Synopses & Reviews
This beautiful and inspiring book gathers photographs of 500 of the most breathtaking beaded jewelry designs created in recent years. The techniques the beaders employ are as varied as the aesthetic sensibilities they bring to their gorgeous creations and include beadweaving in every stitch imaginable, embroidery, quilling, loom weaving, and kumihimo braiding, as well as basic stringing, simple wirework, and fine metalwork. Sometimes, a bead makers focal piece simply is set in a straightforward, unpretentious, and beautiful design.
Virtually all of the worlds most famous beaders who make jewelry have pieces included -- including Carol Wilcox Wells, Diane Fitzgerald, Marcia DeCoster, Jamie Cloud Eakin, Huib Petersen, Paulette Baron, Sabine Lippert, Sherry Serafini, Margie Deeb, Maggie Meister, Melanie Potter, Ann Tevepaugh Mitchell, Laura McCabe, Suzanne Golden, Jean Campbell, Rachel Nelson-Smith, Eva Dobos, and many more -- but we also present work from many artists who have never been published before. All together, this extensive, international, and fabulous survey of 500 pieces includes work from nearly 300 artists from 30 countries and reveals the striking vision and ambition of todays beading community.
Every beader, jeweler, and crafter will want Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry in their collection.
Review
and#8220;Opening this gorgeous hunk of a book is like walking into a high-end jewelry gallery. There are 500 full-color photographs of beaded jewelry--necklaces, rings, bracelets, pins and earrings--created by 275 artists with beads, wire, filament, and fiber. Some of the artists are well-known to beaders, like Carol Wilcox Wells and Diane Fitzgerald, and some not-so-well-known, with their work published for the first time. This makes for a heady blend of inspiration, ideas, and expression. Editor Hemachandra selected the 500 beaded objects from submissions by 360 artists from 30 countries. To his credit, no single style-bead weaving, bead embroidery, bead stringing-gets short shrift. The photography is of high professional standards, no Instagram shots by amateurs posted to Facebook, and is also instructively illustrative of the beadwork, offering closeup shots that will help the aspiring bead worker reproduce some of the techniques.and#8221; --
Publishers Weeklyand#160;and#8220;Author and juror Ray Hemachandra has undertaken the monumental task of putting together a collection of beadwork from bead artists all over the world and turned it into a tribute to the craft of fine beadwork, written in the voices of those whom it is actually meant to recognize. As a source of inspiration, this is one book that you'll find yourself coming back to, over and over again. The colors, shapes, textures, materials, and techniques used in the beaded jewelry will have you looking at your own beaded jewelry design ideas in an entirely new way. It is a book in which you can easily lose yourself, only to come back with a fresh perspective on the age-old techniques of beading and beadweaving.and#8221; --
Beading Dailyand#160;and#8220;Do you love jewelry? Beautiful beads? Are you like a kid in a candy store at the sight of colorful, wearable art? Yes? Well, have I got the book for you!
Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry takes you on an inspiring visual journey. This breathtaking gallery book from Lark Jewelry and Beading celebrates beaded jewelry with a dazzling kaleidoscope of eye candy from innovative artists all over the world. It is simply delicious!and#8221; --
Rook No. 17 blogand#160;and#8220;A beautiful and vast array of beaded jewelry. All of it is good. All of it is inspirational and amazing. I recommend it 100% to anybody who loves beads, even if you don't choose to make beaded jewelry. There's so much about art, about color, about design, and about the beads themselves to be gained from study of these 500 pieces.and#8221; --
Robin Atkins, Beadlustand#160;and#8220;Classic to modern, organic to geometric, the pieces in this art book truly showcase what is possible within the medium of beading. Filled with many different styles and techniques, no matter what your beading area of interest you are sure to find plenty of favorites.and#8221; --
Craft Gossipand#160;and#8220;
Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry introduces the wonderfully talented artisans that take these tiny spherical forms and create magic. The finished pieces are glorious. Beadweaving, bead embroidery, and bead stringing are some of the methods embraced to produce these amazing body and hand adornments.and#8221; --
Society for Midwest Metalsmithsand#160;"This book is like window shopping for the artistic mind, whether you plan to simply enjoy the beauty on each and every page or if you are looking for ideas to kick-start your next project. This is not a how-to book; it is a handheld museum of fabulous master beadwork, so take your time to peruse each piece slowly and enjoy the detailed intricacies woven together from the smallest pieces. A truly gorgeous book!" --Scorpio Moon Jewelry
Review
and#8220;Lark Books has done it again with the most exciting display of beads created by artists from around the world. If you are a bead maker, bead collector, or a beader you will want this book.and#8221; and#8212;Beadwright
Synopsis
Today, a large community of highly skilled beaders creates work that's every bit as much art as craft. This gorgeous book showcases 500 images of the world's best contemporary beaded jewelry, produced by 275 artists whose work is notable for exceptional technical expertise, innovative combinations, and sheer beauty. The international roster of famous beaders includes Diane Fitzgerald, Marcia DeCoster, Laura McCabe, and Sherry Serafini, as well as talented but lesser-known artists. Beaders of all levels will find much to admire--and inspire--in these pages.
Synopsis
Today, a large community of highly skilled beaders creates work that's every bit as much art as craft. This gorgeous book showcases 500 images of the world's best contemporary beaded jewelry, produced by 275 artists whose work is notable for exceptional technical expertise, innovative combinations, and sheer beauty.and#160;Beaders of all levels will find much to admire--and inspire--in these pages.and#160;
The extraordinary international roster of accomplished designers includes:Diane Fitzgeraldand#160; *and#160; Ingeborg Vandammeand#160;*and#160; Helena Tang-Limand#160; *and#160; Felieke van der Leestand#160; *and#160;
Marcia DeCosterand#160; *and#160;and#160; Paulette Baronand#160; *and#160; Kira Seidenand#160; *and#160; Sherry Serafiniand#160; *and#160; Melanie Potterand#160; *and#160;
Jamie Cloud Eakinand#160; *and#160; Sabine Lippertand#160; *and#160; Wayne Robbinsand#160; *and#160; Kyunghee Kimand#160; *and#160; Katharina Ederand#160; *and#160;
Tamuna Lezhavaand#160; *and#160; Veronica Jonssonand#160; *and#160; Margie Deeband#160; *and#160; Jean Powerand#160; *and#160; Amy Katzand#160; *and#160;and#160;
Jean Campbelland#160; *and#160; Ann Tevepaugh Mitchelland#160; *and#160; Nancy Cainand#160; *and#160; Laura McCabeand#160; *and#160; Rachel Nelson-Smith *and#160;and#160;Eva Dobosand#160; *and#160; Huib Petersenand#160; *and#160; Carol Wilcox Wellsand#160; *and#160;as well as many talented but lesser-known artists!and#160;
and#160;
Synopsis
Celebrate the innovation and creative inspiration of contemporary beadmakers from around the world! This gorgeous volume in the popular Showcase series presents 1,000 unique beads, all handcrafted from a dazzling array of materialsand#8212;including glass, polymer clay, ceramics, metal, paper, fiber, plastic, wood, and stone. Each one is a magnificent piece of art, whether on its own or in a piece of jewelry or other ornamentation.
About the Author
Kristina Logan is the world's leading glass beadmaker. Her work has been exhibited in preeminent museums and institutions internationally, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art; the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; the Corning Museum of Glass; and the Musand#233;e du Verre de Sars-Poteries in France. She is a past president of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, teaches regularly at leading schools in the US and Europe, and authored a chapter in
The Penland Book of Glass (Lark). Kristina lives in Portsmouth, NH, and Provence, France.and#160;Ray Hemachandra is a former editor for Lark Jewelry and Beading and the author of many books, including
Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry and
The Penland Book of Glass. He lives in Asheville, NC.