Trollbeads Inspiration:Lemon Tart & Earl Grey Tea

This afternoon I’m sitting in a ray of sunshine at my desk at Tartooful… and I am craving a cup of classic Earl Grey Tea and a traditional lemon tart…. Do you know the kind I mean?  It would have a home made butter crust, with little fork marks around the slightly imperfect edge.  It would be made with free range, happy-chicken eggs with deep, rich eggs yolks… and the lemon curd would be that same, ridiculously beautiful shade of yellow.

…Not too much sugar, but just enough to take the edge off the tart, citrus flavour of the fruit.  That kind of lemon tart is so satisfying.  It scratches every sort of snacking itch… buttery, flaked, baked, sweet and sour pure afternoon sugar fix.  No matter how delicious, I could only ever eat one of these decadent treasures.

The Earl Grey tea, with its subtle hint of Bergamot, is an essential element, necessary to bring a little balance to the afternoon treat.  The tea cuts the tart, firmly forbidding it from becoming cloying.  Sipping from the hot cup demands that one slowly savour the whole experience.

Sigh…. are you there with me?  It’s time for afternoon tea.

Clockwise from clasp:  “Golden Flower Lock”, “Unique Amber”, “Silver MOuntain”, “Water”, “Unique Glass”, “Labradorite”, “Unique Amber”, “Smile of Stars”, “Unique Glass”, “Neptune’s Promise”, “Unique Amber”, “Neptune’s Promise”, “Unique Glass”, “Smile of Stars”, “Unique Amber”, “Labradorite”, “Unique Glass”, “Neverending”, “Unique Glass”, “Unique Amber”.

C.

 

Trollbeads Challenge: Day 10

Today I am featuring a lush bracelet design with saturated colour and heaps of texture and pattern.  It’s an abrupt change from the simplicity and calm of yesterday, and a fun exploration of the huge range of expression that the Trollbeads toolbox offers.

I adore cranberry red, even more so when combined with other saturated tones such as raspberry, pink, coral, goldenrod yellow – or in this case all of them!  It’s a “Singapore sling” bracelet with juicy sunset colours that range from soft pink and peach down into egg yolk yellow, raspberry, tomato red and claret.  These riotous colours all play together nicely, partly because they are all in the warm red family, but also because the textures and patterns of the glass are of a similar complexity and mood.

I could have contrasted the ornate glass with simple silvers to offer a pause for the eye, but instead, consciously chose to make this bracelet an extreme contrast to yesterday’s breath of calm.  I enjoy playing at both ends of the Trollbeads design spectrum!

C.

 

Trollbeads Inspiration: Icelandic Poppies

Have you ever come across Icelandic Poppies?  They are charming little flowers, a subtle and delicate variety of the Papaver family.  They grow best in sub polar, boral regions and originally grew in Asia and Europe – but not Iceland.  They naturally occur in shades of white and buttery yellow, but varieties have been developed in a gorgeous, juicy array of

colours that include every shade of orange, pink and coral.  Despite the tropical feel of they colours available, they have no taste for heat, preferring gentle climates with cool winters and mild Summers.  They are a short lived perennial which will last longest in the garden if your Summers are cool.  Some people simply grown them as biennals, making the assumption that they will last about that long.

I’ve always loved these delicate little flowers, and in past years, when I have had them in the garden, I’ve often picked them to enjoy in vases.  They are such paper thin, transparent flowers that one would think that they’d wilt immediately – but unlike most poppies they do quite well, happily lasting several days.

Today’s confection of delicate, transparent colours such as coral, buttery yellow and pink is inspired by these lovely flowers…

“Dragon Lock”, “Unique Glass”, “Baltic Gold”, “Unique Glass”, “Moroccan Cushion”, “Pebbles”, “Unique Glass”, “Limited Edition Orange Agate”, “Scarab”, “Limited Edition Carnelian”, “Unique Glass”, “Limited Edition Carnelian”, “Scarab”, “Limited Edition Orange Agate”, “Unique Glass”, “Coral Bubbles”(retired), “Art Deco” (retired), “Golden Cave”, “Unique Glass”, “Copper Bead”.

All beads taken from current Tartooful stock.

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30 Day Challenge: Day 19

This… *THIS* is why I continue to do the annual 30 Day Challenge. 

This combination would never have happened if it weren’t for this creative exercise. Isn’t it wonderful?  I can’t believe that I have had so many of these beads for so many years, and have never thought to put them together.

I’ve certainly built lots of gold and purple bracelet designs with our ladies… but this one is a little different.  This is not a regal, rich metallic gold and deep purple – but rather a frothy concoction that is shot through with lots of light creamy tones.  The butterfly is right at home here, as are my grub and various scale patterns.

I began with the idea that I’d like to play around with my two favorite scale patterned beads on one design.  I placed them in the middle with a silver between them, then changed my mind and decided that they needed another glass to knit their colours together.  This Unique Glass Wave, with its chameleon tendencies,

came to the rescue as usual!  With the colour theme now firmly in place I simply worked my way out, pulling lots of creamy yellows and lilac purples to build this design.  When I was finished, I saw how much I liked the lightness of all the touches of white and cream… and so to finish the bracelet, as a finishing touch I added the pair of Grey Armadillos to further emphasize the lightest tones.

Clockwise from clasp:  “Sterling Double Lobster Clasp” (retired format), “Unique Glass”, “Limited Edition Violet Petals”, “Carved Flowers” (retired), “Unique Glass”, “grey Armadillo”, “Limited Edition Pastel Agate”, “Jugend”, “Takma” (retired), “Unique Glass”, “Paradise Birds” (retired), “Unique Glass”, “Unique Glass”, “Unique Glass”, “Rolling Troll”, “Unique Glass”, “Unique Glass”, “Limited Edition Auspicious” (World Tour Hong Kong), “Limited Edition Chinese Jade”, “Grey Armadillo”, “Issey” (Retired), “Limited Edition Chinese Zodiac”, “Unique Glass”, “Pink Prism” (retired).

This is absolutely one bracelet that I will build again to enjoy after the Challenge!

C.

30 Day Challenge: Day 8

Today’s bracelet is just pure, exuberant joy, isn’t it?  Impossible to feel dull in the face of such brilliant colour.  I first saw a bracelet with a similar colour combination many years ago, in the amazing collection of RT… (You may remember her necklace full of unique armadillos?)  She had a pink – to yellow combination that was anchored by a budded

python that had the perfect array of hues.  That design had since been taken apart, but it lives on in my memory bank of bracelet designs, and there’s no question I was channeling it when I put this together this morning.

I began the design as I always do – right in the middle.  I use a rod to build

the bracelet, so I have the luxury of building from the middle outwards, making sure that the design is balanced as I go.  I tend to cluster my glass, amber and stone in odd numbers, like flower arrangements, and space them with silvers that are chosen by theme and size.  I’ll use a bigger silver to fill in a bracelet that feels a bit sparse, and conversely

can switch out to smaller silvers if I am squeezed for space.   I also generally try to put the showstopping, extra large and dramatic pieces closer to the middle, tapering to my “small and beautifuls” as I get closer to the lock.  In today’s design, I was delighted to be able to use a recent acquisition – the cherry pink with yellow buds – so perfect on this design!

Isn’t it interesting how context is everything with beads?  The golden yellows on today’s bracelet look caramel brown in another design!

Clockwise from clasp:  “Sterling double Lobster Lock” (retired format), “Unique Amber”, “Unique Amber”, “Linited Edition Van Gogh” (Netherlands World Tour), “Issey” (retired),  “Unique Glass”, “Unique Glass”, “Zanzibar” (retired), “Unique Glass”, “Unique Glass”, “Golden Quartz”, “Unique Glass”, “Unique Glass”, “Zanzibar” (retired), “Unique Amber”, “Unique Glass”, “Unique Glass”, “Silver Bead with Garnets” (retired), “Unique Amber”, “Unique Glass”, “Unique Glass”

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30 Day Challenge: Day 7

Today I was in a light sort of a mood… wanting something natural, simple and clean.  A fantasy necklace with a few spring greens was just the thing.

I picked this lovely sage green and gold stripe from my palette first and decided to work from there.  I added some golden ambers to play up the glitter, but added the buttery amber as well, so that it didn’t feel too terribly formal.  The clear golden yellow glass with stylized green flower is one of my favorite beads… it is absolutely at home here among other greens and golds.

The translucent Chinese Jade lays a nice wide foundation for this composisition – I like my fantasy necklaces to be stacked in a pyramid shape!  The sage and white scallops help to bring in just a touch of white, so that the necklace’s pearl drop feels like it’s part of the overall design.

From top to bottom:  “Unique Amber”, “Unique Amber”, “Unique Glass”, “Unique Amber, “Unique Glass”, “Unique Amber”, “Unique Glass”, “Unique Glass”, “Limited Edition Chinese Jade”.  Design composed on a 90cm sterling silver Fantasy Necklace with Pearl.

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30 Day Challenge: Day 3

Today I decided to play with combining beads that I had traditionally thought of as coral, with beads that I had always considered to be golden yellow.  As always, the challenge is helping me to see the true colours and potential of my beloved collection – and it turns out that the “corals” and “golden yellow” are really in the same family!

I first discovered the amazing power of yellow as a complementary tone in my first year of the challenge.  By the end of those thirty days it seemed I had found a use for my few golden ambers on virtually every day, and it was clear that I should find and acquire a few more special yellows to expand that part of my collection.

As you can see… a few more did indeed find their way into my design kit, and over the coming days I’d like to explore some of their potential.  Perhaps a pure yellow design?  Hmmm.

In this case, I added just a hint of very subtle blue, using our familiar friend, “Azure Bubbles” and a rather interesting pair of “Blue Deserts”… I can’t resist the combination of slate blue and golden yellow, but in this case the emphasis is not on the few scattered blues, but rather on the various tones and textures of the yellows.

Clockwise from clasp:  “Sterling Double Lobster Clasp” – (retired format), “Aber Unique”, “Blue Desert”, “Bee on Hive” (retired), “Unique”, “Azure Bubbles”, “Unique”, “Van Gogh”, “Azure Bubbles”, “Unique Amber”, “Unique Glass”, “Golden Quartz”, “Azure Bubbles”, “Zanzibar”, “Unique Glass”, “Azure Bubbles”, “Unique Glass”, “Bee on Hive” (retired),  “blue Desert”, “Unique Amber”.

30 Day Challenge: Day 2

Today I thought I’d try working in a monochrome white palette… but as you can see I don’t quite have the hang of it!  I love love love my ivory coloured glass and ambers, and thought I *might* have enough of them for a whole bracelet… but I think the only way I can pull that off is with a whole lot of silver!  Perhaps another day I will explore that possibility, but today the softest of blush pinks crept onto the bracelet and I decided to let them stay.  (It was only polite, I wouldn’t want to hurt their feelings…)

Clockwise from clasp:  “Sterling Double Lobster Clasp – retired format”, “Small & beautiful Unique”, “Cells” (retired), “Unique Glass”, “Unique Amber”, “Heart”, “Unique Amber”, “Limited Edition Kimono Bead”, “Limited Edition Mountain Crystal” (Switzerland World Tour), “Zanzibar” (retired), “Grey Armadillo” (retired), “Artisan Champagne Quartz”, “Unique Amber”, “Zanzibar” (retired), “Unique”, “Unique”, “Sparrow” (retired), “Unique Amber”, “Pink Prism”, “Limited Edition Family of Mushrooms” (Lithuania World Tour), “Rosa Pearl”.

In this combination I’m delighted that the clean whites seem to pick up on a little of the pink tones, and blush just a little.  In contrast, the creamy alabaster ambers take on a buttery tone, and feel yellower than expected – in a good way!  Note to self:  make this bracelet again this Summer!

Do share your creations with us at Tartooful@gmail.com or directly on facebook, we are itching to see what you have designed!

xo

C

Trollbeads Inspiration: Glass like Water

Have you ever looked out across a calm stretch of water and been reminded of the clear smoothness of glass?  Well, today when I designed this bracelet I thought the reverse: that the glass looked as clear and liquid as water…

There’s something magical about glass… looking into it, touching it, photographing it – there’s a visceral reaction that one experiences when interacting with it.  Perhaps it’s simply the shimmering beauty… or maybe it’s the knowledge that it was born out of fire in a complex artistic and chemical process…

but I think that there’s at least a possibility that we subconsciously associate glass with water.  When you hold a glass bead up to the light, doesn’t it feel to you as though you are somehow, miraculously, holding a droplet of water?  The monkey part of my brain never fails to be delighted and gobsmacked just by the appearance of it.

Today’s bracelet is meant to evoke the tranquil mood of a calm, quiet, early morning ocean.  The soft blues and greys are the sky and water, meeting in an invisible line at the horizon.  The Dichroic glass dots of “Trinity” are the flashes of light that sparkle on the edge of the water’s waves as they rise and fall gently in the morning sun.

There are pebbles on the beach at the edge of the bay that shimmer wetly in the morning light and the sun’s rays are already warm on your face, despite the early hour… it feels like the break of what will become hot summer’s day.  Later, the blues may deepen to a blistering turquoise and the yellows may become citrus bright and sharp… but now, the light is still velvety soft.

Clockwise from clasp:  “Water Lock”, “Crown Chakra”, “Beach”, “Rolling Waves”, “Purple Rippling Bubbles”, “Silver Trace, Beige Blue”, “Azure Bubbles”, “Unique Amber”, “Trinity”, “Dendritic Agate”, “Silver Trace, Gold”, “Chalcedony”, “Ocean”, “Honey Dawn”, “Unique”, “Unique Amber”, “Silver Mountain”, “Gentle Waves”, “Scirocco”, “Unique”.

C.

PS Don’t forget that this week we are participating in the Spring Bracelet Event! Select a decorative lock priced CAD$48-$72 and receive the sterling foxtail chain valued at CAD$48 at no charge.  Purchase your lock online at Tartoofultoo Online Shop and simply let us know in the notes which length of chain you prefer, or Email us at tartooful@gmail.com or ring us at 604-924-0122 for a personal touch.

 

 

Trollbeads Inspiration: Necklace in Blue

We’ve had lots of questions this Spring about Trollbeads Leathers… how do they work?  What do they feel like?  How to size?  What colours are available and so much more.  I think perhaps some of our collectors are mulling leathers as they offer a completely different

way to design with, and enjoy the beads we all love.  Today I thought I’d play with one of the newer leather colour combinations:  Cyan & key.  This teal and navy leather really pops, whether you compose a simple, neutral coloured design with mostly silver, choose beads with just as much oomph as the leather itself!

I was inspired by the arrival of the new Limited Edition Italian bead, “Party Time”.  This lovely glass has a light glitter base layer, with a thick of clear glass and a blue harlequin pattern.  Hints of aqua green and blue soften the overall look and make it a cinch to combine with all the new, green and turquoise Spring bead designs.

This dotted unique is one of my all time favorite beads… I can’t begin to describe how perfect it is… the blue isn’t quite turquoise, which makes it so much more interesting!  The dots are all just a little bit off kilter too – plum, not purple… vicuna, not yellow, teal, not navy… I just seems to have it’s own quirky little personality, and manages to go with a

ton of colours!  It goes particularly nicely with this yummy butterfly, with it’s cool batik wings.  I was also delighted to be able to place a kite patterned bead on this design that beautifully echoes the Italian Party Beads… such similar colours, just a twist on the same motif.  Note how the blues and greens just glow in the dichroic glass dots of the silvers?  Delicious.

When I composed this piece I intended that it be able to be worn two different ways… I put the Trinity all by itself on one strand of the leather, thinking that it would hang separately if the leather was being worn as a necklace.  Isn’t it perfect how the beads pull the lower strand down just enough for it to create that graduated look?  Of course, one could also wear this piece as a bracelet, simply by twisting the two strands together messily and wrapping the whole thing around the wrist twice.

C.