Media Reviews: Passing the Flame

Passing the Flame — A Beadmaker’s Guide to Detail and Design
by Corina Tettinger
Published by Bonzo Bucks and Books Publishing, 2002.
Hardcover, spiral bound, color, 8-1/2" x 11", $75.00. ISBN: 0-9726602-0-8.

Reviewed by Kristen Frantzen Orr

Beadmaker and author Corina Tettinger says she wanted Passing the Flame to “bring the teacher into your house.” Tettinger’s chatty writing style gives the reader that “teacher effect,” making the book very user-friendly. The instructions are easy to understand, and colorful photos throughout the book provide a visual feast. Photos show every step of the beadmaking process in detail, including incorporating it into jewelry. The format of the book makes it easy to keep open on the workbench while following along and exploring techniques.

The various topics seem to be arranged for visual impact and flow. This is nice because the reader can begin with whatever appeals at the moment. The table of contents can be helpful (if the reader is looking for something specific), but an index would be even more useful. I would prefer starting at the chapter called “Getting Started — How to Set-up Your Studio.” Although I have to admit that as a beginning beadmaker, I would have most likely skipped over the studio preparation and plunged into the details about designing beads.

The chapters range from simple topics like making the basic round bead, to more complex things like instructions for making a sculptural frog. In addition to the many chapters, there are interesting sidebars entitled “Dr. Scooter Takes a Closer Look” and “Bonzo Breaks” sprinkled throughout the book. These are flagged by icons of Tettinger’s dogs, Scooter and Bonzo. Scooter peers through a magnifying glass to discuss beading subjects like eye protection, annealing, and lopsided beads. Bonzo’s icon is a coffee mug, signaling conversation about topics such as digital cameras, running a successful business, and finding inspiration.

In her foreword, Tettinger asks “Are you going to learn everything there is to know about beadmaking in this book?” She answers, “Hell no.” Tettinger’s designs are based on techniques that have been used for centuries — mainly dots and lines. It’s her precision, color choices, and particular combinations of these techniques that make her work unique. Because her techniques are both basic and innovative, a beginning beadmaker will get a good foundation with Tettinger’s book, and one with more experience will find plenty of new ideas and inspiration.

Thankfully, Tettinger promises there’s more to come! Her Web site, www.corinabeads.com, has chatty conversation, beadmaking challenges, product reviews, and an “inspiration club.” Her first follow-up publication, Spotlight On . . . Hollow Beads and Vessels is already out, and Spotlight On . . . Silver is soon to be published. In Passing the Flame, Tettinger teaches the reader how she makes beads, and the techniques she presents are based on the incredible stringer control and dot placement for which her beads are known. In the magazine-like Spotlight On . . . publications, she invites other artists to contribute tips and techniques on their particular specialties which she includes along with her personal insights.

Kristen Frantzen Orr has been making glass beads since 1993. She teaches beadmaking for Great Basin College in Elko, NV, and travels throughout the U.S. to teach workshops. Her work has been featured in several books and magazines, and is in collections throughout the U.S. and abroad. Check out www.members.cox.net/kforrglass.