Making gorgeous handcrafted jewelry can be an amazingly simple process that even beginners will quickly master--as long as they have this guide by their side. Written by an experienced artist and teacher, and generously illustrated with attractive how-to photos and drawings, it demonstrates a wealth of easy techniques in superb detail. Twenty dazzling projects--including a twisted wire choker, bangle bracelet, bead pod pin, and mixed metal earrings-- are created by wrapping, stitching, and folding metal, and by making cold connections with basic screws, bolts, pop rivets, eyelets, brads, and nails. Sophisticated photographs of each piece highlight its rich textures and visual complexity. Would-be jewelers will love this--and beaders, memory crafters, and anyone eager to explore metal jewelry will want it, too!

Celebrate the first 10 years of the groundbreaking Quilting Arts magazine with The Best of Quilting Arts, a collection of the best articles, projects, and techniques. Pokey Bolton, founder of Quilting Arts magazine, has compiled the most popular articles that have inspired quilters and artists alike to move beyond the basics of art quilting and re-explore machine and hand stitching, fabric embellishment, surface design, and more. Inside you'll find: • Quilt art techniques from fabric collage and applique to resist dyeing, stamping, and foiling. • Machine-stitching and thread-painting tips and tutorials from award-winning art quilters. • Ideas and advice for the professional quilt artist. • An array of binding and stitching techniques to make your art quilt stand out. • Methods for making realistic representational art quilts, including portraits of pets and people. Whether you're making your first art quilt or are a seasoned quilt artist eager to enhance your designs, you'll find endless instruction and inspiration in The Best of Quilting Arts.

In ancient Japan, beautiful yet functional cords made with the traditional braiding art of kumihimo adorned everything from kimonos to samurai armor to prayer scrolls. In Kumihimo Wire Jewelry, innovative jewelry artist Giovanna Imperia offers a fresh twist on this time-honored technique, adapting it to create stunning wire jewelry. In addition to a concise history of kumihimo and an overview of its essential materials, tools, and techniques, readers will learn the basics of this braiding method, plus how to create 20 striking projects--stylish bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces--all supported with detailed, step-by-step instructions and illustrations. This comprehensive book, which also includes pieces by prominent kumihimo jewelry artists from around the world, will inspire jewelry makers, beaders, and wireworkers at all skill levels to take their craft in a vibrant new direction.

Organic, expressive, and exciting, the projects in this book reflect a truly original artist’s vision. Mixed Metal Mania makes metal jewelry accessible to a brand-new audience. This book starts by teaching the basic techniques and giving helpful tips, and then moves on to simple projects before building into more challenging work requiring new skills learned. Kim St. Jean also includes the stories of inspiration behind each project, adding to the unique appeal of this book. For jewelry designers who crave something distinctive, Mixed Metal Mania is a dream come true.

"Make elegant imaginative jewelry by learning easy ways to join metal that don't require a solder or a torch."--From publisher description.

Discover a thorough reference guide to metalworking tools and techniques with multiple demos, tutorials, cross-references, and supportive skill-building exercises and projects. Helen I. Driggs, senior editor for Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist , brings her down-to-earth approach and strong metalworking knowledge base to this overview of basic and not-so-basic metalworking techniques. The Jewelry Maker's Field Guide walks you through the variety of metalworking tools available and offers guidance on setting up a studio, buying and organizing supplies, and determining what tools to buy and when. Organizing tools by basic functions, Helen offers a solid and logical overview of metalworking techniques and teaches sets of related skills, showing how different tools can sometimes achieve the same end. Each chapter includes stepped demos and applied techniques for using particular tools. The book culminates in projects that combine a variety of techniques and allow the reader to further apply and practice their metalworking skills. Get a solid foundation for understanding the basic (and not so basic) processes of metalwork!

Provides instructions for creating a variety of earrings, bracelets, pins, and necklaces using unusual techniques and diverse materials.