Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Something For Everyone, April 22, 2009
This review is from: Micro-Macrame: 30 Beaded Designs for Jewelry Using Crystals and Cords (Paperback)
I first encountered Annika through her blog "Annika's Atelier" right after I started my own blog on micro macrame. She makes all kinds of beautiful things (not just micro macrame). We corresponded a bit back and forth over the next couple of years, checking into each other's blogs upon occasion. I found her to be a delightful and talented woman.
Recently, she contacted me to review her new book. I accepted right away and she sent me an advance copy.
At first glance, I fell in love. What a lovely book with 30 projects in varying degrees of difficulty and a wide variety of projects - from bracelets to ornaments, from victorian to deco - Something for everyone!
Then, this past weekend, I had a chance to delve deeper. You know, try one of the projects to see how the instructions worked out. (And, yes, I could not wait to make one of her designs for my own personal use!)
I made the "Stained Glass Bracelet" without too much trouble.
I had one question which she answered right away and said that anyone buying her book could contact her through her website[...] or her blog [...] and she would be happy to answer any questions.
I really cannot say enough about this book. It has beautiful photos, is well written and would provide anyone (beginner or expert) with plenty of projects and inspiration for quite some time...and isn't that really what it is all about?
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
EYE CANDY!!! ...and doable!, April 10, 2009
This review is from: Micro-Macrame: 30 Beaded Designs for Jewelry Using Crystals and Cords (Paperback)
Being a latent "flower child" and (sad to admit) macramé junkie from yester-year...I was intrigued to see a book on the latest spin in the ancient art of knot tying. The cover is gorgeous though and sucks you into the 30 projects that have fun intros, enticing names and detailed photos. Yes, the "Stained Glass Bracelet" is as fabulous as it sounds but doesn't look too daunting to construct. Then there's the "Dark Side of the Moon Necklace" which is really made from a couple simple knots but in such an elegant mix with beads that you could find yourself wiping one up in a weekend. Which in fact, is what I did the with the "Baroque Bracelet" (pgs. 84-89) and the "Ojime Necklace" (pgs. 26-29). There are also watchbands that I'm dying to try on some old timepieces I have laying around, and the book has been a terrific resource for finding out how to mount beautiful cabochons and cameos in something other than metal. This puts a new lease on life to those intricate buttons and broken jewelry pieces that need a new setting. I was pleased to find the instructions and photos were easy to follow and I've now added this wonderful knowledge to my repertoire of crafty-handy skills for making great jewelry without breaking the bank.
Which is another thing I liked about this book - all the supplies are listed with directions for not only the individual projects, but how do to the knots and get started on this easy, compact way to continue what used to be a bulky, cumbersome hobby. These jewelry projects are all ones that could be taken "on the go." Believe it! These eye-candy proto-types can ALL be managed ON YOUR LAP with a padded clipboard (directions to make your own for a couple bucks are included in the book) AND without having to bring along rolls of the wire and various paraphernalia that creating wire/bead/crimping type jewelry requires.
These projects let me put a small clipboard and Ziploc bag of stuff into my computer bag with my laptop and do these on the go - because unlike crochet, knitting or wire stringing projects - these can be stopped and put on hold with each knot!!! How's that for being able to create "bling" and fantastic gifts on the fly or with a busy lifestyle?
Way to go Annika deGroot for giving me back my one of my favorite teen hobbies...now if you could just help me find my rose-colored sunglasses, string some beads into my hair and braid it or fit into my old hip-huggers with the WIDE flare legs! ;o)
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where to start???, April 2, 2009
This review is from: Micro-Macrame: 30 Beaded Designs for Jewelry Using Crystals and Cords (Paperback)
I just got my copy of this book and am going *WOW* on just about every page - as in WOW, that's gorgeous -- and, WOW, that actually looks pretty do-able!
Only problem is: which project to start first, they're all so appealing. [Update: ah, got one: definitely the *WOW* stained-glass bracelet on page 98, what a knock-out]
Full disclosure: I'm a friend of the author, whose work (and whose fabulous color sense)I've long admired. But I'm giving this book the full five stars because the production values are right up there with the quality and beauty of the designs. Instead of those boring black & white diagrams I see in other books of this type, here you get brilliant color photos showing every step clearly (good for keeping it real and for keeping up my motivation to go to the next step). Every page is a feast for the eyes, not to mention the imagination. A real delight!
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