Samejima Takako is the author of several beading books (in Japanese) and owner of the studio Crystalloid. Her first book in English is nothing short of fantastic! As with other Japanese jewelrymaking books, it's better to have some previous beadwork experience before attempting any of the projects. None of the projects is difficult and the book does contain a section on techniques, but it's more like a quick refresher and less like a tutorial. A wide range of projects are represented: rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, cell phone straps, hair accessories, eyeglass chains, tiny purses, and even a beaded card holder. The color diagrams are very clear and well-labeled. The written instructions are numbered and to-the-point. Supply lists are general (no brand names or color numbers, but you will see bead sizes, shapes, and colors) and metric (e.g., 1.5 mm seed bead instead of size 11 seed bead). Most of the projects use seed beads, bicone crystals, and Czech firepolish beads with clear nylon line or wire. Some projects use chains and other beads, such as pearls, bugles, or artglass. Color schemes are elegant and understated; the jewelry is reminiscent of the Victorian era.
I highly recommend this book for the quality of the projects, clarity of the instructions/diagrams, and variey of project types. You'll find some great eye candy! The projects are very attainable, providing you have a good supply of bicones (e.g., Swarovski) and Czech firepolish rounds/ovals in 3-mm, 4-mm, and 6-mm sizes.
Over the years, I've come to love Japanese books because of their instructions. Certainly, they are not for everybody. But for beaders with a little experience, the thread path instructions will be enough. The instructions are printed in color, and each bead shape is shown, which makes a lot of sense. It took a while for me to figure out that the tiny black star indicates the start and the teeny black crescent moon indicates the end, but that wasn't a lot to overcome.
There is a lot to like in this book:
1. The different projects--bracelets, rings (lots of rings!), pendants for necklaces, necklaces in several lengths, eyeglass leashes, barrettes, even cell phone leashes--If you don't own a cell phone with a leash attachment, you can easily use the patterns for necklaces.
2. The color photography and the color directions. Makes flipping through the book like a walk in the garden. Also makes the small-format-size book cost $18.00 in paperback.
3. The additional information in the back on techniques and materials, all with lots of photographs.
4. Once you learn the basic technique that Takako Samejima favors, you can zip through her ideas and start working on your own. I've found the circle-style weaving can be achieved with two needles, but using one as Samejima does makes the work easier.
And a few things that can make a reader cranky:
1. The book is perfect bound, so you will have to weight both sides down to follow a diagram.
2. The pages on tools have tiny pictures, so you can't really tell crimping pliers from round-nose from cutters.
3. The author seems to favor nylon filament, which, if it is fishing line, will disintegrate in five years or so. Use Nymo, Silamide, Fireline, or for the larger projects, SoftFlex.
4.The instructions tell you to use your jewelry pliers to work with memory wire. Don't. Memory wire is steel and will damage most jewelry tools. Use hardware store tools or those especially designed for memory wire,
The book is a treat and well worth the money for beginners with a little experience, intermediate beaders who want to expand their product line and advanced beaders who need a gallery to get their inspiration kick-started again.
The original of Samejima's Bead Fantasies, this book definitely holds its own against the later installations. Brilliant, clear designs with great diagrammes and lots of room to modify components to make your own unique riffs, this collection is full of inspiration and quick, fun, wearable pieces you'll be creating and enjoying in no time!
Her designs use beads easily found and there is even a section where the same few types of beads are used to make several different styles; romantic, elegant, geometric, antique, etc. My only difficulity is that the directions are given solely in detailed drawings, very different from American books. You have to have enough experience to follow the path of the thread through the sketched beads with no written directions. She also seems to use two needles, working from the middle of the design out, most of the time. Once you get used to it, though, every piece is remarkable.
I've been beading for a couple of years, and this is one of my favorite purchases to date. I love the projects. I bought it specifically for the cover photo, but when I received it I immediately found 3 or 4 other projects that were equally as impressive. It's hard to chose where to start. The photos and pattern illustrations are very easy to follow. The only thing I didn't like was that the supply list is in paragraph form, rather than in the form of a list. So I have to retype it to take to the bead store so I can make sure I don't miss anything.
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Description
71 fantastic jewelry projects requiring only the basics beading skills.|Jewelry artist Takako Samejima specializes in bead jewelry, and has been working with beads since she was a child. Her designs, which combine different types, shapes, and sizes of beads, have won acclaim for their beauty and originality. BEAD FANTASIES features over seventy of her most original and dazzling designs including necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, brooches, hair ornaments, cell phone straps and eyeglass chains.
Each design includes detailed instructions for creating the jewelry, supplemented by small color photographs and detailed color drawings. For the novice, BEAD FANTASIES also includes descriptions of the beads used to make the jewelry, beading supplies, and some lessons covering basic bead-stringing, weaving and finishing techniques.
It's a nice book. The instructions could be a little better, but with a little time they are not a problem. I bought this book for the project on the cover. Each and every project in this book is beautiful and seems to be fairly easy to make. I will look for more books by this author. By the way, someone in a earlier review said not to use nylon thread as it is nothing but fishing line, but you could use Fireline. I have to tell you that Fireline is fishing line, just a differant kind. All in all I'm glad I bought this book. I will have fun making some of her beautiful projects.
Haven't used it yet, but will soon for new projects to try. Reviewed what was in the book and the patterns seem easy enough for me to try my hand at making a wee bit more complicated patterns. Can't wait to start.
I have purchased all three of the Bead Fantasies books and the first one is the BEST of them for me. Now don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed all of them. I have simply found more projects in the first one that appeal to me and my style.
Someone else may find the Bead Fantasies II or III just as appealing for their projects because all have a variety of projects in different categories to choose and they do not repeat projects from one book to another.
love it love it love it! I am a beginner and these designs are great even for the beginner. helps if you watch a few videos. first on beading by stitching.
There are several patterns that I want to try.
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