Book Description

Instructional book for bead design & bead-weaving techniques including a special section for beaded bezels which allow the wearer to enjoy both sides of a stone, coin, etc while holding the piece firmly in place. This book allows the user to share traditional design styles as well as updating and creating your own personal designs. Introduction "The masters in the art of living make little distinction between their work and their play, their labor and their leisure, their minds and their bodies, their information, their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which. They simply pursue their vision of excellence at whatever they do - leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing". - James Michener. There exists throughout the world a group of creative spirits who transform tiny bits of glass and other materials into awe-inspiring works of art, creating an inspiration for all of us. These people and their special creations may inspire many of us to create our own personal works of art. I have attempted to put together some beadwork designs to help you create your own specialized pieces of bead art. This book includes full-color patterns, and illustrations of some of the specialized techniques that are used, so you can free the creative side of yourself, and have all the necessary information at your fingertips. I am always amazed at the originality a person puts into a special hand-made piece. By creating a variation in the design, adding, subtracting, or combining certain elements, altering the finishing techniques, or using it in an unusual way, the creator always seems to give a piece a special thought-provoking meaning. Though starting from a basic pattern, each piece is completely unique unto itself. In many cases, only the creator of a piece can really explain the meaning and purpose of it, each piece representing a small piece of that person’s creative spirit. I have always enjoyed the traditional story of Double Woman by the Lakota tribe of Native Americans to explain the feelings behind making a piece of beadwork. The story in itself has been an inspiration for many: In the beginning Double Woman came to a Lakota woman and taught her the art of quillwork - as these designs progressed and European traders came with multi-colored glass beads, Double Woman continued to bring designs to particular women - to be used in beadwork as well as quillwork design. Double Woman came to the women and spoke to them in their dreams showing them designs and finished pieces to teach them this sacred art. From that day on these designs were considered to be " wakan " - very sacred. The pieces that are decorated with these designs - along with the outward beauty that they bear - carry an inner blessing from " WakanTanka " (The Great Mysterious) these pieces are made in a reverent - prayerful way - to bestow blessings on the wearer. It is in this spirit that I bring you this book. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Chapter 1: Getting Started Chapter 2: How to do Peyote Stitch Chapter 3: How to do Brick Stitch Chapter 4: How to do Square Stitch Chapter 5: How to make Beaded Bezels Chapter 6: The Patterns! Chapter 7: How to Design Your own Patterns ABOUT.COM has this to say about it; "This volume is both an excellent tutorial and terrific pattern book. The basic stitches are covered; Peyote, brick, square and beaded bezels, which comprise the first half of the book. The beaded bezels section is especially good, and the photos for it are excellent." "The second half of the book is given over to the patterns, and information on making your own patterns. The motif is largely Native American, and they are very beautiful. I especially liked the Thunderbird, Cougar, Dolphin and Fawn patterns, as well as the Butterfly and Hummingbird. Graph paper is included with the book, so you may design your own patterns. All in all a very nice book, in a very different format."