Beading with Cabochons: Simple Techniques for Beautiful Jewelry

by Jamie Cloud Eakin

With this gloriously photographed and illustrated manual at hand, beaders can create awe-inspiring jewelry. It's the only current, comprehensive guide to working with cabochons--a flat piece of rock or mineral--and it covers all the basics, along with a range of new creative techniques and hot trends. Find out which tools and materials to use, which beads work best, and how to wrap them round the stones. Craft turned, pointed, twisted, brick stitch,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1579907180
• ISBN13: 9781579907181
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Lark Books (NC)
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.8" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

Best book for your beading reference library

I already own a copy of this book (and hope to get another copy as a spare I use mine so much). I was first introduced to it at my PT job at a craft store where I also taught basic jewelry making and beading. This book is by far one of the best instructional books I have ever had/used. With easy step by step instructions and descriptive/detailed diagrams this is definitely one to have in your reference library (maybe even two).

THE best cabochon-beading book available to date.

I have waited years for a book on beading with cabochons. Leave it to Lark books to provide the beautiful color pictures and quality paper book that we prefer. Lark always seems to have better-than-average technique-type books, and this one is no exception. The pictures are plentiful, clear and Jamie Cloud Eakin's work is inspiring and impressive. Just the kind of pictures I like to see when looking for examples of technique. Lovely, lovely, lovely! I am another "Woman of 100 Hobbies" and have an extensive library of books, including beading. What does this book provide that others do not? The only other book I own that provides much in the way of step-by-step directions for working with cabs is Sadie Starr's 1993 publication _Beading with Seed Beads, Gem Stones and Cabochons_. While Ms. Starr's book provided us with her basic cabochon technique (amongst her other seed-bead and gemstone experience), it was in black and white with color plate pages elsewhere, depicted mostly southwest style, and really just whetted your appetite and curiosity for working with cabs. Beading with Cabochons reaches beyond the basics and offers such attractive variations! I love Eakin's style and find myself "champing at the bit" to try my own variations, and isn't that what a good book should do? While we go from basic to more advanced styles, these are not your average-looking cab projects. I think they have more class/chic/dash than the traditional southwest style I am accustomed to seeing so often. (No disparagement or offense meant to the southwest/Native American style, of course; each has its place! It is simply not MY style most of the time. Know what I mean?) Table of Contents includes: 1) Materials and Tools, 2) Basic Cabochon Beading, 3) Edge Stitches [Raw edge, Turned-bead edge, Lifted turned-bead edge, Pointed edge, Twisted edge, Star edge (using brick stitch), Ruffled edge (using brick stitch), Scalloped edge, and Fringes], 4) Attachment Methods (and variations thereof) [Direct, Turn-bead method, Backside bead method, Top-bail ladder stitch method, and Top loop method], 5) Other Bezel Stitches [Bead-raised bezel, Window bezel, Picot bezel, and variations], 6) The Projects, and 7) Creating Your Own Designs [color considerations, design steps (from concept to completion), jewelry-specific tips, other design considerations, using multiple cabs/ other objects]; a Gallery of cabochon jewelry by other artists; an Appendix on attaching findings; an Index to stitches; and supplier notes. The 11 projects include: Fringed Dichroic Glass Necklace, Oval Solitaire Rhodonite Bracelet, Noondrite Jasper Necklace, Sea Moss Ladder Bracelet, Double Cabochon Dangle Earrings, Leopardskin Jasper Necklace, Black Onyx Pin, Victorian Triple Cabochon Bracelet, Southwest Spirit Necklace, Fringed Tiger-Eye Cabochon Earrings and Crazy Lace Agate Pin. I came away feeling that Eakin knew what she was talking about, even providing us with helpful information about minuti

utterly brilliant

this is a fabulous book. the instructions, from beginning and ending threads to embellishing the basic beaded bezel to incorporating it into jewelry--and everything in-between--are well-written, clear and thorough--nothing is overlooked (well, she doesn't illustrate how to thread a needle, as one of my other craft books does, but that's hardly a fault!). the instructions are accompanied by excellent photos and line drawings. i usually have a hard time learning from print rather than demonstration, but this book makes learning incredibly easy. the designs are wonderful and the variety is amazing. i have subscribed to major beading magazines for years and have not seen anything like many of eakin's designs. they are all beautiful, many are elegant. the methods for attaching the finished cabochons to necklaces or into bracelets are creative, simple and beautiful. the color combinations are fantastic. this is one of the finest craft books i have seen in decades of doing a large number of techniques. a beginner could produce a wonderful first project and an experienced beader will be inspired.

Jewelry makers will relish this lovely gathering of photographs and how-to beading directions

Jewelry makers will relish this lovely gathering of photographs and how-to beading directions, which is the only current guide to the rock. From working with the mineral and finding the best piece to using tools and beads to maximum effect, chapters direct the user to mastering various basic beading techniques to add effects to the cabochon. From bracelets to necklaces in a range of styles, BEADING WITH CABOCHONS: SIMPLE TECHNIQUES FOR BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY is not to be missed. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

A great beading book

I first came aware of this book at our beading group and immediatley ordered it. She gives you so many options of doing simple to very decorative cabachon work. Her instructions are simple, easily understandable & uses great example pictures. In other books you maylook at a picture and wonder what technique was used. In this book, right under the picture she tells how she tells you what technique to use. You don't have to go hunting in the book looking for these techniques; they are organized in chapters. You start out very basic and they she build up from there. I have several books on cabachon beading and this is by far the best one I own and the one that I refer to all the time.

Great for beginners or experienced beaders

This is a wonderful book! If you have ever wanted to make a cab or odd-shaped stone look great...this is the book for you. Even experienced beaders can learn a trick or two here. The newbie can make a necklace to turn heads with these directions.