Slowly closing up shop

So here's the thing: I love making jewelry, but not as much as I love dancing. And because there are only so many hours in the day, and even less hours in the day that I can spend with a needle and thread in my hands either making jewelry or making costumes, I am in the process of closing down Erthe Fae Designs. At almost 15 years in business, it's been a good long run, but it's time to move on. Here's what this means:

1. This blog will still be around, because I'm still beading for fun.

2. My Etsy shop will still be around because I have a lot of jewelry to sell still, and beads to destash. In fact, you can currently use code "BUYALLTHETHINGS" for 30% off any purchase over $20. This even includes the stuff I already discounted.

3. I will not be vending at any more shows.

4. I will probably not be filling any custom orders. If you have an idea and I really like it and I have the beads for it, I might do it. But if I have to order additional supplies or it doesn't inspire me, I'm not going to do it.

5. I still have a gajillion beads, so I will still be creating. If you've been accustomed to receiving jewelry from me as gifts, or as donations to your events, you'll probably still get jewelry and it might be even nicer than before because I'll have more time to make things for fun and friends.

6. I'll still be hitting the Tucson gem shows, because I still love beads and beaders. But now that I won't have to stock up on supplies for my business, I'll be able to really focus on buying awesome artist-made beads and cool vintage beads and unusual stones.

Of course, the funny thing is that since I made this decision, I've had to turn down some business opportunities that would have thrilled me at this time last year. But I'm still confident that I'm doing the right thing. Dance is my passion, and since I've started working on becoming a professional, I haven't had the time to dedicate to running Erthe Fae Designs properly.

I'd like to thank all of you who have supported my business over the years, and I hope you'll still keep an eye on my shop, as I have a backlog of things to list and I'll still occasionally list new things as I work on using up my bead stash.