If you dream in seed beads, you'll want to own a copy of Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry. It's a beautiful, rich book full of colorful and unique jewelry. It's more than another pretty coffee table book. Here are some ways you might use it:
- Get an overview of the field
It's good to know what others are currently doing in your chosen medium. A book like this really pushes the definitions of even basic terms like "necklace." (See the Silhouette Dress by Melissa Borrell on this page.) Does jewelry have to be wearable? What does that even mean exactly? This is the kind of mind-bending book that makes you question some of your basic assumptions in a good way. - Find inspiration
Of course, some you will find direct inspiration just by looking at the photos: "I never thought of using peyote stitch that way!" or "Purple and yellow together—who knew?" Beadweaving (including bead embroidery) is especially strongly represented in this book. While some interesting designs with stringing, wirework, and other techniques are included, after reading this book I felt as if I'd gorged on a seven-course meal of beadweaving and just sampled a couple of light appetizers of other techniques. That said, no matter what your chosen technique, you can always learn something about color, balance, and composition from every design. - Admire the work of your friends—and those you wish were your friends
Name your favorite beadweaving artist and she (or he) is probably represented in this book. It's fun to see familiar names (Jean Campbell, Lisa Kan, Marcie Abney, Kelly Angeley, Jennifer VanBenschoten, Cyndi Lavin, and many others) from magazines, books, and blogs whether or not you've ever met them in person. - Discover new work
It's exciting to realize how large—and international—the world of beaded jewelry is. While this book does not list contact information for the artists, it's easy enough to use Google to find blogs and websites for the names listed. Having a specific name (and geographic location) makes it much easier than searching for "amazing beaders." Knowing a beader's location is especially exciting since you may be able to find someone who lives in your area who may be teaching or exhibiting nearby. - Identify techniques
Here's a game I like to play with this book: open to any page and look at the photo. Do you know which techniques were used to create the piece? Sometimes I do, but sometimes I'm surprised! If you've ever thought something like "spiral stitch is only good for making ropes" or "you can't use square stitch for that," then this book will open your eyes to how versatile stitches can be. - Expand your idea of beading materials
Sure, most designs use tried-and-true seed beads, crystals, gemstones, and pearls, but some of the materials may surprise you. Have you ever used peacock feathers in your jewelry designs? Watch parts? Antique doll eyes? - Learn about jewelry photography
A book like this makes it clear that it's worthwhile to have professional photos taken of your work if you can afford it. While some of the photos by the artists were exceptional (and there weren't any bad photos), you can learn a lot by studying what makes one photo stronger than another. What color backgrounds seem to work the best? What kind of lighting? How do you feel about the pieces that are modeled? Should your jewelry be flat or is it better to hang it on a display? (Imagine how different the Silhouette Dress above would look flat on a table with a plain, white background instead of on a mannequin with dramatic lighting.) - Gain confidence
I'll be honest: this is the kind of book that could make you lose confidence in your talent. If you're already on shaky ground, this gorgeous book could fill you with despair: I'll never be that good! But it doesn't have to be that way. Instead of using it to compare your work to others, look carefully for the "holes" in the book. In other words, is anyone doing anything exactly like what you're doing? Or do you see a "hole"—a gap—where your work would fit? Looking through this book reminded me that no one does exactly what I do. Sure, I'll never bead like [fill in amazing beader name here], but does it really matter? We all have something unique to contribute. (Next time I'll be braver about submitting!)
Standard Disclaimer: I received this review copy from Lark Publishing. The review is my own honest opinion.