Folks fascinated by beading will find a lot of fun avenues to explore in Interweave Press's new Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry.
After my recent experiments with beading I've been keen to do more. Enter Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry, by Lorelei Eurto and Erin Siegel (Interweave Press, 2012).
The timing for this book couldn't be better - maybe it's just my long-off memories of making neon-colored necklaces at summer camp, but summer and beading go together for me, especially when the styles are as casual and fun as these.
What's it about? This is both a comprehensive guide to beading as a craft, and a book full of truly inventive projects for the beginning to advanced beader.
Left: Quietude, by Lorelei Eurto, is one of over fifty projects in Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry.
The intro: A description of this crafty pair's take on bohemianism - it's more Anthropologie-esque urban artfulness than scruffy Dalston fluorescent color blocking - and a few words on what sets this book apart. Namely, that these authors love the combination of beads with non-beady things, like velvet ribbons, scraps of metal, and chunky silk thread.
The projects: Very covetable handmade necklaces, earrings and bracelets. The emphasis is on color and unusual, unpredictable use of materials.
The description of the materials, especially beads, is appropriately precise - if you wanted to, you could use each project's materials list as a shopping list.
Sonoran Sunset, in which a deerskin strap acts as the chain and supports a delicate, almost Calder-like grouping of oblate oval beads, is a personal favorite - but with this diversity of projects (51 in total) and designers there's something for everyone, as long as they love color and the feel of unusual materials.
What else is there? A great list of stockists, a guide to different kinds of ribbons, straps and cords to incorporate into your designs, and an introduction to beading and beading materials in general. The latter makes this a great starter volume, even if some of the projects seem quite advanced.
Craft type? Beading, beading and more beading!
Want to get started? Bohemian-inspired Jewelry is available via Amazon, Interweave Press or your local craft store. And for more beady fun check out Lorelei Eurto and Erin Siegel's respective blogs!
