Book Review: Beaded Jewelry with Found Objects

Found it here for $12.99 :
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/beadjewwitfo.html
This is a book I will buy soon. Thank you.

Harry


On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 22:12:33 -0400, Kathy N-V wrote:

The full name is:

Beaded Jewelry With Found Objects: Incorporate Anything from Buttons to
Shells by Carole Rodgers

ISBN: 0873496841

Published by Krause Publications in February 2004

Short Version: I love this book! Buy it and expand your mind. You do need
to know a few basic stitches, but it shows you all kinds of cool variations
on those stitches to make your work "pop."

Long Version: I'll admit it: I have a soft spot in my heart for the people
at Krause. Years ago, I was their technical contact for their first
computerized typesetting and book layout machines. When the people I worked
with at Krause found out I had a dream of owning an antique Buick, they sent
me all the books they produced on Antique Cars, Antique Buicks, the History
of the Buick, and Maintaining a Classic Car. At that time that the books
came, the dream of owning such a car was like the dream many people have of
winning the lottery: fun, but unlikely. (I kept getting invites to go visit
out there in Iola, WI, but this city girl couldn't leave her new husband, and
later, her new baby)

I devoured those books, and learned to recognize and appreciate the
distinctive Krause publishing style. The books are all about the size of a
sheet of typing paper, and range from a few pages to big phone book types.
They're all glue bound with a nice, full color cover. The books that Krause
publishes are invariably of terrific quality, presented in a practical and
affordable package for what you get.

This book was no disappointment. It assumed that I had some skill with
common beading stitches, but reviewed them briefly, anyway. Then it drives
right onto the projects - a beautiful lariat made with a glass drawer pull as
the focal, a multistrand firepolished necklace using a copper plumbing joint
as the foundation for a focal bead, and many variations. The projects have
enough detail that an advanced beginner would feel comfortable with most of
them, and are different enough that a proficient beader would enjoy spending
time making cool items with unrecognizable materials.

My favorite thus far, is the Peyote bracelet embellished with automobile
fuses. The fuses are cheap and easy to find, and look terrific on the
finished bracelet. The strangest one, IMO, is made of rubber worm fishng
lures. But on the following pages, there are way cool pieces made with metal
fishing lures.

It will get you used to looking for odd objects here and there and thinking,
"So, how do I make jewelry out of this?" Right now, I'm eyeing a bunch of
dead keyboards, and wondering if I could bead bezels around the keys and make
a name bracelet.

The gallery is the best part of the book, IMO. I love to drool over the eye
candy, and mentally picture when I would make the pieces, and what changes
I'd make. (Can't ever leave well enough alone.)

It's a great book, written in a much more down to Earth style than "The Art
and Elegance of Beadweaving." This book made me feel like a friend was
telling me how to make some cool new pieces with stuff hanging around the
house. I'm so glad that the nice people at Krause printed this treasure,
which I think will be around for a long, long time.

Enjoy!

Kathy N-V

P.S.: VJ, no problem whatsoever if you want to use this review.

"Harry" wrote:

Found it here for $12.99 :
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/beadjewwitfo.html
This is a book I will buy soon. Thank you.

I bought this book and it's amazing. I've already done the sea-glass
necklaces and am itching to go play with rubber fishing worms now. Those are
so funky. Her instructions are clear and easy to follow.

But be careful in hardware, automotive and fishing stores now!

Linda2

FOUND OBJECT JEWELRY! OHHHHHHHHHHHH YES.

I was going to post some links to FOJ, and I forgot all about it. I'll do it
soon....the jewelry artists are all mixed in with assemblage and collage, so
it'll take me a while. (Please someone remind me, *nag* me.)


~~
Sooz
-------
"Those in the cheaper seats clap. The rest of you rattle your jewelry." John
Lennon (1940 - 1980) Royal Varieties Performance
~ Dr. Sooz's Bead Links
http://airandearth.netfirms.com/soozlinkslist.html

Could someone post a pic of a rubber fishing worms bracelet? I need to
make something for a fishing friend, and I'm curious about that.

Linda2 wrote:

But be careful in hardware, automotive and fishing stores now!

But...but, I was going tomorrow for washers for a bracelet!

Cheers,
Carla

Could someone post a pic of a rubber fishing worms bracelet? I need to
make something for a fishing friend, and I'm curious about that.


Never saw one of those -but sure would make a great gag gift! LOL

I suppose - you could use a needle and just thread through those worms.

ONE WORD OF WARNING to those who do not fish with "artificial bait"....
the PLASTIC in some of those critters will EAT right through other sorts of
plastic....
or take finish off furniture!

yep - melts it -- and it's impossible to tell one kind from another.... until
you find the melted spot on some piece of plastic.... or a spot on your end
table where someone dropped fake worm...
sigh



Cheryl
last semester of lawschool! yipee!
A HREF="http://www.dragonbeads.com" DRAGON BEADS /A
Flameworked beads and glass
http://www.dragonbeads.com/