take measurements, and list them on 5 different websites. It’s a process, for sure. Here is Suzi and I working on a new project – these are our new Ceramic Stone Necklaces, which are only found in our Etsy shop.
And what office is complete without a canine staff? Surely we have the cutest and cuddliest 4-legged workers in all the east?! Baxter is the worlds friendliest cockapoo and most definitely the favorite of the delivery folks. He takes his job as dock door greeter very, very seriously. Louie, on the other hand, is a mutt who is slightly suspicious of those loud trucks…but he serves as a great guard dog! Of course, he can always be convinced to relax with a cookie or two. The delivery people take great pride in winning him over!
So, the next time you order, I hope it helps that we’ve ‘introduced’ ourselves. Are we and this place what you imagined?
~Brenda, Suzi, Beth, Louie and Baxter
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It’s hard to say goodbye
Years ago when I first started this business, my first line of word stones were very similar to the picture above. They were made of marble, and were etched with about 50 different words. They were great sellers, but they needed some improvement and we eventually decided to design our own using a new manufacturer. The line pictured above was born. We call them Marble Energy Stones.
We eventually expanded our inventory to include words engraved or imprinted on river rocks, glass, pewter and even ceramic. But as we grew our lines, the marble stones took a back seat. River rocks became our #1 seller…I think because of their organic nature and price points. The marble stones just weren’t holding their own anymore.
The shift happened about 5 years ago, and each year since, as we brought in new product and liquidated old, I would campaign to keep these marble stones that reminded me of how far we’ve come and carried a nostalgic weight. Deep down I knew it was not business savvy to keep these stones. But I have poured my heart and soul into this business and to give up on an original product seemed like failure.
That is, until we had so many other great, wonderful and fantastic products that we just don’t have room for those original stones. We are beyond excited about all the new stones and tokens and pocket pieces we have in stock and in the works. Our creative juices are flowing…we’ve got so much new energy and we’re so jazzed to spread as much inspiration as we can!
And so here we are. I am ready to say goodbye to these marble stones. And yes, they are ‘just’ stones, but they are more than that to me, and always will be.
~Brenda
P.S. These Marble Energy Stones are now on sale while supplies last. A superb deal at $1.25/each (down from $2.50/ea)! They truly are beautiful stones…deeply engraved with gorgeous swirls of color. But I’m not biased. 😉
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It’s spring! Out with the old and in with the new!
Who doesn’t like this time of year? Seriously, is there anyone? Explain yourself! We’ve had a long winter in this part of the world – mid-atlantic – and we are chomping at the bit for some new buds, warmer temperatures and a fresh perspective on the world.
Coincidently it’s springtime in our warehouse, too. We’ve spent the second half of the winter cleaning out our inventory, sweeping up the warehouse and tracking down new merchandise. We are very, very excited to be bringing in some fresh, new pocket tokens and putting some oldies but goodies in the clearance bin!
We are super excited about our new line of mini-keys. These small keys are perfect to thread on a keychain or necklace. Take that ‘Key to Happiness’ with you wherever you go! Need to know the ‘Key to Love’? No problem! $1.95 gets you the answer! 😉
We also added a few adorable tokens to our Inspiration Coin line. A favorite of mine? An anchor that says ‘Refuse to Sink’. Who can’t use a reminder to never give up?
Also new is the pewter Pocket Cross. Simple, elegant and streamlined. Slip it in your pocket for a daily reminder.
When you get a chance, come visit us. Check out our sale items and browse our new tokens. I can almost guarantee you’ll find something you like!
Happy Spring! May the birds be chirpin’, buds be poppin’ and inspiration be flowin’ in your neck of the woods!
~Brenda
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You sell what?
When I tell people what I do for a living, their reaction typically involves a puzzled look coupled with a tilt of the head.
“You pack and ship rocks?”
I follow-up that question with a pantomime of a small rock using my thumb and forefinger. “Yeah, you know, little word stones about ye big that people use for motivation or gifts.”
To which they inevitably respond “Oh, gotcha, I think my (fill in the blank) got me one of those that said (hope, courage, love, joy…) for my birthday once…those things are so cool!”
Damn straight they’re cool. That’s why I sell them.
I did not start out selling rocks. I started out finding old beat up furniture at yard sales, slapping a coat of white paint on, sanding the edges and calling it shabby chic. I had a lot of fun doing it and got the bright idea to open a shop. So I started a store in downtown Annapolis in August of 2001.
As is common, however, turning a hobby into an actual viable business model proved to be very difficult. Finding the ugly furniture and turning it into something attractive and usable – lots of fun. The 14 hour days with zero pay – not so fun. I loved the idea of having my own business, and found I was good at many aspects of retail, but I just needed to find a product that made sense for what my goals were, both in life and in business.
I have always been a huge fan of motivational quotes. I have a collection of quote books and have often been known to spout out random uplifting passages. So when I went to a gift show in 2002 and found some small engraved word stones (made of resin – yikes!), I was immediately hooked.
As the online boom hit, the brick and mortar store quickly gave way to a website and in 2006 I closed the storefront to concentrate solely on the online business. To my delight and surprise, the rest of the world already knew about the word stones and demand grew and grew. We now carry hundreds of styles of word stones – none of them resin thank goodness – along with a delightful collection of pewter pocket tokens.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job is that everyone has a story about why they need our items. We have heard heart breaking stories of our products being used at memorial services and funerals; funny, sweet stories of grandmothers buying gifts for grandchildren; and tender, touching stories of our products being sent to troops overseas. It is gratifying that we, in a small way, can be a part of these important events.
So yes, I sell stones. My job rocks!
CourageInStone 