Bead and Jewellery issue 72 is currently out, so here's Katie's editorial to give you a quick peek into what you'll be getting in this 'Inspired by art' issue:
"Last summer the magazine celebrated travel, so this year, as I was thinking about how to theme this summer’s issue, I started thinking about things that we might do on our travels, or even at home. It may be because I live in the UK and we’re not known for our brilliantly hot and sunny summers, but I thought about an afternoon spent in an art gallery. I was also thinking about the way in which different arts and crafts inform and inspire one another. So, with these thoughts in mind, I gave our designers a brief to create a project ‘Inspired by Art’. I hope you will agree with me when I say that this has been a fabulous theme. We have jewellery that is perfect for accessorising your summer wardrobe, but which has also demonstrated how fertile art movements, artists and works of art can be as a source of design inspiration.
If you love your traditional seed beads, then you will love reading this issue’s designer profile: Stefano Di Marco turns his seed beads into mosaics that are real works of art. You can have your own fun with seed beads with a lovely pendant necklace from Nicole Stanley or a challenging geometric cuff from Hortense Thompson. Bead embroidery is always a brilliant way to turn beads into works of art, so I am bringing you a special guest ‘Tips, Tricks and Techniques’ to help you start designing your own Bead Embroidery. If you need a bit of courage to work up to that, then I have two lovely cuffs that you can try. Liz McClurg shows you a very simple way to incorporate small amounts of bead embroidery into summer jewellery, while Marcia Balonis has an Art Deco idea that you will just love. If you want to continue trying some of the newer shapes in the seed beads, then I will be bringing you some ideas for DiamondDuos in Design and I found that Chilli beads are perfect for working in a Rococo theme. Riverside Beads have incorporated Pip beads into a pretty, but simple summer design and Justine Gage has used Superduos in a bracelet inspired by the work of Bridget Reilly. Beadsmith Squaddie, Erika Sandor and Starman Trendsetter, Sue Charette-Hood have been inspired by the Art Deco and Miriam Haskell’s 1950s jewellery. Rachel Hyde brings you the perfect beachwear Macrame jewellery and Debbie Hodoyer has a set of jewellery to switch to for those long summer evenings. So, whether you are taking your beads on your travels or enjoying the long, light evenings in your own garden or backyard, I hope this issue will fill your beading time with fun."
Happy beading!
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