Lacy Wire Jewelry by Melody MacDuffee uses a simple technique to create lacy filigrees using wire for jewelry.
If you're a fan of intricate jewelry with a lacy, feminine look, this book is wonderful. Some of the projects require precision, some are more free-form. All of them can be done easily with a minimum of tools. If you already work with wire, you probably have the tools needed.
The first chapter starts with the basics of the technique, building the lace on handmade wire frames using beads as embellishment to create jewelry. The final pair of earrings in this chapter are a classic shape for chandelier earrings using handmade filigree and beads to make the look truly unique and your own.
The next chapter is Inset Bezels. Building on the skills from the first chapter, you'll learn to make bezels, again, using handmade wire frames from a heavy gauge of wire, and building the lace off of those frames to create bezels for stones.
The next chapter, Wrap Around Bezels is bezels made to fit an irregular shape, using a fossil and a shell as examples. Beaded Bezels creates bead embellished bezels. Twisted wire adds twists to the technique to create sprays of beads, and Sculpted Wire creates pretty open shapes.
Then you get to the Curlicue Lace, which is where free-forming starts. Loops and swirls create lovely delicate looks.
The last chapter, Combination Project combines all the techniques from the previous projects to create very ornate but still wearable jewelry.
The basic technique section of this book is at the end, the steps are very well photographed in different stages so you can see easily how the lace builds and how to make the frames and chains. The technique is just wonderful. After you learn the basics, it's almost like wire-doodling. A nice project for quiet evenings watching television, it's inspiring and relaxing.


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