SUZIE Q'S DIARY

Many years ago, Trollbeads co-founder/designer, Lise Aagaard, had a life-changing moment when she read an article that said: “If you really want to help people in developing countries, you must teach them what it is that you are successfully doing.” An idea suddenly came to Lise: “We can do that. At Trollbeads, we know how to make glass beads. We can teach them.” And this is exactly what she did.

The first workshop in Dharamsala, India, was a huge success and inspired the creation of the one-of-a-kind glass beads called “UNIQUES”! Each glass bead is individually handmade in a red-hot open flame, and quite often, 100 steps are involved in creating each of the UNIQUES.

In this short video, you can see exactly how the Trollbeads glass beads are made and how much there is to learn before artisans are able to create their own glass beads...

There are now workshops in Tibet, India, Malawi and Lithuania, which are 100% owned by the artisans. Each workshop infuses the UNIQUES beads with their own style, culture and aesthetics, bringing them to life as miniature pieces of art!

If you'd like to read more about how Trollbeads Glass Beads are made, please see our blog post: Every Bead is a Miniature Piece of Art!

The one-of-a-kind UNIQUES glass beads offered here at Suzie Q Studio also include a colour-coordinated Trollbeads leather bracelet, plus a booklet about the UNIQUES story, which is only available while quantities last. Click here to see all our gorgeous Uniques>>> Uniques Collection.

Which one(s) will you choose?… They look totally FAB layered up on your wrist, and make a wonderful gift for any special occasion!

Suzie Q Studio is offering two rare Trollbeads Limited Edition China Beads Sets designed by six Chinese designers to represent what they viewed as significant representations of Chinese culture and history.

Over the years, Suzie has "stashed away" some extra-special RARE and Retired Trollbeads. It's time to let them out into the world for Trollbeads Fans to wear, enjoy and cherish! Suzie Q Studio has Rare & Retired Glass and Sterling Silver Beads, Limited Editions and Ultra-Rare Trollbeads and Treasures. We're always adding more so check back often.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been out making local Calgary deliveries of lots of Suzie Q Studio Treasures: BEAD STEW and "Little Miss" bracelet-making kits, Rare & Retired Glass Trollbeads, scrumptious sterling silver “Box Clasps”, tools, etc… It’s been a very busy time, thankfully!

After dropping off the last of my packages on a recent delivery adventure, I pulled into a parking lot to run a quick personal errand. A big truck pulled up into the stall next to me, and I happened to notice that there were a couple of masks hanging from their rearview mirror. My initial reaction was wondering if this was such a good idea, germ-wise, not to mention it being visually unappealing. It also begged the question of what to do with a mask when you’re not wearing it?

The visual of the masks dangling from the mirror of the truck, stayed with me for a couple of days, and then I had a wonderful —> I • D • E • A <— to experiment with!

I was aware of “mask chains” being available to purchase that let you suspend your mask from your neck while not wearing it, like sunglasses, BUT I got to wondering… Are there enough beads in a BEAD STEW Bracelet-Making Kit to make your own, unique “mask chain”?… After all, when donning a mask, you may as well wear it in style, right?!

I decided to dive into my BEAD STEW, mask chain experiment, but first, which mask to choose? My sister, Rita, who lives in Kelowna, and I’m so very lucky to have as my Website Wizard, is a terrific seamstress, amongst her many other talents, so I chose the mask she made for me in some of my fav colours: bright orange, pink and red :-)

The next task was to decide on which BEAD STEW kit would coordinate with my FAB mask, so I chose “Tropical Sherbet”… Doesn’t it look yummy?

EUREEKA!… As you can see, mission accomplished. You can indeed create a "mask chain” from the beads in a limited edition BEAD STEW kit… YAY! (with alternate finishing components, instead of  the "memory" bracelet wire, of course).

Here’s the “mask chain” in action… Doesn’t it look totally FAB?!

Hey… Would you like some added versatility?

As I began experimenting with creating a “mask chain” I had another “LIGHT BULB” moment! I decided to size the length of the bead stringing wire, so that my BEAD STEW “mask chain” could also be worn as a necklace AND as a multi-wrap bracelet. Isn’t this totally cool?

BTW… I’ve never liked having my picture taken or made a habit of doing “selfies”, but in this age of COVID I had to push my self-consciousness aside and step into the role of “model”… Yikes! I guess we all have to adapt, in all kinds of ways these days :-)

So, how can you create your very own BEAD STEW “Mask Chain”? The Suzie Q Studio “BEAD STEW” Shopping Page has been changed to accommodate YOUR CHOICE of making a BEAD STEW “Bangle-style” Bracelet OR a BEAD STEW “Mask Chain” by clicking on the appropriate button.

BTW… ONE BEAD STEW Kit will make ONE of EITHER of these two projects!

When you choose the BEAD STEW “Bracelet” option, you’ll receive “memory wire” to make your project.

When you choose the BEAD STEW “Mask Chain” option, you’ll receive “Softflex” bead-stringing wire, PLUS, two lobster-style clasps, crimps and crimp covers in the colour of metal that coordinates with your chosen BEAD STEW Kit.

Head over to the BEAD STEW Shopping Page by Clicking on this >>> LINK

Do you love the look of having your BEAD STEW “mask chain” coordinate with a bangle-style bracelet? Simply purchase TWO of the same kit, but remember to choose ONE of EACH of the “bracelet" and "mask chain" options… Easy-peasy :-)

VISIT the Suzie Q BEAD STEW Shopping Page! <<<<Choose your Mask Chain and/or Bracelet Kit Here!

​While Serendipity BEAD STEW Kits have FAB combos of hand-selected, high-quality beads, as well as the appropriate finishing components, the tools needed to make a bangle-style bracelet OR “Mask Chain” aren’t included, and isn’t it the worst to sit down to create a project, only to be missing a tool or two?

To be prepared, please take a look at the image above, or the tool lists below, and check to see which tools that you already have on hand, or if you’ll need to add any of them to your order of BEAD STEW Kits. BTW… All of the required tools for both of these projects are basic, essential jewelry-making tools that can be used for oodles of other projects and techniques.

​BEAD STEW BANGLE-STYLE BRACELET:

• BEAD MAT or other working surface, so your beads don’t run away!

• HARD WIRE CUTTER, to cut the excess “Memory” bangle wire. PLEASE NOTE… You can also use a heavy duty wire cutter from your household tool box, but DO NOT use regular jewelry wire cutters because they’ll be ruined by the hardness of the bangle wire

• ROUND NOSE PLIERS, to make a round loop at the end of the bangle wire to stop your beads from falling off when your bracelet is finished

BEAD STEW “MASK CHAIN”:

• BEAD MAT or other working surface, so your beads don’t run away!

• SOFT WIRE (POINTY) CUTTER, to cut bead stringing wire that is comprised of 49 strands of nylon-coated, stainless steel wire. This cutter can also be used to cut up to 20 gauge thickness of wire and headpins to make earrings, dangles, etc.

• BEAD STOPPERS, which are used to clamp onto each end of bead stringing wire to prevent your beads from sliding off… It’s a total drag to have the design you’ve spent hours working on, slip away, and worse yet, loosing some of your beads that bounce onto the floor! Bead Stoppers are one the best jewelry-making inventions, ever!

• CRIMPING PLIERS, used in conjunction with “crimp tubes” (which are included in your “Mask Chain” Kit) to securely attach the clasp to your bead stringing project. Some people just flatten the crimp tube with a pair of pliers, but you run the risk of having the end of the wire slip out of the crimp and have your beads flying off, sometimes at the most inopportune time!

• CHAIN NOSE PLIERS, are used to close “crimp covers” (which are included in your “Mask Chain” Kit) into a round bead that cover the crimp tubes on your piece… Crimp covers give your project a clean and professional look. You can also use any flat, smooth-jawed jewelry pliers to close your crimp covers, such as: FLAT NOSE PLIER or BENT CHAIN NOSE PLIER.

During these stressful and uncertain times of COVID-19, it’s super-important for your well-being to distract yourself once in a while, and engage in creative activities such as baking, sewing, knitting, listening to music, jewelry-making — although I might be a bit biased on that one!

As well nothing takes your mind off of more serious topics than having a good laugh, don’t you agree?

One of my many guilty pleasures is watching the nighttime talk shows, and during the time I was working on the new BEAD STEW “Mask Chain", I happened to catch a “bit” on Jimmy Fallon’s show that I got a chuckle out of, especially because one of the “Aunts" was wearing a… “Mask Chain”!

Yup, it’s me again, wearing another FAB mask that my sister Rita made for me. She sure knows what my favourite colours are, and it even matches my BEAD STEW - “Tropical Sherbet” mask chain!

As a “Thank You" to my amazing, Web Wizard sister Rita, I’m going to make her a “Mask Chain” that matches her BEAD STEW “Basil Poppy Seed Dressing” bracelet… I hope she’ll like it :-)

So, are you ready to have some “Good Creative Fun” and make your own unique bangle-style bracelet and matching, oh-so-stylish “Mask Chain”? Then be sure to add some yummy BEAD STEW to your Suzie Q Studio Shopping Cart and get creating!
~ xo Suzie ️

PS… Wishing all of my Suzie Q Friends to keep safe by remembering the 3 W’s of COVID-19:  Wear a mask, Wash your hands & Watch your distance… It’s really important. - SQ