Finally! A photo of the new Heaser book...

I guess the publishers were holding back the cover photo of the new Heaser book until after it was released, because I've been checking out the Amazon listing every so often, with no luck. Now that the book's out, at least I can see the cover. I don't really understand the logic behind the move, if it was a conscious decision on the part of the publishers and not just some glitch in the system. Personally, I'm much more likely to buy a book if I can see what it looks like. I "trust" it more if I have a photo. Tempting us with a great picture of the cover would have generated more interest in pre-ordering, I imagine.

The book's title is Encyclopedia of Polymer Clay Techniques: A Comprehensive Directory Covering a Panoramic Range of Exciting Applications. (What a mouthful!) I'm interested in reading some customer reviews, once they start pouring in, because I've liked Sue Heaser's other books (that I've been able to see). However, I doubt I'll purchase this one. From the little information I've been able to find, I get the impression that it covers a lot of the basic techniques-- ideal for the beginner, but not quite as exciting for someone who's worked with clay for a while and read a few other books on the basics. That said, I'll bet it's full of useful tips, many of which I've probably never heard before.

I like the cover. It reminds me of Carol Blackburn's bead book-- the font of the title, the colors, the dimensions of the book. . . And I love the stained glass effect in the main photo.

. . .Well, that's enough time wasted for now, I think. ;o)

Books about making miniature food

If you're in the market for a book about miniature food-making, here are a few options you might want to check out. (Follow the links for detailed tables of contents and more information.)

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Making Miniature Food and Market Stalls, by Angie Scarr

This book is one of my latest acquisitions. I enjoy looking through it just for the joy of seeing how polymer clay (and a few other odds and ends) can be magically transformed into miniature food. The projects in this book include fruits, vegetables, cheeses, baked goods, meats, and seafood-- followed by a section on making market stalls and miniature crates for displaying the foods.

Incidentally, Ms. Scarr is British, and a few of her food choices demonstrate that, I think. For instance, there are pork pies, crumpets, hot cross buns, black pudding, and kippers-- all of which I, at least, associate with the UK.

One more note-- I was surprised to find that there's quite a bit of caning in this book. These are very interesting techniques that can be adapted to fit a variety of other foods, too.

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Making Doll's House Miniatures with Polymer Clay, by Sue Heaser

As the title implies, this book focuses on doll's house miniatures-- not just food-- but there are plenty of mini food projects in there, including baked goods, vegetables, fruits, desserts, a roast lamb dinner, and more. This is an ideal choice for someone with an interest in miniature-making in general. Have a doll's house to furnish? Then give this one a look!

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The Polymer Clay Techniques Book, by Sue Heaser

Don't buy this book expecting loads of miniature food lessons, but it's a good choice for beginners or anyone who wants an overview of a large number of techniques-- and there are a few helpful tips for making mini foods. If I remember correctly, there's information about using inclusions and artists' pastels to add realism to miniature food.

Miniature foods book by Sue Heaser

I was looking around on Amazon this evening when I cam across a book I hadn't seen before:

Food Displays, by Sue Heaser

It's one of those books with the handy "search inside" feature, and judging by what I see there (and based on the glowing comments from satisfied buyers), it looks interesting. But the price! The cheapest I've seen so far is $55.00. For a 64-page paperback. And comparable books from the same series are selling in the $12-$15 range. (The MSRP for this book is just $15, too.) I can only guess that this particular book is less widely available (maybe even out of print) and/or more in demand than the others, but still!

Well, I won't be placing an order for this book any time soon. ;o) From what I could see in the preview, the projects look similar to those I've found in a couple of other books, but I might still have been interested, had the book been $15 or so.

New polymer clay books on the horizon!

And they're beckoning to me. ;o)

The idea of a new book is usually somewhat nicer than the reality-- but not always so. And anyway, that's how it is with most things. Anticipation is the best part-- or the worst, dependent on what you're anticipating.

I haven't been active on any (polymer clay-related) message boards or e-mail lists for a while, now, so perhaps everyone else in the pc universe already knows about these new books, but this is the first I've heard of them.

I was looking forward to Donna Kato's latest, which is due to come out this month: The Art of Polymer Clay: Creative Surface Effects. The library system "next door" already has a copy on reserve, and I was hoping to get a peek at it before too terribly long. (And if it was simply too wonderful to pass by, then I'd consider buying it.)

With visions of "creative surface effects" dancing through my head, I never gave a thought to the other clay books that might be in the works. But I just found two (and I'm sure there are more, but two is all I can handle at once (g))!

First--
The Encyclopedia of Polymer Clay Techniques: A Comprehensive Directory of Polymer Clay Techniques Covering a Panoramic Range of Exciting Applications, by Sue Heaser. 160 pages, hardcover, $18.45 from Amazon, and due out October 2007! Let the countdown begin. ;o) I've yet to see a photo of even the cover, but I've so enjoyed some of Heaser's other books that I have high hopes for this one. It does sound like it might be more useful for a beginner-- or someone who doesn't already own a few good clay books-- but you never know. There's not even the standard description you usually get from the publisher, but based on the title, I'd expect it to be "comprehensive", with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Pretty tantalizing, actually!



Second--
Polymer Clay Beads: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration, by Grant Diffendaffer. 144 pages, hardcover, $16.47 from Amazon, and due out January 2008. (Just a bit too late for Christmas, more's the pity. But I guess one could always ask for money or an advance order placed in one's name. (g)) I don't know much about Diffendaffer, but the little I've seen of his work has been impressive, and I like the beads in the cover photo. I'd like to at least see this book, so I hope the trusty library will get this one, too. ;o) This book does have a description in the "editorial reviews" section:

Twenty different crafting methods—countless breathtaking beads, all made from easy to work with polymer clay! The varied techniques in this comprehensive skill-building book—many of which have never before been published—range from hand-formed tubes, spheres, wedges, teardrops, and baguettes to traditional mokume gane with fantastic layered effects. Add mica clay to create iridescent “ghost image” beads. Construct veneered pillow beads. Carve beads, press-mold them, or even use a cookie-cutter to get an array of fabulous shapes. Turn and form the bead on an extremely affordable craft lathe. Close-up photos show every step in the process, as well as the completed beads; some also appear as part of a finished piece of jewelry for inspiration.

Some of it is familiar and even potentially "over-done" (mokume gane, "ghost image")-- but there's no way to know what twist he might have put on it-- and there are also things that he "specializes" in-- such as the use of the lathe-- which you probably aren't going to find in another book. I'm definitely interested in this one, too.



Books, beautiful books! ;o)

P.S. *gasp* I almost lost this post! (Not that it would have been some great loss to humanity, but I still would've been annoyed.) Thank goodness for Blogger's handy-dandy new "auto-save" feature! (Because I didn't think about copying the poste until immediately after hitting "publish". Isn't that always the way it works?) Blogger Autosave, you're my hero!! ;o) (Now, where do I go to type a glowing testimonial? (g))