BeadStyle : books

Summer reading list

Cathy Jakicic — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:43:00 GMT

When I was a kid, I used to spend most of my summers planted in a lawn chair with a pile of books. I don't have the luxury of that kind of a summer reading list now, but I did get a chance to browse three great beading books recently.

The first is Krystal Wick's "Fabulous Fabric Beads" (Interweave $22.95) I picked it up after taking a class from Krystal at the Bead&Button Show. The book contains everything to need to know about making fabric beads (like Krystal's Sassy Silkies) and turning them into beautiful jewelry. It is a tribute to Krystal's creative and generous spirit that she shares for many of reative secrets. It's a beautiful book.

The second to close to BeadStyle's heart. "Jewelry in a Flash" (Kalmbach $19.95) is the book version of our special publication "Under 1 Hour." As the title suggests, the projects are quick and fun, and though we weren't really stressing it at the time, they're also very budget friendly.

Finally, lovers of wirework and earrings should check out Denise Peck's "101 Wire Earrings" (Interweave $19.95). It has lots of great design ideas and it beutifully photograghed. Denise is editor of Step by Step Wire Jewelry, so she knows her way around wire!

Cathy's book release party

Naomi Fujimoto — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:04:00 GMT

Here at BeadStyle, we've started the celebration for the release of Cathy's new book, Hip Handmade Memory Jewelry. (And here she is opening one of our gifts, in her lovely office.)

Cathy says that writing the book gave her a reason to explore her collection of mementos and family photos. She loves whimsical stuff (no one loves Disney more!). If you've got a copy of our May issue, you might remember "Cent-imental favorite," her necklace project with smooshed pennies.

This Friday, we'll be attending her book release party during Gallery Night. Gallery Night is a quarterly event where you can pop into various Milwaukee shops and galleries to look at art, including photography, paintings, and jewelry. The vibe is casual — PBR in cans rather than artists clad in all black.

One of my favorite past events was a showing of Stephanie Bartz's photography. She creates beautiful black-and-white images of dogs, both action photos and yearbook-style portraits. Check out her photo of Shadow, a black lab caught in a moment of concentration.

I'm looking forward to Friday — to wandering around, sipping some cocktails, and helping our friend celebrate her success. Cathy knows how to throw a bash (no PBR in cans): she's getting roasted pepper hummus, bite-sized falafel with tahini, and baklava for partygoers. Cheers!

“The necklace” : An experiment in the power of adornment

Stacy Hillmer — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:41:00 GMT

Most jewelry books I see at BeadStyle and Bead&Button are of the how-to variety, nothing like my latest read, The necklace: Thirteen women and the experiment that transformed their lives. But how could I resist a title like that?

This true story began in 2004 when Jonell McLain spotted a gorgeous graduated diamond necklace for sale at a California jeweler’s shop. She had been looking for just such a necklace for years, and when she tried it on she felt exhilarated. But Jonell was appalled at the price tag: $37,000. “Why was personal luxury accessible to so few?” she wondered. Why can we share masterpieces in museums and breathtaking landscapes in national parks but not personal luxuries? Jonell decided to think outside the box.

After negotiating the price of the necklace, Jonell purchased it with 12 other women who agreed to share the necklace, which they named Jewelia. Each woman would have an opportunity to wear Jewelia for 28 days at a time, then would cede it to the next-in-line at an informal gathering where the women would talk about the impact of Jewelia on their lives. Their stories are touching.

Maggie bought her share of the necklace while going through her third divorce. With no living relatives of her own and the loss of her husband’s family, the monthly meetings with the women of Jewelia kept her afloat. Priscilla felt the same way – she had buried herself in work since her sister’s death and was almost entirely friendless until she gathered with the others around Jewelia. Dale was inspired to get her weight under control after her first stint with Jewelia in order to be slim and healthy by the time her second stint came around. And just about every wife in the group felt a new spark in her marriage.

Which caused me to fear that The necklace would assure American consumers that money really can buy everything and all you need is a little more stuff. Not the case. For instance, Patti was a consummate consumer until the group read Affluenza: The all-consuming epidemic. After that, Patti was a changed woman. “I realized that where I’ve been excessive is with my accessories,” she says. “My mantra used to be ‘accessorize, accessorize.’ Now it’s ‘I have enough.’”

Other women make similar confessions. For Priscilla, the wife of the jeweler who had sold the group the necklace, another piece of fine jewelry means nothing to her. She is far more excited to meet with her new friends than to don Jewelia.

Furthermore, the women discover the power of Jewelia’s influence outside the group. The women lend the necklace to their friends, coworkers, and strangers at the coffee shop, and Jewelia adorns the necks of brides, graduates, and babies at baptism. The women organize annual fundraisers around the necklace, which, after just a year and a half, bring in more money than was spent on the piece.

In the end, there’s no getting around that fact that these women are brought together by a mere material object, just as stringers and stitchers are brought together by beads and finished jewelry. But all of us – including the women of Jewelia – can agree that jewelry should be worth much more than money and convey much more than wealth and status. Adornment is an opportunity to wear our creativity and our connectedness on our sleeves. Or in the case of Jewelia, around our necks.

The necklace: Thirteen women and the experiment that transformed their lives
By Cheryl Jarvis
Ballantine Books

Easy Beading, Volume 4

Naomi Fujimoto — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:54:00 GMT

Even though I have every issue of BeadStyle, it's satisfying to pick up the annual hardcover compilations of projects. Easy Beading, Volume 4 looks great! We have over 50 designers in one place — something we could never accomplish within 140 pages in a regular issue.

Easy Beading is arranged by materials: glass and ceramic, pearls and shells, metal and chain, gemstones, crystals, and mixed materials. Not surprisingly, mixed materials is the biggest section. This past year, we all liked designers who could combine different elements in innovative ways.

A few of my favorite projects from the year:

"Go bohemian" earrings by Rupa Balachandar. I'm a sucker for huge earrings, and she does a beautiful job combining Swarovski flatback and bicone crystals.

"Quick mix and match" by Eva Kapitany. This is a deceptively easy CZ necklace. The design doesn't require a lot of materials, and I love the clean lines and brilliant colors.

"Easy loops connect stylish chain and stunning briolettes" by Marla Gulotta. The name pretty much sums it up. It's hard not to like briolettes, with their classic, flattering shape. And Marla's design lends itself to numerous alternatives: you can change the colors, use a graduated strand, or even vary the shapes ever so slightly (with rounder, rather than flat, briolettes).

Let us know what your favorite projects were — even if they're not from last year.

What’s New Wednesday 3.19.08

Jane Konkel — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:25:00 GMT

Over 100 beading ideas are presented in Vigdis Mo Johansen’s book, Bead Tempted. The book is organized mainly by color, though there is a section devoted to tools and materials, pearls, types of jewelry, and a list of suppliers — especially useful for readers in the UK and Europe. I’m fond of the ring projects, though I found myself being pulled back to a pearl and fur bracelet. Vigdis uses yellow wire, a crochet hook, a strip of synthetic fur, and pink and gold pearls. Bead Tempted is published by David & Charles. Look for it in bookstores or visit David & Charles, www.davidandcharles.co.uk.

Northern California trip

Naomi Fujimoto — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:37:00 GMT

I'm going on a much-needed vacation later this week, reconnecting with college friends in northern California. While I'm there, I'll also be doing two book signings. On Friday, November 9, I'll be at Craft Gym in San Francisco, a studio where you can knit, sew, make soap, and do other creative stuff. I'll be demo-ing vintage and mismatched earrings. On Saturday, I'll be signing at The Bead Shop in Palo Alto. I may do earrings there, too (they have lots of cool findings). It will be my first signing at a non-local bead store, so I'm excited about doing some shopping and meeting new beaders and readers. If you're in the Bay Area, stop by to say hello!

Write a Cool Jewels book review

Naomi Fujimoto — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:28:00 GMT

Hey beaders, here's your chance to let everyone know your jewelry thoughts: Post a review of Cool Jewels: Beading Projects for Teens on Amazon and enter to win a vintage bracelet kit. The kit has all the supplies you'll need to make a bracelet like the one on the cover — including hand-picked charms (hearts, hearts, hearts!) and beads in my favorite retro colors. (If you want, I’ll even put the bracelet together for you.) Please post your review by November 1, 2007, and email me at cooljewelsnaomi@gmail.com to enter. Thanks!

Thoughts on creativity

Naomi Fujimoto — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:31:00 GMT

I've been reading 52 Projects: Random Acts of Everyday Creativity. It's a cool book with ideas about how to express your creativity. The author, Jeffrey Yamaguchi, thinks that creativity begets creativity. That energy for one project will give you energy for other projects.

I've been thinking about this because we've been deep into the creative process here at BeadStyle. Each of us has designed about 30 earrings, and by the end of the week, we'll have designed 30 more. We've been spending our days designing, photographing, constructing, and writing about earrings. And reading and editing each other's work, too. So I'm thinking about creativity, its demands and rewards, both theoretically and practically.

At what point does creative energy run out? Do you tend to have more energy for other projects when you're feeling productive and creative? I do equate those two things, by the way; they're inseparable. I've been finding that developing creativity is a ton of work. But it's work that's worth undertaking. What about you — do you find creativity challenging? Burdensome? Liberating?

Wishing you a creative day, in whatever that means to you.

Got an idea for a book?

Naomi Fujimoto — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:00:00 GMT

If you have an idea for a fun jewelry book showing how to make your projects, consider submitting it to Kalmbach’s books department. They’re looking for authors who can write clear instructions to go with their beautiful jewelry. Having done a book (Cool Jewels: Beading Projects for Teens just got published last month), I can say that the process is pretty straightforward. Here’s what to include in a proposal: a description of how your book differs from other jewelry titles, an outline of chapters and projects, a proposed timeline, and a description of your jewelry and publishing credentials. If you can include something about your marketing ideas, all the better. It never hurts to show that you’re thinking about how to sell the book, not just how to get it published. Also, don’t be surprised if your editor has some questions about the proposal. This is par for the course, so don’t get discouraged — it will help you think more clearly when you get to the writing stage. If you want more info on the proposal process, email books@kalmbach.com.