They’ve been creating a storm in London for some time now, producing weird and wonderful accessories, but the cat is out of the bag. Two devilishly eccentric British jewellery designers, Tatty Devine, have published a how-to guide to making jewellery and unleashed their secrets of the trade.
So A la Mode?
Famed for their unusual and kitsch accessories (one example being their Movember collection) the girls were sure to spill the beans on how to make really strange pieces. One that particularly caught my eye was a tutorial on how to shrink a used crisp/sweet wrapper to make it a tiny decoration for a necklace… unbelievable! As well as breaking grounds with unique ideas for creating, the girls were sure to cover standard jewellery making essentials so that beginners could be aware of what they needed. Every type of chain, clasp and other tidbit was named and explained, an extensive tool-kit was recommended and useful information regarding stockists was provided throughout.
Uh-oh A la Mode?
One thing I would be keen to point out about this book is that it is a guide to making jewellery with Tatty Devine. Therefore the book would be helpful, but not essential, to someone that was looking for a general guide to make jewellery. Lots of useful information is cited in reference to jewellery making as a whole, but ultimately the beauty of this book is that it is focused on the Tatty Devine brand. For me this made the reading experience, but if you’re after a vague guide to the art of jewellery then perhaps this will be too specialised for you.
After reading this book I was desperate to get my hands on some Tatty Devine treats. With deadlines galore at University it didn’t quite seem appropriate to reach for the hammer and the sandpaper, so as a nice alternative I decided to treat myself for my birthday. Tatty Devine are highly commended for their personalised necklaces, so I ordered a gold glittery name necklace that says ‘Mixed Gems’! The font of the writing is beautiful and it is put together really well, although I must say that the gold glitter makes it slightly difficult to make out in bright lights. Nonetheless, I wore it for the first time on Friday evening and was complimented all night on my unusual neck wear.
A la Mode Appraisal: 10/10 – well written, beautifully presented and full of amazing tips. I wish more designers would spill their secrets in books like this one!
ISBN: 978 0 7535 4012 1
How to Make Jewellery with Tatty Devine is published by Virgin Books and is an absolute steal at just £12.99.
If you liked this, you may also like Vintage Jewellery by Caroline Cox.
