Asked for tassels, found tassels!

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? I was itching to make some tassels recently so I started digging through beads and findings. I quickly realized my beads were in such disarray, it was necessary to take a detour and spend some time getting organized.

I completely ditched all the beads in 10 bead containers into serious bead soup in order to make room for fresh new supplies. I figured if I hadn't opened a bead case in over a year, it was time.

After getting through several giant ziploc bags full of beads and getting them all sorted into nice little compartments, it was time to call it a day. As I was putting everything away, I discovered these jewelry making kits I received on my recent trip to Cousin Corporation headquarters.

Yay! Organization paid off!

As you can see, I've already ripped open the packages to discover the raw supplies necessary to make some simple tassels. That's a great place to start!

For now, though, I'm off to get ready for work. Not sure why inspiration to bead comes in the early morning hours when there is no time, but that's how it works.

I'll check back in soon and let you know how it goes! Have a great day!

Feeling the need to make some tassels

The thought never crossed my mind until I received these tassels in my last Cousin Corp. package. They are SO cool! Several inches long and the colors are perfectly Floridian.

As soon as I saw them all I could think of was craft project.

I went on the website to see if there were other interesting tassels and I found this one, which is also in the new Boho line.

Okay, now the craft store is calling. I could go through all my jewelry-making and craft supplies and find some pretty fabulous materials to use in a tassel, but there's nothing like heading to the craft store when inspiration calls!

If you have experience making tassels, please share. I'd love to know where your inspiration came from and how you brought your ideas to fruition.

I'll keep you posted on how things go on this end. :)

Swarovski crystals in the mail...it's a great day!

It's so awesome to get a package in the mail, especially when you know there's something special and sparkly inside!

When I talked to my husband while walking to the parking garage after work yesterday he gave me the news. You got a package!!

Yay! I knew there were crystals inside and I knew they were crystals I haven't seen in real life before. I prefer shopping for beads in person rather than online, but unless you get to a bead store, there aren't many opportunities to check out all the different shapes and sizes of Swarovski crystals.

I haven't even opened these packages yet, but I wanted to share to get your input. These are 8mm triangle pendants in crystal AB and bermuda blue! Each package has 6 pieces and I am the proud owner of three packages of each color.

Tonight I will open and touch them...something to look forward to!

If you have experience using these, let me know I'm in the mental design phase right now.

As always I'm seeing them all dangling in a big clump of sparkliness. :)

Fun in the sun - mixing & mingling!

Mixing and mingling with beads that is!

I had a chance to get a few pics of some faves from my Cousin Corp. 10-minute bead grab today.

The sun started to shine and it was like magic!

The added sparkle gave me all kinds of inspiration. I realized then that I hadn't brought any tools with me for the photo op.

Probably a good thing, I might never have made it back from lunch. :)

It was pretty easy to see some great match-ups so I tore them off the packages to get a better look.

Love the butterflies, love the sparkle and even love the black faux leather bracelet!

Let me know what you think. :)

DIY Jewelry-making kits

Pictured here are just a handful of the DIY jewelry-making kits the Cousin Ambassadors learned about during our recent trip to Cousin Corporation Headquarters in Largo, Florida.

We were privileged to meet and have a brainstorming session with the person on staff whose primary role is to develop ideas, create samples and pitch jewelry-making kits to craft stores. HOW FUN!

While it sounds like the best job ever, it would really take a lot of focus to stay on track and keep moving forward. We not only saw the huge wall of existing products, we also saw the wall of kits that didn't make it to the stores.

As with any industry, finding the key to what moves customers at any given time is the magic bullet.

These are the kits that moved ME in that moment and found their way into my return luggage. :)