Friday, February 25, 2011

Book Review Friday - Steel Wire Jewelry by Brenda Schweder

What a week this has been!!  It started with an ice storm on Monday and ended with a blizzard on Friday.  I decided to take today off for a little peace and quiet.  Lou hopped a plane to Florida to golf with the guys today…hence the peace and quiet for me.  And of course we get a huge snow storm that dumps over a foot of snow when he’s gone and of course we still don’t have the snow blower fixed.  But our neighbor was an angel today.  He cleaned the driveway for me with his snow blower.  So I made some jambalaya and barricaded myself in for the weekend.

I get a number of books to review and I don’t have time to do them all.  I do the ones I really like and the ones where I have some experience to give an opinion.  Steel Wire Jewelry: Stylish Designs * Simple Techniques * Artful Inspiration by Brenda Schweder is a book that I really like.


It’s no surprise....I like wire work, I like alternative metals, and with the price of gold and silver these days who doesn't need another option of materials to work with.  This book is fun and inspirational (like the title says).  The 35 projects range from whimsical to sophisticated and include directions for basic jewelry pieces…necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings but also ways to capture focal pieces that can be incorporated into these pieces. Looking through the projects I started thinking about the numerous focal pieces I have sitting in my studio and realized I now have a way to display them that doesn’t involve having to solder a bezel setting or trying to capture them in metal clay.
Below is a necklace from the book.  It shows how a really unique found object focal piece can be captured by steel wire to embellish a spiral steel wire necklace.  I like how Brenda uses spirals in the necklace echo the spiral on the tip of the found object.

I love bracelets, I love this bracelet, and bracelets aren't something I have managed to incorporate into my work with bronze clay yet.  But I can see making bracelets with wire like this and using a variety of items as the focal piece.  I have a number of lampwork beads that would look fantastic and I can start using up my huge stash of beads.  I also like the width of this bracelet.  I usually wear multiple bracelets or something with width. 


Now that I have you salivating for the book....I have a treat.  I have an extra book that I will give away.  Just leave a comment on this blog by next Friday (March 4th) and your name will go into a drawing for the Brenda's book.
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14 comments:

Susan Dilger said...

Thanks for reviewing the book. I'm a BIG FAN of mixed metals too, and also love the bracelet you highlighted. I'd love to have the extra copy of your book. Do I feel lucky???? *** Stay warm in the meantime!

Brenda Schweder said...

Thank you SO much, Gail, for your wonderful review! Your work is beautiful!! I can just see a bid of steel introduced here and there! xoxo! - Brenda

Colleen said...
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Colleen said...

It looks like a great book. Brenda is a female Calder! Her work is very expressive and fun. She is a master of unusual wire techniques! Thanks for the great review Gail!

Mary Newton Designs said...

I'd love to see this book! Wire work is my favorite!

Patricia W. said...

The current price of silver takes much of the *play* out of silver clay; I'm going to bend me some wire!

Reanelle said...

It looks like a great book! Mixed metals and wire wrapping together!

njroll designs said...

Thanks for the review, I'd love to have a copy of this book, it looks inspiring!

Molli Koltun said...

Thank you, Gail for the review! This is one book that I have been wishing for. I love the idea of working with steel wire and new techniques!

Pam R said...

I like the organic natural look of this wire work.

Pam R said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Sounds like a great book. Please enter me in your drawing for a copy. Thanks!

Katie Hanrahan said...

It IS a great book! I own it (of course) and don't need another one (besides, I'm past the deadline). But I want to know... who won it?? Don't keep us in suspense!!!

Gail said...

NJRoll Designs...you won the book. I need your address. You can e-mail me at gaillannum@aol.com

I am hoping you get this message