www.kbdn.net

What’s trendy in kitchen and bath design? Want to find out which ovens offer certain features? Looking for a job in cabinet sales? Check out www.kbdn.net, the online home of Kitchen and Bath Design News magazine. The website proclaims it’s "The Leading Magazine For The Kitchen And Bath Industry" and it is easy to see why. This site has everything and the kitchen sink!

You will find design trends from abroad and helpful articles for professional designers and amateurs alike. Sections such as Product Trend Reports, Buyer’s Guides, Classified Ads, and Industry Trends are equally helpful. The articles are well written and fun to read, whether you’re a full-fledged interior designer or someone who gets excited when the latest Pottery Barn catalog arrives. The articles draw your attention with titles such as "A Cornucopia of Cabinetry" and "Counter Act."

Recently featured was the latest in European trends: "the unfitted look" (using kitchen workstations that look like furniture instead of long continuous counters), bronze tones for faucet finishes, and the use of natural materials like wood and stone. As in fashion, trends in kitchen and bath design usually emerge in Europe before arriving in the States. This up-to-the-minute information is vitally important to the interior designer as well as the weekend do-it-yourselfer. For example, knowing what’s hot in Europe can influence decisions made during a trip to Home Depot.

Kitchen and Bath Design News is full of interesting content and useful resources. Pay a visit and you will begin to see your kitchen and bathroom in a whole new light.

Reviewed by FIDM R&RC staff member Kirstie Harless.

Title: Entertainment Design Magazine

Publisher: Primedia Business Magazines and Media
32 W. 18th Street,
New York, NY
ISSN: 1520-5150
Published: Quarterly
Web Site: www.entertainmentdesignmag.com
Subscription Rate: $50.00/ per year

Entertainment Design magazine is a specialized trade publication that focuses on the various behind-the-scenes technical aspects of the entertainment industry. Celebrating their thirty-fifth anniversary, Entertainment Design has both the experience and knowledge to offer insight into the world of backstage pre-production and production.

Entertainment Design is published monthly with two additional issues offered annually. These two directories, Industry Resources and Buyer’s Guide, sum up the year’s news and provide updates by compiling contact information for seeking employment inside show business. Just as important, Entertainment Design has expanded with modern technology and now offers a highly useful website free for all to use. Their website, www.entertainmentdesignmag.com is updated daily with breaking news concerning every aspect of the industry. Visitors can access a supplier directory from the site as well as finding links to related sites.

From costume designers, technicians, manufacturers, and those working with sound and lighting, this magazine presents a rich source of industry information from all parts of the globe. By regularly consulting Entertainment Design, the reader and career professional can save both time and energy while enabling their career to flourish.

Simple Techniques, Stunning Designs...

Making Bead & Wire Jewelry lays out basic methods in clear language illustrated with gorgeous color photographs. Cusick explains how making your own necklaces, bracelets, and earrings can inspire your creativity. She explains the three basic elements used in making bead and wire jewelry:

• Simple tools: wire cutters, files, pin vises, and jigs for making multiple links in the same shape.
• Materials: "findings"; metals wires; color tinted wire; square, flat and twisted wire; beads that vary in shape, material, translucency and surface design.
• Techniques: Basic links consisting of jump rings, bead loop links, twisted wire loops and jig pattern links (with useful diagrams in the back of the book).

What makes this book unique is that each piece of jewelry is laid out simply with the beginner in mind and includes wonderful photographs, a complete list of materials needed to complete a project, and easy to follow step-by-step instructions. It is easy to get carried away by intricate wire patterns but consideration should be given to how a piece will "hang". All of the beautiful photographs of finished pieces are shown on flat backgrounds and created by several expert guest designers. This book is valuable for learning the intricacies of wirework technique and many of the designs shown are truly elegant. It is up to the artist to be selective in its application.

Reviewed by FIDM R&RC staff member Judith Wehlau, S.F.