New Directions in Metal Clay: 25 Creative Jewelry Projects

Cece's done it again and better! I love this book! I will recommend it to my own students. It is a beautiful book, lovely projects and great information. Both beginners and advanced Metal Clay artists will get a lot out of it.

This is a very nice work. It includes most of the necessary information on materials and techniques, and offers some stunning illustrations of completed art by the author and guest artists. I was especially pleased with the variety of embellishment exhibited, particularly the inclusion of enamel, gemstones, and appliquéd patterns. Just the versatility of the medium is amazing. More than any of the metal clay authors, this lady inspires me to actually try it.

This book shows a variety of projects that any pmc artist can use to help spin off into their own creativity.

CeCe has produced another wonderful read. Like most books on Metal Clay she begins with an overview of product, techniques, tools etc. As someone who has worked with clay for a number of years now I often find this tedious, however this time I didn't. Why? simply because there were a couple of techniques new to me ( Setting stones in Sheet Clay, Slip Dip Setting ) and the top quarter page in this section is devoted to a gallery of glorious creations by a plethora of names, a veritable who's who of Silver Clay are featured, better still, the vast majority of images are new. CeCe moves forward to create 25 diverse projects, each concentrating on a specific skill. They are creative, such as using silver mesh wire to create the foundation for an enamel plique-a-jour pin, there is wonderful use of the diversity of the clays - both silver and gold, slab, sheet and paste. Earrings, pendants, pins, rings and brooches - all covered in some wonderful designs that are achievable. As in her previous book, the projects are limited to a finished photo and written instructions, there are no step by step photos which may cause some people concern, especially if you are a visual and not verbal learner, just as the use of language - 1st, 2nd and next generation clay (clearly explained at the start) rather than brand type may also cause you to pause. I actually like this explanation. Overall another wonderful book to add to your Metal Clay Library.

I'm fairly new to PMC but buy a lot of books about something I'm interested in. This book is fabulous for all levels of experience...thorough descriptions of all the types and brands of clay, many techniques, and many gallery pieces to learn from. Far and away the best I've seen. Don't pass this up.