In my little part of the world, we’ve had nothing but rain for days on end.
Downpours. Cold. Wind. Thunderstorms.
But I’m not asking for sympathy. No siree. When the weather gets bad, some people read; others sleep.
I bead.
And since I had to attend a special dinner on Saturday evening with Mom, I used that morning to whip up a new pair of earrings to match the outfit I was planning on wearing.
Here’s what I came up with:
Earrings by me
You can’t see the pretty detail from this picture (blame the cloudy skies and the flash on my camera insisting on leaving a gaudy white spot on the black background). But they perfectly matched the color in my top. . . .Wait, I have a better idea! I’ll write a fancy sales copy paragraph describing them.
Simple and elegant — The bottom half of this handmade pair of beaded dangling earrings features five matching, 5 mm round, pink pearls separated by a 1/8-inch ornate silver tube bead. A figure 8 connector attaches the bottom portion to a half-inch long antique silver tube bead. Silver leverback findings provide an easy and secure on/off. Perfect for dress occasions! Flirty and attractive, just in time for summer!
No, I don’t sell my jewelry online — yet. I’ve been told I should, but as it is, I have more than enough on my plate running a business and writing. And the thought of taking every single piece I’ve made out of its protective bag, photographing it in the best possible light, writing sales copy, designing a Website, and placing all those items on it — not to mention the actual selling of the pieces, boxing them up, shipping them, etc. — just makes me weary.
So, for now at least, I’ll just continue to love beading. It’s relaxing, and there’s something that satisfies me to the core in selecting beads, playing with colors and textures, molding them together, and rejoicing in the pleasure of being creative.
Is it wrong to love doing something, just for yourself?
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
Isn’t that the rightest reason of all to do something? Love the earrings!
Rain here as well…while the poor Southwest is dying for just a drop or two.
Wish we could trade them some of this rain for some warmth and sunshine! Glad you approve of my beaded beauties!
Very pretty. I bead some as well though not as much as I’d like since it causes my fingers to swell so much. I take advantage of rainy days to be creative as well…and sometimes I just enjoy being totally lazy. We had a few of those rainy days, too…I took solace in the fact that I saved an hour by not having to water the flowers!
Everything is looking “Ireland Green” here. Too bad we’ll probably have a dry spell in August and kill off all this lushness! Sometimes I catch up on my writing (by hand) during a storm, but that’s soooo slow, compared to a keyboard!
Earrings by You are lovely!
Sometimes turning a passion into a profession takes the joy and pleasure out of it. If you do decide to give it a try, I’m sure they’ll sell like hotcakes.
Aw, shucks, I’m blushing at your kind words! I agree about taking the pleasure out of something by turning it into a have-to-make-money proposition. That and a shortage of time are the chief reasons I’ve been resisting so far. Thanks for confirming my suspicions.
My shrink once told me, when I said how I veg out working in the garden, that there’s a form of meditation in doing repetitive and creative work with the hands. I used to get that feeling from sewing, back in the days when I made all my clothes. I think the earrings are beautiful, and I’m glad the rain gave you the chance.
Thanks, Lynne. I do believe there’s something therapeutic about mindlessly doing the same thing over and over (not that my mind is still when I’m beading — far from it!). I never got into sewing, but I’ve known women who found it very relaxing.
Your earrings are lovely! Sometimes you just need to do something you love…matters not if it makes money!
Thanks, Debbie — I appreciate your thoughts. I guess it’s like golf. I love to play, but no way could I make a nickel at it, haha!
Not at all. In some ways, having something you enjoy and keeping it all to yourself, makes it more special. Soothing, and relaxing. You’re right. Why ruin your fun by adding the business element to it?
That’s the dilemma, Monica — keeping my handcrafted items for myself, or sharing them with those who’d love to have and wear them! Part of me knows the best businesses are started with a passion, but would turning jewelry-making from a delightful hobby into a business destroy that passion? I just don’t know.
I wish you’d sell – I love beaded jewelry. I like earrings a bit shorter (less for kiddies and kitties to grab :)) but they are very pretty!
That being said, I can understand why you wouldn’t want to turn it into your job. Sometimes I wonder if a career in writing would ruin it for me. Then I wonder if that’s fear talking, so I’ll give up before I try. Then I decide it’s late and I shoudl get to bed 🙂
Enjoy the rain – I love a good rain…
Thanks for the compliment and encouragement, Janna. I think there’s a part of all of us that vacillates between hobby and career in the areas where our talents lie. We have to make money to survive in this world, and why not make money doing something you love? We’re told in the Bible not to bury our talents. But who has time to do everything? Speaking sort of personally, I made money every day as a writing journalist, but that didn’t ruin me from writing! So I’m not sure it’s the day-to-day work that burns a person out. Nor is it the getting paid part! Probably it’s the frustration of doing the same thing day-in, day-out, without success, however we term that. Thanks for your thoughts!
Lady, there is nothing wrong with doing you love for yourself. As a matter of fact, I think we should be a lot more self-indulgent than we are. I love how beading seems to have a therapeutic effect and helps you pass the time when it’s raining. The fact that you’re able to produce such a beautiful product is an extra large bonus! I’m with Monica, turning something you love into a business deprives it of the fun element as it turns into a chore. 🙂
What a lovely compliment, Bella — thank you! Beading satisfies my creativity like no other activity. With writing, you labor long and hard for a year or more to polish a novel; with beading, your work is finished and ready to wear much faster! And I love buying something new and instantly being able to create just the perfect finishing complement for it in jewelry.
Wrong? Not even! I think everyone HAS to have something they love doing just for the sake of doing it. We’d all be insane otherwise.
Good point, Terri — thanks for reading and weighing in with your thoughts!
These are super cute earrings!
Even though I sell my jewelry, every now and then I just HAVE to make a piece or two exclusively for myself, so I know exactly what you mean!
Hi Megan — thanks for the compliment and for visiting! It’s great meeting another “beader”! Now I’ll have to visit your blog and see some of your stuff.