Cool Copper Cuffs: 25 metal and wire projects

This book is becoming a fast favorite of mine. I've flipped through it so many times that the front cover is bent and the page edges too. When I'm researching a new jewelry making style, I try to read everything I can get my hands on first so I'll have a better understanding of what is needed for tools and techniques before I even begin to start. I specialize in bead embroidery and bead weaving jewelry since 2005. However, I eventually want to make some metal jewelry. There's many, many tools involved to perform metalwork. So far, I've purchased all the different hammers, most of the pliers/cutters, a few cute stamps, and a hole cutter. I still need an anvil, wire gauge, file set, etc. I've put a dapping set and disk cutter on my Christmas list. I don't have a tumbler yet either. Perhaps for my birthday. Who knows. But what I do know though is this book is great! The photography is good and the instructions too. It lists the tools needed, the basic techniques needed, how to rivet, how to braze copper, how to add patina, and then the many wire cuffs instructions begin. At the present time, I'm just reading and reading until I have all the tools I feel I need and acquire more knowledge before beginning. And this book is a wonderful addition to my jewelry making library. Eva Sherman did a great job!

Eva is a great teacher. I have not made anything from this book yet, but I have used her videos to make cuffs in the past. Read this book as soon as it arrived & super excited to get started on some new cuffs. Thank You for the inspiration Eva!!

This is an excellent book. Excellent directions, tips, and photographs. Plus really great cuff designs. I took a cuff class from Eva Sherman at Flux Metal Arts in Mentor, Ohio, months ago, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. She is a wonderful teacher. Take a class if you have an opportunity, but meanwhile buy this most excellent book!

Eva is a very cool metal fabricator. I didn’t know about this book until she mentioned it on one of her Facebook videos. So far, I have completed one bracelet, an easy one, and am looking forward to making more.

I am pretty new to metal work, so this review will be from a beginner's perspective. I bought this book because when I saw it, I just loved everything on the cover. Totally my style. Although, I'm going to be honest, it will be awhile before I'm able to complete any of these projects. I really don't feel this is a book for beginners. One of the main reasons I say this is not for beginners is the tools that are needed. I have more tools than most beginners (I like to go shopping for craft supplies, probably more than I should) and even I don't have everything required for the projects in this book. Some tools (like pliers) are discussed with an appropriate amount of detail, but others really aren't. For example, a rolling mill is not listed in the list of tools, although there is a (brief) section on how to use one. It is not adequate if you've never used a rolling mill before. So this book assumes some prior knowledge. Further, some of the tools -- like the aforementioned rolling mill -- are hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Not exactly the kind of money most people want to plunk down if they are just getting started. (Same with a tumbler. Although I have learned from other books it is possible to polish pieces in other ways, like with a rotary tool.) Sometimes the directions for the projects will say things like "forge with a rolling mill (optional)" and I'm left wondering if that is essential or not. The second issue is, there is no list of suppliers in this book. Certainly it is possible these days to find a lot of the supplies on Amazon (including copper sheet and wire, which I've shopped for and which are sometimes pretty good deals). But if you want the best deal, sometimes it pays to shop around, and without a list of suppliers, a total beginner would be in the dark. I have enough other metal working books that I can come up with a list. One source of confusion for me here was regarding embossing folders. I have several small ones that are suitable for blanks but I wanted a few larger ones to make some of the bracelets in this book and I had no idea how to search for those items. I ended up turning to blogs and it turns out the Cuttlebugg and Darice 5 x 7 (roughly) folders sold on Amazon will work in my embossing machine (I have the Sizzix Vintaj BigKick) but I will have to use thin metal and anneal it first. This is the kind of information that would've been super useful to beginners! Organization-wise, the book starts with a list of tools. This is pretty standard for a craft book and there are some useful tidbits of information in there. I find that basically the instructions and advice overlap with other books of mine, maybe not 100%, so there is a different perspective but it is not off base. (I do suggest reading a variety of sources so you can find out what will work best for you.) A few tools should probably be in the list but are not. Next there is a section on technique. If you are wanting to work on the projects in this book, I suggest you actually work through this with small pieces of scrap copper or blanks. I have another book (called "Simple Soldering") that has you make practice squares first, and that has been invaluable, especially for techniques that are new to me. The other reason I suggest working through the techniques on practice pieces is that, when you get to the main part of the book with the projects, the instructions often direct you to do things like brazing two pieces of copper together. If you don't want to flip back and forth, but you've done practice projects, you know how to braze and don't need to refer to the earlier section (always a good idea to not have the book on your work bench too close to your torch anyway...I have accidentally set fires to paper goods with a torch before, though not while I was doing metal work). (Speaking of brazing, I can't wait to try this. I have some brazing rods in my Amazon cart as we speak.) I love the variety of projects. I am not as fond of the author of random bundles and coils of wire, but I will admit the end result even of those pieces is pretty nice. (There is at least one bracelet you won't be able to make without a rolling mill, though, but many can be made with cold connections so you don't necessarily need a torch to get started.) I love the ammonia patina and am eager to try that right away. I am happy that the author admits to sealing the copper pieces and recommends a product for this; I had long suspected this would need to be done to prevent skin discoloration, but most of my other books on working with copper fail to address the issue. I am also particularly excited about the cuff made with brazed copper washers. You cannot make and sell the exact designs from the book due to copyright issues. Honestly, I am OK with this -- it is pretty standard for craft books. I work at an intellectual property law firm and I respect the work that authors put into their books -- I would much rather transform something, make it unique, as opposed to copy exactly. I will probably stick to the directions pretty closely for a few projects, to really get good with the techniques, but my mind is already going off in 1000 directions in terms of what else I can come up with. I foresee a lot of embossing folders and rivets in my future, but with different finishes like Vintaj patinas or brazed/soldered jump rings for attachment of beads (beads are my first love, anyway), to make the pieces truly my own. In the end, there are a lot of great ideas here, but I would recommend this book more for people with a bit of experience doing metal work, including perhaps some soldering, and I would suggest beginners hold off for the time being. There are a lot of good metal work books for beginners including "Simple Soldering" by Kate Ferrant Richbourg and "Hot and Cold Jewelry Connections" by Kieu Pham Gray that I would probably start with. (I'd also advise learning a bit about wire work. "Contemporary Copper Jewelry" by Sharilyn Miller may help with some of that, as well as with additional copper techniques.)

Eva Sherman is a very talented metal artist. Her book is easy to understand and she makes it easy to complete each project so you are successful. Wonderful book. Would recommend to anyone who wants to learn to make beautiful copper cuffs!

It was sent promptly and in great condition. A recommended seller.

This book is even better than I had hoped. I'm a silversmith and these are really fun ideas and the end product is really nice. This has instantly become one of my favorite books!! I'm so glad I finally decided to buy it!!