Who Would Have Thunk??

I have made jewelry for as long as I can remember. Some macrame, mostly beads. I've even dabbled in wire work. I've always only done it for me. Usually to pass the time. Occasionally to wear to an event. One day Peggy saw one I did for my company's Christmas party a few years back. I had, on a whim, bought a gorgeous cornflower blue ball gown. Then realized I had no jewelry to wear with it. So I took the matching wrap to the bead store and bought coordinating Swarovski crystals, pearls, and silver focal pieces. I created a three-tiered, glittery, sparkly, gorgeous necklace (I will post a picture as soon as my computer is back up and running). I wore it to the party, then put it in my jewelry case never to be worn again. Until Peggy saw it. She did our trademark "Ooh! Shiny!" She then proceeded to convince me that I HAD to bring it to work and show the girls. She thought they'd love it so much they'd want to pay me to make them their own. I laughed it off, but brought it to work anyway to humor her.

The girls went ga-ga over it. I was pretty tickled. It had never occurred to me that somebody else would like my silly little beaded creations. One girl asked if she could have it. Mostly joking I said I was taking commissions. Another girl asked "could you make one in purple?" I thought she was asking rhetorically. I said it'd be cost of materials plus $10. That the blue one had cost $50 or so for materials and had taken me two or three hours. So a total of about $70. She said "I'll take it!" I was flabbergasted. Peggy looked smug.

The next day at lunch, I pulled up my favorite jewelry supply website and had her pick out beads. We were drooling like kids in a candy store! I still felt like it was a dream or something. It still felt so unreal that somebody would want something *I* made. Fast forward a couple weeks and a couple more bead orders later (I made a slight misjudgment in bead size the first time). Yesterday I gave her the completed piece, including matching earrings as a gift for being my first "customer." She *squeed* and wore it all day along with a HUGE grin. It made me SO happy! It even went with her outfit, even though she had no idea she would get it that day. All the other girls were jealous. Sorry for the bad picture, but you get the idea.

Today she gave me a check. I just got paid for a piece of jewelry I made in my spare time! Can you believe it?! In the mean time, since Peggy convinced me I could sell my jewelry, we discussed me opening an Etsy store. And Peggy's husband offered me space in the spare room of his office. He's going to let me pay him in cookies! With the money from my first commission I'll be able to get supplies to make some stock and open my store. I am SO excited. And nervous. What if nobody else wants anything? Does it matter? I mean I like actually making the jewelry even though I rarely wear what I make. If somebody pays me for it, that's just a bonus. And it means more time hanging out with Peggy and drooling over sparkly things :) I think I'm going to need little joys and distractions like this to get through the next [period of time] at work...