Whats on your bookshelf?

Yes, that one's in my cart too.  I bought a bunch of clay that was on clearance at the base a while back but have yet to do anything with it.  I get intimidated every time I think about working with it.

 I'm not intimidated, I'm just clueless. *laughz* It's definitely my next book on the list.

 Billy ;o)

I recently acquired an addition to my small collection of beading books, which, while useful now, is one I really could have used when I first started beading.  I am still reading it, carefully: Visual Quick Tips' book “Beading”, by Chris Franchetti Michaels.  ($14.95 US.)

Our very own Chris Franchetti Michaels?  Huzzah!

She has FOUR books at Amazon... found a few other places too.  Hard to decide which to buy first

 I only have a couple of beading books, one is The Beaded Garden I won for the flower-inspired challenge.

The reason for this is I tend to absorb styles and I try hard not to plagerize someone else's designs.

Back in my nanny days I worked for an artist who had a very distinctive style. I'm an artist myself and at that time I was doing some 'automatic' drawings.  They came out in her style, so much like them her husband thought they were hers, a friend thought her work was mine and she actually sat down to talk to me about not stealing her style...lol!

So...I look at bead books and magazines on the newstands, buy a magazine if it has a technique I don't know but I try not to absorb too much...tough with an almost photographic memory. I'm huge on ethics and originality so if one of my designs ends up looking like someone else's it's going to be out of coincidence and not because I've absorbed their style.

It sucks...because I'd love to have a great bead book collection.

Hmm...I have alot of books but I honestly don't refer to them that often.  My head is so stuffed full of beading ideas that I want to try that I really don't get around to referencing my collection.  lol...I need to go back through them and look them over, methinks!!!

I have:

Innovative Beaded Jewelry Techniques by Gineke Root - This has a whole lot of variations of spiral ropes.

The Beaded Garden by Diane Fitzgerald - She is one of the artists I most admire and was SO excited when I bought this book and wouldn't you know, I forgot I had it!!!  Yay for re-discovery!

Netted Beadwork by Diane Fitzgerald - Has alot about the history of netting.  Also has alot of great basic tips and techniques and inspirational photos!

Making Wire Jewelry by Helen Clegg and Mary Larom - I like this book alot - great for beginning wire - has some really great basic shapes and forms.

Art of Antique Beading - I have no idea who this is by since the author doesn't seem to be listed?  Wierd.  Anyway, this book has some neat color inspiration but all in all is my least favorite beading book.  Honestly I am not really fond of it at all.

Making Glass Beads by Cindy Jenkins - This book looks to be a great book for teaching lampworking, I love it.  However, I have no way of really knowing how good it is since I have never been able to use it (I've never done lampworking - always wanted to).

I have another book that is completely in Russian so I can't even type the name here.  But it has some really incredible Russian netting and the patterns are easy to follow by picture!

Netting All the Way by Galina Barsky and Varvara Konstantinov - The netted collars in this are absolutely beautiful!

Creating Crystal Jewelry with Swarovski - by Laura McCabe - Another of my favorite artists - I LOVE THIS BOOK!  Really pricey but a WONDERFUL resource!

The Beader's Guide to Color by Margie Deeb - Incredible color inspiration and color theory book for beaders!

The Art of Beadwork by Valerie Hector - Oh man, this is another book I really love - it is INCREDIBLY inspirational!!  This one is chalk full of historical beadwork, modern work, patterns and inspirational photos.

The Complete Book of Jewelry Making by Carles Codina - Really good book about basics and some techniques of metalsmithing.

 I don't have the Zulu beadwork one and have not seen it anywhere...would absolutely DIE to get my hands on that one...lol!!

So many books, so little time.   I love bead/jewelry making books and am always adding to my library!  I took full advantage of the 10 percent discount offered on Interweave publications available at Bead Fest Philly. That was a nice deal.

Here's a link to a relelvant article that I came upon today at the About.com Beadwork site:

Books, Books and More Books

I am definitely a book worm.  

Thanks everyone, for sharing your favorites!

Last week I added two new books to my shelf and from what I've seen so far, I love them!

- Shaped Beadwork by Diane Fitzgerald (can't wait to try all these shapes!)

- The Beader's Color Palette by Margie Deeb (Wow, all these colors! I'm afraid that I'd arrange and play with my beads much more than I actually bead!)

I want both of those!  They're in my Amazon wish list but I haven't gotten around to buying yet.  I guess I can mention it for Christmas or birthday...

 The Beader's Color Palette by Margie Deeb is one of the first books that I bought. It is a great source of information and inspiration. Good stuff I'll tell ya.

 Billy ;o)

JSmaz:

I guess I can mention it for Christmas or birthday...

Hehehe, and I know when your birthday is.......