Little behind-the-scenes glimpses of business, beads, and the occasional wobble, shared whenever I remember (so… daily-ish at best).
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Evidence of My Priorities
Is it just me, or does anyone else scroll back through their iPhone photos and think… why? Other people’s dogs. Random cats. A remarkably relaxed crow. Mouthwatering buns! And Tickle in approximately 30 different comedy poses. I don’t even know most of these…
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20 Metres From Home: A Survival Story
Went plum picking in the garden during my lunch break (yes I give myself a lunch break 😆) and apparently I required supervision. Tickle (AKA Lola) bravely travelled all the way from my desk to the garden. Plums collected. Human supervised. Tickle’s work was done.…
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Alternatives to Crimp Beads
These little things arrived today. For twenty years I’ve been perfectly happy using crimp tubes and crimp covers.Then the internet did what the internet does. You need these… Five minutes later of course they were in my basket. Apparently they’re called end crimps.…
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Faulty… Or Just Thoroughly Tested?
I got this back today… The owner insists they’ve only worn it ‘once or twice’ Interesting. Because it looks like it’s been worn in the shower, at the gym, in a hot tub, in a sauna, on holiday in Spain, while being repeatedly…
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Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me Cambridge Was This Lovely?
Not going to lie. In a classic case of opening my mouth before consulting my brain, I somehow volunteered to go and collect a motorbike from Cambridge for my son. I could have quite happily done without the motorbike part. Still, I’ve never…
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On Progress
Last year I had no blog. Today, thousands of jewelry makers visit every month 😮 I know. I’m as surprised as anyone. I thought it might be read by my husband, my mum, and possibly the cat if she could work a mouse.…
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Dangly Chain Thing
A customer emailed me today because she thought her bracelet arrived broken 😮 The culprit? The dangly chain thing on the end. (I believe the technical term is ‘extender chain’.) I replied explaining how to use the lobster clasp and adjust the extender…
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The Boss Arrived!
So hot here today I decided to work outside.Got myself all set up… umbrella, laptop, cables, charger, iced drink. …Only to discover my seat had already been claimed. Honestly, the confidence of someone who contributes absolutely nothing financially yet behaves like the property…
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Digital Brick Walls
Well THIS was a delightful discovery this morning.My payment gateway had somehow switched itself OFF. OFF! Meaning customers couldn’t purchase products… basically they hit a digital brick wall. Which mayyyyy explain the mysterious silence on the sales front in the last 24 hours.…
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Monsters & Makeovers
It’s the first week that I’ve missed my Tuesday newsletter.A thousand apologies. I did say to myself about five years ago: stop saying “sorry I was busy”… it always sounded a bit… flimsy. A bit like “the dog ate my homework but for…
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“Hello? Is this thing on?”
Lola (AKA: Tickle) has officially defected this week…taken herself off to my husband’s office like some sort of freelance creative. He has a podcast.She now sits in there like she’s part of the production team. I’m fairly certain she’s planning her own spin-off:“A…
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Happy Easter!
Easter is my favourite time of year 🤗Even more than Christmas……yes, I said it! Being a full-blown chocoholic, I lose all decision-making abilities when I hit the egg aisle.I pop in a store for “grapes” but somehow leave with a basket that suggests…
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Opals, Glow & Cosmic Vibes
Apparently “Alien-Core” is trending on Pinterest…😮this sounds mildly concerning until you realise it just means glowy, shimmery and slightly magical. 👉 So yes…Opals, lab opals, AB beads, holographic finishes are all having ‘their‘ moment. Basically…If it looks like it fell off a stylish…
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Tonight’s the night!
My accountant has now sent me three…nudges. And by nudges, I mean:“Year end accounts please.”“Those accounts are now due.”“Sarah… accounts!.” It feels less like admin and more… you know… like I’m being hunted by a financial assassin. Shamefully… I’ve ignored them all. I’m…
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I struggle with consistency too
I call these ‘daily’ snippets… very, very loosely. When I named them, I honestly did imagine myself posting every day. Turns out I struggle to do anything at a set time, day, week, month or year…unless it’s coffee, hot baths, or eating Easter…
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The perks of a lifestyle business
I came out today. Out of hibernation, no less.I have emerged from winter like a stiff woodland creature. Back to my morning walks and honestly, it was such a beautiful morning I could have wept into my coffee. I feel like I’ve waited…
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The sinus apocalypse edition
Sick this week. Proper sinus virus. Feel like I’ve been hit by a small but determined truck. On weeks like this I briefly fantasise about a 9–5 job where I could call in sick and quietly disappear under my duvet until I re-emerge…
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Eye rolls and Google feeds
Well… slight eye roll moment over here. My Google shopping feed decided to quietly fall over right before Valentine Day, which I only noticed after orders did a rather dramatic nose dive. Love that. 🙃 On the bright side, my son, who is…
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Buy cheap, buy twice!
Bought a can opener today.£3. Not the cheapest – which is how I justified it. It survived 1.5 hours in my kitchen before the boys broke it. Did I follow my own rule of buy cheap, buy twice – the one I preach…
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What no 9–5 means…
Slow mornings.Coffee with my Mum (plus a very cheeky giant cinnamon bun 😋).A bit of work on our house build (yes, we’re building our own home – bonkers I know).A handful of orders made, packed and sent.Then a 20-minute run to convince myself…
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60 sales in 2 months!
A huge shout-out to my son, who’s just hit 60 sales in his new Etsy store… and it’s only two months old. Properly impressive, right? 🤗 Yay! I’ve been on Etsy for 12 years (nearly 60K sales under the old belt), so I’ve…
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Consider it bilingual!
Some days it’s jewelry.Some days it’s jewellery.I’ve tried to be consistent, honest!I failed.Repeatedly.I’ve decided this is a global brand, not a typo. ✨ Get Jewelry Inspiration Straight into your Inbox! Sign Up Sharing is caring people! Share on Email Share on Pinterest Share on…
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Price-increase day!
It’s price-increase day.Not because I fancy a yacht (I do not). 🤢But because silver and gold have quietly crept up while I wasn’t looking. Once a year I try and do it on my jewellery website.A quick check-in. A gentle nudge. Staying on…
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Back to Work!
Back to work after 14 days of turkey, telly & treats.I’m definitely carrying a few extra millimetres around the waist. My hands usually look like they’ve been lightly nibbled by a mouse.Tiny cuts. Dried glue. Sandpaper skin. Scuffs. Short nails. Over the holidays…
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It’s not over!
Tickle (my CEO, emotional support cat and little madam) has officially dumped me.My once-cosy desk has been traded up for the warm laundry room… specifically above the boiler, where she now lounges like a smug Victorian duchess. I’m happy for her, of course.(No,…
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We’re buzzing!
Big news today… we officially got planning permission to build our new house.Our tiny step toward the big dream: living between the UK and Oz, running a business from anywhere, and finally shaping that freedom-first life I keep talking about. It’s taken forever,…
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Personalisation
Sent out this little pendant today – “Will You Marry Me?”The thing I love about personalisation is how it lets you peek into someone else’s world for a moment. Somewhere out there, a very nervous someone is about to hand this over…Fingers crossed…
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Make one, sell one!
Busy Monday – trying to pre make bracelet stock for the busy Christmas rush. But just as quick as I make one, I sell one!Is it wrong that I’m already counting down to my 2-week Christmas closure? 🎄 New blog post just went…
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Freedom fever’s catching on
It’s Sunday – and while most are still in their PJs, I’m here… working.But the twist? I actually love it. That’s the magic of being your own boss. Fun fact to fuel your coffee: 72% of 9–5ers are already juggling a side hustle…
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Unstoppable today!
Apparently typing doesn’t count as cardio! It’s movement…right? I love jewelry making. I really do. But it’s a job that involves sitting on my arse for long periods of time. My fitbit buzzes at me like my angry PE teacher. SO, now I…
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I’m mentally on a beach today
Festive orders are appearing, my packing tapes doing warm-ups, but mentally I’m on a beach somewhere hot. Podcasts are my peak-season survival kit. I’ve got a whole new lineup ready to go. 😬🤪 Sharing is caring people! Share on Email Share on Pinterest…
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The jump-ring assistant
Tried & Tested this thing Today: The Jump-Ring Finger Ring (you can’t say that after a few vino’s). It’s clever on paper. Practically… er… less so! Really can’t get into fiddly areas at all. Turns out convenience tools are not always convenient. Two…
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Proof the universe has a sense of humour
The funny thing is, my husband’s actually called Bede { pronounced Bead } You couldn’t make this stuff up. It’s not a must-have for all jewellery makers to have a matching husband (Bede’s are rare). Mine was a rare little find, and today…
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I came. I looped. I conquered
🎥 Filmed a little video today using the Beadsmith One-Step Looper. I came. I looped. I conquered. Sharing is caring people! Share on Email Share on Pinterest Share on WhatsApp Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Share on SMS
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Freedom runs in the family
Busy day. Not sure why, but orders are flying in like seagulls to a salty chip. Meanwhile, I’m trying to teach my 18-year-old how to sell online 🤯. He’s setting up his own Etsy store because apparently ‘9-5’ is so vintage 🙌 Sharing…
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Universe just says – Nope!
Rain’s hammering, it’s cold, my shipping system’s missing in action, some days the universe just says ‘nope’. So I’m calling it – I’m going to make lunch! #SmallBizLife #CreativeChaos #FreedomInProgress #ProductivityPending Sharing is caring people! Share on Email Share on Pinterest Share on…
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Why i’ll never miss the 9–5 life
After 20 years of working for myself, being free from a 9–5 means I get to do things I’d never have squeezed into a lunch break – like feeding jaguars 😬. Today I visited The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, a gift from…
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