The Stringing Along column has a beader’s must read, The Patience of a What? By Judith Durant. Her look at what bead and fiber art does for us versus whatever else is going on in our lives is a real pleasure. You will get a good laugh at experiences with the computer world. I thoroughly enjoyed it. An excellent issue with plenty to enjoy.

Summer 1999, Vole 2, #3

Up Close has some amazing beadwork including Leaf Necklace by Julia Pretl,  using negative space and black and gold beads to make an awesome necklace; also bead embroidery by Amy C. Clark, Door, Apple and Core is exquisite in style and design.  What A Bash! is a look at the first Beadwork Bash. Mosaic Weave by Anne Fletcher is a brick stitch bracelet project with the beads lining up straight rather than offset.

Braid Helix by Judi Wood is a variation on helix netting that makes it appear thicker and have a more complex looking finish.  Valerie Hector's easy way to start is included. Hummingbirds & Trumpet Vine Cuff Bracelet by Mary J. Tafoya is  a floral motif in peyote stitch that is attached to ultrasuede with a bracelet blank in the middle.  She includes some special techniques for finishing. Beaded Baseball Caps by Kathie Schroeder is a project for bead embroidery.  Patterns by Lynn Smythe has full color graphs for humming bells, sunflower, butterfly and a dolphin.

Free-Form Brooch by Gwen Blakely Kinsler (Founder of the National Crochet Guild of America)  is a bead and fiber crochet project and these little brooches are just yummy.  You could also place one at the center of a necklace.    Delicas, hex cuts and seed beads make a wonderful palette for these little brooches.  You can use a bunch of your leftover beads for this project.  Gwen designed this project so you can follow an exact pattern or experiment. Easy Echinacea by Jean Campbell is a fun project and you end out with little flower forms. You could make several and incorporate them into a necklace rather than a floral arrangement.  The Mojave Beading Tradition by Jan Knight is a look at traditional Native American beadwork.  The examples are very  appealing with complex patterns in compelling colors.   Is it Peyote or Beadweaving? by David Dean takes a look at Native American beadwork on ceremonial fans, gourd rattles, drum sticks and prayer staffs and then provides a chart of several traditional patterns. Tsotawe Billings by Paula Billings Peters is a journey through Billings' beadwork with breastplates, small woven bags and appliqué work.

Tagua and Fossilized Ivory by Jennifer Nastu has a detailed lizard carved by Wounaan artisans that is unbelievable. A Sisterhood, a Livelihood:   The Teller Sisters by Jean Campbell is an interview witht these artists along with images of their work.  The bead embellished purse on page 52 is striking as well as those on the next two pages.   Painting with Beads, Bruce Hahle by Jean Campbell is about exciting beadwork that looks like a part of sandpainting.   Hahle has unique ways of displaying his loomwork.

Delores Sloan, A Flower in the Snow by Jean Campbell has a colorful image of Sloan and her beadwork on page 59. Pages 60-61 show you  close ups of the floral motifs and information about her and her work.  Cool Stuff introduces the Mirrix Loom and tells you about what's new.   It was a pleasure to see traditional Native American Beadwork in this issue.  It reinforces the significance and historical value of this beadwork and introduces some of the beaders at the same time.

Spring 1999, Vol. 2, #2

What an exciting cover, bottles beads to look like animal skin with spots amid green foliage!  That should get you in the jungle mood. Calendar includes tips for slides you are entering for an exhibit or show and page 9 tells you about the first Annual Beadwork Bash '99, Beadwork's first beading retreat that will be held in the Colorado Rockies; sounds exciting! Up Close has lots of critters including Gordon Gecho by Barbara McLean in yummy colors, Frog by Nadine MacNerland Buck which is cute as can be and right now frogs are my favorite critter and a square stitch bust and what appears to be wings on a necklace by Pat Savu.  Sandy Swirnoff, Lessons Learned in Becoming an Artist by Diane Fitzgerald.   Page 17 through 19 have color images of her work, bead and fibers combined using knotting, needleweaving and beading techniques.   She combines some very unique glass beads in her work.

Exploring Creative Possibilities by Nancy Eha takes you into a wonderland of vegetation, leaves, florals, lizard critters and Nancy's 3-dimensional world of beading. Beaded Coils by Nancy Eha is the project that follows her previous article.  She shows you how to make easy coils of beads over fiber for embellishment. Kelp!  by Anne Fletcher is bead netting and embellishment using easy stitches to create a bracelet or necklace.  Garden Beads by Rebecca Downey is on the Glass Beads and Their Maker pages. Where's My Nearest All-Night Beadstore? or What Do You String Seed Beads With?  by Martha Forsyth is a good informative article about making your own homemade stringing needles, especially when you broke your last store bought one and can't wait to order more. Crocheted Bobbie Socks by Kathie Schroeder is a little misleading.  The bobbie socks are already made, you are making a bead crochet edging for the bobbie socks.  This is a real easy pattern and you can use very inexpensive beads including plastics.   Children and teens will love them and they are washable!

Feathers by Marji Brohammer is just lovely.  Pretty little beaded forms that look like feathers and can be incorporated into earrings, bracelets or necklace components.  This design uses a core of strung beads, bead fringe and square stitch combined.  This looks like an intermediate project that will take a little planning to complete.  Beaded Lace Stitch by Eleanor Lux is a bead netting project with help in decreasing, increasing and embellishing techniques. Special Beads by Heidi Gore & Carol Seligmann highlights beads of the Burmese Pyu people.

Errreeeeee! A Beadwork Staff Project is headed up by metalsmith John Grant and offers and introduction and description of tools you might want to use.   Several examples are given where you might want to drill holes in coins, buttons and other items to attach and combine into jewelry.  Items the staff made are on the next page and I especially liked Jean Campbell's puzzle piece bracelet, like wearing a map on your wrist. Spicy Beaded Bottles by Denise Perreault is on the next page and offers ideas for embellishing bottles.  No exact pattern is provided, this is more of an idea and tips article for intermediate beaders.  These are the beaded bottles shown on the cover page.Practice Makes Perfect follows on page 46 with Perreault's examples of beaded bottles, what her mistakes were and how to make improvements.  Beaders who are beginning to create their own designs will enjoy this article.

My Little Coin Purse by Susan Hillyear is a circular brick stitched purse made with Delica beads.  There are graphs and complete instructions for making the bag.  It has a flap over top.   Intermediate beaders wanting new beading ideas should be happy to see this project.   Taking Care of Your Beading Body by Dr. John Bissell is an excellent article.  Most of us beaders sit on our rear ends all the time beading and forget to get up an exercise, walk or move because we are too excited about what we are creating.   There are some easy stretching exercises and illustrations provided to help you daily.  Take time to read this article, we need all the help we can get.

Going Places by Gwen Blakely Kinsler is a bead lover's tour of Chicago.  Kinsler weaves an interesting story of her bead travels, interviews with store owners and treasure finds.  She includes a bead store listing, museums and bead societies along with the article.  I like the little map that was added with the article, makes me feel like I am traveling right along with her.  Kid's Corner by Sylvia Becker highlights a beaded wire kitty that is very easy to make and a fun project for kids.  I have some small glass cat faces and never though of making a beaded body to go with it, hummm.  I really enjoy the way Beadwork lays out their photographed items, it is very pleasing to the eye.

Winter 1999, Vol. 2, #1

Every Beadwork is more impressive than the last with lavish color and exciting articles.  I dropped my beads and fibers right out of my lap when I looked at Up Close, viewers' work, what awesome and amazing beadwork.  The Seer by Kim Z. Franklin is so strong and emotionally moving, just seeing this image is worth the price of this issue.  It is reminiscent of Maori masks plus other combined appealing additives.  Wireworked Candelabra by Martha Nikla is inspiring and enticing; Lamby by Debra Smith is a sculpture that fascinates and overwhelms one with all the planning that must have been involved in this creation.  There are also lovely beaded amulet purses in this section. 

Beadwork I:  Up Close was a juried exhibit hosted by Beadwork and pages 16 through 17 have images of some of the winning pieces.  I especially liked Iris Coin Purse by Yoshi Marubashi as it includes crochet with beading, combining beads and fiber, my greatest love and I am going to save the image to show to my students.   Framed Beadweaving by Valerie Hector highlights Sharon Donovan's work; sterling silver pieces combined with beading which presents a clean look much like a miniature frame with beadweaving in the middle. Illustrations and instructions are included to prepare a silver or other metal piece and weaving the beads.   Sushi Hairsticks by Jillian Moreno is a fun project to make replicas of sushi type food beaded onto hairsticks using fresh water pearls and Delica beads.

Des fleurs en fil et perles:  A French Tradition by Kathie Schroeder is a visual treat.  Schroeder speaks about French beaded flower making and how she became interested in creating her own floral designs.  Her work far surpasses projects in books and she has lovely floral designs that incorporate tiny head/face forms to embellish on items.  There is a color image of a beaded French funeral wreath from the Basque region in France that you have to see to believe.  Next Schroeder offers a how to project for making floral rosebuds including instructions for petals, calyx and leaves.  A Luminous Darkness by Anne Hawley lets us take a look at Dona Anderson's work, classic beading from a very talented and imaginative artist.  There are several color images of her work and my favorite is "Elvis, a beaded bag with an Elvis image on it that is very realistic and where did she get all those little guitars?   Besides little bags, there are pins and three dimensional beaded female heads to enjoy.  This is a very good article with great insight to an artist overcoming great obstacles and using beads as therapy.  Anderson's work looks like tiny miniature paintings, fine art you can hold in your hand.

Demystifying The Beader's Palette by Mary Tafoya is an in-depth article about color as it relates to beading.  Color relationships are explained an examples of beaded color wheels are offered to give you ideas to make your own color samples and color wheels of beads.  This is a real plus for beaders.   Miniature Oriental Carpet by Judith Durant.  If you want your own miniature carpet in beads, here is a fully graphed pattern with color guides and instructions.  Seeing this article reminds  me of the Native American rugs I find so enchanting and would like to make in miniature. The Inspired Princess by Nell Znamierowski is a historical article about a bead and fiber designer who was also a princess.  The description and photographs of her work wets my appetite for more articles like this one.  I felt as if I were right beside this princess watching her create one of her stunning saris.  Needlewoven Necklace by Joyce Brainard   is an easy project to make a necklace with different size beads and use fiber as the necklace portion that attaches the beads.

African Wedding Beads by Heidi Gore and Carol Seligmann explain what these beads are all about. Tiny Freeform Bowl by Laura Breisacher has some pretty little baskets that includes a step-by-step formula to make them. This is another project that takes a small amount of beads to make the basket, so pull out those left over beads to experiment. A Modern Abacus by Henry Acland includes a little historical information about the abacus and  instructions to make one.  A Precious Tool by Diane Fitzgerald is a history of the needle and where would we be without the needle?  It was a real pleasure reading about this tool I use every day of my life.   I believe most bead and fiber people are interested in the history behind the tools and material we use for our creative endeavors.  This is an excellent issue, Thanks Beadwork.