Book Spotlight: Elements of Style

Beads and fabric go together like Delicas and peyote stitch, so it’s no wonder that combining jewelry making with techniques we often think of for garments will result in beautiful designs. In particular, knitting and crochet are ideal ways to combine beads with textile elements.

In Elements of Style, designer Rosemary Hill shares her passion for mixing up three unique and wonderful craft genres, using a variety of materials. Most of the components are familiar friends to experienced crafters, including seed beads, wire, and pearls.

There are twenty six jewelry projects in all, including necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Rosemary has covered many of the basics by combining knitting and crochet with wire, silk, cotton and wool. Readers can learn to make beaded wire beads and felted beads, along with a variety of beautiful jewelry designs. Each project features clear diagrams and helpful tips to help you get the most out of your materials.

Though the designs appear straightforward and simple, as a total crochet and knitting novice, I find them a bit intimidating. Even with the helpful basics guide at the end of the book, I wouldn’t want to attempt most of these projects without a lot of practice. Luckily, one of the most beautiful necklace projects in the book will show you how to make good use of your wire knitting mistakes.

Rosemary introduces each of the three chapters - Wire, Fiber and Felt - with a few inspiring thoughts on the medium. The friendly tone of the book is very encouraging to beginners and experts alike. Elements of Stylealso includes a handy glossary of abbreviations and techniques, a resource guide and an alphabetical index.

Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading
Rosemary Hill and Interweave Press
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Inspired Beader: Hypho

Having an incredible tool like the internet allows us to explore any art or technique we desire, from free tutorials to amazing books out our fingertips. Although all of this information gives us freedom, it often seems to encourage sameness in our designs, when we all draw from the same sources. So it’s very refreshing to discover a fellow artist who is creating something totally unique.

One of the most exciting jewelry makers I’ve seen in a while is Angela Roest of Hypho. Not only are her materials and techniques beautiful and unique, but they are handmade from start to finish. Necklaces are knitted by hand; stones and pearls are incorporated as the piece is formed. Weaving, braiding and sewing are also used to achieve certain effects. Even the jump rings are created in the Hypho studio!

Inspirational Beading: How did you first become interested in jewelry design?

Angela: When my daughter was born, I had just finished my master’s degree and I was aching to make things – it was a vague but desperate need ! I explored hardware stores and experimented with some unusual materials and techniques – wire and knitting became the most satisfying combination. An added bonus was that I could knit while nursing (soldering just wouldn’t have worked)!

Inspirational Beading: What‘s the number one material you can‘t live without?

Angela: Wire.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite style of bead?

Angela: I don’t have a favourite, but I have an ongoing series of ‘bead-crushes’ – a period of utter infatuation with a particular style of bead. Right now, I’m obsessed with Miyuki beads, (seeds 11/0 or smaller). When I began going to bead stores I looked at these and, with a sigh of relief, told myself that there was at least one kind of bead that would never tempt me – such fussy little things ! Well, years later, I’ve developed a dangerous addiction to them and the tiny burst of colour each individual bead gives in a large piece.

Inspirational Beading: If you could master any new technique, what would it be?

Angela: Something entirely different – I’d love to work with resin. For years, I’ve made sketches of various projects without really knowing how resin ‘works’. I’d love to start experimenting with it soon.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Angela: I don’t really hope to inspire anyone, but I do hope that my creations are enticing enough to encourage women to be experimental with jewelry – to wear things that are a little daring and unexpected.

Angela has lived in France, Belgium and Spain, and completed a Master’s Degree at Nantes University for her research on French fashion of the 1920s. Her beginnings as a wire artist may have stemmed from rummaging through her grandfather’s scrap metal pile, but her techniques have evolved into inspiring creations.

You can see some of Angela’s latest designs in her Etsy shop, Hypho. Her work can also be found in various artisan galleries, as well as in the boutiques of national museums and galleries. Her pieces have also been featured in FASHION and Back magazines and in the premier issue of Jewelry Affaire.

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and Hypho

Inspired Beader: Jewels Harper

Throughout history, many different cultures have valued the magical properties of everyday objects, which can be contained and harnessed with the help of amulet bags. Made from a tiny pouch on a long cord, amulet bags are worn over the heart, and contain assorted talismans that are significant to the wearer. They can be used to carry herbs, medicines or tobacco, or crystals and minerals that have healing powers. Other types of magic can also be found in mementos and gifts from loved ones, locks of hair, or even animal bones.

Today, many people enjoy wearing amulet bags, sometimes for their beauty alone. Many artisans create them from cloth or leather, while others weave them from tiny seed beads. A common style is the tubular peyote bag, which can be created with beautiful graphic patterns. Julie, also known as Jewels of Le Beadoir, uses knitting techniques to create her stunning seed bead pouch jewelry. The pretty, scalloped texture of the bead knitting gives them an elegant look not often found in traditional amulet jewelry.

Inspirational Beading: When did you first discover beadwork?

Jewels: I was first introduced to beading by my grandmother. To this day, I am convinced that this introduction was her method to keep my 8-year old self from getting underfoot. I still remember the old wire loom and the tiny seed-bead filled ‘Sucrets’ tin she plopped in front of me on the kitchen table. I stuck to simple loom-woven patterns of bracelets, chokers and anklets for quite a few years before discovering other off-loom bead weaving stitches, the first being Square Stitch; more than likely because the finished result looked the same as my loomed the pieces, so I could use the same patterns I had already graphed.

Inspirational Beading: How did you come across your amulet bag design?

Jewels: A dear friend of mine, Kirsten, had been making some for so long. She got the pattern from an old ‘Housewives’ magazine from the late 1800’s. She more or less taught me how to make them by letting me watch her work on her own. She kept saying “If you can knit, you can make them”, but since I never was too good at following knit patterns, I simply improvised and put my own spin on the design. My mood pretty much dictates the shape of the bag itself, from scalloped to straight edges, and figuring out how to embellish them is also quite a lot of fun.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite source for inspiration?

Jewels: Hands down Mother Nature has the upper hand where color palettes are concerned, so I gather a lot of my inspiration from Her. She also has a knack with textures, which I’ve often tried to replicate in my pieces. My interest in passing trends is mostly fleeting, but I having been influenced by them on occasion. Sometimes it’s nice to know what’s “In”, like necklace lengths, cuff widths, or even which metals are de rigueur.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have an all time favorite bead color?

Jewels: I can’t say I do. But I do have a particular fondness for matte finishes, and iridescent too. Matte iridescent finish in any color would certainly please me.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Jewels: Well, if I were setting out to inspire, I suppose it would be to inspire people to own and wear my pieces. My main goal whenever I make something is its “weareability”. I want my work to give that “I simply MUST have it” feeling. Nothing touches me more than seeing someone else love my work as much as I loved making it.

Jewels has strong artistic roots, and received a lot of creative influence from a family of painters, dancers, musicians and seamstresses. One family member even worked as a milliner, who once made a hat for the Prime Minister’s wife. She also learned about the value of recycling and using resources as much as possible. She is now passing on these standards to her daughter - also an aspiring artist. When she’s not creating or working on her shop, Jewels enjoys belly dancing.

In addition to Le Beadoir, Jewels also has a knit and fiber accessories shop called L’Atelier JLB. You can learn more about Jewels and her work on her blog Le Beadoir & L’Atelier JLB. To stay up to date on her shop news, follow Le Beadoir on Facebook.

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and Le Beadoir