Takako Samejima , ISBN 4889961887
Our Price $29.50, weight 275 grams, PB, Published 2005

Review
Japanese Beading artists have a distinctive style all of their own, and use weaving techniques and glass and seed beads to great advantage. This is the follow up book to Bead Fantasies I, and Samejima presents the reader with clear instructions for making an array of accessories. She even creates a mobile phone strap, but it is perhaps in the area of rings that she really excels. There are also delicate bracelets, pendants and necklaces and earrings.

The weaving techniques, incorporating beads of diverse size and texture, create facetted clusters that then feature in the jewellery items. Materials used range from pearls and small gemstones to glass and crystal beads and lots of seed beads. An over-riding impression is that these are projects with a sense of fun. For those whose beading style is more classical or streamlined the projects given might just be the challenge needed to expand creative concepts and techniques.