• New Crystal Colors for 2010
• Must-Have Titles for Your Beading Library

Must-Have Titles for Your Beading Library

Jewelry-making and beading books are my favorite part of Amazon.com. Since I know beading and many authors of beading books, picking a particular title is easy for me. If you're looking to buy a book for a bead enthusiast or seeking items for your holiday wish list, following are some titles to consider.

Mixed-media fans or those looking to expand their design ideas and skills will fall in love with Enchanted Adornments by Cynthia Thornton and will appreciate the innovative techniques she shares. This recently released book is a fairy-tale mixture of materials, ideas and possibilities. Or mix a little media with Impatient Crafter Margot Potter's Beyond the Bead: Making Jewelry With Unexpected Finds. Margot's wit and whimsy come alive on wrists, necks and earlobes, starting readers on a journey of self-expression and fearless craftiness.

If your desire is wire, open up a copy of Bead on a Wire by Sharilyn Miller and break out your pliers. Sharilyn's years of bending wire and teaching students is immediately apparent in the projects included in this book. Her explanations about tools and techniques are insightful, specific and clearly photographed to help the reader build skills to make spectacular wire jewelry.

Seed beaders and lovers of crystal have many options for books. For those who enjoy peyote stitch, Laura McCabe's Creating Crystal Jewelry is a sure bet for sparkly precision-engineered designs. Another strong title for peyote stitch is Beading With Peyote Stitch by Jeanette Cook and Vicki Star. This book covers all the basics and provides fun variations along with great visuals and a stunning gallery of inspiring work.

Beaders seeking a comprehensive guide to multiple stitches will treasure Creative Bead Weaving: A Contemporary Guide to Classic Off-Loom Stitches by Carol Wilcox Wells. This well-designed and beautifully illustrated book is a perfect guide to learning many stitches and features a great inspirational gallery.

Fans of right-angle weave will be drawn to Beaded Opulence by weaving master Marcia DeCoster. This newly released title from Lark Books showcases exquisitely detailed designs, beads and components that are elegant and wearable. If you want a book that encompasses wire, seed beads and stringing, consider Seed Bead Fusion by Rachel Nelson-Smith, another newly released book packed with excellent photos and inspirational designs that mix seed beads with wire and stringing techniques.

Silver clay is a revolutionary material with great possibilities for jewelry and sculptural applications. Since it is a newer material, videos seem to be a more popular method for teaching it than books. Once asked, most artists who use silver clay recommend Art of Metal Clay by Sherri Haab and Structural Metal Clay by Kate McKinnon. Art of Metal Clay will be re-released in July 2010 as an expanded and revised edition, accompanied by a DVD. Both Haab and McKinnon are experienced teachers, experts in this medium, and pioneers of new and expanded techniques.

Metalsmiths universally agree that Tim McCreight's The Complete Metalsmith is the bible of metalwork. Even the small student edition is packed full of charts, illustrations and information on a broad range of techniques used to make jewelry. Cold connections, working with torches, metal options, and even health and safety issues are addressed, solidifying the popularity and usability of this book as the reference for metalwork.

All of the books mentioned here can be found on Amazon.com, with the exception of Kate McKinnon's, which can be found on her Web site, KateMcKinnon.com.