Customer Reviews

The Art of Beaded Beads: Exploring Design, Color & Technique

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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!

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

I bought this wanting to make beads like the ones on the cover--just a round bead covered in seed beads. I'm an intermediate level beader and I follow directions well, but the book has no basic instructions. It jumps from how to do peyote stitch (which I can do easily) to directions for very complicated beaded beads. Sometimes the instructions for complicated beads were easier to follow than for the simple ones! I just find this book frustrating.

A neat book for weavers and/or beaders. Covers a lot of stitches, and since they're just beaded beads, each project can be done pretty quick and using those pesky bits of leftover beads from other things. It's got a little of every style ranging from simple to very bizarre unwearable-but-neat-to-look-at stuff, so I think just about anyone will find a little bit of SOMETHING they like in here! :) Nothing in here is going to challenge you or drive you nuts, but I thought it was a fun buy if you pick it up cheap!

I BOUGHT THE BOOK DIRECTLY FROM MY BOOK-SHOP IN ISRAEL& I LOVED THE BOOK!

WONDERFUL DESIGNES!!BUT WHEN I STARTED THE FIRST PROJECT I LOVED:"TETAHEDRON BEAD" I HAD SOME PROBLEM . I DO NOT KNOW 100% ENGLISH SO I WAS NOT SURE IS A PRINTIG OR INSTRUCTIONS MISTAKE/ I E-MAILED MRS. DIANE FITZGERALD. SHE WAS SO WONDERFUL I CAN'T SAY!! SHE DID E-MAIL ME INSTRUCTIONS THAT WERE CLEAR AND DID NOT NEED EVEN READING THE TEXT. I TANK HER FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!! I DID GET HELP MORE THAN I CAN SAY!

AS WELL ANOTHER LADY FOR THE "BIRD NEST BEAD" VERRY HELPFUL AND IMEDIAT ANSWER! SUCH A PLESENT SURPRISE FOR SO BUISSY ARTISTS!!! THANK YOU MRS GILLIAN LAMB!SO IN MY OPINION I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE BOOK! GRATE DESIGNS, AND MISTAKES CAN BE REPAIRED! LOUISA IN ISRAEL [...]

Fabulous book with good pictures. Most of the designs are a little more than the beginner would want to try but the beads you CAN make, with some effort, are quite fantastic.

I love beaded beads, and this has quite a few that I enjoyed making. I would caution beaders that at least 3 beads had significant mistakes either in the drawing or written instructions. So, if you work a pattern and question the directions, go with your instincts. Some people may not be attracted to some of the brightly colored beads, but try them in some darker, more sophisticated colors. They take on a whole new look that most of my friends liked better.

I just love this book! I immediately sat down and worked one of the patterns. The directions are easy to follow and the "tips" are nice too. This book is wonderful for someone who has always wanted to do more with their beads. I would hope there will be a second book filled with just as many wonderful projects to do.

I have to say I just love this book!! The instructions are very detailed with diagrams and the variations and embellishments are just endless. The designs cover a great variety of styles and if you are a seasoned beader this is a great way to learn new stitches without having to commit to weeks on a single project.

I often find myself working on a project that takes weeks to complete and this is awesome for something you can just sit down and finish for a good break. And these are just sooooo fun!!

Also, I've seen some reviews that fuss about the color choices in the book and while I agree they lack sophistication I'm glad they did it the way they did. I find it frustrating when choosing colors for a project if I have to try and figure out what color is going to go where in an example photo where it is hard to tell. This book makes it easy because the colors used are bright and contrasty so I can easily know what color is going to be where on my finished pieced.

I have made 2 pinata beads that are totally different using different sizes and crystals versus seeds. So get this book and just let your imagination run! Definitely worth the money!