Silver Hill Design

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Beader's Bookshelf I have a huge library of beading books and people frequently ask me which ones are "the best" - so I thought I'd start reviewing them here. I personally own all of the books listed below, and have tried to be clear and unbiased in reviewing them. It will take me a while to write coherent thoughts on all of the books in my library, but I'll keep adding, so please stop back. I'd also love to hear your opinions on your favorite books, so drop me a line with your thoughts too. I'll include other's comments as space permits. Happy Reading and Happy Beading! Carolyn Creating Crystal Jewelry with Swarovski by Laura McCabe Lots of really great eye-candy for the "any bright shiny object" folks (and I include myself here...) among us. I have always admired Laura McCabe's work and she does not disappoint from the sparkle perspective. As with most bead books, she includes a nice section on tools and materials, including a great section on Swarovski options for those who have only every dealt with small bicone beads. (Quick: What's the difference between a rivoli and a dentelle? And here I thought Margaritas always had salt around the rim...) Her instructions are very clear and easy to follow, with an excellent section on open-backed bezeling techniques - including a particularly useful chart on how many beads to use to begin a bezel for different sizes of rivolis. So what's not to like? She makes use of some hard to find and antique crystals. You can, of course, substitute, but then they are, well... substitutes. Secondly, don't get into this book if you are on a tight budget. Crystals of this quality are expensive and she uses them lavishly. In addition, she makes frequent use of 15/o gold charlottes - which are gorgeous beads and look magnificently luxurious with the crystals - but which were $17.50 for 7.5g last time I checked. The Beaded Sphere and Variations: Beading in the Third Dimension by Judy Walker Oh, boy. I am in trouble now... I don't think I'll emerge for months. I'm not sure this is a book for beginners who have never woven beads before, but for those of us who have been around the block (even a bit), this is going to add another dimension (oops!) to our existing obsession. The book starts with a section on techniques for creating simple geometric shapes and joining them together. The diagrams are excellent and instructions clear and easy to follow. Then the fun really starts. In section two, we zoom along to filled shapes, star shapes, triangles, squares, octagons, pentagons, hexagons... (you get the idea). Again, all with excellent diagrams and instructions. There are 13 great projects you can practice on, but the best part is the techniques and their potential. Somebody come and get me in time for Christmas - OK? Creative Bead Weaving: A Contemporary Guide to Classic Off-Loom Stitches by Carol Wilcox Wells This book is a classic, and rightly so. If you are a beginner and can only get one book, this is it. If you're an experienced beader and want a reference, this is it.

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