Having designed some jewelry in my time, recently I started reading BEADWORK magazine, and I love the feature they call "The Challenge." A few designers receive the same assortment of beads and stones and metal elements and then do what they will with the package.
They don't have to use all the beads provided and it seems to be OK if they use some of their own supply as well. Besides seeing how different artists manifest art in the form of the functional art of jewelry, I've seen some of the most gorgeous jewelry I have ever seen in this magazine.
To bead takes great patience and manual dexterity. I am truly impressed. And for those who want to follow along there are often patterns and instructions.
