Trollbeads ~ Lotus Top Fantasy Necklace

Having made my delicious new bracelet featuring the Bats lock and charm I was on a roll... next up was Trollbeads Lotus Top from the new 2014 Fall Collection.

Both sides of Trollbeads Lotus Top

Again Lotus Top was on my wish list from the start, it's designed to cup a bead snugly on one side, so it has a front or top to the bead and conversely a back or bottom side.  Of course I wanted two of them; however budget constraints led to buying one for now and I was keen to use it in a combination.

I always thought it would make a lovely end cap, top or bottom, for the Fantasy Necklaces as it mirrors the design on the top of the Onyx Drop, which is how I've decided to use it on it's first outing.

Trollbeads new Lotus Top silver charm used as an end cap

Having made two new bracelets (yes there's another one still to come) I wanted a necklace that would compliment these and fit in with my "nod to Halloween" theme; which is really just an Autumnal theme but shhhh don't tell anyone!

The obvious choice of silver pendant was the amazing Trolltree, paired with the lovely Saffron Facet beads from the 2013 Fall Collection from Trollbeads.  Simple but very effective!

I love this necklace and despite having had these two beads for over a year I've never worn them with my Trolltree pendant before - I bought two each of both the Saffron and the Masala Facets from the 2013 Fall Collection and they've been used extensively ever since.

Spooky Bats lock, Sleep Bat charm & Lotus Top.
my picks from the new collections
paired with the Facet Glass Beads from the Fall Collection 2013

What have been your best buys... 

What are the pieces you wear time and time again?

Beads, Budgets & Collection Conundrums!

Well last month it appears was all about breaking the budget... I should have known I was tempting fate because just as the last "naughty" parcels were dropping on my doormat and I'd been chatting with a friend over coffee about savings; my electric toothbrush and then my washing machine went kaput!

So, there was one last naughty parcel to come before I reached the "no more orders expected" point.

Time to look at what I'd got left to spend on the new collections... which now, as you might have guessed (or know if you've read yesterday's post), was a lot smaller than my original proclamation of "Ooh how exciting I have a bigger pot than usual for new collections!"

When I first started to draft this post it was small; by the time I came to publish this post it was zero... oops! (Make that two last naughty parcels to come)

So that means I not only need to pick the absolutely must have, want to use them right away pieces from my wish list, but I must also wait until next month.

Given that we are then edging towards Christmas releases, do I wait even longer to make choices out of all of the collections yet to come, ignore new ones completely and pursue an existing project (taking advantage of the US 4 for 3 promotion running in October), or dabble in the available collections now and risk no funds for anything else - argh!  

This is before I even think about the Elfbeads launch and superb offerings from Great Lakes, or get touched by his noodly apendage offering from Ohm Beads.

So, before my brain implodes with the possibilities; today I am going to concentrate on the just the collections I mentioned yesterday:

Based on what I like and would most likely use I have a short list of the most favoured contenders... okay so this is actually a long list... I've not added up the cost of this little lot as I already know some of these pieces represent my whole budget by themselves - but these are my top picks!

Redbalifrog Frog Lock and Trollbeads Giant Lotus

Trollbeads Lapis Lazuli 

Trollbeads Lotus Top and Tree of Awareness

Trollbeads Sleeping Bat and Spooky Bats Lock

X by Trollbeads Bronze DNA and Bronze Flow Links

X by Trollbeads Bronze Lovers Bond and Zip Me Lock

X by Trollbeads Hanging Around and Protect Links

X by Trollbeads Royalty and Skull Me links

As you can see both X releases scored very highly on my wish list, I love *all* of the Halloween release and I'm a big fan of the new bronze links!

For Trollbeads, again Halloween was a winner with the bats, which along with X I would wear all year around, bats & skulls are not just for October you know!

Out of the huge offering from Trollbeads for Fall, I favour just 3 key silver pieces, although they are quite substantial and 1 of the stones, from Redbalifrog it's the Frog Lock; I think that is one of the nicest locks I've ever seen.

So what to choose?  Y'know what... I still don't know!

Out of my top picks which would you choose if you were me?

Past the Watershed - New Collections from Redbalifrog, Trollbeads & X by Trollbeads

We are now 4 main collection release dates into Fall, and another due in 9 days and I've yet to blog any of them!

In early August we saw Redbalifrog release their Me'lange Collection a small eclectic mix of silver, onyx and brass and also featuring a new necklace.

L-R: Redbalifrog Me'lange and X by Trollbeads Strong & Free 2014

A couple of short weeks later this was followed by the X by Trollbeads Strong & Free Collection featuring 3 new bronze decorative links, a new heavily detailed lock and a range of 9 silver decorative links.

Early September saw a huge offering from Trollbeads with the release of their main Fall Collection, this included 2 new glass kits, 2 leather bracelets, 1 lock, 2 stones and no fewer than 17 silver pieces!!!

Trollbeads Fall Collection 2014

On the same day Trollbeads also released a much smaller Halloween Collection, just 3 pieces, a Bat Lock, Bead and Earrings.  Although small this generated a huge splash across the Internet with collectors eagerly awaiting this release!

Trollbeads Halloween Collection

X by Trollbeads will debut their Halloween Collection later this month (26th) featuring 4 new links and pre-ordering is now available.

X by Trollbeads Halloween 2014:
Stormy Vs Alive

So 4 new collections released, and pre-ordering open for the 5th... what did I get?

Well so far... nothing!

My crazy August spending on preloved pieces and clearance sales reduced my original new collection budget to zero, so I have to wait until I get paid later this month before I can indulge in anything else.

This has forced a gap between the release dates and any buying/pre-ordering I might do, so I have the thinking time that I often don't have the self-discipline to grant myself; which is not a bad thing.  I have a very strong "ooh shiny" impulse so what I get isn't always what I would use straight away.  I'm curious to see how this pans out come pay day...

What do you think of the new collections?

Have you indulged and how did you make your choices to indulge or not?

P.S. Happy Anniversary to X by Trollbeads! 1 year old today!!