Dot's Bookcase: Jamie Cloud Eakin Bead Embroidery Jewelry Projects

Bead Embroidery Jewelry Projects: Design and Construction, Ideas and Inspiration

Jamie Cloud Eakin

Imagine a Baseball field with the green grass freshly mowed, blue skies blushing in the late hours, and the Sun throwing down sparkling kisses to caress the faces of those watching from the stands.  Up to the bat comes Jamie with a Bead Embroidered bat slung over her shoulder.  The pitch comes almost blinding her with the twinkling of thousands of crystals.  She swings and makes it to first base with her 2005 Beading with Cabochons.  Looking up the ball is rising higher and higher to touch the Sun so she takes off and reaches second base with her 2010 Bugle Bead Bonanza.  Still the ball is hurtling toward the upper reaches of the stands, so she takes third bases with 2011 Dimensional Bead Embroidery.  Still the ball grabs the sky refusing to let gravity take it, and Jamie hits home base with 2013 Bead Embroidery Jewelry Projects.  The crowd is standing as Jamie stands with at coveted Home Run under her belt.  She finds herself showered with a bucket of energy drink colored crystals as her fans cheer her new endeavor with great enthusiasm.  This is all playing in a big screen in the back of my mine as I greedily work my way through Jamie Cloud Eakin’s fourth marvelous book.  

With each of her four books that evolve around the bead weaving technique of Bead Embroidery, Jamie takes her followers step by step into the world of color, form and texture.  Bead Embroidery Projects is the next logical step by combining design and construction beginning with a tip on how to make your own personal collar to manipulating components using the tips and ideas she has given the designer to advance and compliment their skills in jewelry making to create unique individual pieces of art.  

In the project Loop de Loop Necklace (pg. 29), she explores a simple design made stunning by adding dimensional techniques.  With English Garden (pg. 47), she shows how working with multiple focal cabochons can change the appearance of the piece.  I was excited to see that she suggest recording the experiments with pictures for future references.  I do this, and it is something that I’ll go back to again and again to decide if I really did make the correct adjustments to the design element.

With the project My Fair Lady Necklace (pg 62), the object of the lesson is to using multiple focal components assembled by experimenting with how the draping strands of seed beads and stone at stress connection points can change the design and visual appearance of the piece.

The project Circulating Round Necklace concentrates on design and construction using connections of components and additional connections for a stabilizing effect of the assembled pieces.  Jamie here recommends two connections with each component construction that is a great idea as I myself have struggled with twisting and turning components in past constructed necklaces.

Then Jamie shows how using Asymmetrical designs with the project Waterfall Necklace (pg 97) can change the visual appearance have a piece while taking the assemblage of the individual components to new heights of completion.

The remainder of the book is filled with earring and bracelet projects that though smaller have just as much thought into construction and design as a larger necklace project.  She shows multiple variations for each project to stimulate creative experimentation.  One of my favorite bracelet projects is Marquis Magic Bracelet (pg 133) that pulls a positive visual response with color and the use of multiple components.  And then who doesn’t enjoy a big doses of eye candy in the gallery pages which I was thrilled as I saw a friend of mine (Arline Lewis), whose work I love and several pieces she’s gifted me with, showcased in the gallery.

If you love Bead Embroidery as much as I do, then do not hesitate to add Jamie’s fourth book to your permanent collection.  And if you don’t have the other three books, then definitely go out and purchase them as I can guarantee you will not be disappointed with the thought and work Jamie has put into each and every project. 

 As always, LarkJewelry and Beading has given the reader a fantastic layout with Bead Embroidery Jewelry Projects.  All I’m saying is that Jamie has hit that “ball” so high knocking it outside of the ball park that it just might find itself up in the heavens twinkling down on each of us every night reminding us to create, experiment and enjoy.

Disclosure...As a reviewer of  products from Lark Books, I receive the book above free of charge. I have been asked to review these products and give my honest opinion of the products...positive or negative. I am not being compensated by Lark Books for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.