Customer Reviews

Bead & Wire Art Jewelry: Techniques & Designs for all Skill Levels

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a wire artist and instructer.I enjoy designing my own patterns and refreshing old ones. I was needing new insperation when I found this book. It really is great for the advanced and beginner. If a beginner starts at easy patterns and works their way up, by the end of the book they will be accomplished wire workers.This is one of the better wire working books I have run across.The directions could be a little more detailed. I will recommend this book to my students.

If you like books that give you nice step-by-step illustrated instructions that clearly make it easy to follow then this book is not for you. I am an experienced jewelry designer with wirework being my favorite medium. I was terribly disappointed in this book because the instructions are very vague and leave you trying to figure out what you are supposed to do. There is not one real picture to help guide you. There are some drawings but they don't even look like the finished piece.

The projects are nice but the instructions should be more detailed. You definately better practice a few times with cheap wire before you attempt it in silver. You're left hanging and forced to visualize what each step is supposed to look like. The layout is nice and the tutorials at the beginning are great. I use a lot of books to inspire me but I also like learning step-by-step so I give this book 3 stars for wishy-washy instructions and 5 stars for great projects.

I put this book on my Christmas wish list, and was very happy to find it under the tree. My excitement soon faded when I saw how lacking in basic instruction it is. The coverage of the basics is okay, and there are some nice looking projects, but, while some of the simpler elements are explained (though not well), the reader is left to figure out other major elements on their own. Drawings are poor and don't relate well to the actual piece -- as if graphic interest was more important than accurately detailing what the element should look like. I found the "WOTWS (Working Off The Wire Supply)" abbreviation used on many of the projects to be silly and slightly annoying. In every case, there was plenty of room to spell out those five words, and if I don't pick this book up for a month or two, I've got to go hunting again (page 12) for the meaning of the acronym. I would recommend Sharilyn Miller's "Bead on a Wire" over this one.

I borrowed this book along with several others from the public library and this is the one I decided to buy. The first three reviews don't make any sense to me and I agree with Simone/Simona that it is a wonderful book. I am new to wire and bead jewelry and so the first thing I did was to learn some of the wire techniques in the front of the book. The projects all refer back to these techniques, and the beautiful and clear photos make it easier yet. I like making wire chains and this is giving me lots of practice and is making me feel like I could "master" this craft. I hope the author does a "next" book, I love the variety of designs and am challenged to improve my skills in order to be able to do any of them. Every time I page through it I find new ideas to try. I recommend this book to beginners and anyone who wants ideas.

I've been working with wire a couple of years, but can always find new ways of working with wire. They have some traditional wire skills along with new ideas. I found the instructions easy to follow. I even reviewed some of the traditional designs made for a beginner and used them in teaching a beginners class. Worked like a charm. I highly recommend this book for all levels of wire wire except maybe the most advanced. Most all designs were new and not published elsewhere.

I love this book! I'm a complete beginner to wire working. I have done a little peyote stitching with beads and some basic bead stringing and I'm very happy with the bead stringing techniques in this book, the method that uses bullion is much classier than crimping the ends. I'm inspired to get some really nice pearls and make a "keeper"! I also love the way that peyote-stitched bead pieces are combined with wire working.

As for wireworking, the diagrams at the front of the book were easy to follow, and I got started by making a few of the shapes there. I like that they are presented as diagrams and not photographs since I've had a hard time trying to follow photographed instructions in other books. Diagrams seem clearer to me. And having got familiar with the basic wire worked pieces, it was easy to see how they are used in the projects. Best thing is that I don't have to go out and buy all the parts, I can make them instead. Some of the clasp ideas are beautiful. I also like that the book is divided into three skill levels.

I love the quality and range of the designs and find them more inspiring than what I've seen in other books. Every time I page through it I find another new idea to try. This book will be at my jewelry desk for a long time. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the subject matter, and to those who need some ideas of things to make. I'm inspired!

I agree with the previous reviewer. I am a beginner and I really want to do the projects in this book, but the instructions are crummy; there are some procedures for which you need photos and others need clearer written instructions. Step by step photos would probably earn the book five stars. If you are experienced then you could probably do the projects. You might be able to find better instructions for some of the basic procedures in another book and then, after you've become an intermediate wire worker then you can use this one. It really does have some nice looking projects--way nicer ones than those in Linda Jones' book, I think.

There are a lot a wire jewelry-making books that have been written lately so wire jewelry is hot. At the time of this writing (April 2006)a Wire Jewelry Fest is being planned in Wilmington, DE just a few blocks from where I live and work.

This is not a bad book but this shouldn't be the first or second book on wire jewelry to be purchased. The author skims over a lot of jewelry-making techniques and the illustrations are not of the detail and quality I've seen in other Krause publications. (Take a look at Easy Beaded Jewelry and the Art & Soul of Glass Beads). The techniques are wire loops, coils, jump rings, stringing,knotting, loom and off loom seed beading, and wire-wrapping. The emphasis should have been on wire wrapping which is usually half-round wire wrapped around dead soft square wire. At least 10 of the projects incorporate this methed of wire work instead of wire looping and linking. More ink should have beed devoted to wire wrapping, wire sculpture and maybe even cabachon wrapping.

The book is divided into three sections, beginner, intermediate and advanced. Each section ends with a gallery of earring projects.

The beginner section consists mainly of wire linking and a nice selection of handmade chains. This is what most are familiar with.

The intermediate section introduces the wire wrapping projects.

The advanced sections has even more wire wrapping with a filagree butterly project, some seed bead projects incorporation wire and ends with a wonderful wire sculpted heart pendant.

I have some experience in wrapping stones so I can do most projects in this book. But there are some books that teach techniques in detail such as Bead on a Wire, Getting Started Making Wire Jewelry and the Basis of Bead Stringing.

Very good book for wire work! The instructions are pretty easy to understand and the pictures are very helpful. The jewelry in the book is beautiful!

I am fairly new to wire work and I was able to do one of the advanced pieces in about an hour.

Opening this book is like opening a treasure chest full of exquisite jewelry. I found it difficult to choose a favorite piece to try. As in her previous books, this talented creative artist and author generously shares her unique design ideas in the beautiful full color pages. With the instructions in the beginning of the book there is an abundance of wonderful projects included.

Following the easy step by step instructions, I was able to make myself a gorgeous bracelet right away. Whether you're a beginner like me or a seasoned jewelry crafter, I highly recommend "Bead and Wire Art Jewelry".