Instant Gratification: Jewelry [Paperback]

Annie Guthrie (Author), Julie Toy (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Adornment is in! And here's a little secret--those beautiful beaded and gem-studded affairs are truly easy to make. Instant Gratification: Jewelry offers up near effortless sophistication with 38 projects ranging from elegant drop earrings and sparkling bracelets to deceptively intricate-looking necklaces. Make it today, wear it tonight. It doesn't take a lot of time or money--anyone can be an artisan with the chic and breezy approach of the Instant Gratification guides.

About the Author

Annie Guthrie is a writer and jewelry designer who supported herself through graduate school by making and selling her jewelry. She lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Julie Toy is a Los Angeles--based lifestyle photographer whose work has appeared in numerous magazines.

Product Details

• Paperback: 108 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811826864
• ISBN-13: 978-0811826860
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,052,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Pictures, December 8, 2003

By	S. Brand "sandra807" (United States) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Instant Gratification: Jewelry (Paperback)

The very first impression I get when opening this book is "what pretty, artistic photos!" I think the beautiful photography steals the show in this book, which is meant to be an instructional book. The jewelry is also very nice, and probably looks even better because of the photographer's eye for arrangement, angle, lighting, soft focus, etc.

I definitely find inspiration in this book for creating the jewelry shown, and I like the variety of styles which look quite contemporary; not outdated. But I, even as an experienced beader, was a little thwarted by the very photos that I also praise! The fact that they are soft-focus, faded at the edges, and do not show the details of all parts of the jewelry, left me with questions regarding the finished look of the piece, or construction details. I can certainly figure it out, but I can't imagine a beginner would.

All the instructions are written, and there are no diagrams, which are so important for beginners. Some of the terminology for jewelry components or methods are not explained, so a beginner would need to refer to other sources. It's because of this lack of clarity I give the book a 4. For experienced beaders, I do recommend this book for additional inspiration in a beader's library.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ~A CREATIVE JEWELER'S MUST~, July 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Instant Gratification: Jewelry (Paperback)

A creative jeweler's must...this book includes gorgeous photos and impactually creative projects. PERFECT for those of us who can extract inspiration from a project and make it one's own. A beginner could ABSOLUTELY attempt any one of the gorgeous projects and have fantastic results. However, contrary to Ms. Guthrie, your local craft store will not carry all of the items used in most of the projects so you will spend some time finding the right items to fit your needs- but for most of us this is not a problem. The resources could improve; needs more online available resources and Ms. Guthrie's website could provide further instruction/inspiration in addition to selling her wares. I wish more beading books are of the quality as Instant Gratification Jewelry; if I am ever in a rut I just grab this book and page through...inspiration smacks me in the face and I end up creating an amazing piece! Good luck!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Definitely inspiring, February 28, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Instant Gratification: Jewelry (Paperback)

The first thing you notice about this book is the beautiful photographs. Unfortunately, I found the layout of the jewelry was more artistic than informative. Yes, they are creative jewelry, but you don't always get to see the whole piece. This is good for a beginner who wants to find inspiration. The directions are easy to understand. I came away with some great ideas that are not hard to make.