The Beading Gem

"Summertime, and the livin' is easy..."  I just love George Gershwin's lovely aria for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess.  The languid music speaks volumes of the lazy hazy days of summer.  So if you're up to a really easy project at this time of year, try this pretty bead and hemp anklet tutorial. 

Hasn't this summer been brutal for heatwaves?  Well, the good news is you can wear pretty beaded barefoot sandal anklets!  Aleshia of Beadifulnights  has a really elegant design tutorial which will dress up ordinary sandals. 

Beading is a contagious activity. If you don't believe me, just check out these designs from 3 beaders at a beading party back when the weather was warmer.

They all made rainbow anklets from multicolored crystals! These are guaranteed to match just about anything in the wardrobe.

Summer Fun Summer Sandals

Signs of Summer to Come
Part 2 of 2
It hasn't happened yet, but when the weather starts to warm up, socks and shoes disappear! Nowhere does this happen as quickly as in Canada!  That's when we might get to see some pretty jewelry on feet.

Basic anklets are really just larger bracelets. But add a simple toe ring and beaded extensions to join it to the anklet, you get Indian-style foot jewelry! Perfect for pretty bare feet or even at beach weddings. That's why these are also called barefoot or beach sandals.  Other names include toe or foot thongs.

Yesterday's post on tatted jewelry tutorials garnered a number of comments. Two people reminded me about TotusMel, an amazing inspirational tatting artisan. Thanks Emi (For the Love of Beads) and Mikki (The Beaded Carpet)!(Update : I've just added her Queen's Feet free tutorial in yesterday's post)

California based Pamela Quevedo is the successful designer behind TotusMel Tats on Etsy. When you peek in her shop, you can see why. She is not only very good but highly creative, churning out original mask designs as well as some of the prettiest and sometimes sexiest jewelry I ever seen. If you weren't sure about tatting as a jewelry technique, her work will convince you otherwise.

Soft Cuff Bracelets
Part 2 of 3

Black leather cuff bracelets are hot, hot, hot! How hot? Well haute couture versions have been spotted strutting down several runways this season. These wide leather affairs were perhaps inspired by fetish wear - you know, bondage wrist shackles.

For me though, these wrist bracelets look like they are modern versions of hardened leather arm guards called vambraces and bracers once worn by medieval warriors and archers. But they are no longer secret wear or confined to medieval reenactments and movies - they are definitely moving mainstream. The fall collections of top designers usually dictate what will soon be fashionable. So put on your creativity hat and see if you can make some like Etsians Diana Norman and Greenbelts did below. I've added some free tutorial links at the end.

The younger set are no less keen on jewelry making than adults. But any one who has ever organised beading sessions for girls will notice one thing. They bead very fast! One sure way to slow them down at beading parties is to introduce beadweaving using seed beads only.

What also amazes me is the assured way these young beaders pick their pretty colour combinations - without any hesitation. Not everyone is into pink as you can see. Perhaps we can pick up a few tips on colour sets from these creations?

Shown here are the work of eight girls ages 9-13 which adorned six necks, two wrists and one ankle. The designers are as follows:

1.Kate 2.Zoe 3&4. Amanda 5.Bethany 6.Georgina 7.Grace 8.Taylor

Beadweaving Collection #1
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Ellen may only be just 12 years old, but she knew the colours that looked best in clothes for her and therefore which beads to suit her pale complexion.

Wendy's anklet design will suit those who wear darker clothing even in the summer time.

The round beads that she used are not really black but a dark midnight blue. The faceted long bicone beads had a bluish AB (aurora borealis) coating to them adding to the dark blue theme. Wendy's design using three types of beads resulted in a pleasing anklet. Odd numbers in designs somehow work best.

Beader Design #154
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I've noticed that anklets are all the rage these days. No wonder as they look so pretty on sandal-clad feet.

Nicole likes anklets to and she designed this anklet using predominantly metal beads, varying them throughout. For her focal point, she chose just one rectangular mother of pearl bead in a subtle shade of green. This neutrally hued design will go with any outfit so I am certain that the anklet will get lots of outings from Nicole's jewelry box.

Beader Design #150
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Although Marlies has always loved jewelry, this is her first attempt at creating her own. Doesn't her lovely anklet and earrings look good enough to eat? She first experimented with the orange speckle and lime glass beads. She then added brown speckled beads which helped tone down the bright orange. Small corrugated metal beads were used in between all the beads. The matching earrings were a must.

The inspiration for designs comes from different sources. In this case, Marlies had brought a specific t-shirt (see smaller picture) so that she could create jewelry to go with it. Just perfect for the summer!

These picasso beads have swirls of colour that add interest to this anklet that Myrna made for her daughter. The design consisted of the square flat beads separated with coordinating seed beads. The small beads make this anklet dainty. Not only that, the neutral colours means that it'll go with just about any outfit.
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Myrna has one lucky daughter. Here is the first of two anklets Myrna made for her. According to Myrna, she loves it.

All sorts of beads can be used for anklets but Myrna thought these starry fibre optic beads were perfect for a dainty and pretty anklet. The star colours mimic silver, gold and copper which Myrna linked with metallic gold seed beads.

It snowed today - 25 cm! So we can only hope that warmer weather IS just ahead so that beaders can show off their anklets!
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It's still pretty nippy outside but Erin must already be looking forward to sandal weather when she can show off this pretty blue anklet she made.

She designed it with pale blue crackle beads and turquoise blue beads interspersed with small clear cube beads. The blue shell heart dangle was just the perfect final touch for this design.
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Cilappatikaram, is an epic Tamil poem dating back to about the fifth century CE (or AD if you are of the old school!). It is a tragic tale, like a lot of epic poems. The central character is the ever loving Kannagi who was the owner of two jewelled anklets. Although her husband, Kovalan was wealthy to begin with, he threw away all his riches in an adulterous affair which ended badly. He returned penniless to the patient Kannagi who offered her anklets to sell in order to raise money.

Whilst at the marketplace, Kovalan was framed by Pandya, the Queen's jeweler, who had stolen the royal pearled anklet. Kovalan was arrested and killed on the King's order without a fair hearing. Grief-stricken, Kannagi confronts the King and shows him her other anklet which was gem encrusted, not pearled as proof of her husband's innocence. The royal couple were stricken dead. Kannagi then put a curse on the city, whereupon a fire soon destroyed it. Kannagi eventually ascends to heaven with her love, Kovalan.

Reference:

http://www.tamilnation.org/literature/cilapathikaram.htm
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Tracy loves anklets but could never find one to fit her slim ankles so she made one that was just right! Anklets are fun to wear and very attractive in the summertime drawing attention to pretty feet.

As an ornament, anklets are not new although they have become very popular in North America in recent years. Anklets have been worn for centuries and are still very common in the East, particularly in the Indian subcontinent. There is even an epic poem on anklets! (see next post)
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