Stamped Metal Jewelry: Creative Techniques and Designs for Making Custom Jewelry

I do not follow projects in books but this was a good book for learning the basics. It will stay in my library.

My most recent interest has been metal. I love embossing metal foil and, I suppose, stamping metal was a logical progression. I want to learn some wire wrapping techniques (thanks to a necklace that I fell in love with on a jaunt to Roslyn, Washington last Fall). I am fighting to restrain myself from becoming enamored with jewelry making, but I wanted a book that would teach me a bit about the ins and outs of stamping metal to use in my mixed media work. I happened upon the most excellent website called Beaducation. Lisa Niven Kelly is the owner of the site and I found that she had recently published this little treasure of a book called "Stamped Metal Jewelry". You know I had to have it!This book is exactly what I needed. It comes completed with a nifty instructional DVD. The book covers all of the basics about tools, gauges of metal and metal wire, dapping, riveting, applying patinas, hole punching and drilling, oxidizing, annealing and polishing metals. That's just the beginning! The projects in the book follow a logical progression - an easy introduction to the basics and then moving on to more involved concepts. The book is very well illustrated with clear, concise photographs and written instruction that follows along with the photos. I dislike books that have photo instruction separated from the written instructions - making you flip back and forth to correlate the written instructions with the photographs. This book is really well done in that area. The projects are not only instructive but they are also things that you will enjoy making and wearing. The author does suggest that your first attempts at stamping be done on less expensive metals like copper before moving on to precious metal work. That is good advice because there is, most definitely, a bit of "stamping" curve to learn - since things like pressure, tilt (no!) and hammer weight can all affect the quality of your finished impression.This is one of those ah-ha! kind of books that would be a really good addition to the library of any artistically minded person - because who knows where this path could lead you! I love this book - and Lisa's website is one of the best I have ever been on. No matter what your artistic medium is you should do yourself a favor and check it out !

This is a book for a beginners -- but it's for beginners to stamping, NOT beginners to jewelry making. If you already know the basics of wirework, like how to use jump rings, earwires, chains, crimps and clasps; how to make simple and wrapped loops; and what ga and mm mean, but have never stamped before, you'll get a lot out of this book. Familiarity with hammering would not hurt, either. If that list is Greek to you, you'll want to throw the book at a wall pretty quickly. I am in the group above, so I'm enjoying it. If you're at or above the same level, you probably will, too.Even for me, with my addiction to buying every wirework tool in sight, her list of "essentials" at the beginning is quite intimidating. There's a lot there beginners don't need. I think all that's really necessary to get started, assuming you already have pliers and such, is a steel block, a hammer, some stamps, some blanks, and maybe a hole punch if your blanks are undrilled. If you enjoy it and want to keep going, then maybe you might want to look into the table vise, disk cutter, drills, jeweler's saw, dapping blocks and punches, rivets ... She also doesn't include all the materials you need in the list at the beginning of each project. If you're already comfortable with wirework, you'll probably be able to figure them out. There are several times when she says you can find something at any big craft store, but I know for a fact that neither of the big chains near me carry those items. It'll help if you already know where to look online, because she doesn't give much advice on sourcing. Finally, a lot of the projects, while listing all the physical steps, leave the design up to you. I like that, but some wouldn't.Anyway, I do think it's a good book. It's pretty to look at, the projects are interesting, and the instructions are clear and illustrated. All of the projects on the cover are in the book, and she gives suggestions for altering and personalizing each one. The projects progress in difficulty and I expect to learn a lot as I work through some of them. I'm definitely glad I bought it.

I have just received the book and am a little bummed that the book is not new. I selected a new book before clicking the purchase button but have received a used booklet. It took a bit longer to arrive than 2 similar books ordered the same day. Overall I’m keeping the booklet because it arrived semi-late and I’m not going through with the trouble of resending it back, the pages are unmarked (but in used condition) so it’s ok. Just be warned that it does not ship from Amazon’s warehouse so you may have similar issuesOverall I really like the information in the booklet it’s new information for me to utilize as a beginner. I also like the fact that the booklet has pictures included for you to compare your own ideas or replicate. There is also a materials list for you to obtain before you begin any project so no research is done on your part and you are able to jump right into a project, which is great.

Would have been brilliant except I wasn’t aware that it’s American. Not a massive problem as it’s well written, but all sizes, gauges etc are American and therefore don’t apply here in the UK. I’m going to spent a while converting them.....

Found this to be a great introduction to metal stamping. Nice clear pictures and instructions and lots of ideas. The web-links seem to be more for the american market, but overall would recommend.

This book is just a real inspiration..it is brief and to the point. just add imagination. Very easy to follow, and easy jewellery to make, but looks really classy. Its what is selling now.

Always admired the personalised nature of stamped jewellery. This book and DVD made the process simple and has got me working on personal items for friends and family. Easy to follow instruction and a good how to book.

A great book. A good learning platform for stamped metal jewellery. Would recommend this purchase.