Customer Reviews

Metal Clay Jewelry: Projects. Techniques. Inspirations.

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Precious Metal Clay and Art Clay Silver are just about the hottest new craft materials of this decade, and for good reason! Imagine a material that you can sculpt and mold just like other clay, but the end result, when baked properly in a kiln, is pure silver! New worlds of creative possibilities have been opened up to jewelry artists with the creation of this product, but finding a good book that not only introduces readers to the basics but also challenges intermediate to advanced artists is not easy. Louise Duhamel's new book, Metal Clay Jewelry, does just that.
The introductory chapters do a good job of preparing newbies for working with metal clays, covering the tools and materials needed, finishing techniques, all the metal clay options from low-fire silver clay to gold clay, paper clays, syringe and paste clays, and much more. A nice firing chart for the various types of clay make this book a worthy reference. The author thoroughly explains your firing options, too, including kilns, torches, and other alternatives. A complete chapter on the basics is very comprehensive; I especially appreciated the section on the syringe clay basics.
But one of my favorite chapters is "Let's Play with Clay," which details a wonderful variety of creative ideas including using hollow forms, setting gemstones, prong setting, working with bezel wire, adding findings, and finishing techniques including patination. Fabulous! A brief chapter on wire techniques is very helpful, too,.
But the best part is yet to come: The Projects!
Louise Duhamel is a popular workshop instructor who has taught her award-winning designs and techniques across the country, so she knows all the top artists working with metal clay. She lined up a very impressive list of contributing artists to share their special techniques in the projects section, starting with Jane Levy's Creative Chaos Bead (following the author's own Nestled Pearl Ring featured on the cover). Maria Martinez contributed a fabulous pair of Lantern Earrings made by origami-folding paper clay, while artist Anne Reiss submitted a gorgeous Village Ring. Other artists you may recognize are Barbara Becker Simon, Robert Dancik, Louis Kappel, Gordon Uyehara, Shahasp Valentine, and Patricia Walton, who all contributed fabulous projects to this book featuring brand-new ideas and techniques. There are 20 jewelry pieces to choose from, from pendants to earrings, to rings and more, plus an inspirational gallery of metal clay art, a Resources section, and helpful index.
Why give this book five stars? There are many reasons--this is just simply a fantastic book, full of great new techniques and creative ideas--but for me the main reason is the projects themselves, which are highly creative, artistic, a little bit challenging, but nevertheless approachable due to the step-by-step photos with excellent instructions provided. I'm very happy with this new book from Louise Duhamel, and I know you will be, too!
Sharilyn Miller, author of Bead on a Wire

Metal Clay, sounds like an oxymoron. How can two elements so different be associated? For anyone that hasn't tried Precious Metal Clay and Art Clay Silver--clays that change into Silver or Gold--Louise Duhamel created the one book the reader will ever need. When I purchased "Metal Clay Jewelry," I read all of the projects after glancing through techniques I was not completely familiar with. For me, this was higly unusual. I buy many books that peak my interest, usually glance through them, then place them on the shelf for reference.

"Metal Clay Jewelry" was so well put together that it did not jump onto my bookshelf. I have most of the major Metal Clay books. "Metal Clay Jewelry" is the best book on the subject.

First, the topics covered under the section "The Magic Of Metal Clay" were complete--covering making texture, making molds, creating hollow forms, adding gemstones and findings, and discussing all types of metal clays and their uses--so anyone, from beginner to expert can create their own masterpiece. Many types of art clay products that were covered, I have never seen in any other metal clay book published.

Secondly, the section "Making the Projects" is so unique, using objects I would never imagine using--cement, chandelier crystals, colored pencils, and floral foam to name a few.
Some of these projects were made just by Louise Duhamel, but that was another wonderful aspect.

Most craft books cover projects only by the writer. Louise decided to share the wealth and show the metal clay community some of the fabulous, talented people out there--Barbara Becker Simon, Robert Dancik, Louis Kappel, Jane Levy, Maria Martinez, Anne Reiss, Gordon K. Uyehara, Shahasp Valentine, and Patricia Walton. Some of these contributing artists I was unaware of.

The popular artists displayed unique pieces of art that no other step-by-step book offered. The enamel butterfly technique made me want to push myself to reach a higher level of ability, I am sure that this insect will require my complete attention, but it will be well worth it.

Third, the end of the book covered the artistic background and contact information for these talented people. Most authors mention other contributors in passing. Louise Duhamel made it possible to reach these people and view additional work of theirs on the internet.

An extra tidbit Ms. Duhamel added throughout the book is her "Silver Nugget" small paragraphs on something she discovered and shares that will make work easier, such as the use of a toothpick and Badger Balm to pick up a gem. Each of these "Nuggets" make the reader say, "a-ha I wish I thought of that."

Lastly, the resource section, a part often omitted or tossed in as an afterthought, covered internet addresses for quality materials and further information, if needed. Since the projects pages are so complete and easy to follow, I can't image a need to pick up another book, until new techniques or materials are developed, and at that time I expect to find those in Ms. Duhamel's "next book," I hope! Thank you for being a one-of-a-kind artist, author, and sharing person.

Great book! A must for those interested in working with metal clay. From the extremely clear explanations to the detailed step by step photos it is hard to imagine how one could go wrong with this "personal and private lessons" kind of illustrated text.

As someone who works with jewelry I found this book to be a most up to date source of both information and resources. I sincerely hope this is not the only book Ms. Duhamel writes, as I for one would be waiting for the next. If you are interested in technique as well as design, this is a must next to your bench.

This book "makes the creation of fine silver and gold objects a possibility for non-metal craftsmen." Indeed, Louise gives very precise instructions how to work with metal clay for someone who has never taken a class -- but -- it's still better to take a class for safety considerations because firing requires using a torch or kiln. A class will also help you to plan your design before opening a package of metal clay; once exposed to air, metal clay dries very fast, so it's important to know what you will need to accomplish before firing.

Metal clay is a relatively new product. Invented by Japan's Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, it is 99.9% precious metal and .1% binder. Jewelers in the US learned about the product in the mid-1990s and embraced it as enthusiastically as versatile polymer clay had been earlier. Like polymer clay, metal clay can be molded, rolled, stamped, and folded. Gemstones and glass enamel can be a part of a design in metal clay.

Louise carefully describes the various forms of metal clay and provides an excellent chart of temperatures and times needed to fire different clays. Although there is no waste with metal clays because you can re-hydrate scraps, you must be careful not to mix two clays that require different firing temperatures.

Twenty projects are shown in detail, from simple to more difficult. Jewelers who have struggled with solid gold granulation will be shocked to see how easy it can be accomplished with metal paste. A metal clay class and this book will certainly inspire you.

I recently started working with metal clay. As a result, I purchased a series of books in order to learn more. This book is by far the best I have ordered. I really enjoyed it because it is full of innovative, very creative techniques yet it also covers all the basics in detail. The directions are clear and don't make the beginner feel intimidated. This book guarantees that you won't be bored after you master the basics.

While this book does cover the basics of working with metal clay, it contains projects suitable for all skill levels. The instructions are clear and the 'silver nuggets' of wisdom are a wonderful addition to the projects.

I really enjoyed seeing a mixed media approach to metal clay - too often books on the material stick to replicating more traditional silversmithing methods. As a polymer clay artist, this gave me even more inspiration on how to successfully mix the two media.

With so many good books on the market, I was very happy to see so many new techniques described and very well explained in this book. Louise Duhamel has done a great job putting this book together. It is stimulating for beginners as well as for the more advanced Metalclay artist.
A great resource for teachers of metalclay and a 'must have' for people who like to try new techniques.

Maggie Bergman
Senior Teacher - PMC

As a PMC teacher and owning every book on the market! I was happy with this purchase, a good variety of techniques that will satisfy beginners and intermediate level artisans. Good projects using a variety of mixed media too. I particularly liked the sheet clay "origami" earrings. Clear instructions and photos. Won't be out of place on your shelf amongst your other books.

This amazing new book by Louise Duhamel covers everything metal clay from A to Z.
Great photos help you to masterfully duplicate the techniques while putting your own artistic spin on your creations. The unique projects will inspire you to increase your skill level no matter if you are a beginner or advanced artist.

Additionally, her unique idea to feature other artists, along with her own creations makes this a must have book.

This is a wonderful new metal clay book. Anyone interested in metal clay fabrication should buy this book for their metal clay library. It is a must have. The projects are really beautiful. Louise and all the contributors present projects that are unique and well explained. The projects show the great development that has happened in metal clay fabrication in recent years.
I especially found the "Silver Nuggets" (tips) to be insightful and of great help.