New Year Hopes...

Gosh, the holidays have come and gone... thank goodness. So much to look forward to this year... a trip to Hawaii, a new direction for my Etsy shop, craft shows to line up, new classes to teach at East Street Beads, new friends to meet through beading, etc. I'm super excited to share this with my readers.

After much thought and reflection, I've decided to focus my creative energies on Kumihimo braiding. Anyone can string beads, but I love finding a pendant with that "WOW" factor and then creating a complimentary Kumi braid. I just ordered two beautiful lampwork glass focal beads on Etsy, one from Norway and the other from Israel! I'm super excited to get them in the mail and start a Kumi braid for each!

Kumi, Kumi... I'm hooked on braiding! First you find that special focal piece that touches your heart and/or releases your creative energy. Then you start to visualize the braid that will most compliment it. Do you want the braid to accent the piece or the piece to accent the braid? Or both? Next you start to think about matching up the colors and deciding what material to use. That's the fun part of Kumi braiding... you can use fiber and beads! Mix it up, try something new... Satin cord, yarn, wire, silk, waxed linen mixed with... seedbeads, semiprecious stone chips, fire polished Czech glass, Swarovski crystals! I could go on and on because as I tell my Kumihimo students, the skies the limit! Don't be afraid to try a new fiber or a different bead or stone. Unleash the Kumi Queen or King and you'll be creating great pieces, too.

I use a simple foam disk for creating my braids but someday I'd love to try the Marudai Table, the original way to make a braid that is centuries old in Japan. I'm not a Kumi expert and I have lots to learn. That's so exciting! So if you've been thinking about trying a new skill this year, try Kumihimo Braiding and soon you'll be hooked, too. I still love stringing... every once in a while I take a Kumi break and go back to my roots. But my true love is Kumi.