Book ~ "The Complete Photo Guide to Beading" (2012) Robin Atkins

From Goodreads ~ This comprehensive reference fully explores the various types of beadwork, including beading on fabric, fringing, bead weavings, bead embroidery and beaded jewelry. 

With easy-to-follow organization, this guide provides step-by-step directions and 500 full color photos for clear understanding. 

Basic projects provide opportunities for crafters to try the techniques, and galleries of unique beaded designs and creations by various bead artists offer beautiful examples and inspiration. It’s the only book you need to get started on beadwork. 

Begin your beading adventure today with "The Complete Photo Guide to Beading"! 

The last couple of years I've thought it would be fun to make stuff with beads ... nothing extravagant or flashy.  With my quest to learn how to make a daisy chain in my anklet (mission accomplished), I'd check out some books on beading.

The chapters in this book are:

1. Introduction - magic of beads, saga of beads, all about beads and a basic beading kit
2. Bead-stringing - tools and supplies, techniques, design, stringing on various materials (elastic, wire, etc.), hand knotting, etc.
3. Bead weaving - tools and supplies, techniques, stitches, knitting with beads, etc.
4. Bead embroidery - sewing with beads, tools and supplies, techniques, design, stitches, etc.

I thought this was an excellent book for a beginner like me but it would also appeal to more experienced beaders.  I found the instructions in this book really easy to follow and there are lots of step-by-step pictures on how to do things.  There were full-colour pictures of projects you can do with varying levels of difficulty... necklaces, earrings, bracelets, purses, baskets and more.  Some of the projects were too fancy/flashy for me but I got some ideas for some fun things I'd like to try ... the knitted scarf with beads caught my eye.

Last week I'd picked up a package of letters and a spool of elastic string and made this easy cheap bracelet before I read about it in the book (that was the extent of my beading last week):