Glass is perhaps the quintessential material for beads. It has been used for this purpose
since ancient times, and now there is a bewilderingly huge range to choose from. This book
shows you how to transform these lovely components into something really special.
I like the way this book does not stop at just telling you how to make up the beads, but
goes all the way and tells you snippets about their creation, anatomy, history and use. Learn
how the ancients made beads and what they did with them, read about Venice and lampworking,
Bohemian glass, and trade beads. I also enjoyed the way the projects were grouped into three
types of occasions, and a short scenario described where the pieces might be worn. Classic
imagines a simple housewarming party, Special Occasion envisages the opening of an antiques
business, and Fashion Forward conjures up a design school’s fashion show. None of the
projects are advanced, but they will all get you thinking of ways they could be adapted and
come with lists of what you need, concise instructions, and large color photos. If you live
outside the US you will find it hard to obtain many of the special beads and findings, but I
found that reading through the instructions and poring over catalogs and websites produced
some substitutes. One for my inspiration shelf!
If you cannot find a good range of the materials used in this book locally try
SearchPress.com for a list of suppliers.