Bead Simple: 150 Designs for Earrings, Necklaces, Bracelets, Embellishments, and More [Paperback]

Susan Beal (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 25, 2008

Most beading books include a mix of patterns but call for very specific beads and materials. So if crafters don't like the beads used in the projects, or don't have them in hand, they won't enjoy the projects, no matter how beautiful they are. But Susan Beal has untangled this knotty problem. "Bead Simple "is the first work of its kind that offers stunning jewelry patterns that can be completely customized with a variety of beads and stringing materials. Based on simple, yet effective beading techniques, this strikingly illustrated pattern guide includes 50 glittering designs, each featuring two bold variations for a total of 150 projects that can easily be achieved with different materials or tweaks. With hot guest designers, including DIY Network's Jennifer Perkins and Megan Nicolay, author of the bestselling "Generation T," here is the one book that finally offers jewelers the versatility to let their unique personalities shine through.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bead Simple" is simply fantastic, proving that with a few tools, a couple of easy to learn techniques, and the guidance of Susan Beal's wonderful eye for color and texture, anyone can make beautiful handcrafted jewelry. The projects are absolutely inspiring, and I can't wait to get started myself! -- Debbie Stoller, bestselling author of "Stitch 'N Bitch
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"Bead Simple: 150 Designs for Necklaces, Earrings, Bracelets, Embellishments and More, "by Susan Beal (Taunton Press, 220 pages, $19.95 paperback): Innovative (and easy) beaded designs that range from classy to campy. Includes projects from dozens of national designers, including a multimedia charm collage by yours truly! --"Crafty Chica" Kathy Cano-Murillo, "The Arizona Republic"

About the Author

A jewelry designer and writer, Susan Beal writes about art, craft, and fashion for CRAFT, Adorn, BUST, ReadyMade, Venus, www.getcrafty.com, and www.whipup.net, among others. She blogs daily at westcoastcrafty.com. Susan's jewelry is sold nationwide in shops and galleries as well as on her website, susanstars.com. Her work has been featured in fashion shows in New York, Portland , and San Francisco, and she has appeared on the DIY Network shows "Uncommon Threads" and "Craft Lab." She co-wrote Super Crafty: 75 Amazing How-To Projects and has contributed to Tease, Get Crafty, Making Stuff, Offbeat Bride, and The Crafter Culture Handbook.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (March 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561589535
• ISBN-13: 978-1561589531
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.6 x 10.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #194,669 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a writer and crafter who makes things with beads, buttons, and all kinds of crafty bits and pieces. I love Gocco printing, quilting, sewing gifts and clothes, and having friends over to make things and drink lots of coffee.

I live in Portland, Oregon with my husband Andrew and our speedy toddler, Pearl (who's my main craft inspiration and a lot of fun to make things for!). I write about things I like and projects to make at my West Coast Crafty blog, and I also contribute to the CRAFT: blog, geekcrafts.com, CraftStylish, and BurdaStyle. My favorite crafty sources are the Rose Bowl flea market in Pasadena, the Knittn Kitten in Portland, Exclusive Buttons in El Cerrito, California, and Toho Shoji in New York. And I'm always on the hunt for tins full of buttons at estate sales!

p.s. I have book websites for both Bead Simple (beadsimple.com) and Button It Up (buttonitup.com) with lots more resources and book extras over there, including flickr groups for readers to add their projects too - I'd love to see what you make. For more on Super Crafty, check out our collective site at pdxsupercrafty.com!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book and a great price! March 30, 2008

By Christina Loff

Format:Paperback

I love Bead Simple! With over 150 projects and technique instructions it's a great value. There are many beading books out there but Bead Simple feels fresh and modern. I especially like the range of projects offered from some of my favorite designers. What a great addition to my collection and and my craft room!

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Simple March 26, 2008

By Sonya Nimri

Format:Paperback

Beadsimple is a fun compilation of a bunch of my favorite crafters including Megan Nicolay, Jen Perkins, and the author Susan Beal. The projects are as the book promises, simple- perfect for beginners or beaders on the fly who are looking to make a fun colorful bracelet or a streamlined, minimalist necklace.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Learn Jewelry Making March 30, 2008

By J. Russell

Format:Paperback

For someone just getting started with jewelry making, this is an excellent resource. Susan Beal and several other designers (including Megan Nicolay of "Generation T" fame) transform found and vintage objects with style and originality. The detailed illustrations on technique are clear and easy to follow. The sections using vintage buttons to make barrettes, necklaces, and earrings are highlights. Embellishments include holiday ornamentations, decorating a range of items from belts to envelopes, skirts and handbags. There is a great list of online resources for supplies found at the end of the book too. Highly recommendable!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful projects, accessible for all skill levels March 30, 2008

By Catherine Goodall

Format:Paperback

Susan Beal's Bead Simple is a great resource both for the crafter that's new to working with beads and the more experienced beader who is looking for inspiration. Basic techniques and equipment are explained and the projects run the gamut from simple, delicate earrings to embellished clothing. The author's enthusiasm for craft comes through on every page, as the beautiful photographs and elegant layout guide the reader through making their own unique creations. The techniques demonstrated are basics that any crafter can build upon, and this book makes beading accessible to crafters of all ages. Highly recommended!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book, though I am biased May 19, 2008

By Jennifer Perkins

Format:Paperback

Hooray, hooray, hooray my copy of Bead Simple: Essential Techniques for Making Jewelry Just the Way You Want It by Susan Beal finally came in the mail! My first impression was man this is a heavy and thick book. Most craft books seem a little thin, but this baby is chocked full of beading goodness and stays true to the tag line Bead Simple: 150 designs for earrings, necklaces, bracelets, embellishments and more. Plus there are 200 color pictures. Craft books without photos or a little picture section in the middle are not for me. I want tons and tons of pretty pictures to look at and this book has it in buckets. Whoa, this should keep me busy for quite some time!

I'll just go ahead and get my own horn tooting out of the way. On page 170 is my Bric-a-Brac Charming Bracelet. I love the caption for the bracelet because it actually fits a lot of my jewelry and me in general: Designed by Jennifer Perkins author of The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girl's Guide to Handmade Jewelry, this colorful bracelet is one of those baubles that is all about the organized chaos. When absolutely nothing "matches", suddenly that's the very element that ties everything together.

One of the best things about this book is the fact that there are so many different contributors which not only makes the book more diverse it also makes it a marketing dream come true. Why you ask because everyone who is featured in the book is going to blog about it just like I am right this minute. Actually even if I wasn't in the book I would write about it, but the fact that a ton of my crafty friends grace the pages sure does not hurt. Let me run down the list of a few favorites....

Alrighty Sparkle Cocktail Brooch by Cathy Callahan of Cathy of California caught my eye. When I read that it was her ode to Enid Collins purses which I collect I knew why. I love jewelry that encompasses more than just beads and string. Cathy busts out the fabric, paint and gem stones!

Suerte Love Charm by Kathy Cano Murillo author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life stands out with all the dangly charms and colors. Kathy knows a thing or two about organized chaos herself. I also really like the Tassel Talisman right next door on page 201.

I love the adorable owl shaped beads on the yummy Candy Shoppe One-Strand Bracelets by the fantabulous Jenny Ryan of CRAFT: Transforming Traditional Crafts.

Laura Stokes of Charcoal Designs and her Crown Jewels Button Brooch made my toes curl in delight.

Jesse Malone from Art School Dropout is one of my favorite Indie jewelry designers so it only makes sense that I would be extra smitten on her Circles and Circles Necklace.

Other contributors who's name you might know as crafty mavens include Natalie Zee Drieu of Coquette and CRAFT: Transforming Traditional Crafts fame, Diane Gilleland who does Crafty Pod, Leah Kramer author of The Craftster Guide to Nifty, Thrifty, and Kitschy Crafts: Fifty Fabulous Projects from the Fifties and Sixties, Faythe Levine one of the masterminds behind the upcoming Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design, Torie Nguyen co-author of Super Crafty: Over 75 Amazing How-to Projects!, Nicole Vasbinder of Queen Puff Puff and more.

There are 38 guest projects so according to my math that leaves 112 projects by the amazing Susan Beal.

Susan Beal is a woman of many talents: author, craftavist, designer and more. I'm a little partial to her because she was one of my favorite guests on Craft Lab. Susan even wore the Splashy Flower Charming Pendant Necklace from Bead Simple on her episode! Besides all of the fabulous projects in the book there is also over 20 pages about color theory, the right supplies and techniques. For instance wrapping a briolette is something that always boggles my mind, but there on page 22 are clear easy to follow instructions so there might be hope for me yet. Score yourself a copy of Bead Simple and get to beading! Read more ›

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply beautiful! August 14, 2008

By J. Pellecchia

Format:Paperback

I'm so happy to have a copy of this book! I'm not really a jewelry maker, but the projects and photos are completely inspiring! I noticed that the projects don't all adhere to the same aesthetic, which is so nice and refreshing to see in a craft book - lots of good variety for gifting or matching to different styles of clothing, and it's not hard to imagine modifying many of the pieces to suit different tastes. This is a really great choice for a beginner, or for anybody who appreciates a well put-together how-to book!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A compilation of more than 150 do-it-yourself designs May 5, 2008

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Paperback

Beading is an enduring popular craft and a basic skill for do-it-yourself jewelry makers, needlecraft embellishers, and crafts artists. "Bead Simple: Essential Techniques For Making Jewelry Just The Way You Want It" by jewelry designer and 'Craft' magazine contributor Susan Beal (who blogs daily at [...] and whose jewelry is sold nationwide in shops and galleries) is a compilation of more than 150 do-it-yourself designs using beads to make earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and embellishments that range from cocktail rings to Christmas tree ornaments. Of special note is the 'Getting Started' chapter that will prove especially useful for the novice. The text is replete with icons that show at a glance the difficulty level, cost, and materials required for each individual project. Thoroughly 'user friendly' and featuring a wealth of full color illustrations, "Bead Simple" is highly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Arts & Crafts instructional reference collection.