Customer Reviews

Off The Beadin' Path: Discovering Your Own Creative Trail of Bead Embellishment (2nd Edition)

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

 

 

If you are looking for a pattern book, this is not it. However, if you are looking for ways to expand your creativity with beads, this is the book for you. While teaching you new ways (such as sticky lollipops and telephone poles) to applique beadwork on fabric, counted canvas and whatever your creativity dictates you are given "assignments" to open you up to new paths of creativity.

I bought this book after learning how to do a couch stitch. After one night of beading, I had learned many different stitches and was creating works I didn't think I could do! This book is a "must buy" for any new beader and I can't help but think that it would also be a good book for anyone who has been beading for a while but needs some new ideas. I checked out several beading books, and really believe this is the most helpful! Thank you Nancy! You've inspired me!

I loved this book! Nancy starts by exploring ways to allow your own creativity to come through. Then once that's tackled, she's on to lots of creative ways to use beads - from bead applique, to adding texture, fringe, edgeing, and sculpting. Her directions and diagrams are thorough and inspirational. Just looking through the book makes me want to go play with my beads some more. I think you'll really like the book.

I have worked thru the exersizes in this fun book and found it to be an exciting and a challenge to me to push the boundrys of creativity a bit. Such fun and clear illustrations what a joy. Easy to follow and well written. Better than a lot of the other bead books I own.

From the personal growth challanges in doing a Discovery Journey journal, to the examples of stitches used in creating original beadwork I have found Nancy's book a wonderful way to get out of the creative stuper I was in after moving from Ct. to Fl. I now can just sit down and throw beads together and before I know it I have a wonderful piece of bead art that all my friends admire, and to tell you the truth some of them envy because they feel I am so talented, (if they only knew the secret was what I learned from Nancy's book.) A must have in any beader's book collection to open up the artist in all of us.

If you have ever wanted to go on a journey to discover your own creative talents, this book is for you. As I read and completed the suggested exercises in this book, I was excited to see my creativity grow (and I thought I wasn't creative!). It opens up the world of beading embellishment with new and exciting uses of embroidery stitches.This book is excellent for anyone who wants to become creative and learn how to use beads to embellish their needleart.

I was disappointed to find that much of the book is dedicated to building artistic confidence (huh). Who buys a how-to book to give them tools to 'soothe their inner critic'? I was hoping for more information on different techniques and patterns.

I am an artist with first & second level awards nationwide, so when I purchased this "creative" book, I expected "treasures" of information. Instead, all I saw was "trash", I'm sorry to say.
I found no beauty in any of the illustrated, uh..... embellishments? NOT!
Every color illustration looked like a messy menagerie of beads, all clumped together. I had to squint, turn the page sideways or upside-down to make out any sense of form or design.....of which I found none.
I do not recommend this book for anyone and if I could, I would give it a rating of NO stars.

I was just not happy with this book. The artists redition of "art" made my eyes cross. I did not get inspired by the photographs at all and decided to try another "how to bead book". The author means well, but the photos were just too busy and nothing seemed to have placement. If this author has not taken any formal art instruction, I strongly suggest it.

Don't waste your money!! There are far better beading books than this one. I hated to even give a one-star rating but I had to, otherwise it would not let me rate this trash.