Mediterranean Sea Bracelet

It's been a while since I've posted a completely new bracelet; so let's have one full of beads I've not mentioned before to make up for it!

Mediterranean Sea Bracelet

I love this bracelet, I've not rearranged it since I first put it together so it's stayed pretty much as it was when the beads arrived.  The silvers were inspired by the Mediterranean Sea, the artist behind the collection which is called the Mediterranean Dream Collection says:

"...the history, the influences from different cultures which were often told by artifacts archeologists had found. But I also love the animals who live here and who create a paradise for divers. All these sunny and happy memories and things I have seen in the surroundings are coming back in this collection. I hope you will love them and may bring vacation around your wrist or neck..."

For me, it does exactly that.  I love the Med and this reminds me of many lovely holidays I've taken over the years.

The silver beads are Turtle in Egg, Neptune, Atlantis and Amphora, the lock is by Trollbeads and I'm wearing these on a Trollbeads chain.

The beads are beautifully detailed, I love how Atlantis has the chain threaded through and looks like two different beads depending on whether you see it from the front or the back, the turtle is delightful, I have quite a few turtle beads but this one is definitely my favourite.

Neptune has a tail which fans up his back and the Amphora bead has a small hollow like a real Amphora, atlhough it's still a very weighty bead!  I've even heard of some people filling it with something sentimental and having it "capped off" by a jeweller.

The glass is by artist Gea Hines, I had to track her down after I'd seen some small hole beads she'd made that looked like sunlight on water.  I asked if she would be able to make something similar as a big hole bead (so they would fit onto my bracelet chains), and once she confirmed that was possible; I ordered 10 of these to be made especially and I'm delighted with the results!

I may at some point be tempted to core these with silver myself, but for now I'm leaving them naked as it's such a pretty look.

I love the Mediterranean, what are some of your favourite places?

Alex Cramariuc Elements Series Bracelet

I've been an admirer of Alex's work from the start - so it was no surprise to me that when he designed the Elements Series I fell head over heels with the design of these beads and the story behind them.

To read the original preview on Endangered Trolls -  just click on the link to open a new window: the full story is in the comments... but don't forget to come back!

Alex only produces a set amount of beads at a time, then the stock is replenished when it runs out, but once so many have sold he retires the design - all elements are in stock at the time of typing so if you do fancy any of these now is a good time to buy them.

Quick peek in August when I was out and about

I did feature a quick peek at this bracelet back in August but I've held off showing you it in full as I've been making my own glass to go with these, and I still had to make one final bead.

Like many things it was on my to-do list but it took a bit longer to get around to it, obviously Lurgy 1.0 and 2.0 didn't help, and I didn't want to put the full pics up until I could replace my temporary bead with the one that was supposed to be on there.  Problem now resolved!

AER

AQUA

TERRA

IGNIS

I find it hard to choose a favourite as I love them all, but I think AER probably has the edge for me, well today at least!

I took way more pics than I needed for the post so I could also show you the glass beads too.

I love this bracelet, it's a tricky one to put on as firstly the silvers are quite big for my smaller wrist.  I only wear a 17cm chain with a 2cm lock so there's a bit less "bend" than I'm used to. Secondly I've also used the Trollbeads Sun Moon Stars lock which has to be the most awkward lock I've used to date; however I love the design and it complements the bracelet so I shall persevere with the lock for now!

What do you think to Alex's Elements Series?

Do you like bold silvers in general?

A Different Kind of Halloween

I was convinced that I would need to break up last year's Halloween Bracelet* in order to make another as there were so many "must have" beads on that bracelet and I love the combination of black, orange and green!

*actually in my case an all year round bracelet - bats and skulls are not just for October!

OHM's lovely Deadhead Bead arrived just in time!

Then, being stubborn I decided to try and do something completely different with my haul of new beads - mixing them with beads that are currently "off bangle", available and perhaps some that have not seen much action lately!

This is what transpired, it is totally NOT what I had in mind when I ordered my new beads!

I went for a completely different colour palette of soft pinks and purples with metallic blues, hard stone and a sprinkling of soft black just to add some contrast.

The detailing in OHM's Deadhead bead is fabulous and you can just see the chain peeking through the eye and the teeth; I can't wait to try this on a coloured leather bracelet!

Another stand out bead for me is Elfbeads Everscale silver.  I love the sweeping curves that are not neat and even, and when you find the sweet spot for it on a bracelet it really *pops* - yes I know that sounds so cliched but it actually does!  Here I've used it nestled in between Trollbeads Blue Tiger and the original Aurora bead.

New to me, but an older Trollbeads Halloween bead is the Spider, it tends to spin on a bracelet looking like it's about to start creating a new web any second, it's a gorgeously detailed bead for those of us with a fondness for our 8 legged friends!

Another new one from my haul was Redbalifrog's Book of Spells, a  different design front to back and lovely "bookmark" detailing on the top and bottom of the bead.  Here it's between my Trollbeads Blue Hematite and Aurora Stripes, and to finish off this side of the lock; another of my favourites... one of my retired Trollbeads Zodiac Stars in Onyx.

My glorious new (to me) Redbalifrog Frog Lock, I've had my eye on this lock ever since it was released and I finally have one.  Longer than my average locks (think Big Fish/Flower in Trollbeads terms) it adds length to my bracelet but nothing I need to worry about.

Trollbeads Three Monkeys is another old bead, but again one that I've only recently picked up and not really used yet.  Great detailing as is often the case with older silvers, and it complements the same level of details on the new Trollbeads Heart Catcher (or more recently rebranded Wicked Web?).  A Spider on one side and a Heart on the other, either way, it's becoming a firm favourite of mine!

Incidentally on the Heart Catcher / Wicked Web shown above you can just about see that the heart and the spider are lined up in the same spot!

Another new silver (I really was on a shopping roll) was Cyclops Skull from Redbalifrog, I fell in love with this as soon as I saw the campaign images; it's just as glorious and full of detail in real life as we've come to expect from Redbalifrog.

Finally Trollbeads Silver Path of Life is seen here in between the Valentine bead from 2014 and the Aurora Flower bead.  I've barely used the Valentine bead but I love the contrast here between the copper hearts and the skull!

I had this bracelet as a Work in Progress when I first photographed it late at night to show some friends - but in truth I've not changed anything about it from my late night bead play.  All I needed to finish it was to see it again in daylight to realise I'd cracked it first time around.

What do you think to my new take on my Halloween Bracelet?

New era or should I stick to my beloved orange, green and black?

Story by Kranz and Ziegler - Watch Charm Review

When I first heard the news that Story would be releasing their watch charms to the UK market I was really excited to turn my bracelet into a watch... it was 1 year later when I finally got my wish!

Photos really don't do this justice but I will try...

The charm is silver coloured high gloss polished steel with genuine shards of mother-of-pearl and with the bling of 12 Swarovski Crystals.

It has a hoop on the back in the same way as any other button charm, so you just slide and twist on to the bracelet.  As they are a snug fit twisting them on makes it easier - less friction and less chance of causing any damage to the bracelet, once on they stay put!  Just twist off when you decide to change your design again.

I've styled my watch a few different ways since I got it but I kept coming back to the watch and heart on my black lambskin below.

I only popped into the shop I bought it from randomly on the off chance whilst I was passing... they had 3 more designs in stock at the time.

Story do offer a much wider range than these four designs - you can click on the link at the top of the post for a much more detailed look at the ones that were released to the UK market last year; the first two in the photo above were part of a much more recent collection.

Sadly though my story doesn't have a happy ending... buyer beware!

My battery ran out and needed replacing, as they do!  As my normal watch battery had also run down I took both to a shop to buy some new batteries.

My battery was changed by the shop in both cases, but they were not impressed by the Story watch charm at all - as it was hard to get the back off, and almost impossible to put it back on again.  They showed me what they were talking about so I could see for myself... I had to agree with them on that score but told them to go ahead and change it anyway as I really liked the watch.  That was my mistake...

The design of the charm as a watch is, in my opinion, not great in terms of being able to change the battery, something that is fairly critical to owning a battery powered watch - my watch charm was in fact damaged when the back was eventually put back on - the face was cracked and it stopped working all together!

I took it back to the original shop I bought it from (well within the 12 months), as after talking to fellow Story fans I discovered I wasn't the only one who had been disappointed by the lack of a practical design - indeed others had returned theirs for a refund.

The original shop would not refund or issue a credit, as the battery had been changed by someone other than them, and they did not believe it was a bad design.  Story would not refund or credit but would repair it (at my cost) after I'd paid for the charm to be sent back - but couldn't say how much it would cost until they'd seen it in person.

So given that I don't think the design is up to par for using it as a watch in a practical sense, I've decided to sadly write off my £69 - and not spend any further money posting it back to Story to get a quote for repair as I do feel I would be throwing good money after bad.

Ironically the original shop I bought it from, and everywhere else I shop in person or online for Story are also dropping the line.  So although I could pick up another watch charm at a fraction of the price I paid originally - I'd still be left with nowhere to change the battery lest I void my warranty!

I've really debated writing this post at all as generally my jewellery brings me joy, and this whole episode has left me feeling both angry and upset in equal measure.  However having enthused so much about the watch charms on the blog, I feel I should at least share my experience and leave you to make up your own minds - hopefully my experience is in the minority!

I've never had any quality issues with any of my other Story charms, I love the brand to bits and I'm really sad that so many shops in the UK are dropping the line; I do think it's the best of it's kind for that type of bracelet and charms!

But my advice to anyone who has bought a watch charm would be:

Make sure you take it back to the original shop you bought it from

when the battery needs changing - just in case! 

Flashback Friday

Today, as I was sat at my desk sniffing my OHM bead box that arrived this week (it's scented... I haven't totally lost the plot) I was contemplating the bracelets I made this time last year.

It's not surprising that they are still on my mind as I've recently received the new Trollbeads Collectors Case and I was quite gobsmacked, usually being a make and break bracelet kind of a woman, to note that nearly all of those bracelets are still made up in a similar form to how I put them together last October!!

My bracelet from last October

I love the colours in this and the combination of beads that I've been wearing it all year round, for a year!! The only change is that I needed Lenny (my main Skelly) for my 1st incarnation of my Spirit in the Sky bracelet so off he came and Snails in Love was substituted as a focal.

I adore Halloween, not for the holiday, but for the fact that often brands come out with Halloween themed beads (as they see them) that I enjoy ALL year round.

I've just had a delivery of quite a few new beads for this year's bracelet, thanks to an abandoned holiday, but I'm not sure I'm ready to break this one up yet... although I do need quite a few beads from it for the new one!

What will you be wearing this October?

Glitter & Leaf, Sparkle & Earth, Troll & Elf Beads

I buy very few full kits of beads by any brand, but there are always a few exceptions, Rocky Beach Kit by Trollbeads was one of my first and the silver half of OHM's Rawr Collection is one of my most spectacular, but today I'm looking at 2 different glass kits from Trollbeads and Elfbeads.

The Sparkle Kit from Trollbeads was released as part of the Spring 2014 Collection, and whilst I've used the beads individually I always wanted to do something "more" with them.

Trollbeads Sparkle Kit - Spring Collection 2014

Another set of beads, which aren't actually a kit as such, but which I do have all the variations are the Earth Beads from Elfbeads, I've always thought they would play well with the Sparkle Kit but I've never been able to manage anything I wanted to blog about before.

Elfbeads Earth Beads Set

I started off making a bracelet with lots of Dragon Beads, but whilst it was fun - it didn't quite do it for me, so  I set that one aside and took away all the dragon beads.  I still wanted to try and do something with the two kits, so undeterred, I had another go!

Chinese Silvers 2009 with Sparkle & Earth Beads

All I did was add a different set of silvers and tweak the colour mix... this brings a completely different vibe to my Chinese Silvers Bracelet, it's much softer than the turquoise agates I'd been using previously and I really like the mix of gold glitter and leaf with the silver beads.

What do you think?

Ohm Beads - Rawr Dinosaur Skulls

You know I'm rather fond of skulls in jewellery?

Ohm Beads have taken me one step closer to utter jewellery perfection, forget human or bird skulls... Ohm have given us all Dinosaur Skulls!

I'm so fond of these that I've actually swapped* my car for them!


T-REX

T-Rex first appeared a year ago as a one off bead (at the time), he's absolutely delicious and I wanted him immediately.  However, as often happens, other beads rose to the top of the wishlist instead - I wasn't sure I was ready for just one big dinosaur skull... secretly I always hoped there would be more!

When the Rawr Collection was announced with a further THREE skulls released ready for January 2015, I knew I was always going to find a way to fund these, it's not often I get massively excited by a new release that I have to have it ALL at once as soon as it's available.

Well not technically all as I didn't pick up any of the glass beads from the Rawr Collection, they do match the skulls beautifully if you want to go take a peek over at Ohm's website, and I do really like the design.

Aside from budget limitations, I tend to avoid glass that is branded with the name visible on the core but that's just my personal preference.  I think one day I might want a glass Ohm Bead more than I care about visible branding.


PARASAUROLOPHUS

Try saying that when you've had a few!  Actually I can't say, or spell it when I'm sober either! Checks spelling of it for 7th time... 

It's a true likeness of the actual skull, as are all of these which is another reason why I love this collection.  It looks very striking on my bracelet and I've positioned it so it sits on the side curve to make the best use of it's shape.


TRICERATOPS

I always feel this skull looks so happy!  It has great detailing and I adore the horns on the top.

Like Parasaurolophus it can sit a bit quirky if you want the collar to neatly hug the bead it's next to, but I really like that Ohm have stuck to anatomically correct rather than changing the design to make it cutesy or overly bead friendly.  On the bracelet I've placed it next to a bead that I feel complements this part of the design.


VELOCIRAPTOR

The Velociraptor Skull is a long bead, it's the only one where if you pinch the nose together there is a slight movement that can be felt.  I don't think this would cause any issues as it doesn't feel too fragile for normal wear and tear.

Although designed to fit the bracelet lengthwise, will also fit a Trollbeads bracelet vertically as the eyes are large enough for the bracelet to pass through.


RAWR BRACELET

I'd always wanted an organic feel to this bracelet - originally I included more colours, still earthy tones, but it detracted from the skulls too much so I simplified the colours even further.

It can be quite hard to accommodate FOUR big centre pieces all on one 17cm bracelet.

The horns of the Triceratops skull can occasionally catch your clothing if you are wearing something that's susceptible to this... my top tip... don't wear your Rawr Bracelet when you're trying on mohair jumpers in a shop, a'hem!

Finally I must mention the lock as my ultimate plan is to use Redbalifrog's Dragon Lock, which will be perfect for this bracelet... but, er, I don't actually own that one right now - so you'll need to use your imagination when you see Trollbeads Elephant Lock instead!

I totally adore this collection, I think it's one of my favourite collections to date!

*sadly it was time for my lovely old car to go to the scrapyard and be (responsibly) scrapped... as anyone who has done this recently will know, you really don't get a lot of money for scrap these days.  However I couldn't bear to put the paltry sum back into my bank account, so I decided to wear it on my wrist instead as the proceeds went to help fund my Dinosaur Skulls.  As they, and now my car, are extinct it seemed a fair swap!

What do you think to Ohm's Rawr Collection?

Will you be wearing Dinosaur Skulls this season?

Elfbeads - Bead Castle Launch

Having dipped my toe into the Elfbeads pool with Great Lakes and my lovely LE glass dragon, I couldn't miss out on the Bead Castle launch with some LE glass Mystic Mulberries made especially for this event!

The Event Beads ranged in colour from light to dark and they all have a little air bubble in every single bud or bumpy.  Below is a photo of some of the lighter ones, these are gorgeous examples!

Light coloured Mystic Mulberries - Photo courtesy of Bead Castle

I had originally planned for 3 myself at the preorder stage, but sadly my car had other ideas so I had to scale back my spending quite dramatically!  (To celebrate the launch, if you bought 4 beads, you would receive a LE Mystic Mulberry bead for FREE!!)

The Bead Castle launch also coincided with a new release from Elfbeads so my order also saw me picking up new designs - 2 Sea Devils and 2 Starwheels.  I'm so glad after it's debut at Christmas that the Starwheel bead is now part of the main collection.

Ironically, for once in my life, my order was rather co-ordinated (by coincidence not planned) and the 5 beads went straight from the envelope onto a bangle!

Mystic Mulberries
I asked the girls at Bead Castle if they could pick me out one of the darker Mystic Mulberries and they obliged me very nicely.

Sea Devils
My 2 Sea Devils are subtly different shades of blue, I'm not sure how well that can be seen in the photos below but I like them both whatever their colour!

Starwheels
My 2 Starwheels are actually my very first Elfbeads silvers.  These are beautifully dainty and I can't wait to try them out on a full bracelet later on.

More Mystic Mulberries!
Amazingly I was able to pick up another 2 Mystic Mulberries after the launch from Bead Castle via one of their bead parties on Facebook - so I did end up with the 3 I was planning for originally!

Sometimes you just get lucky!! Twice in my case!

What do you think of my picks from Elfbeads?
Any favourites?

UPDATE:

If you fancy a Mystic Mulberry yourself, they are ONLY available to buy from Bead Castle as the bead is exclusive, and stock is very limited, as they are only made in small quantities and Bead Castle will continue to get a few in every month or so.  

Currently they are only sold via their Facebook Events as the colours vary so wildly.  When they come in and there is a FB event, a stick of the actual beads will be posted for people to choose from, first come, first served.  

If you are not on Facebook, I would suggest contacting them directly to see if they have any in stock, they may be willing to send you a photo if they are not overwhelmed with requests at the time. 

Please be polite and patient with any requests, as this is not the normal method of selling, and the small team at Bead Castle really would be going the extra mile for you, please bear in mind that they may not have any stock or they may be too busy to respond with photos.

Good luck!

Mars xx