Guest Author - Debbie Witenski

One thing about jewelry, there are so many elements and mediums in which to use to make it.
In Rosemary Hill's "Elements of Style", she shows you how to create jewelry with wire, fiber, felt, and beads. This book appeals to all levels of jewelers and crafters, especially the fiber artists.

The book is split in three sections, which are life long passions of hers. In the first section, wire is the passion she starts with. Her first project is a sterling frame bracelet. The instructions for this are impeccable. She also shows how to make the different findings like; figure-eight links, the toggle bar side and the toggle ring side. Her diagram and instructions for the assembly are simple.

We've all heard of beaded beads, but have you heard of wire beads? She has a quick and simple earring project that you will love. You use the steps from the previous necklace project and knit a wire square and close it up like a beaded bead, add a couple of beads to the ends, hold together with a headpin, put an earring wire on and...wha-la! Wire bead earrings.

Rosemary had a very good tip for knitting with wire. She says," It is usually best to use bamboo needles when knitting with wire because they are less slippery than metal needles, thus making it easier to work with the wire. You will probably want to devote a set of needles solely to working with wire as it will eventually score the surface of the bamboo."

Her second section or "passion" is Fiber, which is packed with six magnificent projects. I was amazed at the different fibers she used in these projects. For instance, the stainless steel and silk yarn blend. I have never heard of this before. This fabulous yarn is from Habu Textiles. It is very unusual. It looks soft and lovely, but having the stainless steel core, it holds it's shape like fine wire. She has made a scarf cocktail necklace out of this unusual yarn blend and it looks elegant and delicate. One of my favorites in this section is the flowery earrings. It so is made from the stainless steel yarn, in beautiful lavender. They really caught my eye.

Her third and final section is Felt. She uses knitting, crochet, needle felting, and wet felting in the pieces in this sections. I think in this section of Rosemarys book would be the ball and chain necklace & earrings. Using felt balls combined with wire tubing, this made for a wonderfully playful piece.

For all those that are beginners at knitting and crocheting, she has an informative glossary of techniques in the back that will show you enough to do the projects throughout this book.
Try it out, you'll like it.