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.

Review: Sabine Lippert's Beaded Fantasies

I had the pleasure of reading and drooling over all the lovely creations in Sabine Lippert's Beaded Fantasies, another in Lark Books' Beadweaving Master Class series. I'm a huge admirer of Sabine's work and have several of her patterns so was anxious to read this book. As an added bonus, Lark is offering 50% off on their books through 12/11 through Barnes and Noble, so don't delay! Get your copy NOW!

The photographs are beautifully done and the illustrations are easy to follow. I really appreciate that she adds dimensions for the finished size on all the projects, both in inches and centimeters. This is a wonderful thing to do, especially since it's often hard to grasp the size of a bracelet, pendant, etc. when there are no sizes posted. Really helps in the planning process in case adjustments have to be made.

One of my favorite designs of Sabine's is covered in this book, her Granada Brooch. It's chock full of blingy goodness! Here's my interpretation...don't look too closely or you'll see some of my threads showing. Oh well, better luck next time because there WILL be a next time. I just love how these come out & am already dreaming up my next color combo.  

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.