Rating: 
Summary: The Irrestible Bead
Review: ...Unfortunately, it really didn't live up to my expectations. I was looking for something that would cover all of the basics, i.e knots etc. But after reading through, I realized that the author takes allot for granted. I would certainly not recommend this to anyone looking for something to start with.
Rating: 
Summary: Yes, beads are irresistible
Review: I must agree with Linda -- beads are definitely irresistible. And, like potato chips, you can't have just one. Unlike most bead books, this one does not start with tools needed or techniques. Linda starts with the elements of design, important to all art. You need to know about line, shape, texture, color, and creating a focal point before learning how to make a piece of art. Linda does not neglect techniques, leading you through wire work, bead stringing, beading on a ground, woven beadwork, and the use of polymer clay. To inspire, she includes a 12-page gallery and designer notes. What makes this book a handy reference is the appendix which includes bead sizes, standard jewelry lengths, findings, gemstones, birthstones, design charts, and a metric conversion chart. So helpful!
Rating:
Summary: Yes, beads are irresistible
Review: I must agree with Linda -- beads are definitely irresistible. And, like potato chips, you can't have just one. Unlike most bead books, this one does not start with tools needed or techniques. Linda starts with the elements of design, important to all art. You need to know about line, shape, texture, color, and creating a focal point before learning how to make a piece of art. Linda does not neglect techniques, leading you through wire work, bead stringing, beading on a ground, woven beadwork, and the use of polymer clay. To inspire, she includes a 12-page gallery and designer notes. What makes this book a handy reference is the appendix which includes bead sizes, standard jewelry lengths, findings, gemstones, birthstones, design charts, and a metric conversion chart. So helpful!
Rating: 
Summary: What a delightful book!
Review: She covers it all, from the basics (what materials you'll need, color coordination) to more complex design thoughts... She gives clear, concise directions on how to create several types of projects as well as pages presenting variations on themes. The Phoenix necklace is simply amazing, I hope to someday be good enough to make it!
A good book for beginners, but surely has good ideas for those more advanced!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource.
Review: The projects in this book range from easy to advanced, but all are very lovely. I can't wait to jump into the Starburst necklace. The images and instructions are very clear and easy to follow, and the author even gives ideas for variations to each of the projects in the book. And, the resources in the back of the book (bead and seed bead sizes, necklace sizes and even some sample graph paper) are very valuble to have on hand. I absolutely loved this book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for Beginning Designers
Review: This book starts with a chapter on color, design, and the texture. It ends with a basic list of tools and supplies for making the projects in the book. There are chapters on wireworking, bead stringing, bead embroidery, woven beadwork, and polymer clay. There are a few projects in each chapter but I really love the Designer's Notes at the end of the chapter. These pages include sketches of other ideas that can be created with the technique just learned. The gallery is yummy with enough to whet your appetite for more or better yet, making your own masterpiece(s). But the Appendix is what I really love about this book. There are guides to bead sizes, a standard list of jewelry lengths, and pictures of basic jewelry findings. Plus a glossary of precious and semiprecious stones; a beader's glossary of terms; birthstones - both traditional and astrological; blank graphs for loom/square, peyote, and brick stitches.
Rating:
Summary: recommended!
Review: This book was recommended to me by someone I met online quite some time ago, and I have yet to be disappointed. At a very basic level, the photography is excellent and even though it is a paperback, it seems to be pretty hardy. "The Irresistible Bead" is a great book for all levels. I have been beading for more than a year and took art classes in high school, so I skipped the information on color and the other basics. However, these sections are great for reference (or, if you've never picked up a bead before or don't consider yourself artistic, read through them and they'll help a lot). The instructions for the various projects are well-illustrated and easy to follow. If you don't have one of the items needed for the project, you can usually substitute something else from your bead stash, and you probably already have a lot of the non-bead supplies around your house (tape, straight pins, toilet paper tubes, etc.). For the advanced beader, there are a lot of new kinds of projects to try. There's a section on polymer clay, and a stitch or two you may not have tried before. For the really creative person, just flipping through the book and looking at the photographs can spark lots of ideas. You can adapt the projects in the book, or you can work up versions of the beautiful pieces of jewelry that are shown just for inspiration (as opposed to being projects included in the book). One thing that might have been nice is to see what some of the pieces of jewelry looked like on models but most of the bead books I've seen don't do that anyway, so it's just wishful thinking on my part. All-in-all, I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in beadwork.
Rating:
Summary: Great for All Levels of Beaders
Review: This book was recommended to me by someone I met online quite some time ago, and I have yet to be disappointed. At a very basic level, the photography is excellent and even though it is a paperback, it seems to be pretty hardy. "The Irresistible Bead" is a great book for all levels. I have been beading for more than a year and took art classes in high school, so I skipped the information on color and the other basics. However, these sections are great for reference (or, if you've never picked up a bead before or don't consider yourself artistic, read through them and they'll help a lot). The instructions for the various projects are well-illustrated and easy to follow. If you don't have one of the items needed for the project, you can usually substitute something else from your bead stash, and you probably already have a lot of the non-bead supplies around your house (tape, straight pins, toilet paper tubes, etc.). For the advanced beader, there are a lot of new kinds of projects to try. There's a section on polymer clay, and a stitch or two you may not have tried before. For the really creative person, just flipping through the book and looking at the photographs can spark lots of ideas. You can adapt the projects in the book, or you can work up versions of the beautiful pieces of jewelry that are shown just for inspiration (as opposed to being projects included in the book). One thing that might have been nice is to see what some of the pieces of jewelry looked like on models but most of the bead books I've seen don't do that anyway, so it's just wishful thinking on my part. All-in-all, I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in beadwork.
Rating:
Summary: A few great pieces
Review: This is a beautifully done jewelry-making book. The pages are nicely organized and uncluttered with large, colorful photographs and drawings that clearly show details of the jewelry pieces. There are a few items I don't care for, but most are very pretty with wonderful color and texture combinations, in a variety of styles. This is not a complete beading book however, for example, as one reviewer mentions, there are no instructions for knotted bead jewelry. Rather, the author focuses on a few techniques, with a few projects given for each technique: wirework (brooch, stickpin, a beautiful "cleopatra" necklace, and a wire-wrapped rock bracelet); bead stringing (choker, three pretty necklaces of different designs, beaded watch strap, and an Indian-look fringed bead necklace); sewing beads onto a surface (brooch, pin, necklace); woven beadwork (daisy chain necklace, diamond shaped earrings, bracelet, peyote stitch pouch necklace...all made with seed beads); polymer clay beads (which includes instructions for making the beads, some in the shape of flowers). My only complaint is that there are only a few projects for each technique. Yet, some of them are so very pretty that I decided the low price of the book justified its purchase. Note for beginners: There is not a techniques section; instead the techniques are taught within each project's instructions, so a beginner should start at the front, where the most basic techniques are taught, and work her way through the book. Although the instructions are mostly clearly explained and illustrated, a little prior experience with jewelry findings (such as clasps), and doing some wirework may be helpful.
Rating:
Summary: A few great pieces
Review: This is a beautifully done jewelry-making book. The pages are nicely organized and uncluttered with large, colorful photographs and drawings that clearly show details of the jewelry pieces. There are a few items I don't care for, but most are very pretty with wonderful color and texture combinations, in a variety of styles. This is not a complete beading book however, for example, as one reviewer mentions, there are no instructions for knotted bead jewelry. Rather, the author focuses on a few techniques, with a few projects given for each technique: wirework (brooch, stickpin, a beautiful "cleopatra" necklace, and a wire-wrapped rock bracelet); bead stringing (choker, three pretty necklaces of different designs, beaded watch strap, and an Indian-look fringed bead necklace); sewing beads onto a surface (brooch, pin, necklace); woven beadwork (daisy chain necklace, diamond shaped earrings, bracelet, peyote stitch pouch necklace...all made with seed beads); polymer clay beads (which includes instructions for making the beads, some in the shape of flowers). My only complaint is that there are only a few projects for each technique. Yet, some of them are so very pretty that I decided the low price of the book justified its purchase. Note for beginners: There is not a techniques section; instead the techniques are taught within each project's instructions, so a beginner should start at the front, where the most basic techniques are taught, and work her way through the book. Although the instructions are mostly clearly explained and illustrated, a little prior experience with jewelry findings (such as clasps), and doing some wirework may be helpful.
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