Artful Ways with Polymer Clay [Hardcover]

Dotty McMillan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 28, 2006

In her follow-up to the popular Creative Ways with Polymer Clay, Dotty McMillan offers more techniques, more tips, and more magnificent projects to delight any crafter. All the basics are covered, with plenty of colorful photos illustrating the details: safety considerations, choosing and preparing the clay, baking, mixing colors, and mastering fundamental principles of design. See how to create incredible image transfers, produce beautiful molds, do simple silk screening, add ingenious inclusions, and glaze, crackle, antique, and more. Fashion a fabulous Knotty Bracelet, Calico Cats, Mini-Kaleidoscope pendants, funky frames, a Treasure Box, a Sparkling Sun Catcher, Stained Glass Eggs, and other exquisite items, some presented by top polymer clay artists.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (January 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402702825
• ISBN-13: 978-1402702822
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,701,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for beginners.., January 14, 2006

By 

Christine Blossom "Christine Blossom" (Ypsilanti, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Artful Ways with Polymer Clay (Hardcover)

I'm an experienced "clayer" and I loved this book. It was full of inspiration and really great ideas for me. However, if you're just starting in polymer clay art, it does use a lot of advanced techniques and assumes you already know what you're doing.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!! Beautiful Projects, July 3, 2006

By 

L. Sanches "craft lover" (Fresno, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Artful Ways with Polymer Clay (Hardcover)

I bought this book yesterday at a local craft store after just glancing at it for a few quick moments. I am so happy that I bought it. It has lots of ideas and projects that I haven't seen before and some that I have seen but done in a different way. Everything is kept fairly simple so even novice clayers can enjoy and use the book. As to the review that states you can't find the items that are needed in the book, there is only one project that you would need to do some work to find the items needed and that is for a kaleidoscope pendant, which while interesting is not something that I will be making anytime soon. As for the cyanoacrylate glue, if you look at most super glues you will see that is what they are made from.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional book!, June 3, 2006

By 

M. Donnelly (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Artful Ways with Polymer Clay (Hardcover)

Dotty McMillan is an exceptionally talented artist, and this book is both inspirational and instructive. The projects range from very simple (clay handles for tools) to complex (dragon skin box)--but all are achievable. This may not be a book for the very beginning clayer, but it is very detailed and metciulous in its instruction. The projects are very beautiful as well--I particularly like her "dragon skin" vessel--beautiful, functional, and again, attainable by the average clayer.

Dotty not only showcases her own talents, but those of guest artists who have contributed projects to this book--including Michelle Ross, whose polymer clay frame adorns the cover.

The only thing I'd ask Dotty to do for future books is to put the details of her projects into "step-by-step" format with plenty of photos rather than in just descriptive paragraphs. For the average reader/clayer, it would be easier to follow.

I do agree that a resource guide would be nice, but the lack of one does not make the book "useless" as one reviewer has claimed. I thoroughly recommend this book!