Melissa Harrison's debut novel is a brilliant hybrid of fiction and nature writing centred on semi-wild spaces in a London suburb. The events of the book cover a year, broken into seasonal chapters that mix descriptions of the natural world with a cast of characters whose relationship with nature is at the heart of the story. This brilliant little book, published in July 2011, shows what metal clay can achieve in the right hands. Full of pictures and with a forward by Michael David Sturlin, this is metal clay work at its best. Featuring metal clay artists from around the world, some well known, some not so well known, you’ll find this a brilliant source of inspiration. Discover and play cross-platform (PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Switch) community creations directly inside the game.

The Best Pottery Books — Kara Leigh Ford Ceramics The Best Pottery Books — Kara Leigh Ford Ceramics

Claybook is a unique world made entirely of clay. Every inch of the environment can be shaped and molded. Everything has matter inside it, not just an outer shell. Clay can be liquid or solid, and it can be deformed and destroyed.The ending, sadly, was a let down, with most of the characters (or their lives) returning to how they were at the start. I really wish her editor had worked with her on this as I was bitterly disappointed that some characters had either failed to grow or society had prevented them from doing so which left me wondering what was the point? This book was interesting to say the least. I read Clay because it was a required book for my class, but in a way I am glad I did. It was weird and uncomfortable but I found myself reflecting on the actions and conversations of characters in the book. I was intrigued by all of the different possibilities and I tried to come up with a solution for what happened between Davie and Stephen and their clay creation. I would hand this book to a high school student. Literature doesn't have to be uplifting, but... [expletive]! The psychology of the characters and their interactions, especially how they could connect but don't, is very well drawn, as is the beauty of the natural world and the way they each seek solace within it. It would have been unrealistic to resolve everything neatly and happily, but to be left with only a feeling of crushed hopes and certain doom for all of them is more than a little disappointing. It is, in fact, soul crushing, because I can't stop thinking about each character's future and how desolate it is now that the little bit of possibility for connection and solace they had tentatively built has been ripped out of their grasp. David Almond's writing is gorgeous, and the mood in this book and in his more recent novel, Raven Summer, is very stark and introspective and so true to early adolescence and the thoughts inside the minds of 6th graders everywhere. As disturbing as this book was, I enjoyed every minute of it, and I'm about to go running to my library's shelves for more of his writing.

Metal Clay Books | Metal Clay Academy Metal Clay Books | Metal Clay Academy

But things start getting strange, and Stephen comes between the friends as he entices Davie to join him, modeling clay into -- a person. Stephen seems to have the power of creating life from inanimate clay. While this horrifies Davie, it inspires Stephen to more and more daring feats. Stephen Rose is the creepiest of creepers, and I absolutely loved the way David Almond used his character to explore the dark side of early adolescence. I also really appreciated the way Almond used Stephen and Davie's clay creation as a kind of metaphor for the loss of innocence. Davie is coming into his own now - spending time with girls, spending less time with his best friend, Geordie, questioning his Catholic beliefs and trying to make them his own - and the clay man represents those things that are secret for an adolescent, the things they feel they cannot say out loud - not in the confessional, not in the street, not at the dinner table, not even alone in a bedroom. A unique clay simulation and visualization technology, designed for user-generated content and making it easy for players to unleash their creativity. And yet when the consequences of all those things played out I found that I was involved with these people and their lives, and I was moved by what happened. A beguiling book that entwined people and nature. Loved the prose, not over precious, yet I could see and hear and sense the seasons as they were described. Also because the setting was in London, the nature was small and confined, with just a hint, an echo of something greater and wilder, perhaps like the wolf the little boy wanted to see.There are definite supernatural elements in this book, but they are religious elements more than the stuff of ghost stories. As a Catholic myself, I found myself sympathizing greatly with Davie and the religious aspects of his life, and I thought the depiction of 1960s Catholicism was very well done and certainly not inaccurate or overwrought, as is sometimes the case when trying to make religion appealing to secular readers. Davie and his best friend Geordie are just ordinary kids: altar boys, mediocre students, part of a gang full of mischief and rivalry. When Stephan Rose arrives, sent to live with his crazy Aunt Mary, because his father has died and his mother has gone mad, Father O’Mahoney asks that the boys befriend him. They resist, but Davie soon finds himself drawn to the strange new boy, fascinated as much with Stephan’s ability to create fantastic figures from clay as he is with Stephan’s taunting of Mouldy, the bully who’s vowed to ‘get’ Davie. Stephan has a gift, a real genius, for shaping figures that seem to live and breathe. He recognises something in Davie—some innocence, some goodness—that he can use, and begins to draw him into his plan. Together the boys create a monster from mud, a creature that not only lives but walks and obeys. Then something awful happens to Mouldy, and Davie must take action. Pott'd™ Home Air-Dry Clay Pottery Kit for Adults & Beginners | Kit includes Air-Dry Clay, Tools, Paints, Brushes, Sealant, How-to-Guide

Wild Clay by Matt Levy, Takuro Shibata | Waterstones

As this is, it's a faithful representation of Frankenstein that is accessible to kids. But... there was just something that made me wonder whether the message is only that. Charm bracelets are more popular than ever. These customizable pieces of jewelry are a wonderful way for the wearer to express themselves and show their personality. But buying or making the intricate silver charms can be costly. Your clay is amazing! I made home clay myself with corn starch and white glue, baby lotion,but when it drys...the detail disappears and my doll head is blouted. Any tips. , Keep up the great work! I read this book in preparation to teach to a Y7 class (11-12 year olds). Whilst the writing was good and there was nothing glaringly wrong with the characters (in fact, Y7s would probably find the characters relatable and engaging), I think I became a little confused with the message of this book.The juxtaposition of life in the park and life on the estate is striking, and the balance between the story of the human lives and the story of all that life in the park is very well judged. An over-protected child, a neglected child, a Polish immigrant and an old lady living lives of differing loneliness. They each find meaning in the nature and small animal life of a nearby park. Their lives sometimes overlap and they seem to communicate and take comfort from each other in small ways and yet this reader, at least, could not relax as an overwhelming foreboding stalked the narrative. Not as good as the other two I have read (but this was her first novel I think) . I really appreciated all the nature references, especially as it describes urban 'forgotten bits' of greenery, shrubbery, brambles etc ... and then the characters that love this ares for their different reasons. Personalized Pottery Stamp, Stamp for Ceramics, Stamp For Pottery, Pottery Stamps For Clay, Soap Stamp, Custom Monogram For Pottery Stamps