Jewelry Designs from Nature, above

Heather Powers, the author, below

I have known and loved Heather's work for years. I was instinctively drawn to her work when I first saw it offered on an auction site. I instantly purchased some adorable polymer clay snowman buttons from her. After that, I followed her career avidly, because everything she made was so beautiful.
I am very glad that Ms. Powers finally has a collection of designs, here in this wonderful book, in which she collaborates with Nature! What greater inspiration than our surroundings! It has always been clear from her art jewelry beads, and her designer jewelry pieces, that Nature is one of her greatest partners as she makes her stunning creations. The reader will see from perusing this book that even little details make so much difference to a planned-out design, just as when Nature creates a glorious scene for us to admire, over and over again, taking us by surprise and refreshing us.
The author reinvigorates us as well, imbuing her designs with the earthiness and beauty of life itself!

As is said on the back of the book, "Find extraordinary inspiration in the everyday".

Heather herself says, "My greatest joy is to inspire others to find their creative voice...I hope to encourage others to grab hold of what captures their imagination and spirit...Birds, trees, branches, leaves, flowers, and sundries from the sea reflect the beauty of nature that inspires my work".

This is what Jewelry Designs from Nature is all about. The reader is encouraged by the author to revel in the wonder which comes from  "Woodlands", "Gardens" and "Sea", the three sections which comprise the major chapters of this book.
To me, each chapter is breathtakingly beautiful, and the jewelry pieces are glorious.

The book begins with Heather's introduction, and an explanation of how to use this book.

Then there is a very complete list of the Art Beads used in the book, and where to find them. The artist has used everything from Clay, to Glass, to Metal, to Collage. These lovely beads, and the "supporting cast" which follow on the next page, are well documented. No reader will have a problem locating beads, clasps, settings, chain or stringing material. Just looking at the collection of art beads and the components is an invitation which is hard to resist to dive right into this book!

There is also a list of tools, and a note about storage.

Then the reader arrives at the first creative section, "Woodlands".
All I can say is, "Take a deep breath"!
I wanted to make the very first bracelet! It is called "Evergreen Bracelet", and is specially outstanding for its dramatic fir tree clasp made of ceramic by Mary Harding, in a soft cream with green fir needles imprinted and glazed. There is a pewter owl settled in the middle of this bracelet, and beautiful metallic bronze biwa pearls combined with wintry rutilated quartz faceted rounds in white, each one pierced within, with their distinctive black points. This looks, altogether, exactly as was intended. It is as if the wearer is taking a walk through the woods as winter is encroaching. I just fell in love with this one completely! As an extra note, little seed bead embellishments are dangled from the clasp and look very wonderful and "fresh"!
Additionally, the bonus earrings are entrancing and feature some of the author's own beads.

I wish to mention the following project as well because the author has done something I have never seen before in a jewelry design. This is very exciting to view! The beaded head pins have been twisted and looped once at the bottom near the beaded head of each one, and it makes what a designer might use it to design with (in this case, faceted teal pearls), look astoundingly different and wild, as in nature. Cindy Gimbrone's lampworked  double head pin used with the author's clasp goes perfectly with this!  The name of this necklace is "Nurture Thy Soul" and once again, it is beautiful.

There are so many offerings in this section to love it is hard to choose what I liked the most!  My eye was definitely caught by the "Be True" Necklace, as it has a polymer clay pendant of a bird on a branch made by the wondrously charming artist Heather Wynn. There are all sorts of little things to surprise and catch your eye, as if you yourself  had magically become a bird and were looking around at the world! To be able to convey this, in this eclectic necklace, is quite amazing. The design, is, in truth, inspired by a pretty pewter feather charm which says on the back, "To Thine Own Self be True" , made by Green Girl Studios, but I think that fits with my interpretation as well. So what if I am channeling a bird! At every point in this book you will see things differently. That is what makes it great!

The "Gardens" section is so gorgeous. Once again, incredibly original designs and tiny details never before seen will greet the readers' eyes. For example, in the "Daffodil Fields" Necklace, which features an Anne Choi sterling focal and many 6mm faceted citrines (which look like that pretty, early spring "clouds of daffodils" we read about) has a new way of linking chain by using boxed citrine connectors. I loved it!  Many of these ideas could be used for other designs, but one must realize that in a true artist's hands, like Ms. Powers, the boxes  really "go" with the shape of the Anne Choi focal. That is what makes for a great learning experience for us.

As a study in color, "Titania's Bower" Necklace is such a treat for the eyes. it makes you want to fall back into the garden flowers and be embraced by their amazing variety of colors (and shapes).  This is the necklace which is on the cover of the book. How many synonyms are there for beautiful? I need a thesaurus to  express the entrancing exuberance of this superbly designed necklace! The great thing is, you really can make this necklace too! The author explains her inspiration for each design (here, it is "A Midsummer Night's Dream", the play by Shakespeare, and the fairy queen Titania from that play). It is wonderful to spot a Humblebeads lentil bead up to the left as you face this piece. That is the work of Heather Powers herself, and it is so very delightful to see!
Included in this section is a discussion of "the design journal", in case you want to learn how to keep one, and also a conversation with Kerri Fuhr, a super inspirational lampwork artist.
When one later comes upon the "Flight of the Bumblebee" Bracelet, you can see close up why Kerru Fuhr is featured in an interview, because the bumblebee in the midst of all the other components and charms on this stunning bracelet is perfectly lampworked by her. You even get to view the back of it, which is lovely as well, and elegantly conveys the spiralling patterns which bumblebees make as they go about their daily work! Smokey quartz, peach aventurine and blue lace agate are featured in this fantastic bracelet, as well as a beautiful flower clasp. There is a matching pair of very adorable bee earrings which the reader will love as well.

Once the reader has arrived at the section which is entitled the "Sea", there is a realization that each piece of jewelry has been named very appropriately. When you are fortunate enough to be at the edge of the sea, the first thing you might notice would be the bubbles left from the sea foam, as the waves draw back from the sand. Thus the first piece in this section is called "Effervescence", with a bubbly Mamacita Beadwork pewter pendant focal. The other materials used in this airy piece are the metals brass and copper, which blend with glass head pin topped beads, lampworked by Kelley's Beads.
The earring set for this which is offered as an additional project is gorgeous if you love dangly earrings, pewter, and copper chain. They really make a statement!
My family were all skin divers and snorkelers, so I loved the next necklace as well, because the featured beads are art glass seashells and sea shaped forms in those fascinating shades of blue and orange which you see underwater frequently. 
Other sea treasures glint and catch you eye as you discover more and more in this necklace, which is titled "Into The Deep". A shibuichi Nautilus clasp from Green Girl Studios completes this remarkable design  which has successfully used many different artists' beads.  It is a moody, textural design. The reader will be guaranteed to be mesmerized by this project.
To venture to freshwater, I very much admired the "Koi Pond" necklace. Featuring African Bloodstone and ceramic beads strung like pearls, only with tiny (size 11) nickel seed beads used as spacers, this necklace has a remarkable pewter fish toggle clasp used as the focal. Below it, dangles a square (as the designer says, like "a lantern"--so appropriate for a Koi pond)  art bead, with the colors of the Bloodstone, which has orange in it, like the scales of the Koi.
This very serene necklace has a final tassel in front at the bottom. It is irresistable. One very special necklace!

The section called the basics finishes up your journey through Nature Then there is a word about Heather, acknowledgements, and sources.

I am so glad Heather Powers wrote this amazing book. In the beginning, she discusses how many artists have been inspired by Nature. I agree that Nature has always and will always have such a direct, intense pull directly to each of our hearts.
To  have created this book, enabling us to be a part of her sharing process, and for us to learn more about ourselves, and how to express exactly what it is that we love about Nature, is a marvelous gift from the author to each reader, including me. I highly recommend this thrilling book, Jewelry Designs from Nature . 

--jean