Photo courtesy of
Interweave Press
Photo courtesy of Interweave Press |
Book Review, September 2005Beadwork Creates Earrings
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One of my favorite science fiction authors often repeats the following quote: Almost invariably, "surprise" is what happens when someone fails to recognize something she’s seen all along. Let’s combine that with another well-known quote: Don’t judge a book by its cover.
The first quote explains what happened when I opened the book Beadwork Creates Earrings, because I failed to consider the second quote. When I first saw the earrings on the front and back covers of this book, I assumed that all of the projects in the book were going to involve variations of the standard “stick a bead on a headpin” idea. Not that beaded earrings involving headpins are bad – it’s just that I personally prefer projects that involve bead weaving with thread. So when I got this book in to review, I was determined to review it fairly, and steeled myself to attempt to review the projects in light of a method of beading I don’t enjoy that much.
Then I opened the cover, and experienced the surprise – a pleasant one! – because there on the flyleaf were pictures of these adorable earrings using freeform bead weaving (Dipsy Doodles by Dawn Tomlinson on page 88). Interestingly, I don’t much like doing freeform work, either, but these earrings are so cute, I’m tempted to try my hand at making a pair. (This is especially true since they fall into that wonderful category where you don’t have to make two identical earrings!)
The rest of the book was equally surprising and enjoyable. There is a huge array of styles and techniques represented in this book, and the earrings designs range from simple to complex, lighthearted and fun to simply elegant, and from designs you would recognize from a visit to any department store to ones that are delightfully unique. There are 30 designs in the book, and many of them include instructions on how to create variations which multiply the possibilities even further. The diagrams are clear and concise, and the pictures large enough to make it easy to see how the finished piece should look.
Whether you enjoy working with wire or thread, you’ll find lots of interesting projects in Beadwork Creates Earrings. You may even find yourself tempted to try a technique you haven’t wanted to play with before just so that you can make one of the interesting projects from this book.
Jean Campbell is the founding editor of Beadwork magazine and has written several bead books for Interweave Press, including The Beader's Companion; Beaded Cords, Chains, Straps & Fringe; Bead It with Beadwork; and Beaded Gifts. She has edited Beads in Bloom, Beading with Herringbone Stitch, Best in Contemporary Beadwork, Beadwork I: Up Close, and the entire six-book Beadwork Creates® series. Jean first used beads as embellishment to her fine arts, furniture, and product designs, and once she caught bead fever she never recovered. Jean holds degrees from the University of Minnesota in Studio Arts and Santa Monica College of Design, Arts, and Architecture in Furniture and Product Design. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In business since 1975, Interweave Press publishes magazines and books related to crafts and natural living. Interweave publishes seven magazines including Beadwork, Handwoven, Interweave Knits, Natural Home & Garden, PieceWork, Spin·Off, and Fiberarts. Interweave is dedicated to creating a resource for its readers to find the best information in their field of interest–the latest news, the best products, the newest techniques, and the history behind the techniques.
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