My first craft show is now under my belt! It was a great experience. Didn't sell a whole lot but just getting the experience and some exposure was worth it.

The event was in Cheyenne, Wyoming on August 15th. I was wanting to enter this 30 + year event last year but it was on my grandson birthday so I chose my precious grandbaby over the event. It ended up getting rained out anyways so I'm glad I went with the family event instead.

This year the weather wasn't too bad. Since it's an outside show it really mattered to the attendees. Anyone who has been in this area of the state knows that the wind also makes an appearance! But I'm happy to say, my homemade booth and displays held up very well in the elements. Many of the booths didn't have sides and they were adversely affected by the wind and rain. I'm glad my side panels and water-proof roof protected my jewelry and me!

I learned so much from Rena Klingenber's book "Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry Booth." http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com/ The tips and advice she offers in this book were so helpful. Even though I'm new to this business and to craft shows, she prepared me in so many ways. Many of the things I learned from her book would have taken years of experience to discover for myself. Thanks Rena!

One more hurddle I think I'm going to love!

Well here I am, almost 50, and going down yet another new road in my life! A few years ago I left a high stress job and started a new adventure in jewelry making. And to tell you the truth...I've never been happier!

I've done all sorts of crafting projects throughout my life, but beading and jewelry making has always been something that fires up my creativity.

Learning about e-commerce is a very fascinating aspect of selling my creations. But WOW...there's soooo much to learn! So now I'm learning about blogging.
I don't know about many of you but I've been a little intimidated by this process. If anyone has any advice or stories they'd like to share about this process, I'm all ears! Or should I say eyes?!

I'd love to hear about how you came about a new adventure in your life too. People love to hear about how someone else fell down and picked themselves up again. And in times like these, falling down has been happening to a lot of people. We all need to know that with perseverance and a little knowledge, we can make things happen for ourselves.

For me and my family, we've been very blessed in many ways. If it weren't for my husbands good paying job and his understanding for what I was going through, I wouldn't be able to do what I do. I never want to take those things for granted. Too many of us know how fragile this type of life can be.

So I'll keep you posted on how things are going with my business and blogging endeavors (although you'll be able to see that for yourself).

I've started a couple of websites with my jewelry in them if you're interested in checking them out. You can go to http://www.creationsnthings.etsy.com/ and http://www.creationsnthings.com/ to see how my jewelry is coming along.

Your blogging newbie,
Laurie

P.S. By the way, that's me in the pic with my two grandsons. They are the apple of my eye to say the least!!