Customer Reviews

Beadalicious: 25 Fresh, Unforgettable jewelry projects

5 star:		(6)
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I loved every page of this fun, hip design book! Not only is it a jewelry project book, it is a "how to" book...in this case, how to live your lifestyle with great enjoyment, written by the author in a fresh and engaging way. For example, Beadalicious includes recipes which have to do with the projects (Sonya's "Rich Amber Caramel Popcorn"---mmmm! for when you are makng some glorious amber earrings!) and ways to pamper yourself ("Sweet Dreams Eye pillow", set next to a pretty necklace of star and moon felt charms -- so enchanting!). This collection of lifestyle projects is a great addition to the jewelry projects and really helps you get to know the author, Sonya, who is full of energetic and imaginative ideas for creating fabulous fun new jewelry from old sixties or seventies pieces, for example. She really knows how to take apart and redesign a piece, so that you have learned an excellent lesson on jewelry RE-creating.

I could study this book for hours. One project I was particuary taken with was the Long John Silver necklace, which has so many gorgeous charms on it of all sorts. That has my m.o. all over it! She has some great wire wrapped rings as well, something I love, and she comments next to the red Phantom quartz stone which she has wrapped that it is red, for the "heart" chakra, and explains a bit about what that means. I love commentary like that, and I also like the way she wraps. By the way, next to that was a recipe for pink lemonade! Everything is joyous and fun and goes together!
You can buy this book as a starter book for a younger beader (who would love it and eagerly grow into it), or you can enjoy this book yourself, no matter what your age.

Sonya lives in Venice Beach, California. She is just a totally fun, knowedgable jewelry designer, and her terrically photographed book is a complete hit, as far as I am concerned! Five stars PLUS!

Too much fun, great book for putting together you own pieces. After this book, its encouraging to know that instead of buying a necklace that someone else has put together with a gold chain and a few vintage pieces that sells for $$$, you can make your own, in your style.. Its so easy, she shows you how to put the pieces together, w. diagrams etc, and how to turn an item into an incredible piece of jewelry. I got a group together with all of the pieces, buttons, pins, spare earrings etc, and we used the book as a guide. Amazing what you can come up with and it changes how you look at some of the new jewelry designs, esp. when you can do it yourself. I found that one of the books biggest fans was a friend w.out pierced ears. They don't exactly sell many clips these days... so now she knows how to put together her own for big nights out!! Enjoy. Its a book for all ages, styles and expertise. I am buying in bulk for birthday gifts...
> Plus! I am totally pulling this out with my god daughter, its right up her alley.

I met the author at an event and she is as charming as her writing. I have already been inpired to make a charm bracelet similar to the Lantern bracelet featured on the cover. I enjoy the format of including a recipe of some kind with each project. However the most valuable part for me has been the very clearly explained and ink illustrated wire techniques and tool/bead round up at the start of the book. The legacy of reading this book is that I look at all of the old costumey stuff that I have inherited from relatives with new eyes, especially the chunky faux gold chains that I hitherto considered useless.

The creativity and sense of fun in this book is infectious. The projects are both fresh, and refreshingly different than other books I've seen recycling old jewelry. This book is good for beginners to advanced (I minored in jewelry in college) I have a ton of arty craft books and this one still HAD to come home with me! I don't think I have ever made so many projects in a book before--so far, 18+ in the 6 weeks since I bought the book!! Some are multiple variations. The instructions are clear, each project graded for difficulty (using 1, 2, or 3 chili peppers!) And the recipes for other fun stuff in the same spirit as the project inject additional fun and inspiration into life.

Beadalicious
25 fresh, unforgettable jewelry projects for beads old and new
Sonya Nimri
Watson Guptill

Sonya Nimri is one of those women who can effortlessly and excellently do just about anything she sets her mind to doing as she shows in her charming second book Beadalicious. A feast for the eyes and the imagination replete with recipes for one of a kind repurposed vintage jewelry creations, yummy meals and even hand crafted soaps and body scrubs, Ms. Nimri's book is deliciously divine. Everything is served up with heaping helpings of style, panache and that certain je ne sais quoi.

When challenged with turning her grandmother's old costume jewelry that was languishing in a box in her apartment into something a young and stylish young woman might wear, Ms. Nimri succeeded brilliantly. This book shows you how to take vintage jewelry apart, combine it with new components and turn them into tempting new designs in a flash. The designs are chic, simple and striking and the instructions clear and easy to follow. I loved the photos of the jewelry on real people (including the lovely author herself) so you can get a real sense of how it might look on you. Although it's focused on jewelry, there is a smattering of stylish fashion projects to inspire your creativity.

Everything is cleverly presented as if the book were a cookbook and you can approach it that way, using Ms. Nimri's ideas as recipes to jump start your creativity and adding a dash of this and a pinch of that from your own imagination. Get out to the yard sales, thrift shops, flea markets and online auction sites and gather up cast off vintage jewelry and open up Beadalicious to explore Ms. Nimri's take on making something old into something fabulous.

Margot Potter
Author
The Impatient Beader series, Beyond the Bead, Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed

This book has some great step-by-step instructions, with illustrations - great for a beginning beader. The projects are all pretty easy to do, simple yet fashionable. As an advanced beader, this book comes mostly as inspiration, but inspirational it is! My favorite projects are the Lucky Charms necklace, the Blossoming Branch, and the Long John Silver necklace. I also love the Festival of Lanterns bracelet and the Cozy Nest Ring. Oh, and the Daisy gardening Boots are too cute! Okay, so I love it all. Sonya Nimri gets a big thumbs up, I love her color choices and bead combinations.