Making Glass Beads (Beadwork Books) (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Beads have become so popular that entire shops are now devoted to selling beads and bead accessories. However, it is possible to make colorful beads of one's own from craft materials. Casey's beads are often humorous items made from glued strips of cloth, yarn, or paper and finished off with clear nail polish. Resembling polymer clay beads, they can be made in fantastic shapes and colors. The projects have detailed, step-by-step instructions with large enough illustrations to be used for children's as well as adult crafts. Jenkins's beads are little glass gems made using standard glassworking supplies and equipment such as a kiln and propane torch. She gives step-by-step instructions for plain glass, millefiori (thousand flowers), sculpted beads, and others. Photographs of museum-quality beads by other artists are interspersed throughout and provide an eye-opening look at the bead as art. Both books are welcome additions to craft collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

This volume shows crafters how to make glass beads, using a small, portable torch, some purchased glass rods, and a few household tools. It also includes dozens of techniques for decorating the beads and easy directions for assembling the beads into earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and pins.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books; illustrated edition edition (December 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887374167
• ISBN-13: 978-1887374163
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #560,364 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent instruction, beatiful photos, must-have, May 2, 2000

By	Angel Lee "Liocorno Amethyst Moonstone" (Cleveland, OH United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is a great book for learning all about how to make glass beads. It is packed with beautiful color photos. Each technique is both demonstrated and explained in clear step by step instructions.

The author first covers a brief history, then talks about materials, tools and safety. Next, she explains the basics of making beads. Many variations are then explained, including making different shapes, raking colors & adding stripes.

More advanced techniques including mixing colors, adding metal, furrowing & adding surface treatments. She also explains how to make millefiori canes, cased beads, filigranas, latticinos, hollow beads, buttons & marbles.

There are 3 wonderful appendices in the back covering jewelry-making basics, the nature of glass and trouble shooting tips. My only wish for this book was that a list of suppliers was included.

67 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for people who have never worked with glass, March 26, 1999

By A Customer

Cindy Jenkins has done a wonderful job with this book. It teaches you step by step from the very beginning. This book will show you what you need and where you need to get it. It will then show you how to make great beads. Numerous techniques are very well illustrated. I started out with no knoweledge of glass whatsoever, but now with the help of Cindy's book, I can make beautiful glass beads. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get their foot in the door to the world of glass.

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, May 17, 2000

By A Customer

An excellent book, extremely well illustrated. For each section she provides not only clear instructions, but also photographs of the procedure being done, as well as simple photos of the finished product. The book covers beginning and advanced lampworking techniques, from creating simple beads to advanced embellishment, with brief sections on container vessels, buttons, and marbles. Throughout the book there are wonderful pictures of different kinds and styles of lampworked beads by many different bead artists; clear captions allow you to understand what went in to the making of each bead. Even if you never light a torch, this is a great book just to leaf through! I've noticed that it is offered with beginning lampwork kits by a number of glass supply stores. Don't miss it if you are at all interested in beads, either as a collector or as a craftsperson.