Sabine Lippert's Beaded Fantasies: 30 Romantic Jewelry Projects [Hardcover]

I pre-ordered this book months ago and have been anxiously awaiting its release -- and it does not disappoint! Out of the thirty projects included, I want to make every single piece -- they are that beautiful!

The book is divided up into several chapters:

--Chapter 1: Supplies and Techniques
--Chapter 2: Embellished Bases -- includes one necklace, one earring, and five bracelet designs
--Chapter 3: Bezeled Stones -- includes one necklace, two chokers, two bracelets, two earrings, and three pendant designs
--Chapter 4: A Question of Architecture -- includes three earrings, one necklace, two pendant, and one bangle design
--Chapter 5: Pearl Centers -- includes three necklaces, one brooch, one earrings, and one bracelet design
--Chapter 6: Sabination Nation -- a chapter on how Sabine designs her projects
--Gallery -- beautiful photos of designs by other beaders
--Author Gallery -- photos of designs by Lippert

As you can tell from the above breakdown, there is a really nice mix of projects included. Some are more complex than others, and the header for each project gives a rough idea of how simple or hard each one might be. Lippert mostly uses variations of RAW with an overlay of netting, but she also includes an overview of peyote and a few other stitches in the Techniques chapter.

As with previous books in the Lark Master Class series, the instructions are also excellent, as are the diagrams. I've done one of Lippert's projects before and found her instructions to be clear and easy to follow, and this book follows suit. Each project also includes a clearly labeled supply list, and the finished size of the piece. While the actual color number of the seed beads isn't given, it should be easy to figure out a similar bead color to use to match the suggested colorways. With the Swarvoski crystals and firepolished beads used, the color is given in a general way. (For instance, the supply list will state something like "30 golden-orange crystal bicones, 4 mm.")

I also love the hardback format of these Lark books; they are so much easier to bead from than softback books, which always seem to flop around on me.

Overall, this is a lovely book to add to your beading library! The only problem for me is that I love all of the projects so much, I don't know which one I want to start with! ;-)

Much has been said about this wonderful, wonderful book! I cannot add anything to
what's already been said...so, I am just adding another 5 stars to Sabine's excellent
work, and another notch in Lark's library of publishing great books! GET THIS book!
You will love it!!! p.s. page 49, the bicone size is not listed...per Sabine, it is 3mm.
Oh, I just can't wait to get started! Everything is there...from the beginning of what you
need through great illustrations and pictures...with additional colorways for inspiration.
LOVE this book!!! LOVE IT!!!! :0)

I preordered this book several months before it was released and was quite excited to receive it in the mail a few days ago. I was not disappointed! The projects are phenomenal and Sabine's ability to explain in words and pictures how to do things like cubic right angle weave is nothing short of impressive. Sabine's use of color is amazing, too. She doesn't just use a single palette, but uses color combinations that would fit nearly every readers' personal styles. She encourages her readers to experiment, like she did, to come up with variations as the beads inspire them. Even if I wasn't going to make any of the projects (and I am!) the book has wonderful photos and a nice gallery of both Sabine's and other beaders' work at the back of the book. A 10 star book!