Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

this is a good resource if you are just starting out, I find the techniques are well explained, but some of the designs are simple, which for a beginner might be just what you want... This would make a great gift for anyone interested in beading, a good start off point!

I've been reading all over about how fabulous Susan Beal's new Bead Simple book is. Ever since I saw a first glimpse of the cover on the web ages ago, I've been dying to get my hands on a copy. My wish finally came true, and folks ... this book does NOT disappoint. Everything I've read was right on. It's a big, thick, yummy, beautiful book. I've spent the last several nights dreamily perusing it before I drift off to sleep. It's no wonder I've had lots of dreams of jewelry this week!

Bead Simple is gorgeous. It's styled in such a way that makes it a borderline coffee table book. Don't relinquish this book to the craft room bookshelf. It's one you'll want to keep out where you can look at it at any time, and share with friends. The projects are beautifully photographed, the illustrations are clean and simple and the typography pulls it all together in a way that's delicate without being too fru-fru.

This book has got something for beading newbies and jewelry experts. The first part of the book has incredible resources and information about everything you need to get started making your own jewels. The descriptions of the supplies are simple and clear and the intro chapter makes for a great starting point and future reference.

The project portion of the book is brilliantly organized. Each "chapter" has three variations on a particular theme. It's a great way to see how you can easily modify a certain technique or design to make loads of different, fun pieces. I love the chapter on vintage button necklaces. Remember how I haven't been a big button person in the past? Well, this chapter makes me want a button necklace for every day of the week.

And it's not just baubles that you'll be making when you get this book. There are great projects for embellishing clothes, too! I love that! There are also some fun household projects - like the Name Dropper Wine Glass Charms. I've got dibs on Prince!

And I haven't even gotten to the guest contributors. All your favorite crafty gurus are in here. My pal, Diane of Crafty Pod fame, has a beautiful Starburst Pendant design that involves wire twisting. I can't wait to give that one a spin. There's a fantastic project from Crafty Chica, Kathy Cano Murillo, that has a beautiful back story. I can almost hear Jennifer Perkins' Bric-a-Brac Charming Bracelet jingling off the page. I have to say, I'm a sucker for simple, fun, colorful stuff, so Jenny Ryan's Candy Shoppe One Strand Bracelet is among my absolute favorites. I know it's all about the beads on that one, and I'm drooling over the tiny owl beads and little squares with atomic sunbursts on them. I NEED those!

If I haven't convinced you of the luscious quality of Bead Simple, perhaps the price will do the trick. What can I say, I'm a practical, frugal gal at heart. So seeing this glossy, glorious, massive book filled with the designs of fabulous independent crafty folks priced at just under $20 ... that's a steal of a deal if you ask me.

Treat yourself to Bead Simple. Like me, you won't be disappointed.

This book is so gorgeously photographed and well illustrated and the projects are perfect for the modern girl. No overly fussy and complicated beaded jewelry like you see at every craft show here. Instead, Susan Beal shows you how to create all different kinds of jewelry that you will actually want to wear. And then she asked all her favorite indie designers to come up with their own spin on her projects. The list of guest designers is a who's who of the indie design world: Cathy Callahan (Cathy of California), Leah Kramer (Craftster), Kathy Kano Marillo (Crafty Chica), Jennifer Perkins (Naughty Secretary Club), Linda Permann (Linda Made, Adorn), Jenny Ryan (Craft, Felt Club), Kayte Terry (Love Forever, Craft Stylish) and many, many more. I should add that I also contributed a project to this book. It's the beaded belt on page 207. If you have been wanting to learn how to make cool & stylish jewelry and accessories I would highly recommend this book!