Charm Campaign

Trollbeads Spring 2010 Collection - Part 2

This post continues on from Part 1

Trollbeads have released a lovely collection of silver beads this year actually playing with spring themes in their beads.  To quote them they were inspired by "sunlight filled gardens, rebirth, renewal and romance" and I think they have pulled it off very well.  Their silver beads (and lets not forget the 2 gold beads) show a nice mix of the more traditionally styled highly detailed Trollbeads and a couple of simpler modern designs. 

My new favourite of this release (I swear my favourite bead changes depending what one I am looking at) is actually their latest lock.    I love the detailing, and I swear they somehow have managed to get a cheeky grin on the face of that swan, it makes me smile just looking at it.  I would have a hard time choosing between this and their fish lock, though the fun part with the Trollbeads is that their locks are changeable so there is no good reason, besides my budget, that I couldn't have both.

To go with the idea of romance there are 3 heart related beads, the heartbeat bead showing what looks like an ekg reading while a fun way to say to someone they make your heart beat faster.  The hugging heart is sweetly romantic, while the ball of hearts looks rather busy to my eye would be fun on a bracelet with lots of bright munaro beads.

The Paradise bird bead is encircled with 4 folk art style birds, to me it looks like nothing so much as if they are chatting to each other like a flock of starlings, the contrast of the shiny silver birds on the textured background really makes them pop.  A cute chick bead is the sweetest little celebration of spring and Easter and has a nice simple design. Nothing welcomes spring like flowers and the latest floral design from Trollbeads is of of all things a Zucchini flower.  I've never thought of the flowers as pretty but I do like their bright orange colour brightening up my veggie garden, that and they are delicious when stuffed and fried

For the romantic at heart there is a new kiss bead, this is a bead that looks much better in real life as it is easier to see the detail in the design and to admire the way he design flows around bead.   Then of course there is another sort of love and no one is more passionate about their sport than the soccer fan and Trollbeads have released a bead for those lovers of football as it is known to most of the world.

Gold lovers haven't been forgotten with the bright gold flower wreath bead, this bead looks so sunny it would be great on an all gold bead or as a touch of colour on a silver bead.   The gold heart dangle bead is an elegant looking bead with simple modern design I would love to wear this on a plain black or brown leather necklace.

Finally we have this 3 holed bead, which means that this simple butterfly design is designed to be placed on the Trollbeads fantasy necklaces to give it a different look. 

So all in all I think the Trollbeads Spring 2010 collection is one with a great variety with something for everyone and well worth a trip to your local retailer to check out for yourself.

Trollbeads Spring 2010 Collection - Part 1

Despite the fact that large chunks of the US and Europe are still digging themselves out from piles of snow, and forgetting the fact that it is actually summer in other parts of the world Trollbeads has released its Spring 2010 Collection.   So if you are finding the weather in your part of the world too cold maybe these will give you something to look forward to.

They have release 2 new munaro glass kits.  A bold black and white kit and a red kit.  The red kit, which is my favourite,  is made up of a collection of already released beads just how new is open for interpretation but as I don't have any of the beads it has really caught my eye.   They have also released a black spinel stone faceted dangle and white freshwater pearl dangle, which would go great with the black and white set or look stunning on a simple all silver bracelet.

 

All their leather bracelets have been updated with a new style silver fittings to the ends and the release of 2 great new colours for spring and summer a lovely soft tan colour and a bright red, which I have my eye on to go with the red kit above.  Just remember if you buy a trollbeads bracelet that you have to buy the locks seperately, I know more than one person that has been disappointed to get an online order delivered and not to be able to wear them at once.  The good news is the locks from the silver snake chain bracelets work with the leather so if you own one its easy enough to transfer it. 

If you are after more traditional spring colours there are 3 Swarovski zirconia studded glass beads released.  With their soft baby blue and pink colours they are aptly named Baby and would be a great way to mark a birth.  

 

To add to their growing range of gemstone based beads, Trollbeads have released 2 new jade beads in lovely soft pastel shades of green and yellow.

There is also a faceted Amazonite bead in a lovely bright but hard to describe teal, blue green colour.  This bead reminds me so much of the ocean or the sky, though I confess I think I would have liked it more if it wasn't faceted but shaped like the jade beads above I think this would have been my favourite bead of the new releases.

If you are looking to see what new silver and gold Trollbeads you can look forward to please check out my next post Trollbeads Spring 2010 Collection - Part 2.

 

Coffee Table Book for Trollbeads Fans

 

Danish publishers Ehrhorn Hummerston have released a lush new book about Trollbeads.

The book is full of beautifully detailed photos of the beads and jewelry and also contains interviews with Trollbeads fans, designers and with the Nielsen-Aagaard family that created the original trollbeads and started the whole charm beads trend.  It also details the growth of the company and how the beads are made.

The book has been printed in numerous languages including English.  Though it may sound cliched, this book would be ideal for anyone that loves Trollbeads.

 
 

The book is available at most Trollbeads retailers or if they don't stock it you can always get a copy on Amazon.  Though like most coffee table books be prepared for a bit of sticker shock when you see the price.

 

What Length Bracelet?

So you are thinking of getting a charm bracelet.  Maybe one of the major brands be it a Pandora, Lovelinks,  or Chamilia but they aren't that cheap to buy and you are not sure what size to get.

Well its easy to work out just what size you'll need.

Measuring Up

Firstly you will need to take a measurement with a tape measure.  

If you want to wear the bracelet the regular way, opening and closing the clasp when you take the bracelet on and off, then you will want to take the measurement around the widest part of your wrist.

Make sure you do not wrap the tape around too tightly and that it sits comfortably and that the tape sits flat so that you get the right reading. Then read the measurement on the tape, I usually suggest if its a part reading to round it up to the nearest centimetre (or half inch - see comparisson of bracelet sizes in centimetres & inches at the end of the post).

For example, if the tape measure shows a length measurement as 16.5cm. Rounding that up to the closest cm makes it 17cm.

Adding space for all your charms to fit

So your bracelet doesn't sit to tightly, and because the more charms you add to the bracelet the more snuggly it will fit you want to allow room for all the charms you are going to be buying.

As a general rule of thumb add 2cm (1 inch) to your wrist length

For example

Your wrist measurement rounded up came to 18cm + 2cm for charms = 20cm

If you intend to fill your bracelet up completely, or to use a lot of munaro glass or other large beads, or if you just like a looser fit you cand add 3cm instead of 2cm, to give a bit extra room.

Selecting your bracelet length

Using the Pandora sizings as an example

They have the following sizes available

Length

                    16cm    (6.7 inches)
                    18cm    (7.1 inches)
                    19cm    (7.5 inches)
                    20cm    (7.9 inches)
                    21cm    (8.3 inches)
                    23cm    (9.1 inches)

You now simply choose the closest bracelet length to the size you have calculated.   So in the example given earlier we would choose the 20cm bracelet.  By the way the sizing table above is correct and Pandora don't make a 22cm size bracelet so if your sizing came to 22cm (which mine did when I went for my first bracelet) can choose the 23cm length instead.            

           

Things to note    

This measuring system works with both Pandora type locks and the lobster claw style ones.  Lovelinks bracelets come with a variety of styles of locks included with the bracelet so the size given by the company are pretty accurate. 

Trollbeads brand bracelets are sold without their cute little locks, which are purchased seperately so when buying a Trollbeads bracelet remember to allow for the extra length of the lock/clasp. 

          

Some people like to wear there braclets so they can slide them on and off like a bracelet, if that's the case make sure to take your initial measurement tightly around the widest part of your hand instead of your wrist.

If buying a bracelet as a gift for someone and measuring their wrist would give away the surprise I recommend you go with the 19cm length as its the average size for most women.

Good news if you are buying a Pandora bracelet, from the many stories I've heard, and from my own experience if you buy a bracelet and find its the wrong size most Pandora retailers (I'm talking bricks & mortar shops here online suppliers can be a  little trickier) will exchange your bracelet for another size if you take it back to the place of purchase within 30 days.   Pandora have a great exchange policy with their dealers so if the store you bought it at won't exchange it, try anothe store, and remember who was nice to you next time you are out bead shopping.

Trollbead Chakras

Feeling a little down or out of sorts and not sure what's wrong.  Maybe its time to align your chakras with a little help from Trollbeads.   

Root Chakra

This is the first chakra, represents the element earth, it relates to the physical plane and is related to our survival instincts, sense of grounding and connection to our bodies.  This is the chakra brings that brings us health, prosperity and security.

 

Belly Chakra

This is the second chakra, is related to the element water, to emotions and sexuality. It connects us to others through feeling, desire, sensation, and movement. Ideally this chakra brings us fluidity and grace, depth of feeling, sexual fulfillment, and the ability to accept changes.

Power Chakra

The third chakra this rules our personal power, as well as our metabolism. When healthy, this chakra brings us energy, effectiveness, spontaneity and non-dominating power.

Heart Chakra

This Trollbead for the fourth chakra relates to opposites in the psych: mind and body, male and female, persona and shadow, ego and unity. A healthy fourth chakra allows you to love deeply, feel compassion, have a deep sense of peace and centeredness

Throat Chakra

The fifth chakra relates to communication and creativity. Here we experience the world symbolically through vibration, such as the vibration of sound representing language.  It governs not only such issues as self-expression and communication, it also governs communication, independence,fluent thought and a sense of security. This is a buys little chakra.

Third Eye

This Trollbead is for the sixth chakra also known a the "third eye" it relates to the act of seeing, both physically and intuitively.  As such its key issues involve balancing the higher & lower selves and trusting inner guidance. It also to the access of intuition. Emotionally, and helps with clarity on an intuitive level.

Crown Chakra

This trollbead, the seventh chakra, is our connection to the greater world beyond to a timeless, spaceless place of all-knowing, of universal consciousness. When developed, this chakra brings yous knowledge, wisdom, understanding, spiritual connection, and bliss.

If you feel your chakras are fine and don't need any help these are also very pretty beads that would make a lovely rainbow effect on a bracelet.  The beads have within them flakes of genuine 22k gold leaf.  Being Trollbeads they won't fit on your standard Pandora or Pandora style bracelet as they have a smaller hole so you will need to have one of the Trollbead bracelets, these look amazing on their black leather bracelet.  They will also fit on the Thomas Sabo narrow leather necklaces though it can be a  bit of a fiddle getting them on.

Amber Charms

I am addicted to amber.  I have 9 different pieces of amber, most of them bought as souvenirs of trips to Europe, so  to make sure I always have some ambery (is that a word?) goodness with me all the time and just had to buy the Pandora amber dangle bead.

Unfortunately buying that has just increased my craving for all things amber.  Good news is that Trollbeads just have the thing for amber lovers. 

 

   

I'm imagining a selection of them on a bracelet, alternating with some nice silver beads.   The bad news is that most Trollbeads unfortunately do not fit on any other bracelets than their own brand.  The holes in most of the designs are a lot smaller so you can't fit them onto the Pandora bracelets, I have heard that some of the beads will fit, but I haven't seen it for myself so I can't confirm it.  

The good news is they will fit on the leather bracelets or necklaces from many of the ranges and have some of their own to choose from.  Pretty much every range of beads fit onto Trollbead bracelets, as an added benefit the Trollbeads locks are oh so cute.