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Friday 4 April 2014

D is for Dragons


From literature to tattoos, jewellery to films and indeed a flag - I grew up in Wales; speaking of which who can forget Idris the Dragon from Ivor the Engine!  I love to see Dragons.

I actually surprised myself when I came to write today's post to discover I had 7 dragon or dragon themed beads, it's surprising what you can forget about when you collect a lot of beads!

Lucky Dragon - my first ever Trollbead

My very first Trollbead was a Dragon, although technically it's a Wyvern as it only has 2 legs not 4!

I picked up the Hong Kong World Tour - Dragon and Phoenix Bead when the World Tour beads became available to buy in the UK and Lucky Dragon from the People's Bead Spiritual Collection on the day they were released, it arrived just in time for me to go on holiday but that's a whole other story.

I was over the moon when I found a Limited Edition 2009 Chinese Silver Dragon for sale preloved (for non bead folk reading this, these are incredibly hard to get hold of - even more so at a fair price).

L-R: LE 2009 Chinese Silvers - Dragon, World Tour Hong Kong - Dragon and Phoenix
Happy Dragon and Lucky Dragon 

So that took it to 4... then along came Naughty Dragon, technically he's a necklace pendant rather than a bracelet charm, and yes, he is a he!


Then again on the preloved market I was lucky to pick up Baby Dragon which is technically a splitter bead (a bead with 3 holes so you can split off a long chain necklace to shorten it) and usually to be found on my Pearl Fantasy Necklace, although I'm currently wearing Baby Dragon on a bracelet at the moment.

Trollbead Baby Dragon Splitter Bead

Finally, and last but not least is my Story by Kranz and Ziegler Dragon, I just love the way the foot (or is that an arm?) that are visible hold onto the lambskin bracelet!


Story by Kranz and Ziegler - Dragon and charms on lambskin bracelet

So now everyone's up to date with my current Dragons... on my ultimate Dragons Wish List (read = never going to happen) is a Faerybeads Dragon lock... along with most of their Through the Magical Door Collection... anyone got a money tree?

Anyone else obsessed with Dragons? Or is it just me...

33 comments:

  1. I am sure a lot of people are obsessed with dragons. I certainly like them and wish they were real and living creatures especially the wise and benevolent ones found in some fiction and it would shake people up a bit to deal with ones not so benevolent. :) Your charms are delightful.


    http://ceciliaaclark.blogspot.com.au

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    1. Thanks Cecila, I was surprised I had so many when I started to gather them together!

      I love reading about Dragons in fiction, it pretty much sells any new book to me before I've checked out if I like the author's style.

      Mars xx

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  2. I'm not into dragons per se, but my collection revolves around the world of fae. Some days I too wsh for a money tree to get those pieces that seem just out of my reach. Glad to know someone else has the same "problem"!

    Kris
    wtfwidow.blogspot.com

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    1. Yeah, I probably should have asked for a money orchard rather than just a tree... or is that too greedy? I don't mind buying preloved/2nd hand so that helps with some peices providing someone wants to let them go!

      Mars xx

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  3. Sorry not a dragon fan but love to see your collection of them as I know how much you love them. Xx

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    1. To be fair it had grown more than I realised... Xx

      I do want some more attainable pieces too, I also love the Redbalifrog Dragon lock and some of their dragons too, and no wonder I feel an affinity as Dragons like pretty shiny things too :)

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  4. I do like dragons, although I didn't like the way that the Lucky Dragon sat on a bracelet so I no longer have that one. The Baby Dragon gets quite a bit of wear on my leather bracelet though.

    I would love the Faerybeads Coiling Dragon (if I also had a money tree) or to find the LE 2009 China dragon one day! And the Naughty dragon just looks like fun ;)

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    1. Ah we posted at the same time!

      Yep the way Lucky Dragon sat I think had something to do with how quickly I filled up that first bracelet to try and keep it in place ;) I love Baby Dragon, first bracelet I've put it on but I think it works, love how you wear yours on your leather too!

      I was soooooooooooo lucky with the LE 2009 one, I would love the rest of that set - had I been collecting when it came out I'm fairly sure I would have bought the whole set. Naughty Dragon is just great... because of the A to Z challenge I didn't want to show the other side but I'm sure if folk are curious they'll be able to find out why.

      I think Faerybeads are on a lot of people's wishlists, it's just not something I can justify at the moment, the time is creeping closer for my boilers to get the treatment, and my car is starting to develop some fatal looking flaws at the moment so I've got a weather eye on the future!

      Mars xx

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  5. Blimey spelling mistakes and repeated use of words abound... think I need another coffee before I finish my lunch break!

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  6. Nice post with good images. Dragons are one of my favorite mythical creatures as well and with Game of Thrones and The Hobbit the world is full of them.

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    1. Hi Evan,

      Thanks for visiting, glad you popped in it means I've discovered your site. Love the podcast!

      Mars xx

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  7. Well, well, well - here there be dragons indeed! LOVE your blog name!! Whereabouts in Wales did you grow up? I hail from Cymru myself :)

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    1. Hi Cath!

      Thanks, I love it too :)

      I grew up in South Wales but I've lived and worked in Wales in a few places, so very fond of everywhere really :D

      Good luck with the rest of the challenge!

      Mars xx

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  8. Well, I can honestly say I've never met a dragon I didn't like!

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  9. While I am not that into dragons, your jewelry is quite beautiful and unique. Thank you for sharing your dragons with us.

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    1. Thanks Karen, I hope you both have a lovely relaxing weekend and no more emergencies xx

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  10. Hi Mars!
    Those dragon beads are beautiful! I just love Trollbeads, though I don't own any myself (not yet anyway). Thanks for sharing them!
    Emma

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    1. Hi Emma, thank you! If you do decide to take the plunge, be very careful, they're a gateway brand you know, you start off with just one, you can handle it, you're in control, then you move on to more and more and bigger and harder charms... and before you know it you're spending your Boiler Fund on Jewellery (it's great!)

      If you want to see it at it's height my C for Collecting post from yesterday tells a heady tale of a whole weekend of Troll with friends.

      Mars xx

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  11. i am infinitely jealous of your dragon beads!!! I used to have some fake ear spacer dragon earrings from Claire's, but when I moved to Japan, I lost one. :( The only other cool bead I have is a griffin.... But, I have loved the Wales flag since forever! I bought a miniature one at random at a store in California and still have it in my memorabilia box. :D

    Thanks for taking the time to come find me! Good luck with the rest of A-Z!

    Alex Hurst, fantasy author in Japan, participating in Blogging A-Z April Challenge.

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    1. Thanks Alex! Claire's is great; although I'm happiest browsing jewellers I love going into Claire's to see what they have :) I think that's why I like Trollbeads so much, they just translate a lot of Claire's stuff into jewellery that actually has silver in it :D

      I don't think my taste/style of jewellery has changed that much, just that I've substituted the materials now I'm older and can afford to (and perhaps not leading such a reckless social life where I'd lose/damage it is another key point).

      I was so pleased to come visit you on the day we'd chosen the same theme, it seems quite a few of us are Dragon fans and not just because D was yesterday's letter ;)

      Mars xx

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  12. I do love Dragons... and now I think I do need Baby dragon :D
    I have a naughty Dragon... who is my special companion Hub offered me last year for Valentines ;) and I wear it on a bangle (it really works!) with twon onyx on each side and the special WT Hong Kong Dragon and Luck !!!

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    1. Hi Patounette! Thanks for stopping by, another Dragon fan \o/ yay!

      I love Naughty Dragon, I've been wearing him on a leather but I've finally been able to get a silver Troll necklace to put him on in a recent sale. He was on my wish list for a very long time before I picked him up.

      Baby Dragon is really lovely, and very versatile, I love him on a bracelet as much as using as a splitter bead, have also seen him look lovely on a leather but I haven't quite mastered that effect myself yet!

      How long have you been collecting Troll?

      Mars xx

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    2. I have been collecting since 2011 ... first bracelet a clasp and bracelet found in Italy ... and it took me a year to find a retailer here in France :(

      And then the terrible addiction started !!! no way to stop ! I have already 7 bracelet two leathers and one long pendant necklace....

      It seems that I can't manage to change beads on a blet once I've found the right place ... my prob was what to do if I find a bead I love, which can't fit with a theme so I dedicate a leather to the lost ones ... very eclectic but it doesn't hurt my obsession of each bead matching the others with a special idea and theme !!! Does it sound creasy ????

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    3. No, I'm always fascinating by how people collect beads, I favoured the ooh shiny approach for ages and rarely collect towards a theme. Now, later on in my collecting I'm starting to do that more, not a permanent theme but ideas I have for specific bracelets, there's one coming up tomorrow but I shan't say anymore as it won't publish until the 9th April, there's also another one later on in the alphabet.

      Ever since the bangle has come along that has helped with my lost beads, but I have done the same with leathers too, I quite like a brightly coloured mish mash of beads on those! (Especially if I'm just in jeans and a black jumper).

      The only issue I have with making and breaking all the time is the amount of storage needed for the beads... it's easier to store bracelets than beads so I have the opposite problem to most people I know.

      Mars xx

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  13. LOVE LOVE LOVE these dragon beads. Especially that naughty dragon one, but all of the are lovely.

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    1. Naughty Dragon is a show stopper, he's lovely. I'd always wanted this bead and after seeing a friend's in real life (the friend I've blogged about today under G) it was a cert!

      Mars xx

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  14. Cool post on dragons. I would have to say Harry Potter and Game of Thrones make me love dragons but HELLO - the super sexy Benedict Cumbercatch as Smaug?? Yeah - dragons can be cool. Ehehe :)

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    1. I love dragons (you can't tell can you?), and despite being a fan I didn't actually recognise him as Smaug due to the fact my brain just disengages from everything when I watch films, especially hte bit that links up to memory! Husband was totally amazed I didn't link the two together, but as I said my brain turns to mush when I watch a film!

      Mars xx

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  15. as a fellow taffy I too love a good dragon - and Ivor for that matter:) have a dragons head which I took into exams with me - not that I believe in these good luck talismans - however i did pass!:) had a few bits during the years but am allergic to many metals - have been looking at the the non metal ones lately and wondering whether. . . .

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    1. Ah another Dragon lover, there are more of us around than I thought! Congrats on passing your exams.

      I sympathise with being allergic to many metals, my mum is also and she can wear so few pieces of jewellery. I guess if you know which ones you are allergic to you could always ask the jewellery brand if they use any of those in their pieces?

      If you see anything you like on my blog then please ask the question and I will see if I can get any information for you.

      Mars xx

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  16. I am not a fan of dragon symbols/emblems, but pieces that were made by artisans are an exception. I'm still waiting for Biltmorelux.com to upload a home decor with a dragon symbol. If I'm gonna own something that has a dragon symbol in it, then it has to have some real value.

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    1. Hi Bruce, some lovely things on that site! Mars xx

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I love saying hi to people who've read my blog, or are just passing through via the A to Z, or anyone not a spam bot!

P.s. If you use an iPad/iPhone and are having trouble leaving a comment on Blogger, you might have better luck using a browser that's not the default iPad one... Then from the "Comment as" drop down menu choose Name/Url (you can leave URL field blank or add your web address) or Anonymous and (hopefully) away you go! Mars xx