If you're new here — welcome!
I'm Barb, and this blog is where I share a little behind the scenes of our handmade jewelry business, along with tips, lessons, and real-life experiences from selling both online and in person.
Accent Yourself is a small, family-run business focused on handcrafted sterling silver jewelry and genuine sea glass art. What started as a creative hobby has grown into something much bigger — and now includes my kids, who each bring their own skills and style to the business.
What You'll Find Here
This blog has a mix of things:
- Handmade jewelry and sea glass stories
- Tips for selling at markets, festivals and craft fairs
- Small business lessons (the good, the bad, and everything in between)
- Behind-the-scenes looks at how we run our business
Nothing here is overly polished or complicated — just practical, honest insights from doing this day in and day out.
How It All Started
I originally started making beaded jewelry years ago as a creative outlet when our kids were little. Over time, it slowly turned into a business — first selling to friends, then I opened an Etsy shop, and eventually selling at markets.
Like most small businesses, it didn't happen overnight. It's been built piece by piece, market by market, and lesson by lesson.
What We Make
Our work centers around:
- Sterling Silver Jewelry designed for everyday wear
- Genuine sea glass sourced from collectors around the world
- Pacific Northwest gemstones, including Oregon sunstones, agates and jaspers.
We focus on quality materials and simple, wearable designs that hold up over time.
Why This Blog Exists
Over the years, I've learned a lot — especially from selling at markets and running a small handmade jewelry business.
This blog is my way of sharing what's worked for us (and what hasn't), in case it helps someone else along the way.
If you're a fellow maker, vendor, or small business owner, you'll probably find a few things here that sound familiar.
Start Here:
- What Sells At Markets
- Vendor Checklist
- How to Increase Booth Sales
- How to Get Customers INTO Your Booth
If you'd like to see what I'm currently making, you can browse my handmade jewelry and sea glass art in the shop anytime, or follow along on Accent Yourself and ArtSeaFramed on Instagram to see what we are working on!