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July 16, 2012

New Jewelry Supply Grab Bag from Wired Up Beads


Surprise!  More jewelry making goodies in the mail.  And they really were a surprise again.  

Wired Up Beads has been offering weekly grab bags of jewelry goodies for the summer.  They go on sale on Mondays at 10:30 am Central time and are limited in quantity.  I purchased one of the week 3 grab bags.  The bags are guaranteed to have a retail price of at least $75 and cost $30 plus shipping.  So, let's examine what I got - shall we?


Kumihimo Braiding Grab Bag


This week's theme was obviously Kumihimo Braiding - something I know nothing about - but that in itself is always of interest to me.  I love new things.

The kit contains:
  • 1 Beadsmith Kumihimo Braiding Disk (approx value $9)
  • 1 spool grey S-Lon cord (approx value $5)
  • 2 hanks of czech seed beads in blue and violet - 12 strands each (approx value $5?)
  • 2 bundles kumihimo fiber (approx value $15?)
  • 1 fabulously gorgeous glass focal bead, signed A Ray, dated 1/08 (approx value $35?)
  • a gift of baby wubbers pliers

The Glass Focal Bead is Amazing!!



To be honest - some of these items I have no idea on their value.  I don't buy hanks of seed beads.  I'd probably never buy a glass focal and pay $30 - but having spent $10 on lampwork focal beads no where near as lovely or large - I'm pretty sure this would be very expensive.  It is signed and dated, so it is obviously an art bead and the star of this goody bag.  I am very happy to own it and the entire kumihimo kit.  

The only thing I wish was included in this kit are the no tangle thread bobbins that I found on Wired Up Beads website.  If they were included, I would be ready to start trying my hand and braiding.  They aren't very expensive... but it is what it is.

Would I buy another one of these surprise packages?  Absolutely - I already did!!  So, you can look forward to a review of week four's goodies next week.

Here's the description from their website:  Week Four's limited edition offering is a stunning sparkler, guaranteed to add some bling to your designs.  This week will include lots of Swarovski elements, seed beads, a variety of textiles and a special sterling silver accent piece.

I don't normally use much Swarovski, seed beads or textiles - so this is another chance to expand my boundaries.  I guess the projects are backing up now. 

1 comment:

  1. AnonymousJuly 17, 2012

    I have been wishing to get into Kumihimo, it appears to be similar to bracelet weaving I learned as a kid. I am envious of your grab bag.

    ReplyDelete