Book review and giveaway: Beautiful Bracelets By hand

I am so excited to be able to share with you about a beautiful new book by Jade Gedeon, called Beautiful Bracelets By Hand.  In it you will find 223 pages of awesomeness, starting slam bang with the projects.  Beautiful close-up photos show you how to navigate any of the tricky steps, and a little techniques section in the back will refresh you on the basics you will need, as well as information on the tools and materials.

I really like the way the book is organized, according to the main material being featured in the bracelet.  There are eight major sections, including beads, bits and pieces, chain, fabric and cord, leather, metal, plastic, and wood.  There is some overlap between categories, of course, but I think you'll be very pleased with the organization, and how skills you'll come across early on will pop back up in later projects.  This would be a great book for someone who wanted to branch into additional areas of jewelry making, perhaps after having gotten started with basic stringing.  Both beginners and intermediates are sure to find lots of projects with immediate appeal!

Now, here's the really good news...the publisher has made one of the projects from the book available for you (posted below) AND, they are offering a giveaway of one copy as well!  Sign up for the giveaway and check out the sample project...you're gonna want this book!

 GIVEAWAY ALERT!!! 

Would you like to win a copy of this book? Here's what you need to do...please read this carefully. This giveaway is being limited to the US and Canada...my apologies to readers from other countries.  Leave me a comment here and include your email address. No email address, no win.  You are welcome to spell it out if you'd prefer, for example, cyndi at mazeltovjewelry dot com. If you tweet or post on Facebook or other social spots about the contest, you can leave a second comment and be entered twice! Deadline: December 16, 2014  

Lace Cuff 

New or repurposed, lace of any sort makes a pretty piece. We picked vintage
and antique metallic weaves to give this ladylike bracelet a little edge and a good
pop of glam.

BITS YOU’LL NEED 
• Two 7" (17.8 cm) lengths of lace ribbon (we
used 2¼" [5.7 cm]-wide ribbon)
• Bias tape
• Four 19x5mm ribbon crimp ends
• Two 4x6mm jump rings, 18 gauge
• Two 10mm jump rings, 18 gauge
• Two 12x6mm lobster clasps
TOOLS 
• Scissors
• Chain-nose pliers
• Flat-nose pliers
• Nylon-jaw pliers
• Hot glue gun 

1. Big wrist? Small wrist? Wrap ribbon around your wrist so it is slightly loose.
Trim so there is about a ½-inch (1.3 cm) gap between the ends. Cut your bias
tape about ½ inch (1.3 cm) longer than your ribbon width.

2. Fold the excess bias tape into itself and crease. Do this on the top and bottom
edge.

3. Since you’ll be using HOT glue, take care not to burn yourself. Press any
edges down with a piece of card or a spoon rather than your fingers unless you
don’t mind a blister or three. Now that we are clear on that, with a few dots of hot
glue, stick the top and bottom folds down. Sandwich your ribbon edge in between
the folds of the bias tape. Apply a few small dots of glue and fold and press
(again with a card or something without nerves) the bias tape over the ribbon.

4. Center the ribbon crimp on the bias tape. With a pair of nylon-jaw pliers, firmly
close the crimp onto the ribbon. Attach a 10mm jump ring to one end. Attach the
lobster clasp with a 4x6mm jump ring to the opposite end.

5. Make another. That way one wrist won’t be jealous.

Images and instructions are reprinted with permission from the publisher.

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