Review submitted by Hazel Britton - June 2020

This book may not suit those who like a tutorial that tells you how much of a product to use and what to do with it to make a given finished article.  It was not quite what I was expecting but took me on a tour of the author’s creative mind; how she will plan the substantial sculptures she creates with anatomical accuracy and detail using a variety of clays.

The chapters take you through the process from selecting the base your sculpture will be attached to, through armature, accessories, painting and realising your end vision.

Although I was expecting more examples of creatures to inspire me and get my own imagination flowing it was an absorbing narrative with good photo examples for each step of the construction method.  Emily Coleman is keen to encourage research into the skeleton and musculature of animals to make your sculpture more believable. My own little figures are more simple/stylised. I tend towards aesthetically pleasing to me but Emily Coleman’s creatures are big, beautiful statement pieces with intricate detailing.

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Retails at around £13

“An accessible and easy-to-use guide to the principles and elements of jewelry design, this resource helps makers of all skill levels take their designs from good to great. Instructor and expert Loretta Lam offers guidance on working with a wide array of materials, along with exercises to help you explore new design concepts before applying them to your work directly.  Learn how to discover your personal inspiration and process, master the use of the design elements and principles, establish a design hierarchy and find your voice, draw on the inestimable value of critique, and more.”

“Loretta Lam is an [American] award-winning artist whose work is found in fine galleries and prestigious exhibitions and showcased in many publications. She is an internationally recognized teacher and speaker, regularly presenting workshops on jewelry design and technique.” ~ Synopsis

Firstly, I am going to tell you what this book is NOT:

It is not about polymer clay or polymer clay artists, although they are featured alongside work in other mediums. Nor is it a book of tutorials or lessons about the techniques of jewellery making, all of which are abundant in a plethora of books and online media. Neither is it just a book to browse through gorgeous examples of jewellery to drool over (but you can if you wish!).

​

What is it about?

This book is about upping your game, helping you to understand the process, from conception to execution, of creating eye-catching works of art jewellery that speak from YOUR heart. It includes thought-provoking exercises to work through while providing inspiration from talented jewellery designers from around the world.

Who is it aimed at?

Everyone who wants to create exciting and creative designs. Even though this book is aimed specifically at jewellery designers, all the principles can be applied to other creations. You should not be daunted by this book if you are at the beginning of your creative journey; indeed, it is possible that experienced designers will read it and think “I wish I had read this at the beginning of my career – it would’ve saved a lot of head scratching!”, and it is a fantastic reminder and prompt for professional artists.

Content

The book is divided into three main sections, plus a final gallery.

PART ONE : GETTING STARTED

• Inspiration - The most personal part of the journey

• Process - Getting from inspiration to design

• Functional Considerations - Weight, safety and durability

• A Word about Commerce

This section of the book focusses on you and what inspires you. Loretta reminds us to look for inspiration, whether that be externally or internally, and to gather those ideas together in a notebook, especially when inspiration strikes. Whatever your field of expertise, creating good designs requires research and preparation, practise and refinement. She encourages the use of sketching, over and over again, and not to be afraid to play and experiment. Regarding commerce, she doesn’t give a formula for working out a sale price, leaving that up to you, but goes further, suggesting that instead of thinking about what a customer might want, be authentic and true to ourselves and customers will find us. Even if we are personally unhappy with a piece we have made, it may speak to someone else. That is the beauty of art.

PART TWO: YOUR DESIGN TOOLBOX

Part Two is the main part of the book, exploring the elements and principles of good design once you have found your inspiration.

Design Elements: The Tools of the Trade

• Line – The three characteristics of line

• Shape – When lines enclose space

• Form – 3-D shapes, geometric or organic, representational or abstract

• Color – A wonderland of energy, tone, emotion, and memory

• Pattern – The organization and repetition of elements

• Texture – The surface quality of the work, which can be seen or felt

• Position – Where you put things matters

With each of the elements there is a fun exercise to explore as well as considering the practicalities required of jewellery. These alone are bound to spark ideas, so make sure you have your notebook handy!

Design Principles: The Overarching Concepts

• Unity – Elements working together to create a whole

• Movement – Directing the eye along a visual path

• Balance – Finding the sweet spot through symmetry, radial symmetry, and symmetry

• Contrast – The marriage of opposites

• Variety – Creating lively energy using disparate elements

• Rhythm – The dance of repeated and varied elements

• Emphasis – Holding our attention with focal points

• Proportion – The size of design parts in relation to each other

• Scale – The size of the jewelry in relation to the body

The design principles help to bring all the elements together into a pleasing overall design, depending on the effect you want to create. There are lots of examples to ooh and aah over, and again, each design principle has an exercise to complete, but these are more thought provoking than the practical exercises of the design elements. This is where you can elevate your design ideas from good to great.

PART THREE: PUTTING IT TOGETHER

• Design Hierarchy – Choosing dominant features for clear communication

• Finding Your Voice – Listen closely and you will hear it

• Critique – The best tool for growing your work

This final section asks you to summarise what you have learnt from the process and what your own key elements might be and to explore those further, which leads on to ‘finding your voice’ i.e. designs that are instantly recognisable as your work. Here, Loretta shows more examples of other artists work. For those in the polymer clay community, I bet you know instantly which pieces were made by which polymer clay artist featured.  There are more exercises here which may bring you full circle back to what inspires you in the first place. Finally, Loretta explores the importance of giving and receiving critique as a learning tool to keep growing as an artist and offers her five-step guidelines.

GALLERY

Let us just ooh and aah in this section, shall we?!

Summary

This is not a book to read in one sitting. It is worth taking the time to read each section and explore each of the exercises thoroughly, especially if you are feeling you have ‘design block’. For me personally, I am delighted to have a copy of this book. I do not wear a lot of jewellery, but I really appreciate good designs when I see them and would like to create pieces that are more than just stringing a bunch of pretty beads together. I will use the elements and principles in other areas of creativity too and I hope it will be become a constant companion in my studio. It might have a high price tag for a book, but I could not afford one-to-one tuition with Loretta, so this is without doubt the next best thing if you are looking to up your design game!

​

£33.99 Hardback from Amazon, 192 pages

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Book Review by Lizzi Bucklow-Holt, May 2020

I’ve loved seeing Ronna’s work, I love the organic, fluid nature of her work. So this book had been on my wish list for a while.

The book starts with a lengthy (33 pages) introduction section that covers jewellery design, wire techniques and polymer clay basics.

She starts by talking about the 6 principles of design, the color wheel and where to find inspiration. She then jumps into jewellery mechanics, giving suggestions for weighting the elements so necklaces, bracelets and rings hang correctly. She includes really helpful charts, like the one showing the names and ranges for standard necklace sizes. The wire work section I found really informative but there were lots of extra pieces of equipment you’d need to buy to complete these techniques (quite expensive items too. I decided I’d like to acquire a couple of the tools but the price to buy these here in the U.K. meant a ball-peen hammer and bench block we’re all I could justify buying) 

In conclusion the first section was informative, educational and inspiring and the information would be good for beginners and intermediate jewellery makers alike.

There are 15 projects, including 6 necklaces, 4 bracelets, 2 earrings, 2 rings and 1 brooch. Each of the projects is then broken down into multiple parts. For example, the first necklace has instructions for making 12 different beads.

This for me is where is starts to go wrong.

For each project there is an image of the finished design.. Each bead has a few step-by-step photos. But she doesn't show detailed photos of each completed bead. Each bead type has a ‘name’ which wasn’t always helpful either. I kept having to flip back and forth to the beginning of the chapter to see which bead we might be working on next and to see how the bead should end up looking.

The step-by-step photos are pretty good. I like that they were large enough to show detail. I just wish they had lined up better with the text they were illustrating. 

The instructions were well-written overall, but two things bugged me. First, the Zebra Cane was repeated word for word — THREE times! The wire-ball bead instructions are also repeated. But even though there's plenty of other information in the book to make it worthwhile, those repeats made me feel cheated though. I kind of expected more, it was like they were just padding the book out. It undervalued the book.

The second thing that bugged me was the other extreme. Often, instead of writing out the steps again, you were asked to repeat steps 1-5 in previous chapter or where step 17 says to repeat 19-21, step 23 says to repeat 24-27, and step 19 says to repeat 19. Sometimes it was mind boggling to follow. So I didn’t! All in all I felt it was a clumsy construct of a book. 

On to the positives.

The glossy photographs of the projects are wonderful eye candy.

On the whole the instructions were easy to follow. It helps that the polymer clay techniques in this book are pretty basic beginner level techniques. 

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Reviewed  by Debby Wakley 

Helene’s work is beautiful and I think it’s instantly recognisable as “Helene’s work”. Some of you may not be familiar so here’s a link to her Instagram account and her web page.

https://instagram.com/helene.jeanclaude?igshid=1u2j6hnbaacm1

https://helenejeanclaude.wixsite.com/les-ethiopiques/galerie

Anyway, I have loved her work, her use of textures and colours along with her statement collars she often makes me go “I wonder how she did that” I’m sure we all do that with other people’s “wow” work?

So I saw that she had a book available on Amazon and I added it to my wish list. So I could look at it in more detail and decide if I wanted to but it as it was written in French and I don’t speak French well enough to translate a book. So I wasn’t sure if it would be a good purchase or not. I promptly forgot about ordering the book only to find it landed in my doorstep as a friend decided with buy it for me! Lucky me! 

So this is a tough book to review fairly as I can’t read 80% of it and google translate is excellent, yet time consuming. So it’s a visual review with lots of assumptions thrown in.

There are 18 different projects.

An opening section of material and tools which is brief and even with my limited translation skills is easy to follow.

Each of the projects are well laid out, she reveals the products, manufactures and suppliers of the material in each project which is very good. Some artist say use a deep texture sheet whereas she will say which one and whom she purchased it from, very helpful.

There are step by step instructions with matching photos this allows you to follow the project without the need for direct translation.

She gives away a lot of her ‘trade secrets’ in this book more recently she has been putting out YouTube videos of some of the projects in the book. 

Her ‘Éruption métallisante’ shows how to incorporate magnetic clasps within her project creating simple yet effective closure in a way that I had not considered before. At the rear of the book there is a section on the templates and shapes, to scale, for the projects. 

She’s certainly a clever artist, who has her own methods and techniques, and this is typical of most of the French artists I have met.

Am I glad I have this book in my collection? Oh yes! 

Has it inspired me? Absolutely 

Was it easy to use despite the language issues? Well enough to not get frustrated.

Does it make good eye candy for us polymer jewellery enthusiasts? I believe it does.

If you can get your hands on a copy I would recommend particularly if you love Helene’s work. 

Review by Debby Wakley Feb 2020 

A nice book that covers a wide range of different canes and different ways to use them. As with most craft books, it starts with a bit of general information and then is arranged in projects. Each project makes a different cane and different jewellery items made using that cane.

For each cane, there are step by step instructions that have been illustrated rather than photographed. There is a reasonable amount of information but some prior knowledge may make it a bit easier to understand in a few places. 

There are different floral patterns, geometric patterns, and even some simple face canes. The canes are then used in different ways. On different shaped beads, to make picture panels, to make a bangle and even to make sculpted flowers. 

Whilst not all the projects are to my taste, and some of the execution could have been further refined I found it in an interesting book with some really nice projects. There are a lot of different skills involved with making canes included in this book and it would certainly give people lots of ideas for further projects. It would be a good book for someone interested in cane work.

ISBN 978-0-7643-4456-5
by Cara Jane Hayman

.

Firstly, what a wonderful experience, I asked Lucy to donate a copy of the book for the Guild to review. She was really lovely to deal with and very graciously gave us a copy. The book came with a lovely personal message, which was a lovely touch.

My initial impression on first flicking through the book is it’s a beautiful book. Very well put together, glossy, professional and certainly good eye candy for the coffee table!

27 artists are featured including our very own Fiona Abel-Smith (congratulations Fiona) but mainly European artists so there is a large diversity of project to look at. Each artist has 8 feature pages, a biography and portrait of the artist, and feature photographs of their work. Giving you lots of visual clues to the work they are best known for. Some truly beautiful work.

Then you come to the tutorials. Each tutorial is laid out the same so the book has a great sense of uniformity 9 photos per page so 18 for each tutorial and this to me is where I became frustrated. Dare I say a little letdown.

The style overrides the substance.

I was asking questions like:- which brand of clay? 

Where did you get your cutters from?

Which brand if texture sheet did you use?

I have enough claying knowledge and knowhow to interpret the vagueness in some of the tutorials but I did

asked myself if I was being too picky. So I got my 18 year old to have a look at the book and tell me what she thought.

“It’s a lovely book but it assumes you know what you are doing, it would not be suitable for beginners or novices”.

Will I be doing any of the projects from the book? Yes, 9 of them really appeal to me. Personally I would photocopy the project and use those notes to guide me though the project. The book is way too nice to get all messy in your studio.

On a side note I was really curious about one of the projects and had “questions” so I contacted the artist via Instagram, she was lovely, very kind and helpful giving me the info that I felt was missing from the tutorial. This as always is my experience within this wonderful world of polymer clayers.

It’s a great polymer clay book, full of beautiful glossy photos, certainly a good read, you won’t regret the purchase however it is not a step by step tutorial book for beginners so beware of that.

Reviewed by Debby Wakley

It is known in my local BPCG group that Exploring Canework in Polymer Clay by Patricia Kimble is one of my favourite books. I looked at the pictures and the instructions for making the canes but to be honest I had never actually read it. So I sat down and started at the beginning of the book. 

She covers basic rules for clay work, including blending colours and progresses through to complicated canes. Each cane is clearly illustrated and the instructions are easy to follow.

I use the book as inspiration as I would use a recipe book. Looking through the pictures to find a cane that fits what I am trying to make, I can follow the illustrations and Patricia’s instructions to make the cane. The colours Patricia uses are subtle but it’s easy, using the guidance she gives, to adapt the colours to match the finished cane I want.

I am relatively new to the world of polymer clay so I haven’t yet made a lot of the canes and am looking forward to trying most, if not all, of them in the near future.

Book review by Christine Lacey

his was given to me as a gift when I first started creating in polymer.

For those of you who have read it, will know what I mean when I say “Jecru” that’s the one thing that has stuck and I still use in my colour mixing particularly for Mokume Gane. For those of you who haven’t read the book yet it’s worth getting it for Julie’s take on colour selection, mixing and blending alone. She uses such harmonious blends.

The book starts with a lovely introduction, she doesn’t labour over the basics but goes into details about the tools she specifically uses, I found my purchase of ‘security tools bits’ invaluable to recreating her projects, but this was the only purchase I made. Most of the tools you will already have in your tool kit. 

Section 2 is all about how to create the controlled Mokume Gane than she is know for. There are step by step instructions for creating a controlled imprinting pattern, the design, the execution of the patterns, the curing and finishing.

Section 4 is all about the individual projects, step by step instructions on colour recipes, layering, impressioning, slicing, building and structuring pendants. 

The book It’s beautifully laid out, easy to follow and certainly inspiring. I would recommend this as a beginner to intermediate book as the technique itself it simple enough but the skills to plan ahead, envisioning the final design before starting takes restraint. I learn that less is more when trying to emulate Julie’s designs.

Reviewed by 

Debby Wakley

Firstly I can believe this book has not been reviewed by someone before. I often see people on social media asking for recommendations for a good polymer clay book. Nearly everyone recommends Carols book. In addition to that 96% of people who have reviewed the book on Amazon gave it a 5* review. So they can’t be wrong. 

I borrowed this book from my local library before deciding to buy it. It’s a good way to see if a book is going to give you what you need. I ended up buying it from a fellow clayer at a bargain price. If you can only buy one book about polymer clay, make it this one. It’s the one that will cover all the topics you need. And it grows as you grow. I’ll go into more detail about this.

I should say I have so many books on polymer clay and although they're all very good in their own way, some can be a little repetitive on content. Dare I say even boring but not this one, it has got everything you need to know from a beginner to the more advanced. It’s a well written book broken into sections. If you’ve ever met Carol you’ll know what I mean when I say you can hear Carol’s voice as you read the words. Especially when you read the ‘tips’ that are periodically spaced in each chapter.

Section 1 is all about the basics, making equally sized beads, using classic techniques such as mokume gane, mica shift, inlays, extrusions etc. In the piece about sanding and drilling I learnt some valuable tips that I still incorporate when sanding. You could say this chapter teaches you all the life lessons you need to progress in your work.

Section 2 is all about faux beads showing you how to make beads look like wood, agate, lápis lazúli, silver, jade....I can go on and on but seriously try the Faux Amber beads, they are lush.

Section 3 has all you need to know about bringing you beads together into pieces of jewellery. This section ‘rounds of the creative process’ nicely without labouring the point.

Do yourself a favour and buy this book. Read it, use it and re read it. Each time I pick it up more of it becomes relevant especially as your skills grow.

​

​review by Debby Wakley

This book was the first one I ever bought to support the start of my polymer clay journey 4 years ago. It was an excellent choice and remains my ‘go to’ book whenever I need a bit of inspiration or a piece of quick information. The main premise of the book is to guide the reader through the numerous techniques that can be applied to polymer clay. It was this that was such a revelation to me when starting out and I realised I had found a medium that would just keep on giving. As it says on the front cover, it is a directory of mixes, colours, textures, faux finishes and surface effects. The effects included are texture, inclusions, printing, caning, patterns, mosaic and embellishments.The book begins by giving a brief overview of basic skills, colour mixing and finishing. This is followed by the directory of effects which follows a similar format throughout the book. Each well laid out chapter gives information and materials list and shows how to achieve the technique using excellent photos and easy to follow instructions. I like the fact that it is not too wordy. This is followed by tile samples showing and explaining variations of the main technique. Every chapter finishes with a gallery of polymer clay artists’ work, showcasing how they have used the different techniques shown, within their work. The author, Marie Segal is a professional artist and has been working with polymer clay for over 30 years. She helped to develop Premo clay so her knowledge of the medium is excellent.The book was a constant source of inspiration for me during a recent project I took part in where I committed to producing a tile a day for 100 days. My goal was to utilise as many techniques as I could and put them together into a large finished wall piece (see below). Although I chose to produce many of the techniques as tiles in this instance, every idea can be used to produce stunning jewellery or sculpture as is show in the ‘Artists at Work’ sections throughout the book.This book is suitable for anyone just starting out on their polymer journey or for those to want extend their creative horizons. I think it is easy to navigate and totally inspiring. If I could only keep one polymer clay book on a desert island, it would have to be this one.

​

published in 2013

review by Jane Cox 

Reviewed by Tracey Jones

I cannot remember how I came to own this book, possibly given to me
as a gift or a charity shop find anyway, it really is a useful guide into
various ways of using polymer clay. I would say it is very good for the
beginner and also a good reference book too.

It starts by giving you a bit of an insight into the different clays, useful for
the beginner, also how to mix the clay to get the desired colour.
Tools, baking and storing of the clay is explained and this again if you
are new to this medium all very useful information.
Very clear pictures showing some different materials that can give you
textures on your clay. Information on inclusions including mica powders,
embossing powders, crayon shavings to name but a few.
Although I have been playing with clay for the best part of 10 years now
this book is still one I go to just to give me a little inspiration when my
‘mojo’ is a bit down, we all know it happens now and then.
There is a great part about simple cane making which to me really brings
you back to the basics and allows you to start again so to speak and
realise that this wonderful medium does have so many capabilities but
can give some beautiful results with pretty simple techniques.
I especially like the projects shown as they are clear and precise plus a
good variety to choose from all showing different techniques, simple but
effective.
I believe it was published in 2000 so close to 20 years old but the
information and techniques are still very relevant.
For me this is one book I will not be letting go for some time to come.

Publish in 2012

​

 I first met Bettina at the inaugural Polymania, her work really inspired me, her use of colour and textures igniting my passion for textures in a big way. So when I found out she had a book on bracelets I just had to buy it. What do I think of it? I love it, a fabulous book, project based, lots of transferable techniques.

So let me break it down, it’s a clear concise book, not a beginners book, you need to have some existing skills to make some of these projects work well. It’s written in German and English with step by step instructions, they are thoughtfully composed to give you exacting instruction that enable you to follow the projects clearly.

The fore section explains about polymer clay, the tools, material and the basic techniques you need to understand for the projects, importantly you are guided through building a bracelet blank which is important to the following projects.

There are 10 projects broken down into 4 sub sections covering bangles, stretch tile bracelets, cuffs and a hinged magnetic bracelet.

The instructions are accompanied by beautiful step by step pictures that demonstrate the stages for each project. In fact the photography and imagery is a work of art in itself.

You get to understand the construction process, templates are provided so you can follow exactly as instructed but then Bettina goes into detail on the use of blends, creating textures, using surface techniques that give each project its unique look. Each project is packed with tips and tricks to ensure success. These skills are all transferable to other projects. 

Reviewed by Debby Wakely

Published 2006

This book is about using quilt patterns to make polymer clay millefiori canes. It starts of with some basic information about polymer clay and tools. There is a chapter about colour and colour schemes to help you plan your polymer clay quilt block patterns.

There is a very helpful chapter on the elements of caning. It talks about the basic shapes you would use to build up a cane and how to form them, reducing canes and so important elements to consider when building canes.

There are 9 different quilt patterns detailed in the book with instructions about how to prepare the clay, how to assemble the cane and some ideas for variation. They start of with very easy canes that anyone could assemble and move on to some much more complex canes. They do use extruders to create regular diamond and triangle starting blocks.

There is a section about other types of cane that might represent fabrics with brief instructions to make a floral cane and a linoleum cane. There is a section on using the canes with some brief instructions on decorating a sewing kit. At the back there is a chapter about making the miniature textile shop shown on the back cover and some inspirational images from a range of different polymer artists.

I would say this is quite a niche book – if you are interested in making quilt pattern canes you will love it! You will pick up some interesting tips and ideas for making canes in general even if you don’t want to make quilt patterns but it isn’t a book for someone who doesn’t like to make canes.

Reviewed by Cara Jane Hayman

What I like most about this book is how different it is from all the other polymer clay books I have. Grant uses some different tools like a simple lathe and I am sure there are projects in this book that I will never attempt because I don’t have the right equipment but there are many projects I can still tackle with ordinary polymer clay tools. Grant also makes a lot of little tools of his own which are simple but effective and quite frankly I think the man is a genius! The book contains a wealth of information and inspiration. It starts of with the basics as most books do. Then there is good detailed information about making your own texture plates in several different ways. Grant uses a lot of texture and has developed some clever ways to put texture onto beads without distorting the bead shape or having to join seems, these are of course shared in a later chapter on textured beads.There is a great chapter on using mica clay and some really in-depth information to help you make the most of the special properties of mica clay. He shows how to make some different patterned blocks as well a ghost image technique which most of you probably know as mica shift.There are chapters on hand formed beads, lathe turned beads (he talks about a simple set up with a drill with an adapter), recursive moulded beads, moulded hollow form beads, mandrel formed pillow beads (which uses a metal necklace mandrel but I am sure you could get inventive to find something else to shape on). The book finishes with a gallery of inspiration from some of the best polymer artists.This book may not be for everyone – the techniques and jewellery are perhaps a little more engineering based or masculine than many of the other books available but if you are looking for something a bit different with some clever solutions it’s great a great book!

​

Book Review 

by Cara Jane Hayman.

Published 2007

Fascinating techniques & creative inspiration

A collective venture by Sage Bray

Published 2018

Organic is the first in a series of project-based books from Tenth Muse who also publish the Polymer Journeys books and The Polymer Arts and The Polymer Studio magazines. The in-depth tutorials explore a wide range of organically inspired textures and forms and are geared for a mix of skill levels from the acquainted novice to the experienced artisan. It includes 16 tutorials by world-renowned artists Donna Greenberg, Christi Friesen, Eva Hašková, Anke Humpert, Debbie Crothers, Kim Cavender, Stephanie Kilgast, Chris Kapono, Staci Louise Smith, Nevenka Sabo, Adriana Allen, Fabiola Perez, Rebecca Thickbroom, Klavdija Kurent, Sage Bray and Dani Rapinett. The book is nicely presented with lots of clear step by step information and pictures and lots of inspirational images of finished projects and variations. As the tutorials are all by different people, they encompass a wide range of styles and techniques – there is something to appeal to everyone! There are sculpting projects, mokume gane projects, jewellery projects, home décor projects, mixed media projects and even some organic cane work. I haven’t had time to try out any of the projects yet but I have greatly enjoyed reading this book and I know when I do come to use it I will learn a lot of new skills and pick up lots of new tips! My personal polymer clay work tends to be geometric cane work so organic isn’t something I have much experience with but having seen the projects in this book I am inspired to explore organic! You can purchase this book in digital or print format from - https://tenthmusearts.com/ 

Reviewed by Cara Jane Hayman

I cannot remember how I came to own this book, possibly given to me
as a gift or a charity shop find anyway, it really is a useful guide into
various ways of using polymer clay. I would say it is very good for the
beginner and also a good reference book too.

It starts by giving you a bit of an insight into the different clays, useful for
the beginner, also how to mix the clay to get the desired colour.
Tools, baking and storing of the clay is explained and this again if you
are new to this medium all very useful information.
Very clear pictures showing some different materials that can give you
textures on your clay. Information on inclusions including mica powders,
embossing powders, crayon shavings to name but a few.
Although I have been playing with clay for the best part of 10 years now
this book is still one I go to just to give me a little inspiration when my
‘mojo’ is a bit down, we all know it happens now and then.
There is a great part about simple cane making which to me really brings
you back to the basics and allows you to start again so to speak and
realise that this wonderful medium does have so many capabilities but
can give some beautiful results with pretty simple techniques.
I especially like the projects shown as they are clear and precise plus a
good variety to choose from all showing different techniques, simple but
effective.
I believe it was published in 2000 so close to 20 years old but the
information and techniques are still very relevant.
For me this is one book I will not be letting go for some time to come.

​

Reviewed by Tracey Jones
 

Although this book was published in 1991, I only discovered it recently. It was quite a revelation. It is probably the first book devoted to Polymer Clay; the name of this “new clay” hadn’t even been settled by then.

The first chapters cover Basics and Tools, much as later books, but the excellent Chapters 4 and 5 treat Color and Design in a depth that few general Polymer Clay books do.

The following chapters cover Basic Shapes, The Cane and Loaf (I don’t think we use that term now), Surface Treatments, Collage, Sculpture, Findings and Additional Applications. A most interesting final chapter, About Plastics and Hazards, explains the chemistry of Polymer Clay.

There are no projects in The New Clay, but a huge amount of guidance and number of design ideas. It is particularly strong on sculpting figures, and making face canes.

I think this book is worth owning for several reasons:

It was written before such techniques as the Skinner Blend, the Sutton Slice, and the use of an extruder were part of the Polymer Clay Artists’ repertoire. As a result, many of the techniques included in this book have been almost forgotten. I was particularly interested in the Candy Cane, and in the way shading was used before the Skinner Blend.

The work of 40 Polymer Clay artists is included in the book. Many of them – Kathleen Dustin, Ford and Forlano, Tory Hughes, Lindly Haunani, Maria Segal, and Sarah Shriver, are still well known and respected today. However, most of the rest seem to have disappeared from the scene. I was particularly impressed by the work of Jamey D Allen, Pier Voulkos and Kathleen Amt, whose careers seem to have taken them in different directions.

Sculpey Premo did not exist. Those artists working with Sculpey used Sculpey III, but because it was so soft, often combined it with Fimo.

We have come a long way since this book was written, but as a glimpse into the past, and as a different source of inspiration, it would be a useful addition to a Polymer Clay library. It is now out of print, but there are many cheap second hand copies for sale on the web.

Reviewed by Enid Winder

About the Author.

Moisés Espino is a story teller, creature fantasy sculptor and artist living and teaching in Spain. He brings his characters to life with Polymer Clay and mixed media, as well as in the wonderful and magical stories that accompany them.

Why this book?

I love creating posable fantasy dolls, but I found that there aren’t many resources available that teach the techniques required to make one. There are only a small handful of books on the market and Moisés e-book is a must-have resource in any collection, as it answers many of the “How on earth do they do that??” questions, as well as taking us on an amusing adventure into the goblin world.

Containing 93 pages with detailed instructions and over 300 step by step photos, this book is perfect for the beginner and experienced artist alike.

Moisés spent many hours creating his wonderful book in Spanish, (even having to restart the project at one point when his computer crashed), but he finished his wonderful book and still took the time to translate it into English for us all to enjoy.

Contents

Moisés takes the reader on a creative journey with his book.

He starts by introducing the reader to the goblin world, goes through all the materials required and then takes us step by step through the process of sculpting all the bits required (head, ears, hands feet), building and assembling the armature, painting your character, creating their wardrobe and dressing them.

The book flows really well from one chapter to the next, taking us on a progressive journey, without the need to flick backwards and forwards between chapters.

In conclusion:

This book is easy to follow with its detailed images and simple instructions and puts you at ease when attempting to sculpt your first (and subsequent) characters.

This is a must-have book for all those interested in bringing their own characters to life, and helped me to create a recent commission of a Viking doll, which was very well received by his new owner.

Where to Purchase and links to the artist:

Although not available in printed form, Moisés’ book can be purchased as PDF e-book from his Etsy store:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/GoblinsLab

His work can also be found on his Facebook page, Blog site and Deviant Art page:

https://www.facebook.com/Goblinslab/

http://thegoblinslab.blogspot.com/

https://www.deviantart.com/goblinslab

Pop on over to The Goblins Lab, and be prepared to be amazed, amused an inspired…

​

Reviewed by Heather Roberston

Like a lot of you, I have quite a few polymer clay books now, so trying to choose which one to review could have taken a while. So, I decided to make it easy for myself, and write about my first ever Polymer Clay book.

I had just met Ange Smith, and she had shown me an amazing Polymer Clay book, (Polymer Clay Creative Traditions by Judy Belcher). I rushed straight home and bought it off Amazon (other retailers are available). Loved it immediately. Showed it to Ange next time we met, who said, “err, that isn’t the same book”. But do you know what, I am very glad I made that mistake, because for me, this book was brilliant for a beginner, and someone like me, who was drawn to cane work right from the start.

The book features over 40 projects and ideas, but starts with an overall introduction and runs through all the tools you need. Perfect for a beginner.

It then moves onto the basic techniques, marbling and the Skinner Blend, before giving useful suggestions for a colour palette. Only a page on each, but enough to give you what you need.

The next section deals with simple canes, again not a lot of written information, but for someone who wants an insight into initial cane work, it includes all the basic canes you will need, such things as ribbon, leaf, star, crackle, spiral, rose and stripe canes.

Then come the projects, all simple, all well explained, no overload of information and words, but enough that you know what to do and when. Each project uses different techniques, and I must admit, having not looked at this book in a while, when you look at it again, you realise there really are some good projects in here.

But I think for me it was the colours in this book, and to be honest the colours of the polymer clay that initially attracted me and have kept me hooked on the medium since.

So, in summary, this is a simple techniques book, with basic instructions, good quality pictures, and some really fun projects to make. I would recommend it for both beginners and those who want to improve on their basic cane work skills and get some good project ideas.

First published in 2005 it certainly is not a new book, and may not be easy to get hold of, although I have just found it for sale (used copy for only a couple of pounds) but I definitely think it is one that has stood the test of time.

P.S. Needless to say I immediately purchased the Judy Belcher book too, and so began my Polymer Clay Library...……

​

Reviewed by Fiona Able-Smith

I have a large collection of polymer clay books but this book, which was one of my first polymer clay books, is still one of my favourites. It’s the book that comes off my book shelf most often. It’s crammed full of inspiration for people interested in making canes. It’s not just Donna’s beautiful work, there are photos of other artists work for inspiration.

It starts like most polymer clay books with a general introduction to polymer clay, how to work with it, store it, cure it and useful tools. There are lots of great little tips in this section and it’s well worth a read even to people who have some experience with polymer clay already.

There is a useful section on colour which has some information about mixing colours including how to make a muted palette and some advice about how to find a perfect colour match. There is some information and examples of different types of colour palettes and a page about contrast which has some great visual examples of how you can use contrast to enhance your canes.

The bulk of the book is instructions to make a wide range of different canes and how to work with them. Starting with simple striped canes as well as more complex canes like butterflies, flowers and face canes. For many canes there is a corresponding project to make something using the cane including brooches, pendants, beads and rings. These projects use the canes in different ways allowing you to gain many different skills.

The bit of the book that I have found most useful is the parts about Skinner blends. Donna has instructions for making the blends but also reshaping them and using them in different ways. I love how she uses Skinner blend plugs to be an efficient way to recycle partly used Skinner blends, change their width and store them.

It’s 10 years old this year but doesn’t feel dated and I’d highly recommend it to anyone interested in working with polymer clay.

Reviewed by Cara Jane Hayman - this book was also reviewed by Phillipa Todd if you scroll back through the pages .

About the Author.

Sue Heaser has worked professionally as a writer for over 20 years and is the author of 15 major craft books as well as a growing list of eBooks that are available world wide. She specialises in polymer clay, metal clay, jewellery making and miniatures.

Why this book?

My first encounter with polymer clay was through articles written by Sue Heaser for the Bead Society newsletter and this book, first published in 1997, was the first book I acquired for my polymer clay library. I thought this would be a good opportunity to take a look back at a book which still influences some of my work now.

In the beginning.

The book starts with an introduction to the clays available at the time (namely Fimo, Sculpey III and Cernit) and details of the basic equipment required. The book then goes on to basic techniques for conditioning and working with the clay, mixing and marbling colours and baking. This is followed by a detailed section on jewellery findings and jewellery assembly techniques.

The projects.

The projects are divided into seven sections: Beads, Flowers & Fruit, Animal Jewellery, Novelty Brooches, Metallic Effects, Appliqué and Mosaic and Buttons. All of the projects feature Sue’s step by step illustrations to ensure successful completion and include hints and tips for variations. My personal favourites of these are the animal jewellery section featuring cute designs for cats, pigs, owls, penguins and rabbits, and the Metallic Effects section which makes use of metallic powders to add a touch of bling to dragons, fairy tale castles, celtic knots and much more.

In conclusion.

With its’ achievable projects and detailed information on jewellery making techniques, I still feel that this book is an excellent introduction to the joy of creating jewellery from polymer clay. Indeed with the different clays that are now available it could be a good time to revisit some of the more delicate projects such as the fuchsia earrings or the rose corsage.

Where to purchase.

Although now out of print, second hand copies are available from Amazon and some of the projects are now included in an e-book Polymer Clay Jewellery for Beginners: Book 2 Simple Sculpting – Animals and Birds.

​

Reviewed by Ange Smith

About the Author: Stacey Morgan is a designer, professional crafter, writer and teacher. At the age of nineteen, she started her own business, Tender Heart Originals. Stacey is a member of the National Polymer Clay Guild.

Initial Opinions: Having a love for all things whimsical and loving seasonal influences, this book screamed at me to buy it. The front page boasts some specific pictures of what you will be taught to make, but in no way shape or means, is that it.

Introduction: The first area of the book, like many others, goes through the basics. Now even the most talented and experienced clayer should always read the introduction section, where it explains how to get started – sometimes to remind ourselves by going back to basics, but also due to the fact that the author is giving hints and tips in here from their own personal experience, which may not be known already! This was the case for me in this book when Stacey goes through each different type of glue and how it can be used with the use of clay effectively. I found this very helpful.

Basics: We then progress to how to make the basic elements of the projects that are going to be taught in the book, which included at the end information about basic skinner blends. Some detailed pictures are used here, so you don’t have to understand what she is trying to describe, but can see it for yourself!

Main Content: The book is split into the four seasons, with a minimum of 5 projects in each section. All of the projects have a similar cuteness to them, but do vary from figures to wearable art. Each project starts out with a picture of what the finished article should look like. It gives a list of the tools required to complete the project and tips at the beginning of how to overcome any pre-thought obstacles you may encounter. Overall, I found this part very informative to read, prior to setting out on completing the project.

The step-by-step instructions are clear with detailed pictures as you go. She teaches a variety of skills throughout the book, so do not be deceived if you aren’t interested in figures, in thinking that you won’t gain some knowledge from it. It covers specific projects which include:

• Cane making

• Texturing clay

• How to adapt things at home to make tools

• Mokume Gane

• Inclusions in clay

• Fabric with clay

• 3D pictures with clay

• Incorporating Gold Leaf in clay

The main thing to remember in this book is that it was published in 2001 and therefore, a lot of the techniques were newer then. It was approx. 17 years ago, how knowledgeable were you about polymer clay back then? We have all learnt a lot.

Conclusion: Overall, I found this book fun and full of great inspiration. It does have the same feel with each character, which I love. The faces are cute, happy and full of character. I love the pictured, step by step basics, on this and I think anyone from beginner to expert could follow it easily, without feeling unsure at all.

Where to purchase: As it was first published 17 years ago, its availability is limited. However, I have seen second hand copies available on Amazon for less than £5 including postage which is a BARGAIN: Making Gifts in Polymer Clay .

For those of you who are eBay lovers, unfortunately, they tend to stick to American sellers as this was an American published book and tend to be more expensive.

reviewed by Shelley Wylie

No longer available new from Amazon UK but available from other sellers (though Amazon) or other sources.

Publishers description 

Polymer clay expert Marie Segal provides advice on: tools and supplies; how to set up a workspace; which heat sources to use; techniques such as millefiore and mokune gane (Japanese metal layering); glazing, faux finishing, and how to add embossing powders, glitter, inks, herbs and flowers.

Guild review 

After a short section on materials and techniques you move on to the 11 projects these include a range of decorative household objects, and a variety of jewellery. This nice book covers a diversity of skills and techniques and would make a nice addition to your library.

Review by Philippa Todd

Publisher's description 

Polymer Five is a casual consortium formed by five artists located in and around the San Francisco Bay Area in 1992: Pier Voulkos, Martha Breen (Urban Tribe), Michael and Ruth Anne Grove (Grove and Grove) and Jamey D. Allen. We five have been working with polymer clay for a number of years, and are among the main proponents of this not-quite-accepted and avant garde art form in the West. With the publication of Nan Roche's fabulous book, The New Clay, the polymer clays have quickly gained ground, respectability and popularity. When you see Pier Voulkos' wonderful necklaces, Martha Breen's unbelievably detailed clocks, Ruth Anne Grove's graceful dancing figures, Michael Grove's delightfully imaginative "Not-a-Vessel" vessels, and Jamey Allen's folded beads (a reincarnation from the past), you'll understand why their work has been an inspiration to so many.

Guild review 

This book does not contain any projects it is just a fascinating insight into the thoughts and inspirations of five different artists. This slim book contains many inspirational photographs.

Review by Philippa Todd

Publisher's description 

Polymer clay is one of the most popular and versatile mediums available to crafters, lending itself to a variety of applications ranging from decorative boxes, mosaics and miniature models to beads, buttons and jewellery. This comprehensive book features step-by-step instruction in over 50 techniques, including exciting ways to work with new materials such as liquid and metal clays. Large, clear photographs demonstrate basic skills such as rolling, colour mixing, marbling, and baking, progressing to more challenging methods of shaping, moulding, and sculpting clay to make a wide range of projects. Create intricate patterns using millefiori techniques; embellish your work with metallic powders, gold leaf, stamps, and paint; choose from dozens of recipes for creating faux effects such as jade, amber, lapis lazuli, turquoise, antiqued metal, and mokume gane. All tools and techniques are clearly explained, and a gallery of work by internationally renowned polymer clay artists demonstrates what can be achieved and provides inspiration for your own work.

Guild review 

This book should be on every polymer clay users bookshelf – it covers a host of techniques, skills and projects. Thoroughly recommended.

Review by Philippa Todd

Publisher's description 

These 24 bright, fun cards and 6 matching tags are guaranteed to bring a smile to all who receive them. Filled with ideas and to inspire people of all ages and abilities.

Guild review 

After a short section covering materials, tools and techniques the moves into a whole rage of projects covering a diversity of events. The instructions are clear and well illustrated and the designs are suitable for any and all levels of ability. If you are interested in making cards this book should be on your bookshelf.

Review by Philippa Todd

No longer available new from Amazon UK but available from other sellers (though Amazon) or other sources.

Publishers description

This book presents step-by-step instructions on creating seven kinds of flowers to decorate picture frames, jewellery, and hair accessories.

Guild review 

Whilst smaller than real life the flowers in this book are not small enough to suit a dolls house (although it would be easy to amend the instructions in order to make 1//12th scale flowers) so do not be mislead by the word miniature. Detailed step by step instructions are given to make roses, dogwood, daisies, cherry blossoms, pansies, daffodils and last but not least irises. Different ways of displaying the finished flowers are covered. This book is an excellent introduction into making flowers from polymer clay.

Review by Philippa Todd

No longer available new from Amazon UK but available from other sellers (though Amazon) or other sources.

Publisher's description 

Polymer clay's versatility allows it to be combined with almost any other craft. Using this book, readers will learn how to make great projects using polymer clay and other craft materials and techniques. Lisa Pavelka divides the book into popular craft areas, with special polymer clay techniques featured throughout, including the definitive step-by-step guide to millefori caning, foiling, hand-tinted image transfer, sculpting, stamping, wire sculpting, and mosaics. Step-by-step projects include ornament cards, photo albums, flower pots, switch plates, and magnets. Also included is an idea gallery to provide inspiration and ideas for fantastic results.

About the Author

Lisa Pavelka has worked professionally with polymer clay for over thirteen years. She is the president of the Las Vegas Polymer Clay Guild.

Guild review 

I like this book, it covers a whole range of techniques, skills and projects and there is bound to be something within it that appeals to your taste. The projects are clearly explained with photographs and text for each stage. An excellent addition to your library.

Review by Philippa Todd

Publisher's description 

October vessels, purses, clocks, pots, furniture...Polymer clay can be used for much more than beads and dolls! Now, artists and crafters can learn how to unleash polymer clay's functional side with this comprehensive guide. Besides covering the basics, like tools and supplies, author and artist Jacqueline Gikow teaches readers in-depth techniques for making pinch pots, bowls, coiled containers, and crocheted objects. Chapters on covering existing containers, mould-making for vessels, free-form vessels, and constructed containers each include projects that reinforce the principles explored.

Features: More than 20 inspiring projects, including a book cover, puppet, and lamp; Covers a wide array of techniques and creative approaches; Includes pieces by some of the world's best-known polymer clay artists.

Guild review 

It is a mystery to me why they should chooses a monochromatic item to be the cover illustration for a book on polymer clay; it is such a colourful medium. It would be a shame if it put people off buying this excellent book, because the projects inside are superb (and colourful). The book is about making functional and decorative items and contains projects written by various artists, including one by guild member Hetty Scott. Those of you have wondered how she made her superb little bottles can now find out, and even make one for yourself.

Following the introduction there are sections on the basics working with polymer clay, tools and equipment. The next section covers the techniques used in constructing vessels and the final section covers how to apply the techniques learnt. The projects are varied, well written and easy to follow. There are plenty of illustrations and lots of photographs of completed works, you could not fail to gain inspiration from this book and I could not recommend it more highly.

Review by Philippa Todd

Publisher's description 

This award-winning polymer clay artist and author gives readers a guide to memorable, unique gifts that don't require time-consuming effort. Quick & Easy Gifts in Polymer Clay offers: 25 step-by-step projects rated by time, allowing crafters to easily find a project that fits their schedule A wide variety of gift ideas, from home decor and jewellery to bookmarks and address books Special sections filled with tips & suggestions from some of the best and brightest artists working in polymer clay A helpful "getting started" introduction to polymer clay With the tips in Quick & Easy Gifts in Polymer Clay, one day is all the time crafters need to create the perfect present.

About the Author 

Lisa Pavelka's first book, Polymer Clay Extravaganza, received a craft award. She is also the author of Elegant Gifts in Polymer Clay.

Guild review 

This is the second book by American author Lisa Pavelka. Her first book was the very successful Polymer Clay Extravaganza. Not unreasonably the projects reflect American taste – they seem to favour “big” jewellery, although there is plenty to interest the British maker.

As the name implies, "Quick & Easy Gifts in Polymer Clay" offers 25 step-by-step projects rated by time, allowing crafters to easily find a project that fits their schedule. The projects on offer cover a wide variety of gift ideas, from home decor and jewellery to bookmarks and address books. There is a helpful "getting started" introduction to polymer clay and like all the North light Polymer clay books it is beautifully photographed and well presented.

This book should appeal to jewellery makers, and those interested in using polymer clay in home décor.
The book covers a whole range of techniques and it is an eye-opener to me (predominately a miniaturist) to see how far the medium is being taken. This book would make a nice addition to your collection.

Review by Philippa Todd

Publisher's description: 

A breath-taking selection of art and artists at the cutting edge of a modern renaissance in polymer clay.

Guild review: 

This inspirational book does exactly as it says on the cover (to coin a phrase); it is a collection of 400 different colourful, contemporary works all made from polymer clay. Only a handful of European artists are featured, including guild member Hetty Scott, the rest are Americans. This is an inspirational book; it is amazing how far artists are taking the medium of polymer clay. Even if your interest is miniatures or beads I would still recommend you buy this book, it is just wonderful.

Review by Philippa Todd

Publisher's description 

Filled with new and exciting ideas for classic, stylish and fun cards, this fresh and practical series shows how to create innovative designs for all occasions. Each book concentrates on a different technique, illustrating how to decorate, embellish and enhance blank cards in many different ways. Step-by-step photographs and patterns, together with easy-to-follow instructions teach all the essential skills involved, encouraging beginners, and more experienced artists, to make their own original designs. A fun-filled, practical and inspiring series offering a range of designs that will appeal to anyone wanting to send someone special something special. This fun-filled book includes a range of original designs for all occasions and seasons. Candida Woolhouse shows how easy it is to create a variety of miniature clay models and to make three-dimensional scenes, pictures and objects. The techniques are simple and will amuse the whole family.

Guild review 

This slim volume (only 48 pages) covers arrange of cards suitable for a variety of tastes. Polymer clay is an excellent material to make cards from and this book is an excellent introduction.

Review by Philippa Todd

No longer available new from Amazon UK but available from other sellers (though Amazon) or other sources.

Publisher's description 

This guide includes everything you need to create more than 50 stunning clay objects in an hour or less. Popular crafter and author Sue Heaser shows you how to make a variety of clay crafts including faux jade pendant, mosaic barrette, bookworm bookmark, fridge magnets, stamped cards and more. You’ll also find complete step by step instructions, full colour photographs and Sue’s best tips and tricks for crafters of all skill levels.

Guide review 

This is another lovely polymer clay book by Sue Heaser, covering speedy techniques and projects for crafters in a hurry. The first section of the book covers all the materials and equipment required, and the techniques used to make all the projects. The subsequent chapters cover jewellery, miniatures, toys and games, accessories for the home, and celebrations. There is a range of different projects within each chapter, with something to suit everyone’s taste.

As with all Sue’s North Light Books this book is beautifully illustrated, the instructions clear and comprehensive and wonderfully presented. This book is suitable for the beginner, and would be an excellent introduction to the joys of Polymer clay as it covers such a wide range of interests. Those experienced with using Polymer clay would also find a lot to enjoy and make within the book and I would recommend it to anyone.

Review by Philippa

No longer available new from Amazon UK but available from other sellers (though Amazon) or other sources.

Publisher's description 

Discover the wealth of creative possibilities that versatile and colourful polymer clay has to offer. Here are the techniques you need to create oven-clay projects: buttons, beads, jewellery, figurines, boxes, mosaics and frames.

Guild review 

This book covers over 50 techniques and a host of different applications for polymer clay. The projects described are varied and there will be something in this book to suit every ones taste. A book that covers the different techniques that can be used with polymer clay will make a valuable addition to anyone’s bookshelf. Sue’s later book “The art and craft of polymer clay” is more up to date and may be the better buy.

Review by Philippa Todd

No longer available new from Amazon UK but available from other sellers (though Amazon) or other sources.

Publisher's description 

This volume offers instruction on how to model figures using colourful polymer clay, with an emphasis on human and animal caricatures and characters. The reader can follow step-by-step instructions to create six characters and learn how to add realism with details.

Guild review: 

This slim book provides an excellent introduction to modelling. The characters in the book are all in the “cartoon” style and are a rather bizarre range – a waiter to a rhinoceros dressed as a roman soldier! Each project is described in step by step stages with each step being illustrated with a photograph and text. The skills covered are comprehensive and if your interest is modelling then you will learn a lot from this book.

Review by Philippa Todd

Publisher's description 

Polymer clay has become more and more popular as a craft material in the last 20 years up to 2004 - perhaps because it is so adaptable. With the minimum of equipment and some basic techniques, an array of effects can be achieved. This step-by-step guide includes full instructions for a range of projects, all of which are so simple that they can be made in a day. The colourful projects show a selection of items, from home accessories to gifts for adults and children, from a delicate lattice bowl to a millefiori trinket box or colourful covered pens. Using a variety of techniques, including canework, blending, texturing and filigree, the projects are explained in step-by-step photographs. Special gallery pages illustrate variations on the techniques explored in the projects and provide further inspiration. A comprehensive techniques section covers essential information on materials and equipment as well as explaining in detail essential polymer clay techniques.

Guild review 

The first of Emma’s two books, this book covers a range of techniques and projects and is an excellent introduction to using polymer clay. The perfect present for someone who is new to the hobby or for someone who wishes to start to expand their range of expertise.

Review by Philippa Todd

Publishers description 

"Get Creative with Polymer Clay" is a fantastic new book aimed at crafters with little or no knowledge of working with this wonderful material. It shows you how easy it is to create simple and stylish items. The book contains 17 step-by-step projects, all with clear instructions and photographs and includes useful tips throughout. Each finished item is photographed in full colour and many of the projects include a variation or alternative design idea. Polymer clay is a fabulous craft material - as well as being easy to use it produces a vast array of stunning results. The 17 projects in this book range from jewellery items, such as a faux enamelled bracelet, to gift ideas and gorgeous items for the home, such as the glittery bookmarks and mosaic picture frame. A comprehensive basics section at the beginning gives practical information on tools and materials, as well as all the essential techniques. With its easy-to-follow approach and contemporary design, "Get Creative with Polymer Clay" allows the reader to create fabulous, unique projects for a fraction of the retail cost.

About the Author 

She regularly contributes to polymer clay and other craft magazines. She has her own mail order business supplying items for jewellery making. She lives in Coulsdon, Surrey. She is the author of Step-by-Step Polymer Clay in a Day, also published by New Holland.

Guild review 

The second of Emma’s two books, this book covers a range of techniques and projects and is an excellent introduction to using polymer clay. The perfect present for someone who is new to the hobby.

Review by Philippa Todd

Publisher's description 

The colours, textures, and versatility of polymer clay make it a perfect medium for creating faux surfaces. These 30 recipes for special finishing, shaping, baking, and moulding techniques will magically transform polymer's appearance. This book allows to: craft gorgeous faux gemstones, including tiger eye, jade, or malachite; and fool the eye with imitation metals - pewter, Balinese silver, verdigris copper, even rusted steel. The must-have naturals are here, from bone to leather, or make simulated agate, slate, or marble. You will find information on all the types of polymer clay, from translucent ones to some with mica powder, and learn how to use paints, inks, wax compounds, and confetti to enhance the surface.

Guild review 

This book shows how well polymer clay can imitate natural materials. Each chapter gives detailed instructions on how to create a technique and then a project where the skills learnt can be applied. As well as presenting an inspiring range of techniques it makes an absorbing read, it never ceases to amaze me how far the medium of polymer clay has been taken. An excellent buy.

Review by Philippa Todd

Publisher's description:

Polymer clay gives crafters endless possibilities for making projects ranging from great-looking pieces of colourful jewellery to decorative items for the home and office. Polymer Clay for the Fun of It! lets readers explore the versatility of this medium, with features including: 25 projects, ranging from pendants and earrings to book-ends and paperweights, designed to appeal to both beginners and experienced enthusiasts An informative guide to polymer clay basics, including an extensive techniques section covering canes and striped sheets An inspiring gallery of work from the author and other polymer clay artists Polymer Clay for the Fun of it is a fresh, engaging guide to the many possibilities of polymer clay.

Polymer clay artist Kim Cavender has made several appearances on American television and her work has been featured in many craft magazines.

Guild review

This book is well titled – the projects are fun! They are well described and illustrated and will appeal too many. There is enough her to interest the experienced maker, but nothing so daunting as to discourage the beginner. If you fancy trying a variety of skills and projects then this is the book for you.

Review by Philippa Todd

Publisher's description: 

When "The Art Of Polymer Clay" first appeared in 1997, polymer clay was undergoing a revival, but its full creative potential had yet to be explored. Author and artist Donna Kato helped change all that by introducing crafters to the vast range of polymer clay techniques, from millefiori to imitative to sculpture. With over 70,000 copies sold of the previous edition, and a growing legion of fans, Donna Kato has proven just how accessible and rewarding it is to work in this medium. Available in a tremendous array of colours and easily cured by baking in a home oven, anyone can create a variety of beautiful items. Today millions of people enjoy creating with exciting, easy-to-use polymer clay. It is now in a new format at an affordable new price. Updated information on clays, tools and supplies, conditioning and safety make this the definitive book in the field and one that everyone can afford to buy and enjoy.

About the author 

Donna Kato is known for her technical innovation with polymer clay and for her talent for presenting ideas in a clear and compelling manner, a frequent contributor to magazines and journals; she has participated in many gallery shows, including the Masters Invitational Polymer Clay Show.

Guild review 

This excellent book should be in every polymer clay users library. The new edition has been updated but the techniques sections remain the same and are just as relevant. The techniques covered are millefiori, surface treatments, making and using moulds, imitative techniques, vessels, floral forms and figurines and sculpture. This book is both inspirational and informative and should be on your wish list if you do not already own it.

Review by Philippa Todd

Publisher's description:

A guide to learning a variety of simple techniques for creating clay patterns, along with 48 projects for items such as bracelets and brooches.

Guild review:

Following the introduction the book continues with a section covering the basics of using polymer clay and jewellery making techniques. A variety of designers have contributed the subsequent projects. Each project covers a different technique and the instructions are illustrated with drawings and a photograph of the completed piece.

Whilst the book covers a range of items most are fairly simple; making this an ideal book for the beginner.

Review by Philippa Todd

No longer available new from Amazon UK but available from other sellers (though Amazon) or other sources.

Publisher's description

Polymer clay is a versatile, inexpensive substance that can be used to create works of art ranging from beads and dolls, to sculptures. This book outlines traditional, fundamental design elements and their applications in polymer clay.

Guild review

The book is divided into three sections; the first covers “understanding polymer clay” the second “creativity” and the third much longer section covers “elements and principles of design”. Polymer clay is such a colourful medium that it leads itself to discussions on design and this book provides plenty of inspiration. The design section does include some projects but the main focus of the book is to provide stimulation and this it certainly does. There are many photographs and techniques all of which will inspire you to try new techniques and directions in your work.

Review by Philippa Todd

No longer available new from Amazon UK but available from other sellers (though Amazon) or other sources.

Publishers description:

Here are 19 ways to take polymer clay a step further, into the realm of home decor, with projects for living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, holiday parties, bedrooms and more. Projects include: Tassel curtain tiebacks An Art Nouveau picture frame Lampshades and trinket boxes Candleholders and pearl veneer cutlery Refrigerator magnets and switch plate covers Snowflake and icicle holiday decorations Each project provides a supply list, a list of colours and clays needed, full-colour photos and easy-to-follow instructions. There are also tips for varying colour schemes and designs to suit individual decorating schemes.

Sue Heaser is the author of The Polymer Clay Techniques Book and four other major craft books in the past five years. She gives polymer clay workshops all over the U.S. and has served on the faculty at Ravensdale, a worldwide polymer clay conference. She lives in Norfolk, England.

Guild review:

Having started with sections on materials, tools and techniques the book moves onto a range of projects. These include tassels, lamp shades, clock fronts, notebook covers, bookmarks, pens and pencils. Projects for the dining room include cutlery handles, cruet sets, candle holders, mosaic trivets. The bedroom projects cover photo-frames, trinket boxes and pomanders. The kitchen projects include teapot fridge magnets, beaded covers, and switch plates. The final chapter covers a range of Halloween, and Christmas decorations.

The projects are beautifully explained with step-by-step instructions with clear photographs and illustrations.
This book covers a range of styles and techniques and will be of interest to anyone who wishes to make decorations for their home.

Review by Philippa Todd

Popular tutor and demonstrator Bonnie McGough has introduced many people across the country to the wonders of polymer clay as a creative medium. She has now finally been persuaded to put some of her favourite techniques into her first book, entitled, appropriately enough, the Wonder of Polymer Clay.

Starting with an introduction to the basic tools required, Bonnie moves on to show the novice clayer the basics of conditioning polymer clay and techniques for colour blending with and without the use of a pasta machine.

Bonnie then moves on to millefiore techniques, showing how to create simple flower, leaf, jellyroll and bulls-eye canes and how to combine them to create complex canes and kaleidoscope canes. Projects throughout the book also show us how to create peacock feather canes and butterfly and dragonfly wings among others.

Other techniques covered include mokumé gané, bead shaping, moebius beads and modelling; Bonnie shows us how to create an array of cute animal characters and whimsical angels.

All the projects are accompanied by step by step photos and the book is illustrated throughout with examples of Bonnie’s work and a gallery of work from international and home grown artists.

Throughout the book Bonnie’s obvious enthusiasm for the medium shines through. The book provides a good introduction to the medium for beginners, with plenty to inspire more experienced clayers also, and it is sure to appeal to anyone who has enjoyed one of Bonnie’s workshops.

Review by Angela Smith

Publisher's description: 

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Thousands of crafters have discovered that polymer clay is versatile, easy to use, and just plain fun. Now, with "Polymer Clay Creative Traditions", all crafters can create beautiful and wondrous works of art that blend this exciting medium of today with the great design ideas of the past. "Polymer Clay Creative Traditions" lets both beginners and experienced artisans draw inspiration from painting and drawing, ethnic carving, quilting, ceramics, sculpture, glass, metalwork, and more. Through more than 300 stunning photographs, and fascinating text, author Judy Belcher reveals how these influences can be expressed through ordinary polymer clay. An introduction on the history and handling, plus tips and techniques throughout the book, make "Polymer Clay Creative Traditions" an invaluable sourcebook for all polymer clay crafters.

Judy Belcher has been creating with polymer clay for eight years. She is the president and one of the founding members of the Kanawha Valley Polymer Clay Guild and a member of the National Polymer Clay Guild. She is a Certified Professional Demonstrator and enjoys demonstrating and teaching at trade shows, retail venues and schools.

Guild review: 

This superb book should be on all polymer clay users' bookshelves, disregarding your area of interest or level of expertise. The book covers a range of techniques all of which are explained with clear step by step photographs and precise written explanations. Each technique covered has its own gallery section providing loads of inspiration. Unusually this book is suitable for both the beginner who wishes to learn new techniques and the experienced clayer who wishes to gain inspiration and wishes to take their work onto new and higher levels. As a confirmed miniaturist whose area of expertise is making miniature food I picked up this book and was inspired to try the techniques and skills covered in the book. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Review by Philippa Todd

Guild review:

This charming book gives detailed instructions on how to make a series of life-like animals: a mouse, cotton tail (hare) harp seal, black bear, Basset hound, white-tailed fawn, red fox, bull frog, bluebird, and finally a Siamese kitten.

The book starts with general instructions when using polymer clay and the tools and techniques used to make the animals. Each animal has its own detailed step-by-step instructions, each step illustrated by a photograph and text. The end of the book covers ways to alter the size, pose and finish of the pieces. Katherine is a very skilled modeller and she has passed on her expertise to the benefit of us all.

If your area of interest is modelling this book will be an indispensable part of your library.

Review by Philippa Todd