Product Description

The colours, textures, and versatility of polymer clay make it a perfect medium for creating faux surfaces. These 30 recipes for special finishing, shaping, baking, and molding techniques will magically transform polymer's appearance. This book allows to: craft gorgeous faux gemstones, including tiger eye, jade, or malachite; and fool the eye with imitation metals - pewter, Balinese silver, verdigris copper, even rusted steel. The must-have naturals are here, from bone to leather, or make simulated agate, slate, or marble. You will find information on all the types of polymer clay, from translucent ones to some with mica powder, and learn how to use paints, inks, wax compounds, and confetti to enhance the surface.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #120580 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Customer Reviews

Wonders of Polymer Clay
I first got into Polymer clay through making dolls-house dolls in Fimo-however, I wasnt aware of the versatility of this media until I read this book.
Polymer clay has many uses-it can be transparent, glassy, textured, smooth, blended, stamped, carved, buffed, moulded...the possibilities are endless!

This book shows some truly beautiful examples: The Mother of Pearl and the Opals are particularly stunning. I only saw Acrylic and Mica Powders as a surface embellishment: here they make up a large part of the clay's colour and texture!

There is a lot of details into how to cut and fold the clay, and a large explanation of baking techniques, substitutes, and a list of good clays and tools to use (I recommend against metal shaping tools as they leave a residue on the clay-use wooden tools for shaping unbaked clay, and save metal tools for cutting and scraping)
The correct way to use metallic clays is also shown, for anyone who has ever made a pot from 'Copper' and wondered why it looks like a bit naff and sparkly. The method here, 'Copper Verdigris' is a realistic effect of ageing copper.

The book covers quite a few areas: precious stones, including opals, jade (my favourite) and lapis lazuli, metals such as pewter and copper, even natural materials like leather, bone (another favourite) and pebbles.
It is laid out like a recipe book, with plenty of highly detailed, full colour images that kick-start to imagination.

I fully reccommend this book to any beginner or intermediate in polymer clay. From making small embellisments such as doll furniture, to making large peices such as tie-backs, mirror frames and jewellery, the techniques in this book are perfect.

faux to go
I wasn't sure whether to buy this as I didn't think I had any interest in making copies of precious stones etc. I am so glad I bought it. It's brilliant and has unleashed a flow of creative ideas. Instructions and presentation, as with all Lark books, is excellent. If you are looking to make something for yourself, simply follow one of the projects. If you are looking for ideas, there is plenty of scope here. Covers several semi-precious stone look-alikes as well celadon, cinnnabar, metals and leather.