Customer Reviews

Metal Clay Beyond the Basics

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow! This book has something for everyone. Each project section is laid out starting with a beginning project, moving through intermediate and on to advanced. No mater what your skill level is currently, this book will take you to the next level and beyond. It's well written and organized beautifully with a wide variety of projects and techniques. All the projects are unique and different. It definitely inspired me. I can't wait to try out these projects! I recommend this book highly. It's a great addition to any metal clay library, whether it's your first book or you have a whole shelf full.

A wonderul book, not your usual metal clay book. The projects are inventive and carefully thought out. The work is masterfully finished. Great book, just what metal clay needs.

Absolutely loved this new book. I found it to be full of unique projects using multiple techniques and innovative ways of doing things. I liked Carol's style of writing as well as her content and hope to hear from her again and again .
A good measure of how much I liked a book is where I want to spend my next vacation....Carol's studio would be great!
Debby Kirkwood

Carol has hit the jackpot with this book. It is definitely not the a repetition of projects found in other books. All are new and fresh ideas and designs. The layout focuses on a type of jewelry then moves through difficulty levels from beginner to advanced. Each step is accompanied by clear, detailed instructions with photos. Her designs are appealing and interesting and I don't get the sense that they were just created to fill out the book. Even if you don't make the projects there is a wealth of ideas and techniques to explore and try out. Tip boxes are placed to explain points of construction and alternatives to her instructions. Basic materials and tools review is in the back which means that 90% of the book is given to learning these new and exciting ways to work with metal clay. This is a definite must have for your metal clay/jewelry making library even if you're not a beginner.

Metal clay can produce fantastic jewelry results, and METAL CLAY BEYOND THE BASICS shows how to get these results with 24 projects in five jewelry categories covered in step-by-step written instructions and photos. There are even directions on how to blend metal clay with other materials, from ceramics to gemstones. An outstanding survey evolves.

This is a great book for anybody using metal clay. It's the third book I bought and I wish Carol had written the other two! Once you start using metal clay you want to go further and she answers all the questions that arise. Her projects are actually ones that you would like to try in some form and you don't need expensive equipment to try them. Can't wait for another one by the same author.

I'm an experienced jewelry fabricator and a teacher of advanced metal techniques. I was hoping for more advanced instruction on actually using metal clay, different kinds of clay and advantages/disadvantages of each, ways of strengthening the fine silver which is very soft, inventive ways of combining the clay with other fabricated materials.

I don't want to just be led blindly through a bunch of steps to produce someone else's design. I want to be told WHY to do something, alternative methods of attachment, advantages and disadvantages of doing something a certain way. I'm interested in tips and problem solving. Even when looking at someone else's project steps, if there are problem-solving tips along the way, I can learn a lot from that. However, these kinds of tips were totally absent.

Readers who want a project-oriented approach to create a definite end product, "do this, then do that", will absolutely love this book. Experienced users of metal clay who have no ideas of their own will love this book. However, folks who have fabrication experience and their own design ideas, and who want to actually learn more about metal clay itself and various methods of using it, who want to know *why* something is done a certain way and how to solve problems that can occur, will find better instruction elsewhere. I'm returning my copy.

This is a wonderful book for the beginner and the most advanced artisan. There are many new techniques that are easy to follow and incorporate with other jewelry media.

Good Book. This book is a little rough in designs but very basic in methodology.

The book is a nice book with interesting designs but not my style of work