ay Natal pisys\6 Embroidery Technique, Design, & Inspiration mete BYy poseWy a) rwSil + WORKS OO Pk STs i a i Wie LPsovepord “Cventhing on the surface seems to move. | see circles, spirals, and loops. And symmetry.” “The first tme | saw the photo of Sherry Serafin’s beadwork on the cover of Bead&Button magazine in 2003, |was transfixed and unable to put the page down, | went to clean the sink and kept going back to study the beadwork. | finally went to the copy store and made color copies s0 | could have the im age wth me — in my studi, in my car, and over the sink. How was this type ‘of work done? Would | ever be able to bead with such majestic stitches? Ineed a boot! ‘A few weeks later, a friend told me about Heidi Kummirs piece that won frst placein the bead category of the Saul Bell Design Awards, andl went to her Web site to see her work. Her pieces are at once ethereal and amotional. was delighted to fnd thai she lives a stort distance from me and scon thereafter, wwe met when she was a guast artist in a bead store. I saw her beautifl beaded jewelry and bags and once more, |was mesmerized. | returned several times to stuty these lovely nieces during the evening and left feeling inspired and ‘excited. It's aificutt o sleep when you see that knd of beaded art, ‘Altrough | had done some bead embroidery, | had rat seen embroidery techniques, charms, and cabochans used inthis way. |am fascinated by tiny seed beads that was back wien] thought 11°s were tiny) and had started to Use thern in my own work. But sesing Skerry and Heid’s works of art gave new meaning to those tiny bits of glass, Like most bead artists, | was curious and fascinated and wanted to learn ‘more about bead embroidery methods. What fcundations and glues would one use? Where does one start, or for that matter, fnish? And, | wondered where to find such unusual materals to ncorperate into a beaded pece. ‘The Art of Bead Embroidery: Technigso, Design, and Inspiration will answer these questions and more. You will be inspired by these two very talented and prolife women: one who works in an upstairs space high in the Rocky Mour tains and the other who works in her kitchen near a big city in Pennsylvania, Both artists are surrounded wth the sights end sounds of the real world: family, kids, pets, confusion, and even chaos at times. But it doesnt slow. down their a life. In that way they are centered and profound. No matter where we are or what our circumstances, to bead isa solitary activity for the most part. fs fun to bead ith our friends, but the real discovery happens as we sit with the beads, placing them one ata time on the needle and, watching thet idea form and become soniething seducive and poetic. ny Could Ihave had a book like this to do a bock report on at schoo? I Took at this book many times and read itfrom cover to cover. Sherry and Heidi have given us a complete, no secrets allowed, lovoly to gazeupon book. May you feel the tril of inspiration as 1 have. —Janet Kay Skeen Janet ay Shee, eva Joe fom nee Planet, es sh her woxkin the eraeae raven ‘ows The Beate Cloth and The Beaded igure. Se tod wo pieces in Beas ternational 206. Janet ta wen rics and ec about beadorktouhout he United States. She nes 5 most days, teaches beadwork, ative nthe Roky Mouran Beat Soci, pats it, nl has tea wth ints 35 oten as pestle