It seems like such a long time ago that I reviewed my first Christi Friesen book. That was before I met her. That was before I became one of those folks who wouldn't pass up an opportunity to take a class — any class — from her. Christi is probably the best teacher-of-adults I've seen. She manages a classroom full of creatives amazingly. She's generous and encouraging. And her classes are just plain fun.

And because I've gotten to take some of her classes, Christi's latest book was especially enjoyable to me. It's got a mouthful of a title: Flourish: Projects, Techniques, and Creative Nudgings for Polymer Clay and Mixed Media: Book One: Flora: Leaf, Flower and Plant Designs. But you could shorten that title to A Christi Friesen Class in a Book, because that's what it felt like reading it. Her conversational tone in the book meant I could just about hear her chatting away. The pictures of her, sprinkled throughout the book, made it feel like she was right there guiding me as I learned.

Of course, if you've taken any of Christi's classes, you're probably as big a fan as I am. So you've already bought all of her books, including this one. This book review is not for you. This book review is for those of you who are wondering whether this book is worth adding to your library. And here's what I think about that...

The Book

Flora

One of the first things you'll notice about this book is its creative layout. There are drawings, sketches, and scribbles throughout — almost like an artist's sketchbook. The font is large-ish. The text is conversational. It all works together to give the book an informal, creativity-focused approach. Nothing feels sacred. It's all about the ideas. This is not a textbook, but a book full of, as Christi puts it, "creative nudgings." I think that's very effective.

After a brief intro, she directs us to turn to the "Back O' the Book" for materials, basic techniques, resources and other info. It's a nice way to allow those who are so inclined to get right into the projects, especially folks who are already familiar with polymer clay. On my first read of her Back O' the Book section, I was impressed with how concisely and conversationally she incorporated so much information. It might even have all the information a polymer clay beginner would need to get started on these projects, I thought.

But as I read through more of the book, I found that the Back O' the Book wasn't as complete as it needed to be. Christi tells folks to look there for more info on a whole host of things that aren't actually mentioned in the back of the book. For example:

• p. 26 says to see the back of the book for info on reducing canes (but the back of the book just says to Google more info on caning)
• p. 30 says to see the back for carving safety/tricks
• p. 39 says to see the back for covered vessel or wall piece details
• p. 51 says to see the back for info on pins, channels, and hooks
• p. 86 says to see the back for info on pin backs or hanging loops
• p. 90 says to see the back of the book for the difference between metal leaf and metal foil

[Note: Some of the things that were supposed to be in the back of the book may be elsewhere — like the channeling instructions, which I found on p. 79. But without a table of contents, just having it somewhere in the book is not-so-helpful.]

So the Back O' the Book could have been a little more complete. And Christi could use a good copy editor to catch these things. But let's go back to the front.

The main part of the book has sections for various portions of the plant. It starts out with leaves, then moves on to pods, fruits and berries, buds, flowers, and trees. For each of these sections, the pages include photos of real nature specimens, sketches of flora, sketches of jewelry designs incorporating flora, and photos of completed pieces by Christi Friesen and other artists. This format illustrates nicely the idea of an artist's sketchbook, showing the process from inspiration to finished project.

While I liked that she included photos of real plants, I felt like the quality of those photos wasn't always up to par. Some weren't clear in what they were showing. They didn't have a consistent feel, and they didn't always look professional. Not a big deal, especially if it's supposed to feel like a sketchbook, but it's something that could have been better.

And speaking of photos, some of the photos of Christi's work weren't big enough to see the details referred to in the text. Like the Leaf Exhibit on p. 14-15 (I had trouble locating the "added vein of clay and one of tiny pearls" in the top photo and the "teensy bit of clay in each leafy section" in the bottom left). And it was hard to discern the blue edges referred to on the "More Ferny Stuff" photo on page 28.

I did like the way fellow artist's pieces are shown with an "I'm inspired by..." statement. For example, on page 56, for Penni Jo Couch (hey! I know her!), Christi says, "I'm inspired by her delicacy and detail." It helps us focus our attention on something that particular artist does especially well.

The Instructions

I like the pacing of the techniques and projects. For example, she teaches how to make several styles of leaves, then gives us a couple of leaf projects, then throws in some different materials and techniques to inspire our creativity.

The text just kinda flows from one project to the next, and there's no table of contents, so this list of projects is probably not complete. Still, here's an overview of the things covered in Flourish Book One: Flora:

Instructions:

• Leaves: Favorite, Road Kill, Generic, Forest, Mr. Fancy Leaf, Holey-er Than Thou, Round, Water Lily, Fern, Fiddleheads
• Odd Pods
• Berries
• Buds: Shy, Perky, Drama
• Flowers: Groovy, Superstar, Circle Fan, Chorus Line, Pressed, Chrysanthemum, Orchid, Rose, Narcissus
• Trees: two stylized versions

Techniques:

• Canes: leaf, bullseye, flower petals, flower
• Carving Ultralight Sculpey
• Wire working
• Carving a polymer clay reverse stamp
• Mold-making and creative use of molds
• Embellishments such as hot-set crystals, powders, glitter, glaze, etc.
• Faux stone carving
• Faux stained glass
• Sgraffito
• Swellegant / faux metal
• Mosaic

Projects:

• Leaf cluster on top of metal box
• Water lily necklace
• Glazed leaf tiles
• Bead-embellished pod pendant
• Leaf & berry brooch/pendant
• Crysanthemum fan
• Mossy ring
• Tree person sculpture
• Tree mosaic

The instructions are pretty clear. I like the way she uses everyday objects for measurements, telling us to use a clay "wad about the size of a hard-boiled egg yolk" or cut cane slices about as thick as a dime.

There are lots of photos on the project pages, though they don't exactly illustrate every step. Neither the written instructions nor the photos have numbered steps, and the layout of the photos is pretty fluid, so it's occasionally hard to match up the photo with the step it's illustrating. This, plus the fact that some steps aren't pictured, might make the book a little less ideal for a beginner who wants more step-by-step guidance.

My Results

I really had a difficult time deciding which two projects to try, because several of them sounded so fun. I finally settled on the Carved Leaves (p. 22) and the Ferny Leaves (p. 25).

I chose the carved leaves project because I love carving polymer clay, but it had never occurred to me to try carving UltraLight Sculpey. Christi says you can use your linoleum carving tool or a new craft knife blade for this project. I chose to use my lino tool, which claimed to (but didn't) have safety tips and carving tricks in the back of the book. Really, both methods should've had more safety tips — especially for carving the smaller beads. (It dawned on me after my second bandaid that taping the bead to the table with double stick tape would help keep my fingers out of harm's way. It would have been nice if that kind of tip was included.) Still, I loved the results of the carved leaf project, and I found the instructions easy to follow.

After the carved leaves project, I tackled the ferny leaves project, which I chose specifically because I'm a little less comfortable with canes and wire-work. I wanted to see if I could follow her instructions on something I needed more help with. The leaf instructions could have used a little more detail: "Rip the resulting sheet of clay in half. Stack the halves, rip this again and stack again." Which direction should I stack them? Does it matter? (My previous experience with Christi tells me that it probably doesn't, but a beginner might be a little more worried, and there are no pictures to give extra hints.) And she tells us to wrap the cane with a thin sheet of clay, a technique which might not be self-explanatory for a beginner. (She steps out this technique later in the book (p. 65), so just a cross-reference here would have done the trick.) I did feel like she gave me all the instructions I needed to get through the part I was worried about, the wire-working part. I was pleased enough with my results, even though they were a tad sloppy.

Overall, I'd say the instructions that are missing from the back of the book, plus the not-quite-step-by-step photos and instructions on many projects may make this book a tad difficult for a polymer clay first-timer. But I think it has plenty of projects, techniques, and wonderful inspiration for everyone else. This, like that first Christi Friesen book I reviewed long ago, is a book I want to have on my shelf for future reference and inspiration.

Summary

• Title: Flourish: Projects, Techniques, and Creative Nudgings for Polymer Clay and Mixed Media: Book One: Flora: Leaf, Flower and Plant Designs
• Price: $16.35 + shipping
• Pros:
  • The "artist sketchbook" approach is useful for artists learning to go from raw inspiration to finished project.
  • The different leaf and flower instructions make this a handy reference book for any polymer clay library.
  • The wide variety of techniques means there's something in there for just about everyone.
  • This book is the next best thing to actually taking a Christi Friesen class. It's filled with the same kind of fun and inspiration.
• Cons:
  • The Back O' the Book section is missing a fair bit of the info that was supposed to be there.
  • Some photos are unclear or too small to show the details referenced in the text.
  • Polyclay beginners may find themselves a little lost without true step-by-step instructions/photos (and without that missing Back O' the Book stuff).
• Who It's Good For:
  • Christi Friesen fans, obviously.
  • Just about any clayer who already has the basics down will enjoy it thoroughly. Even advanced clayers will likely learn a new trick or two!

I was sad to learn that my favorite local rubber stamp store was going out of business after many years. Admittedly, I hadn't visited much lately, but I'd sent many folks their way... and I just liked knowing they were there. So on their final week, I had hubby watch the kiddos while I shopped their 75% off sale. I was thrilled to get to stock up on some new colors of alcohol inks, and I found some fun new stamps.

I decided to combine those finds to make some pretty autumn leaf pendants in the style of Isabelle Ceramy-Debray's faux enamel from Polymer Clay Beaded Jewellery (reviewed here). My pendants are actually serving multiple purposes here: I'm using them to decorate some autumn gift bags and pillow boxes, after which the recipients can string them onto a necklace of their choice.

Here's what you need to make this project:

Materials Note: Some special effects clays have mica powder pre-mixed into them. While I preferred the results when I brushed Pearl Ex powders onto the clay surface, you could use a special effects clay and skip that step. I show both variations in the picture at the end of this post.

1. 

   Create Reverse Mold from Stamp. Start by choosing a stamp. My preference is deeply cut rubber stamps — not clear acrylic, as they tend to be shallower. For this technique, a stamp with open areas is nice. These open areas are the parts you'll fill with alcohol inks.

   To make a reverse mold of your selected rubber stamp, first mist the rubber stamp with water. Condition a ball of Super Sculpey that's similar to the size of your stamp image. Place the clay ball on your baking surface, then press the stamp evenly and firmly into the clay. If your image isn't quite right, you can just roll the clay back out and try again. Bake your mold for the recommended time.

2. 

   Use Mold to Create Pendant. Condition a small amount of polymer clay. The color of this clay doesn't much matter, since you'll be covering it with Pearl Ex powders. Spritz the baked mold with water and push in your clay, making sure you get the clay fairly flat on the back of the mold. Otherwise, you'll end up with a slope and will have a hard time getting the liquid clay to flow to all the open areas. Extra clay around the edges is fine; you can trim that off with a clay blade after you pop the clay out of the mold.

3. 

   Brush with Powders. After trimming the excess clay, smooth the edges with your fingers. If you'll be using this for a pendant, now's the time to use a straw or needle tool to punch a small hole near the top. Next, use a paintbrush to brush Pearl Ex powders all over the unbaked clay pendant. I tried Aztec Gold, Sunset Gold, and Super Bronze, and liked the latter two best for an autumn effect. (See the labeled photo at the end of this post for results of the different powders.) I also covered the back with powder, but you may choose to texture the back of yours or finish it using a different method. Once you're happy with your pendant, bake it according to the clay manufacturer's instructions.

4. 

   Add Tinted Liquid Clay. Now you're ready for the fun part — tinting your liquid polymer clay with alcohol inks. I usually use a hefty squirt of liquid polymer clay and start with 1-2 drops of alcohol ink. According to what I've read, it's best to let the drops of alcohol ink sit for a few seconds on top of the liquid clay before stirring them in. This apparently lets the alcohol part evaporate off, which helps prevent bubbles. (I've not run my own experiments, but I generally follow this advice.) Alcohol inks come in many beautiful colors, but you can certainly mix them to make your own custom colors as well.

   Before applying your liquid clay mixture to the baked, cooled pendant, use a clean paintbrush to dust off any excess Pearl Ex powders. Use a toothpick to drip your liquid clay mixture into the larger open (recessed) areas of your pendant. Then drag the tip of the toothpick to pull the liquid clay into the smaller open areas. If I'm doing more than one color of liquid polymer clay for a pendant, I prefer to cure between colors; otherwise it's too easy for the colors to bleed together.

5. 

   Heat Emboss Liquid Clay. Cure the liquid polymer clay according to the manufacturer's instructions. I usually remove my piece from the oven after its recommended cure time, and hit it as soon as possible with the heat embossing gun. Keep the heat gun about an inch away from the piece, moving it around constantly to prevent any single spot from burning. I like to keep my piece angled towards the light so I can tell when the surface appearance starts to change. The liquid clay first starts to look dull and a little white-ish, then it changes to a clear glass-like finish.

   

   Add your finished pendant to a pretty package for a lovely hostess gift, or string it onto a ribbon or cord for a beautiful necklace. I used my Silhouette Cameo to make some textured cardstock into a pretty pillow box.

   

   Here are the results from some of the different products I tried:

   • Main top pendant (attached to pillow box): Sunset Gold Pearl Ex powder on tan polymer clay; mixture of Cranberry, Santa Fe, and Red Pepper alcohol inks
   • Large pendant, left: Super Bronze Pearl Ex powder on tan polymer clay; mixture of Terra Cotta and Tangerine alcohol inks
   • Large pendant, right: Aztec Gold Pearl Ex powder on tan polymer clay; mixture of Terra Cotta and Tangerine alcohol inks
   • Small pendant, left: Gold Pardo Jewellery Clay with no additional mica powders; mixture of Cranberry, Santa Fe, and Red Pepper alcohol inks
   • Small pendant, second from left: Antique Gold Premo with no additional mica powders; mixture of Lemonade, Butterscotch, Terra Cotta and Tangerine alcohol inks
   • Small pendant, second from right: 18K Gold Premo with no additional mica powders; Terra Cotta and Tangerine alcohol inks
   • Small pendant, right: Tiger's Eye Pardo Jewellery Clay with no additional mica powders; mixture of Lemonade and Butterscotch alcohol inks

   I'm not sure how much it shows up in the photo, but I personally didn't think the metallic clays had the same appeal as the Pearl Ex-covered clay. Still, if you were making a big batch of these, it might be worth it to you to skip that extra step. I also found that the light-colored liquid clay mixtures really disappeared on a dark background. Still pretty... just not what I wanted here.

I hope this month finds you with many things to be grateful for. I would love to hear from you... What are you creating?

One of my favorite things about fall is the state fair. Granted, the food on a stick is hard on the body... not to mention the budget. And the crowds are even less appealing now that hubby and I are toting a toddler and a stroller. But I'm particularly fond of the fair's creative arts competition.

I've been entering my handmade goodies in local fairs for as long as I can remember. In fact, I'm pretty sure I still have each of the ribbons I won when I was a little girl (though I'm afraid they may be in that box that's molding in the corner of the garage). The thing that appeals to me about the contests now, though, isn't necessarily winning. It's two things: having an excuse to create, and having a deadline. I don't have to worry about whether something is commercially viable, or whether it's something I can easily create a tutorial for. It's an chance to try out those things that have been tumbling around in my brain, just to see how they turn out.

As with most things I get excited about, I go a little overboard. The deadline's in 9 days, and I've finished exactly 0 of the 6 things I signed up to do. It's not unusual for me to be putting the finishing touches on an item while hubby drives me to the drop-off location 15 minutes before they close. So he kinda sighs when he finds out I've turned in my state fair form for the year. It's the same sigh he uses when I tell him we should do all handmade Christmas gifts. After 10+ years of marriage, he knows me pretty well.

So anyway, one of the projects-in-progress is a birdhouse, and I thought I'd give you a little sneak peak. I'm eager to see how it turns out.

And speaking of birdhouses, the birdhouse pictured up at the top of this post was featured in the Reader's Gallery of the October 2010 PolymerCAFÉ, along with a rusted inro I blogged about here.

There's a bit of a story behind that birdhouse.

I didn't originally post photos of the birdhouse online, because I made it as a Christmas gift. Or at least I thought it was supposed to be a Christmas gift...

Did I mention this was Christmas two years ago? Ya know, when I was seven months pregnant with my little guy? Well, I hadn't wanted to make a big deal about it, but it kinda made me sad that no one had offered to throw me a baby shower. Pregnancy hormones may have had something to do with it, but I was pretty sure it was a sign that nobody loved me.

You probably see where this is going.

There was no gift exchange that year. It was a surprise baby shower, ya know, with a New Beginning theme. After I got over my initial anger — that they'd let me think there wouldn't be a shower, that I'd gone to all that work to make the gifts — I realized the whole thing was exactly perfect for my family. (BTW, the gifts I'd made were used as door prizes, so the effort wasn't completely wasted.)

So that's the story behind the "Birdhouse of New Beginnings" that's in the latest PolymerCAFÉ. I should note that both the birdhouse and the rusted inro are also included in tejae floyde's Polymer Artists Showcase.

Hope all's well wherever you are. Would love to hear what creative things you're doing as fall approaches...

My polymer clay ovens get a bit moody sometimes. And it seems like that "sometimes" is usually right in the middle of a big deadline.

My previously-reliable oven had started under-baking things, a fact I didn't realize until some of my "finished" clay mosaic tiles were crumbly instead of nice and strong. (My oven thermometer had fallen off the shelf onto the element below, and I kept forgetting to retrieve it when the oven was cool. My bad.) A whole day's worth of clay stuff was under-baked, a fact I found especially frustrating since I was furiously working on projects for my book deadline.

After messing with that process a while (and getting nowhere), I got impatient. I cranked the temperature way up and made a mental note to keep a very close eye on it, lest it overheat. Luckily for me, I also did something else. I tented the project with aluminum foil.

You know what's coming next. I lost my mental note and forgot to check the oven until the timer went off. I don't remember now what the exact temperature was, but I know it was above 300. I lifted the aluminum foil piece, expecting the worst. But, to my surprise, it hadn't burned or toasted. It was just fine.

My close call reminded me that, if I didn't have time to fiddle with an oven knob, I certainly didn't have time to lose projects to a hot oven. So I took the time to get it right. But I kept that tenting thing in the back of my mind, and decided to look into it a bit more when I had more time.

If you're not familiar with tenting, it's not an especially complicated process. Take aluminum foil (I use the heavy-duty stuff because it's stronger) and shape it into a pointed shape large enough to cover your item. I re-use the same piece again and again, tweaking its shape if necessary to accommodate taller or wider items. Just place it on top of your clay tile so it sits over, but doesn't touch, the item you're baking. Leave it in place until you're done baking.

I'd never messed with tenting before, because it didn't seem logical that it would work. And I won't pretend that I understand now why it works. Something about the heat being indirect? But it does work for me. I've even gone so far as to put my clay pieces, tented, in the oven while it preheats... and I always used to think that was a bad idea.

It served as a reminder to me that there's more than one good way to do things... and sometimes it pays to experiment with new methods, even if they may not seem intuitive. Live and learn.

What about you? Have you found a better way of doing things, maybe a way that you initially resisted?

Sold under various names (Fuzzy Fun Flock, Crushed Velvet Flock, Flocking Powder), flock is basically tiny colored fibers. (Think dryer lint, but without all the cat fur.) You can use flock a few different ways with polymer clay:

• Pour a small amount and mix it thoroughly into your clay for a muted mottled effect.
• Brush a tiny bit onto the top of the unbaked clay with your finger, much as you would Pearl Ex or chalks. This gives the clay a fuzzy, fabric-like sheen.
• Apply liquid clay to specific areas where you want a more pronounced effect. Either pour the flock over your the liquid clay like you would embossing powder, or use a paintbrush to dab the flock onto the areas you want to emphasize. You can even do this after your first baking if you want to protect other clay sections from attracting the fibers.

I have tried several colors with each of the above methods. The fibers seem well-adhered after baking, and I haven't noticed any color change from the heat. I love that it gives the clay a softer, more fabric-like look. It's perfect for Christmas-time projects (stockings, Santa's suit, snow), or any other time you want a softer look.

Have you used flock? If so, I'd love to hear about your experiences!

But occasionally, I'll have the books take a little detour. If it's a book I'm eager to get my hands on, I'll have it shipped to my house for a quick review, then I'll deliver it to the librarian.

That's what I intended to do with Polymer Clay Color Inspirations by Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio. Little did I know...

When the book arrived, I eagerly jumped in, starting with the foreword by Cynthia Tinapple. "You may think you'll never 'get' color the way Lindly and Maggie do," it starts, "but don't let the weight and complexity of this book fool you."

It was at that moment that I first took a look at the weight and complexity of the book. I began to realize what I was in for. This was not a book I could read through in a couple of days, cherry-pick a few exercises to do, and write a quick review. This was a textbook that would require in-depth study and intensive lab work. And it was a book I'd probably want to keep for reference. The next day I ordered my own copy and started my first long read through the book.

The Book

It starts with a color and clay basics section. The level of information they included in their "basics" section immediately gave me confidence in the expertise of these authors. For example, they compare clay to cheese or wine — products that continue to age after they leave the factory, and point out that there's therefore an optimal time to use the clay. This is something the Polyform chemist alluded to at this summer's IPCA retreat, but that I'd never seen written before. The intro also included an original method for referencing pasta machine settings, a cool pie-chart labeling system, and several Skinner blend variations.

But the "How Confident Are You in Working with Color?" quiz midway through the basics chapter almost changed my early opinion about the book. The reader is asked to rate various questions on a scale of 0 to 5. The questions included these that I found a little bothersome:

• I have taken a college-level course on designing with color.
• I have read more than one book on color designed for artists.
• I am never disappointed with my color choices.

To be fair, the 10 questions also included seveal with a more intuitive bias. But still, why would a confidence quiz need to ask a question about formal arts education or how many books you've read? Confidence (and intuitive color skills) can come without any training at all, judging from untrained artists I know who confidently do amazing things with color. And is it really fair to ask a "never" question on a scale of 0 to 5? Is there anyone who's never disappointed with their color choices? Since the instructions told me to take the quiz once before and once after I did the exercises, I'm guessing the point is make me aware of my own shortcomings, so I can tell when I've improved on them. But instead, I ended up feeling a little insulted by the questions, like the authors were trying to justify the book's existence using some unrealistic standards.

And that unsure feeling stuck with me through the first chapter and half of the next. The first 30 pages read like a textbook. There were several times I struggled to keep my eyes open (granted, I do have a teething 7-month-old, so that might not be all the book's fault). I wondered if I'd make it through the whole book. I wondered when and if the book would be worth my while.

But just as I started to second-guess my decision to buy the book, things got better. Starting on page 31 (and continuing through the rest of the book), there starts to be a nice rhythm. They start breaking up the text with exercises and projects, giving you a few pages of reading and then lessons to apply your new knowledge. Once I got into this part of the book, I found it much more interesting.

The Projects

• 11 exercises: hands-on lessons in color
• 2 studio tools: exercises that create reference materials for your studio
• 10 projects: projects that allow you to apply knowledge while creating jewelry or other polymer clay pieces

The exercises and projects are not illustrated with big step-by-step photos, like you might find in a beginner's project book. It's more like three steps per photo in a lot of cases. And while the instructions were overall well-written, there were a few spots where I was confused and wished there were more photos.

Which brings me to one of my favorite things about the book... the website. Maggie Maggio has started a weekly "Saturday School" program on her blog, where she's guiding readers through one exercise or project per week. I think it's fantastic that the authors are around to answer questions readers run into as they do the exercises — makes it simple to get clarification for any confusing parts of the book. It's also a great way to make this could-be-overwhelming book more manageable. The Saturday School concept allows the reader to take the book in bite-sized pieces, reading the background and doing one exercise per week. That pace means it'll take about 6 months to get through all of the book's exercises and projects, which seems like a long time for those of use impatient to learn and start applying the book's lessons. But just about anybody can commit to squeezing one exercise per week into their busy schedules. I think the Saturday School is a brilliant idea, and I love that they're doing it.

But back to the book. Each chapter's exercises and projects build on the previous chapter's, growing more and more complex as the book progresses. I like that they show both of the author's samples of each project, allowing you to see how an individual's color palette preference can change the feel of a piece.

Each chapter also has an artist spotlight. Some of these artists I couldn't relate to at all, while others really spoke to me. Same goes for the artist gallery pieces sprinkled throughout the book. For example, I loved this quote that accompanied Melanie West's pod beads:

"I approach color the way I approach most of my life. I start with intuition and inspiration, and fine-tune with training and experience."

I have mixed feelings about the exercises themselves. On the one hand, I love organizing things, experimenting with all the possibilities, and cataloging the results. In a lot of ways, these exercises with their color formulas and pie charts are right up my alley. But I'm trying to keep my studio cleared of unnecessary stuff, and this book seems to create a lot of stuff: multiple color collages, pivot tiles, tasting tiles, etc. And I won't even start on how much time will be involved in creating these things.

But I feel I'm only going to get the real value of the book by doing those exercises.That's really the key to this book. Browsing through it and trying a couple of projects won't give you the full benefit. You have to spend time with it. The book expects deep, textbook-like reading and lots of hands-on exercise time. It's a class — a really good value for a class — but a class nonetheless.

And so, this book really isn't for everyone. You have to want to study this. Maybe you're totally happy with the straight-from-the-package colors that are available (and there are some gorgeous ones!). If you're satisfied with your current level of color understanding, if you don't want to delve in further and study color theory, then by all means skip this book. Let me say this, though. This book is already becoming (and, I think, will continue to become) part of the polymer clay lexicon. Blogs and forums will reference it directly and indirectly for years. If you don't read it, you may start to feel left out.

My Results

I'm very eager to try the color collage exercise, as that's really the basis for pinpointing and understanding my own color preferences. Later in the book, the pattern samples (which they refer to as "brainstorming with clay") sound like a lot of fun. And various of the jewelry projects — like the Ruffle Spiral Flower Brooch and the Pinched-Petal Necklace — caught my eye in a "I-can't-believe-I'll-be-making-something-that-nice" kind of way.

Having just done the first two, I honestly can't say that I've learned a lot through the exercises. I did, however, find lots of value in my first read-through — with "aha!" moments about using fluorescent colors, about the definition and purpose of mud colors, about achieving color balance, and more.

Summary

• Title: Polymer Clay Color Inspirations: Techniques and Jewelry Projects for Creating Successful Palettes by Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio
• Price: $15 plus shipping
• Pros:
  • Extremely thorough book that discusses color theory and provides hands-on exercises to help discover your personal palette
  • Great value, since it's comparable to taking an in-depth color course
  • Has appendix with worksheets and charts, which they generously encourage you to photocopy and laminate for reference

• Cons:
  • There's a lot of content here, making it potentially overwhelming. I recommend checking out their website, where they guide you through the book's exercises at a manageable pace.

• Who It's Good For:
  • Anyone, even non-polyclay artists, serious about improving their artwork through better use of color.

Secrets of Rusty Things: Transforming Found Objects into Art

So when I heard about Robert Dancik's new book, Amulets and Talismans: Simple Techniques for Creating Meaningful Jewelry, I was cautiously excited. I worried this was going to be another misleading title, that I really wouldn't learn about making meaningful jewelry.

Happily I was wrong. This book's step-by-step instructions are used alongside the author's artwork and stories to help capture both the techniques and the spirit behind the art.

The Book

Dancik starts the book by introducing us to the techniques and tools he uses. While this book caught my attention because of its polymer clay projects, it's actually got quite a range of other materials, including: metal, Faux Bone, concrete, paper pulp mache, resin, micro-fasteners, and found objects.

There were a couple of things I really liked about Dancik's approach to materials and art:

• His encouragement to get familiar with a variety of things so you'll know how to use them when they're perfect for a piece. Don't limit yourself just because you don't know how to use a material. "Choice equals freedom."
• His emphasis on the associations that different materials, different surface textures, and different finishes can bring to a piece. By thinking about what you want to convey — and which materials best convey that feeling — you can make your jewelry more meaningful and more personal.
• His suggestion that you let your desired outcome guide you. If you're thinking about the piece's meaning as you work, then "it is the idea that steers the work, not the fascination with a material or showing off a technique."

This book made me re-think my reliance on polymer clay. It's kinda like that old saying, "If all you've got is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Polymer clay is a versatile medium that I enjoy working with, but it may not be the best tool for every job. Learning about other materials gives me more options.

Dancik's introduction section is good — it's not just the same ol', same ol'. My only complaint is that several of his recommended tools and materials were new to me, so I really would have liked more pictures. It's much easier to search the shelves at the hardware store (or raid my hubby's toolbox!) if I have some idea what I'm looking for. That's an important thing to note about this book, by the way. It's pretty tool-intensive. Most projects use sheet metal, pliers, files, a jewelry saw and a drill. If you don't already have these things, you may be in for a hunt. Various online retailers (including the author's site) carry these items, but I struck out on finding various sheet metals, a checkering file or a jewelry saw anyplace locally.

The Projects

The book has 20 projects. Only 3 of the projects use polymer clay. Six of the projects use Faux Bone. If you're not familiar with Faux Bone, that's because it's a fairly new material, created (surprise, surprise) by the author. Once I realized that, I was afraid the book would be one big sales pitch for the new product... but again, I think it did a good balancing act. I do think that most, if not all, of the Faux Bone projects (along with one or two of the book's other projects) could easily be made with clay... though that mindset might kinda be at odds with the whole getting-familiar-with-other-materials thing (see above).

The projects are laid out very stylishly. I like that each chapter starts with a story, either about the history of a particular type of amulet, or about the specific goals he had in creating his particular amulet. What strikes me about the projects is that they all seem pretty short and doable, each one just 4-5 pages long. Every step has a large photo, and the photos do a good job of communicating the information.

Dancik has taught extensively, and I suspect that experience really helped him write clear, helpful instructions. One small thing I appreciated is that he gave instructions for both lefties and righties when it made a difference for a particular technique.

The projects in the book include:

• Karma Bracelet (charm bracelet)
• Minkisi (beaded tea infuser necklace)
• Abracadabracus (beaded abacus necklace)
• Prayer Holder Bracelet (pvc pipe inro bracelet)
• Bound Heart Pendant (wire-wrapped Faux Bone pendant)
• Rune Necklace (inlaid polymer clay beads carved with symbols)
• Protection for the Traveller (copper sheet pendant with Faux Bone accents)
• Laibon Ax Pendant (wire and Faux Bone necklace)
• The Protective Eye (polymer clay transfer on sheet metal background)
• Story Bracelet (Faux Bone charm bracelet)
• Medal for Unknown Good Deed (tin can medal on Faux Bone background)
• Finding your Way (compass and wire necklace)
• Split Rock Power Object (paper pulp mache and resin pendant)
• U + Eye (bottle cap and resin pendant)
• Power is Safe in the Void (jar lid and concrete pendant)
• Magnifying Your Path (jar lid, polymer clay and magnifying glass pendant)
• Never Far (copper sheet pendant)
• Closure for a Memory (mica, sheet metal, and photo pendant)
• Looking Back Bead (plexiglas with Faux Bone topper)
• Seeing Through (pendant with a copper sheet box and concrete)

I found several new-to-me techniques in this book, both for polymer clay (used as a mold for concrete or dapping die for plexiglas) and for other materials (making your own textured hammers, folding sheet metal to make a box). I like that he used lots of found object: jar lids, bottle caps, tin cans, and more.

Gallery items are included at the end of each chapter, instead of presented separately at the end of the book. This made sense in some places, when the theme fit with the current chapter. Other times it seemed out of place. I really enjoyed the gallery items, though. Most of the pieces included a back story, which made them even more interesting. I like that there were many different styles of polymer clay in the book, both in the projects and in the gallery. In some cases, I didn't recognize that it was polymer clay until I read the descriptions, which is probably ideal. One thing I came away from the IPCA Retreat with was this piece of Christi Friesen wisdom: "If you look at the piece and immediately notice how it's made, then it needs more work. You should see the piece first, then notice its construction." The gallery items were definitely see-the-piece-first kinda work.

Overall, I think this book is a good read even for those who aren't into the whole amulet thing and don't plan to make any of these specific projects. It really helped me think through how the materials I use and the choices I make can give my art meaning. Its lessons on artistry and craftsmanship definitely made it worthwhile for me.

My Results

I particularly liked using eyelets to assemble the pendant. There's something about the strength of metal that makes me feel more proud of the piece and its craftsmanship.

Summary

• Title: Amulets and Talismans: Simple Techniques for Creating Meaningful Jewelry by Robert Dancik
• Price: $16.49 + shipping

• Pros:
  • Good intro to a variety of tools and techniques: using jeweler's saw, cutting metal, using a butane torch to create a patina, and lots more.
  • Thought-provoking information on how the materials you use give meaning to your finished work.

• Cons:
  • If you're primarily looking for polymer clay projects, this book only has three.
  • The projects can be expensive if you don't already have his recommended tools.

• Who It's Good For:
  • Jewelry and mixed media artists looking to add a personal touch to their artwork.