Customer Reviews

Inventive Metal Clay for Beaders

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

All I can say after going through this book is WOW, I need to get started doing metal clay! The donut on the front cover is what attracted me to this book since I love this style jewelry. She has quite a few designs that are along this line and it will be a great asset to have as a reference.

There are 6 beginning projects from simple spirals made from snake shaped clay to a clever heirloom spoon bracelet. The intermediate projects of which there are 8 of has a really cute dragonfly pendant with a body of beads that dangle from the body. The last section cover only 4 advanced projects that covers things like setting CZ stones or wrapping cork beads to make the most gorgeous beads I have ever seen.

This is just a stunning book and I am going to order a few of her other books because if they are 1/2 as nice as this one they will be worth having! So far, this is my favorite metal clay book for ideas.

Irina has really done it this time- this is the best in the series of 3 (so far, more to come, I hope)- great designs and the changeups and galleries are wonderful. those with no experience with metal clay should probably start with her first book, but those with one class (or more!) under their belt will find this an inspiration.

18 projects for any metal clay worker provide all the basics for working with metal clay materials, from using texture plates and applying enamel to blending in metals and decorations to create pendants, necklaces, beads and more. Both beginner and intermediate projects in metal clay work make for an outstanding introduction, highly recommended for basic crafts sections and libraries strong in jewelry making.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I have enjoyed all three of Irina's books... this one is a welcome addition to my collection. Great pictures and excellent instructions - perfect for beginners and great new ideas for all experience levels!

This book provides clear directions and pictures to create beautiful projects made of precious metal silver clay. It is a "Must" for anyone using this form of metal clay for designing jewelry at any skill level.

I have read this book cover to cover a couple of times and completed several of the projects. It is very well laid out and the projects are inspiring.

I found this a splendid book, because - right from the beginning - even starters are taken seriously. Even in the first project a starter will learn a lot: for instance how a piece of jewellery may be formed from a simple coil of metal clay and how to embed a zirkonia crystal. But the real speciality of this book lies in showing the reader how a scala of variations on the theme may be made.
This handing out of ideas on possible variations is repeated all through the book: in the 6 projects for beginners, the 8 intermediate- and the 4 advanced projects.
There are only two remarks I wish to make: amongst the 'advanced projects' I find the suggestion to add enamels to the work, but the directions for enamelling are only very brief... too brief for anyone not familiar with the art of enamelling. I am a professional enameller and I know the many pitfalls that a beginning enameller might encounter.
The second remark concerns the title of the book: I do not quite understand the addition to the title of the words 'for beaders'. Beaders get very little attention in the book. I find this understandable, because beaders will know the ins and outs of beading. But for those who are not yet familiar with beading, there are scarcely any practical directions.
On the whole, however, I think that this is a very special book for artists and artisans who wish to make metal art jewellery.