A Little Piece of My Heart - Create Your Style with Swarovski

Cousin Corporation of America (CCA) sent me a lovely box full of Swarovski crystals from their new Create Your Style with Swarovski™ line due to hit A.C. Moore Crafts this month.

These pieces are so versatile you can mix them with so many different things. I love all things Swarovski.  :)  I'm partial I guess.

Well.....I really fell in love with the Swarovski Heliotrope heart pendant that was in the box.  Each time I looked at it, I really felt drawn to pay homage to the Purple Heart medal.  I did my research and found that the ribbon of the medal is purple with white trim and has gold accents.  So I decided to create a lovely "ribbon" using TOHO seed beads in Heliotrope and Matte Opaque White. I wanted gold somewhere, so I decided on a gold chain necklace.

I found these lovely pavé beads with purple crystals from CCA's Jewelry Basics line. I wanted to incorporate them somehow, but the pavé beads didn't quite make it to the final design.

It was a definitely a learning curve since I had never done a decrease Peyote stitch before....How hard could it be, right?  Apparently harder than it looked.  I think I had to rip it apart about four times before it would come out right.  The beauty of using TOHO beads is the large opening that allows for jump rings to slide in even with a ton of thread already in the bead.

After I got the first part done, I had to make a second flap so it would be able to slide on a chain. I stitched it all up along the sides leaving an opening for a thin chain to slide through.

 I chose a thin 14 kt gold plated copper chain from CCA's Elegance Metal Line.  I also put two of the purple crystals from the pave beads at the back connecting to a 14kt gold plated copper heart toggle also from the Elegance Metal line.

I have to say, I am very pleased with the way it turned out.

May's Featured Business

Many of you have and use their products in your jewelry designs and aren't even aware of it.  We see them in the craft aisle of Wal-Mart, Jo-Ann, and Michael's, but never know until you look at the back of the packaging who manufactures those beautiful and sparkly items we love so much.

I am super excited to introduce you to Cousin Corporation of America.

Their product line includes the Jewelry Basics® line, Snap In Style®, Crystazzi®, Trinkettes®, as well as various tools, cording, kits, and bead organizers.

"Providing quality, value and inspiration for the designer in you.

This simple statement is our mission and the vision that we live by every day. It is the force that drives our business so we can deliver on our promise. Since we began our company our focus has been to design, manufacture and provide quality jewelry making products at an exceptional value to customers who are inspired by the craft of jewelry making.

Company History

Cousin has been family-owned for over 40 years. It all began in 1970 as Enterprise Art, a retail craft store in Largo, Florida. With the success of the arts and crafts, floral and home decor products, a wholesale division was created and Cousin was born. The popularity of jewelry making inspired us to focus our efforts on the products for this exciting craft. Today we are a premier wholesaler of jewelry making supplies.

Product Development

Our experienced design team creates jewelry making components with a classic style and gives it a twist of the latest fashion and jewelry looks. Our multi-talented designers constantly research jewelry, fashion and accessory trends, staying in tune with the newest look and ahead of the latest trend. We create and update our collections to provide our customers the most up-to-date quality jewelry making products at an exceptional value.

Digital Media and Marketing

We support our products and promote our brand by being innovative. From our comprehensive catalog and interactive website, to our extensive social media campaigns, we are engaged with the jewelry making community. We are the market leader in this ever evolving craft.

Cousin Today

Our stability and solid reputation speak for our company and our culture. Our full-service approach allows us to create and develop products in-house, from initial concept to creative design to final packaging. Our team of talented professionals ensures quality products at a value and provides support and inspiration to our customers.

Environmental Responsibility

Cousin is committed to making our world a better place through recycling, conservation and sustainability. Our “Green Team” has improved our existing processes and continually implements new environmentally friendly improvements. For more information on our initiatives please visit our website, www.cousin.com."

The Cousin Corporation of America's website is full of wonderfully helpful technique tips and project ideas.

Cousin Corporation of America also hosts product giveaways on their Facebook page.  Be sure to check it out and enter.  Click here to go to their fan page.  You can view their catalog here and order directly from their website.  Cousin Corporation has a blog you can follow as well.  Click here to visit their Jewelry Design Blog.