Inspired by Winter - A Pearl and Crystal bracelet for Cousin Corporation

Last Spring, the Cousin Ambassadors (aka my creative sisters) were given an assignment for Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft stores.  Many times when we get assignments like this we can't share them because the store needs to see them and be able to use them in their advertising and promotions first. 

The theme I was to create around was "Winter."  I'm giggling about that now as I type this because I'm sitting in my office in Clearwater, FL.  It's 81* outside and still getting hotter... so talking about Winter is truly ironic. 

Alas, there are parts of winter living in Wisconsin for 35 years taught me to appreciate.  There's much beauty created in the first snow or in the frost.  I love the hoar frost on the trees when the fog freezes to the limbs... I just didn't much enjoy the fact it lasts for 4+ months.

I just got the piece back and I'm really excited to share it with you... and to wear it because, what a coincidence.... it happens to be just my size! ;)

Wouldn't this be perfect for bridal jewelry?? Or to pop that vintage glam look??

This bracelet used 6mm round mirror beads and 6mm pearls from Cousin.  I used a multi-strand clasp with hook and extender chain to be able to give it versatility.  This piece was a whole lot of making links and connecting those links, but the finished bracelet is awesome!  And of course, I made earrings to match!

If you'd like to make this great bracelet and earring set, you can pick up all the materials at Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft stores!  And I have the instructions all written up!  Message me via my Facebook Page - Bella Amore Legacy Jewelry and I'd be happy to email them to you!

Getting Creative with my Cousin Ambassador Sisters

Once upon a time Dawn went to the Craft & Hobby Association Mega Show to visit the Cousin booth and see some of their incredible pieces on a grand display.  Seeing so many creative people, new creations coming on the jewelry design and crafting scene and great project in all varieties of art really sparked her creativity.  So she brought that excitement home to share with her fellow Cousin Creative Ambassador Sisters.  While on that trip, she had an idea that she wanted to showcase each of the ambassadors and their very unique styles of design. 

So, she came up with the idea to coordinate a blog hop.  For the blog hop, Dawn put together a list of materials from Cousin Corporation and Prima Bead. Every Ambassador would receive the same materials and could design whatever they want.  In order to ensure everybody found something they liked, we brought in gemstones, crystals, chain, animal print and earth tones... so there was every reason to get creative!  Each ambassador can use whatever materials were sent, whether a little or a lot, and add to it anything they wished.  The idea was to truly allow each artist to showcase who they really are in designing something they would wear and love! 

Photo Courtesy of Shelly Owen Raziela's Designs

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I'm so excited to share these pieces with you. After having this idea and kicking it off with my fellow Ambassadors, I began the adventure of relocating to be in the sunshine and near the sea where my heart is.  So I received the beads, then took a 10 day trip to Florida to find my future home.  I found the perfect place (which I'll share in another post soon) but that meant coming home, getting my rear in gear and designing something... then packing and downsizing like a fiend!  And I'm so excited to say, I've been able to accomplish all of that in a very short time!  So without further adieu, here's the 2 pieces I designed with some of the materials in our kit. 

I've been walking a bit on the wild side this year, so it was no surprise that the animal print beads spoke to me!  I loved how they were like flat coins... add a pop of bling with the mirror beads and the perfect chain and this necklace was ready for a night on the town!

This piece is native inspired.  The turquoise and orange color palette in the pendant were the perfect foundation for a whimsical and fun necklace.  Love the little leather tassel too!  The turquoise and orange beads are the perfect compliment to the pendant!  All in all, the piece is super cute and will be perfect to wear once I'm in Florida!

I have another crazy idea turning with the copper pieces and teal glass beads, but it'll have to wait until this mermaid is living by the sea later in April to be created.  Here's where the fun kicks in... each of my fellow ambassadors also created some amazing designs!  Won't you please take a moment to visit each of their blogs and see what they've designed to express their personalities!

Shelly Owen - Raziela's Designs - razieladesigns.blogspot.com
Lisa Crone - A Bead A Day - http://abeadaday.blogspot.com/
Allison Cooling - Quiet Lion Creations - quietlioncreations.blogspot.com
Rachel Nielsen - Adventures of a DIY Mom - adventuresofadiymom.com
Molly Alexander - Beautifully Broken Me - Beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com
Rebecca Utermohlen - My Girlish Whims - www.mygirlishwhims.com
Carolina Moore - 30 Minute Crafts - 30minutecrafts.com   
Dawn Doucette - Bella Amore Legacy Jewelry - YOU ARE HERE!

To my fellow Ambassador Sisters, thank you each for playing along in Dawn's Crazy Bead Game.  I appreciate each of your friendships and the way you each inspire me creatively!  I think we ought to do another blog hop this summer!  Who's game?? 

Make it a beautiful day in your world!
Love & Hugs!
~Dawn

CHA Mega Show - Wherein MEGA Means Knocks Your Socks Off

Thank goodness this isn't Twitter because I have wayyyyy more than 140 characters to share about my whirlwind weekend trip to the Craft and Hobby Association Mega Show in Anaheim, CA.

The ball was put in motion when I was asked to design a show piece to be displayed in the booth for Cousin Corporation.  Their theme for the booth was fairytales and they wanted me to design something dark, all black.  If you know me, you know I love color... bold, contrasting colors.  So all black?????  No problem mon!  I sketched up a general idea of what I wanted to create and submitted it to them for approval... because I do things Dawn's way... I had to make sure it fit with their desired effect in the booth.

The piece took me some serious time, but I love the finished effect.  A collar with beaded stays and draped pearls creating a bib-like effect!  I'd totally wear that piece... like every.darn.day!

Since I poured so much Dawn Love into my design, I set the goal to see it on display in a big way!  Having one of my Bella Amore designs on display for thousands of people to see... what an experience!

Having never been to CHA, I related it to my first time visiting Bead & Button... so much to see it sets your mind spinning!  Except with CHA it's craft vendors for every type of craft you can possibly imagine! Paper crafts, yarn crafts, beads, and storage galore!  It was amazing and meeting artists from so many walks of life it was incredible.

The Cousin booth carried out the fairytale theme beautifully... complete with crystal slippers.  Which I totally loved!!!!  You know my deep burning love for good shoes. . . ;)  It was amazing to see my fellow ambassador's designs on display too!

Allison Cooling - Quiet Lion Creations creating this stunning dress all with chain!  It was amazing and a true draw into the booth.

Rebecca Utermohlen - My Girlish Whims created the white pearl necklace compliment to my dark pearl design.

Check out their Facebook pages and give them a follow!  They both do some amazing designing and write great tutorials for the DIYer in you!

Allison Cooling - Quiet Lion Creations:   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quiet-Lion-Creations-by-Allison-B-Cooling/231909966829616

Rebecca Utermohlen - My Girlish Whims:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Girlish-Whims/187270901311261

Dawn Doucette - Bella Amore Legacy Jewelry: https://www.facebook.com/BellaAmoreLegacyJewelry

I'm finally unpacked, sadness ensued unpacking the 3 swimsuits I took (one for each day) not having gotten to wear a single one of them.  60's and raining was not the So Cal weather I expected... or that the weather guessers predicted until the day before I took off.  And wouldn't ya know, the day I left the sun came back out and the 70's returned.  Murphy's Law...

It was amazing to connect with my friends from Cousins again.  We always have a great time together!  I also got to meet new friends that have previously only been Facebook friends and was connected with new artists I'd never met!  We shared an abundance of laughter, creativity and made a lot of great memories together!  I'm no longer a CHA noob and look forward to staying in touch with all the great people that have made this journey so spectacular!

I'll share more of the great people I connected with and the awesome saucey tools I found... OMG... my life has been transformed with one little tool... can't wait to share!

Love & sunshine heading your way! 
Xo ~Dawn~ oX 

P.S. I wanted to design a necklace for myself that complimented my CHA piece... but wasn't so heavy.  So I created the same beaded collar, but used chain and spikes from Cousin for a wicked sassy look!  It got lots of looks and plenty of compliments! 

Custom Designed Jewelry from the Heart

This past weekend, we had our For The Love of Greg Spaghetti Dinner Benefit.  The goal of the benefit was to raised the remainder of funds needed to install a StairGlide for my brother Greg who's fighting brain cancer.  What we received as a family was so much larger... like so, so, SO much larger, than the funds needed to finish the renovations to keep Greg safe and mobile as he continues to fight!

We received LOVE in magnanimous amounts... There was literally love seeping out every doorway, from every corner of the room, floor to ceiling and pouring out the door.  We had people travel hundreds of miles, overnight to come out just to support us and show our love.  We had surprises from people near and dear to us that we never expected.  We have tender, precious family moments, the kind you cherish forever.  And we felt blanketed in a joy so great I cannot even express it in words. 

The team that helped me organize this amazing event, I cannot thank you enough.  I could never have done this without you and I will be forever grateful for your countless hours of help, sleepless nights and brilliant ideas that made this possible. 

To the local businesses and people that donated items for our silent auction and raffles, Thank YOU!  We were humbled by how many people stepped up offering to make donations of their products and services to help raise the funds needed.  My family is a huge believer in supporting local businesses.  Yes, it might cost a little more, but knowing you are helping a family pay their mortgage, put food on the table and put Christmas gifts under the tree is priceless.

To everybody that came from near and far to share in this amazing event with us, Thank YOU!  We served a heck of a lot of spaghetti, a ton of desserts (awesome!!!) and had amazing bids on our silent auction items... along with a bazillion raffle tickets sold.  THIS is what living in a small town is about, lifting each other up when we need it, not being afraid to ask for help and allowing others the joy of being able to lend a hand, make a donation or just give a hug! 

If you want to see the custom necklace I made for the silent auction, visit my website:  Bella Amore Legacy Jewelry www.BellaAmoreLegacyJewelry.com  The woman that bid on it and won is a fellow Springer Spaniel mom.  She does countless work for ESRA where I got my first springer, my heart and soul, Brandi.  So when I connected with her after she won, I wanted to let her know if she needed the necklace sized or need any adjustments made, I'd be happy to take care of it.  Her response was "I'm not keeping the necklace.  I bought it to re-donate to the ESRA fundraiser picnic tomorrow for the raffle, so you'll be there in spirit!"  AMAZING... and can you say tears, yes I cried... for the 843rd time that day.  I'm honored and blessed to see so many golden moments as a result of this journey my family is on.

I still cannot wrap my heart around how amazing and loved our family feels after this event.  The Stairglide was installed on Monday and the security of knowing Greg can get up & down the stairs without fear of falling is priceless.  Sending love your way!
XO,
Dawn

Just Call Me Last Minute Lucy

I stand by the old saying that "I work better under pressure!"  And before you go any further, I now present you with the following earworm!  You're welcome! :)



For years (translation - my.entire.freaking.life) I used this as an excuse to procrastinate.  Because I loved sleep, often it won out over studying, writing term papers, cleaning (sleep is definitely better than cleaning) or doing whatever needed doing... because TOMORROW! :) Yes, I'll just get up early and get "it" done tomorrow...

Well over the last 2 weeks, I've pushed that whole "I work better under pressure" statement to the limit! I had 3 full days being a nearly-professional chauffeur taking Greg & my mom to doctors appointments... except without the tux because 80* and a tux, yeah, no thanks.  I launched a fundraising campaign to help raise funds for Greg as he continues to bravely fight brain cancer.  I also had a wedding to attend, clients to take care of and sleep... yes I needed some of that or nobody would like me anymore. Seriously, I pushed it to the point I thought I just might not get done what needed getting done.  And then I'd have some really disappointed people in my life and that just wasn't going to fly! 

And by what can only be classified as a miracle, I got done everything that needed my attention, I kept everybody happy and I even got sleep... and no, I'm not on crack or addicted to coffee (anymore... the coffee, not the crack.)

So I'm really excited to show you one of my two jewelry projects because it makes me feel all sorts of happy that I was able to get it finished and give it as a gift to my baby sister... who coincidentally got asked if we were twins when we took her kids for ice cream.  She rocked it at the wedding that she went to! (Fine Print, the second project I can't show you because it's for a big retailer and they are using it in their print ad this fall... so it would positively land me in bead jail. But I did post a sneak peak of the leopard print beads ;) on my Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/BellaAmoreLegacyJewelry.com)

I used a titanium coated agate druzy, surrounded in aqua mirror beads from Cousin Corporation and finished with copper chain also from Cousin.  I made a dainty pair of earrings because Brenda doesn't like to have things pulling on her ears.  So these rose gold earrings from Cousin with a few mirror beads for dangles added a sparkle and she didn't even know she was wearing them!

So maybe this set did turn out awesome and just maybe I do work better under pressure... but let me tell you, creativity doesn't just come when you snap your fingers.  Actually quite the opposite, I have my best inspiration when I'm lying in bed in the middle of the night... and then I want to get up right.this.minute and start working on those projects.  Which leads to very early mornings and posting on Facebook at 3:30 a.m. And thus why I'm a recovering coffee addict...

Happy thoughts and love to you!
~Dawn

My sister Brenda and with her friend,the bride.

Freedom Fun and Family - F Yeah!

As we're heading into the 4th of July holiday weekend in the US, I want to take a moment to share my gratitude to all those who have given so much for our freedoms.  To the brave Veterans that stood on the lines and fought for our freedoms, thank you.  To those currently serving, we pray for your safety and we appreciate your service.  To the families that are celebrating this Independence Day without your loved one, we bow our heads and give you our hearts.  Your loved one is a true American Hero.  How can we help you honor and remember them?

While celebrating America's birthday, we're also celebrating my niece's 6th birthday!  And what a firecracker she is.  We'll be cherishing every moment with our family and hope you are creating memories with yours as well!

Happy 4th of July with Love,
Dawn

And next week we're fast forwarding holidays as I share my latest project I did as a Cousin Corp brand ambassador... it's featuring their brand new Halloween charms.... 

30 Word Thursday at Lake Geneva Beach

Winter ice has finally gone,

Open water lapping the shore.

Summer peeking around the corner

Sunshine is waiting to kiss our cheeks.

My heart is smiling at what is coming.

Business, Beads and the Beach

I'm so excited to share what I've been up to lately! Life moves very fast, so it's hard to believe that it was 3 weeks ago already that I traveled to Florida for a whirlwind, amazing trip!

First, here's the souvenir... Squeeee Beads! Not that I have ADD or anything. ;)

The trip to Florida was an incredible experience. As an Ambassador for Cousin Corporation, one of the benefits to reward us for sharing & promoting Cousin beads was a retreat with all the other Ambassadors for 3 amazing days of business, pleasure and you guessed it... BEADS!

Instantly, Florida felt like home... warmth, sunshine and super wonderful people.  Jessica our incredible leader from Cousin set us up with the most amazing rooms at the Double Tree Resort.  Can I tell you, the view of the ocean was magnificent, but waking up to the sound of waves rolling in because I could leave my balcony door open was PRICELESS.  Seriously, I almost went down to the front desk and offered to buy my room because I could totally live there forever!

Day 1 was about getting to know you and lots of fun!  We took an amazing photo as a group with the Chamber-of-Commerce-Worthy Florida sunset in the background.  Then cocktail party fun that lasted until the wee hours.  Sleep was a minimum while fun was at a maximum!

Day 2 brought and EARLY rise & shine (translation multi-coffee kind of morning) and headed off to "work" while the coffee was trying to kick in.   We toured the Cousin offices and warehouse, client stores, brainstormed trends and new ideas and discussed the current products Cousin carries.  

What was fascinating to my entrepreneurial brain was the B-2-B side of business.  In my business, my clients are amazing women that wear the finished pieces of jewelry I design.  However, for Cousin, their clients are the stores and boutiques that carry their beads.  As a jewelry designer you can purchase beads through their daughter site, PrimaBead.com but the corporate site is designed to help businesses carry and sell Cousin beads.  So from marketing to various collections of designs, each step is very well thought out so that it resonates with their clients.

Then in the afternoon we had the chance to design with an amazing group of designers from Cousin.  Kristine was the designer that Vicki O'Dell (a.k.a. The Creative Goddess) and I worked with.  We had a blast and Kristine was super helpful to bounce ideas off of and create with.  The project we designed are for A.C. Moore to use in their advertising and marketing.  It was a blast playing with beads that haven't even been introduced for sale yet (coming soon to A.C. Moore.)  I can't show you photos of my finished pieces because they are highly classified... ;) BUT I will tell you I got assigned the turquoise color palette to work with and I was dancing all the way to the bead room!

That evening we shared an amazing dinner with Jeff Cousin, owner of Cousin Corporation and members of the management team.  We dined at Middle Grounds Grill in Treasure Island, FL.  Let me tell you, when I retire in Florida, I'm totally becoming a regular there!  The food was amazing and the service was exceptional!  They really know how to take care of their clients every need! 

Seeing my necklace on display was a nice welcome present!

Day 3 brought meetings in the board room, discussing social media, more about upcoming trends in jewelry design and beads.  Finally we went on a whirlwind no budget bead shopping spree in BeadLand before we had to head back to the airport to come home.  I won't regale you with the adventures of airport and weather suffice it to say I almost tossed my boarding pass and headed back to the beach to permanently become a Florida resident. 

The overall take away from the retreat was this:  Cousin is a family owned corporation.  I felt like part of the family.  Meeting Jeff & his wonderful wife Marie really allowed me to build a personal connection to the company and the family that started it.  The management team that helps coordinate all of us crazy, creative ambassadors are so kind and generous.  Everybody listened to what each of us shared and we were truly able to contribute to ideas, plans and future projects Cousin is working on.  We're really lucky to have gotten the opportunity to put faces with the names and online personalities we've connected with since I became an ambassador last summer. I loved getting to know the other ambassadors and spend time brainstorming and of course, collaborating over sparkly jewelry!  Thank you Cousin Corp and everybody there for making this trip so special! 

If you'd like to see the necklace I wore in the group photo, head over to my website!  You'll see all the beads and be able to connect with me, up close and personal! www.BellaAmoreLegacyJewelry.com

Until next time... peace, love & beads!
~Dawn

Under Sea Adventure Necklace

Because sometimes when life gets hard, we just want to run away and put our toes in the sand and let the water lap over our feet all while looking for seashells and smelling the saltwater dancing through the air.

I'm so proud to share this necklace with you.  As my assignment from Cousin Corporation this month, we were shipped a box of beads, wire and findings that are part of a brand new line with one of their clients.  We were instructed to only use the materials in the box to create something really unique that would showcase our style and personality.

After daydreaming about playing in the sand and scuba diving (which I've never done, but really want to try some day) I was enchanted with the glass bugle beads I received.  They are the most luscious, elegant shade of teal with a silver metallic lining, making each one vibrant and beautiful.  Because I love to create jewelry that really creates drama and WOW, I paired those beads with over 170 tiny crystals in this dramatic necklace.

Each bead and crystal is hand stitched one-at-a-time.  Which means as I struggled to find peace and balance this month, each moment of time I was able to sit down and work on this helped me find my zen.

I love how this necklace turned out and I'm already anxious to have it back from Cousin so I can wear it out!  :)  It's being shipped down to be professionally photographed and get the royal treatment.  I love the bling factor, the teal is "totally Dawn" and the bib-style wears so perfectly with most necklines of my shirts, sweaters and dresses! 

Where do you turn when you need to find peace and balance?  Is it a person, a special place, a song?
Hoping you see the joy in every day!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Tis the Season with the Cousin Creative Circle

While we're having an relatively mild fall in in Wisconsin (translation, it still feels like summer - 80 & sunny) I had to dig deep into the frozen tundra to pull inspiration for my latest Cousin Creative Circle Assignment. 

This month, Cousin has partnered with A.C. Moore to feature their special collection of 'Tis the Season beads & charms just in time for the holidays.  The beads in this collection range from fun Christmas Charms, to soft winter inspired designs. 

When I design something, I want to make sure that it turns heads and gets maximum visibility or wear-ability.  This time I decided to create a winter inspired ornament featuring several of the Cousin 'Tis the Season charms.  The crystals I used to create the body of the snowflake are also all from Cousin.  I finished the ornament with a hand-dyed silk ribbon, my signature beadwork and metallic silver Italian leather. 

My goal with this design was to create something that would really "Wow!" people.  For my fellow jewelry artists and designers, I wanted this ornament to inspire you to use crystals and beads in a non-traditional way.  Give a crystal the stage and watch her dance!  My ornament is at Cousin Corporation right getting her very own diva session.  She's being photographed to use in the holiday promotion of the 'Tis the Season Collection.  I'm excited to have been able to blend my unique design style and artistry in this ornament for the Cousin Creative Circle!

This was just the first of two projects for the month!  I look forward to sharing the second project very soon! 

Dawn Doucette is the artisan soul behind Bella Amore. Bella = Beautiful, Amore = Love Through all things, Dawn looks for something beautiful and creates each design in the energy of love. Dawn resides with her soulmate Chris, and two fur babies in Lake Geneva, WI. Her inspired designs are created to be cherished and passed down as heirloom jewelry. If you'd like to have Dawn create a one-of-a-kind piece of legacy jewelry exclusively for you, contact her via her Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/BellaAmoreLegacyJewelry

Beading with Cabochons

For me, cabochons create the basis for each of my custom jewelry designs.  The fun part is selecting which cabochons to use, which pair well together and create the desired look you want.  What I love about working with cabochons is that you can work with gemstones, crystals, art glass, clay and pretty much anything that doesn't have a hole!  I've used seashells, bottle caps, rocks (from the first walk as husband & wife).  Because of how I create my custom designed jewelry, I can work most any object into a design.

In the past, I've used cabochons to create detailed, magnificent cuffs and earrings.  I'll share a few photos of some of my favorite works in a little bit.  But for this challenge, I was inspired by the colors of fall.  The weather in Lake Geneva, WI where I live is turning a bit nippy.  While the leaves aren't changing yet, give it two weeks and they will be.

Apple & pumpkin season are in full bloom.  We're getting excited about having a fire in the fireplace.  Football is on all weekend long - and yes, I'm one of those women that love football!  Go Badgers!  So for this challenge, I chose a pair of jasper cabochons that showcase a beautiful palette of burgundy and gold.  I used the natural veining in the jasper cabochons and the natural coloring as the foundation for the design.

Now if you ask any college aficionado (or more specifically my hilarious, football-loving brother) I designed these earrings inspired by Florida State University - the college of Deion Sanders, one of his idols. Or if you ask my mom, surely I chose this elegant, luxurious color palette in honor of her beloved San Francisco 49er's.  Either way, everybody is happy and that makes me smile!

I have to thank Sally Russick who organized an incredible group of artisans that are all working with cabochons for this challenge.  Some have never used cabochons, others are old pros. Either way, please take a moment to visit Sally's blog where you'll be able to connect with all the participants!

Click here to visit Sally's blog!

And for further inspiration, here are some of my favorite designs I've created with cabochons!  Many were custom orders and received with squeals of happiness and joy as the women opened their boxes.  If you live in or around the San Diego area, I'd like to invite you to an event I'm participating in October 10-12th as my VIP guest!  Linda P. Jones' Be Wealthy & Smart Intensive is going to be an incredible event.  If you're looking for a sound plan to create the income and type of lifestyle you want to live, then touch base with me about this event.  It'll be at the Rancho Bernardo Inn, and I can tell you having been there last year, it's an amazing experience!

Let's connect on Facebook!

Have a terrific day!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

And of course... the necklace inspired by my small town, Lake Geneva Wisconsin... With cabochons, the design possibilities are infinite! ♥