In my hot little hands I have an advance copy of “Chain and Bead Jewelry — Geometric Connections” by the incredibly talented Scott David Plumlee.
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| David’s third book, published by Watson-Guptill Publications |
I first discovered David Plumlee when I started making jewelry six years ago. Chain maille is one of the jewelry styles I admire, so I fell in love with David’s work. He takes chain maille and adds his own special touch to it, adding beads, mixing metals, and creating his own unique designs.
In this book, David adapts and builds upon the Byzantine weave, a common and (to most) easily learned weave. I’ve made several of his projects in his other books, and this book continues the tradition of plentiful and wonderfully photographed instructions. (I’m partial to photographs rather than drawings of chain maille instructions — to me, they’re easier to follow.)
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| Quatrafoil Earrings from www.davidchain.com |
The projects are gorgeous and rich. This is NOT your basic chain maille book! My favorite section is Plumlee’s “Organic Formations” chapter. Here, he teaches you how to make a Beaded Fish formation (which translates into a set of jewelry), Beaded Byzantine Cross earrings, Beaded Snowflake variations, and a Beaded Butterfly formation (also for a jewelry set).
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| Triangle Keyfob, from www.davidchain.com |
