Beading Heart Designs, Amulet Purses, A Design Guide by Dona Anderson
ISBN 1-892980-00-2, Softbound, 28 pages, $ plus shipping $3.50, Buckaroo Press, 6476 Lori Court, Las Vegas, NM 89103-3241, website http://members.tripod.com/~beadingheart

Dona begins with an introduction and information about the patterns she has included. She even gives you the complete bead count and Delica bead color numbers for each design. She states there is one 2-drop peyote pattern and all other patterns are tubular peyote technique. I looked through all the other patterns and they are 1-drop peyote.

Dona states this is a design book only and no instructions are included. She lists a beading book you can purchase if you do not know how to peyote stitch. I personally would prefer books to include illustrations of the basics stitches that are included in the patterns.

There are 12 bag patterns and each pattern includes a color image of the completed bag, an enlarged color graph of the pattern, a listing of all supplies required with supplier included and a bead count and color numbers for Delica beads. The large color graphs for each bag takes up a page and would be easy to set your ruler on and push it down as you work. The color graphs are much clearer than the finished bag images.

There are several motifs including an angel, butterfly, Celtic design, elephant heart, Queen Neferitti and Elvis images. The faces are finely detailed and will really show up well when you are wearing them.

Dona has some interesting fringing and embellishment that are incorporated into the bags, however, there are no directions or listing as to how many beads of each type included with the bag pattern. Her embellishment on the bags will give you ideas for various ways to highlight your own bags.

Beading Heart Designs, Amulet Purses is a good book for those of you who want to make a variety of amulet bags using Delica beads and have already mastered basic peyote, finishing and embellishment techniques. If you are new to beading, you will need to purchase a book with peyote stitch techniques before you can make any of the patterns in this book.