Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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74 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a pleasant surprise within, 22 Jan 2005
This book appealed to me when i saw the cover photo and thought that it looked unique and beautiful. I have been working with stringing and wire working techniques with a little dabbling in silver work with sheet and wire and soldering techniques. This book has a surprising amount of information inside, which i wasn't really expecting from the cover of the book. It covers basic and interesting wire working and stringing with other topics covered such as types of beads from glass lampworked to silver to seed beads. I have always loved seed beads as they can be very beautiful and come in a vast range of finishes and colours, but i have never really known how to use them to best effect without sewing them with seed beading techniques or stringing them all together for a multi strand type necklace. Since sewing, or stitching, with seed beads is quite a technical skill, not to mention long, i have always been a bit put off by its seeming complicity and time consumption!! I can stitch a small swatch but after that i am tired of it and when i see these wonderful necklace collars that have been stitched with all kinds of things i always imagined that i could never do that!! Well, this book is a brilliant introduction into seed beading, especially for people who might be a little put off by it. It demonstrates how to sew small sections of each colour or size and then stitch them all together for a truly breathtaking effect! I must admit that i have never seen beaded jewellery such as the ones shown in this book by the author, Lynda Musante, and it appears to be full of limitless potential. Diffrent colours, diffrent beads, sizes, finishes etc.. will all yield a very diffrent result. To see the beading combined with lovely wire work techniques and simple stringing was a joy. It opened my eyes to the possibilities of combining diffrent types of applications to create truly unique and intricate looking jewellery which is sure to be thought of as finely crafted and with great skill.... There really is a lot of diffrent aspects of beaded jewellery covered in this book and i feel confident that anyone looking through it will feel as i have done, pleasantly surprised at the contents within! It was the picture on the front of the book that made me want to see inside, if i'm honest i was expecting to be a little dissapointed - as i am by so many beading and jewellery publications - by thier lack of ingenuety and uniqueness. I suppose that i have a very distinctive style in mind that i want to be able to create with, although i glean from many many jewellery making books of all diffrent kinds, it is THIS book, at the moment, which is always out on my desk!! It is a very visual book with lots of quality and clear photos of inspiring jewellery that will give you many ideas of your own. At the end of each section there is a gallery of work by diffrent artists showcasing what can be done with the techniques that were in the previous section. For instance in the wireworking section, the gallery contains some pieces created that are beautiful and unique all done with wire working and beads. So you can see what is possible with the techniques that you have learned if you take them further and with your own input and inspiration. The whole book is, as i said, beautifully visual and also contains clear instructions and details on the various points raised in the diffrent chapters. I'm sure that it will offer something for everyone interested in beaded jewellery of diffrent kinds. I am very glad that i own a copy!! Thanks Lynda Musante!! One last note.... I think that with all books of this sort you should examine the jewellery shown within and try and figure out the techniques that have been used. To do this you will build on your skills not only as a jeweller but also as a creator because you will be able to see how a piece has been constructed, and with that knowledge you will be able to solve your own creative challenges on how to achieve looks that you are after in your work. I have tried to do this for some time and i feel confident that i have learnt the all important skill of problem solving in a creative way. This may sound obvious or trivial but it makes a huge diffrence to the uniqueness of your work to be able to figure out all of its construction and balance etc, on your own. It also empowers you to come up with new and beautiful ways to make your work diffrent and comfortable and uniquely yours!! This is something that even someone who has never made jewellery can do. Just by looking closely at pictures and details and using common sense and logic!! I am totally self taught, and still have masses to learn, but this has benefited me greatly - so i just wanted to share!!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An exquisite book to preview exquisite jewellery, 28 Dec 2007
I am so pleased I bought this book, it is by far the most used and prized book on beading I own! I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I saw the cover and the necklace showcased and had to have it, as this kind of jewellery is right up my street. If you like big, bold jewellery, this is for you!
The layout of the book is brilliant, not your usual pages and pages of writing with odd pictures every now and again. The book contains tips and handy 'tricks of the trade' that even I didn't know about. There are mini project throughout the book and at the end there's bigger projects showing you how to make jewellery like the necklace on the front cover. The projects are unlike anything I've come across and are simply stunning.
There is a gallery of jewellery, which I believe anyone who goes through the projects in this book will be able to do themselves once they get the hang of the stitches. There is also a list of suppliers for the beads and materials used throughout the book, but they are American suppliers.
This is fantastic. Buy it. You will not regret it
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a Fantastic book, 2 Aug 2009
This book is fantastic and very inspirational. You do need some experience with beading especially weaving, but they do give you instructions. This is a must if you want to create something extra ordinary. Make sure you have a large selection of beads as you would not want to stop. This is a book you must have in your collection. This book is full of tips. Because I can be a slow learner I would have like more detailed pictured instructions, as fantastic the projects are they can look daunting to make.
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by Diane Fitzgerald
by Carol Huber Cypher
