In today’s video I share with you some of my favorite sources of jewelry making information and design inspiration.
- Making Bead & Wire Jewelry
- Step By Step Wire Jewelry
- Bead Style magazine
- Bead & Button magazine
- The Missing Link
- Bead on a Wire
- Wire Jewelry Masterclass
- Fire Mountain Gems catalog
In addition I do have a jewelry inspiration Pinterest board, but don’t think to check it very often.
Although I’m am always inspired by other people’s work, I try very hard not to make exact copies unless I’m copying to learn. (And then always give credit to the original designer.)
One way to get from a copy to “inspired by” is to make rough drawings of the pieces you like in a sketchbook. It’s likely that when you go to make a piece based on a sketch you will add your own personal spin and it may not resemble the original at all.
I tend to lean towards wire wrapped designs, but there are so many other things you can do: chain mail, steampunk, mixed media, resin, gem cutting & setting, this list goes on.
I highly recommend if you can that you use your local library to see all the different areas of jewelry making you can find and further research the ones that most interest you. If you are in an area that has inter-library loan, you can just sit at your computer and reserve stacks of books on any topic you want. (One of my very favorite activities.) 🙂
Enjoy the video and happy creating!
You can watch the Friday Findings-Jewelry Books and Inspiration video over at YouTube.
I’m so impressed by your resourcefulness! I also prefer hard data research whenever possible, but some days the internet will have to do. 😀