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Trollbeads is a family-run Danish company of jewellery artisan/designers who invented the "bead-on-bracelet" concept in 1976, and subsequently inspired all of the other brands that followed over the many years since.
As a Trollbeads retailer since 2003, Suzie Q Studio now specializes in new, never worn, retired and ultra-rare Trollbeads pieces, including the much in demand "Tibet Beads” featured in this article, which is available for purchase on this Suzie Q Studio website.
WHAT ARE “TIBET BEADS” AND WHAT MAKES THEM SO SPECIAL AND RARE?
Trollbeads “Tibet Beads” are a highly-sought-after set of six fabulous glass beads: A colourful selection created from deeply rooted Tibetan culture, spirituality and newly won possibilities. The reason why “Tibet Beads” are so incredibly rare is because not very many sets were created, and they were only in the Trollbeads Collection for a very short time from 2006-2007.
SO, WHY ARE THEY CALLED "TIBET BEADS"?
In the early 2000s, Lise Aagaard, co-founder/designer of Trollbeads, read a few lines in a Danish charitable magazine that would change the direction of the Trollbeads company: “If you really want to help people in third world countries to develop economically, you must teach them what it is that you are successfully doing.”
After reading these lines an idea came to Lise: “We can do that. At Trollbeads we know how to make glass beads. We know how to sell them successfully. We can teach them.”
Lise and her team of glass bead makers took their equipment and supplies to Dharamsala, in northern India, to set up their first glass bead workshop to benefit a group of exiled Tibetan refugees living there. Her vision was to develop skilled artisans who could then be part of a self-sustaining economy, and it is these newly trained glass bead artisans who created the "Tibet Beads” set, infused with their Tibetan culture, colour, style and stories.
Over time, this Trollbeads “charity” project would grow to span three continents, and the beautiful glass beads made by these crafting centres became their own Trollbeads Collection known as: “Uniques”, so in essence, "Tibet Beads" were the very first "Uniques" to be created!
For more info about Lise Aagaard and the Trollbeads “Uniques” story, check out the Suzie Q Diary post: A LOVE AFFAIR WITH UNIQUES.
"GREEN LILAC ARMADILLO”... This bead left the collection in 2007. The armadillo is a nocturnal animal from the American continent. An old Indian prayer to the armadillo: “Protect my borders, teach me my shield, reflect my pain so I shall not yield”.
“CAPPUCCINO”… This bead left the collection in 2007. This bead conjures up images of a steaming hot cappuccino with a coffee bean on top.
“TIBET”… This bead left the collection in 2007. This dynamic design is a tribute to the colourful and spiritual culture of Tibet.
“TAKMA”… This bead left the collection in 2007. This lilac-based bead, with its twists of brown and ivory under lilac spots, resembles the Indian rhododendron trees, Takma.
SO WHICH “TIBET BEADS” ARE AVAILABLE AT SUZIE Q STUDIO???
FYI, all of the “Rare & Retired” Tollbeads being sold here at Suzie Q Studio are new and never worn.
Amazingly, there are THREE complete sets of six “TIBET BEADS” that are available at Suzie Q Studio (one set has since been sold).
In addition to the complete sets of “TIBET BEADS”, the following single beads are also available:
GREEN LILAC ARMADILLO X1
TAKMA X1
FYI… The sterling silver cores in these “TIBET BEADS” do not have the "LA 925S sterling stamp" because they were made before Trollbeads started stamping the glass bead cores in this way.
TO SEE the intricate process of how glass beads area made, CLICK HERE >>> “Every Bead Is A Miniature Piece of Art”.
Aren’t these “TIBET BEADS” totally fabulous?!
The “Green Lilac Armadillo” beads in both sets are truly exquisite because of the large amount of "ocean blue-green" colour in them. A lot of the Green Lilac Armadillo” beads that were released way back in 2006-07 were more on the lilac side and hardly blue-green at all. The single versions that will be available have a lot of gorgeous blue-green in them too.
While the “Green Lilac Armadillo” has been the most in demand bead of the “TIBET BEADS” set, I think all of six of them are positively enchanting and hope you do too. I’m so excited to be able to offer these ultra-rare Trollbeads to my Suzie Q Troll Fans!
BTW… More rare and retired Trollbeads will be released soon, so please STAY TUNED to upcoming Suzie Q eNewsletters (you can SUBSCRIBE to the right of this post) and on the Suzie Q INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK pages.
If you'd like more information about the Rare and Retired Trollbeads in my stash, see my blog posts (some of the Trollbeads shown in these blog posts may no longer be available) >>> Treasure Vault Unlocked!, TROLLBEADS Rare & Retired ~ China Beads, and TROLLBEADS Rare & Retired Skeleton Necklace.
So, what does “Serendipity” have to do with our BEAD STEW jewelry-making kits? We believe that beads are “destined" to be together and meant for you to create scrumptious jewelry. At Suzie Q Studio, we artfully hand-select the bead combinations for all of our BEAD STEW Kits, in extremely limited edition kit quantities, and once the edition is sold out, we never make the same combo again… So, get ‘em while they’re still on the menu!
Also, because beads always look yummy enough to eat, our BEAD STEW kits all have fun, food-theme names such as:
Our Serendipity BEAD STEW, Easy Jewelry Making Kits contain all of the scrumptious ingredients needed for you to create a one-of-a-kind, bangle-style bracelet, with absolutely no “crafty” experience required, so no matter how you add the beads to the “memory” bracelet wire... PRESTO!… You’re guaranteed to have fab, professional results with a creation you’ll be proud to say, “Look what I made!”
And, what’s extra-cool about our BEAD STEW jewelry kits, is that even if you and your friend have the same kit, the bracelets will be unique to each of you. To see this for yourself, take a look at the results when 5 friends created BEAD STEW bangle-style bracelets with the same kit called “Maple Syrup on Snow” by CLICKING >>> HERE.
DO YOU WANNA GET STRETCHY?
If a bangle-style bracelet isn’t to your taste, or you don’t have access to the two basic tools needed to make one, our BEAD STEW kits now include STRETCHY BRACELET CORD for you to have the versatility to make individual, "roll-on" bracelets to wear separately, to layer up in a stack or even to make as a gift for your bestie, with only a pair of scissors required to create them. You can even mix it up and make both styles of bracelets.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BEAD BOX...
Yet more options for creativity… There are three essential, but super-easy, skills in jewelry-making that are perfect to use with the fab bead combos in BEAD STEW kits, along with the addition of some extra components that aren’t included --- maybe from your own stash? --- to make other types of jewelry such as: earrings, charms, a necklace, etc. And even if you only know or learn 1/3 of the techniques… The design possibilities are endless and surprisingly simple to make professional quality jewelry, custom designed by you!
So, what are the three essential, easy-to-learn, jewelry skills that will have you creating all kinds of custom jewelry with our Serendipity BEAD STEW kits?
If you were to learn only one jewelry-making skill, learning how to “crimp” is definitely the way to go! "Crimping” is the technique used to securely attach a clasp onto a bead-strung piece of jewelry such as a necklace, bracelet and anklet. Knowing how to do this easy-to-learn skill opens the door to endless jewelry-making projects.
BEAD STRINGING “CRIMPING" TOOLS REQUIRED:Crimping Pliers, Chain Nose Pliers, Japanese-Style Pointy Cutter, Bead Stoppers, Velux Beadwork Mat, Ruler
BEAD STRINGING SUPPLIES REQUIRED:FYI… Very soon, Suzie Q Studio will have instructional videos available to demonstrate the three basic skills of jewelry-making, but until then, the internet has a ga-zillion DIY videos for your to learn from… Just be sure that the video shows you how to use a proper “crimping” plier and away you go!
With the wearing of cloth masks during the pandemic, I decided to see if there are enough beads in a BEAD STEW kit to create a mask chain and shown above is what I came up with using the kit “Tropical Sherbet”, and not only can you use it as a mask chain, but I worked out a way to also wear it as a necklace and a wrap bracelet… How versatile and pretty FAB, right?!
If you’d like a PDF of the instructions to make this project, shoot me a quick email by CLICKING >>> HERE.
Knowing the basic skill of how to make a “Loop” and a “Wire Wrapped Loop” lets you turn beads into charm dangles to use when making earrings, necklaces and bracelets, as shown in the image above. You can also do a wire wrapped loop at both ends of the bead in order to “connect” beads together in a chain… You’ll see a sample of this at this in the necklace near the end of this article.
What’s the difference between a simple “Loop” and a “Wire Wrapped Loop”? A “Loop” leaves the circular shape open with a slight gap and should only be used when you know that the dangle you’ve made won’t be under any kind of stress to cause the loop to open up, resulting in the loss of your dangle. A “Wire Wrapped Loop” is when wire is wrapped around the base of the loop and is the best way to ensure your dangle is secure.
As mentioned earlier… Very soon, Suzie Q Studio will have instructional videos available to demonstrate the three basic skills of jewelry-making, but in the meantime, the internet has a whole ton of DIY videos for you to learn from by googling “Wire Wrapped Loop” in your search bar.
TOOLS REQUIRED FOR LOOPS & WIRE WRAPPED LOOPS:
Round Nose Pliers, Side Cutter, Chain Nose Plier, plus a second pair of pliers of your choosing: Chain Nose, Bent Chain Nose, Flat Nose
EXTRA SUPPLIES REQUIRED TO MAKE CHARM DANGLES:
BEAD STEW Beads (or other beads) and the following not included in BEAD STEW kits; Head Pins and/or Eye Pins, plain or decorative and available in various colours of metal, plus any other desired accents such as Bead Caps, etc.
In jewelry-making, jump rings are small circles made of round metal wire, and available in all kinds of diameters, gauges (thicknesses) and colours, and are used to connect beds and jewelry components together, as well as decorative elements. They’re available permanently soldered closed or with a cut in the circle so that the jump ring can be opened and closed. “Open" jump rings are also used in the more advanced art of chain weaving to create beautiful chains with intricate patterns. However, for most jewelry-making applications, you need only to learn the very basic skill of opening and closing them properly, which means after opening a jump ring, getting it to close back together as tightly as possible, and you’ll hear a “click” to let you know that the closing is good and tight.
To learn Basic Skill #3, use the search term “open close jump rings” and a plethora of websites and YouTube videos will be available to you… And, Suzie Q Studio “How To” videos will be available soon!
TOOLS REQUIRED FOR OPENING & CLOSING JUMP RINGS:
Two pairs of jewelry pliers of your choosing: Chain Nose, Bent Chain Nose, Flat Nose
Incredibly, no extra beads beyond the BEAD STEW kit were used to create this wonderful, multi-tiered necklace!
The extra supplies, not included in the kit, as well as the skills that were used are as follows...
BASIC SKILL #1: Bead Stringing (Crimping)… Soft Flex Bead Stringing Wire (medium weight), 2mm X 2mm Crimp Tubes, and Crimp Covers
BASIC SKILL #2: Making a Loop, Wire Wrapped Loop… Headpins (various gauges & lengths), plus fine gauge Round Wire for "Double Wire Wrapped Loops", used to connect beads together for one of the necklace strands
BASIC SKILL #3: Open & Close Jump Rings… Open Jump Rings (various gauges and sizes)
MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES: Chain (two styles/weights), Lobster Claw Clasp, Tassel
FYI… This spring, Suzie Q Studio will be adding all kinds of jewelry-making components, such as chain and some of the other items mentioned above to our website, so please stay tuned!
So, what will YOU create with your BEAD STEW jewelry-making kit?
Whether you decide to make a bangle-style bracelet or a stack of stretchy “roll-on” ones, or choose to go "Beyond The Bracelet” by adding extra supplies and utilizing some basic jewelry-making skills, Suzie Q Studio BEAD STEW kits provide you with irresistible bead combinations that will give you heaps of “Good Creative Fun” and fab results, no matter what type of custom jewelry you make!
You can SHOP our current selection of yummy BEAD STEW kits by CLICKING >>> HERE.
Get the early scoop on sales, promos and lots other juicy info by joining Suzie’s VIP Club!
