Creative Beaded Jewelry: 33 Exquisite Designs Inspired by the Arts of China, Japan, India and Tibet

Jewelry designer Schulz returns to some of her favorite cultures for inspiration in this how-to book featuring 33 bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. The book has a brief but adequately thorough begin-ning chapter on tools and materials, while good instructions on different techniques are sprinkled where they are needed to complete a project - no flipping back and forth between a design and a how-to. There is much here for the new and intermediate jewelry designer, with detailed and enlightening descriptions of many basic jewelry-making techniques such as knotting, stringing, and wire looping. The written instructions are spare but clear and complete; the instructional drawings are crude but ade-quate; and the photographs are clear, sharp, and inspiring in their detail of color and texture. Another plus: many of the projects can be completed with beads, baubles, and other materials available at chain craft stores like Michaels and Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts. (Apr.)