Trapping felt and fabric technique from the book Jewelry Lab: 52 Experiments, Investigations, and Explorations in Metal by Melissa Manley

Here's our Wednesday giveaway question that gets you in the running for a copy of Jewelry Lab: 52 Experiments, Investigations, and Explorations in Metal:

What are the two craziest materials you have combined or have seen used together?

Answer this question by Midnight ET on November 23, 2011 and you could be the proud new owner of a copy of Jewelry Lab: 52 Experiments, Investigations, and Explorations in Metal. And for all of you who like to mix felt, fabric and wire jewelry making (or are looking to try), check out this tutorial on how to trap felt and fabric in wire.

Click on these pages from the Quarry book Jewelry Lab: 52 Experiments, Investigations, and Explorations in Metal to enlarge and read how to make fabric, felt and metal jewelry.

More about the book:

Jewelry Lab: 52 Experiments, Investigations, and Explorations in Metal

by

Melissa Manley

Jewelry Lab uses brevity to ignite a passion for working the metals processes and learning about all the ways metal can be used. It provides aspiring metalsmiths and jewelry makers a way to learn fundamental techniques that is quick and fun. In addition to the basic skills such as sawing, drilling, soldering, and finishing, the book covers texturing, etching, rolling, coloring, patinas, forming, connections, findings, solders, bezels, rivets, and other experimental techniques.

 

This is not a project book; rather, it is an approachable, unintimidating workbook that breaks metals processes down into very specific experiments, such as texturing or plastic deformation of metal, with no goal in mind other than to experience how metal moves. Readers learn to understand more about metal, how to master it, and gain a deep, thoughtful underlying appreciation for process and method, becoming entranced with finely crafting objects with great care.

Melissa Manley lives and works in southeastern North Carolina a few miles from Wrightsville beach. She received her BA in studio arts from University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Years later, she went back to grad school. While there she studied with enameling master Linda Darty and the godfather of found object Robert Ebendorf. She earned her MFA in Metal Design at East Carolina University in 2006. Melissa now teaches metals at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington. Melissa has also taught workshops around the country in collage, book altering, watercolor and jewelry making for the past 7 years. Her work has appeared in Somerset Studio magazine, Crafting Personal Shrines by Carol Owen, The Fine Art of Enameling by Linda Darty, Making Connections by Susan Lenart Kazmer, and 500 Enameled Objects by Lark books. Teaching, making in a variety of mediums, keeping up with her teenage musician daughter Meredith, and her professional kayak guru and partner Robert Smith all keep her very busy! For more visit her blog: http://melissamanleystudios.blogspot.com/

Comments

[Pat Upton]

Bullet casings and a mini pulley. Made for a very nice, very different pendant!

[Janel]

Pop can tabs crocheted together. The scale of some of the projects I've seen amazes me!

[Joe Rotella]

Glass and stone - an artist made the most beautiful glass horsetails coming out of a rock that I've ever seen!

[Sarah S]

construction paper and resin - I made a ring!

[Janice]

The craziest things I have ever used together must be the bottle caps and dried red beans. We had fun with it!

[Wanda H]

Well the individual materials aren't crazy but the combined effect is way cool.... shrink plastic and soft gel medium... color the gel medium, put it on the shrink plastic and then shrink it... fab texture and just totally way cool!!!!

[Allison C]

The weirdest materials I have used are actually pretty tame...rubber, felt, and glass balls.
I recently saw work made with resin embedded coral and ferns which was gorgeous.