101 Wire Earrings: Wait for the “deals”
July 2, 2009
I was really excited when I saw the box from Interweave Press in my mailbox yesterday. It always means a new comp book to review! And the title of this book – 101 Wire Earrings – by Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry editor Denise Peck really caught my interest!
Sorry to say, however, that I’m glad I got a free copy. I would really regret spending $19.95 US on this book.
The intro and basics sections are good…Peck writes well and I liked her style and the advice she gave. I diligently read through the techniques, tools and materials sections with little critique. Good info for someone starting out in wire-working.
Moving into the projects, however made me reach for something to settle my stomach. Nice pictures of the finished product, but nothing but step-by-step instructions to get me there. I’m an experienced wire-worker, and found most of the instructions lacking…photos of what the designer was doing (or even in some cases, a photo of the back or side of the project) would have helped immensely!
In some cases, I can see serious “designer flaw” in the earrings presented. For example, the initially pleasing “Marquis” design (page 35) looks like it would irritate one’s ear lobe…and there are many examples (including the “Marquis” design) that would result in losing the beaded dangle from the ear wire the first time the earrings were worn, or when they were stored.
While I’m not a proponent of WigJigs or jigs of any type (I prefer to use my pliers and practice to get a uniform result), many of the designs could have benefited by using a jig. I showed my husband the Steel Starburst design on page 107 and laughed when he made the same “ewwwww” face that I had made seconds earlier. (They seriously look like they were designed by a 3rd grader….)
On the positive side, I did find a few designs that were inventive, interesting, and gave me inspiration. Plus, each project lists where to get crystals, lampwork beads, etc., to complete the project, which I found very helpful.
Overall, I’d give 101 Wire Earring Designs a C-…for the money, I think you can come up with most of these designs on your own, or wait for it to come up on Amazon.com (used) for a coupleabucks.
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