Reddit reviews The Polymer Clay Techniques Book

That's turtley awesome!

I LOVE your fimo creations! So cute, especially the turtley awesome turtles!

Since you've just started I thought this book would be useful for you to help you more with your craft. Just in case that doesn't count as something crafty there's also this which is something I've recently gotten into.

Here's just one of a ton of amazing tutorials by this lady who makes the cutest little charms!

I don't have any pictures of the things I've crocheted. :( Here's a bonus time lapse on the making of Elsa from Frozen though!

I would absolutely love one of those turtles with the flower on it's shell, so stinking cute! Thank you so much for the contest!

Agree about "The Polymer Clay Techniques Book" by Sue Heaser. An oldie but goodie, and always a favorite of mine because she just covers so many different things in one book, and simply. (I wouldn't use some of the same colors or necessarily make the same things, but that won't matter for techniques. That book isn't primarily about sculpting although that's covered a bit.)
https://www.amazon.com/Polymer-Clay-Techniques-Book/dp/1581800088
(paperback is fine... eBay may have used copies cheaper if you're interested in it)

Re painting on baked polymer clay, there are just a few things to know about preparing the surfaces, paints to use and not use, etc:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/paints.htm

And btw, temperature and time are interdependent for the type of plastic that polymer clay is, although too high for a particular brand/line will create more darkening than you might want unless the clay is protected (and it will actually burn at 385), and too low will take much longer than you might want for thoroughly polymerizing all the way to the center.

Re bulk brands/lines of polymer clay usually sold for "sculpting," original plain Sculpey will be very brittle in thin or projecting areas. Super Sculpey-flesh will be better but still brittle in those areas. Super Sculpey-Firm will be strong, and Super Sculpey-Medium will be halfway between SS and SS-Firm.
Other brands of flesh-colored bulk polymer clays will be strong but each will have its own handling characteristics (e.g., Fimo's Doll/Puppen clays and Cernit's Doll Clays).