Gain confidence with jewellery making, 15 Nov 2008
With its attractive cover, I know you will pick this book up off the bookshop shelf if you are the least bit interested in jewellery making. From design ideas and inspiration, this book aims to take the jewellery maker through the whole process from start to finish. Comprehensive chapters include setting up a studio, materials, tools and techniques. Although it covers some of the same area as Elizabeth Olver's book Jewellery Making Techniques, the two books do not overlap too much and complement one another perfectly. The projects are laid out in easy to follow steps and the finished samples and steps are clearly photographed. You could easily use it as a week by week course. This practical book will be very useful to all jewellery makers. It's great value for money. This book would have been more rounded and complete if it had included more sources of inspiration and a good sources listing, however it does mention just a few magazines, books and website.

An absolute essential for all fledgling jewellery makers, 22 Oct 2008
Whilst the "Search Inside" option gave some indication as to the quality of this book, I was blown away by the sheer depth of information and guidance.

The book is split down into 34 units with 6 practical projects that cross reference with the techniques taught. The units take you through the complete process, from finding inspiration, evaluating & translating ideas through to transferring patterns, piercing, annealing, soldering, filing and many much more. Everything is laid out in an uncluttered fashion with lots of photos so you can be sure you are following correctly whilst the text is written at just the right level - neither patronizing or too advanced.

I must confess I am only a beginner so cannot really comment on what it offers those slightly more advanced, however it does seem to have so much information that even once my confidence and skill grows I'll still be referring back to this.

A beautiful, informative book that I would highly recommend to all would-be jewellery designers.

Beautiful!!!, 08 May 2008
This isn't so much a book as a labour of love. Beautifully presented, extremely clear photographs, high quality paper. It remains to be seen whether it can teach me how to make jewellery - if it can't that'll be down to me - but in any case it is a lovely book to own.

Gain confidence with jewellery making, 15 Nov 2008
With its attractive cover, I know you will pick this book up off the bookshop shelf if you are the least bit interested in jewellery making. From design ideas and inspiration, this book aims to take the jewellery maker through the whole process from start to finish. Comprehensive chapters include setting up a studio, materials, tools and techniques. Although it covers some of the same area as Elizabeth Olver's book Jewellery Making Techniques, the two books do not overlap too much and complement one another perfectly. The projects are laid out in easy to follow steps and the finished samples and steps are clearly photographed. You could easily use it as a week by week course. This practical book will be very useful to all jewellery makers. It's great value for money. This book would have been more rounded and complete if it had included more sources of inspiration and a good sources listing, however it does mention just a few magazines, books and website.

An absolute essential for all fledgling jewellery makers, 22 Oct 2008
Whilst the "Search Inside" option gave some indication as to the quality of this book, I was blown away by the sheer depth of information and guidance.

The book is split down into 34 units with 6 practical projects that cross reference with the techniques taught. The units take you through the complete process, from finding inspiration, evaluating & translating ideas through to transferring patterns, piercing, annealing, soldering, filing and many much more. Everything is laid out in an uncluttered fashion with lots of photos so you can be sure you are following correctly whilst the text is written at just the right level - neither patronizing or too advanced.

I must confess I am only a beginner so cannot really comment on what it offers those slightly more advanced, however it does seem to have so much information that even once my confidence and skill grows I'll still be referring back to this.

A beautiful, informative book that I would highly recommend to all would-be jewellery designers.

Beautiful!!!, 08 May 2008
This isn't so much a book as a labour of love. Beautifully presented, extremely clear photographs, high quality paper. It remains to be seen whether it can teach me how to make jewellery - if it can't that'll be down to me - but in any case it is a lovely book to own.

Fantastic first introduction to beaded jewellery, 31 Jan 2008
I bought this book just over a week ago and set about making one of the projects straight away. The book is lovely to look at (I spent hours just pondering the possibilities!) and is very clear and detailed. I made one of the necklaces tonight (couldn't wait for all the supplies to arrive!!) and although I couldn't get the exact beads in the make up of this necklace, my necklace looks just as good and I couldn't be more pleased.
Definitely a good first buy if you want to start out in making beaded jewellery. I've now got the bug and the possibilities, using this book alone, are endless!

Brilliant, 06 Jan 2008
I have been making my own jewellery for about 6 months and I got this book forXmas - the pictures are beautiful and the designs are very easy to follow. If you are looking to start in jewellery making, this will teach you the basics!

All about beads, 01 Nov 2007
I read the reviews written by others and they appeared positive so I gave it a go and bought this book. I was not diappointed it has got my imagination running riot. I would deinitely recommend it to any one interested in beading

All About Beads - Barbara Case, 23 Apr 2007
This book is an excellent resource for those wishing to design and make handcrafted jewellery. I have referred to the techniques and instructions time and again, and believe it to be one of the best reference books on the market. Filled with great illustrations, easy to follow step-by-step instructions, design ideas and crafty tips, this is a must have for everyone interested in making their own jewellery.

Great for learning beading techniques, 03 Nov 2006
This book is really nicely illustrated and the instructions clear, but the author tends to favour more traditional designs using french wire (gimp) and gold.

It does have some great explanations of the basic beading techniques though, so useful for any beader to have for reference.

Gain confidence with jewellery making, 15 Nov 2008
With its attractive cover, I know you will pick this book up off the bookshop shelf if you are the least bit interested in jewellery making. From design ideas and inspiration, this book aims to take the jewellery maker through the whole process from start to finish. Comprehensive chapters include setting up a studio, materials, tools and techniques. Although it covers some of the same area as Elizabeth Olver's book Jewellery Making Techniques, the two books do not overlap too much and complement one another perfectly. The projects are laid out in easy to follow steps and the finished samples and steps are clearly photographed. You could easily use it as a week by week course. This practical book will be very useful to all jewellery makers. It's great value for money. This book would have been more rounded and complete if it had included more sources of inspiration and a good sources listing, however it does mention just a few magazines, books and website.

An absolute essential for all fledgling jewellery makers, 22 Oct 2008
Whilst the "Search Inside" option gave some indication as to the quality of this book, I was blown away by the sheer depth of information and guidance.

The book is split down into 34 units with 6 practical projects that cross reference with the techniques taught. The units take you through the complete process, from finding inspiration, evaluating & translating ideas through to transferring patterns, piercing, annealing, soldering, filing and many much more. Everything is laid out in an uncluttered fashion with lots of photos so you can be sure you are following correctly whilst the text is written at just the right level - neither patronizing or too advanced.

I must confess I am only a beginner so cannot really comment on what it offers those slightly more advanced, however it does seem to have so much information that even once my confidence and skill grows I'll still be referring back to this.

A beautiful, informative book that I would highly recommend to all would-be jewellery designers.

Beautiful!!!, 08 May 2008
This isn't so much a book as a labour of love. Beautifully presented, extremely clear photographs, high quality paper. It remains to be seen whether it can teach me how to make jewellery - if it can't that'll be down to me - but in any case it is a lovely book to own.

Fantastic first introduction to beaded jewellery, 31 Jan 2008
I bought this book just over a week ago and set about making one of the projects straight away. The book is lovely to look at (I spent hours just pondering the possibilities!) and is very clear and detailed. I made one of the necklaces tonight (couldn't wait for all the supplies to arrive!!) and although I couldn't get the exact beads in the make up of this necklace, my necklace looks just as good and I couldn't be more pleased.
Definitely a good first buy if you want to start out in making beaded jewellery. I've now got the bug and the possibilities, using this book alone, are endless!

Brilliant, 06 Jan 2008
I have been making my own jewellery for about 6 months and I got this book forXmas - the pictures are beautiful and the designs are very easy to follow. If you are looking to start in jewellery making, this will teach you the basics!

All about beads, 01 Nov 2007
I read the reviews written by others and they appeared positive so I gave it a go and bought this book. I was not diappointed it has got my imagination running riot. I would deinitely recommend it to any one interested in beading

All About Beads - Barbara Case, 23 Apr 2007
This book is an excellent resource for those wishing to design and make handcrafted jewellery. I have referred to the techniques and instructions time and again, and believe it to be one of the best reference books on the market. Filled with great illustrations, easy to follow step-by-step instructions, design ideas and crafty tips, this is a must have for everyone interested in making their own jewellery.

Great for learning beading techniques, 03 Nov 2006
This book is really nicely illustrated and the instructions clear, but the author tends to favour more traditional designs using french wire (gimp) and gold.

It does have some great explanations of the basic beading techniques though, so useful for any beader to have for reference.

Excellent., 04 Jan 2008
A proper, no-frills bench reference to all kinds of joining - really useful, functional and not just another glossy coffee table book for hobbyists!

ahhh, what a little gem., 13 Nov 2007
I'm extremely fussy about what i give 5 stars to. Some of my fave books thus far have had 4 stars from me. The reason I've given this little gem my 5 star rating is because....Its not pretty, it doesn't have lots of pretty photographs and inspiration, it doesn't contain projects. It hasn't jumped on a jewelry making bandwagon and thought "hey! everyone's into this, let me write a books about it and cash in". lol.
What this little spiral bound book contains is information in its purest form. Jewellers who wish to learn many ways they can construct thier work with connections can have this book open (lying flat - thankyou tim) on thier bench. It teaches us about joining techniques. Hot and cold. It covers soldering and it covers riveting and pins, staples and other little thought of methods that make you think, "Ahh, of coooourse.". Tim also goes into bonding with the cold connections, using glues/adhesives etc. Lots and lots of ways of joinging stuff together depending on your project. I think this is invaluable for me because if I ever have a situation where I think, how can I put this all together with the combustable material in the middle? then out will come this book. I also happen to love the way tim writes. He's so casual and funny and completely un patronising. We dont need to know physics and science - we just need to know why it'll work and why it wont - in its simplest explanation. There was a particular bit in this book that made me laugh out loud....its on pg 88 where tim tells us briefly about welding options. he stars the sentance; "Arc welding was discovered in suburban desmoines in 1969 when little johnny smith reached into the toaster with a butterknife. Ok, thats not true. In fact, it was patented in britian in 1885......" I just thought that was funny. ;o)
This book does contain Tims hand drawn diagrams and examples - which is helpful visual aid. The contents of this book are;
COLD CONNECTIONS, Intro, tabs, staples, bezels, threaded connections, rivets, other cold connections.
HOT CONNECTIONS, overview, soft soldering, brazing;torches,surfaces,equipment,soldering investment,misc supplies, clean up after soldering, welding;equip,modern welding.
ADHESIVES; History of,natural glue, drying glues, polyvinyl, hot melt, epoxy, which to use, cyanoacrylates and ultraviolet curing....
At the back of the book are some useful charts. Equivalent numbers - giving the US and UK guages, mm, inches and drill#. Melting points for various metals. Temperature conversions - celcius to fahrenheit and vice versa.
Then, and this was a nice surprise, a list of suppliers....IN THE UK!! YEEEEY. (I think that this one has been done for the UK, with A&C Black. I know he's also done one with his own publishing co, Brynmorgen press - which probably has US suppliers. So keep an eye out for that.)
Excellent little refrence. I highly recommend for having a more rounded knowledge of joining your parts. Good stuff.

Gain confidence with jewellery making, 15 Nov 2008
With its attractive cover, I know you will pick this book up off the bookshop shelf if you are the least bit interested in jewellery making. From design ideas and inspiration, this book aims to take the jewellery maker through the whole process from start to finish. Comprehensive chapters include setting up a studio, materials, tools and techniques. Although it covers some of the same area as Elizabeth Olver's book Jewellery Making Techniques, the two books do not overlap too much and complement one another perfectly. The projects are laid out in easy to follow steps and the finished samples and steps are clearly photographed. You could easily use it as a week by week course. This practical book will be very useful to all jewellery makers. It's great value for money. This book would have been more rounded and complete if it had included more sources of inspiration and a good sources listing, however it does mention just a few magazines, books and website.

An absolute essential for all fledgling jewellery makers, 22 Oct 2008
Whilst the "Search Inside" option gave some indication as to the quality of this book, I was blown away by the sheer depth of information and guidance.

The book is split down into 34 units with 6 practical projects that cross reference with the techniques taught. The units take you through the complete process, from finding inspiration, evaluating & translating ideas through to transferring patterns, piercing, annealing, soldering, filing and many much more. Everything is laid out in an uncluttered fashion with lots of photos so you can be sure you are following correctly whilst the text is written at just the right level - neither patronizing or too advanced.

I must confess I am only a beginner so cannot really comment on what it offers those slightly more advanced, however it does seem to have so much information that even once my confidence and skill grows I'll still be referring back to this.

A beautiful, informative book that I would highly recommend to all would-be jewellery designers.

Beautiful!!!, 08 May 2008
This isn't so much a book as a labour of love. Beautifully presented, extremely clear photographs, high quality paper. It remains to be seen whether it can teach me how to make jewellery - if it can't that'll be down to me - but in any case it is a lovely book to own.

Fantastic first introduction to beaded jewellery, 31 Jan 2008
I bought this book just over a week ago and set about making one of the projects straight away. The book is lovely to look at (I spent hours just pondering the possibilities!) and is very clear and detailed. I made one of the necklaces tonight (couldn't wait for all the supplies to arrive!!) and although I couldn't get the exact beads in the make up of this necklace, my necklace looks just as good and I couldn't be more pleased.
Definitely a good first buy if you want to start out in making beaded jewellery. I've now got the bug and the possibilities, using this book alone, are endless!

Brilliant, 06 Jan 2008
I have been making my own jewellery for about 6 months and I got this book forXmas - the pictures are beautiful and the designs are very easy to follow. If you are looking to start in jewellery making, this will teach you the basics!

All about beads, 01 Nov 2007
I read the reviews written by others and they appeared positive so I gave it a go and bought this book. I was not diappointed it has got my imagination running riot. I would deinitely recommend it to any one interested in beading

All About Beads - Barbara Case, 23 Apr 2007
This book is an excellent resource for those wishing to design and make handcrafted jewellery. I have referred to the techniques and instructions time and again, and believe it to be one of the best reference books on the market. Filled with great illustrations, easy to follow step-by-step instructions, design ideas and crafty tips, this is a must have for everyone interested in making their own jewellery.

Great for learning beading techniques, 03 Nov 2006
This book is really nicely illustrated and the instructions clear, but the author tends to favour more traditional designs using french wire (gimp) and gold.

It does have some great explanations of the basic beading techniques though, so useful for any beader to have for reference.

Excellent., 04 Jan 2008
A proper, no-frills bench reference to all kinds of joining - really useful, functional and not just another glossy coffee table book for hobbyists!

ahhh, what a little gem., 13 Nov 2007
I'm extremely fussy about what i give 5 stars to. Some of my fave books thus far have had 4 stars from me. The reason I've given this little gem my 5 star rating is because....Its not pretty, it doesn't have lots of pretty photographs and inspiration, it doesn't contain projects. It hasn't jumped on a jewelry making bandwagon and thought "hey! everyone's into this, let me write a books about it and cash in". lol.
What this little spiral bound book contains is information in its purest form. Jewellers who wish to learn many ways they can construct thier work with connections can have this book open (lying flat - thankyou tim) on thier bench. It teaches us about joining techniques. Hot and cold. It covers soldering and it covers riveting and pins, staples and other little thought of methods that make you think, "Ahh, of coooourse.". Tim also goes into bonding with the cold connections, using glues/adhesives etc. Lots and lots of ways of joinging stuff together depending on your project. I think this is invaluable for me because if I ever have a situation where I think, how can I put this all together with the combustable material in the middle? then out will come this book. I also happen to love the way tim writes. He's so casual and funny and completely un patronising. We dont need to know physics and science - we just need to know why it'll work and why it wont - in its simplest explanation. There was a particular bit in this book that made me laugh out loud....its on pg 88 where tim tells us briefly about welding options. he stars the sentance; "Arc welding was discovered in suburban desmoines in 1969 when little johnny smith reached into the toaster with a butterknife. Ok, thats not true. In fact, it was patented in britian in 1885......" I just thought that was funny. ;o)
This book does contain Tims hand drawn diagrams and examples - which is helpful visual aid. The contents of this book are;
COLD CONNECTIONS, Intro, tabs, staples, bezels, threaded connections, rivets, other cold connections.
HOT CONNECTIONS, overview, soft soldering, brazing;torches,surfaces,equipment,soldering investment,misc supplies, clean up after soldering, welding;equip,modern welding.
ADHESIVES; History of,natural glue, drying glues, polyvinyl, hot melt, epoxy, which to use, cyanoacrylates and ultraviolet curing....
At the back of the book are some useful charts. Equivalent numbers - giving the US and UK guages, mm, inches and drill#. Melting points for various metals. Temperature conversions - celcius to fahrenheit and vice versa.
Then, and this was a nice surprise, a list of suppliers....IN THE UK!! YEEEEY. (I think that this one has been done for the UK, with A&C Black. I know he's also done one with his own publishing co, Brynmorgen press - which probably has US suppliers. So keep an eye out for that.)
Excellent little refrence. I highly recommend for having a more rounded knowledge of joining your parts. Good stuff.

Bead fantastic, 30 Dec 2008
Lots of variation includes necklaces, bracelets, rings, hair ornaments etc with clear line drawings - using mainly right angle weave stitch. As soon as this book arrived I made the necklace on the front cover - it was easy and I love it. This book is packed full of goodies - well worth the money.

For the experienced beader, 10 Jul 2008
This book was not quite what I expected but the various designs seem well documented and explained in sufficient detail.

I was looking for some more simple designs and after an initial flick through I have not touched the book again although I could be inspired to try some of the patterns if I had more time. Maybe I should do that anyway, perhaps they are not as complicated as they look!

Definitely a book for an experienced person

Good for beginners, 10 Jan 2008
I love working with crystals and this book is full of wonderful projects. However, personally I found some of the designs a little too basic and I would have preferred the diagrams to be larger and clearer. That said, there is great scope for adapting the basic designs into something more challenging.

If you are new to beading this book is great; it would also be a good stepping stone if you've done a some bead stringing and want to mix that with some bead weaving.


Best book so far, 15 Dec 2005
Out of the dozens of beading and jewellery books on my shelf this is by far the best one I own. Their second book 'Bead fantasies II' is a close runner up!
I don't know where she gets her ideas for the jewellery but they are stunning, and not difficult.
It was the first beading book I bought and I recommend it to anyone starting out in beading. I've even had the girls at the local bead shop ask me about the book after seeing one of the necklaces.

Absolutely fantastic!, 23 Aug 2005
This is my absolute number one favourite bead book ever. The pieces here are so beautiful they take your breath away. At first glance, you expect such intricate, delicate things to be really difficult, but they're not: I was using this book pretty much from being a beginner.

Most of the pieces here are jewellery (necklaces, bracelets, rings, cell phone straps, glasses cords), but the designs are flexible and more experienced beaders will find inspiration to adapt them on every page. The instructions are very thorough, and the section at the end on findings and finishing was very useful.

I just can't wait for book 2 to come out!

Gain confidence with jewellery making, 15 Nov 2008
With its attractive cover, I know you will pick this book up off the bookshop shelf if you are the least bit interested in jewellery making. From design ideas and inspiration, this book aims to take the jewellery maker through the whole process from start to finish. Comprehensive chapters include setting up a studio, materials, tools and techniques. Although it covers some of the same area as Elizabeth Olver's book Jewellery Making Techniques, the two books do not overlap too much and complement one another perfectly. The projects are laid out in easy to follow steps and the finished samples and steps are clearly photographed. You could easily use it as a week by week course. This practical book will be very useful to all jewellery makers. It's great value for money. This book would have been more rounded and complete if it had included more sources of inspiration and a good sources listing, however it does mention just a few magazines, books and website.

An absolute essential for all fledgling jewellery makers, 22 Oct 2008
Whilst the "Search Inside" option gave some indication as to the quality of this book, I was blown away by the sheer depth of information and guidance.

The book is split down into 34 units with 6 practical projects that cross reference with the techniques taught. The units take you through the complete process, from finding inspiration, evaluating & translating ideas through to transferring patterns, piercing, annealing, soldering, filing and many much more. Everything is laid out in an uncluttered fashion with lots of photos so you can be sure you are following correctly whilst the text is written at just the right level - neither patronizing or too advanced.

I must confess I am only a beginner so cannot really comment on what it offers those slightly more advanced, however it does seem to have so much information that even once my confidence and skill grows I'll still be referring back to this.

A beautiful, informative book that I would highly recommend to all would-be jewellery designers.

Beautiful!!!, 08 May 2008
This isn't so much a book as a labour of love. Beautifully presented, extremely clear photographs, high quality paper. It remains to be seen whether it can teach me how to make jewellery - if it can't that'll be down to me - but in any case it is a lovely book to own.

Fantastic first introduction to beaded jewellery, 31 Jan 2008
I bought this book just over a week ago and set about making one of the projects straight away. The book is lovely to look at (I spent hours just pondering the possibilities!) and is very clear and detailed. I made one of the necklaces tonight (couldn't wait for all the supplies to arrive!!) and although I couldn't get the exact beads in the make up of this necklace, my necklace looks just as good and I couldn't be more pleased.
Definitely a good first buy if you want to start out in making beaded jewellery. I've now got the bug and the possibilities, using this book alone, are endless!

Brilliant, 06 Jan 2008
I have been making my own jewellery for about 6 months and I got this book forXmas - the pictures are beautiful and the designs are very easy to follow. If you are looking to start in jewellery making, this will teach you the basics!

All about beads, 01 Nov 2007
I read the reviews written by others and they appeared positive so I gave it a go and bought this book. I was not diappointed it has got my imagination running riot. I would deinitely recommend it to any one interested in beading

All About Beads - Barbara Case, 23 Apr 2007
This book is an excellent resource for those wishing to design and make handcrafted jewellery. I have referred to the techniques and instructions time and again, and believe it to be one of the best reference books on the market. Filled with great illustrations, easy to follow step-by-step instructions, design ideas and crafty tips, this is a must have for everyone interested in making their own jewellery.

Great for learning beading techniques, 03 Nov 2006
This book is really nicely illustrated and the instructions clear, but the author tends to favour more traditional designs using french wire (gimp) and gold.

It does have some great explanations of the basic beading techniques though, so useful for any beader to have for reference.

Excellent., 04 Jan 2008
A proper, no-frills bench reference to all kinds of joining - really useful, functional and not just another glossy coffee table book for hobbyists!

ahhh, what a little gem., 13 Nov 2007
I'm extremely fussy about what i give 5 stars to. Some of my fave books thus far have had 4 stars from me. The reason I've given this little gem my 5 star rating is because....Its not pretty, it doesn't have lots of pretty photographs and inspiration, it doesn't contain projects. It hasn't jumped on a jewelry making bandwagon and thought "hey! everyone's into this, let me write a books about it and cash in". lol.
What this little spiral bound book contains is information in its purest form. Jewellers who wish to learn many ways they can construct thier work with connections can have this book open (lying flat - thankyou tim) on thier bench. It teaches us about joining techniques. Hot and cold. It covers soldering and it covers riveting and pins, staples and other little thought of methods that make you think, "Ahh, of coooourse.". Tim also goes into bonding with the cold connections, using glues/adhesives etc. Lots and lots of ways of joinging stuff together depending on your project. I think this is invaluable for me because if I ever have a situation where I think, how can I put this all together with the combustable material in the middle? then out will come this book. I also happen to love the way tim writes. He's so casual and funny and completely un patronising. We dont need to know physics and science - we just need to know why it'll work and why it wont - in its simplest explanation. There was a particular bit in this book that made me laugh out loud....its on pg 88 where tim tells us briefly about welding options. he stars the sentance; "Arc welding was discovered in suburban desmoines in 1969 when little johnny smith reached into the toaster with a butterknife. Ok, thats not true. In fact, it was patented in britian in 1885......" I just thought that was funny. ;o)
This book does contain Tims hand drawn diagrams and examples - which is helpful visual aid. The contents of this book are;
COLD CONNECTIONS, Intro, tabs, staples, bezels, threaded connections, rivets, other cold connections.
HOT CONNECTIONS, overview, soft soldering, brazing;torches,surfaces,equipment,soldering investment,misc supplies, clean up after soldering, welding;equip,modern welding.
ADHESIVES; History of,natural glue, drying glues, polyvinyl, hot melt, epoxy, which to use, cyanoacrylates and ultraviolet curing....
At the back of the book are some useful charts. Equivalent numbers - giving the US and UK guages, mm, inches and drill#. Melting points for various metals. Temperature conversions - celcius to fahrenheit and vice versa.
Then, and this was a nice surprise, a list of suppliers....IN THE UK!! YEEEEY. (I think that this one has been done for the UK, with A&C Black. I know he's also done one with his own publishing co, Brynmorgen press - which probably has US suppliers. So keep an eye out for that.)
Excellent little refrence. I highly recommend for having a more rounded knowledge of joining your parts. Good stuff.

Bead fantastic, 30 Dec 2008
Lots of variation includes necklaces, bracelets, rings, hair ornaments etc with clear line drawings - using mainly right angle weave stitch. As soon as this book arrived I made the necklace on the front cover - it was easy and I love it. This book is packed full of goodies - well worth the money.

For the experienced beader, 10 Jul 2008
This book was not quite what I expected but the various designs seem well documented and explained in sufficient detail.

I was looking for some more simple designs and after an initial flick through I have not touched the book again although I could be inspired to try some of the patterns if I had more time. Maybe I should do that anyway, perhaps they are not as complicated as they look!

Definitely a book for an experienced person

Good for beginners, 10 Jan 2008
I love working with crystals and this book is full of wonderful projects. However, personally I found some of the designs a little too basic and I would have preferred the diagrams to be larger and clearer. That said, there is great scope for adapting the basic designs into something more challenging.

If you are new to beading this book is great; it would also be a good stepping stone if you've done a some bead stringing and want to mix that with some bead weaving.


Best book so far, 15 Dec 2005
Out of the dozens of beading and jewellery books on my shelf this is by far the best one I own. Their second book 'Bead fantasies II' is a close runner up!
I don't know where she gets her ideas for the jewellery but they are stunning, and not difficult.
It was the first beading book I bought and I recommend it to anyone starting out in beading. I've even had the girls at the local bead shop ask me about the book after seeing one of the necklaces.

Absolutely fantastic!, 23 Aug 2005
This is my absolute number one favourite bead book ever. The pieces here are so beautiful they take your breath away. At first glance, you expect such intricate, delicate things to be really difficult, but they're not: I was using this book pretty much from being a beginner.

Most of the pieces here are jewellery (necklaces, bracelets, rings, cell phone straps, glasses cords), but the designs are flexible and more experienced beaders will find inspiration to adapt them on every page. The instructions are very thorough, and the section at the end on findings and finishing was very useful.

I just can't wait for book 2 to come out!

Great little book, 01 Nov 2008
A great little book, lots of good photos and clear instructions.Tiaras and Hairpins (Twenty to Make) (Twenty to Make) (Twenty to Make) (Twenty to Make)

Gain confidence with jewellery making, 15 Nov 2008
With its attractive cover, I know you will pick this book up off the bookshop shelf if you are the least bit interested in jewellery making. From design ideas and inspiration, this book aims to take the jewellery maker through the whole process from start to finish. Comprehensive chapters include setting up a studio, materials, tools and techniques. Although it covers some of the same area as Elizabeth Olver's book Jewellery Making Techniques, the two books do not overlap too much and complement one another perfectly. The projects are laid out in easy to follow steps and the finished samples and steps are clearly photographed. You could easily use it as a week by week course. This practical book will be very useful to all jewellery makers. It's great value for money. This book would have been more rounded and complete if it had included more sources of inspiration and a good sources listing, however it does mention just a few magazines, books and website.

An absolute essential for all fledgling jewellery makers, 22 Oct 2008
Whilst the "Search Inside" option gave some indication as to the quality of this book, I was blown away by the sheer depth of information and guidance.

The book is split down into 34 units with 6 practical projects that cross reference with the techniques taught. The units take you through the complete process, from finding inspiration, evaluating & translating ideas through to transferring patterns, piercing, annealing, soldering, filing and many much more. Everything is laid out in an uncluttered fashion with lots of photos so you can be sure you are following correctly whilst the text is written at just the right level - neither patronizing or too advanced.

I must confess I am only a beginner so cannot really comment on what it offers those slightly more advanced, however it does seem to have so much information that even once my confidence and skill grows I'll still be referring back to this.

A beautiful, informative book that I would highly recommend to all would-be jewellery designers.

Beautiful!!!, 08 May 2008
This isn't so much a book as a labour of love. Beautifully presented, extremely clear photographs, high quality paper. It remains to be seen whether it can teach me how to make jewellery - if it can't that'll be down to me - but in any case it is a lovely book to own.

Fantastic first introduction to beaded jewellery, 31 Jan 2008
I bought this book just over a week ago and set about making one of the projects straight away. The book is lovely to look at (I spent hours just pondering the possibilities!) and is very clear and detailed. I made one of the necklaces tonight (couldn't wait for all the supplies to arrive!!) and although I couldn't get the exact beads in the make up of this necklace, my necklace looks just as good and I couldn't be more pleased.
Definitely a good first buy if you want to start out in making beaded jewellery. I've now got the bug and the possibilities, using this book alone, are endless!

Brilliant, 06 Jan 2008
I have been making my own jewellery for about 6 months and I got this book forXmas - the pictures are beautiful and the designs are very easy to follow. If you are looking to start in jewellery making, this will teach you the basics!

All about beads, 01 Nov 2007
I read the reviews written by others and they appeared positive so I gave it a go and bought this book. I was not diappointed it has got my imagination running riot. I would deinitely recommend it to any one interested in beading

All About Beads - Barbara Case, 23 Apr 2007
This book is an excellent resource for those wishing to design and make handcrafted jewellery. I have referred to the techniques and instructions time and again, and believe it to be one of the best reference books on the market. Filled with great illustrations, easy to follow step-by-step instructions, design ideas and crafty tips, this is a must have for everyone interested in making their own jewellery.

Great for learning beading techniques, 03 Nov 2006
This book is really nicely illustrated and the instructions clear, but the author tends to favour more traditional designs using french wire (gimp) and gold.

It does have some great explanations of the basic beading techniques though, so useful for any beader to have for reference.

Excellent., 04 Jan 2008
A proper, no-frills bench reference to all kinds of joining - really useful, functional and not just another glossy coffee table book for hobbyists!

ahhh, what a little gem., 13 Nov 2007
I'm extremely fussy about what i give 5 stars to. Some of my fave books thus far have had 4 stars from me. The reason I've given this little gem my 5 star rating is because....Its not pretty, it doesn't have lots of pretty photographs and inspiration, it doesn't contain projects. It hasn't jumped on a jewelry making bandwagon and thought "hey! everyone's into this, let me write a books about it and cash in". lol.
What this little spiral bound book contains is information in its purest form. Jewellers who wish to learn many ways they can construct thier work with connections can have this book open (lying flat - thankyou tim) on thier bench. It teaches us about joining techniques. Hot and cold. It covers soldering and it covers riveting and pins, staples and other little thought of methods that make you think, "Ahh, of coooourse.". Tim also goes into bonding with the cold connections, using glues/adhesives etc. Lots and lots of ways of joinging stuff together depending on your project. I think this is invaluable for me because if I ever have a situation where I think, how can I put this all together with the combustable material in the middle? then out will come this book. I also happen to love the way tim writes. He's so casual and funny and completely un patronising. We dont need to know physics and science - we just need to know why it'll work and why it wont - in its simplest explanation. There was a particular bit in this book that made me laugh out loud....its on pg 88 where tim tells us briefly about welding options. he stars the sentance; "Arc welding was discovered in suburban desmoines in 1969 when little johnny smith reached into the toaster with a butterknife. Ok, thats not true. In fact, it was patented in britian in 1885......" I just thought that was funny. ;o)
This book does contain Tims hand drawn diagrams and examples - which is helpful visual aid. The contents of this book are;
COLD CONNECTIONS, Intro, tabs, staples, bezels, threaded connections, rivets, other cold connections.
HOT CONNECTIONS, overview, soft soldering, brazing;torches,surfaces,equipment,soldering investment,misc supplies, clean up after soldering, welding;equip,modern welding.
ADHESIVES; History of,natural glue, drying glues, polyvinyl, hot melt, epoxy, which to use, cyanoacrylates and ultraviolet curing....
At the back of the book are some useful charts. Equivalent numbers - giving the US and UK guages, mm, inches and drill#. Melting points for various metals. Temperature conversions - celcius to fahrenheit and vice versa.
Then, and this was a nice surprise, a list of suppliers....IN THE UK!! YEEEEY. (I think that this one has been done for the UK, with A&C Black. I know he's also done one with his own publishing co, Brynmorgen press - which probably has US suppliers. So keep an eye out for that.)
Excellent little refrence. I highly recommend for having a more rounded knowledge of joining your parts. Good stuff.

Bead fantastic, 30 Dec 2008
Lots of variation includes necklaces, bracelets, rings, hair ornaments etc with clear line drawings - using mainly right angle weave stitch. As soon as this book arrived I made the necklace on the front cover - it was easy and I love it. This book is packed full of goodies - well worth the money.

For the experienced beader, 10 Jul 2008
This book was not quite what I expected but the various designs seem well documented and explained in sufficient detail.

I was looking for some more simple designs and after an initial flick through I have not touched the book again although I could be inspired to try some of the patterns if I had more time. Maybe I should do that anyway, perhaps they are not as complicated as they look!

Definitely a book for an experienced person

Good for beginners, 10 Jan 2008
I love working with crystals and this book is full of wonderful projects. However, personally I found some of the designs a little too basic and I would have preferred the diagrams to be larger and clearer. That said, there is great scope for adapting the basic designs into something more challenging.

If you are new to beading this book is great; it would also be a good stepping stone if you've done a some bead stringing and want to mix that with some bead weaving.


Best book so far, 15 Dec 2005
Out of the dozens of beading and jewellery books on my shelf this is by far the best one I own. Their second book 'Bead fantasies II' is a close runner up!
I don't know where she gets her ideas for the jewellery but they are stunning, and not difficult.
It was the first beading book I bought and I recommend it to anyone starting out in beading. I've even had the girls at the local bead shop ask me about the book after seeing one of the necklaces.

Absolutely fantastic!, 23 Aug 2005
This is my absolute number one favourite bead book ever. The pieces here are so beautiful they take your breath away. At first glance, you expect such intricate, delicate things to be really difficult, but they're not: I was using this book pretty much from being a beginner.

Most of the pieces here are jewellery (necklaces, bracelets, rings, cell phone straps, glasses cords), but the designs are flexible and more experienced beaders will find inspiration to adapt them on every page. The instructions are very thorough, and the section at the end on findings and finishing was very useful.

I just can't wait for book 2 to come out!

Great little book, 01 Nov 2008
A great little book, lots of good photos and clear instructions.Tiaras and Hairpins (Twenty to Make) (Twenty to Make) (Twenty to Make) (Twenty to Make)


Beading brilliant, 28 Mar 2008
This book has got it all unlike other jewellery books which show the designs at the beginning. This book is divided into 2 sections. The 1st section teaches the tips & techniques of wire work. The 2nd section deals with how to put the previous section into making actual jewellery, it is like a solved jig saw puzzle & the results are so impressive.

I like Linda Jones book as well but wish Bead on a Wire was my 1st book Sharilyn Miller offers much detailed explanation.

The best so far for anyone interested in Wire jewellery. My only gripe is that she finishes most of the jewellery in sulphur (aged looking jewellery) which lets some of the designs down, I would have loved to see more silver & may be gold.


I LOVE this book!, 26 Mar 2008
This is an excellent book on wire jewellery - the first section is all basic techniques (making jump rings, S links, bead links) then there are slightly more advanced techniques such as making clasps (a thing I'd never thought of doing myself, but it's so easy following these directions!)

Then the second section shows how to put these techniques into practice on jewellery items, and the items shown are easily customised to your own taste, simply by using different beads.

The best part is you don't need any special equipment! Just a set of pliers, some wire, some beads and maybe a hammer but I didn't find I needed it. After I'd finished the basic techniques for practice, when I made my first jewellery piece it looked amazing!

Definitely go for this book if you're a beginner wanting a challenge, and want visible results instantly. Great tips, great jewellery - I can't fault it!

A book for those who think they have nothing more to learn, 21 Dec 2006
I own an impressive library of jewellery books but only a few are worth holding on to. This is one of them. This is a book for the serious jeweller with professional techniques and absolute attention to detail.
Here is an author who not only knows her business inside out but is able to pass on her techniques faultlessly with many clear illustrations and explanations. It's almost like having your jewellery teacher looking over your shoulder and reminding you to file your wire ends.
There are so many books out there on the subject of jewellery making and an awful lot of them seem to have been written by complete beginners and feature jewellery which could have been made by a 5 year old. This is a truly professional book for making saleable jewellery yet still using only basic equipment.
I use this book for reference again and again and I highly recommend it to budding jewellers.

Gain confidence with jewellery making, 15 Nov 2008
With its attractive cover, I know you will pick this book up off the bookshop shelf if you are the least bit interested in jewellery making. From design ideas and inspiration, this book aims to take the jewellery maker through the whole process from start to finish. Comprehensive chapters include setting up a studio, materials, tools and techniques. Although it covers some of the same area as Elizabeth Olver's book Jewellery Making Techniques, the two books do not overlap too much and complement one another perfectly. The projects are laid out in easy to follow steps and the finished samples and steps are clearly photographed. You could easily use it as a week by week course. This practical book will be very useful to all jewellery makers. It's great value for money. This book would have been more rounded and complete if it had included more sources of inspiration and a good sources listing, however it does mention just a few magazines, books and website.

An absolute essential for all fledgling jewellery makers, 22 Oct 2008
Whilst the "Search Inside" option gave some indication as to the quality of this book, I was blown away by the sheer depth of information and guidance.

The book is split down into 34 units with 6 practical projects that cross reference with the techniques taught. The units take you through the complete process, from finding inspiration, evaluating & translating ideas through to transferring patterns, piercing, annealing, soldering, filing and many much more. Everything is laid out in an uncluttered fashion with lots of photos so you can be sure you are following correctly whilst the text is written at just the right level - neither patronizing or too advanced.

I must confess I am only a beginner so cannot really comment on what it offers those slightly more advanced, however it does seem to have so much information that even once my confidence and skill grows I'll still be referring back to this.

A beautiful, informative book that I would highly recommend to all would-be jewellery designers.

Beautiful!!!, 08 May 2008
This isn't so much a book as a labour of love. Beautifully presented, extremely clear photographs, high quality paper. It remains to be seen whether it can teach me how to make jewellery - if it can't that'll be down to me - but in any case it is a lovely book to own.

Fantastic first introduction to beaded jewellery, 31 Jan 2008
I bought this book just over a week ago and set about making one of the projects straight away. The book is lovely to look at (I spent hours just pondering the possibilities!) and is very clear and detailed. I made one of the necklaces tonight (couldn't wait for all the supplies to arrive!!) and although I couldn't get the exact beads in the make up of this necklace, my necklace looks just as good and I couldn't be more pleased.
Definitely a good first buy if you want to start out in making beaded jewellery. I've now got the bug and the possibilities, using this book alone, are endless!

Brilliant, 06 Jan 2008
I have been making my own jewellery for about 6 months and I got this book forXmas - the pictures are beautiful and the designs are very easy to follow. If you are looking to start in jewellery making, this will teach you the basics!

All about beads, 01 Nov 2007
I read the reviews written by others and they appeared positive so I gave it a go and bought this book. I was not diappointed it has got my imagination running riot. I would deinitely recommend it to any one interested in beading

All About Beads - Barbara Case, 23 Apr 2007
This book is an excellent resource for those wishing to design and make handcrafted jewellery. I have referred to the techniques and instructions time and again, and believe it to be one of the best reference books on the market. Filled with great illustrations, easy to follow step-by-step instructions, design ideas and crafty tips, this is a must have for everyone interested in making their own jewellery.

Great for learning beading techniques, 03 Nov 2006
This book is really nicely illustrated and the instructions clear, but the author tends to favour more traditional designs using french wire (gimp) and gold.

It does have some great explanations of the basic beading techniques though, so useful for any beader to have for reference.

Excellent., 04 Jan 2008
A proper, no-frills bench reference to all kinds of joining - really useful, functional and not just another glossy coffee table book for hobbyists!

ahhh, what a little gem., 13 Nov 2007
I'm extremely fussy about what i give 5 stars to. Some of my fave books thus far have had 4 stars from me. The reason I've given this little gem my 5 star rating is because....Its not pretty, it doesn't have lots of pretty photographs and inspiration, it doesn't contain projects. It hasn't jumped on a jewelry making bandwagon and thought "hey! everyone's into this, let me write a books about it and cash in". lol.
What this little spiral bound book contains is information in its purest form. Jewellers who wish to learn many ways they can construct thier work with connections can have this book open (lying flat - thankyou tim) on thier bench. It teaches us about joining techniques. Hot and cold. It covers soldering and it covers riveting and pins, staples and other little thought of methods that make you think, "Ahh, of coooourse.". Tim also goes into bonding with the cold connections, using glues/adhesives etc. Lots and lots of ways of joinging stuff together depending on your project. I think this is invaluable for me because if I ever have a situation where I think, how can I put this all together with the combustable material in the middle? then out will come this book. I also happen to love the way tim writes. He's so casual and funny and completely un patronising. We dont need to know physics and science - we just need to know why it'll work and why it wont - in its simplest explanation. There was a particular bit in this book that made me laugh out loud....its on pg 88 where tim tells us briefly about welding options. he stars the sentance; "Arc welding was discovered in suburban desmoines in 1969 when little johnny smith reached into the toaster with a butterknife. Ok, thats not true. In fact, it was patented in britian in 1885......" I just thought that was funny. ;o)
This book does contain Tims hand drawn diagrams and examples - which is helpful visual aid. The contents of this book are;
COLD CONNECTIONS, Intro, tabs, staples, bezels, threaded connections, rivets, other cold connections.
HOT CONNECTIONS, overview, soft soldering, brazing;torches,surfaces,equipment,soldering investment,misc supplies, clean up after soldering, welding;equip,modern welding.
ADHESIVES; History of,natural glue, drying glues, polyvinyl, hot melt, epoxy, which to use, cyanoacrylates and ultraviolet curing....
At the back of the book are some useful charts. Equivalent numbers - giving the US and UK guages, mm, inches and drill#. Melting points for various metals. Temperature conversions - celcius to fahrenheit and vice versa.
Then, and this was a nice surprise, a list of suppliers....IN THE UK!! YEEEEY. (I think that this one has been done for the UK, with A&C Black. I know he's also done one with his own publishing co, Brynmorgen press - which probably has US suppliers. So keep an eye out for that.)
Excellent little refrence. I highly recommend for having a more rounded knowledge of joining your parts. Good stuff.

Bead fantastic, 30 Dec 2008
Lots of variation includes necklaces, bracelets, rings, hair ornaments etc with clear line drawings - using mainly right angle weave stitch. As soon as this book arrived I made the necklace on the front cover - it was easy and I love it. This book is packed full of goodies - well worth the money.

For the experienced beader, 10 Jul 2008
This book was not quite what I expected but the various designs seem well documented and explained in sufficient detail.

I was looking for some more simple designs and after an initial flick through I have not touched the book again although I could be inspired to try some of the patterns if I had more time. Maybe I should do that anyway, perhaps they are not as complicated as they look!

Definitely a book for an experienced person

Good for beginners, 10 Jan 2008
I love working with crystals and this book is full of wonderful projects. However, personally I found some of the designs a little too basic and I would have preferred the diagrams to be larger and clearer. That said, there is great scope for adapting the basic designs into something more challenging.

If you are new to beading this book is great; it would also be a good stepping stone if you've done a some bead stringing and want to mix that with some bead weaving.


Best book so far, 15 Dec 2005
Out of the dozens of beading and jewellery books on my shelf this is by far the best one I own. Their second book 'Bead fantasies II' is a close runner up!
I don't know where she gets her ideas for the jewellery but they are stunning, and not difficult.
It was the first beading book I bought and I recommend it to anyone starting out in beading. I've even had the girls at the local bead shop ask me about the book after seeing one of the necklaces.

Absolutely fantastic!, 23 Aug 2005
This is my absolute number one favourite bead book ever. The pieces here are so beautiful they take your breath away. At first glance, you expect such intricate, delicate things to be really difficult, but they're not: I was using this book pretty much from being a beginner.

Most of the pieces here are jewellery (necklaces, bracelets, rings, cell phone straps, glasses cords), but the designs are flexible and more experienced beaders will find inspiration to adapt them on every page. The instructions are very thorough, and the section at the end on findings and finishing was very useful.

I just can't wait for book 2 to come out!

Great little book, 01 Nov 2008
A great little book, lots of good photos and clear instructions.Tiaras and Hairpins (Twenty to Make) (Twenty to Make) (Twenty to Make) (Twenty to Make)


Beading brilliant, 28 Mar 2008
This book has got it all unlike other jewellery books which show the designs at the beginning. This book is divided into 2 sections. The 1st section teaches the tips & techniques of wire work. The 2nd section deals with how to put the previous section into making actual jewellery, it is like a solved jig saw puzzle & the results are so impressive.

I like Linda Jones book as well but wish Bead on a Wire was my 1st book Sharilyn Miller offers much detailed explanation.

The best so far for anyone interested in Wire jewellery. My only gripe is that she finishes most of the jewellery in sulphur (aged looking jewellery) which lets some of the designs down, I would have loved to see more silver & may be gold.


I LOVE this book!, 26 Mar 2008
This is an excellent book on wire jewellery - the first section is all basic techniques (making jump rings, S links, bead links) then there are slightly more advanced techniques such as making clasps (a thing I'd never thought of doing myself, but it's so easy following these directions!)

Then the second section shows how to put these techniques into practice on jewellery items, and the items shown are easily customised to your own taste, simply by using different beads.

The best part is you don't need any special equipment! Just a set of pliers, some wire, some beads and maybe a hammer but I didn't find I needed it. After I'd finished the basic techniques for practice, when I made my first jewellery piece it looked amazing!

Definitely go for this book if you're a beginner wanting a challenge, and want visible results instantly. Great tips, great jewellery - I can't fault it!

A book for those who think they have nothing more to learn, 21 Dec 2006
I own an impressive library of jewellery books but only a few are worth holding on to. This is one of them. This is a book for the serious jeweller with professional techniques and absolute attention to detail.
Here is an author who not only knows her business inside out but is able to pass on her techniques faultlessly with many clear illustrations and explanations. It's almost like having your jewellery teacher looking over your shoulder and reminding you to file your wire ends.
There are so many books out there on the subject of jewellery making and an awful lot of them seem to have been written by complete beginners and feature jewellery which could have been made by a 5 year old. This is a truly professional book for making saleable jewellery yet still using only basic equipment.
I use this book for reference again and again and I highly recommend it to budding jewellers.

A stylish diary that draws from the V&A's jewellery collection, 03 Sep 2008
The Victoria & Albert museum in London puts out two engagement diaries every year. There is a desk diary and a smaller pocket diary. The desk diary is paperback but the cover is thick and robust and the pages are also good quality stock. Each double page spread covers one week, with a good-sized blank space for each day (the size varies depending on the other illustrations). There are 2009 and 2010 calendars up front, an integrated bookmark, a pocket at the back for storing papers and also couple of blank pages at the end of the diary for notes. There is also a list of forthcoming exhibitions scheduled at the V&A museum in 2009/2010.

Every year the V&A diaries reflect a different theme drawing from the V&A's vast collection: recent themes have included Middle Eastern Art and vintage couture.

The theme for this year's diary is the V&A's jewellery collection, taking its inspiration from the V&A's new Jewellery Gallery that opened in 2008. All kinds of jewellery are featured: tiaras, brooches, necklaces, rings and bracelets. Most but not all of the jewellery dates from the 19th and 20th centuries - other pieces featured include a pendant with a cameo of Catherine of Medici, an enamelled box given by Napoleon Bonaparte to his sister, a locket with a miniature of Elizabeth 1, a pendant worn in Tudor England to protect the bearer from epilepsy. Other pages feature fashion photography by Cecil Beaton and John French or fashion advertisements. My favourite was a stunning Lalique pendant dating from 1898 with the theme of "winter wonderland". Some of the photographs are in black and white (as they would have originally appeared), but every other page is in colour.

This is a classy and attractive desk diary. To me, it is slightly less interesting than some of the other V&A diaries of the past, but I will still enjoy using it throughout the year.

Gain confidence with jewellery making, 15 Nov 2008
With its attractive cover, I know you will pick this book up off the bookshop shelf if you are the least bit interested in jewellery making. From design ideas and inspiration, this book aims to take the jewellery maker through the whole process from start to finish. Comprehensive chapters include setting up a studio, materials, tools and techniques. Although it covers some of the same area as Elizabeth Olver's book Jewellery Making Techniques, the two books do not overlap too much and complement one another perfectly. The projects are laid out in easy to follow steps and the finished samples and steps are clearly photographed. You could easily use it as a week by week course. This practical book will be very useful to all jewellery makers. It's great value for money. This book would have been more rounded and complete if it had included more sources of inspiration and a good sources listing, however it does mention just a few magazines, books and website.

An absolute essential for all fledgling jewellery makers, 22 Oct 2008
Whilst the "Search Inside" option gave some indication as to the quality of this book, I was blown away by the sheer depth of information and guidance.

The book is split down into 34 units with 6 practical projects that cross reference with the techniques taught. The units take you through the complete process, from finding inspiration, evaluating & translating ideas through to transferring patterns, piercing, annealing, soldering, filing and many much more. Everything is laid out in an uncluttered fashion with lots of photos so you can be sure you are following correctly whilst the text is written at just the right level - neither patronizing or too advanced.

I must confess I am only a beginner so cannot really comment on what it offers those slightly more advanced, however it does seem to have so much information that even once my confidence and skill grows I'll still be referring back to this.

A beautiful, informative book that I would highly recommend to all would-be jewellery designers.

Beautiful!!!, 08 May 2008
This isn't so much a book as a labour of love. Beautifully presented, extremely clear photographs, high quality paper. It remains to be seen whether it can teach me how to make jewellery - if it can't that'll be down to me - but in any case it is a lovely book to own.

Fantastic first introduction to beaded jewellery, 31 Jan 2008
I bought this book just over a week ago and set about making one of the projects straight away. The book is lovely to look at (I spent hours just pondering the possibilities!) and is very clear and detailed. I made one of the necklaces tonight (couldn't wait for all the supplies to arrive!!) and although I couldn't get the exact beads in the make up of this necklace, my necklace looks just as good and I couldn't be more pleased.
Definitely a good first buy if you want to start out in making beaded jewellery. I've now got the bug and the possibilities, using this book alone, are endless!

Brilliant, 06 Jan 2008
I have been making my own jewellery for about 6 months and I got this book forXmas - the pictures are beautiful and the designs are very easy to follow. If you are looking to start in jewellery making, this will teach you the basics!

All about beads, 01 Nov 2007
I read the reviews written by others and they appeared positive so I gave it a go and bought this book. I was not diappointed it has got my imagination running riot. I would deinitely recommend it to any one interested in beading

All About Beads - Barbara Case, 23 Apr 2007
This book is an excellent resource for those wishing to design and make handcrafted jewellery. I have referred to the techniques and instructions time and again, and believe it to be one of the best reference books on the market. Filled with great illustrations, easy to follow step-by-step instructions, design ideas and crafty tips, this is a must have for everyone interested in making their own jewellery.

Great for learning beading techniques, 03 Nov 2006
This book is really nicely illustrated and the instructions clear, but the author tends to favour more traditional designs using french wire (gimp) and gold.

It does have some great explanations of the basic beading techniques though, so useful for any beader to have for reference.

Excellent., 04 Jan 2008
A proper, no-frills bench reference to all kinds of joining - really useful, functional and not just another glossy coffee table book for hobbyists!

ahhh, what a little gem., 13 Nov 2007
I'm extremely fussy about what i give 5 stars to. Some of my fave books thus far have had 4 stars from me. The reason I've given this little gem my 5 star rating is because....Its not pretty, it doesn't have lots of pretty photographs and inspiration, it doesn't contain projects. It hasn't jumped on a jewelry making bandwagon and thought "hey! everyone's into this, let me write a books about it and cash in". lol.
What this little spiral bound book contains is information in its purest form. Jewellers who wish to learn many ways they can construct thier work with connections can have this book open (lying flat - thankyou tim) on thier bench. It teaches us about joining techniques. Hot and cold. It covers soldering and it covers riveting and pins, staples and other little thought of methods that make you think, "Ahh, of coooourse.". Tim also goes into bonding with the cold connections, using glues/adhesives etc. Lots and lots of ways of joinging stuff together depending on your project. I think this is invaluable for me because if I ever have a situation where I think, how can I put this all together with the combustable material in the middle? then out will come this book. I also happen to love the way tim writes. He's so casual and funny and completely un patronising. We dont need to know physics and science - we just need to know why it'll work and why it wont - in its simplest explanation. There was a particular bit in this book that made me laugh out loud....its on pg 88 where tim tells us briefly about welding options. he stars the sentance; "Arc welding was discovered in suburban desmoines in 1969 when little johnny smith reached into the toaster with a butterknife. Ok, thats not true. In fact, it was patented in britian in 1885......" I just thought that was funny. ;o)
This book does contain Tims hand drawn diagrams and examples - which is helpful visual aid. The contents of this book are;
COLD CONNECTIONS, Intro, tabs, staples, bezels, threaded connections, rivets, other cold connections.
HOT CONNECTIONS, overview, soft soldering, brazing;torches,surfaces,equipment,soldering investment,misc supplies, clean up after soldering, welding;equip,modern welding.
ADHESIVES; History of,natural glue, drying glues, polyvinyl, hot melt, epoxy, which to use, cyanoacrylates and ultraviolet curing....
At the back of the book are some useful charts. Equivalent numbers - giving the US and UK guages, mm, inches and drill#. Melting points for various metals. Temperature conversions - celcius to fahrenheit and vice versa.
Then, and this was a nice surprise, a list of suppliers....IN THE UK!! YEEEEY. (I think that this one has been done for the UK, with A&C Black. I know he's also done one with his own publishing co, Brynmorgen press - which probably has US suppliers. So keep an eye out for that.)
Excellent little refrence. I highly recommend for having a more rounded knowledge of joining your parts. Good stuff.

Bead fantastic, 30 Dec 2008
Lots of variation includes necklaces, bracelets, rings, hair ornaments etc with clear line drawings - using mainly right angle weave stitch. As soon as this book arrived I made the necklace on the front cover - it was easy and I love it. This book is packed full of goodies - well worth the money.

For the experienced beader, 10 Jul 2008
This book was not quite what I expected but the various designs seem well documented and explained in sufficient detail.

I was looking for some more simple designs and after an initial flick through I have not touched the book again although I could be inspired to try some of the patterns if I had more time. Maybe I should do that anyway, perhaps they are not as complicated as they look!

Definitely a book for an experienced person

Good for beginners, 10 Jan 2008
I love working with crystals and this book is full of wonderful projects. However, personally I found some of the designs a little too basic and I would have preferred the diagrams to be larger and clearer. That said, there is great scope for adapting the basic designs into something more challenging.

If you are new to beading this book is great; it would also be a good stepping stone if you've done a some bead stringing and want to mix that with some bead weaving.


Best book so far, 15 Dec 2005
Out of the dozens of beading and jewellery books on my shelf this is by far the best one I own. Their second book 'Bead fantasies II' is a close runner up!
I don't know where she gets her ideas for the jewellery but they are stunning, and not difficult.
It was the first beading book I bought and I recommend it to anyone starting out in beading. I've even had the girls at the local bead shop ask me about the book after seeing one of the necklaces.

Absolutely fantastic!, 23 Aug 2005
This is my absolute number one favourite bead book ever. The pieces here are so beautiful they take your breath away. At first glance, you expect such intricate, delicate things to be really difficult, but they're not: I was using this book pretty much from being a beginner.

Most of the pieces here are jewellery (necklaces, bracelets, rings, cell phone straps, glasses cords), but the designs are flexible and more experienced beaders will find inspiration to adapt them on every page. The instructions are very thorough, and the section at the end on findings and finishing was very useful.

I just can't wait for book 2 to come out!

Great little book, 01 Nov 2008
A great little book, lots of good photos and clear instructions.Tiaras and Hairpins (Twenty to Make) (Twenty to Make) (Twenty to Make) (Twenty to Make)


Beading brilliant, 28 Mar 2008
This book has got it all unlike other jewellery books which show the designs at the beginning. This book is divided into 2 sections. The 1st section teaches the tips & techniques of wire work. The 2nd section deals with how to put the previous section into making actual jewellery, it is like a solved jig saw puzzle & the results are so impressive.

I like Linda Jones book as well but wish Bead on a Wire was my 1st book Sharilyn Miller offers much detailed explanation.

The best so far for anyone interested in Wire jewellery. My only gripe is that she finishes most of the jewellery in sulphur (aged looking jewellery) which lets some of the designs down, I would have loved to see more silver & may be gold.


I LOVE this book!, 26 Mar 2008
This is an excellent book on wire jewellery - the first section is all basic techniques (making jump rings, S links, bead links) then there are slightly more advanced techniques such as making clasps (a thing I'd never thought of doing myself, but it's so easy following these directions!)

Then the second section shows how to put these techniques into practice on jewellery items, and the items shown are easily customised to your own taste, simply by using different beads.

The best part is you don't need any special equipment! Just a set of pliers, some wire, some beads and maybe a hammer but I didn't find I needed it. After I'd finished the basic techniques for practice, when I made my first jewellery piece it looked amazing!

Definitely go for this book if you're a beginner wanting a challenge, and want visible results instantly. Great tips, great jewellery - I can't fault it!

A book for those who think they have nothing more to learn, 21 Dec 2006
I own an impressive library of jewellery books but only a few are worth holding on to. This is one of them. This is a book for the serious jeweller with professional techniques and absolute attention to detail.
Here is an author who not only knows her business inside out but is able to pass on her techniques faultlessly with many clear illustrations and explanations. It's almost like having your jewellery teacher looking over your shoulder and reminding you to file your wire ends.
There are so many books out there on the subject of jewellery making and an awful lot of them seem to have been written by complete beginners and feature jewellery which could have been made by a 5 year old. This is a truly professional book for making saleable jewellery yet still using only basic equipment.
I use this book for reference again and again and I highly recommend it to budding jewellers.

A stylish diary that draws from the V&A's jewellery collection, 03 Sep 2008
The Victoria & Albert museum in London puts out two engagement diaries every year. There is a desk diary and a smaller pocket diary. The desk diary is paperback but the cover is thick and robust and the pages are also good quality stock. Each double page spread covers one week, with a good-sized blank space for each day (the size varies depending on the other illustrations). There are 2009 and 2010 calendars up front, an integrated bookmark, a pocket at the back for storing papers and also couple of blank pages at the end of the diary for notes. There is also a list of forthcoming exhibitions scheduled at the V&A museum in 2009/2010.

Every year the V&A diaries reflect a different theme drawing from the V&A's vast collection: recent themes have included Middle Eastern Art and vintage couture.

The theme for this year's diary is the V&A's jewellery collection, taking its inspiration from the V&A's new Jewellery Gallery that opened in 2008. All kinds of jewellery are featured: tiaras, brooches, necklaces, rings and bracelets. Most but not all of the jewellery dates from the 19th and 20th centuries - other pieces featured include a pendant with a cameo of Catherine of Medici, an enamelled box given by Napoleon Bonaparte to his sister, a locket with a miniature of Elizabeth 1, a pendant worn in Tudor England to protect the bearer from epilepsy. Other pages feature fashion photography by Cecil Beaton and John French or fashion advertisements. My favourite was a stunning Lalique pendant dating from 1898 with the theme of "winter wonderland". Some of the photographs are in black and white (as they would have originally appeared), but every other page is in colour.

This is a classy and attractive desk diary. To me, it is slightly less interesting than some of the other V&A diaries of the past, but I will still enjoy using it throughout the year.

Superb Inspiration, 15 Sep 2004
A book full of great ideas, but more so is the way it takes the reader through the PMC concept stage by stage. Then it lets you deside and try projects giving stage by stage comments. I cannot recommend this book high enough.

If you want to work with PMC,this book is a "must have !", 18 Feb 2004
If you have already discovered the magical precious metal clay,or want to learn more about it,this is a brilliant book for ideas. Whilst Tim McCreight's book on working with PMC,is a great place to start,this book will give the reader a whole spectrum of project ideas.
I have now become a certified PMC instructor,and my students are also enjoying the wealth of ideas,clearly photographed and explained,within the pages of this book.
Anyone who buys this book will not be disappointed,it's a great addition to any enthusiast's library. Buy it!

Gain confidence with jewellery making, 15 Nov 2008
With its attractive cover, I know you will pick this book up off the bookshop shelf if you are the least bit interested in jewellery making. From design ideas and inspiration, this book aims to take the jewellery maker through the whole process from start to finish. Comprehensive chapters include setting up a studio, materials, tools and techniques. Although it covers some of the same area as Elizabeth Olver's book Jewellery Making Techniques, the two books do not overlap too much and complement one another perfectly. The projects are laid out in easy to follow steps and the finished samples and steps are clearly photographed. You could easily use it as a week by week course. This practical book will be very useful to all jewellery makers. It's great value for money. This book would have been more rounded and complete if it had included more sources of inspiration and a good sources listing, however it does mention just a few magazines, books and website.

An absolute essential for all fledgling jewellery makers, 22 Oct 2008
Whilst the "Search Inside" option gave some indication as to the quality of this book, I was blown away by the sheer depth of information and guidance.

The book is split down into 34 units with 6 practical projects that cross reference with the techniques taught. The units take you through the complete process, from finding inspiration, evaluating & translating ideas through to transferring patterns, piercing, annealing, soldering, filing and many much more. Everything is laid out in an uncluttered fashion with lots of photos so you can be sure you are following correctly whilst the text is written at just the right level - neither patronizing or too advanced.

I must confess I am only a beginner so cannot really comment on what it offers those slightly more advanced, however it does seem to have so much information that even once my confidence and skill grows I'll still be referring back to this.

A beautiful, informative book that I would highly recommend to all would-be jewellery designers.

Beautiful!!!, 08 May 2008
This isn't so much a book as a labour of love. Beautifully presented, extremely clear photographs, high quality paper. It remains to be seen whether it can teach me how to make jewellery - if it can't that'll be down to me - but in any case it is a lovely book to own.

Fantastic first introduction to beaded jewellery, 31 Jan 2008
I bought this book just over a week ago and set about making one of the projects straight away. The book is lovely to look at (I spent hours just pondering the possibilities!) and is very clear and detailed. I made one of the necklaces tonight (couldn't wait for all the supplies to arrive!!) and although I couldn't get the exact beads in the make up of this necklace, my necklace looks just as good and I couldn't be more pleased.
Definitely a good first buy if you want to start out in making beaded jewellery. I've now got the bug and the possibilities, using this book alone, are endless!

Brilliant, 06 Jan 2008
I have been making my own jewellery for about 6 months and I got this book forXmas - the pictures are beautiful and the designs are very easy to follow. If you are looking to start in jewellery making, this will teach you the basics!

All about beads, 01 Nov 2007
I read the reviews written by others and they appeared positive so I gave it a go and bought this book. I was not diappointed it has got my imagination running riot. I would deinitely recommend it to any one interested in beading

All About Beads - Barbara Case, 23 Apr 2007
This book is an excellent resource for those wishing to design and make handcrafted jewellery. I have referred to the techniques and instructions time and again, and believe it to be one of the best reference books on the market. Filled with great illustrations, easy to follow step-by-step instructions, design ideas and crafty tips, this is a must have for everyone interested in making their own jewellery.

Great for learning beading techniques, 03 Nov 2006
This book is really nicely illustrated and the instructions clear, but the author tends to favour more traditional designs using french wire (gimp) and gold.

It does have some great explanations of the basic beading techniques though, so useful for any beader to have for reference.

Excellent., 04 Jan 2008
A proper, no-frills bench reference to all kinds of joining - really useful, functional and not just another glossy coffee table book for hobbyists!

ahhh, what a little gem., 13 Nov 2007
I'm extremely fussy about what i give 5 stars to. Some of my fave books thus far have had 4 stars from me. The reason I've given this little gem my 5 star rating is because....Its not pretty, it doesn't have lots of pretty photographs and inspiration, it doesn't contain projects. It hasn't jumped on a jewelry making bandwagon and thought "hey! everyone's into this, let me write a books about it and cash in". lol.
What this little spiral bound book contains is information in its purest form. Jewellers who wish to learn many ways they can construct thier work with connections can have this book open (lying flat - thankyou tim) on thier bench. It teaches us about joining techniques. Hot and cold. It covers soldering and it covers riveting and pins, staples and other little thought of methods that make you think, "Ahh, of coooourse.". Tim also goes into bonding with the cold connections, using glues/adhesives etc. Lots and lots of ways of joinging stuff together depending on your project. I think this is invaluable for me because if I ever have a situation where I think, how can I put this all together with the combustable material in the middle? then out will come this book. I also happen to love the way tim writes. He's so casual and funny and completely un patronising. We dont need to know physics and science - we just need to know why it'll work and why it wont - in its simplest explanation. There was a particular bit in this book that made me laugh out loud....its on pg 88 where tim tells us briefly about welding options. he stars the sentance; "Arc welding was discovered in suburban desmoines in 1969 when little johnny smith reached into the toaster with a butterknife. Ok, thats not true. In fact, it was patented in britian in 1885......" I just thought that was funny. ;o)
This book does contain Tims hand drawn diagrams and examples - which is helpful visual aid. The contents of this book are;
COLD CONNECTIONS, Intro, tabs, staples, bezels, threaded connections, rivets, other cold connections.
HOT CONNECTIONS, overview, soft soldering, brazing;torches,surfaces,equipment,soldering investment,misc supplies, clean up after soldering, welding;equip,modern welding.
ADHESIVES; History of,natural glue, drying glues, polyvinyl, hot melt, epoxy, which to use, cyanoacrylates and ultraviolet curing....
At the back of the book are some useful charts. Equivalent numbers - giving the US and UK guages, mm, inches and drill#. Melting points for various metals. Temperature conversions - celcius to fahrenheit and vice versa.
Then, and this was a nice surprise, a list of suppliers....IN THE UK!! YEEEEY. (I think that this one has been done for the UK, with A&C Black. I know he's also done one with his own publishing co, Brynmorgen press - which probably has US suppliers. So keep an eye out for that.)
Excellent little refrence. I highly recommend for having a more rounded knowledge of joining your parts. Good stuff.

Bead fantastic, 30 Dec 2008
Lots of variation includes necklaces, bracelets, rings, hair ornaments etc with clear line drawings - using mainly right angle weave stitch. As soon as this book arrived I made the necklace on the front cover - it was easy and I love it. This book is packed full of goodies - well worth the money.

For the experienced beader, 10 Jul 2008
This book was not quite what I expected but the various designs seem well documented and explained in sufficient detail.

I was looking for some more simple designs and after an initial flick through I have not touched the book again although I could be inspired to try some of the patterns if I had more time. Maybe I should do that anyway, perhaps they are not as complicated as they look!

Definitely a book for an experienced person

Good for beginners, 10 Jan 2008
I love working with crystals and this book is full of wonderful projects. However, personally I found some of the designs a little too basic and I would have preferred the diagrams to be larger and clearer. That said, there is great scope for adapting the basic designs into something more challenging.

If you are new to beading this book is great; it would also be a good stepping stone if you've done a some bead stringing and want to mix that with some bead weaving.


Best book so far, 15 Dec 2005
Out of the dozens of beading and jewellery books on my shelf this is by far the best one I own. Their second book 'Bead fantasies II' is a close runner up!
I don't know where she gets her ideas for the jewellery but they are stunning, and not difficult.
It was the first beading book I bought and I recommend it to anyone starting out in beading. I've even had the girls at the local bead shop ask me about the book after seeing one of the necklaces.

Absolutely fantastic!, 23 Aug 2005
This is my absolute number one favourite bead book ever. The pieces here are so beautiful they take your breath away. At first glance, you expect such intricate, delicate things to be really difficult, but they're not: I was using this book pretty much from being a beginner.

Most of the pieces