There are a lot of great books out there about how to bead that cover many of the same techniques. What makes this one stand out is the whimsy in the projects. They are gorgeous, well explained, and in bright popping colors. It's a fun book.
The introduction to the book explains how to use it to learn beadwork from the very beginning, and encourage you to play. To follow the instructions for the projects, but also to look at the end of each project at the "Try this" to do something new. It explains the tools and supplies very well, with color pictures. There is also a glossary in the introduction that tell you what a lot of popular bead terms mean. For an absolute beginner, it can be a bit overwhelming, but if you take it one step at a time, it's wonderful.
For people who have some experience, there are the projects.
Chapter 1 is peyote stitch. Absolutely essential for anyone who wants to master beadwork to learn. There are several bracelets with different types of clasps as first projects, starting simply with a purchased clasp, and working up to an amazing diagonally stitched peyote bracelet with a fringed beaded clasp. Just yummy.
The section on bead crochet makes enough sense I'm willing to give it another try. I can crochet, I can bead, but making crocheted ropes has never worked out well for me.
Like I said, the projects are full of whimsy, the colors make me smile, and the techniques are a solid foundation for learning to bead, and to follow any set of instructions. It's an absolutely inspiring book.

If you've mastered peyote, brick stitch, square stitch and want to take your beading to new projects then this is the book for you. If you are just starting out this book will give you the confidence to try new things. It is concise, clear and a joy to use by beginners and those of us who have been beading for years.

Myself being a newbie to beading this a "must" book to have.

Masting Beadwork by Carol Cyper (http://www.carolcypher.com/) is a well written, detailed, colorful hardcover, coiled seam beading book.
The first few chapters walk you through as to what you need & what you need to know. Directions in the book are easy to follow along, colorful photographs, with detailed directions.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is new to beading or anyone who wants to experiment with some new patterns in beading.

This is not a book for beginners. For example, the first project uses basket-weave crimp end findings and a ball and socket closure and requires the beader to teach herself how to solder the jump rings closed. Yikes, that is a lot to ask. Most projects have incomplete directions, enough to get started, but not the step-by-step details needed for the entire project. Illustrations are not clearly marked with color or arrows to indicate the direction in which to progress. Difficult to follow.

I have been an avid beadwork artist since the age of 12. Im 33 now, and have leared LOTS of stitches, techniques, and variations--from all over the world.
This book is fantastic! It has a lot of great project, most of them are somewhat advanced i suppose. Very clear pictures, and it is spiral bound, which makes it really easy to follow the steps if you need to.
I highly reccommend this book it truly is a wealth of projects, and you can use it for inspiration too.
10 stars!

This is an excellent book for beaders who are looking for new ideas or need to refresh themselves on seedbeading techniques. I have been doing off-loom beading for over 4 years and I found the book very helpful. Both the written instructions and the diagrams are very clear and easy to follow. The spiral-bound style of the book allows it to open flat so you can easily see it while you are working. I found the specific projects were ones I might actually use, unlike some books where I can't imagine anyone wearing the final product. There were good general tips throughout the book as well. This book was recommended to me by another beader; I would recommend it to others as well.

I was hoping this new book would offer some new techniques...not really. It is a good basic book for beginners, or if it's been a long time since you've made a piece in a particular stitch, you can refresh your memory on the basics. I loved the idea that the book is spiral bound like a cookbook - but became annoyed by the inclusion of 'mise en place' with each project! The cooking terminology is explained on page 8 - 'nuf said. The other cooking reference is the list of supplies for each project being called "ingredients." I don't want to be reminded of kitchen duties when I'm beading! The author was a chef for many years and is caught in the vocabulary of that workplace. Beadwork has its own vocabulary and which should be employed here.

I have made a couple of the projects and had one that came out very different from the photographed piece using the same bead sizes - others may have better luck. I was disappointed not to find instructions on methods of increasing and decreasing in peyote and other processes in beadwork as the book claims to instruct in 'mastering beadwork.' Some of the projects are interesting, none are above a beginner (shortcoming - there should have been some projects to 'stretch' a reader), although I agree with other reviewers that more - and better - illustrations are needed. I thought the index in the back was very helpful...just to look something up quick and then go back to my own creations! This book is a good attempt to gather basic instructions for the various types of beadwork together in one volume...may the next one be more comprehensive.

Mastering Beadwork: A Comprehensive Guide toy Off-Loom Techniques is an incredible resource. It is packed with valuable information about the tools used for beading, the techniques and instructions for many, many wonderful projects. It is also comprised of a spiral ring binder which makes it very handy to use. I would highly recommend purchasing this book--you will be thrilled that you did!

I took the book out of the library before considering purchasing this. The book is comprehensive and has wonderful ideas, but I don't understand why the graphs don't have enough detail. If this is supposed to be an instructional book about off-loom techniques, then there should be more instructions and graphs.

Mastering Beadwork: A Comprehensive Guide to Off-loom Techniques
This book is THE most comprehensive beading book I've been able to find. The instructions and diagrams are clear and understandable for all the most popular beading stitches. The patterns included are varied, unique and interesting. Includes great tips, sections on color, tools, bead types and techniques for adding new thread, using lampworked beads, troubleshooting and using crimp end findings.

Overall, the best book on beading I've seen so far. LOVE IT!!

this book is the best beading book available. the directions and tips make it easy for a beginner to learn and share the insanity of beading.
It is very addicting. All techniques are included with many variations.
A must have for every beaders' library....

Although I own dozens of beadwork books and know most of the seed bead
techniques, this book adds enough new and different ways of doing the
tried and true things that it is worth having. It would be particularly good for beginners, but would also appeal to most levels of beaders.
The color pictures are great too!

Enjoyed the information in this book. Can't wait to try out some of the techniques.

One of the newest attempts at a comprehensive guide to off-loom beading. The book is beautifully bound, with a coiled center binding that allows the pages to lay flat for easy use when working on learning a new stitch or technique or when completing an associated project. Diverse, lovely, and relevant projects are presented throughout in gorgeous color photographs. Directions are clear and easy to understand. Pink or maize highlighted blocks throughout the book present tips on the technique being demonstrated or creativity teases entitled "Try this..." are unique to this volume and give the reader the kind of information that is usually given face to face rather than in print. Also, along with the tried and true forms of beadweaving many stitches that may be unfamiliar to some are also well represented. The names associated with some techniques may be the same that you are used to or slightly different. That author advises you to be accepting and respectful of the stitches on their own, whatever name is used, as they represent the culture and the style period of the beaders that develped the technique. This is a great book that ranks right up there with the most highly rated volumes of this type. Giving you an alternate means to understanding the least or most familiar stitches in your repertoire, "Mastering Beadwork" gives the beader an opportunity to either walk along a familiar path or blaze a new trail.

This book can be a reference, a guided step-by step for new stitchers, a project book or inspiration for more experienced beaders. Instructions are clear and well documented.

There are a lot of ideas I want to try in this book, especially the many ropes, the beaded beads and the peyote bracelet (which has a twist to it!).
I think this book is very well written and has many new ideas in it!

VERY disappointing - basic beadweaving techniques are explained in such an unclear way which is a pity because some of the illustrations are good but not carried through. I also found the projects pretty ordinary - I was expecting to learn techniques not shown in other books. I would not call this book Mastering Beadwork - rather - More Ideas for Beadwork.

While I am not a new beader, this book still offers great techniques and projects. The format is great with a spiral binding for easy access. I am especially impressed with the fact that Ms. Cypher has put in print lessons that she has taught at major bead shows namely "Bead Happy Bracelet" and "Supple, Shiny and Shapely Bracelet." There might even be more, but these are two bracelets which I am aware of.

Good information covering supplies--especially explaining the different threads and what they're for, along with basic information to get you going.

She covers all the necessary stiches: Peyote, Dutch Spiral (some more inspiration and new or updated examples as in as she calls it "Bam! Kick That Dutch Spiral Up a Notch! Bead"), Netting, Spiral Rope (especially well done with some bi-cones worked in for bling instead of just regular glass beads! ), Right Angle Weave (a super pattern for a bracelet using larger beads and pearls--a nice change), Triangle Weave, Square Stich, Daisy Chain, Ladder Stich, Herringbone Stich, Brick Stitch, African Polygon, African Helix (again, well done), South African Scallop and Bead Crochet. She does a super job giving you directions to make a beaded bead for a clasp or focal point--something I've wanted to know how to make. For that time when you want that "special" closure on your piece. Also beaded beads from beads--which any addicted beader will appreciate. The cover piece is not specifically identified as far as directions go--although with so much information supplied, I could have missed it.

Great color photos. Nice bead selection--nothing weird or hard to find. Well written with a sprinkle of humor here and there. Super examples.

If you're a very experienced beader and you're looking for a Melanie Potter, Cynthia Rutledge or Marcia DeCoster type project that is time consuming and real involved, this might not be what this book offers. What it does offer is a great format for all the major stiches, super examples which are well written and some adorable colorways which you might find interesting and inspiring, a variety of beads and bead sizes used in a very user-friendly format.

I would call this a welcome addition to any library for beaders. I am very happy with the book and look forward to making some of the projects shown here. As I said in the title for my review, "Well done Carol!"

I had high hopes for this book. As another review said, it would be great to have all the off-loom techniques in one place. They are, I guess.

I found the book sorely lacking in diagrams (an absolute necessity for off-loom beading), and what few diagrams there are, are small and hard to see. To make matters worse, the written instructions are brief and often confusing (and in one case, I think, wrong). Frequently the projects introduce new methods which are not diagrammed or explained in the introductory material, and in fact, sometimes are hardly diagrammed or explained at all.

This could have been the definitive book on off-loom beading techniques, but it lacks so much that it is just another pretty book.

Imagine having instructions for all off-loom beading techniques in one place. That dream is now a reality. This is a wonderful book that gives you the basics and some ideas of where to go with them. The rest is up to you! Spiral bound so it will lay open flat for easy reference, with lots of diagrams and pictures. This book has everything you need to know for beading.

This rates up there with Carol Wilcox Wells books - good variety of off bead techniques - lots of great projects - great inspiration for seed beaders!