:bananen_smilies046: You could be drinking, druging, hunting, fishing, snow sking, chaseing wild wemen, or paying it out in docter bills for theropy. Consider it money well spent !! You could also consider selling a few items once in a while. The giving is priceless and good PR, but doesn't buy you new equipment. Most people that make a living selling pen, also sell kits, blanks, write books or have some other connection with the craft. You could try setting up a web site, but you better be very good, or very cheep to compete with the number of people out there already. Have business cards printed up to give to anybody that shows interest in your work so they have something to go back to when 2 months down the line they need a pen. Mosts of the arts and crafts we go into are because we enjoy what we are doing. It's nice if we can sell something and get our costs out of them. It's a Godsend if we can actualy make a living from them. One thing I have learned over the years is that it's fun to do what you want to do, when you want to do it, it no longer becomes fun when you have a deadline to meet, a customer that wants something done in a manner that you wouldn't want your name tied to, or things just get out of hand. Moral of the story, "be careful what you wish for". Merry Christmas to all !!! Jim S
