By Sherri Haab. 128 pages. Watson-Guptill Publications.
This wonderful book showcases a wide variety of non-precious materials and techniques in jewelry-making. I love the author Sheri Haab’s ability to create gallery-quality pieces from different materials. The book has clear step by step written and large number of picture instructions. It starts off with a description of each type of findings, tools, stringing materials and glues used. Although the book covers wire wrapping, what sets it apart is the examples of jewelry that uses nonmetal materials. It teaches you how to make jewelry using crochet, shrink art, polymer clay, resin and transfer on leather. Each type of technique has an explanation of the technique and several examples that you can make. The resulting pieces look folksy and retro-hip. The book ends with two pages of templates and a supplier’s list.
Examples of my favorite projects include:
- Stone pendant with wire-wrapped bezel
- Crocheted beaded geamstone necklace
- Vintage photo pendant and earrings using transfer on shrink plastic
- Mica pearl pendants
- Resin filled bottlecap pins and pendants
- Retro pictures transferred on leather bracelet
