The latest addition to Lark Crafts' Beadweaving Master Class series: Japanese Beadwork with Sonoko Nozue is simply stunning. I had the pleasure of perusing this breathtaking book, and I have to say, it's left me charmed and inspired.The first thing I noticed when browsing through this book was the striking visual aesthetic of the photography. Each project is shown on the same model. She is lovely and classic-looking, and appears in black and white. The jewelry she wears is in full color, and stands off the page in an eye-catching contrast. It's a really beautiful way to showcase the jewelry.
And oh, the jewelry! Sonoko Nozue has used beadweaving to create some of the most delicate, feminine and beautiful pieces of jewelry in this book. It feels like such a treat to look through the pictures and know that the instructions provided will enable us to recreate these exquisite pieces. It left me with my fingers itching to pick out some beads and get to weaving!
The projects range from simply beautiful one stitch pieces to more intricate, advanced skill level pieces. But even these harder projects are built upon basic stitch foundations which have been combined in very interesting ways. The instructions are mostly visual, with clear, easy to follow diagrams, and just a bit of written guidance to bring you step by step through the project.
Beadweaving is one of my favorite jewelry making techniques. So all of the books in the Beadweaving Master Class series are particularly inspiring to me, and this one is especially lovely. If it looks like something you might also enjoy, pop on over to Lark Crafts' website, where you can download a free PDF of one of the projects in the book: the beautiful Crystal Rose Necklace. You can get a taste first hand, and you may just become as big a fan of Sonoko's work as I have.
-Megan
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