October, already?!?!?!?!

I can hardly believe it! Partly because I'm going on a cruise in a few weeks, and partly because by the time I get back, it's going to be the holiday season again! Ack!

So, does anyone remember my contest? Well, I still haven't heard from one of the winners - Vickie S. who's blog is Red Hot Polka Dots. If you don't email me by the 8th, I'll have to redraw another winner.

I want to be able to have all my contest winner's packages out and on their way before I go on vacation! So - anybody craving a cashmere tsumami kanzashi bracelet, or a pair of tree branch earrings - stay tuned! If I haven't heard from Vickie in a week, I'll put up another contest post and redraw another random winner.

Where did this year go, I mean... I know it's mostly gone - but damn! I wanted to get so much more done already by now. So many goals and ideas just floating in my brain, getting crammed into little corners here and there. I really hope I can get more of them out of my head and into reality from now on...

Last Chance!!!

Today is the last day to comment on my 200th post and enter my contest! I've been really amazed by the recent comments, so I have to say thanks to Polka Dot Pineapple for referring a bunch of you here! Thanks a bunch, Arlette!

Since there's been such a great response, I've decided to add 3 more winners! These will all be for cupcake pops - approximately 1/2 dozen, or as many fit comfortably in the box! (They need to be packed carefully, and I don't want anyone to receive crushed pops!)

Comments will be closed as of 11:59PM Central Standard Time (-5 GMT) and I'll use a Random number generator to come up with 3 winners. Winners will be notified by email first, then here (on Monday, for anybody waiting to see if they won!) - so make sure you've left a contact email, even if it's plain text in the comment. I have to be able to tell you, you won! Hahaha!

Once again, commenting here is not a valid entry in my contest. You must click the link above and comment on my original 200th post to be entered. Good luck to everyone who's entered! I've really enjoyed reading all of your comments! Thank you all so much for your kind words!

Contest prizes!!!

There's only a dozen comments on my 200th post giveaway, so I thought I'd sweeten the deal a bit!

You won't be getting ALL tsumami kanzashi, but I didn't have a better box photo! Haha!

First prize will be a flat rate priority mail box with goodies either sewing or knitting related (I can do other themes too, like bath & body, if you prefer!) Trust me, this will be worth the comment-spam-annoying-thing! Just a comment could get you a whole box of fun crafty supplies and finished items! (Oh, and there will be cake pops, too!)

Second prize will be a cashmere button bracelet with tsumami kanzashi flower snap (or permanently attached, your choice.) Alternatively, a pair of Tree Branch Earrings - custom made for you. (These are my favorites, with vintage robin's egg blue faceted beads.)

Third prize will be a mystery stash giveaway. Basically, I'll send either fabric or yarn from my stash, in colors you like. Depending on my stash, of course - it's small, but it's fierce! Hehehe.

I hope to get more comments for my contest, if there's only a dozen I could make a batch of cake pops and send about 3 to all of you! Hahaha!

To enter, you'll need to use the link at the top of the post to comment on the original 200th post. Comment here all you like, but I'll just consider it flattery!

A Tree Scarf and a Baby Dwarf Shrub!

When I recently found out I'd be meeting June, I knew I wanted to make her something but I also didn't have a lot of time. I've been trying to get my fabric stash cleaned up, and when I ran across just enough brown fleece to make a Tree scarf I knew it'd be perfect for her. One of the easiest sewing projects I've ever done, the soft fleece and added tsumami kanzashi flower snap are sure to please! (I hope! *crosses fingers*) She's on her way to Chicago right now, and I get to sneaky-post her surprise! Hahaha!

For a few scarves I've even added a beaded butterfly, although I sadly didn't have the time to get one done for June by today. (June, if you'd like I'd be more than happy to make one for you, just let me know what your 2 favorite colors are!) I've really enjoyed the nature theme developing in my crafting over the last year. Organic shapes are very forgiving of mistakes, they blend in or even add character to the finished object. It's tough for me to accept mistakes when it comes to my work, so having to work with them has been both interesting and challenging. I like the freedom, but it's also intimidating a lot of times. It's easy for me to work towards perfect, because that's a definable goal (at least most of the time;) the harder part is accepting flaws as part of life, and even working with them. I guess that's why I find my affinity for nature growing at an exponential rate! LOL

I got a dwarf lilac shrub from Park Seed a week ago, and I'm anxiously awaiting it's first bloom. I know it'll take longer than I want, but I still look it over every time I go into my kitchen. Hehe. Sorry for the sucky light levels...

Learning the Lesson

First I must admit, that I really struggled with whether to share this or not. I certainly don't want to scare anybody off (starting their own business,) but I've been through so much in the last few months; that I thought if I could share the lessons I've learned, it would be worth it.

Last year, I decided to start my own business, and came up with my first product - tsumami kanzashi flower snaps. I knew things wouldn't start fast, I was a new name with a new product, and I knew there would be a learning curve to get over. It took me a few months to get products together for the store, and I was pleased to make my first sale in the first week after I listed my first round of items. Fast forward to this January, I had a great plan to promote my products, first with The Sampler, and then Etsy's Showcase.

And then, in mid-February, my grandmother died. We weren't very close in the last few years, but I was very surprised by how hard it hit me. What was even more surprising, I now think I made it even worse for myself, because I didn't allow myself to really own up to what I was feeling after her death. I tried to push everything back down inside, and focus on my store. That was probably the worst thing I could have done, because I ended up wrapping all of my hopes and goals for the store, in all of the negative emotions I didn't want to release.

Consequently, I pushed myself so hard to find new products, and come up with new ways to promote my store. I put all of my happiness in that, and was shocked to find it wasn't making me happy, just to stress about how it's not doing as well as I'd hoped. It was so hard to find amidst all of my personal disappointment, the real truth - I can't decide where my happiness comes from, but I do have to open my eyes, and see that it won't be one thing. Whether that's my business, or my house, my blog - not one thing can ever make me truly happy. It's the balance that I'm looking for. Strong when I need to be, but also vulnerable sometimes, which has always been the tougher side for me to express; hopeful about my goals, but realistic with how I approach them. That's the balance I realized I'm longing for.

A few years back I caught a documentary about Bruce Lee. While he was a bit before my time, I was amazed by how smart he seemed. He had a quote I really love, and I knew I had to share it here. He said,

Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend.

So, I've decided to not push so hard on my store stuff. I'm still taking custom orders, and shipping anything that sells, but I won't be spending too much time developing it until I can find a balance between it, and the other parts of my life. (It won't affect the blog though, I seem to have found a pretty good balance here, and with my other activities and responsibilities.)

Etsy Showcase Spots

No new Blogger Spotlight today... I had a very unmotivated week, what can I say? But I did manage to snag 2 Showcase spots on Etsy (finally!) They sell out fairly quickly, and I've tried at least twice with no luck. Woohoo! Today and Sunday, my tsumami kanzashi flowers & sets will be featured on Etsy's Showcase, which is a neat little advertising widget. They used to buy outside advertising for the Etsy Showcase, but I don't think they will be for this round.

I have yet to see if it's a good adverstising route for me, at 7$ per spot (which lasts for 24 hours.) But, I'm trying to really get my store and products out there; and it's really a much harder task than I first imagined. I tried to push some sales with The Sampler last month, but I don't think I made any sales from it. I did make 3 sales in March so far, but I can't seem to tell if they were to Sampler subscribers. Hmmmpph.

If you have an Etsy store (or any online shop,) what have you done to promote it? Is there anything that boosted sales more than expected? Anything really NOT turn out like you thought? I'd REALLY appreciate thoughts & suggestions here... I seem to be in a bit of a rut lately with my store. I hope I make a sale or two from these Showcase spots!

WIP Tuesday - New Store Stuff!!!

When I saw this cashmere online, I knew I had to buy some. It was gorgeous, and came in a bunch of different colors. Thing was, it was 15.95$ per yard, for every color. I knew I couldn't afford yards & yards of it, so I settled for 5 1/8 yd cuts in my most favorite colors. Yes, the online fabric store I use cuts as small as 1/8 yd. (WoohoO!) Very helpful when you need a swatch in your hands before you decide to buy 20yds for drapes. Yes, I said 20 yards. That's 60 feet of fabric 5 feet wide. Literally, a river of fabric! And, no… I haven't made the drapes yet! LOL

Anyhoo, back to the cashmere! I loved it, so I was hoping buyers would like it too. It didn't quite turn out as as I'd imagined, though. At first I was going to seam the cashmere, to cover the raw edges. Then I tried it, and found the cashmere very thick & hard to turn inside out. Take two was much more successful, I sewed ribbon down the middle of a 1" strip of cashmere, and then "pinked" the edges (pinking shears are just scissors that cut a zigzag.) I sewed on velcro by machine, and snaps by hand to finish. I think they're lots of fun, and I'm really excited & proud to offer them in my Etsy store. I'll be listing new sets all week, watch my sidebar for the newest listings! (Gotta love that new Etsy widget! Etsy guys, you ROCK!)

Oh. my. GOSH!!!

She's HERE!!! And I'm so excited to introduce you to Josephine, my new Blythe doll! She's an I Love You, It's True; and I do love her! LOL She took a long 3 weeks to get here, but it's my own fault for trying to buy a doll from Hong Kong during Chinese New Year! Well, the wait is finally over! I can already tell she'll be addicting as others have said... I'm scouting scale Vespas on Ebay right now!

She's sporting a tiny tsumami kanzashi flower snap, made with 3/4" petals. I tried to fold 1/2" petals without any luck, but the 3/4" is do-able. It's not quite as tiny a flower as I'd hoped for, but I think it still looks cute, and isn't too big for her head. I'll probably add these to my Etsy store, once I get a few more products done & listed. Up next is more cashmere ribbon wristlet sets, and I may decide to list them ala carte as well, although that hasn't worked as well as I'd hoped with the flower snaps.



She's even got a beautiful kimono! (Which only took 3 days to get here from Japan!) And just look at the wonderful tiny tsumami kanzashi! The hair clip cinched it for me, I knew I had to get it for her, and it ended up showing up before she even arrived! It's the Harmony & Peace outfit from Takara, and I just think it's adorable! The socks & shoes were kind of a pain to get on, though!

I'd have to say, the only thing I was a little disappointed with, was that her hair isn't very curly. In her stock picture, the ends of her long blonde hair are nice & curly, but my Josie's are just wavy, and a little limp! Not to fear, she needs a shampoo anyway (it's a little greasy too!) So, I thought I'd set the ends in curlers, whenever I get around to it. (Heh, like that means anything other than not soon!)

The minute she came out of the box, I decided she'll need sand-matting too, the glare she puts off of that forehead could blind somebody! (I shouldn't talk, because it's really my five-head that made me fall in love with Blythes.) I already want another so I can customize with a mohair reroot in TIFFANY BLUE!!! (Of all colors, what'dya think I'd want? LOL) Of course, she's not the only one... I want a short & curly brunette, and a long & straight redhead!

Cashmere Ribbon Wristlet Set - SOLD!!!

I'm very proud to say I finally got a cashmere ribbon wristlet set listed in my Etsy store! It seems like it's taken me forever, but February wasn't very cooperative when it came to getting work done. Oh well, it's done now! Or rather, started now, because I have half a dozen more wristlets to make flowers for, and plans for half a dozen more color/ribbon combos! LOL And.... it sold already! Like an hour after I listed it! I'm so happy!

I find that creative work for me tends to breed ideas, and while that's great, I don't always have the time to satiate all those ideas. I'm pretty good at remembering things, though; so things have a tendency to get locked away in "the vault" so to speak. And every once in a while, I'll resurrect an idea from languishing at the back of my brain, and it gets to see the light of day. Those are great days. My Femme Fedora for Whiplash was a rescued idea. Come to think of it, I should try and dig a few more out this year. Shake the dust off, and be able to cross a few more off of my To Do list. Yes, yes.

WIP Wednesday - Quilted Patchwork Bag

I finally got some time to work on my sister's belated Christmas present - the Amy Butler Patchwork Bag. At first I was hoping the book would have pattern pieces for this bag, but upon closer inspection the only pattern piece provided was for the zipper pull charm (which is just 2 circles, folks! LOL) The bag itself is all right angles, so I'm left to measure out all of my rectangles. It isn't too tough, but the AB pattern pieces are on nice paper, instead of tissue paper; and I was hoping to get the chance to work with a non-tissue pattern. (Tissue's really not that bad, but it can be tricky!)

I must also add, that I purchased a clear quilting ruler for this project, and boy, I couldn't be MORE pleased with it. It seemed expensive, at 12$ for a 4 1/2" by 12 1/2" clear ruler, but with all of the markings it has on it, and how well it works with my cutting mat, it saved me tons of time cutting & scoring packaging for The Sampler. If you don't have a quilting ruler, I'd HIGHLY recommend it! It's going to make cutting 1" squares for tsumami kanzashi flowers even easier and more precise than with my cork-backed steel ruler. And, more precise squares of fabric mean they're easier to fold into each petal, and less hassle to handle & sew together. Hooray!

I'm also happy to announce that I'll be adding patchwork bags to my Etsy store soon, of course with tsumami kanzashi flowers on them! I really like making bags, I think it's so much more fun to carry something unique, rather than something there's 18,000 of out there!

FO - Sampler Contribution

Double whew! I mentioned last week that I'm contributing to The Sampler for March; well, what I neglected to mention was how bad I procrastinated a lot of the hand sewing. By a lot I mean I had 19 flowers to sew buttons & snaps to, and I totally made my life harder by using waaaaay too much fabric glue; making all 19 real buggers to sew through. Oh well, my fingertips are a little abused, but I can rest them now - because I'm done! I finished all 30 flower snaps with accessories over the weekend, and will be dropping them in the mail later today! I'm super excited and nervous, I don't really know what to expect from the experience. But I'm hoping it will make at least one more sale for me (bringing my grand total to 2 sales!) Or maybe just get my name & product out there… *crosses fingers* Here's to hoping!

Have you contributed to or subscribed to The Sampler? What was your experience like? Did it do anything for your sales? I'm really interested, so I'd really appreciate any thoughts. (If you don't want to leave a comment, please email me!) I could only contribute 30 items this first time around, and I only have about 50 business cards to send in, because my laser printer's on the fritz, and I didn't have time to get cards printed on such a tight deadline. So, I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but it's hard not to dream of someone liking my flowers so much they'd rush over to my store and buy loads! A girl can dream, can't she? LOL

WIP Wednesday - Sampler Contribution

Whew! I knew it was going to be a lot of work to get stuff ready to contribute to The Sampler; but I had no idea how pressured I was going to feel by the deadline. I guess it doesn't really matter if I miss it, because there will be another Sampler next month; but I can't help but feel the pressure! *insert Freddie Mercury singing Under Pressure*

Right now my laser printer's on the fritz, so I keep thinking about having my business cards printed for me. I need to investigate some prices & options though, I'd like to be able to reorder if I want/need to, and I want to make sure I'm happy with everything. Any suggestions? Particularly in the western suburban Chicago area - I'd really appreciate it! Also online options are totally appreciated, although right now I'm not sure I could get anything shipped to me within my deadline. (I need to get my products to The Sampler by Feb 15th.)

I'm contributing 30 plum blossoms with either a snap hair clip or pin. A handful are pink, just because I got bored making all white. :P

WIP Wednesday - Wristlets!

Here's a work in progress shot of my latest wristlets - in multiples! As I mentioned yesterday, I've picked up some really fun ribbons lately, as well as some vibrant cashmere (in quarter yds.) It's a little thicker than I thought originally, but very soft - and such fun colors! Yummy! LOL

These will all go into my Etsy store, although I'm a little unsure of pricing. They take a lot more work than my other accessories, but I don't want to price them so high they don't sell. I think pricing my work has been one of the hardest tasks I've tackled in the last year, although I'm far from finished. It seems an ongoing task, especially when I keep coming up with new ideas for products! LOL

At least I'm not alone in my uncertainty, it seems as if it's pretty unknown territory for a lot of sellers. Check out this awesome Whip Up post on Pricing Your Work. Any thoughts on how you price your work? Or about my prices? I'd really love to hear them! I'm just starting to get into a fun groove with all of the work on the store lately, but I'm super excited to see where it'll take me!

Another sneaky tidbit - I'm planning on adding Tree Branch Earrings to my store, but my focus this month has been trying to promote my tsumami kanzashi flower snaps. Look for them towards the end of February, or feel free to contact me for custom designs!

Sneak(er) Peek!

Hahaha! I made a pun! (I'm know, I'm a little weird! LOL) Anyhoo, I went shoe shopping yesterday, (I had a coupon that expired soon, so I thought I'd use it,) and found the cutest Puma sneakers - on sale! And with my extra 10$ off, they were only 27$! I saw the same shoes with a different accent color for full price of 59.95$, so I was very pleased with myself!

On another happy note, I've got a store sneak peek for you, my new Cashmere Ribbon Wristlets! I used pinking shears for a fun edge, and I've found some really awesome ribbon lately. It took me a while to get sizing worked out, and I'd appreciate any thoughts you might have! I'll be making 3 sizes for the store, small, medium & large, (at 6", 7" and 8", respectively.)

They also feature velcro closures, so the sizes are adjustable about 1 1/2" larger/smaller either way. I made the small so small, partially because it's my wrist size, and also so I could market to younger girls as well.

I picked up cashmere in light & dark pink, aqua, green & lavender, so watch out for lots of fun new styles! (I'm soooo keeping this one for myself... Can you blame me? It's pink-ness is so yummy! LOL)

Also, I apologize for some link problems with the store button to the side. I'm not quite sure how to fix it since I use Firefox (and didn't even see it myself - thanks again, June!) But, here's a plain 'ol link to - My Etsy Store. Thanks for looking, and I really appreciate comments and/or suggestions!

Help!?!?!?!?!

Another late post for me, although it's because I've been working very hard on my Etsy store this week. I'd really appreciate some feedback, so if you have a minute, would you click through (via the Etsy link to the side,) and let me know what you think? I've really tried to bump up the quality of my photography, although some colors are still very tough for me to capture well. (Like this vintage blue Robert Kaufman print.)

I'm also planning on adding tsumami kanzashi flower sets to the store, but I wanted to get some ala carte items up first. I have a bunch of fun stuff in the works, soon; and I'm super excited! LOL I only hope other people like my tsumami flowers & accessories as much as I do! Hahaha! :)

Store Sneak Peek

Back at the end of September, I opened my Etsy store. I've only made one sale, and while I know that's better than waiting a long time for the first sale; I get the impression that the lack of inventory, coupled with photography that's a little dark, doesn't give potential buyers that "Wow!" impression I really want to. So, I've worked hard lately to get a ton of inventory to restock my store up. I'm also trying to figure out a small photo booth, so I can photograph all the little buggers a little quicker! (If anyone has tips, I'd LOVE to hear them!)


Anyway, I thought I'd post a sneak peek of what's going in the store. I posted a work-in-progress picture with my Tiffany craft box, but most were only partially finished; and they're much further along now! I'm really proud of this round of flowers, I'm hoping to get enough inventory together to contribute to The Sampler next year. Every month I try to buy my own, but I'm too slow! So, I thought it'd be nice to both promote my store, and get my greedy little paws on one! I'd love to hear about experiences with The Sampler, both contributing and buying/receiving. I bought a Sample Sampler (say that 3 times fast!) a few months back, and was fairly surprised at the range of products included.

Tsumami Tiffany Box

I realized pretty quickly into making tsumami kanzashi flowers, that I'd need a pretty specialized storage container for all of the different stages of construction. While I like the small plastic containers I've been using, they don't hold very much. So I set about designing a custom solution, and here's the outcome! Anyone who knows me, knows just how much I love Tiffany boxes - I'm kind of obsessed! So, I knew it had to be a part of this design.

This caddy actually started it's life as a plain jane cardboard box, with lid. How boring! Now it's robin's egg blue, with white satin ribbon; sealed with glossy Modge-Podge. I made a handle from a wire coat hanger, and covered it with the same ribbon I used on the sides. I sewed 2 pieces together to make a sleeve for the wire. The top sports a folded bow, I could never tie them very neatly, so I used fabric glue to make it neat and even. It's filled with card stock trays, stabilized with thin black ribbon at the corners, so I can stack them. The trays hold all stages of my flowers, from fabric squares to completed flowers, as well as all of the notions I need (thread, snaps, accessories.)


I originally wanted to cover the cardstock with robin's egg fabric, but when I tried it, the finished tray edges were all wavy, and I didn't like them. So, they're just plain white card stock, with 3/4" tall sides. I lined the bottoms with black felt so the petals wouldn't shift around. The larger trays have tabs in the middle, to help support the tray above it. I wanted to make a base, to be able to lift all 9 layers of trays out at once, but I couldn't bend in the steel handles enough to have clearance, and it just don't work out. It's always interesting to me, trying something new and seeing what works - and what doesn't.

The lid is inverted here, I use it to hold notions & scissors while I'm working. (The scissors I use are very heavy, and so I have to use a seperate plastic caddy to carry them, but they're also SUPER sharp, so I feel more comfortable when they're somewhere I can't accidentally stab myself!)

I've also added a sneak peak at my latest flowers! Most of what's pictured below will make it into the store (hopefully very soon!) A few are gifts, and a few I'm keeping for my greedy self - the double petal purple w/ turquoise was made to match my Femme Fedora!


I'd like to make a tutorial for a more generic craft caddy, if there's interest for it. I see those cardboard boxes at every craft store, and they're so boring, just begging for decoration! LOL There's so many different things you could do to them - decoupage, paint, ribbon & fabric, the possibilities are endless!

::Tsumami Kanzashi Flower Snaps::

When I saw the theme this month, I knew it would work perfectly with what I've been making lately! (Plus, I've been DYING to get my greedy little hands on a Sampler subscription!) A few months ago, I found a fun technique to fold square pieces of fabric into flower petals. This excerpt from PuchiMaiko describes it best, and was what inspired me to try it myself!

The word Tsumami means to pinch – specifically, pinching a square piece of fabric to form a shape. The word Kanzashi means hairpin. Tsumami Kanzashi is a traditional Japanese art form that dates back over 200 years. Tsumami kanzashi is most often seen worn by maiko (apprentice geisha) and young girls for shichi-go-san celebrations however, with the revival of traditional arts, and a younger generation appreciating them – tsumami kanzashi have become quite a fashionable accessory to be worn both with contemporary clothing and kimono.

What I really like, though, is that I now have a use for all of those little fabric scraps! The petals I use most frequently are only 1" square, (you could use larger squares, but it increases the final flower size, and I prefer smaller.) I love being able to make coordinating flowers, for the sewing projects I have the scraps left-over from! A fun feature I came up with was adding a snap on the back, so I could pop them on & off. I like changing my mind a lot, and I thought it'd be fun to add other snap-on items like pin-cushions (for function!) and bows (for fun!) The snaps are anchored to a button on the front, which hides the messy middle. It also gives me the opportunity to use coordinating (or) contrast thread, or embroidery floss.

There's only 2 different petal shapes, round and pointed; but they can be combined in a ton of different ways. My favorites so far are double petal plum blossoms (which have 5 round petals that are 2 layers of fabric sandwiched together,) chrysanthemums (16 pointed petals,) and camellias (8 round petals.) I'm working on more combinations of shapes and colors, but I can't seem to decide on names for all of them!

The wristlet is nice ribbon I just added some velcro and a snap to, and the headband was store bought. It's fun to think of new things I can add snaps to, and to come up with new items to snap on! I tried a magnet to hold pins & needles, but it turned out kind of heavy, and sort of flops all over the place. I guess I'll stick to plain-old stuffed pin-cushions. I'm always amazed at just how much stuffing will fit in! LOL I really like hair clips (although I can't sew the snaps on, I have to use special glue,) and God knows with all the hair I have, I need them! :)

If you'd like to see masters in action, check out these Kanzashi movies - #13 Edo hair ornaments: actual craftsman using traditional techniques. These are ABSOLUTELY worth the time! (5 movies, a few minutes each)

Sorry for the pics! Chicago sun hasn't been cooperating, and it was tough trying to photograph my own wrist! Maybe I should've waited for my husband to get home from work!

I couldn't quite figure out if this belonged in the Design category, or Skill. I like the design aspects of the flowers, but they also take quite a bit of skill to create! I'm really not sure, so I'll leave it to you guys!

Good luck to all of the participants! Whiplash rocks!

Tsumami kanzashi flowers galore!

A few weeks ago I discovered Tsumami Kanzashi - a technique to fold fabric squares into flower petals. I found this excerpt on PuchiMaiko.com,

The word “Tsumami” means to pinch – specifically, pinching a square piece of fabric to form a shape. The word “Kanzashi” means hairpin. Tsumami Kanzashi is a traditional Japanese art form that dates back over 200 years. Tsumami kanzashi is most often seen worn by maiko (apprentice geisha) and young girls for shichi-go-san celebrations however, with the revival of traditional arts, and a younger generation appreciating them – tsumami kanzashi have become quite a fashionable accessory to be worn both with contemporary clothing and kimono.

Mrs. Graham-Diaz is an excellent authority on Japanese Geisha, and their traditions; as well as a major inspiration to me! Her tsumami flowers are what really drove me to learn the "pinching" technique, and although I don't use traditional methods as she does, I hope I can still honor Japanese tradition!

My method differs from the traditional in that I don't use rice paste to glue the petals together. I start by sewing the petals together in a circle, then I glue a circle of fleece or felt to the back with fabric glue. I use different tools to get a more angled or flat appearance to the petals. I also don't use habotae silk, as it's not what I have on hand. I use scraps from all sorts of projects, cotton denim, twill, silk charmeuse. If I've got enough scrap fabric left over, it's going to end up as tsumami flowers! LOL I finish with a button, the centers can look very messy and I like them to look neat.

Some fabric works much better than others for the pinching technique, I've found medium weight tencel twill to be too slippery for my smallest 1" petals. Silk charmesue was a challenge, but definitely worth it - it's got such a lustrous sheen to it. Double petals, with an inner color and a different outer, are also much more challenging. I must say though, that I really enjoy working on these flowers. They are exciting and sometimes difficult, but ultimately so satisfying.

If anyone is interested, here are a few tsumami kanzashi links -

• Puchi Maiko - Small accessories inspired by the art of geisha, maiko and traditional Japan.
• Ganjin Geisha - Gallery of wonderful kanzashi!
• Maya Doll - Amazing kanzashi for sale - watch out, they're pricey! :)
• Kanzashi movies - #13 Edo hair ornaments: actual craftsman using traditional techniques. This one is ABSOLUTELY worth the time! (5 movies, a few minutes each)