This how-to jewelry-making book features the work of an array of invited jewelry designers influenced by the growing Steampunk trend. In Steampunk circles, jewelry-makers are often master metalsmiths who combine found objects with fine metals to create elaborate pieces. In Steampunk-Style Jewelry, the projects focus on "no fire" techniques—like simple stringing, wirework, hammering, stamping, gluing, stitching, and off-loom beadwork—so that even a beginner can create pieces in the style. Each project provides a complete materials and tools list, step-by-step instructions, and clear illustrations. This book offers a broad overview of a growing design trend that is part of the literary, industrial design, fashion, and popular culture scene. Readers will learn about the art movement through the many photographic sidebars that explore the many aspects of the trend.
Love this book!July 4, 2010 Artful Muse(Las Cruces, NM) Jean has not only provided an in-depth history of this genre, which makes for fascinating reading, but then she proceeds to provide us with a wonderful array of projects, tips, and innovative processes.
This is a wonderful collection -- and it is such fun to read, too!
K. P. Vorenberg, author of TIERRA RED
Good, but somewhat obvious for the most part.June 23, 2010 Katherine Canuel(Mesa, AZ) 6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I'm getting into steampunk now, and I hate to be the only person on here writing a 3 star review. I hate to be writing it at all, actually, as I tend to review almost everything 5 star, but I have to say that I didn't really like this book. Or, I suppose you could say that if someone gave it to me as a present, I'd say, "Hey, cool! I love this!" And I would mean it. But I'm not going to spend my own money to get it. My husband and I sat at Barnes and Noble together and flipped through this book page by page and picked the projects apart, but we weren't overly impressed and decided not to get it. You may want to do something similar.
First of all, steampunk is really cool. I LOVE it. But a lot of the stuff you see out there is just too obvious. Like, ooh, I took a chunk out of a watch and glued some stuff on it and added a pearl and now my piece is steampunk. Or gears, too. Like, a crystal with a gear hanging off of it--that's steampunk. And it is, of course, and it's super cute. But it's obvious. This is what I'm talking about, and that seems to be most of what this book is.
This book is great if you already have a huge stock of watch parts and other hard to find objects just lying around your jewelry studio. If you don't have any of this stuff, though, or are just starting out, you really aren't given any super good information on how to create neat looking pieces with stuff you may already have on hand. There are a few charming projects in here (crystals woven onto a filigree finding, for instance, which was brilliant, and almost makes me put a fourth star on my review) and some great and fun information, but over all, I simply could not bring myself to purchase this book.
If you want a book that will give you a lot of information on how to take separate items and put them together in unlikely ways, one that focuses much on techniques and in setting you up for making many of your own future and awesome designs, get Semiprecious Salvage by Stephanie Lee. It's not specifically a steampunk book, but with only a couple of alterations and additions (for instance... watch parts and gears!) you can make many of your own steampunk gems. I'm using the etching process alone which I learned from this book to create my own pieces for my steampunk jewelry. I'm taking watch stamps and etching metal with their images and thus creating my own endless supply of watch-looking parts for my pieces. It's great!
Jean Campbell never ceases to amaze me!June 4, 2010 Sara Hardin(Phoenix, AZ USA) Steampunk Style Jewelry by Jean Campbell is a treat. She is a lovely and talented author, who seems to put a great deal of time and thought into every book that she writes. Steampunk is hot these days, but this style has been around for more than twenty years. According to this book, the term was coined in 1987. So, what is steampunk?"Generally, Steampunk is a fashion, design, and popular-culture phenomenon that combines romance and technology." Jean was kind enough to show our Metallics beading wire in her book, which is a perfect match for this style of jewelry. We offer both antique brass and copper color beading wire.
From the back cover: "Steampunk jewelry pairs mechanical found objects with Old World Victorian-style filigree, charms, chains, gems, and beads to create one-of-a-kind pieces that marry romance, technology, and attitude."
In this book you will find:
20 projects
Projects that are perfect for beginners or advanced jewelry makers
Profiles of artists
Historical information
Fashion trend ideas
Ideas that define Steampunk
Photo gallery showcasing several designs by other designers, including our very own Jamie Hogsett
Buy it! You can thank me later! :)
A Wonderful, Beautiful Introduction to Steampunk!April 16, 2010 Jean Yates(United States) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
So the first question on everyone lips is what exactly IS Steampunk?
This book, Steampunk Style Jewelry, by Jean Campbell, which offers a treasure trove of information packed into a beautifully produced and elegantly photographed volume, is the place to start if you really want to know what this amazing trend is and how it evolved.
Steampunk Style Jewelry opens with a foreword by the informative and enthusiastic Paul Di Filippo, author of The Steampunk Trilogy. His insights are followed by a thorough introduction by the author herself of materials and techniques which will be required to make the projects.
This is very easy to understand and very clearly explained.
Jean Campbell is an excellent teacher as well as a delightful designer. The reader, too, can make this jewelry, exotically beautiful and complex as it may first appear. The directions for each project are clearly explained. Furthermore, as the book unfolds, the information within clarifies all sorts of aspects of what Steampunk is, from fashion, to a way of life, to a form of self expression for many people who gather together to celebrate its unique fascination.
Basically, if you don't know exactly Steampunk Style is, picture Victorian England (with all its rigidity, but with the posh sensibility of red velvet and brass-toned accoutrements as well) combined with home made science fiction bits and parts. This is similar to what you might recall if you have seen the movie "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" from the fantastic book by Jules Verne. Rivets, bolts, watch parts, hints of glittering ruby red jewels, gears and other oddities you might uncover from the past meld with futuristic, complimentary pieces. They curiously suit and enhance each other.
You will come to see that I have limited the powerful potential of the book, Steampunk Style Jewelry, with my brief definition. It is more complicated than that, and Jean Campbell will explain it thoroughly and in a fascinating manner, using the jewelry projects and historical facts, as well as modern day trends, to expand the reader's understanding. Basically the sky is the limit with Steampunk!
After the whys and hows of the origins of Steampunk fall into place via Jean Campbell's elegant hand, the reader will be ready to fall, too ... ready to fall in love with the curiously charming, imaginative and beautiful array of astounding projects from a group of energetic Steampunk designers.
This delightful book is one of a kind; perfectly beautiful, incredibly informative, and, frankly, alluring and mindblowing.
The author has several lovely projects of her own in it, including my favorite project of all: "Admiral's Secret Cuff". Totally lovely.
There is a great gallery of further Steampunk Style designs at the end of the book as well, to view and further incite your imagination.
Don't miss out on this one. Steampunk Style Jewelry by Jean Campbell is a must for your jewelry design library!
lovely introduction to steampunkMarch 20, 2010 Shala Kerrigan(Anchorage) For beaders and jewelry makers, this book is very timely given how popular steampunk is becoming. Gorgeously printed in full color throughout, Jean Campbell who is very well known in the beadwork community provides projects and information about steampunk. Some of the history and a lot of wonderful examples of steampunk art. I loved the fact it's not all projects and has so much information about the lifestyle and fashion.
For a lot of jewelry artists, some of the parts will seem like they are hard to find. Part of the style is gears and clockworks. Having a goodly supply of broken watches is a big part of being able to make really good steamy jewelry. Check thrift stores, garage sales, online auctions and ask friends. You'll be astounded how many people keep watches that don't work planning on maybe fixing them someday who are happy to give them to you.
Not all the projects call for difficult to find items, and the book is worth having for the ideas and the information. Brass and copper are used extensively in this style jewelry which makes it fairly inexpensive to make.
The author explains the techniques and skills you'll need, as well giving tips that are just great. For instance she suggests heating brass components to darken them. I tried it on some brass buttons for another project and it worked very well.
Favorite projects include Dirigible Aviatrix Necklace which showcases a lovely image with washers, bolts and brass beads. It's a little complicated to make, but you'll learn lots of great skills making it and it's gorgeous.
The simpler Tick Tock Drop Earrings feature clock hands which you can buy many places and brass beads and jump rings.
The Time Travelers Necklace is an assemblage piece that reminds me of my mother's jewelry and I will use it as inspiration for a piece made from some of my mother's old costume jewelry.
You don't need to follow her examples exactly to get a lot out of this book. It's full of great ideas to inspire you to try your own steampunk pieces.
