Follow your heart or follow a more proven formula? This question is present in many many forms. What to advise my soon-to-be college bound teens in what to study? How to decide on which charity to donate my time and money? What to produce in my small business?

That last question is easier (a little). Though it is important to make income from the jewelry crafting, I don't live off the sales. I have the luxury of using the money for non-necessities. Certainly any hobbyist seller should prioritize their goals. Mine seem to be: (1) creative or artistic fulfillment; (2) income; (3) tax deduction; etc.

So I concentrate on making what I want, sometimes the results are popular, sometimes not.

The holiday events are (nearly) over for

Pretty Cheap Jewelry and the bottom line is solidly black. Here's the summary-

Wire weave jewelry +++++
Beaded glove sales +++
Vintage glove sales -
Handbound Booklet +
Collage Card +
Jeweled egg +

Guess what 2014 will bring? Luckily the wire design is what I want to do.

All hope is not lost on showing off the vintage gloves and the jeweled eggs, there are spring holiday events. But there will be a big GIVE AWAY if many of these things are still around in mid 2014 (I do NOT like clutter!).

The first week of the year brings new items to my Etsy site, in fact a few have already arrived...

Pink Ribbon Pearl Necklace
An update to a traditional look, a large pink glass pearl is set in a 3-strand wire weave. Hung on 18" black leather. See more here. Perfect for Valentine's Day, priced to fit small budgets.



Sail Boat Silver and Blue
Nice contrast of circles and lines around a sky blue cut crystal. Modern yet feminine design has enough detail to impress, never too much to be gaudy. More pictures and info here



Thanks for the reading, see you in 2014!