Bead and Button Magazine's newest installment in their Creative Beading series lives up to the standard set by the magazine and the previous volumes. The books collect the best projects of the year in a hard cover format. The advantage to having them in a single volume is that it's easy to find that project you just love.

The short introduction has basic information and covers various techniques, so if you need a refresher, it's there.

Then into the projects. This one leans heavily towards seed bead projects. Shapes were a heavy theme last year, so very few of them are pictorial. They are mostly sculptural, wearable art. Elegant, dainty, fun, industrial, geometric, and big statement pieces are all included. You'll learn ways to curve, twist and form shapes using different stitches.

Many of the projects use familiar stitches in new and exciting ways. Such as the 5 pointed star that's made using a variation of the St. Petersburg Chain. Some use unexpected elements or supplies, such as the Arctic Cuff which uses a head cut off a toy to create a polar bear that seems to be coming out of the bracelet .

One of my favorite pieces in the whole book is one of the simplest, it's an industrial looking bracelet made in peyote stitch using hex nuts. It's one of those projects that could encourage young men to learn to bead and it's very wearable by men or women.

Bead Intuitive uses several techniques to create a beaded bead necklace that looks like a lampwork art bead on a cord. It's intricate and challenging with lots of room for interpretation.

Get to the Point is a really neat looking daisy chain variation that in the right colors would be wearable with anything. It's sparkling and delicate with an edge provided by dagger beads.

There are a lot of projects, and I could write about most of them. Which would make this a really long review. So I'll skip to the wire working part of the book.

The wirework chapter is pretty short, but it also has some great projects. My hands down favorite is the Paisley Perfection earrings which combine great shapes with beads to make lovely motifs. The project that looks the most fun to me is the Keshi cuff which is a frame that is heavily embellished with pearls.

I really recommend this if you're a fan of the magazine and love seed beads.

You can get this book directly from the publisher, Kalmbach Publishing Co. or by clicking the Amazon.com affiliate link below.





Amazon.com affiliate links don't affect your cost, and provide extra income to me personally, which helps support my book addiction.

Kalmbach Publishing Co. provided this review copy of Creative Beading Vol. 6 to me free of charge.
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