Owl Bookmark Review.

I absolutely love owls and owly things so I was really pleased to get the chance to review this little bookmark kit.
The kit is produced by The Spellbound Bead Company who are based in Lichfield. I have bought kits from them before at their regular stand at the NEC Craft shows. I had yet to be disappointed.

On opening the kit, I found absolutely everything needed was provided, including masses of thread and a very fine beading needle. The tiny delicas were even and consistent and there was a range of opaque and translucent beads to add variety to the work. The instructions were produced on a quality printer with neat, colourful and informative diagrams. Alongside the instructions was a piece on how to complete the main stitch used, ie Brick stitch. The different parts were provided in labelled bags.

The beads in this kit are necessarily very tiny to produce all the detail required. I needed help in the form of a magnifying daylight lamp, but I am 50, need glasses to read now and live in a dark house :) You may manage much better than me but you will need keen vision and good light.

I have done some brick stitch in the past, but before starting had a practice following the instructions, both as a reminder and to get a feel for the tension.

The project got under way without any problems and I couldn't fault the detailed instructions with very helpful diagrams. The mouse is very easy to complete, the owl requires some patience and is best completed after some simple brick stitch projects so that you know where the first bead on each row will sit.  The quality of the materials really helps this project work, any unevenness in the size of the beads would have spoiled the effect. There was plenty of each kind of bead in case of any mishaps and a full reel of Nymo thread.

From this kit you will learn how to complete Brick stitch as well has how to make the owl and mouse. It also shows how to make a bookmark in a way that could be transferred to any small beading project.

This is a lovely fun little project which I really enjoyed. It could be completed in an afternoon, probably much quicker if you are a regular beader. The finished project is gorgeous, the tiny creatures measuring just over an inch each in length (with the mouse's tail :)).

The cost of the kit was £8. It isn't cheap, but what you get is a well sourced kit with quality materials and well produced instructions. It has been put together with great care and attention to detail. It is also a novel item you are unlikely to see anywhere else.

I have yet to find a kit by this company that I wasn't totally pleased with and am happy to say this one was no exception. I have no connection with the company and will earn nothing from this review. I am happy to recommend them just because I think they are so great. Why not pop along and see them at
www.spellboundbead.co.uk

Hope you are enjoying your weekend,

Janice x