Deeb shows 220 palettes and how they were inspired from five areas: the four elements; ancient art work (my personal favorite); world cultures; the environment; and the natural world. Along with color palettes in each of the five sections she includes 4 jewelry projects, labeled as easy, intermediate, or advanced. As a result, this is book is a mix of inspiration as well as functional how-to.
The early part of the text explains how to read the palettes presented throughout the book. This is where you'll need to use your brain. After learning to read the palette, she also explains how to create your own by using images as inspiration and considering proportions and materials you'll use to create the design. So, you end up with a brief lesson on color and design before you get too far into the book.
The rest of the book is divided up into the themes (areas) mentioned earlier, and while they only include 4 projects each (for a total of 20), they also include the work of Deeb and many other talented artists who illustrate the use of the various palettes created from each theme. So, there are lots and lots of finished jewelry designs to inspire you as well as art work that connects to the jewelry pieces pictured. My only concern with these sections is that some of the projects labeled as intermediate I thought were a little more closer to advanced, but that's my own personal take on it. Intermediate tends to be a little bit of a gray area when it comes to crafting jewelry or anything else.
The end of the book includes a techniques section from basics like using a bead tip to more advanced techniques such as using a loom. While there is some wire and bead stringing work, bead weaving seems to be the primary focus. I think beginners will be inspired by this book while those with at least a little experience will get the most out of it since it covers not just how to make beaded jewelry but also how to design using color.
