Customer Reviews

Create with the Designers: Beaded Crochet with Ann Benson (Create With Me)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I was amazed to find that this is NOT A BOOK. There should have been a clear explaination that this is a beginning bead crochet instructional DVD. I am an advanced bead crocheter and was expecting to find new and different patterns in this "book". (Benson's first book is great - I loved it). The CD/ROM doesn't really work very well(perhaps it's my computer - but I doubt it). The DVD doesn't navigate well at all (I got stuck often and had to load and unload the DVD to switch chapters. (I wanted investigate other sections of the DVD to see if there was anything of interest to me anywhere. - No Luck !!!) The crochet instructions are good for a beginner. Since these beginner instructions and introduction to supplies are the bulk of the DVD - It was a total waste for me. I preorderd this item and nowhere did I get an explaination of it's true content. Hopefully Ms. Benson will come out with a new TRUE BOOK with new designs and patterns.
Sorry, Just call me Disappointed in Arizona

Like the other reviewers, I was astounded when the CD/DVD arrived. It is not very well done - you cannot easily move from chapter to chapter and I am not sure that I want to anyway. It does not contain the basic information I wanted - I feel cheated.

I thought this was a "real" book and not a DVD/CD Rom. I have problems with playing it. It stops repeatedly and it is hard to navigate from one chapter to another. It is even harder to jump chapters. Though it was probably my lap top.

As for the "Bonus" materials/patterns, there are no instructions on the CD Rom. I couldn't even find the additional patterns as promised much less see photos of them. They just seemed like basic "How to" crochet photos.

I'm just very disappointed in this "product" from Ann Benson.

Is it possible to be a 'Bensonite'? If so, then I am a charter member, for Ann Benson has produced yet another winning publication.

"Create with the Designers" is a hard-cover book with a DVD and a CD tucked within its covers, and it is surely where the future of crafts is headed.

The DVD offers a series of live workshops, featuring Ms. Benson. She takes us through:

* Basics of Beading
* Fibers
* Tools
* Crochet 101 (with beads)
* Patterns and Directions
* Window-shopping
* Boutique (which shows Ms. Benson's bead shop)

The CD has printable patterns, so you can get creatively crazy with this one enriched book!

The DVD offers the clearest visual and aural instructions on bead crochet that I have encountered --- and believe me when I say that I have collected nearly every book on the subject!

*If you buy no other book on bead crochet, buy this one! You won't regret it.*

The quality of the DVD is *very* high --- with, thank heavens, no distracting background music or goofy camera work. Every shot is crystal clear.

Many, many crafters are both computer literate and dedicated to home-made crafting. We love both high and low tech, and Ms. Benson has caught that curious amalgam of interests in her latest oeuvre.

Thank you, Ann Benson!

Already owning one of Ann Benson's bead crochet books, I was excited at the prospect of a new one. The fact that it was a DVD was not clear when ordering. I was still excited to see what was new, but found the DVD to be very poor quality, and at this point does not work at all.

Leafing throught the few printed pages that accompany the set, most of the patterns are simply rewrites from her earlier book.

This purchase was very disappointing, along with a waste of my money.

I rated this three stars because the DVD doesn't work correctly.
Perhaps it's just my copy, but I am not able to navigate through the menu. Otherwise, for a beginning bead crocheter, having the process to look at is very helpful. The patterns are fair, but again, for a beginner, if the DVD works a great visual tool.

Now I get it! I got her book, Beaded Crochet Designs, after I got this DVD and discovered that this DVD is merely a selection of projects from the real book, without the creepy pictures of little girls with too much makeup that are way too reminiscent of poor little JonBinet Ramsey. I found this DVD book quite frustrating. The CD bonus material will not play at all on my computer.
Her demonstration of crochet basics is a very good example of how to crochet with beads but there is not a bit on how to set the piece up, i.e. how long the thread should be, how to string all the beads on the thread first before beginning to crochet, etc. I liked the simple sample piece and would have liked directions on how to make it,the full step by step, but oh no, she wants me to make a one color pearlescent piece instead...boring and frustrating. This is not well thought out. The section on supplies, tools, etc. is good and helpful but again not enough for more stars!

This is the worst bead crochet DVD I've ever seen. The photography is horrible. I have a HUGE television and still had to sit 2 feet away from it to try, and I do mean try, to watch the demonstrations. It was very hard to see what they were doing. If I hadn't already known how to do bead crochet I would have been totally lost. I was hoping to learn something new but that didn't happen. I was very sorry I purchased it. Ann is a great designer but whoever produced and photographed this attrocity should be fired.

I have ordered this product three times and I am still having trouble navigating the different chapters by using my DVD remote. I have tried several friends DVD players and I have decided to return it since it still does not work as it is supposed to.I am disappointed with this product.

I've been trying to master the technique of beaded crochet ropes for quite some time now. I'm a visual learner and needed help so when I saw Ann Benson's DVD I scooped it right up and am so glad I did. Her instruction is clear and the camera shots of her crocheting are very easy to follow.

Like other reviewers, I also had problems navigating the DVD (hence the 4 stars). The red dot that is supposed to appear in the main menu does not appear. But once I played the DVD on my laptop I was able to manually access the chapters. Not the most convenient thing - there must be a glitch somewhere - but it was well worth it to receive the instruction (and patterns).

While this is not a top-of-the-line Hollywood production, it more than serves its purpose and I cannot thank Ms. Benson enough for putting this together.