I’ve done this before but this time I mean it! After polishing up some new pewter pieces this morning and hating every second I’ve decided again that I don’t want to do this any more. I’m sure I’ll find something else to make but I can’t face another piece of pewter! So 20% of until the end of May with the code HAPPY2 
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I know what you mean about polishing - the ruined nails, the black hands (and smears on my face), it never looking quite polished enough - I feel like giving up after a day of that. Have a break from the pewter and come back to it in 6 months or so and enjoy a summer of something else. If the OH wasn’t a walking advertisement for my work I’d get him the gecko cufflinks.
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Thanks for the encouragement, Sasha I think I might do exactly as you suggest- just put it all away for now and do something else! I quite fancy doing something with fabric but lots of other people do that. Pewter is my USP
I could also try some painting again, and not worry if it doesn’t sell!..if only I could win the lottery and not care about the bit of pocket money that Folksy gives me
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Definitely a good idea to put it away for a while! i do that if I’ve had enough of whatever is getting to me!, shame though your jewellery is so lovely! I have a suggestion, also i have no idea about jewellery making so this might not be much use to you lol! it sounds like you polish all your pieces by hand? I have a dremmel tool and there is a fab little attachment that does a pretty good job of polishing small items. would it be less work to use a gadget? or you might already have one in which case ill shush! lol
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Thanks for your suggestion, Julie! I’ve actually thought of getting a Dremmel over the years but wondered if it would be up to the job of polishing pewter if you need a special polishing head for every piece- there is a huge amount of filth produced! But I’ll bear it in mind if I decide to go back to it…
I love my dremmel! wouldn’t be without it! so useful! but if it is a gunky job you can wrap bits of cloth carefully over the polisher so you don’t use too many heads! lots of luck with whatever else you find to do
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I love looking at your jewellery in your shop and I’ve got your shop on my birthday wish list.
I think when you tend to make one kind of product we can get fed up and bored I know I get easily bored. It’s one of the reason’s I tended to do a variety of things same as in my general life.
Maybe put the pewter jewellery to one side for a bit and do a few other’s things instead. This time of the year I don’t tend to do much knitting and crochet items but tend to work on paper type things and sewing.
Hope that helps.
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I have a dremmel too - its brilliant for somethings but you can’t beat a hand polish on others (I often hand polish the front of my cufflinks and then dremmel the back). I got mine on special offer - homebase matched B&Q’s lower price and then took the 15% off bank holiday promotion as well so keep an eye out for a special deal perhaps. I seem to get messy regardless of how I polish but I have been told I’m a muck magnet.
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This is why my shop is such a hodge-podge of stuff! When I can’t face any more knitting I put it away and sew something. When I’m sick of being tied to a sewing machine I change to felting. If I had to do the same thing every day I’d go bonkers. Do something different for a while Christine. When you go back to that cupboard in a few month’s time you’ll see it differently.
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I agree, I think at times we all get fed up with what we do. Most of my life has been spent designing knitwear, but when my hands got bad 5 years ago, I had to give it all up. So I took to painting. However, there also comes a time when you wonder how many more pieces of blank card you can stare at.
Then suddenly my hands just appeared to get better and knitwear, being my first love, it was only natural that I should start designing again. I couldn’t just abandon my art as I love that too, so right now I do BOTH.
I think most of us have times when we long to do something different, so I doubt if it surprises you to know that I have done, Fimo, Salt dough, Needlefelting, Knitting, Jewellery making…and…and…
So I hope that you only take a short rest and don’t give up completely…you are among friends here !
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I’ve just been reminded of one of my Mother’s sayings
“Variety is the spice of Life”
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Indeed Eileen…saves getting bored (and for me keeping me out of mischief)…lol
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Give it up only for a short break, I favourite your shop because everything you make is so good,don’t let it dissapear down the plughole,what a waste that would be.
I work silver and paint ,it works very well for me, perhaps you should paint for a while. As regards the lottery win,that wouldn’t work for long,you create things and that is the very essence of you,who you are and you are stuck with it,you would land up using money as another medium to work with.
Sorry but when you have your kind of skill and talent you will never give up,just accept that you are a little down right now.
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Have a wonderful evening all.
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I use a flexible shaft tool but my main tool is a bench grinder (around 30 quid), I took the stones off and replaced them with a couple of 4" mops from cooksongold but present the piece so the mop goes over an edge rather than into it,use the bottom of the mop instead of the top,these tools can snatch,if you polish chain wrap it around a short stick. You can get “pigtails”, a spiral that fits on the shaft and you can mount all sorts of polishing bits on them or wrap cotton wool around them,felts would probably be too hard for pewter an remove too much metal.
On the other hand I feel you could be a good silversmith/jeweller,the girls are the best at it and you cold give it a go.
I have made very little jewellery recently because I’ve just lost interest in it. My shop is full and sales are slow. I have tried to just let myself do what I feel like and have messed about with ink, paint and paper. I hope a break will do you good and bring you back to it with a fresh passion - or maybe it will take you to something new 
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Thanks so much for your helpful advice and encouraging words, everyone I’m definitely going to put it all away for now. My OH has just bought me some gouache paints for my birthday so I’m going to try that first, I think. Last time I gave up making pewter, I started to panic a bit as my stock started to get low, so no doubt I’ll go back to it some time. I’ll take note of the recommended polishing techniques too!..
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If you can paint like you can pewter you will still sell plenty. I look forward to seeing what you paint and wait in antici…pation.
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The only thing that I would add over and above what’s already been said is that don’t forget, because you’ve been doing this for a while, you have an expertise over and above many of your competitors.
That’s a real USP and whilst I think a change is definitely as good as a rest, why not see if you can make things that are complimentary to your pewter jewellery (so for example if you are trying painting, then maybe start with some pieces that are similar in style to the jewellery and they can work together to sell themselves. Eg you could paint a few scenes with hares and then mention in your marketing (or find a way to show a relevant jewellery piece in your photographs) the fact that if you like the design you can also wear it).
Just a thought as seems a shame not to take advantage of your proven expertise, although having said that I fully accept sometimes doing something completely different is the best way to move on!
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Good advice, Heidi
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