Melissa Cable
Kalmbach Publishing
We turned our clocks back last month. Now that I finally remember to "Spring ahead and Fall back," the task has become much easier.
Spring is in the air. The birds are chirping early in the morning. Two tiny humming birds flew into my daughter's open kitchen door the other morning. Pretzel, the frisky poodle, was mesmerized by the hovering aviators.
One of the lovely things about Spring is the wonderful smell in the air. Blossoms are beginning to emerge, poking their spindly leaves and buds thru the rain moistened soil.
Melissa Cable, in her book "Metal Jewelry in Bloom," presents us with a lovely garden of tiny delicate "how-to" flower shapes. One doesn't need rain nor fertilizer to create these blooms. She does provide us with templates and demonstrates step-by-step techniques for shaping the metal sheets into a delightful array of delicate flowers. She acquaints us with the various components of each and then recreates the flowers in metal.
One is provided with a list of tools and metal choices to facilitate your garden inventory. Determining petal shapes and then a follow-up cutting and filing lesson is presented. One can then go on to apply texture, dimension, and embellishments to the colorful garden.
All of the techniques are well documented with excellent instructions and photography. Your profusion of flowers will add a wonderful addition to your necklaces, earrings, and rings. The only element absent is the olfactory sensation.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Winning American Mah Jongg Strategies
A Guide for the Novice Player
Elaine Sandberg
Tuttle Publishing Company
I normally write craft book reviews for some major publishing companies, but when the cat is away, the mice play. I participate in social Mah Jongg games at least two times per week. The winnings from one game are contributed to a student fund at Washington University in St. Louis.
I had purchased the book "A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jong by Elaine Sandberg a few years ago and found it most helpful. Her new book on strategies is a "thinking" person's tome.
Chapter 1 covers finding the right hand and discusses power tiles such as combinations of "pairs, pungs, kongs of any tiles, etc., including flowers and jokers." Many interesting examples are given utilizing a 2010 card. There were some minor misprints on pages 58 where there were too many craks on the rack. In addition, page 66 showed eleven hands and not seven as stated ,but I did not consider this a problem in any way.
Chapter 2 discusses the Charleston and additional decisions about what to keep and what to discard. Once again there is a summary and practice section.
Chapter 3 presents "Let the Game Begin." Now one is ready to get down to the business of "playing." Time to seriously consider discards, safe tiles, hot tiles, discards and exposures, changing the hand, if necessary, and finally what hand to choose.
No need to pull out your heavy mah jong case if you want to practice a few hands. The cardboard laminated tiles (cards) were colorful and light weight. I would highly recommend both Elaine Sandberg's newest book and her boxed mah jong game with the very useful instructions. Have game, can easily travel with no extra baggage.
Elaine Sandberg
Tuttle Publishing Company
I normally write craft book reviews for some major publishing companies, but when the cat is away, the mice play. I participate in social Mah Jongg games at least two times per week. The winnings from one game are contributed to a student fund at Washington University in St. Louis.
I had purchased the book "A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jong by Elaine Sandberg a few years ago and found it most helpful. Her new book on strategies is a "thinking" person's tome.
Chapter 1 covers finding the right hand and discusses power tiles such as combinations of "pairs, pungs, kongs of any tiles, etc., including flowers and jokers." Many interesting examples are given utilizing a 2010 card. There were some minor misprints on pages 58 where there were too many craks on the rack. In addition, page 66 showed eleven hands and not seven as stated ,but I did not consider this a problem in any way.
Chapter 2 discusses the Charleston and additional decisions about what to keep and what to discard. Once again there is a summary and practice section.
Chapter 3 presents "Let the Game Begin." Now one is ready to get down to the business of "playing." Time to seriously consider discards, safe tiles, hot tiles, discards and exposures, changing the hand, if necessary, and finally what hand to choose.
No need to pull out your heavy mah jong case if you want to practice a few hands. The cardboard laminated tiles (cards) were colorful and light weight. I would highly recommend both Elaine Sandberg's newest book and her boxed mah jong game with the very useful instructions. Have game, can easily travel with no extra baggage.
Friday, May 10, 2013
WINNER OF METAL CLAY BEADS
Congratulations to Margot Gregory. She is the winner of the above Lark book.
"Mixed Metal Jewelry Workshop"
Mary Hettmansperger
Lark Jewelry
The author, Mary Hettmansperger enthusiastically endorses metal clay. She has a solid background in metal fabrication so she used this knowledge to combine the two successfully. Nothing is more rewarding than having the vision to combine various mediums to deliver a message.
The author takes the pliable clay which is like putty in her hands, and sculpts, molds, and twists to end up with multiple designs. This jewelry workshop in book form teaches one the basics of sheet metal and metal clay. Sheet metal is the choice for the first five designs. The following three sections concentrate on the large variety of metal clays now available such as silver, bronze, and copper. Each has it's own wonderfully unique properties which lends itself to various design concepts.
As my children were growing up I spent many evening exploring Playdo with them. We would twist and combine colors often ending up with endless piles of muddy chunks. As we learned to handle this material, I could then help them create visions of fancy. However, nothing was really permanent. The Playdo would dry out, a limb or two would fall off, and we then had to start again. Metal clay does not present these problems. What you see if what you get, although there is a huge price differential. This material is definitely not child's play.
All the tools necessary for working the metals are well documented in this book. Rolling, cutting, piercing, texturing, stamping, etc., are discussed. Patinas are also explored. There are also instructions regarding working with wire. Many variations on a theme are presented and the finished projects, as pictured in this book, gives one a wonderful opportunity to explore all materials in depth.
What a long way we have come in setting out on a new explorative journey with the engaging book.
Lark Jewelry
The author, Mary Hettmansperger enthusiastically endorses metal clay. She has a solid background in metal fabrication so she used this knowledge to combine the two successfully. Nothing is more rewarding than having the vision to combine various mediums to deliver a message.
The author takes the pliable clay which is like putty in her hands, and sculpts, molds, and twists to end up with multiple designs. This jewelry workshop in book form teaches one the basics of sheet metal and metal clay. Sheet metal is the choice for the first five designs. The following three sections concentrate on the large variety of metal clays now available such as silver, bronze, and copper. Each has it's own wonderfully unique properties which lends itself to various design concepts.
As my children were growing up I spent many evening exploring Playdo with them. We would twist and combine colors often ending up with endless piles of muddy chunks. As we learned to handle this material, I could then help them create visions of fancy. However, nothing was really permanent. The Playdo would dry out, a limb or two would fall off, and we then had to start again. Metal clay does not present these problems. What you see if what you get, although there is a huge price differential. This material is definitely not child's play.
All the tools necessary for working the metals are well documented in this book. Rolling, cutting, piercing, texturing, stamping, etc., are discussed. Patinas are also explored. There are also instructions regarding working with wire. Many variations on a theme are presented and the finished projects, as pictured in this book, gives one a wonderful opportunity to explore all materials in depth.
What a long way we have come in setting out on a new explorative journey with the engaging book.
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