Advantages

One advantage of having a business making custom jewelry, like Greta's Beads, is that I get to treat myself and I like jewelry!

The reason I originally started the business was because I wanted a birthstone bracelet (representing my children's birthstones). I was shocked at the prices I was quoted so I decided to learn how to make one myself. I watched some webinars to learn how to make different loops, etc. and made myself a bracelet. I then made different styles for different friends (at half the price I was quoted) and the whole thing snowballed into a business.

Some of you have sewing (which I wish I could do) or scrapbooking (which I used to do, but don't seem to have time for these days - digital scrapbooking is looking very appealing) or painting (which there is no chance that I will ever do) or writing (which I enjoy doing, but only on a very amateur level). I am no expert, but I love creating new designs for jewelry. I still have a lot to learn, and I look forward to doing so. This year, I have ventured into making earrings, along with my birthstone bracelets. I've even enjoyed doing quite a few weddings, making different sets of jewelry for the wedding party.

This past week I had a customer contact me via my Etsy store. She wanted a certain type of bracelet. It was similar to something I had listed, but not exactly. She had something slightly different in mind. For me, that is the fun of 'custom'. I was so glad she contacted me with her idea. I love trying to come up with different designs to suite the different personalities of people.

After making this new bracelet I decided I wanted one also, so I made one.

This is what mine (actually slightly different than hers) looks like:

It is each child's initial surrounded by their birthstone. Mac's initial is really "H", for Haynes, for those of you wondering. If you notice the lone purple bead in front of Mollee's set it is for our first baby that we lost. He was due in June, thus the purple, although I questioned putting the birthstone for the month we lost him, but Jason liked the month he was due.

The kids are very aware of this baby and talk about the baby brother they've never met. They often remind me that I have "six kids, but one just didn't make it!" Like me, they look forward to meeting him in heaven, which I think is great!