Jewelry from Found Objects (Paperback)

Spring 12

This is a very nice looking book that may appeal to people who like offbeat wearable art or who enjoy the challenge of turning improbably items into jewellery. It is not about beadwork and very few of the items pictured use beadwork techniques. The author has lived and worked in the UK and the US, and the works pictured are from an international range of artists. The introduction and first chapter set out Ms Skowood's strong ethics on reducing, reusing and recycling, and throughout the book the reader is encouraged to open up their thinking about the kinds of items that could potentially be used to make jewellery. By the way, 'found objects' does include things you 'find' in shops, car boot sales, markets and so on, not just stuff you find lying on the ground. The photographs are of a high standard and serve as inspiration - the book does not include projects where you get a set of instructions that let you recreate the pictured item. The only 'how to' section shows the techniques for joining metal without soldering or welding. I tend to bring home all sorts of 'treasures' when I go for walks and am now even more keen to look out for unusual items that I can incorporate into my beadwork.