BeadLit Dormancy

All's been quiet here for a bit. Quiet is good for reading and that's what I've been doing.

That and working.

And making beads.

And making jewelry.

It's time to wake up and start sharing some of my favorite books again.

BeadLit tweets the first line of bead and jewelry related books and then reviews them here. So stay tuned because I've got a back log of wonderful books just waiting to be reviewed!

BeadLit Redux: Links by Jean Yates

I'm buried under a stack of books! So while I read and write, you can catch up on the BeadLit posts you missed with BeadLit Redux.



"What is a link? A link is a connection, whether it is a thought, a collection of letters that make a word, an Internet address or an expression of an attachment between people. A link is pretty worthless without something going before it and something following it. To make sense, it must be connected in some manner."


So exactly what is a Link? It's a book! That wonderful jewelry designer, Jean Yates, has written a beautiful book full of wonderful stories and projects, It's called "Links." Here's a picture of our intrepid jewelry designer Jean with her best beau-husband, Jim. Sweet aren't they?


Here's a little blurb from the publisher, North Light Books

Links encourages crafters to create jewelry inspired by their own lives and surroundings. You will find 35 fabulous step-by-step intermediate-level jewelry projects, including bracelets, necklaces, earrings, pins and rings. Includes the story that inspired each piece, and show you how to create your own unique jewelry based on personal experiences. Creative prompts and sidebar interviews with working crafters are sprinkled throughout for added inspiration.

About the Author

Jean Yates's designs have been featured in many jewelry magazines, including BeadStyle, Stringing, Simply Beads, Beadwork and Bead and Button, as well as Belle Armoire. She is currently designing pieces to contribute to two books. View her work online at www.prettykittydogmoon.com.

Un Beaded: Which Austen Heroine are you?

Take the Quiz here!

Exposed! And in Tucson!

"Get ready to embark on an exciting adventure through the world of jewelry design" is the appropriate first line of a new book entitledBead and Wire Jewelry Exposed by Margot Potter, Fernando Dasilva and Katie Hacker.

A lucsious luscious book on stringing and "exposing" the unseen materials in stringing like Beadalon wire and other materials. The designs are gorgeous and the Swarovski crystals make all of them sparkle.

If you're going to Tucson, you can take a class with one of the fabulous authors of Exposed at the Create Your Style event.

Check out this beauty from the book thatMargot Potter is teaching at Tucson! I hear she's got some awesome swag for the class too!



(Above photo from the awesome Ms. Potter's blog - the rights to the picture are hers hers hers (smile!) and she deserves it - look how gorgeous it is! ;-)

Simply Soldered Jewelry

Simple Soldered Jewelry & Accessories is an easy-to-follow guide that introduces you to the joy of making soldered jewelry and decorative items for the home.

I've been blogging about the the techniques in this book - it's practice, practice, practice but is well worth the effort!

A Secret I Can't Keep Quiet!

"The way I got into frit was really quite simple-it was my search for an intense, hot pink transparent glass."


Never has the search for the elusive vibrant pink glass yielded such a wonderful creation! I've been waiting patiently for Val Cox, the fritmaster who introduced the frit frenzy to the current glass beadmaking world, to write her book. She has unveiled it to the world on her website: Frit Secrets: A Flameworker's Guide to Using Reactive Glass Frits.



Since 1999, I've been making glass beads but I could never master frit and make it sing like Val. Always willing to share, Val opens the flood gates of her frit knowledge and shares her techniques. There are chapters on Furnance Blown Glass, Frit Manufacturers, Frit Grind Sizes, COE, Base Glass, Five Special Colors, Color Review, Applying Frit and more.



Each chapter is comprehensive and full of tips and common sense tips. The bonus is Val's recommendations that come from her extensive frit testing. I particularly appreciated the chapter on color since I've been working on using color more effectively in my work.



Val does careful color studies of each frit then takes all of the pictures herself. Her photography is luscious - I just want to reach out, pick up her beads and lick each one of them! (Oops did I say that out loud?! wink!)



I've acquired a stash of Val's frit. Although I've been unable to create a lovely frit bead, I never parted with the frit hoping that somehow the frit goddess would visit. She's finally come to visit in the form of Val's book. I'm re-energized to get the frit back out and try again. I'm thankful Val has shared her secrets and I won't keep her secrets quiet!

(All Photos courtesy of Val Cox.)

Creating Crystal Jewelry

(Photo Credit: Creative Publishing International)

Laura McCabe has written a luscious volume full of vibrant Swarovski crystal jewelry. Who among us doesn't love the sparkle and color of Swarovski crystal? Bicones, faceted rounds, rings, rondelles, one of my favorites - margaritas and rivolis! Combined with seed beads to create bezels, Laura is a master at making the beads and crystals sing with color and sparkle. Included are Laura's most notable designs, the Rings and Things Necklace, the Three-Strand Rivoli Bracelet and the Crystal Burst Ring.

The book is organized into seven instructional chapters followed then by the crystal jewelry projects. Chapter one is a brief but comprehensive history of cut crystals. Chapter two is a detailed discussion of the types of seed beads and crystals used in the book's projects. Chapter three describes tools and materials. The four basic stitches needed to create the projects is the topic of chapter four.

Beaders are resourceful, they can make beads mimic almost anything a metalsmith can do. The bezel is a good example. Seed bead bezels and open-back bezels are described in chapter five. The resourcefulness continues with chapter six where the reader learns to create a toggle out of seed beads. Chapter seven is like the cherry on a sundae, a final, sweet sprinkling of sparkle - embellishments and then it's on to the projects.

In the chapters that teach a off loom technique, there are pictures of completed steps. It might have been helpful to include pictures of the step in progress but there are detailed written directions that may do just as well.

What I love about the projects is the "Beading time" given at the top of the project. It gives you an idea of how long it will take you to do a project. There's also a little synopsis that gives you an overview of the project. Sets the tone and the direction which I find very helpful. On pages 29-31 there are guidelines for bezeling rivolis and other crystals that is worth the price of the book.

The techniques in this book can be used with artbeads to vividly highlight the colors and characteristics of a special cabachon or bead. An art bead can take you in a unique and interesting direction - flameworked disks will have a distinctly modern twist. Try it, you'll like it!

Wrap, Stitch, Fold & Rivet

After 25 years of creating art and teaching others how to do it, I've realized that so much of what I do is about making connections

Another one of my favorite books! This is a great book if you're just starting out with metals. Using a jeweler's saw isn't really hard (as you can see in Kazmer's Making Connections) but if you want to see what you can do with scissors, this is the book to use. There's a bit more filing with scissors than with a jeweler's saw but for the beginner it might be worth it - it'll make you a great file-er! :-) Lots of great projects here all beautiful! Another great book from Hettmansperger!

Get it from Independent Bookseller, Powell's Bookstore in Seattle

Brenda Schweder Channels Tim Gunn

Here's the $10,000 question

What a great first line to a jewelry book! I'll just say it now - I love this book!! Brenda Schweder has a quirky sense of humor which shows throughout but more than that, I think she's channeling Tim Gunn with this book and has seen my stash of vintage/antique/heirloom jewely collecting dust in a box on my dresser. How did she do that?

There are so many inspiring techniques and tips in this book. You can tell that Schweder does what she writes about and does it well. Just buy it - if you've got a stash of grandma's jewelry or want a stash of vintage jewelry to play with - this is the book for you. It will show you how to upcycle and create lovely jewelry - what's better than that?!

BeadLit Is....Sign Up!

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 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!

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.

So, sign up to follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BeadLit

Until next Tuesday, Peace and Beads!

Crochet Jewelry

Crochet has been undergoing a wonderful renaissance in the last several years.

I was taught to crochet by my mother when I was about 8 years old. It was the late sixties and crochet was hot. I crocheted my way through the early 70's and insisted on it in the early '80's. I finally sold all my yarn and hooks in the late 80's. About 6 years ago, I picked up the hook again all because of a beaded crochet rope. I wanted to bead crochet, something I'd never done as a kid. I'm glad crochet is back and as with every revived craft, it's got a different twist on it. This time, it's jewelry.

Bead Journey: Jewelry from around the World

Everyone needs a bit of a vacation to distract them from day-to-day life, and visiting a new location, whether it's across the street, or across the globe, invites us to experience and appreciate cultures that are fresh and exciting to us.

The crafter-beader can depend on BeadStyle Books to publish books full of interesting projects. Reasonably priced with step by step directions supported with clear photos, it is a wise investment for one's bookshelf.

Cool Custom Jewelry by Melinda Barta

For me, making jewelry is not just about the beads, it is about the process it takes to get to a finished design

Melinda Barta's written a clever book for a quick jewelry fix. Techniques aren't too complicated and you'll find a large variety to choose from. If you've never jumped into the jewelrymaking pond, this is a good book to start with. If you'd like to try your hand at altered art style jewelry, this is a good book. If you'd like to expand your jewelrymaking repetoire, this is a good book. In fact, this is just a good book for anyone interested in the hottest trend in jewelry - altered art.

Zulu Inspired Beadwork

Zulu beadwork is multifaceted and has been studied, written about, and exhibited for cultural, aesthetic, and historic reasons.

Another jewelry design idea: Use Zulu style beadwork as the foundation of your designs. Continue to expand your repetoire of techniques and learn the easy Popcorn Stitch included in Fitzgerald's book.







Photo Credit Interweave Press

Designing Jewelry with Glass Beads

"I can't remember a day without beads."

So begins "Designing Jewelry with Glass Beads by Stephanie Sersich and published by Interweave Press.

I've had the pleasure of taking the Spiny Knotted Bracelet class with Stephanie and it was worth every penny! She's an excellent teacher and is highly entertaining to boot. If you can't get to one of her classes, this book is the next best thing. Full of her signature style and colorful work, in this economy, it is money well spent.

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.