Jewelry Book Review: Necklaceology by Candy Cooper

I love making jewelry. And a good book really helps inspire the creative process! Such is the case with Necklaceology: How to Make Chokers, Lariats, Ropes & More by Candie Cooper.

The first think I need to disclose is that I know Candie personally and think she’s a great gal. But my personal relationship with her doesn’t change the face that she wrote a pretty stellar book. Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

From the publisher:

From collars and chokers to princess-length baubles and ropes to twirl and spin, here is a wardrobe of 40 necklaces to make and proudly show off. Expert crafter Candie Cooper shares her “necklaceology” secrets in an informative, gorgeously illustrated how-to guide that covers tools and materials, all manner of techniques, making components like wrapped loops and jump rings, and combining beads with wire, chain, silk cord, ribbon, and other materials. These accessible, sophisticated projects will inspire and delight.

The book has:

• *40 projects
• *144 Pages
• *Soft-cover
• *Full color photos and sketch illustrations
• *comprehensive “materials and tools” section

There are so many projects in this book that look both gorgeous and do-able- I couldn’t wait to dig in. I chose this one- the “it’s a wrap”- because I had some jumbo agate beads burning a hole in my pocket AND I had a nice selection of Artistic Wire Mesh from my recent review. 

If you take a look, you can see that you get both full-color photos AND a sketch illustration to follow. Plus lots of advice for color and texture, too. I loved the detailed instructions. 

I dug in and got to work.

I used a variation from the book and used crimp-ends to simplify my design.

Here’s my finished necklace- on me!

And a more glamorous shot on the model. Do you like the silver leaves? I’m still on the fence about them.

Overall, Candie’s book is a great one to have on hand- full of ideas and inspiration and great information on materials and techniques. I am really looking forward to trying a few more designs in her book.

Disclosure: sample provided for review. If you’d like to purchase the book, you can support CTD and get a great deal by using our Amazon affiliate link below.

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About Jenny

Chief Craft Test Dummy, Craft Evangelist, Founder, Editor, bottle-washer, trouble-maker, and creative whirlwind.

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