Resin Jewelry Art

While there are loads of book on jewelry making these days, most concentrate on the more popular techniques, such as beading or metal work. This is understandable since the majority of jewelry makers work in those area of the craft. However, many jewelry artists eventually come to a point in their work when they want to branch out into other jewelry methods, other mediums that are more unique. But, unique can also mean they are difficult to find information about. Luckily, we have experienced and talented jewelry artists and writers like Sherri Haab to show us the way.

With her book, The Art of Resin Jewelry: Layering, Casting, and Mixed Media Techniques for Creating Vintage to Contemporary Designs ($19.95 Watson Gulptil), Haab uncovers many of the unique methods used for creating resin jewelry. The approach of this text is aimed at the beginner, but if you've played around with resin, I'm sure you'll still find plenty to learn between its pages because she covers so much in this 128 page book.

Techniques include using resin as a coating; casting with ready-made molds; making your own molds for casting; and combining resin with polymer clay. As she goes through the various techniques, she also shows how to make 20 step-by-step jewelry projects as well, so there are also some fundamentals covered like some basic wire work.

The novice crafter might find a little more than she could handle in this book, but for those who are more experienced and ready to try something really different, resin is a medium to consider. You don't need a torch or a large amount of special equipment. Probably the only issue is the safety factor, and Haab discusses this in some detail.