Beading Books

When you are a Craftsperson who works with beads, nothing brings you more joy than beads. The YouTube videos and books that allow you to enter the world of beads are magical. From the Glass beads of Ghana, the Stone beads of Kenya, and to beads from other parts of the world, beads are simply wonderful.

I could string a decent set of beads in a row and manage to make an attractive necklace or bracelet naturally. My skills, however, improved when I participated in a Jewelry course as I got to go deeper into beads and bead weaving. In this blog, I will tell you about some beading books that have been and are still helping me to improve my skills and knowledge.

Fortunately, I discovered a book called African Beads Jewels Of The Continent written by Evelyn Simak  (Author), Carl Dreibelbis (Author), Jacob Liechty (Editor), Mark Donato (Illustrator),Lois Sherr Dubin.

The summary of the book on Amazon, says that, and I quote “this is the first book ever published to deal exclusively with African-made beads. In detailed chapters organized by material (bone and shell, wood and amber, stone, metal, glass) authors Evelyn Simak and Carl Dreibelbis trace the historical journey of bead making in Africa. Prefaced with an essay by Lois Sherr Dubin and accompanied by 163 color photographs, this magnificent book is a showcase for some of the rarest, most beautiful, and most collectible beads in the world.” The book is a treasure.

African Beads Jewels Of The Continent

The Illustrated Bead Bible

I was also pointed in the direction of another book called The Illustrated Bead Bible: Terms, Tips & Techniques written by by Theresa Flores Geary Ph.D. (Author), Debra Whalen (Photographer). The book has a tremendous amount of information and begins with the history of beads in the world. Topics such as “beading terms, tips, and techniques” “beading tables and charts” and various kinds of stitches are all discussed.

The book is very thick and the hardcover version is not easy to log around but if you love to read while holding an actual book in your hand, it is perfect.

Beads

There is another book that I hold in high regard and this is entitled Beads: An Exploration on Bead Traditions Around the World by Janet Coles  (Author), Robert Budwig (Author), Jonathan Lovekin (Photographer).  This book gives a grand view of beads in varied countries of the world and is quite interesting because there are some countries that you never knew, that beads were such a rich part of their culture and heritage.

Hopefully, you will get a chance to experience one or more of these books and I will add to this list as I find more good books. Thank you for taking the time to stop by.
See you in my next blog.

I grew up seeing my mother on the sewing machine a lot. Our house was always filled with fabric and I was bitten by the sewing bug at an early age. Today, in addition to Photography, I also make accessories and children’s clothing, under the Your Wardrobe Label.