Beaded Lanyards

The County requires us to wear name tags on lanyards. The standard lanyard is a black shoestring--not really a shoestring but might as well be. This is the first time since I worked at Burger King that I have had to wear name tags. That's OK, I don't really mind but I despise the shoe strings. Something more fashionable please. When I first started, I realized that some people had beaded lanyards that looked more like jewelry than a shoe string. I remembered that I had a bag of beads from broken necklaces and a trip to San Francisco's Chinatown with my craft savvy friend Anne. I thought, I can do this although I have never beaded anything before. I bought some crimp beads and a lobster clasp from Michaels, then I got out my fishing line--I don't fish--and my bag of beads. In about an hour I had put together my first beaded lanyard. The first lanyard is the one I get the most compliments on. I think because it has a variety of different interesting beads.
Since then, I have switched from fishing line--it will eventually come tied--to regular beading wire. I no longer use lobster clasps but rather round rings that make switching from lanyard to lanyard easier. I have re-beaded the original lanyard about 4 times and have at least two more that need to be re-strung. Lanyards catch on things and sometimes there is a shower of cascading beads on the floor.
I enjoy making the lanyards and recently when I was Disneyland I bought a couple of Mickey beaded bracelets. I envisioned turning them into lanyards so yesterday I spent the time off between my split shifts beading a Mickey lanyard. I think it is cute and will probably wear it around for a few days.
I really don't have that many lanyards of my own because I usually end up giving them away for gifts. Recently a new manager told me that she liked the lanyard I made for V two years ago for Christmas. So to congratulate her new position, I sent her a lanyard.
Last year I was commissioned to make two lanyards for Christmas presents. Those have been the only ones I have sold. Sometimes I think I should sell them because I have invested quite a bit in beads but I feel kind of strange asking for money from people that I work with if they want on of my lanyards. I would never make an entrepreneur and had the same problem with teaching private English lessons. I felt guilty for taking money to teach them something I enjoyed teaching. Some people are like me are better off working for other people otherwise we might starve.