Supporting each other ... and a rose quartz charm bracelet!

Supporting fellow businesses and artisans is really important - apart from a networking perspective, supporting them through times of economic doom and gloom is important.

Heather on her blog Heather's Ramblings recently posted on The Stone Soup Challenge. Using the folktale, Stone Soup, as inspiration this movement is encouraging artists and crafters to spend a little each month and purchase from one another.

In the tale Stone Soup, a stranger comes to a starving village and looks for food. He puts a boiling pot on the water and adds a stone, telling everyone he is making stone soup. Gradually, the villagers come forward with ingredients to add to make the soup. The contributions are items that the villagers are hoarding due to their fear of starvation. Each villager only contributes a small amount, but the end result is a soup that feeds everyone.

It's a wonderful example of co-operation and grassroots economic stimulus and I for one have already joined in! Please visit The Stone Soup blog to learn more and spread the love!

Another way to support each other is to network. Through Melissa at the Business Mums Blog I found out about the Business Mums Conference in June which would be a great networking and learning opportunity for those in Victoria.

I had a wonderful time at the Dunedoo Show last week :) I met lots of wonderful people that only live a stone's throw away ... but in a different direction than I usually go! A big thank you to the Show Committee for having me and for already inviting me back to next year's show.

Of course I'm supposed to be finishing off my winter collection working with rich and darker colours ... but creativity leads you on a journey of its own and this week has been no exception with pinks calling to me *sigh*.

So from this creative burst of pink, is the bracelet pictured above. A handmade chain of soft-pink rose quartz faceted discs and argentinium sterling silver (argentinium is tarnish resistant - brilliant stuff!) with little 'charms' of purple amethyst, grass-green peridot, freshwater pearls in white and bright pink and sterling silver charms of flowers, dragonflies and a butterfly. Very spring-like (in autumn - oh well!).

Catch you on the flip side!