Creative Bead Jewelry: Weaving * Looming * Stringing * Wiring * Making Beads

I have quite a few beading books and this one is a welcome addition to my collection. Even though it was published in 1995, most of the jewelry pieces still look stylish. This author wastes no time talking about bead types and their histories. A short introduction lets us know that she is a bead addict like many of us, and then she jumps into a few pages of the basics about materials and techniques. They are not extensive, so a beginner may have trouble using the skimpy instructions to get started in jewelry making, and may want to get help from an experienced beader. But these pretty pieces are enough to inspire. There's a nice variety of strung-bead necklaces and earrings, some with wirework connecting the beads. The colors and the mixtures of beads are what really stand out in this artistic collection. Styles range from simple to elegant, light and fun to heavy and with ethnic charm. A couple of projects use coiled wire in interesting ways, and though I myself don't use them, there are a few attractive pins for hair and clothing.Half of the book is taken up with projects made by weaving beads with needle and thread. I have not tried them yet, but the instructions look clear and easy enough to follow. There are many beautiful and artistic pieces here, too. Some examples include a luscious lavendar and yellow jasper stone encased in a weaving of similarly colored seed beads, a pair of quartz crystal earrings, held in place at the top in a sheathing of seed beads, and quite a few bracelets and purse-shaped pendants made with woven seed beads, some done on a bead loom. They are all beautiful, in my opinion.The last few pages show how to make your own beads of paper, fabric, and polymer clay, and these clay beads are pretty and creative. There are a lot of ideas here, and beaders should find several that will make this book worth adding to their collection.

This is a wonderful book to look at. Lots of color photos, readable diagrams and instructions with lots of different projects to choose from using all of the techniques shown in this book. Not the book I would recommend for a beginning beader (consider Beaded Amulet Purses by Nicolette Stessin). Excellent for the beader who is comfortable with basic beading techniques and looking to expand their beading skills.

This book came out before the huge glut, and I still like thumbing through it. The examples are marvelous. While it walks you very well through some projects, others are sort of "on your own." Good for an intermediate or advanced beader who wants to do more improvising, but might be frustrating for a new beader. I recommend learning the basic stitches elsewhere, but get this book, if only for the wonderful photos of work by very talented bead artists. It also has a useful section on balancing color and bead size, more useful information if you're ready to start personalizing your projects. It covers different stringing options well, and provides a good start for wire working. They could have left out the section on polymer clay, though.

This is my favorite beading book (and I have too many). Carol Taylor, an editor for LarkBooks (at least at times) is a gifted, funny, clear writer, who will make you want to try all the techniques she explains. The illustrations include a wide range of designs, from lovely to hideous (which means there must be something for everyone). I enjoyed this book so much I would buy any craft book Taylor has written; when I went back to my shelf, I found I already had her cloth-marbling book and her delightful T-shirt book. As well as being charming, this author gives excellent instructions.