Book Recommendations for Needle Felting

Since I've been exploring needle-felting lately, I thought it might be nice to share some suggestions for books to help others get started or to explore their own felted work further.

Let's begin with a comprehensive guide...

The Complete Photo Guide to Felting

The Complete Photo Guide to Felting by Ruth Lane is a excellent place to start.  It's also a great reference book to add to an experienced felter's collection.  This book is broken into five main sections; All About Wool and Other Fibers, Preparing to Felt, Traditional Wet Felting, Nuno or Laminate Felting, Needle Felting.  It's also fully illustrated with both step-by-step instructions and a gallery of work by skilled felt artists.  You can get a peek inside the book by checking it out on Amazon.

Now, if you'd like to try 3D felting the next two books are worth a peek.

Woolbuddies

Woolbuddies by Jackie Huang is great if you are getting started with 3D characters.  This book contains 20 projects with step-by-step photos.  It has three categories of whimsical characters; Simple Woolbuddies, Moderate Woolbuddies and Challenging Woolbuddies.  You'll learn how to make everything from an owl to an elephant to an octopus!

Little Needle-Felt Animals

If you've checked out Woolbuddies and want to expand on your cast of cute characters, then Little Needle-Felt Animals by Gretel Parker is the book to go to.   Inside, you'll find 30 fully-illustrated projects ranging from a moon-gazing hare to a series of fish to a frog princess complete with lily-pad. The shapes of the animals in this book are a bit more complex than in Woolbuddies and will help you build upon your skills.

Art in Felt & Stitch

Now if 3D felting isn't your thing or you'd like to try 2D felting then Art in Felt & Stitch by Moy Mackay is the book you're looking for. 2D felting is a lot like painting with wool.  In this book, Moy Mackay provides both inspiration and technical information with this beautifully photographed book.  Some of the many topics covered include materials & equipment, color, texture, composition and techniques.  This is one of my favorite felting books for 2D felting and I highly recommend it if you are looking to explore this style further.

AJE Contributor, Jenny Davies-Reazor is also a fan of this book and had this to say about it:

"This book I purchased a year or so ago - I believe Lesley introduced me to this Scottish artist? Stunning. Mind blowing. Gorgeous work - tapestry style... and by that I mean "paintings" in fiber. This book is a treat for the eyes, and very inspirational. While my fiber paintings are no where near Moy's in any fashion - this is how I like to use felt - as painting. And then of course I want to bead it too!"

Felt to Stitch

Jenny had another book recommendation to make with Felt to Stitch by Sheila Smith.  Per Jenny:

"This was the first felting book I ever purchased and It has held me in good stead. I wanted to learn to wet felt - both "canvas/paintings" and shaped pieces. The diagrams and directions are clear and informative. In fact - that section of the book is waterlogged from having open while felting! The book goes into Shibori and nuno and other more complex forms I haven't experimented with... yet. But see? One book and every time I dive in there is so much more to learn."

In addition to the many books on the market, you can find some fantastic felting videos online. Here's a few places I recommend:

Sarafina Fiber Art (A great company to buy your felting supplies from. Click here for the shop.)

Living Felt Felting Supplies (Also has an online shop for supplies and kits).

Felted Sky Studio (Has an Etsy shop with kits available.)

If you use or have used any of these books or sites I'd love to hear your feedback on them in the comments section below.  

Happy Felting! 

Book Review - Polymer Journeys

Polymer Journeys is the brainchild of Sage Bray, Editor of The Polymer Arts magazine which the book was conceived alongside over a five year period. For three of those five years a board of curators: Anke Humpert, Cara Jane Hayman, Christi Freisen, Debbie Crothers and Iris Mishly; polymer artists renowned within the polymer clay community have worked with Sage to research and communicate with other artists and to evaluate and advise on the artwork that features in the book.

Like The Polymer Clay Arts magazine the book is not pitched at those looking for tutorials or techniques but rather aims to show what can be achieved by those who really hone their skills and innovate to give polymer clay it's place as a serious art form. 

"Our primary goal was to stick with artists whose work has some focus on innovations or who are doing things that cannot be done with any other medium. We also wanted to show how polymer is being used by artists to express themselves". Sage Bray

The book showcases work from many artists and covers a broad and varied spectrum of technique and design aesthetic. 

Deborah Banyas & T.P. Speer United States

The 'Journey' theme (explained fully in the editors introduction) creates a number of threads within the book beginning with the Foreword by Cynthia Tinnapple who details the development of polymer clay art to the current day and questions the possibilities for the future.

This book is also much more than just a gallery of beautiful work because each submission includes the artists own description of their background and inspiration, sometimes with sketches and studio shots that allow us an insight into their own creative journeys. For me, getting to see something of the background and working process of an artist makes the interaction much more rewarding. I also know that some of the the most popular posts with AJE readers are those where we as authors open up and share with them so I'm particularly pleased to see it here too.

The way the book is laid out takes the reader on a journey moving from a section on globally recognised artists, to those who have given back to the community and then on to a geographical tour of current artists with sublime talents and it flows very well.

I'm doing this review from a digital copy of the book so I can't comment on the physical feel but I can say it is loaded with stunning illustrations of work which, for someone like me who is new to the medium and uses it fairly simplistically in my mixed media work is almost beyond comprehension. Organic, architectural, urban, mixed media or pure polymer clay - it's all here in forms that I would have never envisaged possible with this medium.

I could go on a lot longer about this book but since its enjoyment is largely from a visual perspective I don't know that I would add much more of value. I think think the book has an obvious appeal to anyone currently working in polymer clay and/or mixed media but more than that, it will appeal hugely to anyone with an interest in texture, colour and form and in pushing the boundaries of their own work, whatever the medium. I certainly found it very inspirational and see it becoming one of those books that will get pulled from my bookcase time after time when my own creative muse needs waking up or I just need to look at something lovely...my hard copy is on order.

"I send out this book, my own attempt to have an impact on the lives of others through a concept that I hope will be a vehicle for a wider and deeper appreciation of this young medium and the artists that bravely test its limits and their own". Sage Bray

Polymer Journey's is available to purchase here.

Eva Thissen Germany

Joseph Barbaccia United States

Big Magic - thoughts on the creative life

Big Magic quote by E. Gilbert

Are you familiar with Elizabeth Gilbert? You probably are... she is the author of the autobiographical "Eat, Pray, Love" and her recent novel "The Signature of all Things".  She is the proprietress of a fab import store called Two Buttons. And she has given a stellar TED talk on the nature of creativity. (TED talk video included at the end of this post. Watch it. You won't be sorry.) 

Big Magic

Eat Pray Love, TED talk, Two Buttons store 

Her newest book "Big Magic" was on my Kindle as soon as it was released. An author whom I respect and admire, writing about the magic of creativity and living a creative life? YES PLEASE.  I fully intended to read the book, and try a new technique or conquer a "fear" and share it here. 

I couldn't get deep into the book on my Kindle. I needed to underline and make margin notes on every other page. This book is so freaking fantastic. Her tone is conversational; making it a fun and easy read. Like sitting down to have a coffee with Liz. Then she will say something so profound, drop a truth bomb... and I need to take notes. I am 1/3 of the way through the book - 78 pages in and I have 6 flags and 5 dog eared pages. 

Her premise is that creative living is the hunt to discover and uncover the gems in each of us... to find moments of beauty and transcendence in our lives. Whether this is in actually creating art/music/poetry isn't the question. Its more along the lines of "Following your Bliss". The truth that  creativity takes courage. She talks about fleeting ideas, ideas acted upon, "multiple discovery" of ideas. She describes the slog of working hard at one's work, and the rare fleeting moments of pure inspiration like fairy dust. 

 Let me share a few quotes with you... 

"Trust me, your fear will always show up - especially when you are trying to be inventive or innovative. Your fear will always be triggered by your creativity, because creativity asks you to enter into realms of uncertain outcome, and fear hates uncertain outcome..." (Big Magic, p. 23) 

"You can dare to be pleased sometimes with what you have created... You can resist he the seductions of grandiosity, blame, and shame. You can support other people in their creative efforts, acknowledging the truth that there's plenty of room for everyone. You can measure your worth by your dedication to your path, not by your successes and failures... ( BM, p. 41)

And there are many more! The book is divided into sections: Courage, Enchantment, Permission, Persistence, Trust, Divinity. I think that gives hints at what else it may have to offer.  I'm sorry I hadn't finished it at this writing... but I want to savor it. I now own it in hardback and this will become a classic in my art/creativity library. Check it out. If you are a maker, designer, artist,  or not - it is proving to be an enlightening read. ( And here's her TED talk for free - see if you like her style and her message.) 

Until next time... be creative! 

Jenny 

Book Review: Timeless Wire Weaving

The Complete Course

"Sure, It's only wire, but look what you've done with it! The transformation is amazing" -Lisa Barth

Timeless Wire Weaving

Today I thought I would share one of my favourite jewelry making books EVER! Yep, it's that good!

Timeless Wire Weaving, The Complete Course by Lisa Barth.

It starts out with a wonderfully worded and very empowering introduction, talks about the tools you will need, the materials you will use, the terminology, types of weaves and other techniques needed to create the projects in this book.

After providing all of this information it then takes you on to the four beginner projects, admittedly normally I turn my nose up at beginner projects (I like to run before I can walk) but these ones are beautiful and really worth making!

Such beautiful pieces

The projects included in the beginner section are Spiral woven hoops, Donut bail pendent, Woven frame pendent and a wonderful Woven link necklace.

The book then moves on to four intermediate projects.... Woven bezel earrings (oh my these are cute), Cross pendent, Inverted donut bail, and Scalloped edge woven bracelet. These projects are so beautifully detailed that it is hard to believe that they are for an intermediate level.

Work in Progress Bracelet

Then on to my favourite section, five Advanced projects. It starts with the amazing Woven bezel pendent (seriously stunning) this even has a seed beaded back option! Then there is the Double diamond woven bracelet, Mirror image bracelet, Twist and turn woven bracelet and then the amazing Double-crossed woven bracelet. The book ends in an outstanding Inspirational Gallery where Lisa talks a little about the designs and shows how they can be changed for different looks, and an About the Author page.

What I really love about this book is how incredibly easy it is to follow. I am a very visual learner and find it a real struggle to follow written instructions alone/at all, so this book is great for me because it is crammed full of easy to follow photos.

Labradorite Woven Bezel Pendent

This is my first attempt at Lisa's Woven bezel pendent and I love it, of course when I got around to the back I got side tracked and ended up doing some thing different, which is another thing I really like about this book, Lisa encourages you to change up the designs and make them your own....

Soldered Heart Back Plate

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to trying some of the other projects!

Book Review :: "Inspiration in Glass" by Tanja Ostwald

"Inspiration in Glass" by Tanja Ostwald is a book I became familiar with on Facebook when one of the artists who were profiled posted a link to purchase this book.  Of course, I had to check it out right away and decided I had to have it!  You can purchase it on Amazon here.

In this book, Tanja asks a group of really talented glass bead makers about their inspiration and looks behind the scenes at their inspiration to help you find yours.

Each artisan created a new piece of glass art to symbolize their inspiration; that piece of glass art will be auctioned off at some point with proceeds being donated to a bead-related charity.

The artists included in the book are:

Akiko Isono

Annette Nilan

Astrid Riedel

Bronwen Heilman

Ginger E.L.A.

Holly Cooper

Jeri Warhaftig

Kate Fowle Meleney

Kim Fields

Kristen Frantzen Orr

Lucie Kovarova-Weir

Meike Nagel

Nicole Zumkeller & Eric Seydoux

Rocio Bearer

Sharon Peters

Stephanie Sersich

Yoskinori Kondo

The book is set up so that you learn about what inspired each artist to start making beads, some of their process, and advice they would give to other beadmakers.  While the book is not tutorial-oriented, the artists do provide a working dialogue to show you how the bead they are donating is made.  The book includes some awesome eye candy presented as an overview to the artists work.

At the end of the book, the section called Exercises to Practice provides a technique from each artist that will help you with specific aspects of glass beadmaking, for example, stringer control, puffy mandrel tips, making beads that match, and making shards.

The Artisans Spotlight section gives you some specific info related to each artist in spreadsheet format.  Hours spent at the torch, favorite music, and hobbies other than glass are just a few examples.

In conclusion, I think this is a great book for a lampworker who is not necessarily looking for a tutorial-rich book, but one that gives process-oriented lessons and inspirational information to find your own voice.  Since I admire many of these artists, I personally really enjoy reading about their inspirations and the advice they give.  There were several artists I was not familiar with and was happy to learn about them as well!  I hope this small review helps you!

**All photos used in this post were taken by me from my own personal copy of the book.**

**I was not given a copy of this book to review nor did I receive compensation in any kind for this review.**

Susan Kennedy

Book Recommendation: Maker Magic by Connie Fox

If you've spent any time in Facebook groups or other online jewelry forums, you've probably encountered a post from someone who feels their work has been copied. These threads usually get pretty passionate, with most commenters jumping enthusiastically and firmly onto one side or the other of the discussion - and sometimes things get downright ugly. Add to the mix that there is rampant confusion about copyright issues and what is or isn't protected, and it's clear we would all benefit from learning how to develop our own unique voices.

Is there such a thing as "too unique"?

Earlier this year, AJE team member Karen Totten did an excellent and comprehensive post on the idea of "style" in art jewelry. It kicked off a series of conversations among AJE team members about how we came to our respective styles and what we do to keep them from becoming static or stagnant. I'll be honest: I've really struggled to find a style that isn't derivative of the work of other metalsmiths out there. I know what I'm drawn to, but I'm not often sure why. And as I've written about before here and on my own blog, the prospect of writing an artist's statement induces a near-immediate rush of anxiety, mostly because the "why" of my work isn't always apparent to me.

So I was very much looking forward to this year's Roadhouse Arts spring retreat, because we invited master metalsmith Connie Fox to join us for a two day design intensive, based on her new book Maker Magic.

I was not disappointed. In fact, the process of walking through these exercises and explorations turned out to be incredibly personal, not just for me but for all the participants. We cried and laughed and shared stories and started examining the things that spoke to us, in our work and in the work of others. 

By the second day, we were trying our hand at new creative exercises and dipping our toes in the water of new awareness. Why do I love foldforming so much? Why am I helpless against the pull of certain shapes and forms?

And the result, for me, was a piece that didn't look anything like work I had done before, but that felt personal. In fact, a friend of mine looked at the piece and said, "Oh my gosh! It looks like you!" There could not have been any better compliment.

Obviously, the experience of several days in close proximity with other creatives is going to be very different than reading and working through this book by yourself, but don't let that stop you. Over the course of 17 chapters, it will escort you through several exercises to help you identify what type of designer you are. Do you plan out every design before you tackle it or do you just jump in and go where the muse and materials lead you? Do you work best by yourself or are you energized by talking through your process and ideas with other artists? Is your work quirky? Serious? Playful? The answers to these questions will help you figure out what process helps you get to your best ideas.

From there, you get to figure out where your inspirations lie and what you want to say about them. This has always been the tough part for me, but Connie shares very practical skills and methods for getting you past any paralysis or awkwardness, as well as a thorough (and not at all dull) explanation of design elements and language. The best part of these approaches is that they can be applied to specific projects, not only a body of work. For example, in the space of just an hour, I had the beginnings of a whole new way to describe and explore my work and my aesthetic, which was pretty exciting. But if I have a killer cabochon or component that I'm just dying to do something special with, I can apply these techniques and skills to brainstorming ideas specifically to that project - I can dial it in. And like anything else, the more I exercise these skills, the more natural a part of my process they'll become.

I have a much better idea why these shapes appeal to me and how to use them well.

Connie shows us how to pull it all together by walking us through the processes she followed on three of her own pieces. I found this particularly interesting, since I'm such a fan of her work, and it helped me to have concrete examples of how process can come together in different circumstances and with different intentions. It also helped me see that a disciplined approach to design and making doesn't have to be boring or constricting - in fact, it creates a kind of freedom that is exhilarating! The book concludes with tons of links and recommendations, which makes it tremendous reference. I bought it after the retreat and downloaded it to my iPad, which is often in the studio with me, so that I can refer to it.

And so, back to my original point: we all start out learning by copying the work of others who are more advanced than we are. We take a class or buy a tutorial, and we are really happy with how the project turns out, so we start collecting more tools and techniques. But if that's where we leave it, we never really come into our own - our work just ends up looking a lot like the work being produced by other makers. How can we break into new territory, develop our own voice, create a style that really looks like us and not everyone else? It's a process, and it takes practice and discipline (there's that word again!) and more practice. It takes failing. It takes evaluating what you produce without emotion. It takes time, and effort, and intention. Are you ready?

Start with this book. I highly, highly recommend it. If you've had any kind of formal art education, a lot of it will be very familiar to you - but for many others of us, who came to making later in our lives or via circuitous paths that included other lives, other careers... well, this was new and exciting territory for me, and it fed a part of me that I didn't even know was hungry.

Until next time -

Book Review - 20 Ways

For my post today, I’d like to share a couple of really good books I bought recently.

20 ways to draw

20 ways to draw a tree (and 44 other nifty things from nature - 96 pages) by Eloise Renouf, and 20 ways to draw a tulip (and 44 other fabulous flowers - 96 pages) by Lisa Congdon.

20 Ways to draw a Tulip

They are books for artists designed to either teach you to draw, or if you have some experience, to develop your ideas.  

They both start with a brief introduction and then a ‘how to use this book’. The instructions tell you that each page has been purposely left with blank space, these books are designed for drawing in!

Draw 20 shells

There are a few helpful pointers for beginners, with tips for learning how to see the subjects you want to draw, but after that, you’re on your own. 

Draw 20 feathers

Each double page spread has a subject. In the trees and other things book, there are leaves, eggs, logs, seeds and other natural objects.

Draw 20 seed heads

And in the Tulips and other things book, each page is a different type of flower. 

Draw 20 Lavender plants

Draw 20You can see where I’ve made a start sketching some of my own tree ideas in the gaps on this page. 

Draw 20 trees

Both books are beautifully illustrated by the authors, all in bold simple styles, and are a great springboard to get you looking and thinking differently about your designs. 

And I like the idea of encouraging you to consider the same subject in multiple ways. It really gets your brain working and thinking about how each drawing could be used for making your own stamps, or carving directly in to clay.

Draw 20 poppies

I would recommend both of these books whether you’re looking for something simple to help you start drawing, need something to help develop your ideas, or are looking for a kick start during a dry spell. And if trees and flowers aren’t your thing, there are also 20 ways to draw a dress, cat, moustache, bike and more. You will never be stuck for an idea again!

Book Review: Copper Jewelry Collection

"Once relegated to practice scrap, copper now shines in jewelry making." --Karin Van Voorhees in the intro to Copper Jewelry Collection. 

I am sent several books each year to review. Some I don't bother because I wouldn't have much positive to say about them. Kalmbach Publishing sent this one and I really enjoy it because it's not just a rehash of some projects pulled from other sources. Instead, it has pulled technique based articles for the first half of the book, while reserving the second half of the book for projects using some of the techniques. When I am evaluating a book or magazine for my own use, the one that teaches techniques is a much better value than the one that teaches a project...unless that project happens to teach a technique. 

I should take a moment to mention that I like to know what I'm buying and always appreciate it when people share what's inside the book. To that end, I've taken lots of photos, but I also did a lot of blurring. I am sharing the photos of what you can potentially learn without sharing the copyrighted instructions or materials lists. I assure you the photos and directions are all very clear. All blurring and darkening is on my end. 

The first half of Copper Jewelry Collection contains lessons for how to do certain techniques. There are five different sections on getting color on copper. One section that is not shown in the collage below is enamel scraffito. That's one I've never tried and would love to. 

I would also like to mention that here on AJE, we've had a couple posts about colored pencil on copper. Here's one by Francesca and another by Diana.

There are also sections on etching, air chasing, and wire weaving. (Note-Several people on AJE have written about etching. You can find those articles by typing in the word etching into the search box on the top right of this website.)

Once the techniques have been covered, the book moves into 10 projects created by several different artists. I am sharing photos of 8 projects. Missing is a tapered Viking knit project and a crocheted cuff using several different sizes of wire. 

There's some really great projects shared in these pages. I am especially attracted to "Woven Window" by Mary Hettsmansperger.

The last section of the book rounds everything out with safety and other metal and wire working techniques. 

Overall, I think it's a valuable book if you want to learn some of the techniques listed above and/or have directions to make the projects so you can learn how to take the new knowledge to add to your toolbox and make something that is your own.