Instant Expert: Beading [Spiral-bound]

Lucinda Ganderton (Author)

Book Description

Series: Instant Expert | Publication Date: April 10, 2005

From the multicolored African beads of the Masai tribes to the designs of Native Americans, to the sparkly fashions of the 1920s, beading adds texture, color, shine, and an appealing dress-up quality to clothing, jewelry, pillows, and bags. Even complete novices will quickly acquire the skills to create beaded treasures by using Instant Expert: Beading. This book begins with a complete introduction to the required materials and tools, followed by step-by-step technique instructions, and 28 projects that lead the reader through advancing levels of difficulty. 20 techniques are taught that include threading, fringes and tassels, knotting and crochet. There is also helpful advice for beginners and inspiration for advanced beaders, as well as over 200 beautiful photographs in this informative and lovely look at the art of beading.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lucinda Ganderton is a craft author, designer and broadcaster. previous books include Stitch Dictionary, Bridal Crafts, The Country Living Book of Soft Furnishings, Romantic keepsakes, and The Complete Guide to Needlecraft. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 192 pages
• Publisher: Thunder Bay Press (April 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592233449
• ISBN-13: 978-1592233441
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not what I was looking for!, March 12, 2010

By 

B. Hinchee (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Instant Expert: Beading (Spiral-bound)

If you are shopping on line and looking at this book, know that it has weaving, embroidery, wire work and crochet.

Many times the picture on the face of a book catches your attention. It tells you that there many projects in this book that will also catch your attention. Not true for this book. When looking for a book on beading, the titles don't always tell you what is really inside and the pictures doesn't help.

If you are looking for ways to use beads in many different ways, this may be the book for you. If you are looking for designs to make jewelry, shy away.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lovely projects, but..., January 18, 2008

By 

Heather - See all my reviews

This review is from: Instant Expert: Beading (Spiral-bound)

Most of the projects in this book are beautiful and look like they would be fun to make and use.

I feel the "instant expert" title is misleading though, as it does assume a certain knowledge of beading techniques.

Also, the written instructions can be vague, and in some cases, downright wrong. Some mistakes can be picked up just by reading the instructions and looking at the diagram, but others possibly won't be noticed until you are mid-project and thinking "well, that doesn't look right..."

If you are the type who can look at photos and diagrams and make sense of how a project is supposed to go together, you may enjoy the beautiful projects in this book. If not, however, you would be better off with another title.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too broad, September 24, 2007

By 

Christine Saalbach (San Antonio TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Instant Expert: Beading (Spiral-bound)

Have you ever tried to follow beading instructions while holding a book open in one hand and beading with the other? Lucinda's book has the answer to that bothersome problem: the book is spiral-bound! Why haven't other publishers gone this route?

Here's a bit of trouble with the instructions -- the actual steps shown are not for a beginner. Lucinda assumes the reader has used, say, crimps with success, knows how to open and close a jump ring, or how to make a loop in a head pin. Those of us who have completed a necklace only to have the beads roll onto the floor after making a too-tight crimp might have appreciated a bit more step-by-step detail. Although this book is a good overview of the various beading techniques, too little time is spent on each. "Knotting and crochet" rates three pages and "polymer clay," about which entire books have been written, is allowed only one page.

I cannot completely dismiss the book, though, because Lucinda shows how to make a darling curtain using silk flower heads and origami paper beads rolled over drinking straws, a very clever project I've not seen elsewhere.