45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Book!, January 6, 2007
This review is from: The Art of Beaded Beads: Exploring Design, Color & Technique (Hardcover)
In contrast to the single-star review of this book, I rank this book much higher. Not everyone can travel to bead shows to take classes and because many of the projects in this book are derived from classes, this book offers a stay-at-home beader a chance to learn from the pros at a fraction of the cost. These tiny projects give beaders a chance to do a quick little project and to play with color without investing hours of time.
In addition there are several new projects in this book, among them are three polyhedron beaded beads (tetrahedron, dodecahedron and cube) which I contributed which have never been published before.
As to learning and being stimulated by this book, let me say that the photography is superb and the beads are shown clearly and without distraction. Similarly, the instructions come with large clear diagrams which even a beginner could follow. As to the exploration of color that the title of the book hints at, that may be the books weakest point. Portraying the beaded beads in several different colorways would have made this a stronger book and provided what was offered in the title.
I review almost every bead book that comes on the market to track what is being written and whether anything new is being offered. For the discount price offered on Amazon.com, this hardcover book is a bargain and should provide many hours of enjoyment. It is on my bookshelf!
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Recommended for Beginners and for Quick Success, March 2, 2008
This review is from: The Art of Beaded Beads: Exploring Design, Color & Technique (Hardcover)
This is a very good book in almost every respect. Many of the beaded beads are beautiful and unusual in shape, and there is a wide variety in design. Don't judge the book by its cover photograph.
If you have never beaded before and plan to start from zero like I did, you will learn at least five different beading techniques by making a handful of different beaded beads. The instructions include diagrams with thread paths, and I found them clear and easy to follow. All instructions are accompanied by photographs which show what the finished bead will look like. There is also a short but concise chapter on basic tools and techniques.
Between the various instructions, there are gallery pictures which are artistic and a pleasure to look at.
The book has thick and glossy paper with large print, and it lies flat when opened.
And it's the perfect book for those of us with short attention spans: The individual beaded beads are small and don't take long to finish, and they don't require too much tedious repetition. If you notice a mistake too late or if a beaded bead doesn't turn out as expected, it's no great loss. And if you use a consistent colour scheme for working your way through the book, you can string your little practice projects afterwards and make a striking necklace. Just put the uglier lumps in the back ;-)
On the downside, there is hardly anything on colour even though the title claims it. Many of the colour combinations used in the various beaded beads are downright awful. I am also not sure whether the book has a lot to offer to the advanced beader.
Here are some additional hints based on my experience with the beaded beads (I used seed beads only):
- The author uses mostly size 14°, 11° and 8° seed beads. If you can't get these exact same sizes, just use any "small", "medium" and "large". If you don't have triangle-shaped or cylinder seed beads, it doesn't matter either. Round beads work just as well, except maybe for the polyhedrons.
- Don't make the thread too long, and NEVER double the thread even if it says so. It will tangle horribly if you do. It's much easier to attach a new thread now and again.
- Limp or crooked beaded beads get in shape if you pass the thread through the beaded bead again "on your way back" and pull a little harder.
- Good starter projects which really can't go wrong are the Lava Lamp Bead and Baroque Bead (both use herringbone stitch and are very pretty), and the Bird's Nest Bead (use of netting stitch).
All in all, the book is good value for money. If you want to try your hand at beading, get the book, get a few tubes of seed beads, and enjoy!
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29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Art of the Beaded Bead, January 11, 2007
This review is from: The Art of Beaded Beads: Exploring Design, Color & Technique (Hardcover)
I learned to make a beaded bead from a friend and for a while did just what I learned. But I yearned for more ways to make beaded beads. I'll never forget the day another friend brought this book to show me. We were ordering lunch when she brought it out and needless to say I hardly ate my
lunch at all. It was like opening a whole new world to the Beaded Bead.
I use this book almost every day for one bead or another and continue to learn more and more about the wonderful world of Beaded Bead. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who want to learn something different to do with beads and have a book that continues to teach you more every time you look at it
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