|
Big
Book of Beautiful Beads by Five Designers This big book is divided into four parts with a different author for each section. What you really have here is four individual books for the price of one! Such a deal, I would be hard pressed to pass this book up. It is well worth the money, even if you only glance at the pictures and never read it! The first section, “Quick and Easy Jewelry” by Elizabeth Gourley and Ellen Talbott, opens with a chapter explaining tools, threads, wire, findings and beads, which is interspersed with excellent photos of the items discussed. This is followed by a wonderful chapter on techniques for stringing, as well as, several needle weaving stitches. The diagrams and thread paths are easy to see and follow. After this terrific introduction, you are in for the treat of several projects to complete with your new found wisdom! Section two is “Beaded Adornment” by Jeanette Shanigan. Once again materials and equipment are covered for the upcoming projects. Some of the same techniques and stitches are provided, however, there are also several bead embroidery projects plus loom work. Jeanette is from Alaska and the gallery features work by fellow Alaskan artists whom were not familiar to me. I enjoyed seeing some very new approaches to familiar techniques. Section three is “The Complete Guide to Beading Techniques” by Jane Davis. Again, an introduction to the basics, more needle weaving stitches, along with projects, and then Jane goes into knitting, tambour work, tatting and other similar beading projects. Jane has published with Gourley and Talbott before and their works compliment each other. Included in this section are blank graphs for you to copy and use for your own designs. Section four is “French-Beaded Flowers, New Millennium Collection” by Dalene Kelly. This section starts with the basics, but since the techniques are so different from the others, it is very necessary. I have tried and tried to make decent looking French wire flowers, but have never succeeded. With these instructions and the beautiful photos of flower bouquets, I am again encouraged to give it one more try! Like I said before, four books in one…what a deal! I have no idea of the number of different projects in this big book, but they number in the hundreds. Review by Teresa Barrett |
