“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant” Robert Louis Stevenson

Today is day 8 of my 50-day challenge of taking my hobby and passion, jewellery making, to a larger online community.

The last 8 days have seen further developments to my webpages, logo, gallery, as well as sharing more of my jewellery online and making new professional contacts.

In the following few days I plan to establish a newsletter system, facebook page as well as continue to transform my webspace. I am also currently working on redesigning my packaging and identity for my jewellery pieces, and creating new jewellery colections.

The greatest moments this week have been to realise that my jewellery is opening up new social opportunities for me and that I have a beautiful circle of supportive friends.

I feel so lucky that my life is full of so much creative potential and that I am surrounded by so many lovely people.

Whatever my hobby brings, I will grab every opportunity with both hands.

Life is giving me a fantastic social gift!

“Do what you love and you will never have a problem with Monday” author unknown

As most of my close friends and family know, I have always been dedicated to my management work and helping others. However, due to ever poorer health over the past two years, I was recently forced to leave my job and some lovely work colleagues.

It was a very hard decision to make, but I knew deep down that it was the only way I could fully concentrate on my health and try to adapt to a new life.

In order to give myself something positive to focus on whilst I go through this transition, I have decided to take a passionate hobby that I love, and share it online with a greater audience.

Many of you will know that I loved coaching and helping other people to achieve their own goals. But you may not be aware that I have a very creative side as well. I have always loved art, playing piano and doing crafty things, but within the last 12 months I have developed a deep passion for jewellery-making. Therefore, today is the start of a 50 day challenge towards achieving the dream I have of sharing my creative talents and love of jewellery with the world.

Some of my friends often call me a hoarder or magpie, as I love beads, pottery, paintings, jewellery, silver, arts and craft materials and stationery. I am really like a big kid in a sweetie shop with my beads; I love the array of colours, textures and styles. During my worst moments of illness over the past 12 months, I have taught myself new skills like Indian Bead Weaving, Viking Wire Weave, Stone Work, Silver Soldering, Lava Bead Aromatherapy, Antique Jewellery Restoration, Resin Setting and many more.

All of this has helped me to keep focussed and combat the depression, exhaustion and pain caused by a long period of illness, during a very challenging time in my life.

Therefore, today is when I start to turn my pleasure in beads and jewellery into something a lot greater. This is me, taking my passion from a small quiet flat in Edinburgh and sharing it with the online world, helping other magpies along the way.

In the next few weeks I will continue to develop the blog pages, start to create a dedicated facebook page and website, creating videos and articles so that I can share my love with others.

This will be a fantastic journey of craft sharing and jewellery making. Please come and get to know me better as you follow my progress as I create a new, artistic, creative and happier self.

Life is too short to be in a place that you are not happy, dreading Mondays. This is my new start to making sure that everyday is a happier, creative and rewarding day.

Bling and sparkle here we come!