My 1st Karma Bracelet

Time to put the last beads on my Karma Bracelet and actually get it finished!

My last beads: Matt Black Shanghai (far left), silver Cross bead (above), some more stoppers & finally a safety chain!

If you've been following my Karma journey so far, you'll know that, for me, I've been quite restrained in completing my first Karma bracelet.  

After my last splurge I thought I was in need of two more beads and a few more stoppers, but this ended up being two more beads, a few stoppers and a safety chain as I still had too much of a gap on my bracelet! 

My final two beads were another matt black Shanghai bead and a small but highly detailed silver bead called Cross, ironically after buying this bead you could buy it in the sales for practically half price, but those are the breaks, I can't catch all the sales, as much as I might try! 

The safety chain I chose fills up quite a bit of the bracelet, which was needed in my case - you can get smaller, more dainty versions if you need them.  

Here it is shown half on and half off, it comes with a fair bit of rubber inset inside and it's VERY secure on the bracelet (read it needs some welly to get it on there).

Karma safety chain in close detail

So that's it, my first Karma bracelet!!

I'm so pleased that I went for a reasonably thought out design before I started buying.  It still needed a bit of re-jigging, as despite knowing that the Cross bead was small (0.9cm) I didn't appreciate how small it would actually look on the finished bracelet.  I naively thought it would be balanced  by my small skull (which is the same diameter) but Cross looks much smaller due to it's spherical shape.

I have no current plans to add or detract from this design right now.  I chose alternating silver and black beads because in future I thought I could buy 3 or 6 coloured beads and swap out either half, or all of the black to mix it up - a different looking bracelet with just 3 or 6 beads, more affordable if using the beads priced at the lowest end!

Just need somewhere to keep it all! More on that later...

So I know what my verdict on Karma is; I love it!  What's yours?

Odds and sods

So some random bits from the last month...

Bracelet stoppers (or how to stop your beads from catapulting across the room when you wrench off your Lock with Buds)

I find the price of troll stoppers at £16 to be quite prohibitive; even when I pick them up at great preloved prices it still stings a bit.  I've been experimenting with cheaper, non-troll stoppers bought off Ebay recently so I can spend my cash on beads rather than stoppers.  To show you the difference the Ebay stopper is shown below on the right, next to a genuine Troll stopper for comparison.

L-R: Genuine Troll Stopper and Ebay Stopper

Over the course of a couple of weeks I won 3 separate Ebay auctions to get 4 non-Troll stoppers from Lithuania, they are not as pretty as the official trollbead ones as they are slightly chunkier, but they do the job in keeping the beads in place! (At less than £4 a stopper) 


Always package your beads well before sending them through the post (or what happened to me with an Ebay bead last month)

I won a delightful Light Turquoise Prism on an Ebay auction; unfortunately it arrived damaged - as a small amount of bubble wrap and an ordinary envelope didn't really provide much protection through the post.  You don't need to go to the lengths that I do when packaging beads, which verges on paranoia! (Tissue paper to prevent scratches, bubble wrap, sometimes a pouch and/or a plastic ziplock bag, padded envelope and sometimes I sellotape the bead to the inside in case it rips, then sellotape the corners anyway... this is the point I usually remember I've forgotten to put the note inside)

Fortunately I was dealing with a splendid Ebay seller so it all got sorted out with a refund which was a relief.  It was a bit disappointing as it's a charming bead and I definitely want one for the future, great colour!  I love the prism beads and intend to get more some day.


Always double check the details before you buy (or don't assume you know what someone else means when they say the same thing as you)

My 17cm bracelet... that turned out to be 15cm in length

I bought another "17cm bracelet" which would have taken my bracelet tally to 6 in total, but it just goes to show that you need to clarify details when you buy from other collectors, as 17cm to her meant 17cm in total when a standard lock is added (i.e. the bracelet is 15cm in actual length) whereas to me it means that the bracelet is 17cm in length.  So I now have a bracelet that I can get 1 bead on with 2 stoppers...

Half of me thinks that if I do eventually get the Redbalifrog dragon clasp that I love (which is a bit longer than standard Trollbead locks) I might be able to get 3 beads on with stoppers for a special feature bracelet.  The other half of me thinks I may just put this bracelet on Ebay for someone who is looking for a very small bracelet!


Homes for your beads (or where I currently keep mine!)

After the Steffans Online Convention my beads have expanded once more but I was lucky enough to be able to buy a preloved stacking travel case.

  

I was chatting to another collector when we were buying from the Steffans Online Convention and said I was going to buy another layer or two for my existing case when I was offered a full case by itself!  This is actually an early Christmas present but as I had beads spilling out of my existing case I've been allowed to have it early!

Trollbeads on holiday

I had been pondering over what to take away with me when I went on holiday, this was my first trip abroad since collecting trollbeads and whilst I've carted my beads all over the UK, I was a bit more reticent to haul my collection on holiday with me.

I'd read some good tips from other trollies and bloggers who offered that they took a few ready made combinations for convenience, rather than make up bracelets whilst away, which made a lot of sense to me.

 

I had a number of worries about taking several bracelets away with me, mostly about the value of them, and whether or not I had somewhere safe to keep them when they weren't being worn.  I never wear jewellery during the day on holiday so I needed somewhere secure to store them, and in basic accommodation you're never 100% sure you'll have access to a room safety deposit box no matter what the holiday brochure says.

I also worried about simple loss or damage (insect repellent spray, being less careful when out and about) particularly regarding non-production beads or limited edition/retired beads.  Maybe, I'm just too anxious about my beads!

I decided to make up 1 bracelet which I would wear whist I was travelling, that would go with all the clothes I was taking, and to just hope that we had access to a safety deposit box at the apartment!

Easier said than done; as I hadn't actually decided on what outfits I was taking...

I decided to finish a bracelet that I'd already started, I added my 2 new silvers to the combination to make a purple, green and blue combination - and throw caution to the wind with non-production beads and limited editions (given it had several OOAKs and Baby's breath included).

Clockwise from Flower Lock: stopper, purple wave, cool dusk, OOAK budded python, whitecap,
purple armadillo, the hare and the tortoise, midnight flowers, baby's breath, flowers on indigo, happy fish,
forest flowers, forget-me-not, purple stripe, lake eye, OOAK, OOAK, purple prism

It felt like a holiday combo as it has fish, flowers, animals, whitecap and cool dusk to name a few.  Although I wouldn't want to meet a budded python ;)  I really like this one for the colours and I'm still getting over using my 3 flower glass beads as I keep saying I'm not as keen on them but I think they work really well in this combination.

Then I remembered my comments from my last holiday beads discussion that it was a shame I didn't have any pinks as I have a few pink items in my wardrobe that could have done with a pop of pink on my bracelet... given that I'd just received some pink beads I decided to see what could be done.

I choose the 4 I thought would work best, and then it was just a case of deciding where they went... I have to say that 21 beads on a 17cm bracelet is a very FULL bracelet.  I only had room to squeeze one stopper on and sometimes doing it up was a challenge, but it worked with 4 pinks and I especially wasn't going to go without a stopper or safety chain on holiday!

The combination worked really well with all my outfits, the only time I had to change it (to remove the pinks) was when I wore a skirt I'd picked up in the sales in Monsoon at the airport branch... the pinks were just too much for the dark grey with orange embroidery!

For those wondering, thankfully we did have a safety deposit box in the room!

To Ebay, or not to Ebay?

That is the question.

As readers of this blog may have noticed I've been picking up a few Trollbead pieces from Ebay recently; namely a bracelet and one of my zodiac stars, both of which I got at what I felt was a very good price.  I also bought a non-troll safety chain from an Ebay seller and I intend to buy some more for my other bracelets.

My general experience on Ebay as a seller and buyer has been rather good, I tend to buy and sell second hand clothes and furnishings which has always been a tricky market.  As a buyer I've bought some lovely stuff but also ended up with cardigans that shed fibres the moment they come within 2ft of you (not mentioned in the auction description) and things I probably shouldn't have paid as much as I did.  As a seller I've only had one person be shirty about something they bought from me; everyone else I've dealt with has been lovely and they've had some cracking bargains on vintage clothing and home furnishings.

Therefore I wasn't a newbie on Ebay when I decided to try bidding on some trollbead items.  Although I'm relatively new to Troll, I felt confident enough to make my first Troll related purchases via auction.  There are pros and cons to Ebay whether it be Trollbeads or any other item, so should you Ebay or not?

Obviously this is *always* going to be a personal decision.  When I look for trollbead items I'm probably FAR more careful than I am with clothes, furnishings etc.  If I'm in any doubt I don't bid, I always research the sellers as carefully as I can and I never pay more than I can afford to lose if it went wrong.  So here are my hints and tips if you decide to take the plunge.

• Check Sellers ID very carefully - feedback scores and percentages, comments left for them as seller and buyer, comments they've left for others.
• Look at photos and descriptions carefully - are they stock photos or photos of actual item, are they copyrighted to someone else (lots of folk use stock photos but I prefer to see a photo of what I'm bidding on) as I've also had my photos *stolen* for use by other Ebayers (reported naturally)
• Research what you're buying - Does the item say retired when it's a current bead? Is the price inflated when you can buy new from a retailer for same or lower price? Compare details carefully.
• Check post and packing costs closely, what can seem like a bargain price is less so when you add in post and packing.
• Take care and don't buy outside of the auction privately (you're not covered by Ebay policies) or after the fact, and always use paypal generated by the Ebay system as you have quite a lot of rights under paypal as a buyer.
• Don't get carried away by the excitement of the auction and pay more than you want to, decide on your maximum bid before you start bidding.

Personally I wouldn't have felt comfortable going for Trollbead stuff until:

• I was used to Ebay both as a seller and a buyer
• I was used to trollbeads and buying beads that I know about
• I knew what my comfort zone was on pricing

Having written all of that it can be a lot of fun if you're careful, but it's not to everyone's taste and these are most certainly my own opinions!

If you do decide to take the plunge; have a good read of this, use your common sense and do tell me about any bargains you've picked up!

More new arrivals (Falling off the Wagon Part IV - Locks and chains)

Bear in mind this is either a very high wagon I'm falling off or there's a trampoline at the bottom which means I'm repeating myself and we're only halfway through September... it's probably a good job I'm flying to an island that has no trollbead dealers on it and with no real internet access other than my outdated mobile phone or this could have continued all the way into October!  Although as Endangered Trolls has told us about the global release date of the much awaited Halloween Collection I already have my first purchase in October earmarked!

One hopes I can finish blogging about my September packages before I catch that flight!

On the same day that Taurus arrived I had another 3 packages fall through the letterbox that day.

Ebay provided me with my third silver bracelet, preloved of course and 17cm, just my size and at a great price when the auction finished.  To go with this, and it came on the same day, was a flower lock from another collector, also preloved.  This was very exciting for me as I'd been managing with only 1 lock since February and I can at last wear 2 bracelets at once without having to do a double combo.

Finally, I ordered a non-Troll safety chain off Ebay.  I've been wearing my bracelets without a safety chain since my Troll one broke (my fault), and I've never had a problem but the peace of mind a chain gives me is worth the cost, particularly when that cost is a fraction of the Troll price.  This is the first time something nonTroll has been on my bracelet.  Having received the chain and checking it's compatible and looks okay, I'm going to order some more and take advantage of the price.

Later that same week my third lock arrived, a new Swan Lock, also from another collector.  This was one of the locks on my wish list, along with Elephant Lock, which I'd missed out on the same day as securing the Swan Lock - for the sake of my bank balance this was probably a good thing!

So in a few short days I'd gone from one lock to three locks!

You can see by the photos above that all 3 locks are lovely and offer you something different to add to your bracelet.  I'm finding the Swan Lock a bit fiddly compared with the other two as there is a different shape on the Swan's neck where you fasten your chain to compared with the plain tops of Flower and Lace locks.  I'm sure that this will come with practice as it's a very new lock!

Falling off the wagon Part II (new bead, new finished bracelet)

So you might be wondering, just what *did* arrive on Saturday whilst I was typing my last blog entry?
(or you might not... but I'm going to blog about it anyway)

The small bead that arrived was something off my wishlist; one Limited Edition single Jasper bead, a beautiful green colour with brown along one edge.  Preloved as someone was selling the set and they were snapped up like hotcakes by hungry (bead) hunters, I was lucky in that the one I was after was available and came to live with me this weekend.  I did discover that it's a bit tricky to photograph, but most of the photography in this piece was tricky so I started as I was so clearly meant to continue!

I dismantled my summery bracelet of reds, oranges and blues to make up something that was more in keeping with my usual style.  I wanted to include my Jasper obviously, to use some of my silvers and to try sticking with more natural tones to compliment my new bead.

The good news was I was really pleased with my efforts; the bad news... I don't think I want to break up this bracelet in a hurry either, argh!!

The second thing I discovered about my new combination is it went well with my other one.  I tried the two together using one lock as copied from the MyTrollbeads Facebook page and loved the results...

 

I was pleased with my efforts as this is the first time I've put together a double combo, I've always admired them but didn't have enough complimentary beads to do one (nor the bracelet for that matter).  It's a bit difficult to photograph your own wrist one handed whilst twisting your arm around... so the photos are a bit of a mix and match to try and show off the beads as best as I can.

Although I've seen the 2 bracelets 1 lock (not a euphemism) combination on other sites, I personally would worry about the stress on the lock and I'm currently without a safety chain after stupidly breaking mine by pulling on it really hard one day forgetting it was held in place by a stopper!  So I think the double combination is a "style piece" for now until I own a second lock.

Very happy with this bracelet; now to await the rest of the deliveries!!!

Oh my word what have I started?

I had barely been home 4 hours after my first purchase when I placed my first online order with the Platinum retailer in my area...

I wanted some glass beads to go with my lucky dragon, and after doing some research I also wanted:

2 silver bead stoppers, these perform a dual function of safety - they stop beads falling off your bracelet and aesthetics - they allow you to space the beads, or in my case wear a few beads but keep them together rather than rolling around your bracelet when it's not full.  A lot of people like moving the beads around but I wanted mine together.

The safety element was a theme running through that purchase as I also bought a silver safety chain (stops the bracelet falling off if the lock becomes undone/fails) and a case to keep them in.

Aesthetically I had great fun in choosing 4 beads from the Birthday and Christmas money I had been saving up to buy a new laptop... yes that's right it was another 5 months before I got the lovely laptop that I'm typing up this blog on!

So which beads did I go for?

L-R: Silver stopper, Forest Flowers, Lake Eye, Lucky Dragon, Milky Way, Midnight Flower, Silver stopper.
Shown on top of the trollbead travel case with silver safety chain in the background