Monday, October 19, 2009

Trollbeads: Pink Empowerment Beads


We have a limited stock of Trollbeads Pink Empowerment Beads. These particular Trollbeads are gorgeous pink beads that not only fit Trollbeads bracelets, but also other major bead bracelets.
Proceeds from these bead purchases will be donated to breast cancer research.
Come in before all the beads are gone--they are incredibly beautiful and are wonderful ways to remember all those who have fought breast cancer.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Trollbeads: Happy Universe

This is one of my favorite Gold and Silver Trollbeads. This one always puts a smile on my face. With smiling stars and a golden sun--and a silvery moon--how can I not love this bead?



Happy Universe

The sun, the moon and all the stars on this bead are all so happy. It is a truly fantastic place we are in – wearing this bead and your own smile adds to the happiness.

Artist: Asger Max Andersen

Friday, July 31, 2009

Trollbeads: Lions, gold

For some reason, I always think of Noah's Ark when I see the Lions by Trollbeads. One side is a lion, and the other is a lioness. Vale Edge is one of the gold level Trollbeads retailers in the Akron/Kent/Ravenna area, and we have this Trollbead in gold and in silver.





Lions

The story: The lion and the lioness, king of animals, stately rulers of the savannah.

Artist: Trine Tanja Falsled

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Trollbeads: Milky Way

This is one of those pictures that simply does not do the Trollbead any justice..it is seriously a wonderful bead and calls to mind images of Ray Bradbury or Carl Sagan's Contact.


Milky Way


The Story: Billions of stars endlessly alight in the night sky. What awaits us out there? The Milky way stretches out, millions of light years away, making us ponder how small and insignificant we are in the big picture.

Artist: Lise Aagaard

Friday, July 24, 2009

Trollbeads: Earth

This is one of the first Trollbeads I've bought, because of the shimmery hues of green.

Earth

Lamp-worked glass bead made of Italian quality glass. This glass bead represents the designer’s interpretation of how wild and beautiful the earth is.

Artist: Lise Aagaard

Monday, July 20, 2009

Trunk show!

I am so excited! We will be having a Trollbeads Trunk show August 28-31! I hope you'll be able to come and party with us! When I know our promotional offers, I will post them here.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Smiling Cylinder


Smiling Cylinder

A new opening can lead to almost anything. This Trollbead is bright and happy and smiles at you.
Artist: Jytte Kløve

Trollbead: Jellyfish

Summertime=beaches and sunshine! Beware of jellyfish, but not this Trollbeads jellyfish! I think it's kind of cute and fun.

Jellyfish

The story: A transparent creature, searching for food with the help of its many tentacles. While walking along the Danish coast, it is one of the most common creatures you encounter.

Artist: Michael Weihe

Why are Trollbeads the Original?

It has been said that Trollbeads is "The Original", and these are the reasons. One is that Trollbeads is the first major company to create this design concept, which was in 1976. Secondly, when you look at the designs closely, you'll notice that each design is original--that is, the designers do not copy designs that have been manufactured by other companies.




With that in mind, here is a bead that is inspired one of the oldest civilizations.





Aztec

The inspiration for this bead in cast sterling silver is found in native Aztec pottery. The triangular cut design is approximately 1,000 years old.


Artist: Søren Sølvsmed

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Trollbeads: Happy Fish

I've always loved fish. Not necessarily to eat, but to look at. Fish are calming influences, which is probably why they're in so many doctors' and dentists' offices. And although I tend to prefer larger Trollbeads, I can't help but like this one.

Happy Fish, Silver

Look, when you asked me how I knew the fish were happy, you already knew that I knew the fish were happy. I knew it from my feelings standing on this bridge. ZhuangZi (369-286 B.C.)

Artist: Søren Sølvsmed

Friday, July 10, 2009

Limited edition beads

One of the things I did today was to upload a ton of pictures onto our store website, and I've got quite a few up (and I'm sure I'll have plenty more to put up online! I haven't even started on uplading the jasper beads onto our website--it seems like it takes a while to do). But so far, I have some of the amber beads and most of our limited edition glass Trollbeads. To see what we have in stock (or had in stock)--check them out here! http://www.vale-edge.com/limited_edition_trollbeads.htm

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Trollbead: Lotus

One of the beads I like is this gold lotus. I think it's simply elegant.

Lotus, Gold

The lotus flower appears in legends originating both from India and from ancient Egypt. Symbol of light and enlightenment, ruled by the rays of the sun and the pull of moon.
Artist: Søren Sølvsmed

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

New Trollbeads contest

Here's some new exciting news from Trollbeads--a company that always has innovative promotions. This summer, they're doing a summer movie contest. Here are the details:
http://beoriginalthemovie.com

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

New Jasper Trollbeads!

Wow, it's been a few busy weeks (things happened around here, which made life hectic for a while).

Anyway, we got a shipment of limited edition amber beads, which are quite gorgeous, and also we are expecting a shipment of limited edition Jasper beads--which I am quite curious to see in person. (I've just seen pictures). But once we get them in, I will be sure to take photos.

Friday, May 22, 2009


It's been a busy week! First I finally finished grading all my exams, papers, and reports. Then I calculated about 65 weighted final grades. (Thank goodness for excel, even though it took me a bit of time to figure out how to write formulas).

Then, on Tuesday, we went to Columbus for Trollbeads University. I got to meet Morten Peterson, who is responsible for bringing Trollbeads to United States! Also got a new Trollbead (it's really cute).

As far as work, we got the new stackable Trollbeads boxes. There are 3 "stacks", where you can store beads and one where you can store your bracelet(s). You can also even order extra trays so you can store more beads or bracelets. It looks really nice.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Whew!


The past few weeks have been a bit crazy. We had a great Trollbeads Trunk Show over the Mother's Day weekend, and it was so hectic that I felt like I was running a marathon! But good times were had by all, so I'm glad about that.

Right now, we've also received the Limited Edition Summer Trollbead, and it is pretty! I know what I'm getting for my birthday!

This bead is made with the same glass bead used in the Eye of Aphrodite ring, which I do like, and I imagine that if one wore this butterfly as a pendant, and wore the Eye of Aphrodite ring to match--how pretty would this be?


Saturday, May 2, 2009

Trollbeads Trunk Show

Oh boy! I can't believe it's been this long since I've written anything here. I think life got a little busy with school (and the next two weeks will be busy with finals at the university as well as Mother's Day and prom). Plus, we did this fashion show in the community, so it was very busy for a while, making sure we had clothing for our models (tuxedos), floral arrangements (boutonnieres and corsages), as well as jewelry. Anyway, our models were a hit!

With Mother's Day in mind, we have a Trollbeads Trunk Show at our store May 6-9th.
Our specials are:
Buy $35 or more of Trollbeads, and get the starter bracelet chain for free1
Buy 3 or more Trollbeads, get one free!

Our rep will come Thursday evening (May 7th) from 4-7 PM, and she will be giving away some free gifts and prizes. So come then if you can! Here is our Facebook Event page, so you can RSVP if you plan on coming. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=89932789904&ref=ts

Thursday, April 9, 2009

I did get my Victory bead to celebrate my exams being over! I'm happy about this new bead purchase :)


So let me share another bead I like..when I first saw it, I wasn't sure what I thought of it, but now I like it a lot...
Sun Circle

Just as the sunflower turns its head towards the sun, this sun circle will turn you toward your sun, and guide you safely through life.

Artist: Mette Saabye
Another thing that makes me excited is that our store will have a Trollbeads Trunk show on May 6-9, and our rep (whom I love) will be coming on that Thursday night during our trunk show.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Victory


It's been a busy month, as I've been studying for exams that I am taking next week. But if all goes well, perhaps I'll get myself this bead:


Victory
Every day has its own subtle victories. Look at this bead and remember yours.

Artist: Jytte Kløve

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

So one of the other beads that I got on Valentine's Day is the Milan bead!


It is now sitting on my fantasy necklace, looking very pretty next to my black diamond bead!
Milan
The Story:The Italian fashion capital, constantly on the move. A modern cosmopolitan caught between the cutting edge of fashion and the timelessness of history.
The Artist: Lise Aargaard

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Valentine's Day haul


Now that Valentine's Day is over, and that we've boxed up all those Valentine's Day cards and put up our spring products--now I have time to show you some of the things I got for Valentine's Day!


I got the much-coveted diamond bead, black, and this (well, I'll show you the other one later this week...


Third Eye
The Story: This Trollbead, the sixth chakra, is related to the act of seeing, both physically and intuitively. As such it opens our psychic faculties and our understanding of archetypal levels. When healthy it allows us to see clearly, in effect, letting us ""see the big picture."" This glass bead has within it 22 carat gold.
Artist: Lise Aargaard


Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Trollbeads Trunk Show!

The next couple days will be busy for me, because I'll be working our Trollbeads Trunk show (just in time for Valentine's Day)! (Come visit me and my Trollbeads friends!)

A representative from the company will be present on Saturday, February 14, from 11 AM-4 PM.

During this time, several promotional offers will be available

  • Buy 3 Trollbeads, get one free ($25 value or less)
  • Free Trollbeads Starter bracelet chain ($36 value) with the purchase of a $35 Trollbeads bead
  • $100 off a Gold Trollbead with the purchase of a Gold Trollbeads chain or fantasy necklace.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

My new Trollbeads!

As a knitter, I coveted two of the beads in the newest Trollbeads releases.

Here they are, with my current knitting project:

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Wisdom

One of the beads that I really like (and that I see lots of women put on their wish-lists) is Wisdom. There's just something so elegant about it...



Wisdom

Five precious stones that together symbolize wisdom. An opal for loyality, an amethyst for peace of mind, a garnet for devotion and grace, a turquoise for courage and success and a lapis lazuli for competence.

Artist: Søren Sølvsmed

Monday, January 19, 2009

Trollbeads Trunk show

I thought I would share a picture of our Trollbeads Trunk show, which was held in 2008, after Thanksgiving.


Wednesday, January 14, 2009

A little mini-reward

One of the beads I bought myself was the Troll with Big Feet. It always made me giggle, but I bought it as a gift to myself about a year ago, when I had a tough semester. I thought that I deserved it, for all my hard work...
Troll with Big Feet

Mounted with dichroic glass in the backpack. This troll has very large feet, and that is exactly what makes us love him!
Artist: Søren Sølvsmed

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Black Squirrel

I have a little weakness for Black Squirrel. Amazingly, I do not own it...yet. I say amazingly, because I go to school where Black Squirrels are abundant--and it is even a bit of a moniker for the town where Kent State University is located.

I promise, I will get myself this Trollbead...


Black Squirrel
This Trollbead resembles the fur of a little lovely black squirrel. Look at its back!
Artist: Lise Aargaard

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Why is it called "Trollbeads"?

Again, answering someone's question! I contacted one of the folks at LAA, and here is what he had to say in response to my question:

Q: Why is the company called Trollbeads?

A: It's a good question. The original name of trollbeads is "troldekugler" which basically means troll beads or troll pearls. A word troll in Danish (and other Scandiavian countries) folklore is quite different from the rest of the world. Trolls are small, little forest creatures who steal or hide your things, and trick you, but are generally considered cute.When we went international with the company we decided to keep the name and simply translate it into English.

This jives pretty well with what I heard at a Trollbeads training seminar--but it was a year ago that I went to that seminar. Also, some trolls were protectors of mankind, from what I remember from the training seminar.

With that, here is a picture of a troll.
Troll

A mischievous climbing troll for your bracelet.
Artist: Søren Sølvsmed

Sunday, January 4, 2009

How Trollbeads started

Someone asked me how Trollbeads originated, and the meaning of the company's name, so I decided to post it, rather than save it for just a private email message!

Trollbeads history from 1976 to 2006

Thirty years ago people wore parka coats, and big hair was in. ABBA has just released "Arrival" and "Saturday Night Fever" was about to take the world. 1976 was between the hippie age and the disco era; political awareness was declining and the need for parties, dancing and good times was on the rise. And if you were "with it" you had a leather string around your neck. It was here, in this period, the first Trollbead made its entrance.

Even as a young silversmith, Soren Nielsen was well on his way with his works in the hobby-room in a cellar in Holte. He had created a small, refined pearl in silver from a wax model and oxidized and polished it until it was just right. Soren hit upon drilling a hole through the pearl and suddenly things fell into place. The very first Trollbead, "The Mask", was born. This bead can still be found in the collection by the way.

Five Beads followed "The Mask" (at first they were called Trollpearls) and made up the first ever collection. These pearls were not subject to effective marketing and flashy PR, however; they lived their quiet lives on the shelves of the father's jeweler's shop in Klareboderne in Copenhagen. They were in Hibernation, but the customers gradually noticed them and began putting more and more pearls on the same string.

The growing pains began

In the mid-80s Lise started her apprenticeship with her father, Svend, and opened her first shop in The King's Lyngby. Up until that time she had been working with anything but jewellery. She is, in fact, a qualified physiotherapist! At first the shop sold all kinds of jewelry but the Trollbeads got the customers' attention. Soon inquiries flooded in; wouldn't it be possible to create symbols for "faith hope and charity" or a silverfish or something completely different? Soon business flourished, probably because of the pearls' combination of the genuine classic materials and the infinite number of combinations these pearls offered. So it was, in fact, the customers that inspired the company and the pearls to evolve.

In 1988 the family started working with gold as a material, produced by the father. The silver chain was already developed, the gold chain saw the light of day and a new lock was invented. This lock was no longer soldered on, but could easily be opened with a pair of tongs. Today the lock has been evolved further and now the wearer is able to open it themselves, making it possible to change the Trollbeads, add new ones and experiment with different combinations as often as they please. The family started including pearls, and the collection evolved and expanded gradually along with the growing demand.

In 1998 Lise Aagaard had a new and groundbreaking idea. She had been interested in glassmaking for some time and the desire to use glass in the jewelry arose. It took several years of experiments before they were ready for the market, as it was imperative that the quality of the new Trollbeads would match up to the existing range.

In 2002 the first glass Trollbeads hit the market and in two shakes the demand grew to a point where the family could not keep up anymore. The solution was to outsource. Different business partners were found, with a starting point in already existing cultural tradition for crafting in the different material. "When it was possible for us to deliver a new adventure began. During the next two years the Trollbeads made their international debut, and is now in distributed in more than 20 countries in Europe, Asia and the United States.

In constant devlopment

Today, "Lise Aagaard Copenhagen" is a well-oiled and innovative business running into millions. It is in constant development and has a keen nose when it comes to innovation in the design department. Over 1,500 retailers all over the world sell Trollbeads, and with 200 retailers in Denmark the company still has strong roots in its homeland. 20 independent designers are affiliated to the company, all dedicated to break new ground with new materials and variations that will uphold the Trollbead legacy and make the collection increasingly varied. The unique thing about the product is that it is the same as 30 years ago when ABBA won peoples hearts with "Dancing Queen". The dream lasted. Yes, the 6 Trollbeads have increased to 400, the designers have more leeway - some designs are triangular, new combinations have seen the light of day, new materials are implemented (the most recent one being the Swarovski-crystal) but basically it is the same product. Simply because the Trollbeads are inspiring; both on an expensive gold chain and on a leather string.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

For some reason, I kind of like this bead.

I have never, ever, liked snakes. But for some reason, I kind of like these cobras.

The story:

The three cobras, back to back, defending themselves and protecting the Trollbead wearer from foes.
Artist: Søren Sølvsmed