Making Mixed Media Art Charms & Jewelry

If there’s a jewelry trend that’s hot, it’s making and wearing art charms. These tiny works of art have captured the hearts of crafters everywhere. That’s why Making Mixed Media Art Charms & Jewelry is sure to be a highly prized handbook. It gives art charm fans a quick, easy way to express their creative streak. The possibilities for creating fun, personalized pieces are limited only to one’s interests and imagination. These mini-masterpieces are ideal to wear, swap, or share! Nine techniques are clearly explained, including working with resin, fiber, found objects, glass, metal, and more!

•Art charms can be completed in just one sitting—ideal for those short on time

•An irresistible combination of jewelry and crafting

•Appeals to a broad audience

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Author: Peggy Krzyzewski and Christine Hansen
Softcover; 8 1/4 x 9 1/4; 96 pages; 350 color photos; ISBN: 9780871164018

Two of the leading ladies in the art charm community, Peggy Krzyzewski and Christine Hansen, have teamed up to share their inside information and inspirational style. Peggy Krzyzewski has more than 20 years of experience teaching and selling art. Christine Hansen is a freelance nonfiction writer who teaches at Shipwreck Beads and makes her own line of lampworked beads. They are both active art charm makers and swappers.

Introduction

CHARM SCHOOL 8
Materials
Basic Tool Kit
Basic Techniques

PAPER 18
Mixed-Media Paper
Collage Charms
Mini Lotus Book
My Lucky Shooting Stars

FOUND OBJECTS 26
Bells, Not Bullets
Acey Deucey Dicey
Found, Fixtured, and Funky

POLYMER CLAY 32
Op-Art Bicones
Celtic Magic
Fortune Cookies

PLASTIC 38
Friendly Plastic Falling Leaves
Sweet Little Shrink Plastic
Totally Tubular

WOOD 44
Collage on Wood Bead
Snazzy Scrabble Tile
Carpenter's Rule

FIBER 50
Sputnik
Fabric Inchies
Amulet Bag

RESIN 56
Found Flowers Bouquet
Resin in Bezels
Shout BINGO!

METAL 62
Pressed Penny Souvenir
Sliders and Swirls
A Fine Impression

GLASS 68
Basics of Working with Glass
Microscope Slide Showcase
Mini-Treasure Bottles
Meet Me in Paris

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 76
Old Skool Charm Bracelets
Memory Wire Bracelet
Art Charm Earrings
Princess Necklace
Wine Glass Charms
Y Lariat Necklace
Mixed-Media Cluster Pendant

SWAPS AND MORE 90
Who are we and what do we know?
Sources & Acknowledgments

Peggy Krzyzewski and Christine Hansen define an art charm as “a tiny handmade work of art with a jump ring on it for attaching to something.” Art charms, by definition of a charm, are small, up to a max of 4 inches (on a charm necklace, for example). I am always amazed at art charms, and how people can look at something and “see” how they would use it in an art form, when all I see is “stuff.” But Peggy and Christine, in the 36 projects in this book, gave me plenty of examples on how to see beyond a miscellaneous collection to put things together into a project.
I love the idea of themed jewelry, when it’s still quality and creative. Art charms will give me that exact result. I was amazed at all the different types of objects in this book. They have sections for paper, polymer clay, plastic, wood, fiber, resin, metal, glass and found objects. Then, there is 1 more section called “Putting it All Together” that shows different ways to create jewelry to show off your new creations. You can tell that the authors have put a great deal of time and thought into the creation of these projects and the “how-to” details.
I was amazed at not only the detail with which the authors talk about making charms, but also the true love and enjoyment they have for art charms. They talk about charm swaps, and Amber Dawn Goldish, described by the authors as “the reigning Queen Diva of art charm swaps (she once hosted a swap with over 2000 participants). I had no idea that there are swap groups depending on your skill and expertise, and they recommend contacting someone and exchanging a swap one-on-one, so you can get some feedback. (There are various art charm swap groups on yahoo).
Well, I did go through the book, of course, and found some great how-tos even for media I really have no interest in learning, such as polymer clay. There are some really cool black and white clay beads, in odd shapes. My very favorite project uses aquarium tubing to create what could be really stunning beads/pendants! (no I’m not telling their secret, you’ll have to get the book). The wood and fiber section had some cool projects, but the resin section drew me in. I’ve made resin beads once and really want to figure out how to create more artistic designs. One of my favorites is a play on steampunk, using old watch faces as the resin mold. The glass section was one I read a little closer, because that is something else I want to try. My favorite design in the last section is one called a Princess Necklace. I like this because it truly highlights and sets out each charm in its own showcase, instead of a charm bracelet where they can get lost in the mix.
I generally don’t think of working in small media and especially not using shrink dink plastic! But not only do the authors have some really tempting projects in this book, but they also taught me a great deal about the level of detail, planning and thought that goes into each miniature art work piece. I have a new found appreciation for this art form and for what swappers go through when they participate in a swap.
Learn a new art form, be creative on a small level, or just expand your thinking to include more “treasures” with this Art Charms & Jewelry. There are countless number of projects you could do with a group of girls, so they make charms that they trade and create their own charm bracelet, starting with very artistic, personal mementos instead of a stamped pewter charm. This will definitely be an addition to my small book resource "library."
-S & T Creations, Teri Baskett

Favorite quote from the book (on creating a "Bead Soup"): "Mixing up beads on purpose can feel unnatural, like breaking an entire box of brand new crayons."
Why did I start my review with a quote? To give you an idea of the writing style of these two creative women. The book is just plain fun to read. There were several spots I found myself chuckling or laughing. However, I'm sure you would like more detail than it's fun to read, so here's the nitty gritty...
The authors Peggy Krzyzewski and Christine Hansen met through an art charm swap group, instantly connected, and ultimately collaborated to write this book about creating art charms.
The book is divided up into 12 sections. The first section is Charm School (I love the name! It's so much more fun than "tools and techniques" or something similar). The next 9 sections are centered on the particular material you are using to create a charm: Paper, Found Objects, Polymer Clay, Plastic, Wood, Fiber, Resin, Metal, and Glass. Each of these sections contains three projects with step by step instructions and photos.
The 11th section is called Putting it All Together, which explains various ways to use your art charms in jewelry and home decor. The last section is Swaps and More, in which the authors interview the "queen" of charm swaps Amber Dawn Goldish and give guidelines for hosting your own art charm swap.
One of the things the authors do that I really like is to NAME some of the products (like the sealants they prefer to use) instead of leaving us to figure it out by trial and error.
One of the things I am surprised by is how much information and technique driven stuff was included in a relatively small amount of space. Some things (like resin or soldering) could have used more detail to be complete. However, the bare bones stuff was covered and you can find more detail than you could ever possibly use by searching YouTube or Google.
As a former stained glass person, I would have liked them to stress using lead free solder a bit more (and where to get it) than just listing it in the materials box. Also, I think it's important to note that if you don't allow the areas you are soldering to cool the glass will crack. They do tell you to solder a few charms at a time to allow pieces to cool in between, but not WHY.
Overall, the authors do an excellent job stressing safety and using what you have and not trying to reproduce their results exactly (especially when it comes to found objects). I love that they teach you how to create your own mixed media collage to cut up for a few of the projects. My favorite project is probably the Pressed Penny Souvenir charm because it's one of those things I could never think outside the box. WHY would you want to spend 51 cents on a destroyed penny? Now I know. And what a cool inexpensive way to create a charm bracelet of your vacations.
This is an excellent book for all ages. If you are old enough to craft, there is something in here for you. Even a toddler could create the mixed media collage for you to cut up so your charms have that much more meaning. I can see a new line of mother's jewelry developing that looks nothing like what every other mother is wearing... My 9 year old daughter loves this book and I had to wait for her to go to camp so I could have a turn with it.
-Jennifer Cameron, Glass Addictions