The Beginning and The End

I have had so much going on this year, it's sometimes hard to put it into words. I've been overwhelmed at times with being a stay at home mom. I have done so much work for my business to try and get our name out there and gain some more sales. There have been a lot of disappointments, mainly with advertising not working out or some flops with shows we've participated in. I am, however still perservering and am looking for new avenues to further promote my handcrafted jewelry business. I love doing what I do and want to learn some new techniques and really find my true style of design. I've already booked one big show for February, which we participated in last year. Shecky's Girls Night Out is a shopping event that is super fun with lots of great discounts. Check them out if they come to your area! For me, this is the beginning of a new year as I have had to make some major decisions in my life. Without going into too much detail, both my personal life and "professional" life will be going through some major changes I believe.

Another major change is the end of Skwigga-zine. The editor, Missy, started a really great community geared towards independant artists and helping us to promote each other. She put a lot of effort into it, but when life got a little too hectic, she asked me to step in as Co-editor. I was pleased to do so and had started a spotlight on jewelry designers, gained us some more advertising, and wrote a weekly feature on How Do We Get Ourselves Out There? Unfortunately, most of the members died off and weren't participating. Each week I'd post about a member of our Blog-Ring group but only a handful of us took the commitment seriously. I am sad to see it go, but completely understand Missy's decision to shut it down. She asked if I would like to take it over, but my plate is already full and I just couldn't commit to it at this time. With one last Blog-ring post, I'd like to spotlight Kelly from Macaroni & Glue. With the holidays right around the corner, check out her shop for unique and festive designs!