String-Me-Along Project Bags!

Okay, I have been searching for the perfect project bags for my bead and fiber stuff.  I have a bunch of different not so practical or functional methods for hauling my stuff around.  I am one of those people who "cannot leave home without it."  "It" is defined as some kind of project.  If I leave home without one I panic.  What will I do if I have three minutes to wait for that kid to get off the bus?  What if I end up at a friend's house and I have nothing to make while there?  And more recently, I spent six years doing bead work at the State House in order to keep myself calm while I listened to endless rhetoric.  It worked.  I did stay calm.  I should handed out bead projects to all the other politicians.  Maybe we could have reached a Zen state of calm and actually gotten something done.

In any case, I have little fold up things that become a surface for bead work.  I have a variety of little pouches to hold beads.  And I have these things hanging out in my glove compartment, in my purse, in my briefcase, on tables, in drawers . . . and I have been in love with none of these systems because none of them really worked.

The other day I was hanging out on the Caravan Bead site (which has recently become a daily activity) and low and behold I stumbled across the "Project Bag."  First of all, I knew that if Caravan is carrying this item which I have seen nowhere else that they must think it's a pretty wonderful product.  I knew I wanted one.  Well, I knew I wanted more than one.  Then and there I decided it was time to make a visit to Caravan.  I needed some beads for kits anyway and I was really in the mood to hang out in the "stacks" (where all the beads live) and a nice long talk with Barry, Caravan's owner, is always inspiring.  The next day I drove the two and half hours to Caravan.  Now I am not an impulse driver.  I hate to drive.  So this urge to go to Caravan must have been pretty compelling.

After our two hour chat Barry lead me to the project bags.  I bought twenty-four and twenty-four of the refill bags.  They are gorgeous, they are practical, they are amazing and they are affordable.

The manufacturer description of these wonderful bags:  We designed String-Me-Along based on every crafter's need for organization and portability. String-Me-Along opens to an ample work surface, and includes a clear, removable Project Exchange Bag to hold your crafting supplies. String-Me-Along rolls up and is secured with a strong elastic band for travel. Extra Project Exchange Bags are sold separately in packs of two--choose the one you need, snap it into your String-Me-Along, and go!

This is the concept.  You buy the bag itself which consists of a lovely surface for doing bead work and a plastic (yes, that would be see-through so you can SEE what's in it!) case with a cool kind of wire mesh design on the side and a zipper.  This case snaps onto the inside of the case.   The case folds up into thirds to produce a case that is 9 1/2 by 5 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches.

These are the replacement bags.  We might sell them singly.  And if fact, we are thinking of packing some of our kits in these bags.  Is that fun or what?

Picture of bag all closed up and ready to travel!

We don't have the bags on our site yet.  Will get them on by Monday.  You can buy them retail from Caravan (www.caravanbeads.com) or from us.  If you want to resell these bags, contact Caravan Beads because they are the distributors for these cases.  Turn around time for an order there is a day!