why

[myke]

So we all make jewellery. but why? is it to make so cash or a desire to create?what got you started making jewellery?:confused:

[EmmaRose]

money??? :rofl: whats that???
guess there is your answer!! :D
Em

[myke]

come on then tell me......

[Sheltie]

Got started when I got signed off work due to ill health (all fine now) Work part time for money and part time Jewellery for my sanity.

Now I make jewellery for the love of it and to earn some extra pennies to keep my motorbikes on the road. However that is not currently the case as I have a back log of orders and running out of summer to enjoy the bike

[kymbi]

Interestingly, a jeweller friend recently asked me if I would still make jewellery if I won the lottery. My response? Absolutely! However, I doubted whether I would continue to stand up all day, 2-3 days a week at an outside market to flog my wares...perhaps some nice exclusive events as I wouldn't have to worry about the cost of the fees any more :Y:

Like the previous post, I got into jewellery properly through ill-health when I attended a silverworking course 5 years ago as part of my rehabilitation and I got bitten by the bug. I did some silverwork as part of my A-level art (over 30 yrs ago) and dabbled with earrings, but nothing serious. Although it's now my "work" the creative process is also an active meditation for me, and I've never been happier. I can't imagine ever working for someone else again, despite the irregular earnings of self-employment.

[Charlotte]

Wow that's weird Sheltie! I make jewellery for the exact same reason. I had to had an operation, and by the time I'd got myself together there was a rescission going on, and getting a job was tough so I had a real think and remembered that I had got myself a degree in making jewellery so I decided to go down that route again, and here I am!

[agent_44]

When I went off to Uni, I pretty much gave up all my hobbies, so when I finished my degree (in computing) when I wasn't in work, sat in front of a computer, I was usually at home, sat in front of a computer! I was pretty fed up with this and trying to find a hobby, and found a book about wire work. Got going with that and got a bit obsessed.

The reason I do it is I love it, but I would love and and am planning/in the process of trying to get myself re-established as a business. I gave up work for a whole load of different reasons shortly after I got married in 2006 and thought, while I had the chance I would give my jewellery a go. I was doing just that and beginning to become quite succesful when my husband did a runner on me out of the blue (I always worry people think I am after sympaty when I mention this - for the record I am not, in a roundabout way I think it is the best thing that ever happened to me). I decided I needed to get back to work and meet some new people, which I did, and now I have recently quit that job with the plan of working for myself as a web developer and building up my jewellery business again. but I have been lucky enough to find a permanent job that I can work when I want and from home, which should give me enough flexibility and freedom to get going again with my jewellery. Sad thing is I have barely been making anything over the past couple of years and my skills have done a runner (I think they went with the husband ;)) so I am trying to relearn old stuff as well as new stuff. When I move in with my boyfriend in Sept I am going to see about selling again, if I can get together a p/t business that earns me some extra cash doing something I love, I will be ecstatic!

Anyway, that turned into my life story nearly! Sorry about that, hope you are all still awake! :D

[The Bijou Dragon]

I started off making for myself as I bought some really cheap ones from e-Bay and they were horrible.

I sat there and thought I can do better than that... and I did after buying some cheap tools and beads etc.

I am primarily doing this because... well... there's lots of reasons. I suffer from depression (and I mean the type where if I walk down a road it can suddenly seem like an excellent idea just to walk out in front of a bus). I also have problems walking at the moment and I am currently undergoing some tests to find out if I have ADD, Dyslexia and other stuff...

So... I don't enjoy going out much as I also get really bad panic attacks so... instead of going out to the pub or whatever I spend my money of crafting of all kinds but I would like to work. It's impossible at the moment with my 'problems' and I would never probably be able to work for other people so I want to make my business work so I can get off of benefits and support myself and my family :)

Crafting cheers me up, keeps my brain occupied and hey... I make pretty things, who doesn't like doing that? ;)

[Di Sandland]

Illness again...

I had to take early retirement three years ago when I was diagnosed with having something called Behcets Disease (no, its not a typo). Much as I was devastated to leave my beloved midwifery, I also saw this as an open door to do the things I love.

Ah, but wait - what about the bloody mortgage! I had always dreamed of spending my days writing but sitting all day writing for other folk's websites can be a bit soul destroying, especially when the sites are for things like interior lighting and double glazing! I did have one wonderful job writing a new site for a high-end jewellery mind...

I suffer from depression too - I can quite understand that though about walking in front of the next car - and have to keep occupied. I've been told I think too much and making sparklies stops me from doing that.

The other motivating factor was a keen interest in all things metaphysical. I discovered the metaphysical stuff about gemstones quite by accident. I have a huge red jasper pendant that I used to wear for work on my 'management' days because it made me feel confident. I wore it that way for a year before I discovered that one of the qualities of red jasper was to instil confidence - I was hooked.

Now I am just starting to build a retail business with my stuff because I need to earn some money. I was lucky enough to be given quite a large cash sum a couple of weeks ago that I've ploughed into stock. I realise that it can take ages to build up this kind of business and also know (from bitter experience) that the financial recompense from craft-related endeavours is pitifully small, so I continue with freelance writing. Having said that, the global financial crisis has hit freelance writers (especially the web kind) hard, so its all hands to the pump here in Devon. My poor hubby will be 65 in a few weeks time but will have to work for the foreseeable future - something that is happening in lots of families. WTF eh?

There - that's me.

[Solunar Silver Studio]

I've always been creative - I had creative parents - my Mum did all the artwork for labels for bottles at United Glass before they had paper ones (they used to screen print enamel ones on) and my Dad designed the bottles - and helped develop the machinery to make them...all a long long time ago! But I can never remember not drawing or making stuff. Then I was told at school that I was not "good enough" to take 'O'level Art/Pottery and I was devastated. I went on to do lowly jobs in the scientific field and hated it.....although I met my hubby through work - so it was not all bad!

I had 4 kids over a period of 9 years - and nearly 2 decades of my life vanished!! When my youngest started school I started part time college to prove I WAS good enough, damn it! First I did 'A' level Art, Textiles, and Ceramics and got an 'A' in each of them. Then I did every art related course from every college I could get to while still being 'there' for my kids. I loved every bit of all of them...give or take the odd rotten tutor(!). Silversmithing, Interior Design, Cake Decorating, Sugarcraft, Life Drawing, Watercolour...I was even a contestant on Watercolour Challenge in 2000, painting the Liver Building at the Albert Dock in Liverpool... Then I did a National Diploma in Fashion and finally an HND in 3D Design Craft...where we worked with Wood, Metal, Ceramics and Glass....but all big stuff! I was even comissioned to make a 6 foot high sculpture in ash (wood) for a local nature reserve. http://archive.northwichguardian.co.uk/2006/2/17/265812.html. When I finished college in 2007 I wanted to be able to keep doing something 'arty' but at nearly 50 in a culturally barren area...there wasn't much hope of being employed! And in our tiny rented home and garden there was no room to set up anything big....and no available money to start anything anyway. So I started to teach myself pmc and fine silver wire fusing - building on my very limited silversmithing knowledge from 1996 - and buying tools and materials from what was left of the 'housekeeping' money each week! Then at the beginning of July this year - with the help of a £500 grant from the local council - I officially started Solunar Silver Studio...and here we are! ...Still a perpetual student at heart and with very fragile confidence!:">
Barbara

[bustagasket]

all i can say is WOW!

I have had a yearn to make some jewellery for quite a few years but just didnt know where to start. So i started doing other craft stuff, until i finaly had the courage to tell hubby that i wanted to do a course thats run at one of the local colleges. It doesnt give me any qualifications but hopefully is teaching me the basics.
So i started last term and i am totally and utterly hooked :D

[ps_bond]

Because it was there?

I needed some silver fittings for a project I was working on, and became slightly sidetracked...

[myke]

Hi seeing that I posted the question maybe I should tell a bit of my story.I trained in leather work making belts handbags wallets ect mostly in deerskine.really from the time I left school I have been involved in crafts. I had a craftcentre for four years were I did my leather work and sold other peoples work.a couple came in one day with a range of there Jewellery all made from copper wire beads and discs which I really liked and it sold very well.I was getting bord with the leather work and wanted a change so I went to the local electrition and asked if he had any old caple I got masses of the stuff so I started to make some very primitive jewellery. sadly the craftcentre did not work out and I lost my house and all that shite. so I took on a hand cart in a shopping centre in Dundee and sold my primitive jewellery and it has developed from there. I love it and hate it.this year i have just stayed at home selling once a week at a very small outdoor marked in Ullapool and the odd bits sell from the website.normaly I trail about selling at music fests for the summer but last year was terrible my youngest son died and his mum died six` weeks later so as you can imagin its hard to find insperation for jewellery or anything at the moment.I do injoy this forum.good luck to everyone with there projects ect.thats enough ramplings for now all the best myke

[Di Sandland]

Myke - my heart goes out to you.

[]

[Solunar Silver Studio]

Myke - you sound like a really lovely bloke, creative, strong and resourceful. It's so sad how the really horrible stuff seems to happen to people like you. I'm sure all us 'cluckky mother hen' types on this forum would love to give you a big hug now!![[]] It may not be a lot of help - but we are all just a keyboard away...and from what I can see - there seems to be somebody or other on line all day and night!

Barbara[]

[AlexandraBuckle]

Myke thats so sad, I'm in on the big [[]]

[myke]

Thanks I can feel the big hug reaching me up here. thanks to you all love myke

[Charlotte]

I'm in on the [[]] action too, my hug is a little bigger as it doesn't have too far to travel;) Keep looking for inspiration Myke.

[Ominicci]

Well my story is similar;

I have always done something in the background that has been craft related all my life. I sarted doing pressed flowers at about 7 and my dad made me a huge flower press. From there I started making cards with them and then other types of cards. When I left home I then made all my own Christmas cards to send to family and friends. Did that as a hobby for a while and then had a handmade Wedding Stationery business for a while, but couldn't spend as much time as I wanted on it as I was still working full time. In the last 10 years I have usually tried to do something different at an evening class and have done Stained Glass, PMC, Yoga, Photoshop, and silversmithing (for the last 3) amongst others. I took redundancy from work and have used some of the money to set myself up with tools etc for Stained Glass and Silver. The rest of the money will pay the mortgage payments for about 3 years and if I haven't made a go of this by then, then I will have to get a 'proper' job or at least one that brings in some regular money. My husband is soooooooooo lovely and understanding and just wants me to be happy (I too went through a short spell of depression a few years ago - but not a serious one, buses were never a consderation, I just cried A LOT).

I love the feeling that someone else thinks what I have made is worth paying for and wearing :D

[Ominicci]

oops, completely missed this page before I pressed reply at the bottom of page 1 as I was so eager to post.

[[]] to Myke and anyone else in need at the moment.

[kymbi]

I'm with the huggers Myke ~ my heart goes out to you [[]]

[Sheltie]

Hi seeing that I posted the question maybe I should tell a bit of my story.I trained in leather work making belts handbags wallets ect mostly in deerskine.really from the time I left school I have been involved in crafts. I had a craftcentre for four years were I did my leather work and sold other peoples work.a couple came in one day with a range of there Jewellery all made from copper wire beads and discs which I really liked and it sold very well.I was getting bord with the leather work and wanted a change so I went to the local electrition and asked if he had any old caple I got masses of the stuff so I started to make some very primitive jewellery. sadly the craftcentre did not work out and I lost my house and all that shite. so I took on a hand cart in a shopping centre in Dundee and sold my primitive jewellery and it has developed from there. I love it and hate it.this year i have just stayed at home selling once a week at a very small outdoor marked in Ullapool and the odd bits sell from the website.normaly I trail about selling at music fests for the summer but last year was terrible my youngest son died and his mum died six` weeks later so as you can imagin its hard to find insperation for jewellery or anything at the moment.I do injoy this forum.good luck to everyone with there projects ect.thats enough ramplings for now all the best myke

Sorry to hear that.

Were you trading from the cart in Dundee in the early '90's. If so I believe we had met and my wife still sports some of your 'primative' jewellery. Wish she still loves.

[myke]

Hi Sheltie yes I was there till about 1995 I think its seems like a long time ago now. are you from Shetland? I keep meaning to make up there.been to Orkney for long weekend lots of jewellery there must be some of them looking at this forum. Thanks to everone for big hug.would be good to here how everone got into jewellery. So lets here all .........

[Charlotte]

I grew up making stuff with bits and pieces and painting, when I got to college I chose art and design focusing on the fashion sector. When I finished there I wanted to keep my options open (and learn how to use as many materials as possible) and decided to do a design crafts degree.

After experimenting with clay, textiles, wood etc it was the metals room I fixated with and spent most of my days in there.

When I left uni I moved to bristol, couldn't get a job making jewellery (and didnt have the money to start my own business) so I moved around from job to job, forgot about jewellery all together.

Then a couple of years ago I had a huge spinal op which kept me in bed for about 5 months, and I'm still strengthening myself up now! By the time I felt ready to get a job again there were no jobs available to suit my needs (not too much sitting or standing, not long hours etc) during the rescission.

I got a bit of money for christmas to get a TV last year (moved in to an unfurnished flat and that was the last thing on our list to get), when I was just about to click 'confirm order' on a TV I suddenly thought 'What a waste of money!!! Surely there is something better I could do with this cash?!' so I went on to Cooksons just to get an idea of how much it would cost to get what I needed, and it oddly came to the exact amount that I had. I took that as a sign and had no hesitations in clicking 'confirm order';)

Funnily enough it was my birthday last week and my OH got me a TV!:-D

[myke]

hi charlotte glad to here you are getting stronger after op.will you get any work done with this forum and tv???? all best myke

[Sheltie]

Hi Sheltie yes I was there till about 1995 I think its seems like a long time ago now. are you from Shetland? I keep meaning to make up there.been to Orkney for long weekend lots of jewellery there must be some of them looking at this forum. Thanks to everone for big hug.would be good to here how everone got into jewellery. So lets here all .........

Hi Myke

Yes I am up in Shetland and your more than welcom to drop by as is anyone else.

Anyway lets get back on topic:dance:

[bustagasket]

I would love to be able to say - "yes i will pop in" but alas it would take a bit of planning :(

[Lindyloo]

I have loved reading this thread. Thanks Myke for posting it, and so sorry to hear of your recent loss.

Like many of you, I have been crafty for as long as I can remember. But when I got to high school, my Mother thought that art was a waste of time, and steered me well and truly away from the arts. So like you Barbara, I ended up in the sciences. Got a degree in biology and worked at Universities and Scientific Laboratories.

I have done several years of evening classes in jewellery making, but never done any formal qualifications. I would love to though, but I have two small children now who seem to demand a lot of my time. Although compared to you Barbara, I don't seem to be as much of a go getter.

So now I just dabble. And recently I started teaching jewellery making to the little monsters (oh sorry, little angels) in after-school classes at my children's primary school. It is very funny to teach children. They are brutally honest. They loooove doing the classes, but jump rings and wire wrapping are "sooooo frustrating!":(|

I'm not sure where I will go with it from here, but sufficed to say, that making things has always been the most relaxing and stimulating thing I have ever done.

Linda:)

[EmmaRose]

Scary the stuff in common.
I too got into jewellery when I was ill- I dropped out of school after GCSE's suffering from chronic depression and panic attacks. I picked up jewellery (first beading, then polymer clay) as therapy too, then went to evening classes. My teacher was wonderful and encouraged me to go on to do a degree. I still suffer from panic attacks, and have been through quite alot of trauma too in recent years, my Grandad died, then I had a bone tumour. Two years after that my Dad was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a terminal and painful cancer. I gave up everything to nurse him with my Mum, a physically and emotional exhausting experience. The shock of his and my grandfathers death gave my Grandmother alzhemiers and we had to put her in a home.
The strain of all this was too much for my marriage and I am now getting divorced.
Em

[bustagasket]

Scary the stuff in common.
I too got into jewellery when I was ill- I dropped out of school after GCSE's suffering from chronic depression and panic attacks. I picked up jewellery (first beading, then polymer clay) as therapy too, then went to evening classes. My teacher was wonderful and encouraged me to go on to do a degree. I still suffer from panic attacks, and have been through quite alot of trauma too in recent years, my Grandad died, then I had a bone tumour. Two years after that my Dad was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a terminal and painful cancer. I gave up everything to nurse him with my Mum, a physically and emotional exhausting experience. The shock of his and my grandfathers death gave my Grandmother alzhemiers and we had to put her in a home.
The strain of all this was too much for my marriage and I am now getting divorced.
Em

i am so sorry you have had to go through so much. Huge hugs to you[][[]]

[Di Sandland]

Oooh, my dear, what a lot of cr*p in one girl's life. Sending you big warming hugs.[]

One of my writing projects was keeping a mesothelioma blog updated for a year or so - nasty, nasty illness. The Americans are far ahead of us in terms of compensation and, although I think that the compensation culture sometimes goes too far, for this disease its a must.

:X

[EmmaRose]

The compensation my Mum got was less than his (state) pension would been (assuming he lived another twenty years, the family has longevity so chances are it would have been longer, his Dad was 89 when he died, my Gran is 90). Not that anything can compensate for what we all went through. The sad thing is there is so little research into a cure, yet the cases go up and up every year. My Dad was a teacher too, so not a usual associated profession, its scary stuff. The worse thing was the lack of support we had from the NHS.
Thanks for all the hugs guys, your support means alot [[]] back to you all!
Em

[Di Sandland]

My Dad was a teacher

Some of the latest American research has teaching as a high risk occupation because of all those asbestos tiles that were used in the 60's (when the majority of modern schools were built). Also asbestos formed part of the 'mix' in a lot of school notice boards. Teachers were subject to minute amounts of the dust each and every day throughout their careers. :(

[AlexandraBuckle]

I'm in on this big group hug too [[]]

[julie]

sending big [[]] too ...

[Atelier Ava]

I could not find any ear-rings I wanted to wear so designed a pair and had them made, that was .. years ago. A few years later when my children were small I had no money to buy Christmas presents so made a whole load of costume jewellery with the cheapest components I could find and sold enough to buy all we needed. That blossomed into a business. Went to college and learnt Craft and I now do it not only so I have a constant supply of new designs to wear but also because I love the whole process.
Paula :)

[Di Sandland]

JasonJohn - you have surely died and gone to heaven :dance:

[Coco]

Hey JasonJohn, don't suppose you feel like sending any spare rubies my way do you? It's my parents ruby anniversary in November and my Mum's dropping none too subtle hints about what she wants! :D

[bustagasket]

Hey JasonJohn, don't suppose you feel like sending any spare rubies my way do you? It's my parents ruby anniversary in November and my Mum's dropping none too subtle hints about what she wants! :D

KK Coco you have the rubies and i will have the Sapphires, deal?

[Coco]

Sounds like a plan! :cheers:

[MuranoSilver]

Lol you two - poor Jasons only just arrived and you're already
trying to pinch his "preciousssesssss" [-X
:rofl:

nic xx

[Coco]

Hehe! It was worth a shot! ;)

[bustagasket]

dont you go bottling out on me already coco, i just got the balaclavas finished!!

[Coco]

Are they bejeweled balaclavas?

[myke]

with all due respect don't you think this thread has lost it's way? we should stick to the premise of the thread.I love a good discussion but lets stay on the point. Any body that jumps to the last page would not have a clue why it was titled why.

[SilverByRosie]

[[]]'s to all those with losses.

I got into jewellery making because I'm allergic to nickel and got fed up with not being able to wear most of the jewellery you can buy on the high street. Over the past six months or so, my earring collection has tripled! :D

~Rosie

[myke]

Thank you thank you

[Coco]

I started making jewellery coz all my attempts at being a jewel thief got thwarted #-o





NB: This may not be altogether true

[bustagasket]

ROFLMAO you ninny :P (have another go - dont forget we got rubies and sapphires to erm.....acquire from someone shhhhhh)

[Petal]

Myke, my heart goes out to you. [] Then losing your business and dealing with the bereavement you have had. Its such a shame.

Perhaps we are all drawn to doing something creative, because it keeps our minds active and busy and not thinking about other, more difficult, things?

Making things helps with my depression (as others have found) - the grey fog that appears when you wake up and sometimes doesn't shift! I've learnt to manage it by going out on my bike in the morning for 5 miles(that's my journey to 'work'), it gives me an enormously positive feeling that lasts all day, then I get back home, ready and get to it! :dance: The other thing that works for me is having 10 minute breaks - that helps with focus. If I'm stuck on a design and can't seem to get it right, I have a break, weed my veg patch and come back to my piece of 'jewellery-to-be'.

I started out knitting in my spare time, got into weaving willow baskets (which I loved - but played havoc with my wrists!), moved onto stringing beads as a hobby and started selling to friends/neighbours etc . I love being creative and making something, and hope others like the pieces enough to buy them. I don't do it entirely for the money and still have to get my pricing right, but I'd rather have less and not have to deal with the stress and bullying at work that I had for years - -X I've had enough of that stuff to last me a lifetime and so have an awful lot of other people I know. :(|Some of them have had major diseases as a result of years of stress and are no longer around to tell their story.


Apologies for the waffle..


Jules
A [] a day keeps the Doctor away

[myke]

hi Jules good to read your thread.thankfully I have never experienced bulling at work sounds grim.growing your own veggies is always good I used do grow a lot and keep hens pigs sheep and goats all the best myke