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The Basic Bead Work Series is a set of 12 videos that cover a wide range of beading techniques. They are thorough and easy to follow, providing plenty of material to interest beginners as well as more advanced beaders who want to pick up new skills. When the case of videos arrived at our house, my seven-year-old daughter immediately tore into it and selected the Basic Round Peyote Stitch video for a trial run. At the start of each video, the instructor, Barbara Robinson, gives a basic introduction, as well as a list of materials needed for each lesson. Though she seems nervous, she relaxes into the stride of a confident teacher once the instruction begins. Her firm grasp of the material and her clear, straightforward presentation make it easy to follow along. I appreciated the way the video is shot over the instructor's shoulder. This perspective makes it easier to copy the teacher's movements. The closeups are sharp enough to see the detailed maneuvers of the needle and thread through the tiny beads. Robinson instills good work habits and emphasizes durability as well as design. I liked the way she repeated her instructions several times so that we did not have to stop and rewind the video repeatedly. The lesson was good enough that my daughter was able to complete her peyote-stitch bracelet with only limited assistance from me. I found the videos overall well paced and user friendly. This is not a slickly produced series, but one in which resources were focused effectively on the quality of the instruction. The video itself provides several advantages over classes or books. For one thing, you can start learning a new stitch at midnight if you want to. This is especially useful in an era when free time is increasingly hard to come by. You can review techniques as often as you want and find answers to questions you forgot to ask in person. It is nice to have an unobstructed view of the teacher's hands, and to be able to stop and start the tape as needed. You also avoid the issue of having to decipher the how-to diagrams used in many books. The videos won't necessarily replace the books, but they can certainly provide clarification. At one point, my daughter observed, “This would be easy if I had three hands!” No video can give you three hands, but they can provide you with a solid technical foundation from which to launch your creative journey into the world of beads. Nina Cooper is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Lapidary Journal based in Oakland, California. She also owns Nina Designs, a wholesale mail order company that sells beads, components, and jewelry handmade in Bali.
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