A Charming Exchange by Kelly Snelling and Ruth Rae is a big gorgeously photographed paperback that resulted from a collaborative effort by two master crafters who came together on the handcrafts-for-sale website Etsy.com. The book is built around the concept of collaborating on, or swapping, charms that can be further fashioned into bracelets or necklaces or pendants. (COPYRIGHT: I'm so sorry to have to put this here, but I've had trouble with online content theft. Readers are welcome to print my articles for their personal use, but I do not allow my text or photos to be copied to anyone's online site. No one may use my content without written permission from me.)
They organized a group of talented artists from some very different disciplines such as collage, fabric arts, metal smithing, beading, wirework, and found-object assembly. These contributors fashioned charms out of every conceivable materiel including ribbons, decoupage, beads, coins, wire, dead bugs, quilted fabric, crystals, old gears and bits of machinery, antique skeleton keys, feathers, yarn, an old compass, lockets, chains of various degrees of delicacy or strength, religious medallions and milagros, Buddhist skull-beads, buttons, photo-charms, bullet casings, and weird little figurines.
The artists, most of whom had never met in person, created these charms and mailed them to each other. When each received something, she embellished on it a little more until the result became something astonishing that reflected all the participants' skills, materials, and favorite themes. In this way, each piece went a little further than it probably could have gone on its own with just one crafter. In the end, the artists were amazed and inspired by how each piece evolved. It all came together in this book which showcases 25 of the most unusual jewelry projects you're ever likely to see.
A Charming Exchange could be regarded as an intermediate- to advanced crafting book. Most of these artists draw upon extensive experience in more than one type of craft to create these pieces. With great enthusiasm, they combine many different skills and materials.
We've got wire-wrapping that includes hammering flat your own links and clasps, making an ojo de dios / eye of God (remember doing that in grade school with yarn and popsicle sticks?), and even weaving a small basket out of wire to be worn as a pendant. You'll work with polymer clay on some projects and resin for others. You'll use a metal disc-cutter to punch circles out of decorative lids from cookie-tins, which will then become tin charms. One project even requires the use of a jeweler's saw, silver sheet metal, and plexiglass to form an unusual pendant.
Each project shows a huge full-color photo of the finished piece plus a short sidebar explaining the themes, materials, and inspiration that went into each creation. Another tip-off that it is not really a beginner's book is the fact that not all the projects go beyond the big photo and sidebar. If you're fairly experienced already, you can probably guess how the piece was assembled or maybe even use the sight of it as a jumping-off point to make something slightly different – or even better – with the materials you have on hand.
Of the 25 projects illustrated in this book, 15 have smaller, full-color photos illustrating the step-by-step assembly. The other ten you're going to have to figure out for yourself. Even so, I recommend the book highly, even for beginners. It will give you inspiration and room to grow. Find it on Amazon.com: A Charming Exchange: 25 Jewelry Projects To Create & Share
