Review: Timeless Wire Weaving

I've been intrigued by many of the intricate wire weaving designs I've seen lately so was very excited to read Lisa Barth's book; "Timeless Wire Weaving: The Complete Course". It's well thought out with beautiful photos, no surprise since she's also a talented professional jewelry photographer. There are numerous projects covered, from beginner to advanced and everything in between. Illustrations are beautiful and very helpful.

Review: Metal Jewelry in Bloom

Let me first say that I am not a metal worker, so I was cautiously optimistic about this book since it included beads....lol! Not only does the book cover metals, alone and in conjunction with beads, but also leather and other fibers. Melissa Cable discusses and demonstrates the cutting of metal, bringing out the beautiful colors of copper and also it's use in jewelry design. And she makes it look so easy that I'm inspired to try it myself.

Metallic Seed Bead Splendor by Nancy Zellers

For those into metallics, this book will inspire you to no end! Each and every beautiful design is made with metallics. Nancy Zellers also give tips in the beginning on how to test for durability since, as many of you know, some of the older metallic seed beads tend to wear off after awhile. I personally would make use of all the fabulous permanent finish seed beads that have been available for some time now. They're more spendy but well worth it in the end IMO. Who wants to spend all that time creating a beautiful piece of wearable art only to have the finish wear off down the road?

Another plus to this book is that since the designs are virtually monochromatic, you can appreciate the beauty and if you wish, use your imagination and add color if you so choose. This book is available directly through Kalmbach directly, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Bead Board With Folder by Creative Options

 

Look what came in the mail this week! This lovely new bead board from Creative Options! Let me begin by saying that it's got great visual appeal. The lovely padded cover incorporates all my favorite colors; purple, turquoise and green. There's a bit of orange too, but barely noticeable. The company name is even embroidered on in the lower right hand corner. Did I mention the visual appeal?? I couldn't wait to open it up to see what the inside looked like!

On the left it has green elastic stretch webbing material to hold all your tools. On the right is a bead design board where you can lay out your design. It has a plastic cover which will hold your beads in place too. The bead board is held in place by elastic in the 4 corners, but is removable so you can set it up wherever you like while working. Also, on the lower left is a small zippered pouch which will hold any other small miscellaneous items you might have, such as needles, beading thread, tubes of beads, etc. A sturdy velcro tab holds it all closed for traveling. They've thought of everything and at a very reasonable price! I found it on Amazon for $17.94. You can also check your local craft shops, Michaels, AC Moore, Hobby Lobby, etc. If they have it, you can use your weekly coupons for even more savings. I absolutely love mine & can't think of a single thing I would change about it! If you go to their website, you'll see lots of other craft organization products that they carry.

Want to Play With Fire???

I have the pleasure of writing for Things Crafty. With their permission I've copied my review of Jeri Warhaftig's new book, Creating Glass Beads, below:

Now that I have your attention...... :-)
I recently had the opportunity to read and review a book by a fellow lampwork artist, Jeri Warhaftig. I had the pleasure of meeting Jeri some time ago. She's immensely talented and very eager to share her knowledge. I've read her 1st book, Glass Bead Workshop, and now, Creating Glass Beads.
While the book's purpose is to take beaders beyond the basics, the intro covers all the basics; from tools, glass and torches to annealing and ventilation. Safety is something that can't be stressed enough when dealing with hot glass and a torch.
Rather than chapters, Jeri has designed the book with Sessions, each one devoted to a different bead style. She 1st gives instructions on how to make the specific bead, with step by step photos and then includes photos from her various testers of beads they've made using those techniques. I loved seeing some of the bead variations that her testers came up with. Great eye candy!
Overall I'd give this book two thumbs up!
Her book is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.