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African Beads: Jewels of a Continent by Evelyn Simke and Carl Dreibelbis
Authors Introduction by Lois Sherr Dubin (author of The History of Beads, from 100,000 BC to the Present) Africa Direct, 2010 (publisher) 216 pages, 11x10 format, hardcover $69.95
This book's a jewel African Beads: Jewels of a Continent is a real treasure. While a number of books explore the history and beauty of beads traded in Africa, most focus on beads made in Europe and carried to Africa by traders. This book instead devotes its attention exclusively to beads made in Africa, from the earliest shell beads to today's metal and recycled glass beauties. Written by two long-time and highly respected bead enthusiasts and collectors, and published by a company committed to buying and selling an outstanding selection of African-made and African-traded European beads and African artifacts, the book is organized by material -- bone and shell, wood and amber, stone, metal, and glass. Each section contains historical information, methods of construction, and cultural information where known. A major highlight of the book is the hundreds of outstanding close-up photos of the beads. In most cases, a photo features one type of bead, bigger than life and definitely lust-inducing. In some instances, I would have found it useful to see the beads in context -- what other beads were/are they usually used with? How are they worn? Happily, unlike in some otherwise excellent bead study books, the photo captions are specific and informative. This book covers a huge number of beads and necessarily can't tell as much as we would like to know about every one. But without a doubt, the book is the definitive tome on African-made beads -- so far. I enthusiastically recommend it.
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Enchanted Adornments: Creating Mixed-Media Jewelry with Metal Clay, Wire, Resin & More by Cynthia Thornton, Interweave Press, Loveland, CO
November 2009 – $24.95 ISBN 978-1-59668-157-6
Many of you will recognize the company name of Green Girl Studios and have bought the fantastic cast pewter pieces from them at many shows. Cynthia Thornton, the original Green Girl, started the business more than 10 years ago. I have not known her for quite that long but have always admired her designs. These days you usually see her Husband Greg at the shows while she stays home with the kids. People have been telling her for almost that long that she should write a book using her designs. The book has finally arrived. It is filled with Cynthia’s art, projects, stories and much more. You have never seen a design and inspiration book like this one. You feel like you have opened Cynthia’s design journal and are peaking into her creative mind. There is not a plain white background on any of the pages; instead they are filled with watercolors, shapes and drawings.
Anyone who thinks they might like to try mixed media jewelry can’t help but be inspired by this book. It starts with a techniques section and then moves on to step by step directions and illustrations for 20 designs. Also included are insights into Cynthia’s design process for giving each project its own magic.
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Encyclopedia of Contemporary Jewelry Making Techniques: A comprehensive Guide for Jewelers and Metalsmiths
by Vannetta Seecharran
Interweave Press, Loveland, CO – September 2009 - $25.95
ISBN 978-1-59668-146-2
Just as its name implies this book really is an Encyclopedia that covers just about any technique used to make jewelry except seed bead weaving. If you were ever thinking about branching out from stringing or bead weaving, this is the book for you.
For metal and wire it talks about cutting, piercing, filing, annealing, soldering, polishing, links, wrapping, riveting and shaping. For plastic and rubber you learn about basic properties of the material plus overlay and inlay, laminating, heat forming, screen printing, dying and cutting. From there you move on to fabric, fibers and leather and the various ways to manipulate them. Paper and paper pulp come next with paper making and casting.
The book finishes with a few other materials and general casting and decorating effects.
The first chapter is a helpful introduction offering guidance on essential tools and inspirational advice for self-designed projects. Each chapter includes and introduction to the properties and possibilities of each material and an examination of the possible techniques that can be used. This is a great book to spark your creative energies and let you know what is involved in using each of the mentioned items.
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Chain Style: 50 Contemporary Jewelry Designs
by Jan Dickerson
Interweave Press, Loveland, CO – September 2009 - $19.95
ISBN 978-1-59668-150-7
Do you have that great piece of chain in your stash that you could not pass up on your last trip to the bead store, but don’t know quite what to do with it? This book will give you great ideas and get your creative juices flowing.
The introductory chapter starts with photos and an explanation of the types of chain generally available, the tools used to work with chain and basic wire wrapping techniques to connect the chain pieces and attach beads and findings. It continues with 50 projects made out of a combination of different types of chain, findings and beads. You can make the projects as shown or combine the techniques shown into your own creations.
Jane Dickerson is the managing editor of Step By Step Beads and contributing editor to Step by Step Wire Jewelry.
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Contemporary Copper Jewelry: Step by Step Techniques and Projects by Sharilyn Miller
Interweave Press, Loveland, CO
September 2009 $22.95
ISBN 978-1-59668-143-9
The title of this book tells you that you will be working with copper. But do not stop there as the techniques will work with silver or other wire as well or be bold and combine the different types of wire. The techniques are all very well documented and photographed and cover coils, cold joins, wire wrapping, ear wires, charms, polishing and apply patina and much, much more. This is a great book for basic techniques and how to combine those basic wire principles so that they do NOT look basic at all.
There are 17 projects, by some of the top jewelry designers and wirework artists in the field, to get your creative juices flowing. Along with money saving tips for using your stash and other "finds" in your jewelry designs. If you are into wirework this is a good book to add to your library.
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simply needlefelt: 20 easy and elegant designs by Jayne Emerson
Interweave Press, Loveland, CO
April 2009 - $24.95
ISBN 978-1-59688-1088
Jayne Emerson has branched out from her previous book, Simply Felt, to needle felting in this new book. She has a marvelous eye for color and form and walks you through the process of needle felting both by hand and machine to produce textiles to wear or decorate your home. She does not just use wool to do her felting, but incorporates fabric and yarn into her creations.
Unlike regular felting with wool, needle felting is done without water using a barbed needle and several other tools and it is no where near as messy as wet felting. The book begins with an introduction to the tools, materials and basic methods. You could get a sewing machine that is set up with multiple needles to do your felting, but you can also do the work by hand with just a single needle and a base to felt on.
There are 20 projects in the book including fiber jewelry, coasters, pillow covers, scarves, sweaters, blankets, bags and more. You will not believe what can be decorated using hand felting techniques and how easy it is.
This is a good reference book for anyone wanting to try needle felting or anyone who has tried it but wants to branch out from just using wool.
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Wire Style - 50 Unique Jewelry Deigns by Denise Peck
Interweave Press, Loveland, CO
September 2008 - $19.95
This book, from the editor of Step by Step Wire Jewelry, is a collection of fifty designs from top wire artists highlighting the versatility of wire. It starts out really great by giving you information on wire styles and shapes and how to measure them using a wire gauge. It goes on telling about all the different tools used in working with wire and what their uses are. It covers pliers, hammering and finishing tools along with techniques for using all of the tools. Different styles of loops, coils and spirals, jump rings, hooks, and ear wires are all detailed with large, clear photos. All of this is on the first 25 pages and is actually the best part of the book.
The project section does have interesting projects and large full page photos of each project, but the instructions leave something to be desired. All of the instructions refer you back to the front "basics" section of the book, which by itself would not be a problem except that there are no other diagrams for any of the projects. Many of them could use just one or maybe two diagrams to clarify a step in the instructions. I can see a beginner being very confused and disappointed by the projects in this book, even though the information in the first section is invaluable to all levels of wire workers. There are both fun and fast projects that take very little time and more complicated ones that will challenge you.
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Crochet Jewelry: 40 Beautiful and Unique Designs by Waejong Kim and Anna Pulvermakher.
Interweave Press, Loveland, CO
October 2007 - $24.95
If you like to crochet and you like to wear jewelry this is the book for you! It starts out by going over the basic stitches and stitch and shaping techniques and continues with tools and equipment needed as well and findings and notions you can use to finish the projects. Even if you did not know how to crochet before you started reading this book, you will when you are finished and have some great jewelry to wear as a bonus. Necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, pins, eyeglass holders and more are covered in the book using yarn, thread and wire. The best part is that you do not have to be an expert to make this jewelry.
Crochet has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years along with knitting and other needle arts, but is not just for fiber artists anymore. Whether beaders want jewelry using wire or to incorporate fiber into their work they will find designs that result in attractive jewelry. There are even a few designs that incorporate felting, another hot fiber trend that is crossing over into beading designs.
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How We Felt: Designs & Techniques from Contemporary Felt Artists by Carol Huber Cypher.
Interweave Press, Loveland, CO
October 2007Carol Huber Cypher has brought together felting projects from 20 fiber artists for this book. A long time fiber artist herself, Carol has also included information about each artist and their inspiration for each project. Projects include hats, vessels, necklaces, boots, bags, dresses, scarves and much more along with a list of sources and artist contacts. One of the unusual, fun techniques described in the book is felting over a ball or balloon to create hats or vessels.
While there is a section on basic felting techniques, I would not recommend this book for beginning felters. It is, however, great for inspiration for anyone with at least a little felting experience and will get your creative juices running with the gorgeous photos of the projects and the gallery section that features less utilitarian pieces to inspire and delight.
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