find interesting work to do from home

So I have this friend I met via the internet. I’d mentioned to her that I made prayer beads and jewelry. She asked if I made rosaries and if I sold them ~ she’d love to buy one from me. I told her yes, I do make them and I’d love to make one for her, and, yes, I’m trying to build a business selling the pieces I make. So she sent me an e-mail telling me her dad owns an antique shop. He’s said that jewelry sells very well in his shop. Did I want her to ask him if he’d sell my jewelry? Do I?!

However, I realize that my skills need to be improved upon before I sell jewelry (as opposed to prayer beads). So I think I’m going to ask her to give me a month or two to build my skills and develop some jewelry designs I like.

I’m so excited I could do cartwheels!

I’m thinking about making and selling prayer beads and jewelry. I know, I know. A lot of people do it. But I think I have something original to offer ~ especially with the prayer beads. I look at the jewelry booths when there are festivals ~ I can easily make what most of them sell and then some.

I want to learn wire-wrapping techniques so I can expand my repertoire. I don’t want to make those uber-fantastical creations some people do. I want to make simple, beautiful, elegant jewelry. I like working with gemstones and stones the most, but I’d like to incorporate more organic materials, too.

I started listing things on eBay, but I haven’t listed anything in weeks. I’d also like to open an internet store. I just need to get myself motivated and consistently promote my things.

This really doesn’t count as interesting, I think, but it is working from home….

Yesterday when I was out walking with my kids, I met a family who live in my apartment complex. I mentioned that I was a stay-at-home mom and the woman asked me if I babysit. Now, I do watch my friends’ children at times but I haven’t really babysat since I was a teenager. She’s working but her husband isn’t because they’re having trouble finding someone to watch their 15 month old son. She also mentioned that she had a friend who was looking for a babysitter as well.

Now, when we first moved here, I’d been thinking about posting fliers offering to watch children - I do live in an apartment complex and I figured there must be a need for daycare in the area - but hadn’t quite decided whether I wanted to or not. I was waiting until my son was a little older, was in a loose routine, and was sleeping better at night. He’s 8 months now and is a little older, has a loose routine, and sleeps better at night.

So I talked to my husband when he got home from work and he seems agreeable to the idea. I think I’m going to visit the family today and talk to them about it. We’ll see how this works.