BeadLit is....

Since BeadLit is fairly new and it's getting new subscribers everyday, some may wonder what the heck is BeadLit? BeadLit is a Twitter I was inspired to start when I read about TwitterLit. TwitterLit is a twitter that posts the first line of a piece of literature with an Amazon link to the actual book. I thought it was a cool idea to do with beads! Why would I think so? I'm a glass beadmaker who has been making flameworked glass beads for 8 years and selling them from my website for 4 years. I designed jewelry with beads prior to making glass beads and continue to design jewelry. I string jewelry, I wire wrap, I do metal work, I work with seed beads - you name the technique, I've probably done it and bought a book about it! So, I have a long love affair with the bead and only someone who truly loves them would have half of her studio dedicated to books about beads. I want to share the bead-love with you! You'll be able to read a line about bead and/or jewelry making on the go!

If you haven't already, get a Twitter account .

On Tuesdays, I'll Twitter the first line of a beadmaking/jewelry design book - beadmaking of all mediums, glass, clay, metal, paper - you name it! - I'll BeadLit-Twitter the first line of how to make beads, how to design with beads, history of beads, design techniques with beads - anything related to a bead and written in a book.

Let's be Naughty!

If you prefer your jewelry subtle and serious, you might want to go ahead and set this book back on the shelf."

Were you ever naughty? Well, Jenn Perkins is perfectly naughty when it comes to making jewelry. She's written a killer book entitled The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girl's Guide to Handmade Jewelry which is chock full of quirky projects.

Go buy it! It's the best buy for under $20!!

Designing Jewelry with Glass Beads

"I can't remember a day without beads." - Stephanie Sersich

From the publisher, Interweave Press:
Glass beads, in all their infinite shapes and sizes, add a magical dimension to jewelry design. Stephanie Sersich, a lampwork artist and jewelry designer known for her adventurous use of color, shares her insights, inspirations, and special methods for success in Designing Jewelry with Glass Beads.

Learn Stephanie’s process for creating great jewelry by starting with a primer on the different types of glass beads and how they are made. Then explore creativity with key principles of design including repetition, balance, contrast, texture, and color, all discussed in an accessible, conversational writing style illustrated with beautiful photographs. For the first time, the author shares her special method of knotting beads and fibers—called “spiny knotting” and until now only taught in her classes—as well as other new and exclusive projects. Throughout the book, sidebars on the inspirations and creations of other glass jewelry artists, as well as insight into the author’s evolution as an artist, offer unique perspectives on creating artful glass jewelry.

Designing Jewelry with Glass Beads features twenty dazzling step-by-step projects incorporating a variety of beading techniques from simple to complex. The projects are fully illustrated and include wirework, stringing, sewing, and a variety of knotting techniques. Readers will build their skills by progressing through the projects and using the design tips in each project to make unique variations.

Projects will allow readers to use a mix of inexpensive, commercially available beads as well as one-of-a-kind handmade glass beads. A resource guide offers readers options for sourcing glass beads at a wide range of price points.

Handcrafting Chain and Bead Jewelry

"This book is dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the Sequential Byzantine chain."

From the Publisher, Watson-Guptill Publications
* Beaders and wireworkers will be en-chain-ted by the chance to make their own chains
* Classical chain designs in silver, copper, and brass
* Entire chain-making process is explained and illustrated step-by-step
* One of a kind!

Handcrafting Chain and Bead Jewelry shows how to create beautiful, dimensional silver, copper, and brass chains using simple tools. The main style is based on the elegant, classical Byzantine pattern, and uses the Golden Ratio to determine the circumference of a chain’s interlocking rings based on the thickness of the wire. Illustrated step-by-step directions show how to calculate the circumference of the rings, how to wrap wire into coils, how to cut, and finally, how to assemble the chain. Starting from the basic Byzantine, new chain makers can then progress to increasingly Byzantine variations, including linear, knot, crown, and combination chains. Incorporating beads and charms offers endless possibilities for crafters who will soon, surely, be locked up in chains!

Scott David Plumlee, an authority on ancient chain designs, has created more than sixty unique chain designs based on mathematical formulas. His chain-making workshops have been presented throughout Washington State. He now lives in Manhattan, Kansas.

Pssst....you can order the book from the author and get it autographed!

Chain Mail Jewelry: Contemporary Designs from Classic Techniques

"Chain Mail. Do these words conjure up images of King Arthur's knights clad in Hauberks?"


From the publisher, Lark Books:

Thanks to its exquisite, easily mastered techniques and elegant lines, chain mail--the classic art of linking metal rings--is enjoying a creative resurgence among jewelry makers. This attractive resource is the first full-color book on the market to help beginners and intermediates get in on the craze. With computer-generated illustrations that show every step, it thoroughly introduces all the key construction procedures, including the proper methods of winding, opening, and closing the metal rings. The 30 projects include a simple pendant encasing a large semiprecious stone and a flat chain-mail neckpiece that colorfully combines copper and blue titanium rings. Plus, there’s advice on polishing the pieces, tips on adding pearls or beads, and a gallery of works by professional jewelers. A Selection of the Crafters Choice Book Club.