Hello Pretty is Winding Down

After more than ten fulfilling, magical years beginning in the good old days of 2012, Hello Pretty is retiring and heading off to the beach with a drink with a tiny umbrella.

Read our goodbye letter

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Attending the protests against gender-based violence in Cape Town

On Thursday the 5th of September thousands of women and men matched in solidarity to parliament to protest against gender based violence. For as long as I can remember South Africa has had an uncomfortably high rate of rape and murder. This really hit home over the course of last month (Women's month) with several high profile rapes and murders. 

Finally, South Africans reached breaking point and decided enough is enough. The public wanted to be heard, wanted to be listened to, wanted to be understood. And so we heard the accounts from rape survivors, from rape crisis organisations and from the President himself. Many sobbed in the crowd, either direct victims of sexual abuse or gender based violence, or knowing someone who has been. People were furious, outraged and heartbroken.

When our President addressed the crowd people chanted 'action action action'. The public will no longer tolerate empty promises and empty words. The President was even booed by the crowd several times as the people want action. The people of South Africa want change. The proposed reforms the President was speaking about should be standard in any case, now all we can do is to keep the same energy directed towards this issue. The same feelings of zero tolerance. 

Hello Pretty supports many women-run businesses and we just want our sellers as well as our customers to know that we will continue to support you in every way we can. We hope that our platform contributes to a sense of empowerment in this rather tumultuous climate we're experiencing here in South Africa at the moment.
 

Hello Dutch Pretty - meet Sem!

Hi there, my name is Sem (yes, this is my full name), a Dutch Fashion Student who’s ready to be Hello Pretty’s intern for the next five months. I feel blessed to get this great opportunity to be part of the Hello Pretty family and to live in this fantastic city (Cape Town).

I'm a spontaneous and sociable twenty-two year old girl who's always up for a party, so I can't leave good food and drinks standing. I love to travel and my dream is to see as much of the world as possible. I’ve left a bunch of lovely people in the Netherlands to start this adventure, but I've already found a lot of lovely friends in Cape Town.

I came to CPT with a 60 KG suitcase fully packed with clothes, I love clothes.

I'm in the process of completing my studies, and I'm sure that Hello Pretty has a lot to offer me, so I can go home with a new family, two suitcases full of knowledge, a lot of great memories and to graduate in February and rock all the Dutch people's asses off. I am excited to show you what I (& Hello Pretty) have to offer.

Byeee (in Holland I say: GROETJES)
P.s. I cannot wait to face a new summer season!!!!

Giveaway: Wishfull Thinking & Hello Pretty

We're super excited to go live with this giveaway in collaboration with one of our sellers, Wishfull Thinking. 

Leigh-Ann and her mom Bev design and craft decor for your little one's nursery or bedroom. All of their products are handcrafted and made with the utnmost love. They're hoping to add some sparkle and magic to kid's bedroom decor. And we absolutely love what these two ladies have been creating.

So if you feel like winning this magical unicorn garland then simply head on over to either our Facebook page or Instagram page and get liking. The giveaway will run for a week. Good luck :)
 

Hello Pretty featured on Entrepreneur.com

Hey All,

We thought we'd share this exciting feature with you from Entrepreneur.com, written by Nicole Crampton. It showcases Hello Pretty as one of ten examples to inspire your next business idea ??? Thank you Nicole, we are really honoured.

We really are passionate about providing South Africans with a good platform to sell their designs and crafts. We love supporting small and local because this is where communities really develop and grow. Like most of you, we are a small company with 4 people so we really do relate to just how challenging (yet rewarding) doing everything yourselves can be.

So we thought we'd take this opportunity to say thank you for all of the support. We would never be where we are today without our sellers, designers and customers.

We know that starting any kind of business can seem like a daunting prospect but Hello Pretty does all we can to make it super simple and easy. So if you're umming and ahhing about whether you should put yourself out there - we're here to tell you "we'd love to have you"! Please join us at  at this link: http://hellopretty.co.za/sell

Love The HP Team

Hey ? HP Seller, Clay Creations 56

Hi my name is Debbi Radomsky and my business is Clay Creations 56 where I make and sell beautiful unique ceramic pieces, ideal for home decor or serving delicious meals and snacks. My multifunctional pottery pieces can be used for jewellery, sweets, condiments, tapas, salads, fruit or just to simply adorn your dining room table with a touch of pretty.

They are also perfect gifts for any occasion - birthdays, engagements, weddings, house warmings, dinner parties or to simply spoil yourself because you deserve it!
 

Pottery is my happy place and where I can escape from the day to day stress of the real world. I always remember loving art classes as a child and especially enjoyed getting my hands messy with clay while making small pinch pots in my pottery classes. But then as I grew up I lost touch with my creative side and was very focused on numbers and left-brain thinking which lead me into a financial career. It was only 8 years ago that I decided to listen to my instinct and follow my longing for some creativity with clay and it has been the best thing I have ever done! 

I am so enjoying being a female entrepreneur and running my own small sideline business. It’s a hobby that has become a passion to express myself and take a break from the rat race. I’ve learned so much in this process and unlike numbers and finance which are either right or wrong, with ceramics everything is uncertain and unpredictable. Sometimes the kiln gods take over and what you receive as the end result is a complete surprise! A good lesson in life that things don’t always go according to plan and to let go and enjoy the process anyway. The unexpected result is often better than the original concept! 

I enjoy making platters, bowls, vases and sculptures and find working with clay so rewarding as one has to display patience and special love for a project to get the desired outcome. I hand make everything myself either at home or at a studio in Cape Town CBD with the inspiring backdrop of Table Mountain. The beauty around me in nature and everyday life sets the tone for my various ranges, but ocean blue is my personal favourite! All my work is available to purchase online at Hello Pretty or in the various shops I stock around the country. 

This blog post is one in Hello Pretty's guest blog series. Each post is written by a person who is running their online store though South Africa's favourite art, design & craft marketplace.

If you'd like to more view guest posts in this series, and other posts where we interview local businesses, click here.

Wanna write a guest post on Hello Pretty? Email us at info@hellopretty.co.za to find out more.

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