Creating Crystal Jewelry with Swarovski: 65 Sparkling Designs with Crystal Beads and Stones

Elegant, old-world jewelry with modern style.

Working with world-famous Swarovski crystal beads, author Laura McCabe creates luminous necklaces, earrings, pendants, and rings for beaders of every skill level. The author provides complete step-by-step instruction for 20 projects (10 for beginners) -- and presents 45 more in a photo gallery of design variations, teaching readers how to vary colors and shapes to create custom effects. All 65 designs are made with only three simple beadwork techniques: flat peyote stitch, tubular peyote stitch, and spiral rope. Laura McCabe also provides a chapter on making decorative embellishments, such as bezels, picots, berry clusters, and branch fringe. The concise instructions are illustrated with easy-to-follow illustrations.

• Beaders of any skill level can create their own high-end, boutique-style jewelry
• Goes beyond stringing to teach readers three basic beadweaving techniques and principles of design
• Only book on market endorsed by the worldÆs leading manufacturer of cut-crystal beads

Beadwork artist Laura McCabe, of Stonington, Connecticut, exhibits and sells her jewelry throughout the world -- and to more than 2,000 international clients through her own website www.lauramccabejewelry.com. She regularly teaches workshops in the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. She also participates in the Bead & Button Show, Beadwork International, and other large conferences and competitions.

Her work has appeared in Ornament magazine, Beadwork magazine, Lapidary Journal, and Bead & Button magazine. She is also one of the invited designers featured in QuarryÆs Creative Cloth Doll Beading book by Patti Medaris Culea.