--Great tips and never-ending ideas on how to use resin & epoxy--

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher through NetGalley, and here are my thoughts.

I actually rate this book about a 3 on the actual projects (based on my individual taste) and a 10 on the instructions, wealth of information, and pure passion for the subject. So I give it 5 stars, as that seems fairest to me.

I have taken online courses and read a handful of books (two? three?) on making jewelry with resin, and this book seems to have more helpful tips than all of the other books combined. Have a look at the "Look Inside" feature and you will be able to see some of the projects. Whether or not the projects - mostly casual and cheerful designs -- are to your taste, I have to say that simply reading through this amply photographed book will not only inspire you to come up with your own designs, but that you will get a very good education on all the foibles of creating with resin and epoxy.

A wealth of information, literally.

easy to read and follow
The actual projects were not my style, but I did learn some good tips for using the resin

I have been working with resin for over two years and am still learning. This book will make a tremendous addition to my personal library and any serious jewelry crafter. The pictures are very clear to the author’s instructions since I’m more familiar with resin than clay, I found that section quite enlightening. Didn’t know y ou could use molds for this as well. Most of my friends hand tool their designs, which is above my level of talent. Overall this book is chock full of ideas to keep any crafter busy for a long, long time!
I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I found this to be a little bland. Whilst there was plenty of pre-crafting with pages and pages of what materials to use, the few questions that I had weren't answered- such as do you have to sure UV resin? What if it doesn't cure properly?
Also the end products did look very 'homemade' and I didn't think that this was a book specifically for children but the output did have that aesthetic.
Disappointed.

My daughter and I just started using resin since quarantine started as something for us to do together that was a little different from what we're used to and so far we're loving how much you can do with it!

It's not just about the mold, but about what you add to the resin to make it your own. There's so much one can do with only a few molds.

After purchasing some jewelry molds and testing them out with some basic designs I was struggling with ideas. This book came in handy right at the perfect time and is filled with a ton of knowledge for you too!

Fun projects for making resin & epoxy clay jewelry. The instructions are fairly easy and walk you through how to work with both substances to have the best results. I just bought some resin and excited to try out a few of these projects!

LEARN TO MAKE AMAZING RESIN AND EPOXY CLAY JEWELRY was given to me by Net Galley, free of charge, in exchange for my honest review.
This book is a non-fiction tutorial type book, written by Gay Isber. It was published by Fox Chapel Publishing.
She first tells of the history of resin and how to make it out of two ingredients – casting resin and hardener. It is so cool that you can color your resin any color you like…easily. You can add interest and sparkle to your resin with plain ole ground up eye shadow. You can add gems, beads, charms, and cameos. She even added Lucky Charms and M&Ms. Tree sap and even nail polish are types of resin. And, most resins take under 24 hours to cure. She also carefully goes through safety, cleaning, and storage. One tip she gave was to make sure everything is ready to go before you start, because it quickly begins to harden.
She also tells how to make jewelry out of epoxy clay. No kiln is required for this. Again, you can embed beads and baubles to them, and you can add pigment and mix colors – even with oil paint. There are all kinds of clay sculpting tools available. Or you can just use household items, like plastic straws, pencils, the end of a paint brush, or an exacto knife. This clay dries to rock hard in about 24 hours. You should always wear gloves when working with the clay.
I think it is so cool that she shows several of her own beautiful projects. And she includes several projects that she walks you through.
Not only do I highly recommend this book, but I am going to try out some of these projects myself! Enjoy!!

Packed full of ideas, lots of different styles of epoxy use. Explained how to use epoxy even if you don’t want to make jewelry.

I chose to read this book because it looked interesting.
It tells how to make epoxy jewelry. It tells of all the items you will need to get to get started.
It shows pictures along with instructions for several projects.
I can't wait to get started looking for epoxy.

Learn to Make Amazing Resin & Epoxy Clay Jewelry is categorized as a book for beginners which means that the detailed instructions provide enough guidance and no experience is necessary. It is a great book to start out with to see if this is the type of medium you feel comfortable working with. There are pictures on all of the designs so you know what they are supposed to look like when done.

Out of the 26 projects in the book, I felt there were enough attractive ones that I was drawn to, but not all of them were to my liking. There are projects for necklaces, earrings, cuff bracelets, pendants, barrettes, and more!!

As a side note, resin and epoxy clay can be toxic to work with in an enclosed space, but Gay Isber explains safety, ventilation and chemical handling so everyone stays safe.

Thank you NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my opinion.

#NetGalley #FoxChapelPublishingGayIsber

Great gift for crafters and anyone interested in jewelery makeing!

I truly loved seeing the various techniques used by someone who is very skilled making of beautiful jewelryeven from the simplestof items. I purchased a copy so I can drive more into this fun and therapeutic craft.

I was amazed by the endless ways to craft something beautiful and gave fun at the same time. Be sure to follow all safety precautions and ventilation recommendations because the resin has a ton of fumes. But once I got the hang of it this is something I'm sure to do for quite some time!

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

Such a wonderful book! I have been making silver and other jewelry on and off for some years, and I’m always looking for new challenges. I am not particularly good at it, but practice makes perfect (maybe one day).

The book is filled with detailed descriptions how to make jewelry, what you need, tips on what you can use (almost anything), and explanations about what could go wrong and how to fix it. The amazing amount of great pictures show that there is something for everyone. You can really make amazing jewelry by following the instructions in this book!

As it says, it’s a book for beginners, which means you don’t need to know anything about the subject when you start. The author is very knowledgeable and you can see she has an eye for these things, and she’s an experienced jewelry maker. Let’s see how my jewelry will turn out... At least I know where to turn for guidance and help when I need it. I recommend this book to people interesting in making jewelry out of resin and expo clay!

A few weeks ago my friend and I decided to do some resin. I did it years ago, and he had seen it as a new fad and wanted to try. We had two different types of resin that mix two different ways. Half our experiments failed. His equal parts resin failed and my older style resin worked most of the time. But we had problems. This book came in at the right time to help me figure out what I did wrong. It has some pretty basic projects but the instructions are simple and clear to understand. The photos are great and plentiful for each project. Overall, this was great for beginners, and even taught me things I didn’t remember or didn’t know from 15 years ago. There are questions I still have that I felt were not answered, like how long after I take the project out of the mold is it safe to touch without producing fingerprints, but that's more of a “problems” question than a getting started one.

While I love making jewelry, I can’t seem to get into Resin as a medium. I was hoping this book would help me turn the corner, but I have yet to find much in this medium that calls to me. Silversmithing has been my favorite and I’ve learned so much. I was hoping to find some ways to use resin in the mix, but so far what I have used has been more from my own experimenting. Resin in and of itself just hasn’t gripped me yet.

That said, if you are interested in resin and epoxy clay, this is a good book to get you started, or at least help you make a decision on whether to invest or not in this medium. The author lays out a solid foundation on what is needed, how to use resin and epoxy clays and some project ideas that will help light your creative spark.

I’ve been making jewelry for about 6 years now, but I haven’t started with resin and epoxy clay. In looking at this book, it’s clear that it requires a substantial amount of products and tools. The jewelry itself isn’t really my style either, so I don’t think I’ll be getting into this side of jewelry making any time soon. That being said, this is a very detailed book for someone who is interested in this. There are plenty of pictures and clear instructions that make this a good craft book. It’s just not the craft for me.

Learn to Make Amazing Resin & Epoxy Clay Jewelry is a new guide to costume jewelry with 26 (by my count) tutorial projects included. Due out 1st Sept 2020 from Fox Chapel, it's 144 pages and available in paperback.

I trained and worked as a metalsmith and jeweler for 16 years. My designs tended to be ultra traditional with an emphasis on costly materials and historical design. 'Exuberance' was not really a watchword in the formal jewelry business in my experience. These designs on the other hand, utilize inexpensive, relatively easily sourced resins and found materials which give major impact in big colorful costume pieces.

The biggest value in the book for me was in the author's well described artistic process. She describes quite well the thought processes that she goes through designing a piece. She has a very cool philosophy about using all sorts of 'non-jewely' items in her pieces (like nail polish, insect parts, eye-shadow/makeup, various plastics and resins as well as other bits) and allowing herself to experiment with color.

While there weren't any pieces which called out to me to be made right away, I can definitely see using some of these techniques in my future crafting. The book is also very well photographed and the tutorials are written simply and clearly with templates and step by step directions, materials lists, and resources included.

This would be a great selection for a makers group, library crafting group (when we're allowed to assemble again), studio library, classroom or other formal instruction, or home studio. The materials are toxic in enclosed spaces, and the author does a good job of discussing safety/ventilation/chemical handling, etc. This is not an appropriate process for children unsupervised, though older children would enjoy the process in a safe environment (with adult help).

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

If you are into jewelry making and want to venture into the use of materials that allow for endless possibilities, this book is for you!

Detailed instructions and tips are given, also basic information so a beginner will not be totally lost.

I found some of the designs really attractive but there were some I found a bit too chunky and rough for my taste. Maybe they would look nicer displayed on a person, it can be hard to tell. They would definitely be unique if you tweak them a bit to your own or your customers' liking.

Be aware that this particular craft requires the mixing of chemicals, and will require gloves, masks and a well-ventilated working space.

Thank you Netgalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.