Monday, February 18, 2008

Jewellery you can make

Just for a change from embroidery transfers, this page is from a little booklet called Home Crafts that came with Weldon's Ladies' Journal No. 664, dating from the 1930's, I'd say. The text doesn't really tell you anything significantly useful as far as "how tos" go, but points you to an advertisement on page 15 for Bead Wire Jewllery ...a "complete outfit" of pliers, beads and stones supplied for 6/6d. The bead company is called Calipe Dettmer & Co, Ltd, of London. I have a mental image of Calipe as being a 1930's version of Mrs Slocombe ('Are you being Served?') with a buxom chest covered in jingle-jangly beads.

Imaginary-characters-based-on-stereotypical-images aside, I suppose I find this interesting because it shows how little the techniques and styles of basic beaded jewellery has changed. "Some wire, three beads and half-an-hour...such is the simple history of this covetable brooch."

What's not to love?

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