Thanks to Interweave Press, you can now preview ten of the seventeen projects in my new book. Get a first peak to see what is in store for you.
I wanted to make a note that this book was written with the concept that you already know what a seed bead is and the general tools necessary for beadweaving. We did not spend a lot of pages showing you pretty photos of seed beads and tools as most beading books already cover this area. We felt we would have wasted a lot of pages that would otherwise been better served in detailing the projects instead. The book is all about progressing your beadweaving from advanced beginner forward, challenging you every step of the way.
By no means is this an all inclusive encyclopedia of beading techniques. There are many ways to achieve similar looks also, using different beading methods. There are reasons why I selected a respective stitch to achieve my design. I challenged myself to breakdown the steps so that they would be understandable even to a beginning beader. The book is how I bead not the only way to bead. All in all, I hope you enjoy the projects and the romantic theme.
There are a number of quick projects but don't expect to finish an elaborate project within a day or even a weekend. Beadweaving is about the process and the techniques. Heirloom pieces do not result from rushing to the finish line. Quality work takes time and attention to even small details. The end result will make you a proud "parent" of a job well done as you garner much deserved accolades and compliments.
I actually had proposed thirty projects for the book but due to space availability (144 pages) we could only fit seventeen. The Deco Collar, shown on the second page of the preview, is the book teaser project featured in the upcoming Feb/Mar 2008 Beadwork Magazine issue. I'll write more about the Deco Collar in a future post.
