Reviewed by Martha Aleo

This book contains instructions for making miniature flowers. The author gives directions for making delicate looking flowers that are stronger than they appear - a useful thing to know since it is anticipated that the flowers will be used in many of the jewelry, barrette and other projects found in the latter part of the book.

The instructions are clear, and templates are provided on separate pages. There is an interesting section on getting to know your clay which discusses the techniques used in making flowers, such as rolling, folding, and thinning out the petals.

There are useful tips, such as how to wrap a stem with florist tape, scattered throughout the book. While this book might not appeal to die-hard caners it will be of interest to everyone else.

Making Miniature Villages in Polymer Clay
by Gail Ritchey
North Light Books
February 2000
List Price: $22.99
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Reviewed by Martha Aleo

This book contains instructions on how to construct various buildings out of polymer clay, and provides suggestions for arranging them together to make a village. There are templates, but they are small, not on separate pages, and do not contain measurements.

Aside from a lighthouse and church, the buildings are all basically the same type of construction-pointed roofs, country-style, quaint looking. There are good instructions on how to replicate brick, stone, wood, and make these structures look different from one another. There is also a section on how to create foliage and accessories such as park benches.

There are several things I liked about this book. This is the first book I've seen that has a table of clay thickness for various pasta machine settings. It also has a tip sheet which includes practical advice on working with polymer clay that most of us had to learn the hard way. There are also easy-to-follow color recipes and photos of the color mixing process which are a real asset. In a fit of good taste, the author does not include directions for sculpting an idiot. This book would be worth adding to your library.

Reviews © October 2000

Polymer Clay Central thanks Martha Aleo for sharing her reviews of these excellent books! Watch for more of Martha's reviews in the future, and if you know of a book YOU would like to review, just email or and we will help you prepare your review!