Peonies are one of my favorite flowers, which of course means they are also one of my favorite kanzashi motifs. I also really enjoy making kusudama, as working on a kusudama always put me in mind of the origin story of tsumami-zaiku.

Legend has it that the first tsumami-zaiku project was not a hair accessory – although that’s what it’s widely known for now. The first tsumami-zaiku project was a kusudama, which was presented as a gift to the emporer. Whenever I make a kusudama, it feels a bit like I’m reaching back in time to the first tsumami kusudama that started it all.

As far as kusudama kanzashi go, this one’s not super complicated. It features a layered two-tone pink and white peony with a sparkly rhinestone center. It has a few leafs trailing down the sides of it, and the rest of the kusudama is filled with white petals. I’ve always though it would be fun to do a larger kusudama – maybe one that also serves as a lantern. I’ve seen other tsumami craftspeople do them before, and I’ve seen people collaborate to build especially large ones, but I’ve always wanted to plan out a truly massive one and see if I could make something grand.

I have lots of ideas for larger pieces that aren’t hair related, which I really hope to get started on in second half of this year – and I am so looking forward to sharing these projects with y’all. Right now, I’m focusing really hard on finishing the smaller hair accessories and lapel pins to try and get the tedious bits out of the way first and give myself room to breathe.

This piece, like many of the pieces I’m going to be creating this year, was made possible by a production grant from Creative Saskatchewan – who were kind enough to support the production of over 500 new works of tsumami craft made by me. If you’ve ever wanted to support an arts organization, I can’t recommend Creative Saskatchewan enough.

Anyhoo, that is all I’ve got for today. I hope to see you guys again next week with more crafty creative projects.

If you like this set and want to see more of my work in the future, be sure to join the Mailing List to get notified whenever an update is posted. You can also follow me on Instagram and check out my Youtube for videos showing my crafting process, travel, shopping, and gaming. 🙂 Check back here again next week for more crafty projects, and at the end of the month when this set and more will be dropping into the Shop!