Sherri Haab Jewelry Inspirations: Techniques and Designs from the Artist's Studio

I haven't made much jewelry but my partner and mom both do complex jewelry and other craft work, so I'm not intimidated by figuring out how to do things. The trouble is getting inspired with exactly what to create that will have my own personal touch to it, not be needlessly complicated and time-consuming (I have about 3-4 hours of patience for a project before it stops being fun), and be wearable and not too bulky. I didn't like everything in this book by a long shot, but there are a lot of neat "I hadn't thought of that!" ideas in here that made me want to try some new tricks with supplies I have and even work with a few new types of media, like ITS paper. The instructions gave an idea of what to expect while doing the project, but didn't walk you through every last little detail, which is fine, because usually these types of book give so much detail that honestly? I scan and don't read it all anyway. This book preserved the fun of figuring it out on your own while giving enough guidance so that you don't go wildly off track, and the projects themselves seem somewhat time-consuming but still very do-able and fun. If you're comfortable experimenting on your own, or already know a few jewelry techniques (basic ones), then this book's spirit of re-use, creativity and artistic exploration will be a pleasure for you to page through and do projects from. The photos are gorgeous and the artist's spirit of fun are shown in the ideas and finished projects.

As a long time crafter who enjoys knitting, crochet, spinning, sewing, bead and wirework, and many other, similar hobbies, I have seen more than my fair share of craft books, and I'd come to believe that all of them were pretty much the same. The same projects, the same techniques -- if you own one, you own them all. But this book is different. Sherri Haab has put together a book that's truly inventive and original, teaching a wide array of techniques with interesting, quirky projects. The focus of the book is on giving the reader the tools to make their own visions come to life, not on duplicating what they see on the page. Stripping away the extra projects to be copied gives much more room in the book for teaching new techniques, and Haab uses that space well. There's the usual beading and wire stuff here, but she also shows you how to do things like drill holes in sea glass, trace custom silhouettes, use real items like acorns to make molds for polymer clay, make pendants from resin using custom molds, etch copper, and so much more. For any crafter who feels their creative world has been restricted, this book will open doors. The projects in the book all have a quirky, vintage feel to them, but because so much focus is placed on individual creativity, it would be easy to adapt the techniques to more conservative (or flamboyant!) styles. So even if you're like me and have decided that one craft book is the same as another, take the plunge on this one. You'll be informed and inspired.

I've been doing basic jewelry design for a few years now and I've read several magazines and ordered a few books. This book seemed very different from any I've had yet. It gave me a lot of inspiration. This book is less about the projects themselves as about showing someone like me a few new tricks - and not so much tricks with basic techniques, no, you'd do better to look for those in a beading magazine or beginning book - this is more about well, I'd call it 'found art' with creative design in jewelry. For instance, there's one cute project where one can take buttons and make pretty charms and centerpieces with them. I found myself continually thinking "I never thought about that." "That's a neat idea!" If you've never thought about taking polymer clay and making beads yourself, or metal clays, this is definitely a book you might want to look at. It's loaded with pictures that are easy to follow. If you are comfortably into wire wrapping, you might want to check out the wire weave bracelet design. It's gorgeous!

I am trying to come up with ideas for making jewelry and this book has many different projects that you can make and personalize to your own likes and styles. It's a great book for learning some basics and just getting the ideas flowing. I am a beginner when it comes to making jewelry and this book is made just for someone like me. The author includes all supplies needed and enough detail to accomplish the projects. I think this book could be appreciated by anyone, however, because it has such a range of unique projects that it could spark new ideas.