Designs For Beaded Jewellery Using Glass Beads
Designs For Beaded Jewellery Using Natural Materials

by Maria Di Spirito

      Maria Di Spirito runs a shop called Fantasy Craft of Milan, and in these two lovely books she showcases some of the innovative materials stocked there. If you live outside Italy there is a wealth of beads still available, and you can substitute some (sadly not all) of the amazing fibers she uses. Anybody who has been intrigued by DMC’s new Desire range (see DMC.com for more details) will be keen to obtain these books. They show you how to combine, to great effect, beads and fibers as well as more conventional stringing materials to great effect. The photos are stunning, and you will look as though you bought these highly fashionable pieces in an upscale boutique. Beginners beware however, as many of the fanciest pieces come with scanty instructions so I would suggest that this is a book aimed at the experienced beader. If you have reached the stage where a photo and a few lines of description are enough to set you off then you will have no trouble, and it is good to find books that do cater for the more advanced beader. Knotting, crochet, braiding, macramé (try those Scoubidou techniques), wirework, stringing... it is all in here with a great modern twist.