Sherry Serafini has been called the "Rock Star" of the beading world, and in her latest book, "Sherry Serafini's Sensational Bead Embroidery", we get to find out why. Her latest book gives an in-depth look at just how she creates these amazing pieces of bead embroidered jewelry. It picks up where she left off with her first volume, "The Art of Bead Embroidery, co-written with fellow bead embroidery artist Heidi Kummli, and goes into much more detail about her bead embroidery techniques, her design ideas, and the materials used in her bead embroidered pieces.
There are 25 jewelry projects in this book, covering pins/brooches, necklaces, collars, pendants, rings, earrings and cuff bracelets. For each project, Sherry gives a complete supply list, and she also notes where she used one-of-a-kind components for each project. The supply lists might look intimidating to some beaders, but most of the materials are relatively easy to find at your local bead shop or from your favorite online bead shop.
Throughout the book, we get a sampling of photographs of some of Sherry's best-known works, and there is a small gallery of bead embroidered works at the end of the book, including wearable and non-wearable pieces by Diane Hyde, Heidi Kummli, NanC Meinhardt and Laura McCabe.
Looking at the pictures of the projects might scare off a new or inexperienced beader. However, reading the directions and the basic embroidery technique tutorials in the book made me realize that these are very intricate pieces made with very basic techniques and materials. It's Sherry's choice of colors and bead sizes that make these projects look complex. The directions also include templates for collars and bracelets that you can easily trace, cut out and enlarge to use when creating your own bead embroidered pieces.
Overall, this is a magnificent book that deserves a place in every serious beaders' collection. Sherry's artistry and talent for teaching come through in every page to make this book a must-have for new and experienced beaders alike.
You can see more of Sherry's work and get her teaching schedule on her website, Sherry Serafini Beaded Body Adornment.
For more information about this and other volumes in the Lark Beadweaving Master Class book series, visit Lark Crafts.