5 comments about Teach Yourself VISUALLY Jewelry Making & Beading (Teach Yourself VISUALLY Consumer).

1. This book contained all of the information I needed for basic jewelry making. It has been extremely useful to me, and I recommend it to anyone who wants a detailed and photographic overview of this subject!



2. Teach Yourself VISUALLY Jewelry Making & Beading (Teach Yourself VISUALLY Consumer)
   
   This will be our go to source of information. The most comprhensive book we could find and we researched dozens.



3. I bought it as a gift for a friend and she is very pleased with it.



4. I love this beading/jewelry resource--the photos, the descriptions, the organization and explanations. The author covers a lot of information, and the instructions and photographs are clear and easy to understand for the most part. I didn't give this book five stars because I ended up needing to buy a more basic resource with even larger photographs and clearer explanations. For example, after reviewing this book, I still didn't know what tools I already had and what I needed or the differences between them. There are so many different types of pliers that I've needed to find more information. I also had additional questions about wire gauges and beads in general. I've also needed to look to other sources for inspiration as this book may tell you what to do but not offer examples of what you can do with what you know. In sum, though, I think this is an excellent how-to resource.



5. This is a great book from any jeweler from beginner to intermediate. The instructions and pictures are easy to follow, it even has projects in the back. I would totally recommend this book.

2 comments about Beaded Allure: Beadweaving Patterns for 25 Romantic Projects.

1. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. Although I have not heard of the author, I was very impressed by the designs featured. The projects look like they get more complex in stitch and design as you progress through its pages. It makes a great addition to any bead addict's library.



2. If you love beads and beadweaving, this book is a must have.
   I received the book yesterday and I could not put it down. I have read it from cover to cover and cannot wait to start. It is not very often that a book grabs my attention as this one has.
   It is perfect for all levels of beaders...some of the projects are easy enough for a beginner...rated one star, and yet there are plenty of projects to build upon as your skill levels increase two star and three star for advanced.
   The stitches used in this book are not stitches you'll see in most beading books. There are a lot of netting variations (new to me) and peyote. The photos and step by step directions are great.

5 comments about Bead on a Wire: Making Handcrafted Wire and Beaded Jewelry.

1. To a jewel crafting beginner it opens the doors and teaches the techniques in the most comprehensive way possible. No project included in the "Bead on a Wire" left me with a question. This book made me so happy enabling me, a novice to jewel craft, to work with wire and beaded Jewelry right away. Sharilyn Miller is a very talented teacher.



2. What gorgeous jewelry! I don't think I'm ready for this level of jewelry making, but I can't wait to get there. It's hard for me to rate this resource a 5 because I couldn't always understand from the instructions and photos how to actually perform the skills. But it may be that once I become comfortable with more basic techniques, these will make more sense. Still, I love the photographs, and the jewelry is inspirational.



3. I am a beginning beader, and this book helped me by explaining beading tools and techniques. The designs are helpful, too.



4. This is a good book for learning the basics. It is very clear and easy to follow. The author has a great imagination.



5. I purchased this book because I wanted to learn how to do wirework and I was not disappointed. The step by step pictures are very clear and easy to follow. With practice I was able to make all the components and even completed one of the linked bracelets! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn wirework and believe that this is a good go to book to refresh your skills if wirework is not the focus of your design work

5 comments about Totally Twisted: Innovative Wirework & Art Glass Jewelry.

1. Content is as fresh an charming. Bright, colorful imagery is included with well thought out instructions.



2. I have a huge selection of beading and jewelry books and this is now on the top of my list. I've been a fan of Kerry's work, so it's great to see her able to share her specialties through this book. I really enjoy the tone of the book because it feels like she's just there at the table working with you--plus, there is great photography that clearly demonstrates each step, including all the hand placement and tool specifics. That's a great thing in a bead book. :) So, not only can you stare for days at the great, fun beads and designs, you can actually learn something...even if you think you know how to do it already...like I did! haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa



3. What an amazing book! My book arrived and I was so delighted to receive it...Kerry Bogert is a truly talented lampwork artist and jewelry designer and this book really blew me away. From cover to cover, the color just pulls you in. The projects have beautiful photographs of her work and the fun fanciful descriptions are a delight. It is like a tropical vacation for the eye. The colors in her work bring a bright light to a dark winter day. I thoroughly enjoyed her whimsical writing style...it was like Kerry was sitting down next to you showing you every step it takes to make these beautiful pieces.
   This is a book for beginner to expert...and a creative inspiration for everyone!



4. Totally Twisted: Innovative Wirework and Art Glass Jewelry
   by Kerry Bogert
   Interweave Press
   
   
   Art glass beads can present unique challenges to a designer. There's a risk of over designing and losing the beads in the shuffle. Art glass beads work best when they're integrated into a design in a way that both celebrates them and allows them to become a part of the whole. Kerry Bogert is a well known art glass bead maker and finished jewelry designer. Her new book Totally Twisted offers a fresh approach to wire working and design specifically focused on showcasing art glass beads, but also applicable to a variety of other beads. This book is delightful to view and filled with interesting new techniques and meticulous approaches to the familiar. How many wire books get you really excited about making clasps, links or ear wires?
   
   I was particularly enamored of the color palettes explored in the designs and the way the book design itself reflected them. Too often, jewelry making books lack synergy because the book designer doesn't mirror the author's vision. Kudos to Lee Calderon for creating such a perfect backdrop for Kerry's dynamic designs. The book is beautiful and the step by step photographs are detailed, crisp and easy to follow. There is a definite aesthetic at work here and it's a truly appealing one. I loved the saturated color palettes and the wonderful sense of whimsy of Kerry's work.
   
   If you're looking for some new ways to work with wire, you'll find them here. Coiling, wrapping, making links and chains, creating findings...this is one of those books you'll want to have in your studio to keep referencing. It's a fun read too, giving you a fascinating glimpse into the author's design process and experiences. I think this would make a terrific addition to any jewelry maker's library.
   
   Margot Potter
   Author The Impatient Beader Series, Beyond the Bead and Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed
   [...]



5. Having been a fan of Kerry's beads and jewelry techniques for the past few years, I was excited when she announced she had a book in the works. Her use of color, mixed with whimsy and fresh ideas, is refreshing. Having seen her jewelry tutorials in past, I knew Totally Twisted was a must have.
   
   From the pictures of finished pieces, to the closeups of how to create these pieces, to her clear list of materials and instructions, I am inspired to try new techniques. Being an intermediate wire work person, I appreciate the thoroughness and care Kerry gives to each project. Looking forward to getting twisted!

5 comments about Beautiful Wire Jewelry for Beaders: Creative Wirework Projects for All Levels.

1. I am a beader and have done some wire work. This book is easy to read and well displayed with directions that are easy to follow. I too am a collector of Art/Bead design and appreciate the chance to purchase these at a reasonable price. Thank you.



2. I'm new to wirewrap jewelry, this book is great because it introduces techniques I can use in more elaborate designs.



3. I found this book, chock full of ideas for all skill levels, to be very helpful. My skill level is "middle of the road..." but I managed to try some advanced techniques and was successful, thanks to the thorough instructions provided. Many thanks!



4. This book provides useful information and great projects for beginning, intermediate and advanced levels of experience.



5. I love this book! It is very informative, the pictures are beautiful and the instructions are clear and easy to follow.

No comments about Laura McCabe's Embellished Beadweaving: Jewelry Lavished with Fringe, Fronds, Lacework & More (Lark Books Beadweaving Master Class).

5 comments about Beaded Colorways: Freeform Beadweaving Projects and Palettes.

1. This book is helpful to making free form jewelry that doesn't look like it's a mixmash of beads and findings just randomly put together. Once I did my first Wandering Path necklace I was hooked. The color palettes are fantastic! I felt I had a good sense of color to begin with. Now that sense is greatly expanded. If you bead and like color and adventure with your beads you must get this book.
   Love it~ love it!!



2. The recently-released Beaded Colorways: Creating Freeform Beadweaving Projects and Palettes by my friend Beverly Ash Gilbert (2009, North Light Books, 128pp., $24.99). Even if you are not a beader or a jewelry maker you can appreciate not only the amazing handiwork but also the included removable custom color wheels that will be a help to anyone: artist, painter, decorator, photographer or lover of color. The book is perfect for those who think they can't match an outfit or choose a color for a wall.
   Beverly, is a brainy dynamo disguised as a wisp of a woman, humble and modest enough not to mention in her book that she is an engineer by degree and a former corporate-type who was able to break out of a constricting role and schedule to make time to develop her substantial talents and her eye for color.
   In fact, her first book was Eye for Color: Interchangeable Templates and Color Wheel System, available on her Web site. A color enthusiast herself, whose deep appreciation for color can be seen on her blog via her own breathtaking photography of her surroundings in Kirkland, WA and on her beloved Whidbey Island, Beverly takes great joy in sharing and teaching an appreciation for and understanding of color to anyone who is interested and curious or who feels they need a little help.
   Her open, sharing nature is evident as she shares color theory and bead-weaving basic to open her book. Even if you have never picked up a tiny little seed bead or a bead-weaving needle as was my case when I first met Beverly in the spring of 2008, she will gently guide you first through combining various beads and textures in monochromatic mixes she calls seed bead soups. As she warns early on, even non-beaders can get hooked on the beauty of the colors, enough to quite contentedly display the seed bead mixes in clear vessels as an object of decor - without ever having to make a thing! And she's fine with that.
   From understanding the uses of the color wheel and color relationships - complementary, analogous, etc., to learning about hue, saturation, value and more - Beverly helps students graduate to blending multi-color combinations that satisfy their own particular cravings for color in their surroundings, and of course in their beadwork.
   Besides the basic peyote stitch, which is basically sewing two seed beads together, and three-bead netting - both of which anyone can do (with proper lighting and eyeglasses if you wear them, or perhaps a magnifier) - Beverly explains freeform beadweaving, including freeform peyote stitch and freeform netting.
   While the finished projects in the book might look like intimidating works of art, Beverly breaks them down into step-by-step instructions with large photos and helpful hints along the way. She suggests color mixes and alternatives and shows how to blend the beads to create and eye-pleasing palette for the project. Her bead soups have tempting names like tropical surf and rain forest and autumn sunrise, enough to get even a color neophyte or reluctant beader to stick a toe in the water.
   By the end of my first day with Beverly, I had two gorgeous and very different pendants made, and I am all thumbs and wear bifocals! Her book offers more than a dozen colorful projects as well as a beautiful gallery of finished wearable art and plenty of resources and links to get you beading, or at least learning more about color.
   And if this isn't enough, and her book will leave you wanting more, you can find Beverly teaching around the country this year and signing books, at such notable events as Adorn Me (March), I Dream of Beading (April-May) and the national Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee in June. Her blog offers something for everyone, including an appreciation of family, food, good friends and nature, all as depicted by Beverly, a true gem herself.



3. I was disappointed in this book. Probably because my education is in interior design so color is not an issue with me. Primarily the book is useful to push me to try FREEFORM beadweaving which I haven't been able to do currently.



4. Freeform beading is THE reason I've been attracted to seed beading. Traditional seed beading hasn't appealed to my creative needs the way Beverly's freeform approach has. Her approach is beautiful, imaginative, inspiring, exciting, bold, and just FUN. The projects in the book are spectacular and dreamy. Beverly teaches the peyote stitch and 3-bead netting stitch to get you started. She also delves into the theory of color and provides a thorough primer. She teaches mixing colors drawing from lessons in nature where you have a rich depth of highlights and lowlights and variations. Having fun books like this makes color theory more enjoyable and approachable. I read the book for a few months before I had all the proper materials. I let the lessons on color simmer in my mind and the projects in this book have provided a lot of eye candy for my creative mind to play with as I dabble in new mediums. Now my creativity has even more fodder with this new medium and approach to color. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Beverly, for creating such a beautiful book. I don't really need any other books on seed beading. Yours is quite enough for me. :-)



5. This book is totally awesome. I can't seem to put it down. I projects are mind boggling and fascinated at the same time. The techniques are easy and pliable. I would recommend this purchase to anyone.

1 comments about Your Seed Bead Style: Accents, Embellishments, and Adornments.

1. I felt that this publication was a reprint of the featured projects in Bead and Button magazine, or its yearly compilation, Best (projects) of Bead and Button. I really liked two or three of the projects, yet felt more compelled to flip through my collection of Best Ofs vs. Seed Bead Style. I admit that I thought it would be examples and ideas of how to embellish projects that you were putting together. It was not and I admit I am disappointed. I will always purchase the Best Of compilations and will be returning this. However, the projects featured in this paperback were well photographed, instructional, and illustrated. It gave bead stitch basics, materials, supplies, etc.

5 comments about Metalworking 101 for Beaders: Create Custom Findings, Pendants & Projects (Lark Jewelry Book).

1. I have not tried any of the projects as yet. Love the projects! I think I will get alot of use out of this book. Looks very informative.



2. I found that this book covered the subject excellently and reinforced many ideas previously held as well as covering some that I was unsure of. As books on this subject go I found this to be one of the best. I would definitely recomment this book.
   
   My only criticism being that it did not have a suppliers list, but on emailing the author was advised where she had purchased the product I wanted.



3. This book arrived just in time to provide great ideas for my holiday jewelry making. Clear pictures and instruction relieve one of guess work. The authors alternative ideas for the same piece were wonderful and encouraged me to be creative on my own.



4. This is one of those awesome books that I bought even before the publisher sent it to me for review!
   The book starts off with an excellent chapter on tools explaining what you'll need and why you'll need them! It even includes a section on texturing metal that gives some fun and useful ideas.
   The next chapter includes some basic metalworking techniques with excellent pictures and graphics to give examples on the discussed techniques.
   One of the great things about this book is that the author includes little sidebars that give you tips and ideas from her own experiences that are extremely helpful! In my experience the best advice comes from artists who have come up with techniques devised from years of experience!
   The Projects in this book are fantastic. I've said this before, but occasionally projects or items in some craft books are overly simple or super cheesy....you won't find this here! There are some gorgeous earrings, bracelets and necklaces to make!
   Great instructions, awesome pictures and over 30 gorgeous projects make this book worth every cent!
   
   I recommend this book for any beader and would-be metalworker....you can do it!



5. I am very happy with this book. I've had preordered for several weeks. When it arrived, I was so pleased. It's comprehensive yet not overwhelming. The pictures are clear and the text is crisp. The projects cover a full range of earrings, bracelets, necklace focals, clasps, end caps, and more. I can't think of a reason I couldn't make a fully "made it myself" piece of jewelry now.
   
   I have many tools and materials - including solder and torch - but just didn't know how to put it all together. My book arrived yesterday, and I plan on taking full advantage of the four-day Thanksgiving weekend to try out some things, starting, I think, with a clasp for a special necklace.
   
   Altogether an excellent book!
   Kate

5 comments about Marcia DeCoster's Beaded Opulence: Elegant Jewelry Projects with Right Angle Weave (Lark Books Beadweaving Master Class).

1. While this book is short on projects, it is long on technique. I was about to return it, but as a novice, I felt it was better to keep it and get better at my skills on beading. The patterns that are included are stunning and I plan to bring the book with me to the next bead show I go to. Then I'll get a few special focal beads to use when I get started. I feel that they will really give the finished pieces that pow factor they need for the opulence Ms DeCoster was aiming for.



2. 
   I am sold on Right Angle Weave thanks to Marcia DeCoster. At first I thought I wouldn't be able to do these - they would be too advanced for me, but I plodded on and have learned and improved thanks, I think, to this book. I have completed two projects from this book and the results are great. really beautiful, and the project actually looks like the picture - sometimes that doesn't always happen!!
   The text is easy to understand and the graphics that go with the instructions are a great back up, expecially if you need visuals to help with instruction, like me.
   
   I hope she writes another book.



3. I was looking for a referance book that would solve any issues I had when using right angle weave. This does the trick and is now installed as a permanent fixture in my beading library. Not just a project book!



4. I am a visual learner as well as needing very specific step by step instructions. I take things quite literally, so hate it when something (however small) is left out of a set of directions or the teacher/writer assumes you know what to do next. Marcia's instructions do not leave you hanging. She is clear and precise. Many people seem to have a bit of trouble with right angle weave until they finally "get it". Marcia has made learning the technique easy and the huge bonus is that we get to create fabulous and beautiful pieces of art jewelry.
   I have taken in person classes with Marcia and she is an excellent teacher. This book is the next best thing!



5. If you like single needle right angle weave, you will love Marcia's book. So many designs, so little time to make them!
   Bravo Marcia
   Perie Brown