Cabochon fun...

So we just got in these cabochons with skulls-and-crossbones on them. Black and white, of course. I am thinking a nice pair of dainty earrings with some delicate beads? Or pearls? I may try to make a piece like the one on the cover of my book (it's there, to the left...see? with the filigree bent around like a setting?) I am not sure.

In reality, I really should be cleaning off my studio table. Really, I could just pour myself a glass of wine and do that. Clean the table. Put stuff away. Or I could just slide the mess to the side and see what I can make with the cabs. I mean, really, how much work space do I need, anyway? 6 inches should do it, right? Right?

Masters Of Beadweaving (book review)

This inspirational book is from Carol Wilcox Wells, the author of The Art and Elegance of Beadweaving. Wells has put together a collection of works by contemporary master beadweavers that is both comprehensive and genre-pushing. There are wearable, architectural and decorative pieces that range in size from small (rings) to large (full Kimono created in beads.) You'll love the amazing photos of intense artworks created with just a few tiny beads and thread, or, in some cases, a few hundred thousand tiny beads and lots and lot of thread. The ideas and concepts in many of these pieces of bead art are mind boggling. I really enjoyed just letting my eyes travel around the path the threads took to link the beads together. I imagined the artists working on their ideas-going from concept to realized thought. Beadweaving when practiced at this level is, I imagine, filled with intention and meditation. This book is a coffee table book for any beader, a great gift for yourself or another and filled with inspiration.

Look for photos of Marcia DeCoster's work and don't forget to take her class at Panopolie in November!

The Art of Plastics and Resin (book review)

Oh, I love this new book by Debra Adelson. The swank, silver-and-plastic cover piece is cool and smooth. The projects range from shaped and polished acrylic to cast resins. There is a stacked paper ring on page 44 that makes me want to go through all my scraps of lovely hand-made papers and start stacking and clamping...but the best part of the book is the many, many gallery images she has included throughout the book. The projects are inspirational and range from the Art to Wear to just plain art. There is even a project that uses plastic embroidery canvas (last seen on toilet paper covers in your Great Aunt Ida's bathroom!) You'll appreciate her tips on safety and tools to use. Everything is clear and informative, especially the way she breaks down the differences between acrylic and resins. I already have so many of the things I need to make many of these projects; files and goggles and drill bits and sand-paper. I can make that ring I love with the ICE resin and will use some of our Nepalese paper scraps layered up for color.

The book's author, Debra Adelson, is a metalsmith who sells her work around the world. Her clean designs and clear directions make this book one that will join my permanent studio book collection. See the book in both stores this week.

*The ICE resin is expected in stores and on-line later this week...LOTS of it, Lois tells me.