Happy New Year Everyone!

Hope it is a wonderful year for you!

2012 had its ups and downs and at times it felt like downs were bigger than the ups but that is life. What matters is that We are still here!

The thing that personally affected me most in 2012 was Bullet. Sending our beautiful boy for his final sleep on 15 September will just be one of the worst days of my life. He gave us his love unconditionally from the first day we brought him home from the Rescue Centre near Wittering 11 years ago. He was around 14 and I think we did the right thing for him but it hurt a lot!

BUT!

There are a lot of good things that happened too!

Taj is the newest member of our family. We brought him home from the Animal Helpline Dog Rescue (same place where Bullet and Millie were found) on 23rd December and he has been an absolute joy. He is settling in nicely and Millie does not seem too bothered by him. I am hoping they will become good friends as time goes by. He has only been here a few days! He does not even know his name properly yet! And he needs building up a lot. He is very very thin but otherwise healthy.

Things have been good on the jewellery front! I have had a lot more bespoke work coming my way which is such an honour. It feels good to know that my work (and Mr A's) is being appreciated. Sales have been good at the various craft shows in 2012 and I am buzzing with more ideas!

I am also working on getting the Motorhome business back on track again after a couple of very quiet years (Thanks Mr Banker and Mr Government and Mr Market Forces!) I know that it will take years to get it back to the level it was pre 2008 because of reasons beyond our control. But that does not mean I should suddenly write off the hard work Dave and I put in.

So 2013, Welcome! I am looking forward to dealing with whatever you have planned for me good and bad! Bring it on!

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7th Bead Soup Party: Shalini's Sparkly Serving Revealed!

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It is our Livelihood, it is our Business, it is what helps to pay the bills! Yes, this one's going to be a bit of a rant! One of my artisan friends recently mentioned her experience at a (fairly large) Christmas craft market where a lady spent a lot of time looking at her work and then said "Hmmm Nice Hobby" and walked off. And then I saw this on facebook "Well you must have a lot of time - you obviously don't work!" on a page called Kirsty Elson Designs - another crafter. Probably not spoken by the same person but it's this attitude from a lot of people that really gets to me sometimes! It's not just a hobby! In my case it is a part time business, but its a part time business that keeps my dogs fed and pays my monthly utility bills! And occasionally allows me to go to the pub and have a drink with my friends. I work hard for it and I earn it!... AND pay my taxes on what I earn! [UPDATE 01 October 2014: It is now my full time job! So al...

7th Bead Soup Party: Meet My Partner Sarah Goode

The 7th Bead Soup Blog Party is now in full swing and I guess there is a lot of soup making going on amongst beaders and jewellery makers all around the world :-) There are hundreds of participants! Pookledo on Facebook My Soup partner is Sarah Goode of Pookledo from Loughborough. Yes only about 35 miles or so from Stamford! Quite amazing that I get a fairly local partner through a party organised by Lori in USA! Don't you just love the internet? Mixed Media Art Brooch Hopefully there will be an opportunity to meet Sarah at an event or two in the near future. I don't travel too far for my shows but you never know. Sarah might be venturing our way. In fact I have a feeling Sarah and I have been in touch before as her name sounds VERY familiar. Perhaps it was for a Stamford Artisan Guild event. I am sure it will come to me at some point. I am sharing a couple of examples of Sarah's work listed in her Etsy Shop. Lovely aren't they? And S...

Jewellery By Shalini

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