My jewelry business started totally by accident, and I don’t think I’m the only jewelry designer that has happened to. One minute you are making earrngs for a gift, and the next thing you know, people are asking if they can buy those earrings from you. I had no idea about running a business when I first started back in 1998, so I did a lot of research on my own, sort of going to virtual jewelry school if you will. One place that was helpful was my local office of the Small Business Administration (SBA). Now, with the Internet, the SBA is even easier to access and has tons of great (free by the way) information on: Writing a business plan Pick a business name Licenses and Permits Marketing Well, you get the idea. [image link] [Read more]

I’ve had a number of friends take classes at the Wild Acres Retreat located in Little Switzerland, NC, and they rave, rave, rave about this place. Some day, I hope to make it there myself, but it’s a retreat, as in you will be staying there a while because most classes are about a week long. This is a retreat for all kinds of learning experience, not just jewelry: In 1946, Wildacres was dedicated by I.D. and Madolyn Blumenthal to the betterment of human relations and interfaith dialogue. Wildacres is situated on 1,600 acres at an elevation of 3,300 feet atop a mountain called Pompey’s Knob, near the Blue Ridge Parkway in Little Switzerland, North Carolina. Wildacres is a conference center offering its facilities to non-profit... [Read more]

A super inexpensive get-a-way slash jewelry school experience is found at the William Holland School of Lapidary Arts located in Young Harris, Georgia. This is sort of camp-ground setting, so those who don’t like to rough it might not be too thrilled with the accommodations. But, the cost of these week-long classes is super economical and they have pretty much every sort of class you can imagine from lampworking to metalworking. [Read more]

I received an email about a job those who are in the publishing/marketing/crafting field might be interested in. I’ll post the info below, but it’s also posted over at Media Bistro: Marketing Specialist: Crafts and Hobbies Publication or Company Quayside Publishing Group Industry Book Publishing Salary Under $55,000 Benefits 401K, Dental, Health Job Duration Full Time Job Location Beverly, MA USA Job Requirements International publisher of general interest reference books seeks innovative individual to manage the promotional efforts of its craft & hobby category. We’re seeking the perfect person to develop creative solutions that will enable us to retain our competitive edge in an ever-changing category. Applicants... [Read more]

The Beads4You contest held by a bunch of Etsy.com members is officially over. You can see all the entries on their flickr page. Winners are announced here, and Victoria also has it posted on her blog along with some excellent images of the winners. Prizes were furnish by me (two of my books of course): [Read more]