Just out of interest...

[Mila Jewellery]

...and I'm sure it's been asked before at some point (sorry) but being new here I just thought I'd ask how many people make jewellery for a living and how many just as a hobby?

Tori x

[Vivia]

Hi Tori,

I'm solely a hobbyist, and a new one at that. Obviously if someone threw money at me to make them something I'd have a damn good go, but I could only really make my living out of jewellery making if I ate nothing, did nothing, and lived in a shoe. Oh, and someone else paid my Cooksons bill.... :D

[lilacmonkey]

i'm a hobbiest but would love to do it full time working for myself from home.
cant see it ever happening.
might look in to selling through a fe wshops if i can find the kind of places
that sell on a commission bases.

[MuranoSilver]

Adopts Pinocchio voice....
"Hi Diddly Dee a jewellery Life for me
I work til late and I'm never done
You make no money, but it's lotsa fun
Hi Diddly Dee a jewellery Life for me"

Skips to work to make some more stuff ;)
Nic x

[bustagasket]

Hi, I am a hobbyist atm, and am just hoping that a venture that has popped up this week will take off and turn it into more :D

[glen]

worked as a goldsmith for 15 yrs and now trying to set up my own small business on my own

[geti-titanium]

I had an engineering company and then 10 years ago or so got bored with it and swapped over to making Titanium wedding rings

[Gemma]

I'm a hobbyist. Have grand plans to start selling one day/year...not to make a living but to be able to buy more silver and tools to play with!

[Jayne]

I've been working on a commission basis for the past few years (just about pays for the fish food)(doesn't quite cover the chicken feed though ;)). I'm working on a range at the mo and plotting a website.
J x

[Oakenelf]

All my stuff gets sold for charity - and honestly I just cannot make enough of the stuff. Just started silversmithing recently but I don't think I will be able to afford to buy the stuff and donate it to charity like I do with my more simple work so I am booking a lot of shows and fairs etc next year and will split the profits 50/50 with the charity and make more stuff with my half. I will let y'all know how that goes! I reckon I made about £950 worth of stock from about £175 worth of stuff last count. I have my first fair on December 6th not long now- O GOD!!!!! :help:

[snow_imp]

I still class myself as a hobbyist but have just sold my first item and will be involved in selling a few more items soon I hope. Just getting started so taking all the info I can find from the forum :)

[caroleallen]

I couldn't put it better than Nic. I'm going to print that out and put it up in my studio. lol :)

[Boo]

Yes, I'm singing the same song. :)

I started as a hobbyist, but gradually started selling and now it's one of the things I do to put food on the table. It fits in nicely with other professional commitments (I'm self-employed, but have one long term part time contract, plus other clients) and as some aspects of my work have dried up, the jewellery has take over.

I really enjoy it though and this will be the first year where I've sold a decent amount more than I've spent on stuff.

[Ominicci]

I recently took redundancy from work and have put some of my money into equipment and stock and registered as self employed in April. I am lucky in that we are not going to have to rely on any income from my busines for a couple of years which gives me time to practice, perfect and pray!!

[Carl Martin]

Full time for me :Y:

[kymbi]

I'm singing the same song as Nic and just printed it out for my desk :) I work from home and sell 2-3 days a week at a craft market.

[The Dragon]

I hope to be singing the song in due course. I'm actively working towards a range to launch my website next year as the first step, hopefully grow it from there and reduce the number of hours I do at my 'day' job.

:)

[Di Sandland]

Warming up the vocal cords ;)

[Mila Jewellery]

Ah so there is hope for me yet then! :D My husband was recently made redundant and my job may not exist either for much longer either :( so I thought I'd try and be enterprising!

[Di Sandland]

Ah so there is hope for me yet then! :D My husband was recently made redundant and my job may not exist either for much longer either :( so I thought I'd try and be enterprising!

You'd probably be very surprised to find just how many of us are in that same boat. Remember that the old has to die before the new can be born yada yada yada - but its true. See it as an opportunity :)

[Carl Martin]

You'd probably be very surprised to find just how many of us are in that same boat. Remember that the old has to die before the new can be born yada yada yada - but its true. See it as an opportunity :)

Oh so very true..:)

[Lisa Quinn]

My husband retires in 3 years and 9 months, which is also the day that I plan for this to be my job rather than just a passionate obsession, so I would currently class myself as an apprentice.

[swageblock]

Would love to go it alone again,but having had a fall in the late 80s when shops that I made and repaired for went belly up,I am content to work for a manufacturer in the day and do my own/commission work in my spare time.
Whats your job? I make jewellery
Whats your hobby? See above!
Must get out more!
Tony

[Coco]

You make no money, but it's lotsa fun

Nic x


Literally? How do you survive then?



Genuinely curiously, not trying to piss on your cornflakes or anything :)

[MuranoSilver]

Well in truth (no money in comparison to my old job in IT ;))
& hey it's only a song!! lol
Technically below national average wage but then there's stuff I used
to spend lots on that is now part of the business...
e.g. about £2000 worth of training this year re-invested into
keeping me tip top and full of new ideas :)))

All together now, adopt your best Pinocchio voices....
"Hi Diddly Dee a jewellery Life for me
I work til late and I'm never done
You make no money, but it's lotsa fun
Hi Diddly Dee a jewellery Life for me"

Except today when I'm snoozing at the bench after being up until 5.30
finishing a magazine article and some customer comissions. :D
Nic x

[AlexandraBuckle]

I quit my job working at a bank two years ago to focus on my jewellery full time.

I don't really miss the money I was earning then cos they didn't pay me very much anyway!

[luckyelephant]

Just a hobby for me at the mo but im working on some pieces that i can sell soon as i dont have a job!

[Coco]

& hey it's only a song!! lol






But songs always tell the truth! Especially Disney songs

:rofl:

[Emerald]

I now eat smart price food for tea,
A jewellers life for me.:-D


lol just been to the local tesco and bought Brie for 36p and a baguette and lemon tarts from there finest range 38p all in the bargain basement

[Tigerlily]

Ha ha ... am so :dance: to your song!! think I too am going to print that off for my wall!! I do have an exisiting business that I hope to be able to incorporate some new ways of working into to over the next few years ;)

[Lindyloo]

Just a hobbyist. Have dreams of doing something more, but there's something in me that means I always fear making a hash of things. And the idea of constant marketing puts me off a bit. I'd like to do it Su's way, with someone else doing the hard work, and me just making a bit of jewellery.

[snow_imp]

Just a hobbyist. Have dreams of doing something more, but there's something in me that means I always fear making a hash of things. And the idea of constant marketing puts me off a bit. I'd like to do it Su's way, with someone else doing the hard work, and me just making a bit of jewellery.

Lindy - I'm with you on this one. I'd love to be able to sell stuff with someone else doing the marketing etc. I think another thread did point out that many of us 'arty' people just aren't naturally built for marketing success and have to work really hard at it.

I just wish is wasn't so frightening to contemplate. :'(