"Bead It Like You Mean It" dvd review & giveaway

I was honored when Lyric Kinard asked me to review her wonderful new dvd, "Bead It Like You Mean It" and participate in a blog hop and giveaway.  In addition to being an artist whose work I admire a great deal, Lyric is truly an excellent teacher.  After viewing this dvd I can tell you that it was time well-spent!  Are you a bead collector?  Check out this little teaser on YouTube.  

 I must tell you that everything I know about beading (up until watching Lyric's dvd) I learned the hard way.  When I think back to one of my first beaded quilts, a small journal quilt that was LOADED with heavy beads and traveled to several quilt show venues for a year, I am a bit mortified.  When the quilt returned home there were beads that were barely hanging onto the surface of the quilt.  Yikes!   Oh, how I wish I had watched Lyric's dvd before that quilt left my studio!   I would have known the proper way to secure heavy beads to my quilt surface, how to protect bead thread from those sharp-ended bugle beads, and more.  I consider this dvd a visual reference guide and "how to" for beading.

"Bead It Like You Mean It" is an excellent dvd for everyone from the novice beader to the experienced bead artist.  Techiques include learning basic beading techniques to more complex configurations, all demonstrated in a clear, concise manner.  Information is included about choosing beading thread, needles, and other helpful tips.  I feel certain that there is somthing here for even the most experienced bead artist.  After watching this workshop I now know how to create beaded bezel cages to house a cabochon!  Woo Hoo!  And, the best part about it:  Lyric explains the process so clearly that I had no difficulty understanding the steps.

I appreciate how the workshop is divided into chapters.  It is so much easier to refer back to a specific technique.  The workshop is well-edited with two camera inputs:  one of the instructor and her work surface, the other a close-up from above her hands, allowing the viewer to really scrutinize the technique.

Hats off to Bonnie McCaffery, who is the videographer of the dvd.

Another stand-out demonstration is Lyric's technique for attaching beading to a finished quilt in a manner that completely hides the knots and beading thread on the front AND back of the quilt!  

Now for the fun part:  I have a copy of "Bead It Like You Mean It" to give away on September 24th!

For a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment on my blog about your last bead-related project.  How did you use beads in the project?  I will draw from the list of comments and the lucky winner will receive Lyric's dvd!  

Please stop by the other participating artists on our blog hop:

Sept 15  Larkin Van Horn http://blog.larkinart.com/
Sept 16 Susan Sorell http://www.creativechick.com/blog/
Sept 19 Kelli Nina Perkins http://ephemeralalchemy.blogspot.com/
Sept 21  Sharon Chapman http://wildflowerhouse.blogspot.com/
Sept 23 Leslie Tucker Jenison http://leslietuckerjenison.blogspot.com/
Sept 26 Carla Sonheim http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/
Sept 28 Gloria Hansen http://www.gloriahansen.com/weblog/
Sept 30 Laura Wasilowski http://artfabrik.blogspot.com/
Oct 3  Carol Sloane http://carolbsloan.blogspot.com/
Oct 5 Sue Bleiweiss http://www.suebleiweiss.com/blog/
Oct 7  Jill Berry http://jillberrydesign.com/blog/
Oct 10 Jane LaFazio http://janeville.blogspot.com/
Oct 12 Tracie Lynn Huskamp http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com/

Don't forget to leave your comment here for a chance to win!

Thanks for stopping by.

And the winner is:  Cat Stone!  Thanks so much for leaving comments, everyone!  Those of you who did not win, don't forget to stop by Lyric's website to purchase your copy of "Bead It Like You Mean It"!  I hope you will continue to stop by my blog, too.  It has been a pleasure.    Leslie