The Story Behind It

I may make this a semi-regular feature on my blog. Today I will tell you the story behind one of the pieces in my Etsy shop. You see, by the time I finish a piece of jewelry, it already has certain memories and associations attached to it. Today's story is about this Zebra Stone bracelet, which represents friendship to me:
This bracelet brings to mind a wonderful trip I made to visit my high school best friend in Sacramento. I love visiting her because she welcomes me with open arms and encourages me to remember all the silly things from our childhood. We also get to do girly things, like get pedicures and go to bead shops!

In the downtown bead shop she took me to, I found a kind of shangi la. Three tables full of loose bead strands on sale! I sorted through every single strand and my friend didn't complain (she's not a beader). I walked out with 13 strands, including the ones I used in this bracelet. It's a good thing beads are small and lightweight since I was flying home!

I have such warm memories from that visit and spending the day with my friend. She's known me longer than anyone but my siblings, and I know she'll always be there. She just celebrated a birthday, so Happy Birthday, friend!

Birth of the Boutique

Click here for more bracelet photos!

My sister-in-law originally taught me to make beaded jewelry, and before long the necklaces and bracelets started stacking up. What to to? I decided to throw a jewelry party for my co-workers in my home and it was a huge success! It felt so good to see my jewelry bringing pleasure to others instead of sitting in my spare room.

The idea of selling online began to appeal to me so I'd have a permanent way of displaying and selling my jewelry. My motive is not profit - I'm happy just to make back the cost of new supplies and listing fees. I enjoy seeing others take pleasure in what I create.

I started my Etsy store almost a year ago and it's been a lot of fun! I love seeing what the other Etsians are creating. Handmade items display a level of craftsmanship, artistry, creativity and fun I never knew existed in the world of retail! And that, in the end, is the real payoff of being part of the Etsy community.