The Beader's Color Palette Paperback – June 10, 2008

Received quickly; excellent condition; good price. I appreciate the expertise and time it took to create this book but not sure it will get a lot of use. Agree with other reviewers - I can only read this for short periods of time & then have to take a break. If you are looking for a book that shows start to finish how to create a finished piece for everything pictured, this is not the book for you. I also DO NOT recommend for beginning beaders. It will be overwhelming/ confusing/ frustrating if not familiar with beading terms, stitches, beads, tools used, etc. Example: The project on page 62 only shows a graph for the main portion of the bracelet so, if you want to make this you need to need to know how to work the stitch used, how to do on-loom, how to adjust for finished length, and how to attach a mfg’d clasp or construct a beaded toggle (as pictured). Only actual projects (16) have a resource list & instructions (very teeny print) & written instructions & graphs showing thread paths can be tricky to follow (all thread paths are the same color). I have been beading for several years & find myself rereading some instructions to understand. Beaders with strong skills may be able to figure out the 'how-to' of many pieces pictured (not noted as 'projects'). Considering this books' primary focus is on color palettes, what is not helpful - in all palettes the author references delica bead color numbers but I have found 1 project so far that uses a delica bead. There are hundreds of colors in delica beads &, unless you have/or used these, it isn't possible to know how delica colors compare to regular round 11/0s, 8/0s or other beads used in most projects – so using as a reference in each palette isn’t very helpful. Finally, I was surprised to see the only thread referenced is Nymo when they are many threads available since Nymo was introduced. My personal preference is anything but Nymo. Finally, can be difficult to read some pieces because a lot of white print on various colored blocks; most picture captions are in a color (& many so light almost unreadable) - should have kept it simple & used black; all of the oval color palettes can be hard to tell what colors are actually in the palette since colors are overlaid on others (if many colors the 'swatches' get smaller). I know this is a book on color but it's almost so busy it's distracting & a hard read.

I have been so excited for this book to come out that I was almost afraid that I had built it up too much in my head. Turns out I did not build it up enough!! Last year I read (and have continued to study) Margie Deeb's book, The Beader's Guide to Color (see link below). With Ms. Deeb's ability to show the properties and effects of individual colors as well as mixes taken from the color wheel, I discovered that what I thought was my natural eye for color was, in fact, just a tiny glimpse of what was possible. The Beader's Color Palette builds even further on that. It is true that there are amazing projects already in the book as well as dozens of prepared color palettes and these are fabulous and inspiring. The many photos are lush and rich and enthralling. However, I believe the best thing about Margie Deeb's books is her ability to share her gift of vision. Not only does she help reveal the color palettes in various landscapes, pictures, pieces of art, etc, but she helps beaders to learn to discern for themselves the color palettes in the world around them. This is not a book to just read once and then put it on the shelf. Nor is this just an instruction book for wonderful projects. The Beader's Color Palette is a text to be studied, absorbed, and treasured over and over. Because there is so much contained in this book, I have found thus far that I can study it for a while (30 min to possibly an hour)but then I have to go away from it to absorb what I have read. Otherwise, I find I am on "sensory overload."(And yes, my husband thinks that is completely nuts:) To restate what I treasure the most about this book - Ms. Deeb does not just share her gift for understanding color, but she helps the reader to develop his or her own vision. With that vision comes an even greater appreciation for everything in your world. The Beader's Guide to Color

For those of you that are hesitant about this book, please review the "Search Inside this Book" link underneath the book cover image again. As you can see from the table of contents, the glory of this book IMHO comes from Deeb's use of historical color combinations and designs, to cultural variations, and fantasy. Included are natural stones from the earth and representing the elements (earth, water, air, fire) - not just Delicas as Deeb is so fond of using (with the appropriate color numbers listed for the projects and recommendations). This focus is very different than other beader books and much appreciated as many jewelers often focus on cultural, historical, etc. when developing their own designs. Unfortunately only 20 of the designs are discussed in depth so one can mimic the design, but there are soooooo many other wonderful images of jewelry designs that add to the creativity pathway for all beaders to begin from - not to duplicate! So I really consider this more of a book that compliments Deeb's earlier book on color (using primarily Delicas) and a necessary reference book for all serious jewelry designers to have and use. A true classic book that will definitely withstand the test of time in regards to design and color.

All I can say is WOW! This is a beautiful book that is FULL of inspiration! This is 189 pages full of COLORFUL photos, some instructions and techniques for different jewelry making, finished projects, lots of photos from nature and there are some specific projects that give you a Materials List, a list of tools you will need and lots of instructions to help you copy the exact design that you see...for example, the Crystal and Lampwork Pendant that begins on page 109. However, this is mainly a book from which to gather inspiration. This is not your typical "How to make Jewelry" book. There are 20 creative projects with instructions (a "how to"). The Beader's Color Palette is the book you pick up when you keep putting down your projects because of a "brain freeze".

Beautiful book with lots of projects

This is a lovely book. Anyone who beads will find this book useful. It is well written and very clear.

A brilliant book and very inspirational. I have been beading for less than a year and found this book to be a very useful addition to my ever growing library of bead books.

very good book

I have purchased this book recently and loved the way Margie has explained the approach to composing color palettes for beads. She also provides her own creations and other renown beaders in the book. There are plenty of projects some are easier to make than the others. Among all, I have loved the first part where Margie explains how to approach the color palettes from nature as source of inspiration; she shows many types of beads (from gemstones to seed beads) in various colors, helping the beaders to develop their own colour sense when beading.

Ich habe tolle Projekte erwartet, aber das Niveau ist nur für Anfänger. Die Modelle sind schön, aber nicht wirklich eine Herausforderung. Auf Bildern gezeigte Modelle wären schön, sind aber nicht als Anleitung vorhanden. Als Übung für die Farbwahl ist das Buch aber sehr gut.

One of the best books on jewelry design I have ever read. Very inspiring to look at Nature and pull together a whole new color palette!

What a great book! Full of gorgeous colour palettes and a good read for inspiration.

Wonderful book with lots of helpful examples. A must have for any creative person of any kind. A great reference book!

She knows her colors excellent book highly recommend

C'est un superbe livre,qui offre beaucoup d'idées et d'inspiration et montre aussi comment aller à la rencontre de cette inspiration dans la vie quotidienne .

Il y a de très belles photos qui agrémentent cet ouvrage avec beaucoup de modèles réalisés. Dommage qu'il ne soit pas traduit !