VIA Snella Jewelry

While I'm in Florida, I usually attempt some large undertaking that I seem to have trouble fitting into my schedule when I'm at home in Maryland. This trip it was the Jewelry Designer Manager. My daughter's organizational skills and knowledge from the Business Administration classes she's taking at USF are rubbing off on me. She said, "Mom, you don't even know if you're making a profit." I didn't want to tell her that I've probably been paying myself about 25 cents an hour!

So, I bought this program. As she and I sat down and started to enter the data... like, how many inches of wire are in a Rio Grande spool of 20 gauge, she asked me, "Have you read the manual?" This is an audience participation question... what do you think my answer was? Yeah, you're right!

The software program is pretty amazing though

Of course, please understand that because I didn't read the manual I can't give you a full accounting of everything the program does, but it does a lot. You enter in your raw materials (beads, wire, etc). As you design your jewelry, you take items from the raw materials inventory and add it to your costs of the jewelry item. You can insert pictures of your beads and of your finished jewelry at the appropriate spots. If you work on consignment, you can provide yourself and your gallery owner with an inventory list that has a picture of the item on the sheet. That way, when your gallery owner says I sold that necklace with the enamel beads and blah, blah, blah, you'll be able to refer to an image.

The software also helps you to price your item

I can't tell you what a relief that is... to have a price for something that is based on reality rather than what I usually do which is to ask myself, "What would I pay for this!" Okay, now you've got my true essence... but I'm changing!

Butterflies in my chest... racing heart... gasping... these describe my reactions when I opened my box from Barbie. The focal bead is stunning! The color of base glass reminds me of the old Coca Cola bottle glass that I collect from the shores of a nearby beach in Maryland. I probably have a hundred pounds of beach glass from which to choose. This will give me a chance to incorporate some of it into my Bead Soup necklace.

I wanted to do something simple, but elegant, as a necklace design that would feature Barbie's outstanding focal bead. The simple sterling chains forms scallops that are accented by the sterling baubles that Barbie also sent. I can also imagine this necklace with yards more sterling chain. I'll play with this idea and if it proves successful, I'll post the results.

Barbie provided these little dangly silver things! If you've ever seen one of my "Clutter" necklaces, you know I like dangly! I am overjoyed with what Barbie sent me and am anxious to get started. Thank you, Barbie!