Katie Hacker - Hip to Bead

HIP TO BEAD 32 Contemporary Projects for Todays Beader Katie Hacker

This book is dedicated, as always, to my husband, Craig, and our families. Im grateful for their constant support and encouragement. I would also like to thank the team at Interweave Press for contributing their considerable talents, time, and energy to this book. Grateful thanks to all of the companies who generously provided beads and stringing materials. Special thanks to my fellow artist-entrepreneurs and Society of Creative Designers members, especially: Debba Haupert, Lisa Galvin, Margot Potter, and Mary Lynn Maloney for their advice and insights into the writing process. Thanks also to Kate Carter for knitting and felting the lovely aqua handbag and to Fernando Dasilva for collaborating on the glamorous ear-threader idea.

Grateful thanks to all of the companies who generously provided beading supplies for use in this book: Beadalon; Blue Moon Beads; Fire Mountain Gems and Beads; Halcraft USA, Inc.; JHB International; Kristal Wick Creations; Lillypilly Designs; Paula Radke Dichroic Glass Beads; Pure Allure; Rio Grande; Swarovski North America, Ltd.; Thunderbird Supply Company; and Toho Co., Ltd.

PROJECTS Ever since I made my first friendship bracelet, Ive been in love with handmade jewelry. During high school, I experimented with simple earrings and necklaces and, while in college, I got interested in hemp jewelry and macram. I love the way a piece of jewelry can complete your whole outfit. Dont you? Beads come in such a wide variety of shapes, forms, and colors and have such an interesting cultural and historical significance that theyre a veritable treasure trove for the imagination. This is a step-by-step idea book that features projects that you can make in an evening or a weekend. This is a step-by-step idea book that features projects that you can make in an evening or a weekend.

The Basics section includes general information about beads, components, stringing materials, and tools, and its the perfect place to start if youre a beginner or just need a good reference. No matter what your skill level is, youre sure to discover a project in the following pages that sparks your imagination. The projects cover basic assembly, stringing, knotting, wirework, bead embroidery, and bead weaving, and they are divided into chapters based on technique. The easier projects at the beginning lead to more complex projects toward the end. Be sure to check out the sidebars and variations for additional information, ideas, and tips. As you create your own hip versions of these projects, youll find that its refreshing to make something practical, beautiful, and beaded.

Theres no better feeling than being able to say I made it myself!

The secret to making your own designer jewelry and beaded gifts is using beautiful beads, classy components, and durable stringing materials and tools. In this section, youll find descriptions of everything youll need to make your own hip creations. Beads are available in an incredible variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and materials. They come in every price range, too, so its easy to find beads that fit your vision and your budget. Heres a sampling of the beads used in this book, along with tips and ideas for how to use them. Base metal silver beads are made of nonprecious metals such as aluminum, brass, copper, and nickel.

Theyre more economical than sterling silver beads but cannot be polished to remove tarnish. Bugle beads are glass beads made of cut glass cane. Bugle beads tend to have very sharp edges, so use them with durable beading thread or beading wire. Crystal beads are mainly made in Austria. These leaded glass beads add sparkle to beaded designs and are available in a variety of shapes (round, bicone, cube, briolette). Crystal pearls are leaded glass beads with a pearl finish. Crystal pearls are leaded glass beads with a pearl finish.

Their heft is similar to cultured pearls without the price tag. Dichroic glass beads are made of layers of sparkly multicolored glass. They tend to be heavy, so use them with stringing materials appropriate for their weight. Fire-polished beads are typically less expensive and less abrasive than crystal beads and add a fair amount of sparkle to beaded designs. A surface finish called aurora borealis (AB) is sometimes added to create a rainbowlike effect. Freshwater pearls are much less expensive than cultured pearls and add a lustrous quality to beaded designs.

Hole size is often an issue, so keep a bead reamer (see ) handy for enlarging them. Gemstone beads come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and materials, from translucent amethyst to opaque jet. Good quality gemstones have evenly drilled holes that are perfectly centered on the stone. Use a bead reamer to file abrasive or uneven bead holes. Handpainted silk beads are tube shapes made of stiffened silk.

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