This is the part where I tell you all about myself - Not exactly my strong suit, but I’ll give it a bash :) I’ll try not to ramble on, but if I do, feel free to kick me under the table. I have been making jewelry in one form or another for nearly 30 years, though I have been art and craft oriented my entire life. When I was in high school I wanted to be an ‘artist’ as my chosen profession. My Mother talked me out of it, afraid that I would starve to death, or be this weird chick living in a hippie commune somewhere selling crafts at fairs or something. So I did what dutiful daughters did, went to school for ‘business’ and ‘trade’ skills. I have minor degrees in accounting, law, the ever-popular ‘business math’ and computers. I’ve had jobs as a bartender, silk screen printer, auto-parts delivery, inventory control specialist (counting other peoples inventory really, really fast), and my last “real job”, customer service for public transportation - for nearly 20 years…. And hated them all - well, not really ‘hate’, but I certainly didn’t love them either. They were jobs - necessary evils to pay the bills and support myself. Fast forward to 2007 - Through a series of unfortunate events (no, not the movie), I lost my job at the bus company, and opened my shop on Etsy. At first it was out of sheer necessity - I thought it would just be temporary, supplemental income until I could find another ‘real job’. No one was more surprised than me, when I actually starting selling. It’s taken a lot of work, more hours than I ever put into any other job. I do everything from jewelry design and creation, hunting down unique supplies to offer, writing tutorials, packaging, shipping, advertising, photography, accounting (I guess that did come in handy after all). But I love it! I love seeing my work go all over the world; I love when people write me to tell me how much they loved what I made. I love creating new shinys, and have people say, “oh I want that!” I love the friends I’ve made through Etsy and the internet. I love being able to work at home, and in between shop stuff, foster and take care of kitties. I love all of it. I get a little annoyed now, at family and friends when they don’t think I have a ‘real job’ - just a little. Job really isn’t the right word though. - Not sure what the right word is, all I know is I’m very blessed to finally be making a living at something I really, really love! Thank you for reading all the way to the end and not kicking me under the table ;) If you have any questions at all - just click the contact button on my shop home page and ask - Exception: No, I don’t know why Klingons look so different in the new Star Trek Discovery. ?