Bead & Wire Fashion Jewelry: A Collection of Stunning Statement Pieces to Make
By: Jessica Rose
Rating: 5 of 5
I have been making jewelry for a number of years but one technique that I have always been unsure of is working with wire. I have looked for a book that can provide me with a good foundation for learning the skills involved but, until now, I have not found one that works well for me.
“Bead & Wire Fashion Jewelry: A Collection of Stunning Statement Pieces to Make” is a fairly comprehensive guide to beginning to intermediate wire work. It lists the tools needed, shows them visually, and then tells how to use the tools, again showing visually how each step is taken. I learn both by reading and by seeing, so the way this book is set up is perfect for me. I can read each step, see how it is done, confirm that what I am seeing is what I am reading and then proceed to doing each step on my own jewelery.
The author, Jessica Rose, has laid out each step and then builds on those. She shows the tools, the beads, the wires, etc. Once she has stepped you through the process, then she has provided a myriad of projects – all very stylish and some, very sophisticated. The projects include: necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings. There are projects in each category that I am impatient to start; however, I will do the wise thing and start with baby steps and learn the processes one-by-one before jumping into the deep end.
The book is filled with gorgeous color pictures – tools, beads, mood/inspiration shots (where the author tells how she was inspired to each of the projects – wonderful information for those of us who will want to then design their own pieces), and finally, pictures of the beautiful projects – both in finished form and in the step-by-step stages of how to create your own jewelry. The author includes shopping lists of all items needed for the projects and has a list of suppliers (both in the UK and the USA)at the end of the book.
It is a beautiful book and one that I have been waiting and looking for for years. I am really pleased to have found it and recommend it to anyone who wants to learn how to do bead and wire jewelry. I am planning to make Christmas gifts based on this book and I know that the recipients are going to love their hand made and unusual jewelry.
I received a temporary digital copy of this book from the publisher, GMC Publications, via Netgalley. I so enjoyed the book, I purchased it immediately so I can have a paperback version in my library of craft books.
