The Crafty Princess Diaries

Break the Rules Bead Embroidery: 22 Jewelry Projects Featuring Innovative Materials (Bead Inspirations) by Diane Hyde is a combination of projects that include bead embroidery, found objects, and mixed-media. It is published by Lark and come out in May 2014. It retails for $24.95 in the US and $26.95 in Canada.

Definitely the projects and techniques in this book will appeal to jewelry makers who have a certain type of fun and whimsical taste when it comes to making jewelry. You will find anything from a cuff bracelet that has baby chickens attached to it to heirloom-looking necklaces created with filigree components and photocopied photographs. All of the jewelry designs are dramatic and “out there” and not for the faint of heart. Reading through the list of tools and supplies needed for each project reminded me of reading through the list of ingredients in a gourmet recipe: there are a lot of them! And while some of them may be a little unique (like the little chickens), there are found objects that you may already have around your house that you can use like thimbles, scrabble tiles, and dice.

As I said, the projects are dramatic, not something you would wear if you don’t want to be seen. However, I could also see how some of these could easily be toned down a little for more day-to-day wearable pieces if you wanted to go in that direction. For example, the “Snap Out of It Necklace” incorporates tiny shells, crystals, and gold and natural colored seed beads. It is a beautiful piece and not as ornate as some of the other designs.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to make statement pieces that are fun and daring. You should also probably have a fair amount of jewelry experience; however, I will say that there are a large number of step by step color photographs for each project, which would be helpful for adventurous beginners.