Bead Chic by Margot Potter

This is my kind of fast beading. Margot mixes up wire, beads, and easy to do techniques to create fun, colorful jewelry. It’s a book for people who like working with wire but don’t want to do the filigree fanciness of a lot of the classic wire wrap projects and people who enjoy bead stringing.
The introduction includes information about the supplies, tools and techniques you’ll need to create the projects in the book. They are well photographed and explained. A good starting point for any beginner or hobbyist, it explains how to make wrapped loops, how to do rosary style chains, how to texture using a hammer and basics of creating clasps with wire.
The projects are simple, but written to explore different concepts in jewelry making. The first chapter is about scale. She shows a project like the Chaos In Pearls, and at the end of the project she shows a bracelet made using the same techniques but different colors and sizes of beads.
The next chapter is color.The projects are simple and very wearable. At the end of each project, she shows a different example in different colors which show how dramatically the look is changed by changing up the palette.How colors and bead types can change a project from funky to elegant to feminine to Bohemian.
Texture comes next. Again, by changing texture and layout of the skills used in the project, you can make something completely different. The Curlicue earrings are reinterpreted as a delicate pair of tendril earrings.
The following chapters are Pattern, Foundations and Focal Elements.
While the projects are simple, the design information is wonderful. I like the way she gives examples and encourages creativity.
My favorite projects in the book are Jacob’s Ladder Bracelet, the Effortless Elegance Earrings and the Love Hurts Earrings.
The Love Hurts Earrings are my very favorite. Combing copper donuts, texturing techniques, wire and beads with alphabet stamps, it’s a technique I’ll use a lot.