Hi everyone and welcome to my first ever blog post. I have been putting off starting a blog for YEARS. Mostly because I already work 90 hours a week and it's just one more thing, plus my spelling is atrocious and I'm forgetful. However I'm going to do my best to post once a week, I'm thinking Tuesday's (I'll post on Monday and Thursday for the first few weeks). For my first few blogs I'm going to do question and answer about me and how awesome I am. After that who knows what I'll write about, It might be a jewelry project, or an up coming sale, a show that I have just been to, some strange event or mundane that has happened in my life, the latest craft project, or even my favorite recipe. Really it will just be what ever comes to mind with no real direction... or at least that's the current plan.
Q: Hi nice to meet you I have a few questions for you today.
A: I'll do my best.
Q: Great lets start the Q&A.
Question 1. How Long have you been making Jewelry?
Answer 1: You know I get this question ALL the time and I am always conflicted on how I should answer that. Keep in mind that I have always been into crafting so for most of the years until I started my business I did not focus on any one thing, I tried a little of everything. Painting, Drawing, Pottery, Sewing, Sculpture, Jewelry Making, Candle Making, and any other craft that popped into mind. Now back to the main focus.
Do I tell you about the first time I made any jewelry by myself? I was in Kindergarten and I pulled out the beads from Mom's crafting closet grabbed my dental-floss (cinnamon flavored) and made a necklace just for me. I still have the necklace and if you rub the beads back and forth along the strand it still smells like cinnamon. However my Honey-Bunny says this is a cheat since kids are always making crafts.
My next answer would be in High School we had a student art teacher for about 6 weeks and he was all about trying new things. One of the projects was to gather up odds and ends plus some normal jewelry making supply's and create a necklace or bracelet. Loved that project, but I don't remember what I made or what happened to the piece just that it was really fun. It was; I think, what started my addiction to collecting beads. The making of jewelry was only now and then, mostly I enjoyed collected the beads planing on doing something later.
My last answer would be how I started my business. Jump forward about 7-8 years to when I was 24. I had just gone to a bead show, it's a show open to the public where you can buy beads not available at the local stores. I could have bought it all online, but at the time I was all about buying the beads I did make things, but buying the beads was the best part. I went to my Honey-Bunny's house before going home to show him what I had found. I was so proud of my little bag of beads. When I told him how much I spent on the small bag of beads he gave me a look that clearly said that I had lost my mind. When I pulled out a VERY small bag of beads and told him how much it was for an ounce, he told me that if he was not looking at what I had bought he would think I was talking about buying Drugs and that clearly something was wrong with this situation. I must admit looking back he had a very good point. Then he convened me to get a wholesale license and just buy my beads that way. After some thought I went to downtown Greensboro (Greensboro, NC) and registered my company (not having thought of a name until I was filling out the form, so what I'm saying is Unique Creations was born in a 5 minute brain fry) and got a Tax ID. My first order of beads; which granted was not of the best quality, cost around the same as the small bag of beads that I had bought at the show. However when the box came to my door it was 100 pounds of beads. Yikes! What was going to do with all these beads? So I made a bunch of things went to a craft show and amazingly people liked what I had and gave me money for it. I actually made more in my first 4 shows (all small 1 day shows) then I did in a month of my Executive Administrative Assistant job. When my boss asked if there was anyone that would be willing to be “Right Sized” (fired) and if someone volunteered they would get a severance package (small) I took the leap of faith. With the money for volunteering, odd jobs and unemployment I was able to get my company going in only 6 months and have been a happy crafter ever since.
More of Q&A to come
