Beadwrangler Magazine Review
December 1999 I like the cover on this issue, a beaded bag that looks like a playing card! A Snowman For Your Hair is a bead project that requires you know the basic bead wrap technique from their Sep/Oct issue plus purchase a lampworked glass snowman. When a specialty glass bead is included in a project, I like to have the glassmaker’s address or website included so I have a supplier if I choose to do the project. I did not find this information in the article. This is a beaded hair wrap design. China Blue by Suzann Thompson is a polymer project and the pieces look like China plate shards. Celtic Inspiration by Kari Stone is an interview with Nancy Cowan, a beader. Kari tells you about Nancy’s cultural symbols, myths and fairy tales through beading, a good read. Bricks & Crystal by Sigrid Wynne-Evans are earring and necklace designs of brick stitch that look tiered when in fact it is beading ingenuity that creates the illusion. Many variations could be made with these designs. A Complete Guide to Gold Plating by Esther Anderson tells you what material to use on polymers and what effects will be obtained. Plating Polymer by Esther Anderson is a project to make a polymer pendant and plate it; a source list follows. Stitching in Square by Kathy Rice is easy instructions to make square stitch earrings and includes several illustrations. Ho Ho Holiday Earrings by Bent Needle Barb offers a variety of fun easy earrings using a little wire, seed beads and a few larger beads. The Angel earrings are a delight. Lady Luck Amulet Bag by Anne Mitchell is the highlight of this issue. A graph is included to make the peyote stitched shaped bag. The front and back are different motifs. Instead of searching for hard to find card motif beads for the fringe, polymer cane cards could be created and added. Charms from Las Vegas trips would also work on this piece. Ideas for matching earrings can be seen in the color image on page 48. The Glitter of Gold by Janet Bruno-Small and Larry Small combines historical information on the uses of gold, areas in the world where it was used and types of alloys added for effect. Images of some antique pieces that include gold are provided. Net, Twist and Weave A Perfect Pouch by Paula Walter is a an easy attractive little amulet purse project with a braided necklace strap. The illustrations are so clear, you can easily follow them to make the bag. This little bag would make a great gift. Polish It Off by Tammy Powley is the how-to information for giving silver work professional polish and final finishes. October 1999 Transparent Canes by Donna Kato, using Fimo, offers a variety of finishes. Whether you want stain glass, striped canes, new jelly rolls or windowpane canes, you will learn how to make them all here. You can’t miss when following Donna’s lead. The Precious Metal Clay Challenge by Esther Anderson is an overview of juried PMC creations. Lots of tips and material identification are included along with many intriguing artworks finished by various individuals. Dress Up Your Beads by Beverly Herman is a how to use gorgeous beads to make your work stand out. Three small graphs are provided for you to make up your own design in peyote stitch. Finishing instructions for adding the beads to earrings and a necklace are included. This is a good project for beginner experimentation. It is not too intimidating for a first time effort. Wild Thing by Anita Barniville is a fringed necklace that is easy but looks complex. Using a dark bead that looks like it sets in the background and a lighter bead showing to the front offers depth to the piece. You will be learning about light and shade when you make this project. How the beads are placed makes all the difference. Thanks for the tips Anita! Twice Baked Bracelets by Suzann Thompson is a polymer inlay project. Playing With Color by Suzann Thompson gives you the inside scoop for planning color graduations with polymers. Precious Metal Clay by Esther Anderson is a project with a plain type miniature kimono motif as the pendant. Nesting Beads by Triche Osborne is a polymer project with unusual shapes and integration of the beads to create jewelry. From the Mummy’s Tomb by Sigrid Wynne-Evans is a circular brick stitch project to work around scarab beads, to dress them and add to a necklace piece. You will learn how to adjust the beads around the scarab to fit. Simple Sterling by Tammy Powley is a silver metal work project learning how to fabricate a silver bracelet. Island Inspiration by J. A. Hitchcock is an interview with Kristine Lane, a jewelry crafter and glassmaker, see Glass Beads & Their Makers for more information. Several color images of her silversmithing combined with glass cabochons are displayed. Embellish a Dichroic Cabochon by Rebekah Wills is a short how-to project with narrative instructions. August 1999 The cover page has a very cheery floral motif that makes one smile. A Passion For Flowers by Claudette E. Langlais is a polymer project with motifs that are muted and make one think of a floral painting. Stampede by Lisa L. Hobson is a fun project using rubber stamps and making unique pins that are a real hoot. Lost Wax Casting by Tammy Powley is an overview of casting using the lost wax method. Success With Precious Metal Clay by Esther Anderson is is an article on the subject with lots of tips and techniques. Building A Creative Business by by Kari Stone on Patti Kimle zaps you will polymer cane wonders that are very complex and some have ends that are translucent. Patriotic Bead Wrap by Sharon Bateman is a red, white and blue bead project. Beads are embellished on a wooden bead with lots of dangles hanging out. The ones with stars look like fish to me You could also embellish these beads and string them in a necklace. I remember seeing the basic technique years ago in Lapidary Journal, but Bateman has added a new look to this concept. You could use any bead color you like. Sweet As Candy by Barb Davis is easy peyote beading project to make beads that look like candy wrappers. Flower Power by Sigrid Wynnej-Evans has a large pendant using bead embellishment and then 3-D flowers on top with happy faces. Young children and teens will love this project. PMC Pendant Project by Esther Anderson is a step by step project to make a heart pendant. Charming Polymer by Kelley Pankosky has lots of polymer drops that look like raindrops have just fallen on them. They are attached together with metal chains. Bleeding Hearts by Sharon Bateman is an idea she had from real heart-shaped flowers and are created using square stitch. This looks like an is an intermediate project. June 1999 A Bag of Butterflies by Rebekah Wills is an easy to make netted bag in a cone shape with accent beads that really make the overall look inviting. This project starts with a few peyote foundation rounds. Renaissance Mann by Kari Stone highlights Thomas Mann and his Techno Romantic jewelry. Learn to Solder by Tammy Powley is step by step instructions to make round metal jump rings. Once In A Blue Moon by Anita Barniville teaches you to make a flat circular beaded pendant with a purchased metal face attached. There is lots of frilly hair and a spiral rope for the necklace strap. Crafts A La Cart by Connie Sheerin is an interview with craft entrepreneurs. Paper Earrings by Nicolette Hiott is an easy project for tubular paper beads from gift wrap scraps. Computer Beading: Tips and Tricks by Marcus Ramsey gives you information and the how to create pattern designs and even web pages. There is also a graph in color on page 32 to help explain one process. Mosaic Clay by Susan K. Ieronemo is a polymer project that allows you to make Murano type motifs from polymers. Making the Leap to Precious Metals by Arielle explains the process and provides examples. Fabulous Fringed Collar by Sigrid Wynne-Evans is a spectacular necklace that is constructed using right angle weave. The design and gradual change of bead colors is very contemporary in style and yet has a romantic touch of the 1930-1940's. This is one for my scarp book. Braid a Perfect Pendant by Sharon Bateman teaches you braiding with beads and fiber and is very easy project to complete. Mountain Dreams by Niki Lotfin and Barbara Sosna is an interview with Sosna about her work and then she provides instructions to make some of her polymer creations. April 1999 I was very pleased to read in the editorial that Jewelry Crafts offers an ongoing competition via their internet site. You can send an image of your work and the winner receives recognition and the beading, clay or jewelry making book of their choice. Viewers pick the winners. They also state they have free workshops up too, so check them out. This issue has some Goldfish by Sharon Bateman that are worked in square stitch and the illustrations are easy to follow, however the thread path is not shown and Bateman states you should already know how to bead using square stitch techniques. These fish are three dimensional and make great earrings or you could group them on a necklace. Make a Mini Amulet Bag by Lynn Smythe is easy tubular brick stitch techniques and she has two patterns to choose from All the step-by-step illustrations are included. Smythe's little bags are embellished with piles of beaded fringe and one has two beaded beads in the necklace strap. Cabochon Goddess by Sigrid Wynne Evans is a great idea! I have seen cabochon type figures but they are made with materials or tools that beaders may not use such as silver bezels or glued beaded hair. This figure can be made with beaded cabochons, big beads added, beaded hair, you bead everything! Peyote stitch is used for dressing the cabochons and rapid decrease peyote is illustrated. Think how fun this figure would be on a name tag at a bead society meeting. Simple Seashells by Sarajane Helm is a combination of sea shells and polymer imitation coral necklace with instructions for making the coral beads. Shell Collection Brooch by Beverly M. Gallo is a combination of beads, shells and other items to make a brooch. Free-Form Peyote Bracelets by Pamela Welborn is a bracelet project with big and little (seed bead size) beads combined. Victorian Lace by Anita Barniville is a necklace, bracelet and earring project using 4mm and seed beads in a netting technique. Pick A Pattern by Donna Kato is a project to make luminous polymer pieces and beads. Stringing Along by Kari Stone is an glass article and is on Glass Beads & Their Makers page. Dichroic Polymer Clay by Jennifer Bezingue is a polymer project and the color images just make you want to pull out polymers and get busy. Antiquing in England by Suzann Thompson is an interesting article and includes black and white images of window displays containing beaded jewelrey. How to Make A Dot/Eye Bead by Kari and Robert Maderia is on Glass Beads & Their Makers page. Cleaning & Caring for your Jewelry by Sandra I. Smith is an article with lots of tips for care different types of jewelry and bead materials. This issue gave me lots of ideas for other beadwork creations. February 1999 This issue starts with a glass article by Lynn Smythe and will be on Glass Beads & Their Makers page. Learn to Make the Miracle Bead by Donna Kato is Part I of a polymer project. Do not fear, Part I takes you through a complete project and you will have finished beads. The subtle color graduations obtained is the most exciting part of this technique. From the techniques you learn in this project, you could make faces with graduated shading and other items. Wrapping With Colored Wire by Karen Ray and Suzanne Helwig has easy instructions for making wire findings using the WigJig and adding colorful wire for contrasts. Template illustrations of placement of the wire on the WigJig makes it easy to follow and make the wire forms. The newest WigJig book will be reviewed in our Pages Book Reviews soon. Bead Soup by Rebekah Wills gives you ideas for blending beads and combing bead components to make a harmonious beadwork. Deco Style by Sig Wynne-Evans is a very attractive pendant necklace with instructions to make the pendant in square stitch and the necklace strap in peyote stitch. You could bead weave this pendant on a loom also. Beaded Crosses by Judith Bertoglio has instructions to make beaded crosses with large and small beads. An Exercise in Creativity by Trudy E.Schwartz-Burrill offers some hands on experimentation, try it you'll like it. Seeing Stars by JoAnn Allard is easy to make beaded stars incorporated into a bead strung necklace composed of seed beads. Weave An Old-Fashioned Bracelet by Sharon Bateman is wonderful project. Bateman excels in unique designs and this is another. The instructions are for intermediate or advanced students. The main piece can be completed on the loom or square stitch and the edging is brick stitch. The finished look is appealing with uneven edges rather than a chopped off design. A Magnificent Obsession by Kari Stone features work by Daniel Buckley, a true polymer artist. Her work is exquisite and pieces you would think are metals, glass and precious minerals are polymer. Her vessels are unique and exceptional, a tribute to Buckley's creative talent. Mermaid Treasure Necklace with Christine Albert is a project to make colorful beady vines on a necklace. Alibert states this new material, Sculpey Flex, can handle the stress of long hanging pieces without breakage and keep the shape. This sounds like a good product for future projects. Pegasus Pouch by Pamela Welborne is a peyote stitched amulet purse. If you just looked a the graph, you might think it 's ok, but when you see the finished purse with all the bead fringe and color arrangement, it becomes a purse you would definitely put on your list to make. The black image and light background make it a powerful little package. Raku Beads by Carol Haines is a project to make polymer beads that have a raku appearance. Power Women by Nikki Loftin and Merlene Walker is a Polyshrink project. These figures are whimsical, fun and colorful. You can add pieces for movable legs and arms if you choose. December 1998 Christmas Canes by Donna Kato is a polymer project; Festive Pendants by Nikki Loftin and Rae Friedman are easy how-to chain necklaces incorporating holiday motif glass beads; Retreat to Ravensdale by Dotty McMillan is a review of the conference and seminar last August and includes classic beads and pendants, see pages 28-29. The Brilliance of Swarovski by Sigrid Wynne-Evans takes you on a tour of the Crystal Worlds, the manufacturing company in Wattens, Austria. The entrance to Crystal Worlds on page 33 is impressive. Swarovski Crystal Earrings by Sigrid Wynne-Evans is a how-to project that includes netting, appliqué and stringing. Will Polymer Ever Be Popular by Tiche Osborne discusses overcoming polymer prejudices, general trends in fashion that can be applied to polymers and offers tips for quality work as a polymer designer. Many of the topics discussed are of value to beaders and fiber workers, especially in the area of ornamentation for the public. Don't skip this article because the subject is about polymer and you are not a polymer worker. Dimensional Flower Pendant by Marilee Layman is a how to for square stitch flowers and leaves plus a necklace strap. The illustrations are easy to follow and there are step by step directions. I just wish the example on page 40 had been made with beads that did not blend in with the background so much; the beads are dark and so is the background. A large petal and small center flower are included in the directions. Charming Millefiori by Shirley Canzano Rufener is a polymer how-to with a crackling effect on the final pieces. When finished, They look like museum antique jewelry. There are several tips for finishing and making brooch, pendant and earring frames that look like antique metal. Fimo Feathers by Linda Gertsch is a project for making leaves in different sizes to use for jewelry and embellishment. Poinsettia Hair Ornament by Sharon Bateman is a holiday project. You need to pull out your Sep/Oct issue (Bead Wrap) for part of the project. The leaves are worked in brick stitch and the illustrations show you how to increase. Page 55 shows you an illustration of the final piece with a color image on page 52. Marquetry by Christine Alibert is a polymer project that imitates wood grains and shapes. Seed Bead Snowmen by Cyndi Gancarz is another holiday project with snowmen earrings made in brick stitch. There is a complete graph on page 61 and clear illustrations to follow. You could make these guys again and make hair for the top instead of the hat, change the scarf to other colors, leave off the broom and stick a strand of tiny beads in their hands and then have earrings to wear anytime of the year. You could make a girl by making the lips red and adding two more beads in red on the grin. This little pattern has lots of potential. You could also make several of them and string them on a necklace. Glass articles are under Glass Beads & Their Makers. |
