Customer Reviews

Polymer Clay Beads: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Like many people who work with Polymer, I eagerly was awaiting this publication by the very talented Mr Diffendaffer. I was not disappointed.

This book seeks to take many artists outside of the normal practices of hand rolling and creating beads, by using small lathes and mandrels to form and shape a huge variety of beads.

Starting with the obligatory Essential Tools section, - ho hum I here you say...not so, I guarantee that you will find items here that you either don't have, or had not considered using even if you had them. I have dapping blocks that I use for metalwork, but had relied on plastic moulds to create shape, I had not considered using my dapping block before!

The pictures are excellent, hard pressed to make a mistake in the projects and he is very clear in his intructions. Of course he covers Mica Shift, one of the techniques he is well known for. I enjoyed all the sections, from the Pearlized Mica Clay Beads through to Textured Beads, Lathe-Turned, Recursvice molded Beads, Hollow Form and Mandrel Formed Beads.

This lovely book finishes with a stunning gallery of the "masters" - Dustin,Fago,Toops,Dever,Wallin Malinow and Cormier are a sample. Thank you for producing a "different" book on this wonderful medium.

definitely not for beginners or hobbyists. The chapter on mica shift is the most useful for someone who doesn't have the tools that the later chapters require. The author explains more clearly than any other book I've read how to build various ingots and how to use them to make beads.

The emphasis is on art beads perhaps larger and more modern art than the average reader has in mind to make. The book is well worth reading but perhaps it would be better to check it out from the library before buying to be sure that the book covers topics you will actually use.

I devour instruction art books. Polymer books are usually for beginners
making cute stuff. This is in another class. Outrageous, over the top gorgeous. Not for a week-ended artist. the turning process is brilliant and finish product is show quality.

As a statement jewelry artist [...] myself I learned
by leaps and bounds from this book. Thanks.

I own about a dozen polymer clay books that I have purchased over the last twenty years to learn from. Most of those books contain a lot of duplication. Lots of authors offer more or less the same instruction on creating faux gemstones, caning and millefiori and other basic types of techniques, but most of these are only variations of one another. Diffendaffer has gone these other authors one better because he applies the use of tools to his work that are not commonly described in other books. These include texture plates that you can design in your studio or work space, tube and core beads that are constructed using mandrels, an oven stand using mandrels to bake many beads at one time, a lathe, polymer clay extruders, and texturing tools. He has also included information on the basics so the book could be used by those who are not highly experienced.

The bead types for which there are illustrations and instructions include mica shift beads, textured beads, lathe-turned beads, recursive molded beads, molded hollow-form beads and mandrel formed pillow beads (these are beads that extend halfway around the neck). While not all of them are to my taste, I have to say that most of them are quite attractive and very original.

The book concludes with a gallery that includes beautiful works by Dan Cormier, Jeffrey Dever, Debra De Wolfe, Kathleen Dustin, Celie Fago, Lindly Jaunani, Kasuyo Kono, Judy Kuskin, Wendy Wallin Malinow, Sarah Shriverr, Cynthia Toops and Elise Winter. Highly recommended as an addition to the library of any polymer clay artist or practitioner.

Grant's book is filled with amazing photos of techniques and finished works that will inspire any artist. As a how-to book, this one is not for beginners. Grant has many advanced techniques so if you've been working with clay for awhile, or have taken work shops with him, you will appreciate this book. For the rest of the polymer clay world, read and drool over the fabulous photos and use it as inspiration to reach higher in your craft!

This is a gorgeous book and a good technical manual that fills a niche I haven't seen filled elsewhere for the serious polymer artist. For me as a trained (but rusty--ha ha) metalsmith, and an advanced beginner in polymer, this book offered some great insights into polymer properties and design. I would definitely recommend it as an addition to the library of any serious, aspiring student of polymer as well as the accomplished polymer artist who wants a different take.

I took a workshop with Grant about 5 years ago beacuse I love the look of his textures and wanted to lean his techniques. Wow! with this book he really does give it all away! There is so much more in the book than what he was doing a few years ago when I took the workshop with him. What a great wealth of knowledge, ideas and techniques all bundled up in one little book! Great job! I look forward to his next book!

The most artful book on making polymer clay beads. Great information on colors and finishing and there is some very good information on making molds and shaping beads without fancy tools as well as sculpting amazing beads. One small criticism is that there was more information on lathing beads than I was interesting. Also I wanted to know how to get the large extruder used for several of the beads. I can only find small extruders. It looks similar to a cookie press but I think it is a specialized polymer clay tool. Those two things make the review 4 instead of 5 stars. It is a beautiful book though and essential for bringing your polymer beads to the next level.

Wow, I own most books about Polymer Clay and most of them are good, however this one is heads above the rest for me. I love the varied techniques, many of them old and known to most polyclayers but Diffendaffer offers thoughtful and genius techniques that make even the older techniques seem new and he also gives variations to try. I love it that he allows for your own creativity even as he describes the techniques. Also this book offers different styles, many books basically present the basic styles and that's it. The other thing I love is that he seems to be moving you to a higher level no matter where you fall on the learning curve. I have been toying with Polymer for a while but never as seriously as I wanted to because I felt skiddish. He has given me more confidence going through this book. And I have taken a class with one of the "masters" of Polymer Clay. But more importantly as I read the book I felt like he was truly sharing some of his "secret" techniques. Now I feel ready to begin using Polymer for my jewelry more often. Thank you Grant Diffendaffer for your brilliant book. One more thing, a small caveat to explain why I didn't give his book 5 stars...and it is a tiny issue and I don't hold it against him either but I would have liked to had slightly more specific direction as to the settings for the Pasta Machine at times. This is no big deal as I had been working with Polymer and have tons of other books I could reference, not to mention all the online tutorials I have bought, but if I were a beginner and had no other resources, I think some of it might have been harder to follow....for instance Judith Skinner technique... I have seen explained in more detail for someone not familiar with polymer. Also I haven't double checked but usually there is a section on storage...checking the index I didn't see that. But like I said, I only held back the last star in case someone totally new, with no other books and no internet access bought the book as their sole education. Of course, in this day it isn't likely but I prefer erroring on the safer side. BRAVO Grant Diffendaffer (I love his name by the way)

i was very satisfied with this book. It has beautiful, inspiring photos andunderstandable instructions for a variety of beads. I would recommend this book.