Polymer Clay Jewelry: The Ultimate Guide to Making Wearable Art Earrings

Clay artist Skidmore debuts with a colorful manual for creating polymer clay earrings. Providing a detailed overview of how to get started, she describes the tools and materials needed, noting that tissue blades are ideal for slicing and chopping, and recommending titanium earring backs because they’re “sturdy, affordable, and hypoallergenic.” Helpful tips offer guidance on choosing a color scheme (picking shades next to each other on the color wheel creates “visual harmony”), preparing clay for molding (she recommends feeding it through a pasta machine), and finishing an item (placing a disposable aluminum dish over a project ensures the pieces bake evenly in the oven). The vibrant projects have a throwback feel, as seen in the rectangular green and white checkered-print earrings and the “retro circles” that use brown, gray, and white clay to create a stylized pattern that resembles bubbles. Skidmore makes use of a variety of techniques, including making divots in gold-colored clay to mimic hammered brass and using black liquid clay to put speckles on yellow crescent pieces, creating the appearance of ripe bananas. The projects are lots of fun, and the plentiful photos illustrate how to execute each step. This is a must for amateur jewelers. (May)