Hello There ! for those of you curious, I never wanted to make jewelry. I was perfectly content to purchase the few items I liked and promptly either broke or forgot to put them on. I have lots of hair, so earrings were never a fav. unless I wore my hair up. I ADORE large crystal vintage necklaces !! but really... I never wore any jewelry.
Strange.
Here I sit with a myriad of beads surrounding me and more coming ! !!
I always liked anklets. (never bought but 3, they all fell of somewhere within 1-3 days of wearing). so I figured, heck ! there's a better way to build a toaster, and so it should be with ankle bracelets !
I wanted to build the better anklet for my naked ankle.
I never took a class (jewelry 101) or Googled it. I just went to Walmart and started looking at how it was made. The so called mechanics of the thing. Pretty basic really. (String the beads, tie the ends. Viola! ) What the weak point was, what design and texture and color and theme and ......oh my! easy to get swamped.
I gathered my supplies from wherever was least expensive (read cheapest) and started experimenting. I wanted these just for myself. Never thought about making them for others. Figured my talent and taste would be lacking but good enough for me. :)
As anyone knows, you simply CANNOT go into a store and buy 2 or this or 3 of that or haha! ONE of something. You have to buy the string, package, clump, whatever! So after I made my anklets, I have a buncha beads left. Instead of the cat scooting them all over the floor (they HURT to walk on ! ) I used whatever beads I had to put together more. I hesitate to use the word 'create'. A bit too Grande for me. My intent was to sell them at an annual organized garage sale. I showed up with a car-stuffed-full-of-junk and about 65 anklets. Joke ! I was on the wrong day. :( When I asked what all the tents were for if not a sale, (methinks he was fooling me!) the policeman told me I needed a handmade item.
I, intent on not going home with my car-stuffed-with-junk and NEVER living it down that I showed on the wrong day, offered up my anklets.
A 20 dollar spot ( I was worried I wouldn't make that back !!! ) my son Colton's help and the deal was done. I about sold them out. Seemed almost every lady who ambled past stopped to either look (interest interest interest) or purchased one.
Blow me down, knock me over and prop me back up!
It's what I've been doing ever since.
Know what?
I love it.
Texture, design, color, theme. Easy to get lost in.

Most important thing I've learned?
I can do it. I am much more resilient, adaptable, and creative than I gave myself credit for. To mix what doesn't mix, and that EVERY woman loves to feel.... alluring.
Humbleness. When I make something and I think. " uhh... yuck.. I don't really think this thing 'goes' . I should tear it down". It's usually the first thing out of the batch to sell ! The ones I adore? Last !! lol
So, it keeps me humble, I have really bad taste and not the sense to know it.
I hope you had a giggle or two reading this. Take to heart, if I can, you can too !