Are you making money with your craftwork or hobby? Would you like to?

Well, as you can see if you've looked at my profile, I'm a bit older than you. It definitely took me awhile before I found my niche! I only wish I had found it sooner... like 30 years ago! LOL If you've read my other responses, especially #1 above, you can see what I'm doing: bas relief wall hangings of dogs. I've always loved dogs and loved working in clay. I was looking around at the different things being sold pertaining to my own dogs, Maltese, and noticed that there was not much at all for that breed. What made me decide on bas relief I honestly cannot say. It just popped into my head. Maybe I had seen a bas relief of something else right before this but I can't remember. So, I looked around and didn't see anything like it. Some people pay thousands of dollars for their dogs which says a lot about how much they love them! Also, seeing how many other things are sold regarding dog breeds, keychains, T-shirts, purses, coffee mugs, pictures, etc., that told me that people do spend their money on things like this. So, I got out my plasticine clay and started working. Before long, I had a Maltese poking it's cute little nose out of that clay! I haven't made the mold yet, but I'll be doing that today. The model is now completed. I'll make the mold so I can mass-produce these as needed. Once that is done, I'll start on my second dog breed. Since posting this discussion, I've received 4 new orders and I'm not even officially selling these things yet! LOL It's kind of scary thinking about what's going to happen once I get the website online! At least I already have people lined up to help me if need be... and a big basement to set up the production line. If you just keep thinking about it and looking around, you'll eventually find your niche, I've no doubt about that! It takes patience and determination.

Ahgong, You had better look at her age and not just her face when you check her profile, this one has a face of a woman about 15 years younger than her real age. I just want to know when you are going to start selling what ever it is you are using to keep looking that good.

I've been trying to get my youngest son motivated with photography, too. He's awesome with a camera! He's taken some of the best photos I've seen! The best I've been able to come up with has been those sites where you submit your photographs and they pay you whenever someone buys the right to use it. If you can find any photography contests online (or offline) you should submit your best photos. Winning a contest would definitely give you some notariety! Also, you could try submitting your best ones to photography publishers. You never know! Once you get your foot in the door it could open wide open for you! Have you considered creating your own website with your photos? I've seen some of these types of sites and, to tell you the truth, most did not impress me. If you're good, and know how to present them, I have no doubt you'd be able to sell them. I wish you much success in your photography career! It sounds like you'd be very happy doing that.

I have some of them up as art prints on lulu.com, and I have a hiking pictures blog online. That's about it. I haven't tried to do much more with it so far. I'm too busy with my writing!

Yes! You should! What I did was to look all over the internet to see what was there and what wasn't. To be successful, you need to make things that a million other people AREN'T making. Beadwork is a wonderful hobby and I love doing that myself, but you have to try to create things that are a bit unusual to draw attention to your work. It really doesn't take much imagination and I'm sure you have that since you've already sold some of your work. Good luck with that! Oh, my 'niche' is making bas relief wall hangings of different dog breeds. I wrote about it in my response to response #1 above. If you do get back into your beadwork, please post pictures here! You never know, you might get an order or two!