How to make a polymer clay bound book from Polymer Clay 101: Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily through Step-by-Step Instruction

Do you love making books and journals? Have you combined book making with polymer clay? Answer this question by Midnight ET Tuesday December 21, 2010 in the comments section of this post and you are entered to win a copy of the new book (and DVD) Polymer Clay 101: Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily through Step-by-Step Instruction that features the tutorial on how to make a stamped polymer clay covered journal! It is after all Day 4 of our Holiday Goodness Giveaways!

Click on the images below from the new book Polymer Clay 101 to enlarge and read how to make a stamped polymer clay covered journal.

I think this binding technique using a color coordinated dowel is brilliant and I can't wait to try it!

Love this project and want to learn more great polymer clay techniques? Then grab yourself a copy of:

Polymer Clay 101:

Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily through Step-by-Step Instruction

By

Kim Otterbein

and

Angela Mabray

Polymer Clay 101 teaches all the basics for crafting with polymer clay. With hundreds of detailed photos, it covers tools and supplies, all types of beading technique, and terrific projects that will get you started and inspire you to take your skills and make your own custom designs.

With over 45 minutes of video, the DVD included with this book is a valuable learning tool. Author Angela Mabray demonstrates all the essentials techniques used for crafting with polymer clay. The DVD is both PC and Mac compatible and can be viewed on Quicktime software.

Angela Mabray first happened upon polymer clay in a toy store. While she quickly realized it wasn't just for kids, she still feels a childlike joy each time she finds something new to do with polymer clay. Angela lives with her husband and son in Oklahoma, where she co-founded the Central Oklahoma Polymer Clay Guild. She is also a member of the International Polymer Clay Association. Her polymer clay projects have appeared in Polymer Café, on HGTV's "That's Clever" show, and on many blogs. She writes about polymer clay at www.craftygoat.com.

Kim Otterbein has had a love for beads all her life and still has a baggie of seed beads from the 1960's. Kim's training as a textile designer and painter seems to blend right in with jewelry making. Kim is the primary teacher for classes and workshops at the Bead House in Bristol, Rhode Island, sharing her wide range of knowledge and experience in beading, knotting, wire wrapping and polymer clay. She is a certified instructor of Precious Metal Clay (PMC) and also a silversmith. She has had many projects and instructional articles published in various magazines, including Bead & Button, Belle Armoire, Art Jewelry, Beadwork, Polymer Café, and Lapidary Journal. To see her work, go to www.thebeadhouse.com and click on KO Design.

 

Comments

[Pat Upton]

I LOVE making books and journals! I have not, however, thought about using polymer clay! What a fantastic idea! The directions in the book look easy to follow for the challenged. I would love to win a copy of this book!

[CC in WI]

I have only done a few projects with polymer and did not know what else to do with it. What a great idea. I would love to win a book that would give me other ideas for using it, as I have several chunks of it in my art room.

[Connie Volkman]

I am looking for tutorial you did on Friendly plastic strips you did this fall. I have just got tired searching and searching. It was so great. I ordered the Supplies and now forgot how to use the strips. Connie

[Melanie K]

I love making my own books (in fact I have a slew of them I need to use!). This sounds like a book I really need ... I want to start using more polymer clay. Perfect!

[Rikki Mitman]

I make books and teach bookbinding -- it's exciting to see the many forms books can take. I hadn't thought of using polymer clay, but now I can't wait to try it! Thanks so much for sharing.

Rikki Mitman
Houston, Texas

[edie]

I am learning to do some simple book binding and this looks fabulous! Thank you for the creative nudge - I'll be checking it out as soon as the holidays are over.

edie

[elizabeth]

i haven't tried making a journal with polymer clay yet but it has been on my list of things to do for over a year.

[Janel]

I love making books. Polymer clay would be a wonderful way to personalize them!

[Charline Ahlgreen]

I've been aching(!!!) to make a journal with polymer clay, but none of the instructions have been clear enough to me to do so. THIS one, with all of the step-by-step photos looks like the one that will allow me to get over aching and into doing!!!

[Jennifer]

I have made a few books but never with clay included - I think this book could change that!

[Colleen C.]

I have actually made an art journal with a polymer clay cover, but I would love to try the techniques in the book.

[Suella]

I have a great collection of paper ephemera that I plan to make into an altered book in the new year. What a great idea to create a particularly distinctive cover to go with it!

And I love the concept of a dowel or twig or plastic tube or...binding.

Many thanks for the inspiration!

[Lotus Vele]

I love making my own journals, but I"ve never tried to combine journal making with polymer clay... I love the technique you've shared and would love an opportunity to win this book!
Lotus
lootsvele@yahoo.com

[Barbara]

Polymer clay has only been medallions or embellishments on my journals and books. I'd love having some new ideas and plan to try the one you shared. Thank you so much.

[Rob]

What a fantastic project, and so inspiring. I have been enjoying various types of book binding and would love to try this one out.
Thanks for the great instructions and inspiration.

[Shelley]

I do love making and altering books and journals. No, I have never used polymer clay in any of my books or journals but after reading this article I would love to try. I would also love to own that book!

[Judy Strom]

This is awesome! I love to make journals and artists books but have never done anything with polymer clay. I can see from this article that I'm going to have to give it a try.

[Jean Hanson]

I love to make my own journals but hadn't thought of using polymer clay for covers. I will definitely be trying this and the binding is also cool.

[casandra]

For my favorite journal, I decided the cover was too plain. I searched my stock of miscellaneous crafts and found a polymer face I made in middle school. I cut a hole in the cover of the book, and fastened her to the cover. It makes it hard to put in a book shelf, or to stack, but I never have trouble finding it because it really stands out.

[upstatelisa]

very cool! Haven't tried this yet!

[Karis West]

I absolutely love making books and journals, but I have to admit, I have not made any using polymer clay! This is something I would love to try!

[wen]

I love making journals - probably half of the journals I've kept over the years have been made by me, either inserts for leather covers or complete journals. In fact I just finished my first coptic-bound journal, with watercolor paper pages. I haven't made a polymer clay book, but I have added molded polymer clay beads and embellishments to some of my books!

[Ginigin]

I've made books with kids and beads with fimo, but other than adding the beads as embellishment, haven't thought of making a book with it. But now I am. Thanks and I sure hope to win.

[Linda Ritter]

Great technique. I definitely will have to check out this book.Thanks for highlighting the book and this bookmaking technique.

[Diane]

Wow, I never ever would have thought of making a journal cover out of polymer clay. It looks beautiful and it is inspiring. Who knows what other ideas I might find if I win the book?