September's Swan Song

The finale to Written in the Stars.

I've hinted that I was saving my last spend of September for a very special bead, and I'm pleased to announce that the deed has been done.  Since I wrote Written in the Stars I've been researching how likely it was that I'd be able to complete my collection.  Below are the four stars I've managed to collect so far...

That left 5 of the 9 zodiac stars left to collect and only 1 was technically still available from suppliers (but no sign of any stock of this star in any shops online or otherwise that I've seen).

I asked a group of collectors that I buy from if anyone knew the whereabouts of any of the remaining stars as I realised I'd now be picking these up piecemeal as and when I could get them.

I got an offer of the star that was still technically available and quickly snapped that offer up... then the most amazing thing happened... another collector had the full set and was willing to sell!!!

Ouch for my bead fund but yay for my bead box!

The keys on my keyboard were still smoking from the heat of typing so quickly that I would buy my (now) missing 4 stars from her.  A collector that was a delight to buy from as, given this was the most I've spent in one transaction of preloved beads, she provided me with photos, back up photos, details of posting, packaging and tracking info all the way through, until they arrived with my postman who has been rather bemused by all the packages I've had to sign for this month.

So now I had 8 of the 9... and I was just waiting for 1 little star.

As a side note I do advise extreme caution when photographing delicate beads, although they survived me dropping my mobile phone on them when it slipped out of my hand... I did then spend the next half an hour on my hands and knees searching for Cancer and Pisces (the pearl one) which had shot off my desk and was hidden somewhere in amongst my work folders that I'd spread out on the floor earlier.  Sagittarius and Libra (the dark blue one) was a bit easier to find having been fired onto a neighbouring table; thankfully a soft landing into some tissues! 

The final star (Scorpio and Aries) started to make to make it's journey to me on Tuesday 25th September and arrived at it's new home 2 days later... I practically camped by the letterbox.

So that's it, I have the set.  I *love* this collection; I never believed that I'd be able to get all of them and I most certainly didn't think I'd do it so quickly.

I really have to thank the trollbead community for being such stars (excuse the pun) in helping me do this, and a special mention to the "Drunk Trolls" for helping me reach such an epic milestone in My Trollbead Journey.

Speaking of journeys I'm off on my own... to the relative tranquility of a tiny Greek Island.  I've already checked and there are no trollbead dealers there so my bead fund should also get a well deserved rest.

See you in October!