Beading Books I Love: Jill Wiseman's Beautiful Beaded Ropes

So, when it comes to beaded ropes, you think you've seen it all, right? Think again. I've just seen a preview of Lark's latest book in their Beadweaving Master Class series, Jill Wiseman's Beautiful Beaded

Ropes. With this book, Jill has shown us that there's so much more to beaded ropes than just being a way to hang a pretty pendant.

The beaded rope projects in Beautiful Beaded Ropes include necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and an amazing ring made out of — yes! — a beaded rope. The beaded ropes aren't just the accessory in the beading projects, they take center stage. Each beading project in the book is so much more than the sum of its parts. As I flipped through the book, I couldn't help but notice how each beaded rope has something special about it, either in the form of an unusual shape or an unexpected bead added for texture.

A comprehensive beading supplies and basic beading techniques section at the beginning of the book show you everything you need to know before getting started on the projects, and the beading project instructions are clear and well-illustrated, taking the guesswork out of creating oustanding pieces of beaded jewelry with basic bead-weaving techniques. Even a beginner beader can pick up this book and learn something about beading while making any of the twenty-four beaded jewelry projects.

The bead-weaving stitches used in these projects include spiral ropes, peyote stitch, beaded netting, herringbone stitch, and right-angle weave, as well as some more unusual techniques like Oglala stitch, Chevron stitch, and an innovative way to create peyote stitch beaded beads that are attached to a base rope. (You have to try that last one to believe it — I'm in love with the technique!)

What amazes me most about the beading projects in this book is the wearability of the projects. These are finished beaded jewelry projects that you don't have to save for a special occasion, because they can be worn with anything. Whether you're looking for a show-stopping necklace to wear to a fancy event or a fun and colorful bracelet to throw on with your jeans, you'll find something in this book that you can wear again and again.

If you want a sample of the projects in Jill Wiseman's Beautiful Beaded ropes, you can head on over to the Lark Crafts website and download two free projects — the Flirtation Bracelet, made with multiple strands of spiral ropes and tiny Swarovski crystal beads, and the Bohemian earrings, made with Czech fire polished beads and chain.

For more information, check out Jill's website, Tapestry Beads, or the Lark Crafts website. Jill will also be teaching at Bead Fest Philadelphia, August 16-20, 2012 if you're interested in taking a class from this master bead artist!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer