Riding the Roller Coaster

Running your own business is like riding a roller coaster. It's fun, exciting, challenging, breath-taking and exhilarating! Unlike a roller coaster, it's a lot of hard work too.

I'm sure all of you who are making and selling jewelry know exactly what I'm talking about. You need to having marketing skills, photographic skills, math skills, of course, the artistic skills to create beautiful works that customers will want to buy -- and then the money savvy to put the right price tag on the merchandise. (I'll cover this topic in more depth in another entry.)

After all that comes the roller coaster ride: Watching the customers "ooh and ahh" over your creations, pay you the wonderful compliments, pay you for your time and materials by making a purchase. Ca-ching! the bank account is getting fat. Those are the high points. The sweet taste of success!

Of course, what goes up must come down: Working until all hours getting ready for arts and crafts shows, or merchandise sitting and not selling, or you paid too much for materials, or marketing costs were more than you had anticipated. Yep, it happens to all of us.

As an artisan, this is the life we choose. It comes with the pitfalls of any profession. It comes with highs and lows. But would you have it any other way? I wouldn't. It's hard work but it's so rewarding. We get to use our artistic gifts to bring pleasure to others, and to ourselves during the creative process. We also get to bang our heads against the wall when the design that is in our head won't come out on in the jewelry (don't you just hate that??)

Most people live life on a pretty level playing field -- we get to take a ride on a roller coaster everyday and, speaking for myself, I LOVE IT!

That's it for now -- don't forget to "Pay it forward."......Jill


New Necklace Designs from Lorelei

Check out these beautiful new designs from Lorelei! She's done some elegant work with my large filigree dragonfly, some fun chain from Michael's, soft sage beads, and Moon Charm. And I love the one below. The Arial chain is so perfect with the hammered ring. The color play with the glass beads against the dragonfly connector makes this piece sizzle.....love the wire wrapping too!

Visit Lorelei's blog and Etsy shop:
blog: http://lorelei1141.blogspot.com/
shop: http://www.lorelei1141.etsy.com/

Lorelei lives in Upstate NY and is a full-time art museum Assistant Registrar. She's been making jewelry for a little over a year, selling on Etsy for just a year. Lorelei is married, has no children, but does have a spoiled cat named Marley.

Thanks Lorelei for sharing your gifts with us!


Check out the Brass Bouquet website at: http://www.brassbouquet.com/
Write me at: brassbouquet@comcast.net
And -- send your pictures for me to post on the blog!