Into the Black – and beyond!

It’s that epic season once again… when we all scramble to put ticks on shopping lists, fill stockings, and just generally make wishes come true.  In the midst of what becomes a dizzyingly busy time, Tartooful is a calm little eye of the hurricane, where we still enjoy pampering each and every customer… so it makes us particularly happy when Black Friday comes and we can offer a wonderful treat, at a sweet little price!

This year we’re delighted to present the latest “Black Friday” creation from Trollbeads, the “Shimmer Royal”.  For those of you who don’t recall, past years have also featured faceted glass, in shades of black and grey with rich goldstone accents.  This bead is destined to become their companion on many of our ladies most glittering bracelets.  It’s absolutely stunning, in a deep, indigo shade of blue that is inky and sparkling… it’s a perfect match to the retired “Blue Goldstone”, so if you have one of those it’s time to dust it off and get ready to play together a brand new design with it at its heart.  Of course, it’s perfectly suited to the many space themed bracelets that are currently on so many play trays!

This bead is priced at CAD$74, the same price level as most other faceted glass beads… and ladies… It. Is. Worth. It.  However, there are lots of other sweet treats to be had this Black Friday Weekend:

Phew!  It’s a lot to take in, I know.  All this, and wait – there’s more.  These items may be ordered between now and Monday noon… and if these aren’t the items on your personal lust list – we’d be happy to craft your own personal “Black Friday” grouping of buy three, get the fourth free , and buy a decorative lock, get a bracelet chain or leather free.  With tiered gifts, huge selection in store – including Christmas glitter uniques – and not to forget that stunning “Shimmer Royal”… you’ll find everything on your wish list this Black Friday Weekend.

How to purchase?  Email us at tartooful@gmail.com, phone us at 604-924-0122 or message us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… (we’re *everywhere*!). Better yet – if you are in our neck of the woods, drop by for a visit and see all our glittering goodies in person… we’d love to help you find everything on your personal “list”.

See you in the Village!

C

 

 

 

Labradorite Inspired

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A post shared by Cathy Church (@tartooful) on Oct 1, 2017 at 2:08pm PDT

My new favorite toy by Kolton Babych

Meet my new favorite toy!  It’s a charm chain, designed by Kolton Babych and exquisitely made of Sterling silver.  This ingenious little jewellery component is going to change the way I wear so many of my favorite pieces.

Ingeniously simple, it’s a oxidized sterling silver chain with one of his lovely talismans on one end, and a lobster clasp on the other.  The chain is satisfyingly round and juicy, and the signature Kolton Babych tag is a nice extra touch.

The uses for this simple little device are many… it may be used to cluster together a number of other pieces, such as multiple bracelets, or even necklaces.  If you have a stack of bangles, try pulling them together with this little chain, and it not only gives a whole different look, but also prevents any that are a little too large from slipping off.  A series of necklaces are instantly updated with one of these cinching them on one side.  Want one of your favorite necklaces to be just a little longer?  No worries, just clip this on at the back and add a few precious inches of length, as well as a pretty charm at the back of your neck.

Finally, just think how well this would work as an accent on your Trollbeads bracelets…  The charm adds a modern, artisan touch to the classic foxtail chain, and it’s just the right length to be an extra layer of security, and act as a safety chain.  Try using it to cluster together a group of your favorite bracelets to create an ultra luxe design, or to link your bracelet to other artisan bangles or chains.

I’m going to need a few of these little toys, I think!  Simply brilliant, don’t you think?

C.

 

Trollbeads Kit Event Now On!

Troll dreams are coming true at Tartooful at the moment, with a huge array of luscious glass unique kits now in stock – but only for one more day and then back they go to Denmark!  

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see these beauties do drop in.  We’ll be open on Monday the 11th of July for special hours:  Noon to Five pm pacific time.  Too tricky to schedule a visit in person?  No problem you can browse the photos that we posted on our Facebook page and pick your favourites  there…

C. 

The 2016 Trollbeads Challenge in Review

Thanks again – already looking forward to next year’s challenge!

C.

 

Trollbeads News: Trollbeads Day 2014 at Tartooful

Well.  Where have we been and what have we been doing, you may be asking yourself….

We have been busy as happy little troll bees, playing with Trollies and their beads over the course of the fabulous, two week sales event that just wound up… and then we threw ourselves directly into preparing for the next BIG thing!

Trollbeads Day 2014 is coming… August 1st, 2014 is the inaugural celebration, and we cannot wait to share the transformed gallery with you, along with all thr treats that we have planned for the day.  Please join us for the official kick off to the event at 3pm on July 31st when we host a pre-reception as the clock ticks past midnight in Copenhagen!  We will be serving pink champagne, sweet treats, a fresh selection of Trollbeads and offering prizes throughout the 31st and 1st!

Dress for drama, wear all your Troll, and bring any beads that you’d like to re-home as we would love to see you get to know your fellow Trollies a bit better by trading some beads!

… oh – and of course there will be a certain “Mystery Bead” to discover as well.

Can’t wait to see all of you there,

xo

C

Trollbeads Design Challenge: Day 24

Sometimes it’s not so much about the composition, as it is the combination…

I typically wear an armful of different kinds of bracelets: gold bangles, artisan designs, my bronze X by Troll and of course my Trollbeads.

Today I was so delighted with the blend of colour, texture and form, I decided that it was challenge worthy in its own right…

Bracelets joining in today’s arm party include two narrow gold bangles and one wide one, inherited from my Mother… A simple Trollbeads bracelet with only a pair of “Happy Fish” and a retired “Green Lilac Armadillo”… Another Trollbeads bracelet that Is packed full of slate blues and honey golds… And finally, a wonderfully flashy, handmade Labradorite bead bracelet by Tartooful’s own Melanie Matthews.

C.

Trollbeads Design Challenge: Day 13

 

Today I decided I wanted to attempt a more gender neutral bracelet design, using the black leather and a combination of coloured beads.  Generally, when designing a piece for a man I reach for simple, graphically bold silvers such

as “Smiling Cylinder”, “Frames”, or “Water”.  Alternatively, there are some wonderful silvers that evoke the magical side of Troll, such as “Thor’s Hammer” or “The Midgard Serpent”.  However, only rarely do I add a glass or stone bead to a man’s

design.  I was asked recently by a male trollfan how I would attempt this, while still keeping it satisfyingly masculine.  I’ve mulled the question for a few days and in the end created this bracelet.  I like the idea of

keeping the beads all within one colour family, and keeping them in a natural tone.  If I had Tartooful’s stock to play with, I probably would created something with more deep colour in the amber, and less of the bright golden tones… however, please forgive this with the fact that it is a ladies’ collection shown here, after all!

I left a faceted smoky quartz tassel on my “Plain Lock” as a little, feminine gesture – but this would be a simple edit for a more masculine owner.  I also took this opportunity to play with one of my X links on the leather, which in my opinion worked out beautifully!  This opens up a whole other world of truly great silvers for a man, such as the “Lovers knot”, “DNA”, and “Order in Chaos”.  The leather is perfect for the double links, holding them securely in an appropriate position and displaying them nicely against the dark cord.

“X By Trollbeads Harlequin”, Unique Ambers, “Golden Quartz”, “Tigers Eye” and a Unique Glass.

C.

 

Trollbeads Design Challenge: Day 25

Today’s design is a pair of bracelets that I designed to wear together… they’re inspired by the jewellery of the West Coast Surf culture, and are meant to wear on a casual Summer day, hopefully idling the warm hours away at the beach.

The first bracelet that I created was the black suede bracelet at left.  I added only a few little silver beads, and then twisted the two strands to ply the bracelet into a double, twisted rope.  I learned how to ply yarn while helping my Mother when she used to spin her own wool.  I used a vastly simplified version of the same technique here.

To replicate the thick effect, hold the two metal capped ends of the bracelet in one hand, and the end with the clasp in the other.  Simply twist the two ends of the bracelet in opposite directions until they are super tight.  Then, fold the taut strands carefully and exactly in half, and they will wrap around themselves into a thick rope.  (It sounds more complicated than it is…)  I used my standard double lobster clasp to hold it all together, but it would be much prettier, and easier, using one of the decorative locks.  I put the silver capped ends as well as the end with the tiny holes into one half of the lock, and then put one of the leather strands through the other half of the lock.

I am quite delighted with this technique for making a thick, sturdy and comfortable bracelet from the leather.  I do find that unless they fit just right they flop around a bit.  This is a great method for making a floppy bracelet behave itself again.

I felt like adding another fine chain to my stack of bracelets, so I quickly put together a twist on the solo pearl design.  I strung a tiny sterling ring on to keep my pearl company.  I wore this ring when I was a child, and now often enjoy it as a slender accent between glass or amber Trollbeads.  Here it seems to orbit the pearl, and jingles gently.

I’m really so pleased with my new leather idea – I can’t wait to try it out with a decorative clasp and various bead ideas!

C

Trollbeads Design Challenge: Day 19

This morning it hits me – there’s really only ten days left in this design challenge, and I feel like there are so many more bracelets to make!  I have all these colour combination ideas and won’t have enough days to make them all… how great is that?!  I’m sure that I didn’t have all these ideas before I started the challenge.  Creativity with my collection has become a happy habit.

Today is a fresh and crisp combination of pink and green.  As always, I lean towards the warmer, more apricot shades of pink, but I think this would be just as effective with a more lilac tone.  I don’t really have that many light greens, but I’ve made do, and have mixed quite a few different tones of that colour together.

The bracelet was really inspired by this retired “Green Armadillo”.  It’s a humble bead, only recently retired and not hard to find, but I really like its crunchy green apple shade of green mixed with warm grey.  I don’t use it as often as I should, because it tends to overwhelm the subtle beads that typically make up my bracelets.

I don’t know why it has never before occurred to me to blend it with pinks?  I quite like this palette … it’s fresh and has a nice little pop of energy about it.    I love the touch of rosy blush at the heart my now-retired “Deep Bubbles”.  It’s a bead that’s so useful and well worth hunting down.  it’s enhanced by it’s neighbour, “Pink Prism”.

I’m pleased to use this retired “Green Dot” as well – I love the combination of these two pinks with its soft aqua green and buttery ivory.  The gold dust inside the “Pink Desert” almost takes on an olive hue.

My new, green “Rhyolite” from the limited edition Summer Stones series, allows all the different greens to play nicely together, as it contains so many shades within the one bead.  I wasn’t sure if it would work here, with its grey and rust tones, but the green is brought out by the other greens on the bracelet and somehow it works.

Clockwise from clasp:  “Basic Double Lobster Clasp” (retired version), “Pink Prism”, “Deep Bubbles” (retired), “Ball of Yarn”, “Limited Edition Kimono Series”, “Inner Glow”, “Auspicious – World Tour Hong Kong”, “Faceted Rose Quartz”, “Smiling Cylinders”, “Green Armadillo” (retired), “Spot”, “Rose Quartz”, “Jugend”, “Green Rhyolite – Limited Edition Summer Stones”, “Universal Unique”, “Zanzibar”, “Pink Desert”, “Green Spot” (retired), “Rosa Pearl”.