Beautiful Wire Jewelry for Beaders: Creative Wirework Projects for All Levels

Admission time, I bought this book because of the full page advertisement I saw in the May issue of Art Jewelry Magazine. The bracelet featured in the ad is very much my style of wire work, so I bought the entire book for one project.However, Beautiful Wire Jewelry for Beaders by Irina Miech is so much more than one project. The book is set up as so many of these books are. It starts with wire, tools, and supplies and explanations for them. One handy thing in this section is the chart that shows the conversion of wire guage size to inches AND mm. Often when I am buying beads and need to know the hole size that will fit with the wire, the beads are given in mm while the wire is in inches. Then I have to look up the conversion each time. I am thinking I will photocopy the chart and post it on the wall for easy reference.The next section is very basic wireworking techniques needed to know to do any wirework at all. Although they are explained again in the the beginner projects, it is a good reference section for beginners to turn back to without wondering which project they saw the instructions for how to make a basic loop or a spiral.Next the book is divided into Beginner, Intermediate and then Advanced. Each project builds from the previous project. For example, the first project in the Beginner section uses basic loops to construct a necklace and earrings. The second project covers making a necklace and earrings using wrapped loops. By the end of the Beginner section, you could potentially have a full jewelry box AND a set of basic skills that results in beautiful pieces. Although I had all the basic skills down, there are some really cool ideas that I never would have thought of in that section.Intermediate starts out with instructions for 3 different Whimsical Pins and covers a wide range of projects from pendants, to rings, to creating your own findings.And guess what? That bracelet I was so entranced by? It's the 2nd to last project in the Advanced section of the book. Let's just say I skipped ahead and started on the Spiral Cuff first. However, Irina's cuff uses a variety of sizes and materials of beads in her demo cuff and I decided to do my first one in copper (cheap if I screw up!) and used all 4mm swarovski bicones. Honestly, I don't like the look of all bicones. So, I am going to cut the wire used to coil the bicones on and redo it using a variety of stuff laying around.Interestingly, I didn't like some of the advanced projects. It is mostly due to my wire wrapping style and what appeals to me asthetically. I prefer a more organic, loosey goosey look. My first foray into wire wrapping was the more rigid, almost architectural look using square wire, etc. I hated it. I still have that piece, but gave up playing with wire for a long time until I learned not all wire wrapping has to be like that.However, the fact that there are 21 projects in this book and I don't like 2 or 3 of them...is a pretty darn good deal. One of the best features is that immediately following the instructions for each individual piece is a gallery of ideas for other ways to use what you just learned. Many books have a single gallery. This book has a gallery for each and every single project. I think I got as much out of those as the original piece shown.Beautiful Wire Jewelry for Beaders really has something for everyone: from the beginner that has never picked up a pair of chainnose or a wire cutter, to the most seasoned wire worker, this is an excellent book. There are very few wire working books that I personally love. This is one of them and I think you will love it too.

I loved this book as both a fervent beader and someone who's just starting to work with wire. There's a nice incline of projects from beginner to more advanced that's just challenging enough but not so difficult that you end up putting the book on your shelf of "maybe someday I'll learn how to do that."The photos of the projects are very clear with great close-ups, and Ms. Miech gives really excellent directions that aren't too advanced or overwhelming for a newbie. She also includes a very nice list of tools, terms, wire you'll generally need and things like that at the beginning that is very accessible to the general jewelry maker. Nothing intimidating!I was thinking the only problem I had was even the marvelous bead shop I have locally didn't carry the awesome beads I saw in the book and then at the back, reading Ms. Miech's bio, I saw she has her own bead store not two hours from me and just down the road from my brother's house - guess who's going to get a visitor!I highly recommend this book for, as the title says, beaders looking to add wire features to their work. It's very inspirational, even if you don't follow the projects shown to the letter.

Before purchasing this book, I flipped through the available pages for review, and I love this artist's work. The cover is an excellent example of what you'll find inside. Gorgeous, gorgeous! And I love the fact that she has clear sections for beginning, intermediate, and advanced wire work enthusiasts. I definitely plan to purchase other books by this artist. For me, some of the instructions have been a bit unclear and I have found other resources that offer explanations I find easier to understand. Also, an important note, and it's not just about this book but others I have acquired as well. The author does mention in passing that all of the projects are done using round wire unless otherwise stated. What she and at least some others have't done is to emphasize the critical importance of using round wire. I found out because I purchased half round wire and had no idea why my simple bead link necklace would not stay together. Thank goodness I went to a bead show in Tucson, AZ in January and spoke to a representative/artist for Beadalon. He took one look at my necklace and knew why it didn't hold. What a huge difference that made. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had a clue and might have given up wire work altogether. So, yes, I love this book for its timeless inspiration, but if you find that a certain tool or technique doesn't work for you, don't give up. Another resource may be able to clarify what you need to do differently so that you can avoid frustration and pursue jewelry making with enthusiasm.

Irina Meich now turns her attention to wire jewelry after putting out the excellent trio of "Metal Clay for Beaders" books.Most wire jewelry books usually cover just one aspect of wire work such as basic and wrapped loops or maybe its devoted to wire binding.This book is very well thought out. The beginning of the book show some wire baskets she made as a child and she proves herself as a master wire worker.Irina Meich covers a broad spectrum of techniques such as basic and wrapped loops, jump rings, making components. However, she also adds a variety of cabochon wraps and other techniques for stones without holes. There are also wire-shaping techniques in the advanced section.Each project has clearly written step-by-step instructions and photographsalong with a gallery of variations once the technique is mastered.The design are fresh but they are also classic at the same time and won't look dated as jewelry trends come and go.

Libro ben strutturato, con istruzioni comprensibili anche per chi non conosce bene l'inglese.

Excellent book!!!!! Easy to understand. I have never done wire wrapped jewelry in my life she goes through all the tools you will need end even tells you what they all do and why you need them. The pictures help so much and are clear. I would HIGHLY recommend this book for any beginner jewelry maker. Cathy Gifford

J'adore ce livre. Les explications sont très claires, les photos nombreuses, ce qui fait qu'il n'est pas indispensable d'avoir une maîtrise parfaite de l'anglais pour comprendre les textes. De nombreux pas à pas qui sont classés par ordre de difficulté.La cerise sur le gâteau : les modèles expliqués sont très beaux, originaux et source de créativité.Je débute dans le wire et ce livre correspond tout à fait à mes attentes.

This book is without a doubt, stunning. I don't think it really is suitable for complete beginners as even the beginners section is quite advanced, atlhough the instructions are very clear. Each section has lovely pictures, very clear instructions and alternative ideas on the original projects, which are all equally beautiful. This is the first book I have by this author because the others are about metal clay, which I'm not really interested in, so I hope she writes some more along this line. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to someone with a bit of experience of jewellery making and I for one cannot wait to make the items in it.

Excellent book with easy to understand instructions.great book .