ISBN 0 9641865 01, Softcover, full color, 72 pages, Beadworld Publishing, PO Box 99582, Seattle, WA 98199, phone 360-829--9265

Stessin's book is one of the first lavish books to hit the market with beautiful beadwork, how-to projects and an introduction to beadwork artists.   Beaded Amulet Purses is one of my favorites.  Stessin begins with acknowledgments and then the introduction which includes a photograph of her and her Beadworld Publishing Team. How To Use This Book is next with an overview of how the projects are set up.  Then a supply list is provided along with in-depth information about beads - their uniformity, color and type; needles, thread, bead graph paper and templates and lightweight supports for beading.  Then "KAPOW!", we are into our first project, The Heart Bag by Lynne Irelan and Nancy Male, a peyote bag with a heart motif.    This project and all that follow include Sections to be read before beginning and Materials used, followed by To begin, which takes you step-by-step through the process.  Each project includes all topics needed to be addressed such as closing the purse bottom and making a strap.  Each project also has a bead placement graph.   I had a difficult time followig some of the graphs because to me they were upside down, that is, you are looking at the purse graph with the purse bottom at the top, however other beaders tell me this works for them.   We beaders are so diverse in how we approach our work that it would be difficult to satisfy us all.  Just turn the book around and view the graph from the opposite direction while working if you find it difficult to follow.  The beads in the graphs are large for easy viewing while working.  Several bead edgings, dangles and and strap designs are included.  I love Project 6, Winged Bag by David Chatt in right angle weave.  David Chatt is an artist with amazing abilities and creativity and one of the leaders of the current beading renaissance.  Chatt rediscovered the technique of using one needle for weaving a specific type of beading technique.  Like many artists, he discovered this application on his own and we appreciate his sharing this technique with us.  He has  shared many of his designs in bead related magazines.  The Winged Bag has a strap that is just delicious and can be used on other purses, stand alone as a necklace and made into earrings and bracelets.  There are seven projects listed but you are actually getting much more than these projects if you use the many the techniques offered.  Project Two is titled Liquid Glass by Wynter-Rayne Matthews, a peyote project using Delica beads; Project Three, Rain Forest Medicine Bag by Yvonne Ringle is a bead netted purse with lots of dangles and a little ribbon, Project Four, The Basket Bag by Carol Wilcox Wells is a sweet little peyote bag with a fiber drawstring strap; Project Five, Golden Elegance by Yoshie Nakashin and Yoko Hiroe is a loomed purse that is all one piece and folds over.  It is a very dressy purse and could have many variations in the dangles and edging.  Project Seven, Damask by Carol Wilcox Wells is a peyote bag made with bone white and pearlized bone white beads making the design subtle and  just hints at being there.  It is embellished with freshwater pearls and gold-filled beads which brings elegance to the final piece.  The first projects appear to be the easiest to make and the last projects more complex.  The Winged Bag is probably the most difficult from a beaders viewpoint, but worth the effort.  If you do not like Chatt's colors, try this bag with an opaque bluegreen for the larger beads on the purse and strap, make the inside colors combinations of blues and greens and add a cream color or other light color to pop out the darker greens and blues.   It would begin to look like a manta ray from the ocean depths.  If your wing spread on the outside droops and you want it to stick out, work a thin piece of wire through the wing span area and attach it with thread.  You could also take wire, wrap it with thread and attach with thread to the purse back on each side to keep the wings from drooping.  Tighter stitching will also make the wings stand out better.  It is a wining design.  You could make front piece and back piece and leave off the wings for a cylindrical bag to hold crystals or other goodies.  There are endless ideas here.  Next is the Glossary; if you are new to beads, every term is explained.  Appendix A is beading techniques, showing you every single technique used in the projects.  This way the basic stitch techniques are nt repeated in every project and the applicable appendix page is listed right on each project page.   Also, if you are not working on a specific project but want to follow the directions for a particular technique, you can easily find it in the appendix. Appendix B is threads, knots and bead graphs.  This appendix offers extensive information on half-hitch, square knots and surgeons knots that can be used in the beading projects.  Beginning and Ending Threads explains how to zig-zag to secure threads and thread movement for flat peyote and tubular peyote stitch, loomed bead weaving, tubular lattice netting and right angle weave using one needle.  Bead Graphs:  How to Use Them explains how to read  a graph for flat peyote - odd count, tubular peyote - even count,  loomed bead weaving, tubular lattice netting and right angle weaving with one needle.  Beaded Amulet Purses Gallery is an eye popping extravaganza of creations by many talented artists.  There are 10 pages of lip smacking beadacious purses, gasp!  Wendy Hubick's Twice in A Blue Moon with twisted dangles are superb; Carol Perrenaoud's The Other Side of the Garden Wall is just too spectacular with a little gremlin hiding inside, Carol Wilcox Wells' Gilded Cage is a wonder with gold Delicas, Jenny Norton's Trust bag has a   lovely old world shape and Judy Miner's Untitled bag with a checked type of design has depth and a three dimensional appearance.  Mary Hicklin's Flying Shaman is an extraordinary work of inspiration with spiky hair and uplifted hands; I absolutely love this bag.  There are many more bags to slather over by  talented artists.  Stessin does not waste a single page, the inside of the back page has a color image of the Miyuki bead sample card and it is very clear and easy to identify colors.  Beaded Amulet Bags is a timeless book full of projects, techniques and inspiration for new creations.