A Bounty of Bead and Wire Earrings: 50 Fun, Fast Jewelry Projects by Nathalie Mornu is published by Lark Jewelry and Beading ($19.95 US; $23.95 Can), who is also part of Sterling Publishing. As the subtitle suggests, this is packed full of 50 projects, all earrings designs that combine bead and wire in some form.
The Techniques
The first part of the book is entitled "Basics," and it covers materials and techniques. It is a little over 20 pages long, and I think it is comparable to most other jewelry books I have looked at before. The wire techniques include ear hooks and various wire wrapping formations. These are described as well as illustrated with step out photographs. There are also some pages that just show various earring designs from around the world.
The Projects
Obviously, this is a project driven book, and with 50 projects there is really something for everyone's tastes and personal style. There is also a range as far as difficulty. However, even the very new jewelry maker will be able to find plenty of projects to select from. Some personal favorites of mine include "Harmony" designed by Valerie MacCarthy, "Florentine Lace" by Cynthia Deis, and "Pearl Bouquet" by Lisa M. Call.
Some of the projects include step out photographs, and some do not. Those that do not have the extra photos use techniques that are already illustrated in the basics section. Along with photographs, black and white drawings are also used in this section.
Final Thoughts
While most of the projects I really liked as far as the design, one issue I had with this book is that I recognized a number of the projects from other books. Of course, I probably read way more jewelry books than the average jewelry designer, but if it is at all possible to flip through a copy at a book store first or get a peek on-line, then I recommend that for anyone who already regularly collects jewelry books.
On the plus side, there is a huge assortment of designs in here, and because there were 25 different designers who created them, you get a wonderful range of styles. There is really something here for everyone, from traditional to trendy.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
