Customer Reviews

Creating with Polymer Clay: Designs, Techniques, Projects

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of the most inspiring books I have seen on polymer clay. It really does get my mind going with ideas and makes me want to get right to "work." It's clear and precise in instruction, as well as attractive to even look through. It's my favorite

Although Nan Roche's 'The New Clay' remains the standard in this medium, Ford and Dierks' 'Creating with Polymer Clay' is a feast for the eyes. Basic information on techniques and a project section are included, however, I would have preferred more of those beautiful gallery pictures

If you're looking for inspiration, the photos and the projects in this book are for you.Gives some basic step by step caneing instructions as well as an intricate butterfly design. Much more. I hope you enjoy this as much as I have.

The projects in this book are pure eye candy! Very innovative techniques and projects, my favorite being the polymer clay eggs, of which I have made four dozen for Christmas presents!

Directions are very clear and the gallery of beautiful artwork throughout will get your mind creating ideas for your own beautiful pieces.

We are making two of the projects and have had to return to the store twice for more clay. In the backgammon project, the quantities he specifies are completely wrong. You need to AT LEAST double the quantities. For example, he specifies to use 1.25 ounces of white clay and 3 ounces of black, blend them together, and roll them into a sheet that measures 5"x15" and is 6mm thick. By rolling it to 5mm thick, we got a sheet 4"x10" - and had to stop our project midway through until we could get back to the store.

Also in the backgammon project they call for 4 oz each of orange and purple clay. Then they direct you to make a ball exactly 1/8" (yes 3mm) in diameter of each color and "tint" two portions of translucent clay with it. There is not another word as to what to do with the remaining 4 oz of each color. (However it took us almost the entire four ounces of each color to tint the clay.) Then the directions state "Chop each tinted portion separately and mix them into the pale green clay by twisting androlling the colors together." After we blended the purple and orange into the base green, we realized he meant us to divide the green in half and mix purple/green and orange/green - though nowhere does it say to divide the base green in half. He also directs us to cut a cardboard base but fails to give the dimensions for the cardboard. I suppose we'll get a big sheet of cardboard, assemble the set, and then use an exacto knife to trim the cardboard to size.

The projects are beatiful - it's disappointing to be given very precise quantities and then have them be nowhere near what you need to finish the project. And to be given incomplete and poorly written directions.

So just go ahead and by three times whatever quantity is specified for your project and maybe you'll have some left over to return.

I don't often review books that I am selling, but I did want to mention that this has lots of wonderful full color photos as well as detailed instructions. As another reviewer commented, the quantities are inaccurate. I can't really respond to that concern, just that the book gives a dynamic presentation w/ hundreds of color photos.

fwiw,
happy crafting,
books-from-mk

Steven Ford is one of the best artists in polymer clay. This book was a disappointment. If it had only been a picture book of his work over 20 years it would have been a treasure. Not so.

This is not so much a how-to book as it is an idea book. The gallery is full of wonderful polymer clay creations, jewelry, sculpture, vessels, etc. Once you are familiar with the basic how-to of polymer clay, it's time to move up to this book to take your work to the next level. It's like visiting an art museum full of polymer clay things. You will be inspired by the different things you can do with polymer clay. Although you probably won't copy most of the projects in this book, you can borrow snippets of techniques to apply to your own creations. The gallery is filled with such variety of ways the clay is used, you will keep coming back to this book as your expertise increases with polymer clay.

I own about 10 polymer clay books, and this one is definitely my favorite. It is geared more toward the intermediate or advanced polymer clay artist, with few pages dedicated to beginner technique . Instead it features several really unique and beautiful projects, and the gallery pages are filled with amazing pieces that have given me a ton of inspiration. My only problem with the book is that the lessons are sometimes lacking clear diagrams or instructions and I ended up being a little confused at times. I did figure everything out in the end though, and ended up with great results. Overall, this is a great book to add to your collection.