Great Books to read

I am getting ready to take a PMC (Precious Metal Clay) Class next weekend at the local art center and can't wait. So, I went out and bought a book just to get prepared ahead of time. I found this great book called Metal Clay and Mixed Media Jewelry by Sherri Haab. WOW! There are some awesome tips, techniques and finished pieces in it. Just beautiful! Sherri is so talented. She has another book called the Art of Metal Clay. You can find it on the link above. All of the links are to Amazon.com which has new and used copies but there are plenty of other places to buy the books. Anyway, I am so excited for my class and to be able to tackle my first project. I think I am going to really like working with PMC. I have never done it before so I will be sure to report back to you on what it is like and how my project turns out.

On that note, I started thinking of some of the other books that I have and love and wanted to share them with you. Faux Surfaces in Polymer Clay by Irene Semanchuk Dean. I have to be honest and say that I haven't done any polymer clay projects, which is why I bought this book. She has great ideas and instructions on creating cool looking effects for your projects. Look out clay, here I come. Actually, I just remembered something. I took a clay class in high school just to fill an empty slot. I wasn't into art at the time but thought it would be an easy way to get an A. My best friend and I got selected by the teacher to represent our school at the local "Clay-a-thon" competition. It was quite funny because we were not real serious about the class at the time, one of the few who weren't going on to be art majors. I don't remember what kind of clay we used, but I have worked with it in some fashion. Man that was a long time ago. My sister told me that she remembers one project that I made. It was a clay tissue box with a lid. The handle on the lid was a big, fat nose. How funny is that? I have to find it. I bet it is up in my parents attic. What a treasure that would be. Moving on... Photocraft: Cool things to do with Pictures you love. Another one of my hobbies is taking photos ever since I purchased my first digital camera years ago. I love using photo editing software on the computer to manipulate and enhance the images I have taken, whether scenic or of my two beautiful kids. The Photocraft book does exactly what the title indicates. It shows you how to do a lot of cool things with your pictures. I like projects that you can actually use and there are plenty shown in this book. The Paint Effects Bible: 100 recipes for faux finishes by Kerry Skinner. I took a Faux Painting class at a local tech college so this was a great supplement to that course. I tend to forget the steps to all of the techniques that I have learned so this book/bible spells it all out for me. It has detailed instructions and great photographs so that any level painter can achieve the effect that they want. The Complete book of Floorcloths by Kathy Cooper and Jan Hersey. I took a painted floorcloth class at the local art center and was hooked from the start. I am always looking to improve my creative skills and expand my knowledge so I bought this floorcloth book. (She has another one too but I forget the name). It teaches you everything you need to know to create a beautiful work of art for your floor from start to finish. I had the privilege of meeting Kathy Cooper at a local art show. She is so talented and offers classes at her own studio and at the Sawtooth School for Visual Art in Winston Salem, NC. I have taken a number of classes at Sawtooth and they have opened up a whole new world of creativity for me. Check out Kathy's website and you will see how talented she is. I just love her whimsical designs and use of bright colors. Very bold! I personally do a lot of Olde World designs and will have my version of a painted floor canvas as one of my projects down the road, so stay tuned. The Olde World theme suits the style of my house better than the bright colors but the opportunities for color and design on floorcloths is endless so you can do whatever suits your style. So much fun! The Mom Inventors Handbook by Tamara Monosoff. Someone once told me that "wherever there is a problem, there is an invention". This has been a blessing and a curse because now I look at everything that is broken, or that frustrates me, etc. and try to figure out an invention to fix it. This constant brainstorming has caused many sleepless nights for me. I have a ton of ideas that I am not quite sure what to do with so I bought this book to give me direction. It is a wonderful resource for anyone with an idea and aren't sure what the next step should be and it is a pretty easy read. Better Homes & Garden Paint: Ideas & Decorating Techniques is a helpful book if you plan on painting any rooms in the near future. It offers tips on colors and a variety of decorative painting techniques. Salvage Style: 45 Home and Garden Projects using reclaimed architectural details is such a unique book. It takes architectural details and turns them into cool new pieces whether it be art, furniture, etc. I love to re-purpose items, it is very fulfilling to recycle or reuse something that it was not originally intended to do.

All of these books have inspired me to explore and try new things. I invite you to check 'em out and share your thoughts!

Happy crafting,
Madame Craftsalot