We Interrupt This Series...

...to bring you a message from Etsy Mom. Well, actually, it's from me, but it's about Etsy Mom. What the heck is Etsy Mom, you ask? It's an Etsy team I'm on, and they created a challenge based on Pantone's 2011 Fashion color trends.You can go here to see the color palettes we chose from to work with, as well as see all the entries. After you look at the entries and decide which one best fits the color palette criteria, at the bottom of the post you will be directed to the voting "booth."

Yes, I submitted a sweet, precious, to-die-for tassel (it's in my Etsy shop and currently the first one in my little Etsy mini over there -->), but I don't want you to vote for me just because you love me. I want you to vote for me only if you think I did the best at interpreting the color palette I chose.Okay, I'm done with my spiel. Now, go vote! (Pretty Please?)

Oh, voting ends October the 14th and you can only vote once, so choose carefully! :)

Tassel Tuesday on a Thursday - Funky Crow 2

Oops. I thought I had already posted this. I hadn't. Sorry. Better late than never! This Tassel Tuesday's (that's on a Thursday) Tassel is one of my favorite fall tassels. Don't I say that about every one of them? Well, seriously, he is.

Funky Crow Tassel 2

I LOVE this guy's expression. It's kind of, "Who, me?" Mixed with a little, "Did anyone see that?" His face combined with the candy corn ribbon, and he is the quintessential Halloween, harvest, fall, autumn, whatever-you-want-to-call-him decoration.The black patterned ribbon just adds to the whimsy. If you'd like to purchase him, just head over to the Etsy Shop, where you can find several other fall tassels, with more being added (almost) daily.

He's waiting for you to take him home. It's kind of boring hanging out with the pumpkins. "What? What'd I say?"

Tassel Tuesday - Moss Green Pumpkin

Moss Green Pumpkin Tassel on Etsy
It's Tassel Tuesday again!

That first pumpkin sold so quickly after I got it in the shop, I figured pumpkins might be a good topic to cover again this week. I call this one, and stay with me here because this is so original, Moss Green Pumpkin Tassel. I'm such a forward thinker.

It's definitely not your normal orange pumpkin, but a mossy green with tiny beads all over it that makes it look like it's been sugared. The ivory and green ribbon has patterns that go well together...stripes and toile. So pretty! Brown Yarn helps make sure the ribbons stay fluffy underneath the pumpkin. Milk chocolate velvet ribbon is so pretty against that green fringe and pumpkin.
Speaking of fringe, the brush fringe is full of greens, golds, and browns. Which just happen to be the same colors in the cute little charm hanging from the front of the tassel.
It's so subtle...it doesn't scream "I'M A FALL TASSEL!" or "HANG ME UP FOR HALLOWEEN!" Even though you could leave it up just for fall or hang it up for Halloween...or through Thanksgiving, for that matter. But you could just as easily leave it out all year to enjoy.

Like it? Then head over to my Etsy shop, where you'll see a few more tassels falling in over the next few days. Get it? Falling? I crack myself up.

Tassel Tuesday - New Fall Tassels!

Edited 9/7/11 - Autumn Pumpkin Tassel SOLD! Wow! That was FAST! Don't worry, more pumpkins are being loaded daily!

I am SO excited for today's Tassel Tuesday! I haven't added many new tassels to the Etsy shop in a while, but now that fall is here I'll be loading a new one every day! Not only have I been working on the Keychain Tassels (if you'd like one in a different color, I will be happy to oblige!), but I've been working on new fall tassels as well. I can't wait to get all of them loaded into the shop. I'll add one a day until they're all in, and I'll be highlighting a new one each week.

If you'd like a custom fall (or any kind!) tassel, please let me know. I have a gajillion pumpkins of several shapes and colors, a blackbird (like this one), and finials that can be colored any way you'd like.

Now, onto the first fall tassel!
This little Autumn Pumpkin Tassel started life as another tassel. One that I hated. From the moment I finished it I hated it. But I was too afraid to do anything about it. Had I listened to my tassel mentor, The Nester, I would have known it was okay to tear it up and redo it. Hot glue is amazing stuff but it's not as permanent as my mind thinks it is.

So, because I had nothing to lose (it sure wasn't selling in Etsy and everytime I looked at it I cringed), I to' it up. Down to nothing but the pumpkin and the multicolored fringe, which I DID and DO love. I knew I could make something prettier than what it had been.
And I was right! Now when I look at this, it makes me smile. Oh, so pretty, and oh, so fall.

How appropriate that the temps plummeted yesterday and won't recover to the high 80's until next week. Last night we had our window open for the first time in months! I think it's the perfect time to get these sweet autumn tassels in to celebrate!
Remember, if you're a returning customer, you do not pay shipping!

If you have any questions about this or any other tassel, please email me at the above address. I'd love to work with you!

Keychain Tassels Available!

Edited to add: I have made a special post just to order the keychain tassels. If you would like to order, please go to this post. Thank you!

I am so stinkin' excited and nervous and scared and giddy all at the same time. I hope I don't wreck the internet doing this. Please don't kill me if I do!

I told you on Tuesday that I was making keychain or purse tassels to be able to buy my plane ticket to the Relevant Conference, but I wasn't quite ready with the other designs. Well, they are ready (for the most part...I still have a brown one I'm toying with but he's not wanting to cooperate) and available for sale. I will show you pics of each one, then you can choose from the designs by clicking on their individual buttons. EEEEEK! I'm so excited!

First, let me tell you a bit about them. They are about 5 inches tall from the top of the finial to the bottom of the ribbon, and about 3 inches wide at their widest. They have a sweet "Relevant '11" Ribbon on the front, but you can choose not to have that ribbon placed on them.

The burgundy one has brown, light blue, and burgundy ribbon with cream brush fringe.

The blue one has cream, light orange, light blue, and brown (with cute blue flowers) ribbon with cream fringe.

The coral one (I originally wanted this to be orange but this color seemed better) has cream, bluish gray, brown, and burgundy ribbon with cream fringe.

You can choose to have them made with a round keychain or a ball chain.

If you would like for me to leave the Relevant '11 ribbon off your tassel, I can do that as well. There is a special instruction place during checkout, and that's where you will let me know you don't want the ribbon.

Please allow up to three weeks for your tassel to arrive. I am making them as the orders come in so I know what colors to paint, so it will take a little while to get yours ready. Also, I'm using first class shipping to keep the cost down.

Am I forgetting anything? If I am and you think of it, please let me know and I will add it here!

Happy shopping! : )

Relevant Tassel - Burgundy

Burgundy Style

Round Keychain Ball Chain

Relevant Tassel - Blue

Blue Style

Round Keychain Ball Chain

Relevant Tassel - Coral

Coral Style

Round Keychain Ball Chain

Thank you for your purchase!

Tassel Tuesday - Relevant '11 Tassels!

This is the most anticipated Tassel Tuesday post yet. By me, anyway. I'm so stinkin' excited to show you what I've been planning, working on, scheming...okay, maybe not scheming, but whatever. I have been so nervous about this, and to finally see the outcome of it is so sweet. Especially when it turned out this cute.

See, I need a way to get to Relevant. I have my ticket, but I haven't bought my plane ticket. And no sponsor has shown up on a white horse to save the day. So, I turned to what I know. Tassels. But I wanted to find a new way to do them so that it was something that Relevant '11 attendees would actually like to have.

Enter...the keychain tassel...Is this not the cutest thing? And notice anything special on the ribbon in front?Yep! "Relevant '11"! I bought it from Namemaker, where they make personalized ribbons. Ever since I saw The Nester's personalized ribbon on a tassel I got as a gift, I've wanted to use them. I squealed when I opened my package. It's sooooo sweet!

But back to the tassel, you don't have to use it just as a keychain. You can use it as a purse charm: How cute is that?
The tassel, not the purse. But it was the best one I had...if anyone wants to hook a sistah up with a good deal on a bag, let me know. Wait...all my extra pennies are going toward Relevant, so nevermind.

So far, this is the only color I have, but I've already started working on light blue, creamy orange, dark brown, and more burgundy ones. Basically all the colors of the Relevant badge and website. I can't wait to make more of these baby tassels.

I hope more people than just myself think they are the cutest thing since puppies, and that maybe I'll be leavin' on a jet plane when October 26th rolls around. And by the way, you don't have to be going to Relevant to purchase one. I can just leave the Relevant ribbon off.

I also can make this a regular tassel with a ribbon hanger if you'd rather have that. I'm all about making it custom!

If you would like to purchase one, please let me know. Just know that I will be posting other colors later this week. I just couldn't wait to show you today!

I will not be putting these on Etsy (at least yet), so you can purchase them for $12 directly through the post when I have them all ready. Trust me...I'll let you know! That price includes shipping, and you can pay through Paypal. They take credit/debit cards, and you don't have to have an account with them. Just so you know.

So...what do you think? Cuter than puppies?

My New Craft Room! Part 3

Headed to the GI doctor today for another test. I will be SOOOOO happy when these things are OVER! I figured today was as good as any to show you what's in my craft room...and what makes me so happy...

Usually I take Tuesdays to highlight a new tassel. But since I have no new tassels with which to share (and since by the time I post this it won't be Tuesday anymore), I will highlight my creative space where I make the tassels. I've told you about my new craft room, as well as shared about some of the stuff I use in there for tassels. Today I want to show you a few more specifics.

In the back of the table on the left hand side you can see my glue gun. What would I do without that thing? Well, I can tell you now it wouldn't be tassels. It's a high temp gun to make sure the glue holds onto whatever it is I'm gluing fringe or ribbon to. It makes for some painful burns if (um...when) I manage to get some on me, but it's worth it to know stuff will stick. I have it sitting on the bottom tier of my Pampered Chef stand. The other two tiers are holding little things that get lost in the shuffle in the other craft stuff.

The scissors on the front of the table I've had for 23 years. I got them as a Freshman in college. Being Ginghers, they were worth the money, but dang, they were expensive! They really are great scissors (actually the pair I have are technically called shears). I even have my name engraved on them. That was more for identification in class than anything, but I love that they show that they are mine. I even still have the storage box they came in (that's it on the right side of the rack on the wall). I just found out that Gingher will repair and sharpen your Gingher scissors for $7.50, and that includes return shipping! Since mine are in dire need of sharpening, I might have to do without them for a few weeks.

As far as the other stuff on the wall rack, I use everything on there with almost every tassel, except for the stuff hanging on the left side. Florist wire for threading ribbon through a topper, an ice pick for poking holes through stuff, some dang sharp cutters (loppers? garden shears?) for cutting dowels and anything too big for my wire cutters to cut through, twine and a hole punch for adding my business card to tassel packages, a measuring tape.... I use it all. I even have a little bucket that holds mini glue gun sticks, but I don't use my little one very much. Gotta have Gertrude for most of my projects.

I just noticed the zebra sitting in the middle of the table. He had some funky looking feet but I cut them off and used some Sculpey clay to make hooves and a little ball on his tail and now he is so cute! I can't wait to use him on a tassel.

As far as other toppers, I have so many I can't name them all, but here are a few for your viewing pleasure...

Doggies! I have SO many dog breeds. If you'd like one, please email me and ask if I have one of your breed. I bet I do! You can see a Golden Retriever I did for a customer here.
Birds! Again...a little of everything. I can't wait to do another Funky Crow. I also have cardinals, bluebirds, sparrows, owls...you name a bird, I might have it!Speaking of birds, here are the roosters! Chickens, roosters, oh, and there's a turkey hiding down there, too. If you'd like to see my other roosters/chickens, you can go to my Etsy page's sold page and see them.
Fleur de lis...
Crosses...
Bunnies... (the one on the far right is heading to a new home soon...)
More lighthouses...
This has to be my favorite snowman topper ever. Go to this page and read my description...I really don't know how I let it go. You can see more Christmas toppers in the background...As well as these funky snowmen...uh...and birds....

And finally...Oooo...kay. All these cute toppers and I end with wooden finials? They look kinda...well...boring.

Oh. But wait. In my next crafty post I will finally show you what I've been working on with these cuties.

I. Can't. Wait.

Turning Dread into Therapy

In my last post, I recapped what's been going on with my health, and told you about having to go to the same cancer clinic Momma had gone to. Memories I just didn't want to revisit, even if I wasn't going there as a cancer patient.

I decided instead of dreading the visit, I’d make it therapeutic. I had wanted to do something special for the waiting room where Momma had spent so many hours. Since I don’t knit or crochet like my sister does (she is planning on making a blanket for the chemo room), I decided I would make a tassel for the waiting room. Just something pretty for people to look at and maybe take their minds off the waiting for a bit.

I realized that this trip was going to be a journey of sorts. The first one since Momma's death...and my heart was a mess.

But as I worked on the bird tassel, my heart became more focused on what I was doing for the people who are still where Momma was this time last year.

It became clear to me that if I focused on the hurt that place symbolized, I was going to stay a mess...but as the tassel took shape, I could see how beauty could come of it.

It got to the point where I was actually excited to be able to go and give this to Momma's doctor, one of the most well known and respected oncologists in the South, if not the country. I chose a bird because of the Wings Foundation volunteers...cancer survivors who come to the clinic and serve patients in the waiting room and chemo room. They are so precious, and Momma got to know several of them.

I wrote a card and stuck it in the bag with the tassel, explaining what it was and where they could hang it (I told them my preference would be one of the lamp switches in the waiting room). I meant to take the camera with me to take a picture of the finished product, but forgot in my anxiousness of the morning. Plus it was 6:00 a.m. when we left the house. I am not a morning person. Heh. I gave it to one of the ladies in the office who promised to get it to Dr. Tauer and his staff. She seemed as delighted to get it as I was delighted to give it.

Since I didn't take a picture, this is the inspiration tassel...I just put a pretty burgundy ribbon on the back instead of the champagne and brown ribbons in the picture.

I put one of my business cards on it with a little note on the back saying it was in memory of my beautiful mother. I hope they do hang it where others can see it and know her name.

Some good news that I just found out...my test results came back okay! I will have a follow-up visit on the 24th of August. I still don't know why my heart rate went up so high on the treadmill stress test, so I will discuss that with him.

Thank you all who have been praying for me. I cannot express my gratitude enough.

Hopefully my next post will be the third post about my craft room. When all these tests took over my life, I forgot where I was! :)