Beading with Cabochons: Simple Techniques for Beautiful Jewelry (Lark Jewelry Books)

I've been making handmade jewelry for almost 4 years. I started in the summer of 2008 at the suggestion of my oldest daughter in an attempt to bring in some much needed extra cash. I was SO broke that I couldn't afford to take any classes or buy books if I was going to buy ANY supplies to actually make the jewelry! I read everything that I could find for free. Online, in the library, at the book store, ANYWHERE I could get my hands on something. I sold several pieces very quickly and finally began to be able to purchase a few books, then some magazine subscriptions... Over the years, I've amassed quite the collection of beading books. But I wanted to branch out in my skill set and do some beading embroidery. I looked at lots of books and finally I decided on Jamie's book, "Beading with Cabochons". I'm now on my second project and I have to say that, HANDS DOWN, this is THE BEST beading book I have EVER SEEN in almost 4 years of beading! The instructions are SO well done! They are concise, well worded, well drawn, well photographed and VERY WELL organized! I have only found one place that I had wished that there was a little more diagramming done, but truthfully, I'm not sure that that wasn't just me being tired and not understanding what I was reading! Really! I PROMISE YOU, EVEN IF YOU'VE NEVER DONE ANY BEADING, YOU CAN DO THIS! Her photos are beautiful, clear, well detailed closeups, and show a VERY BROAD range of what can be done! I am SO impressed with her writing that I can't wait until I get to check out the next book she puts out! I will definitely be buying it!!! GO!!! Buy with confidence! But most importantly, go have FUN in your beading and NEVER forget to keep having fun while beading! If you stop having fun, then you're being to hard on yourself! (and I'm a perfectionist saying that! :-)

I have waited years for a book on beading with cabochons. Leave it to Lark books to provide the beautiful color pictures and quality paper book that we prefer. Lark always seems to have better-than-average technique-type books, and this one is no exception. The pictures are plentiful, clear and Jamie Cloud Eakin's work is inspiring and impressive. Just the kind of pictures I like to see when looking for examples of technique. Lovely, lovely, lovely! I am another "Woman of 100 Hobbies" and have an extensive library of books, including beading. What does this book provide that others do not? The only other book I own that provides much in the way of step-by-step directions for working with cabs is Sadie Starr's 1993 publication _Beading with Seed Beads, Gem Stones and Cabochons_. While Ms. Starr's book provided us with her basic cabochon technique (amongst her other seed-bead and gemstone experience), it was in black and white with color plate pages elsewhere, depicted mostly southwest style, and really just whetted your appetite and curiosity for working with cabs. Beading with Cabochons reaches beyond the basics and offers such attractive variations! I love Eakin's style and find myself "champing at the bit" to try my own variations, and isn't that what a good book should do? While we go from basic to more advanced styles, these are not your average-looking cab projects. I think they have more class/chic/dash than the traditional southwest style I am accustomed to seeing so often. (No disparagement or offense meant to the southwest/Native American style, of course; each has its place! It is simply not MY style most of the time. Know what I mean?) Table of Contents includes: 1) Materials and Tools, 2) Basic Cabochon Beading, 3) Edge Stitches [Raw edge, Turned-bead edge, Lifted turned-bead edge, Pointed edge, Twisted edge, Star edge (using brick stitch), Ruffled edge (using brick stitch), Scalloped edge, and Fringes], 4) Attachment Methods (and variations thereof) [Direct, Turn-bead method, Backside bead method, Top-bail ladder stitch method, and Top loop method], 5) Other Bezel Stitches [Bead-raised bezel, Window bezel, Picot bezel, and variations], 6) The Projects, and 7) Creating Your Own Designs [color considerations, design steps (from concept to completion), jewelry-specific tips, other design considerations, using multiple cabs/ other objects]; a Gallery of cabochon jewelry by other artists; an Appendix on attaching findings; an Index to stitches; and supplier notes. The 11 projects include: Fringed Dichroic Glass Necklace, Oval Solitaire Rhodonite Bracelet, Noondrite Jasper Necklace, Sea Moss Ladder Bracelet, Double Cabochon Dangle Earrings, Leopardskin Jasper Necklace, Black Onyx Pin, Victorian Triple Cabochon Bracelet, Southwest Spirit Necklace, Fringed Tiger-Eye Cabochon Earrings and Crazy Lace Agate Pin. I came away feeling that Eakin knew what she was talking about, even providing us with helpful information about minutiae such as Glue: If/when using glue, instead of just selecting a glue suitable for glass, stones or fabric, "The key to selecting one glue brand over another is knowing what the glue's texture will be after it dries."; Scissors: Good, sharp blades are obvious, but curved manicure scissors are especially good for trimming and (surprise) curves; and Knots: Did you know there's a secure, one-thread knot when you cannot tie a square knot? My only "complaint": The very fine-line ellipse thingy used on the title of each beginning chapter page. I have 2 dogs and 2 cats and I keep thinking that it's a hair! Ha!

Wow, this is a wonderful book of how to...from start to finish you will have all that you need at your fingertips. This book was sugested as a go-along with the book I was set on buying and I think it was great advice to have both. The directions are clear and step by step. The projects are fundamental and easy to build on. Once you do the different stitches, you are all set to make your work personal and as elaborate as you desire. There are loads of pictures all through the book as you are guided to do edge finishes and fringes and even necklace attachments. I am a novice 'seed-beader' and have acquired a lot of confidence from this book "Beading with Cabochons" and am now working on an elaborate project.

I am a self-taught fiber crafter who has recently branched out into beads. I bought this book to expand my knowledge of beaded embroidery. I count on directions in books to be clear and precise. Beading with Cabochons doesn't disappoint in that regard. The directions are clear with good text and photographs. I have successfully followed these directions which is the true litmus test. After the initial chapters explicating the basic techniques, Beading with Cabochons has several projects where these skills can be applied. I tend to jump off into my own designs, so can only speak tangentially to the projects. I have used pieces of them to create my own pieces but haven't done an entire project from start to finish. I rate this book a solid five stars for clarity of instruction, beauty of materials and wealth of photographic detail. This book was everything that I hoped it would be and more. Highly recommended.

If you work through half the projects in this book you will understand and be able to create jewelry with cabochons. The instructions are clear and well illustrated. The major weakness of the book is the lack of a resources list. On the final page, you are directed to the publishers (Lark) website for resources. The site is totally inadequate. Cabochons are not readily available at bead stores and if they have them there is a limited selection. Knowing where an author obtains supplies is a often a qualitative learning experience.

I first came aware of this book at our beading group and immediatley ordered it. She gives you so many options of doing simple to very decorative cabachon work. Her instructions are simple, easily understandable & uses great example pictures. In other books you maylook at a picture and wonder what technique was used. In this book, right under the picture she tells how she tells you what technique to use. You don't have to go hunting in the book looking for these techniques; they are organized in chapters. You start out very basic and they she build up from there. I have several books on cabachon beading and this is by far the best one I own and the one that I refer to all the time.

Excellent

Beautifully done book with simple yet very instructive directions. I will be trying this process soon.