Polymer Clay Basics: Techniques, Tools & Projects [Hardcover]

Monica Resta (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2000

Take it in your hand, roll it into a log, cut it, shape it, and bake it in a regular oven--that's how simple working with polymer clay can be. Yet, with this marvelous and versatile material you can make "jade" necklaces, bright and pretty Christmas ornaments, handles for a coordinated set of flatware, marbled surfaces, vases, and more. Filled with hundreds of close-up pictures, and instructions that start right at the very beginning with the basics of modeling and heating the clay safely, this technique and project-packed manual shows how to form different patterns (including dots, stripes, interweaving, and twirls) and use these designs to fashion everything from jewelry to practical houseware to stunning decorative items. Nothing could be easier or more fun.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A quick flip through this colorful book hints at easy, lighthearted projects suitable for beginners. To some extent this is true, but newcomers beware: the extremely awkward translation of the original Italian text may be confusing to those not already familiar with terms common to the subject. Throughout, polymer clay itself is called resin and canes are referred to as murrhines. Purpurin at first mention remains a complete mystery until a later illustration reveals it to be fine glitter. Measurements are given only in metric and oven temperatures only in Celsius. Although every package of polymer clay comes with manufacturer's recommendations for baking, having the Fahrenheit number in the text would have been helpful, as would at least minimal attention to smoothing the flow of this tortured English-language version. In introducing a particular cane, for instance (a cane generally known as the lace cane but which she instead calls bee's nest), the author utters this grievous mouthful: "Perhaps for this project I'll ask you to add a touch of the cook or the housewife that's in you to wrap the infantile snake like a lasagna."

Two things save this unfortunate situation and actually make this troubled volume worthwhile. First, the excellent, extensive step-by-step photos render the written directions very nearly unnecessary. Second, the author's whimsical sense of design and nice way with color result in charming necklaces, frames, tableware, buttons, desk accessories, and other items bedecked with simple, appealing patterns. She touches upon a few imitative techniques (jade, coral, marble, mosaic, mokume gane), but her real forte is creating canes that feature bold geometrics, celestial motifs, fish, snails, butterflies, ladybugs, various types of flowers, and faces. Despite its shortcomings, the book's strength makes one wish all the more that some attention had been paid to editing the text. --Amy Handy

From Library Journal

The library of interesting and colorful sources available for polymer clay enthusiasts continues to increase. Dean's book has tips and an interesting variety of projects for beginners, although techniques are not as detailed as in Syndee Holt's Polymer Clay for the First Time (LJ 6/15/00). Italian artist Resta emphasizes decorated tableware and household objects. A marbled egg project using real eggshells is particularly attractive. Both of these books are good additions to crafts collections needing more of this material.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806971363
• ISBN-13: 978-0806971360
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,387,803 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Beware if you are completely new to Polymer Clay!, June 12, 2001

By 

Lisa Clarke (Stirling, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Polymer Clay Basics: Techniques, Tools & Projects (Hardcover)

While the projects and pictures presented here are worth a look, and are good for beginners, there is an extremely important point worth mentioning. It's something that knocks the book down several pegs, in my opinion.

In the move from Italian to English, there are several examples of badly-translated words and/or phrases. If this were an intermediate or advanced book, it wouldn't be such a big deal, as anyone who has worked with Polymer Clay for a while already knows the correct terminology for many of the tools and supplies needed. However, as this is a beginner's manual, it is very important that the language be correct. If a newbie reads that s/he needs to buy "resin pastes" to make a "murrhine," or "purpurin" and "metal lamina" to achieve different surface effects, that person may spend hours scouring a craft store for supplies that don't go by that name in the U.S. These terms refer to "polymer clay," "canes," "glitter," and "metal leaf," by the way.

It may seem nit-picky, but I think it's important to use the right terminology with beginners so as to reduce the frustration level. At the very LEAST, they should have been able to translate "polymer clay" correctly - it's the subject of the book!

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Many good ideas with canes, August 23, 2000

By 

Stefania Bressan (Robbio, PV Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Polymer Clay Basics: Techniques, Tools & Projects (Hardcover)

Detailed instructions for making many different canes, and many nice projects for using them, as well as other ideas. The step by step instructions really make very easy the approach to this craft for beginners too.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars DON'T BOTHER ! ! !, February 28, 2005

By 

M. Spencer "doll-e-stuff" (Wichita, Ks.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Polymer Clay Basics: Techniques, Tools & Projects (Hardcover)

Nothing new, and the techniques and samples presented were amateurish at best. I only wasted 10 dollars and I can get at least half of this back on eBay.