Making Beautiful Beads: Glass * Metal * Polymer Clay * Fiber

Lark books has done it again with a very well written and photographed book on a cross section of media to make beads with. I will admit that I am already a big fan of Adams and Gollberg's work. Having no interest at this time in felt or paper work. The sections were interesting reading in passing. The clay section has some nice touches. All things covered in this book are for the beginner or somebody that wants to get a handle on the hobby of beads/jewelry. Yes in the glass beads there is torch work but how many homes today don't have a maap torch for plumbing. Same thing with the metal work Joanna gives it in two sections. The cold working and the hot working. So you can start out with a small investment or none if you have a handy type house. The pictures are clear bright and show the area that the description tags cover, not work bench scenic shots. The gallery's have an assortment of other peoples work for wider scope of styles than just the featured artists. I own it and use it

This is a wonderful book for "how to's" on various methods of making beads including polymer clay, fiber, metal and glass. For any beadmaker or aspiring beadmaker, this book will provide inspiration and instructions for making beads. It gives a great overview of the various methods to wet your appetite! A must have book.

I love this book. This is a great book for the bead artist. The variety of projects and materials is great and many of the techniques for one medium can be translated to other mediums. The polymer clay section is especially good. Not the only book to own on making beads, but definitely full of excellent inspiration.

I don't know if the previous reviewer is looking at the same book I am, but my copy of "Making Beautiful Beads" has a lot more than torches and glass in it. About a quarter of the book covers how to make glass beads with a torch. Another quarter gives you an intro to metal-smithing. Another covers polymer clay. The remaining section has some very unusual felted beads and cast paper beads. This books covers a lot of ground, so if you are already experienced in several of these disciplines, then you may not need it. On the other hand, if you're curious about what it takes to get into torching your own glass beads or how to get started making beads with polymer clay, this is a great reference. Each section gives you a good feel for what you'll need in the way of supplies and how to start with each medium. Lots of step-by-step photos and clear instructions. The book is worth the price for the gallery sections, alone. I don't much care for fiber jewelry as a rule, but some of these hand-felted ornaments are beautiful! The polymer clay, glass and metal galleries are even more inspiring - gorgeous work from a variety of artists and crafters.

I found this to be a great book. The photos were beautiful and the instructions were detailed. I enjoyed the section on polymer clay. The book has chapters on making beads of out felt, paper, metal, glass, & polymer clay. If you enjoy making beads or thinking of starting beadmaking, this book is for you.