Making Connections: A Handbook of Cold Joins for Jewelers and Mixed-Media Artists

From explorer, inventor, and jewely making maverick Susan Lenart Kazmer, comes an amazing collection of pieces using new technique for making cold joins (no heat required).

Strong jewelry requires a strong foundation and that means using metal. A metal foundation supports, links, and strengthens fragile elements like fibers and papers, and allows them to be latered and stacked. As a Champion of the Discarded, Kazmer employs whatever technique will turn a found object into jewelry. The inventive and piece-appropriate cold connections in this book will empower jewelers to follow their dreams and create groundbreaking jewelry that is liberated from restrictions of size or materials.

Kazmer introduces a variety of cold join techniques from common and frequently used to new techniques that she has invented for her own use in her amazing pieces. Metal workers will find this a great handbook to spark creativity and inspiration. The challenge of joining delicate and fragile items with metals is addressed in several ways making this the perfect handbook for mixed-media artists.

The hand drawn illustrations, the gallery of pieces by 28 amazing jewelry artists and Susan's own designs and instructions make this a "how-to-book only disguised as a coffee talbe book." (Denise Peck, Editor Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry)

Susan Lenart Kazmer is an explorer, inventor, and maverick who has pioneered the use of found objects in jewelry making. Over the years, Susan has won many awards and has had her work included in museum exhibits, such as the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., the Art Institute in New York, and the Huntington Museum of Art, to name a few. The post-Picasso Gallery included Susan's work in The Best of 2004. Susan is also considered a pioneer in the field of patination. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her family.