Sherry Serafini's name is very nearly synonymous with sensational bead embroidery, so the title of the book suits very well. She's been making jewelry that's been inspiring the bead world for a while now.

Her book is excellent. She gives the methods she uses to design those amazing pieces. How she comes up with the shapes and fills them with cabochons and bead embroidery, adding fringe and other accent techniques. She advises from the very beginning of the book that if you can't find exactly what she used, or if you want to use something different to do so. So the projects are very adaptable to your personal tastes.

In the introduction, she explains the tools and supplies you'll need. What kind of foundation she prefers for designs and how different tools are used. Some of them are tools you may not have used in the past for your beadwork like protractors and poster board.

Chapter two, she explains the methods and techniques she uses to create those gorgeous pieces. Starting with the back stitch method she used for the embroidery and including edging techniques, bezel methods and pattern creation. This short section alone is invaluable to people who are learning bead embroidery and want to design their own pieces.

Then you get into the projects. There are projects for various skill levels. If you're a beginner to bead embroidery, the rings, earrings and brooches are smaller projects that will help you learn the basics of bead embroidery. If you're ready for a bigger challenge, the cuff bracelets have more beadwork and a bigger canvas for creation. Then you can learn to do the collars. The intricately beaded and impressive collars are just wonderful. Going from a very basic collar necklace to the incredible Perfect Union Neckpiece with it's large sinuous symmetry, dripping with fringe and sparkling with crystals. It's advised that you work on other pieces before starting this amazing project.

It's a wonderful resource for bead embroidery enthusiasts and people who would like to learn how to do bead embroidery. It is absolutely sensational.

You can get this book either directly from the publisher, Lark Crafts or by clicking the Amazon.com affiliate link below.



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