Book Review: Totally Twisted

By Sandy Amazeen Feb 23, 2010, 2:57 GMT

This fresh approach to design shows jewelry artists the secret to combining sterling silver wire with colored wire and glass beads to produce high-end looks. Tips and tricks for making easier, more successful wirework accompany the 20 designs for earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. Techniques for coiling and wire wrapping are included along with how-to\'s for making clasps and wire components. Along with suggestions for exploring color in jewelry creation, the manual also ...more

The plethora of beautiful handmade glass beads on the market challenges artists to use them to best advantage. Toward this end, Kerry Bogert has compiled twenty-five jewelry designs that combine the creative possibilities of colored wire with the art glass of eight beadmakers. These straightforward, contemporary feeling designs are simple enough for the beginning wireworker to tackle thanks to a thorough introduction to materials and techniques. After covering working with color, wire gauges, tools of the trade, making spirals, eye pins, ear wires and a collection of closures readers are ready to move on to the designs.

Hone your skills on “Bang Gals,” bright, colorful bead and coiled wire bracelets or “Fantasticness”, an S-hook chain bracelet with a wirework toggle closure. “Cagey” earrings combine art glass, wire coils and a loose spiral to create an airy, artsy feel. The clear instructions and excellent photography make recreating these designs a snap and provide a nice introduction to wirework and how to combine it with other design elements. This collection is best suited to beginning wireworkers as more experienced jewelers have already mastered the basic skills used here.