Steel Wire Jewelry: Stylish Designs * Simple Techniques * Artful Inspiration

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD. First of all, there is a wonderful foreword in this book. Keith Lo Blue pulled me into this exciting book by Brenda Sue Schweder. I too, along with my husband, are hardware store junkies. Nothing beats an afternoon spent exploring the shelves, spying an unusual tool or roll of wire, and walking out with our purchases and a Cheshire Cat grin. As shown in the photographs in the book, steel wire for jewelry is beginning to have a univeral appeal. One can fabricate it, pierce it, solder it, burnish it, paint it, and combine it with a multitude of other materials. I recall that many years ago, I even knitted with 30 gauge steel wire, shades of Mary Lee Hu and Arlene Fisch. Steel wire has a mind of its own with it myriad twists and turns, but once you begin to coax it along, you can become its master. "Steel Wire Jewelry" has an interesting section on the history of steel and its journey and application in today's world. Think crinoline hoop skirts, barbed wire fences, telephone and telegraph lines, nails, etc. And then along came steel reinforced houses and high-rises, cars, boats, trains, and airplanes. We are surrounded. This book has an excellent section on basic tools required when working with steel. We have ten already built into our hands. Rawhide and plastic mallets can be used to fabricate the metal. Heavy flush cutters have a cutting edge advantage. Pliers and mandrels are pointed out as a necessary requirement. And, as a final touch, one is led down the path of finishing with wax to preserve this once over-looked treasure. The project section of "Steel Wire Jewelry" is very well documented. The photographs are very revealing and the step-by-stop instructions leave nothing to chance. As the book points out, once you learn the basics and the wire's temperament, you can produce jump rings, geometric shapes, etc. Then partner it with gemstones or found objects, and you have made a powerful statement. This book is an adventure in creativity at its very best. Forget the rising cost of gold and silver. Go for "Steel Wire Jewelry."