Ceramic Bead Jewelry: 30 Fired & Inspired Projects

I am not a ceramic bead maker, but after reading Jennifer Heynen's book I feel like I want to go out and get myself a kiln and a hunk of clay and start making snakes and balls and just getting my hands dirty just like when I was a kid! I had the good fortune to actually meet Jennifer at a jewelry workshop right before her book came out. I bought it because I was curious, and now I really want to test my luck with making these beautiful beads. Jennifer is obviously very accomplished in her art, and loves what she does. Her colors and designs are fresh and funky and as colorful as her personality. I am impressed by the writing that makes something so technical seem within the grasp of someone like me who has never worked in this medium before. I have also ordered beads from Jangles and can attest to their quality and beauty. If you seek something new to add to your jewlery designing repertoire, or if you just love beautiful design books, then Ceramic Bead Jewelry is for you!

Jennifer created a fantastic book. Tjhe illustrations are beautiful! The i nstructions are easy to understand. The book makes you want to immediately start making your own beads.

I pre-ordered this book in March and was so happy to receive it this week. I had read about it on a yahoo group called beads of clay. It was well worth the wait. Very clear pictures and thorough instructions on how to create beads with clay. I highly recommend this book.

This elegant hardback book, Ceramic Bead Jewelry, by Jennifer Heynen, is the first book of its kind to really get right to the heart of ceramic bead making, while additionally offering fabulous jewelry designs, all created by the author. What a great book! I was blown away by the projects, the colors, the fantastic innovative ideas which are shown in this terrific book by Jennifer. She teaches us to create the beads, and then to design with them. Ceramic has not been a medium which has been covered sufficiently in print, although there are many fabulous artists out there who are extremely popular right now. The author is one of the leaders in this great group, and sharing her manner of working is a very wonderful gift which she has given to the reader. The projects are myriad in variety, too. If you don't want to make your boyfriend a cool necklace (I personally love that "Boyfriend Necklace"!), move on, and try her "Cupid Ring"! If that doesn't suit you, prepare yourself to flip out over her "Cute as a Button" earrings or her "Polka Dot Fun" bracelet. Interesting to me as well are her "Flowery Cuff", where she has studded her flower shaped beads on a wide, soft, tan velveteen band, like something I have never seen anywhere before, and her "Fabulous Fiber Belt " which shows off her sense of color, which is always on target, whether she is working with brights or muted tones. Even if you don't plan to make your own ceramic beads, this book stands as a success simply as a jewelry design book. The author has a website and you can find it right in the book. Her fantastic, gorgeous beads can be purchased there, which makes it easy to start at step two, if you like. The photographs are great, with very vivid and exciting colors. I think that this book, with its many bracelets, pendants, earrings, rings, even a cute pineapple pin, is a total winner! I am delighted to own this high quality, clearly explained, well written, beautiful piece of work: Ceramic Bead Jewelry by Jennifer Heynen.