Here is a book that I can whole-heartedly recommend to beginners who want to make great looking jewelry, and want it FAST!
Chain Style
by Jane Dickerson
There’s nothing like adding chain to your design, or even designing an entire piece around chain, to make the design work up quickly. Chain is an excellent material for both beginners and those with advanced skills, because the complexity of your projects is only limited by experience and imagination.
The techniques and materials section is minimal but sufficient.  Largely this is because the projects are all so accessible.  There are 50 designs to inspire you, many …read more

Technique Tuesday!
Back in the beginning of September, Mike and I went away for a long weekend with our friends Beth and Dan.  Both couples were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversaries, so we thought it might be a hoot to take a joint vacation.  The only thing was, Beth and Dan’s daughter was getting married the very next weekend!  So to assuage our guilt over not being around to help that weekend, we found a pretty rock on the beach (in Maine), and I wire wrapped it for Beth to wear to the wedding!

See, we were working on the details after …read more

Tara P, lucky number 50, is the winner of the new book  101 Wire Earrings!  Tara wrote:
Ooh!  I am a beginner and would love to learn more about wire-working and earrings are perfect chances to practice!

Oh good!  Another beautiful wire jewelry book to review and give away to a lucky reader!

Denise Peck is the editor of Step by Step Wire Jewelry magazine, and she has written 101 Wire Earrings, Step-by-Step Projects and Techniques.  The first part of the books covers the basics of wire, the tools, and all the techniques you’ll need to make all of the projects in the book.  This section is excellent, with clear photos and well-written instructions.
The main part of the book is devoted to the projects.  Each of the 101 earring designs has a photo, a list of all tools …read more

Iron Wire Jewelry
Author: Brenda Schweder
Entry deadline: April 27, 2009
If you’re a talented, skilled jewelry designer working with iron, Lark Books needs you! We’re seeking high-quality images for the gallery section of Iron Wire Jewelry, to be released in Fall 2010.

Send us pictures of your best earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, or other creative jewelry showcasing your original designs and amazing skills. If you incorporate other materials like beads or resin, that’s great too, but make sure iron is the most prominent. Submission to the book is free.
Download entry form here.

Getting Started with Wirework
A nice basic article with good overall information
Wonderful Wire Jewelry Projects
Lots of projects with lots of pictures to get you started by Tammy Powley. Also links to Tammy’s informative articles on types of wire.
WigJig University
Supplies and instructions for making jewelry with beads and wire
Fire Mountain Gems
All types of wire, both precious and base
Rings & Things
Argentium Sterling Silver. Learn about Argentium Sterling Silver at The Artful Crafter’s blog.
Rio Grande
You’ll need to set up an account to browse the site
Creative Wire Jewelry Forum
A place to hang out, talk, and learn about…what else?…wire!

Artist: Leah Hitchcock-Ybarra
Business name: Michon
Location: Berkeley, CA
Website & Blogs:
Michon Designs
Michon Design blog
LeahMichon on myspace
365 Pendants
Michon on Etsy

How do you describe your work, Leah?
My work is very freeform and has often been described as “organic”. I love pearls and flowing designs that have a natural looking assymetry. I would say my signature style is freeform pendants made from silver and pearls, but I also like to experiment with different materials and techniques. Besides pearls, I use a variety of semiprecious stones in my work, and I have a line of resin pendants with found objects embedded in them, as well …read more

Technique Tuesday!

Often times, the jewelry pieces that I admire most are the ones that use the artist’s own handmade beads. Nothing else will ever be exactly like that piece.
If you want to make true one-of-a-kinds, you should probably think about learning to make your own beads and findings. We’ll just cover the beads today. Here’s a list of links to sites that cover lampworking, clay, paper, wire, and much more!

Lampworking ~ the allure of the flame
Schermobeads
An excellently photographed introduction to the steps involved in making lampworked beads.

Frequently Asked Questions
All kinds of information about hot glass.
Making Glass Beads by Cindy Jenkins
Beads …read more