Ugh, I'm so bad at this part. I just realized, as I'm updating the webpage, that there's a blog section and I haven't touched it in like 3 years. WTH?! I guess I'd never make a living at this part :-). But I thought it would be a good time to give a little update.
So, I started this little enterprise knowing little more than I loved what I was doing and hoped that it would pay for itself. Three years later I'm happy to say that I still love what I'm doing and it is paying for itself and I actually made a little money on my taxes last year. Woohoo! Now, nothing that I could actually retire or live on, but enough that hubby isn't telling me to pack it in yet.
What this business gives me is a way to live life creatively and have purpose everyday that I may not have otherwise having retired early. I have started attending art and craft shows now and I love them! I love meeting the people and seeing their reaction to my pieces. It fills my heart when people genuinely love what I do and appreciate when pieces are unique. Hubby and I still travel as much as possible. This picture is from a recent trip to Egypt. And when we do we always try to buy stones that are local to the area and come home and incorporate them into the pieces. The inspiration from travel and the local stones is unbelievable!
I have friends that tell me I should market myself better or more often, and I'm sure they are right. But I enjoy my small business. The way it allows me to still make my one off unique pieces and many customs. And it still allows me to get out and meet the people.
I often wonder how long I will create and continue down this path as I continue to buy stones and build my inventory :-), but for now, I couldn't be happier and hope that you enjoy looking at my pieces if you haven't gotten one yet.
Hugs,
Donnalee