Customer Reviews

Wire & Bead Celtic Jewelry: 35 Quick and Stylish Projects

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I simply love this book. It shows you how to make links out of wire such as for bracelets or watch bands. Also it has a section which is my favorite near the back of the book. This section has many different Jig patterns. It is great for people like me who bought a really nice jig made out of stainless and all over the place on the internet I see patterns for the wig-jig. I bought this jig out of personal preference. And it is nice to see that I don't have to buy the wig-jig just to get the patterns. I also recommend the book "Making Bead & Wire Jewelry" by Dawn Cusick. She has even more jig patterns at the back of her book.

This book, as well as all of the author's others, is just terrific! She always presents very creative, yet acheivable projects. I enjoy doing my wire work freehand (no jig), and all of her designs make that easy for me to accomplish with stunning results. Ms. Jones also presents a vast array of styles, so her designs can appeal to many different jewelry artists. I have enjoyed every single one of Linda Jones' books, and I hope that she has more coming out very soon!

I first encountered this book through a friend, and at that time made one of the braided wire bracelets. I was taken at once! The directions are clear, the photographs are not only informative, but also quite beautiful works of art in and of themselves, and the range is commendable. While I do not personally have a taste for hearts and flowers, there are a number of widely varied projects and ideas one can glean from these pages to bring a little joy into the life of very nearly anyone with a taste for the Isles! There are however, a number of items that rely upon glue for their structural integrity or finishing, which always makes me rather nervous, but even if this bothers you, there are plenty of others that do not bother with the glue.

Excellent choice for wire jewelry patterns. This book has been very handy and I have really enjoyed creating the prices included, as well as coming up with my own variations on the patterns.

I just started making jewelry and decided to purchase this book. It's just wonderful! The directions are clear and concise, good photography, and fabulous projects! I highly recommend buying it. You won't be sorry.I have another book by Linda Jones and will continue to buy her jewelry making books!They are really excellent books!

I am relatively new to wireworking and found this book to have both simple and more complex ideas, so there is something for everyone. I found some great new things to try and the instructions were clear and easy to follow. It also sparked my own creativity to try some variations once I saw how it was done. DEFINITELY a great book for beginners and more experienced designers alike.

I have always loved celtic design and after buying this book I realized I would be able to easily create jewelry designs to fit that style. I love the photographs, as they are well done and easy to view many aspects of each design. Instructions are easy and simple to follow no matter what level of jewelry designer you are. I am by no means an advanced jewelry maker and designer, so I found this book very helpful and extremely inspirational.

The author, Linda Jones, has purportedly been making wire jewelry for over twelve years. Twelve years of experience implies (at least to me) a level of craftsmanship that is noticeable. Linda's wire work in this book looks like it was thrown together by someone with about a year's experience playing with wire.

I make my living as an artist. Although my focus is not jewelry, jewelry making is sometimes involved (albeit peripherally) to my craft. I have enough experience with wire work to be looking for a book that has really diverse projects in it, or some fresh ideas on something. Not only did Linda's book NOT deliver on anything I'm looking for, I think that it's a waste of money for ANYONE to consider.

Here's why:


1) Many of the designs are made in a wire gauge that is, frankly too thin for whatever item is being made. The item won't hold up to normal wear and tear.

2) Many of her wire ends are cut with the angle left on, rather than being filed off. It's shoddy craftsmanship. It also means she's holding her cutting pliers backwards when cutting.

3) She uses GLUE to secure the ends of some of her projects, and one ring has elements glued together. Glue is generally thought of by pro jewelers to be a total no-no, or a last resort when making jewelry.

4) Many of the designs feature spirals. Ad nauseum. Many of the ways she has configured said spirals are likely to make the designs catch on things unintentionally and totally bend them out of shape.

I gave it two stars (rather than one star) because the photographs describing each item were well done.

A good book on wire jewelry, especially if one owns a jig for working wire. Definitely some inspiring wire designs and fun projects. I did not feel it was very Celtic oriented, however, so I bit disappointed in that respect. I think it should not have "Celtic" in the title.

Another nice book for learning different types of links, etc. Cute projects and great pictures.