Beyond the Bead: Making Jewelry with Unexpected Finds by Margot Potter (North Light Books; $22.99 US; $27.99 CAN) is a book for jewelry designers who are interested in learning accessible techniques that often incorporate beads but are not just about bead stringing. All the supplies are also easy to find in most craft stores. While this book does include some basic bead stringing techniques and wire work, it has a crafty bend to it that will appeal to jewelry makers who enjoy working with a mixture of non-traditional materials.
Techniques and Tools
Along with the expected jewelry tools such as crimping pliers and wire cutters, some other tools used that add to the unusual nature of the projects in the book include some of the following: a melting pot used to melt wax and UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel); a wood burning and soldering tool; a grommet set; and crystal applicator. Some of the traditional techniques such as closing crimp beads are used in conjunction with mixed-media techniques like making a microscope slide pendent. So this has a good mix of the familiar along with the new and different.
The Projects
The projects in this book are divided into seven groups relating to the primary materials used: glass, plastic, digital images, ephemera, scrapbooking supplies, clay, and metal. It includes a total of 26 projects and each project also includes one or more variation ideas in a min-gallery section, so if you aren't the type to copy projects exactly, there's plenty of inspiration provided to help you think of other ways to use the same ideas from the projects but make them your own. One of my personal favorites is "iMagic," where Margot uses a digital image of Jean Harlow, alters it, encases it in a tiny frame to create a pendant, adds some cool dangle elements, and then finishes it off with a beautiful Swarovski crystal chain.
Concluding Thoughts
With such a large assortment of materials and methods mixed together, anyone who enjoys mixing it up will enjoy this book. If you are a true traditionalist or don't enjoy using unusual materials and techniques often referred to as "crafting," then this is not the book for you. However, if you have already tried working with beads and are looking for a way to expand your jewelry skills that does not require setting up a fancy workshop with high-end equipment, then this is packed full of ideas.
