Arts Books

This book was mis-listed for one of my classes, but after buying it, I found myself taking it everywhere with me and reading it anytime I had spare time. Every time you look through it, you learn something new. As most artistic people are, I'm very visual, and all the examples really enhance the book and help to cement the ideas and rules. Very colorful, helpful and ultimately FUN TO READ! I love this book and recommend it!!

If you bought this book your going to be extremely happy. I have 5+ years in design and I'm learning new things as I go through this book. It's teaching me things my teachers in COLLEGE did not even teach. This is hands down one of the strongest books I've ever read and the exercises inside provide so much great hands on experiments for you to play with.

If you already spent the money to buy The non-designers graphic design book you need to buy this! This goes into so much great detail than I would've expected.

All I can say is WOW. Great investment. I've totally changed the way I look at design.

This is the book that was missing in college. So what makes the difference between Wow and O.K. Read it, study it, do the excersizes... follow it. I wish every hobbist in the digital scrapbook world would discover this book.

Jim Krause is one of THE BEST teachers of our time.

I had to buy this book for school, but I love the way it's laid out. It's very colorful, very informative, and it's small size with a strong plastic cover makes it easy to take with you everywhere or throw in your purse.

I have learned a lot from this book so far.

This book covers the basics of graphic design and is great for a beginner. It's also worthwhile for any intermediate or advanced designer to have in their collection for review. It's a small book so it's easy to carry around and not daunting to read.

This book changed my life by helping me understand just how close Christ is to us who believe and seek Him. I don't ever have to be alone again and can practice the Greatest Commandment in all my life, and have complete joy in Christ. Daily Bible reading is also a must for me to help keep me turned away from the "world" and at the same time turned inward towards Christ Jesus who abides in me and in all. Praise God and Christ for new life!!!

Guyon has given the church a spiritual gem. And this gem has been mostly hidden... hidden by years of religious junk that is void of life-changing power! She writes of what many call "the deeper Christian life" when it is truthfully... the normal Christian life. Unfortunately, it is this Christian life that most believers never mature and grow up into.

Guyon calls believers to learn a new way of prayer and a new way to read Scripture. This new way will ultimately lead us to experience the depths of Jesus Christ.

Guyon recognizes that man is tripartite or trichotomous in nature. Meaning... man is composed of spirit, soul(psyche), and body. It is in the spirit of man that we meet Christ. It is through the denial of our soul-life (i.e. will, emotions, intellect) that we learn to meet with God in the spirit. The spirit then governs the soul and body as Christ intended in divine order.

It is through abandonment and pressing through the "spiritual dryness" that we shall take hold of a deeper experience with Christ. Discerning the activity of your spirit vs. your soul... will allow you to come to Christ in the way he has placed before us. It is by turning inward to Christ that we discover his life in us.

"When your soul is once turned toward God---the God who dwells within your spirit---you will find it easy to keep turning within. The longer you continue to turn within, the closer you will come to God and the more firmly you will cling to him." p.54

Many believers are led astray by external activities of the soul for years before they ever take seriously the spiritual things spoken of in this book. This is a common occurrence... but it is not normal and it never should be accepted as an inevitable delay of Christian maturity.

Guyon writes, "If a new convert were introduced to real prayer and to a true inward experience of Christ as soon as he became converted, you would see countless numbers of converts go on to become true disciples."

She goes on to say, "the present way of deaing only with external matters in the life of the new convert brings little fruit. Burdening the new Christian with countless rules and all sorts of standards does not help him grow in Christ. Here is what should be done: The new Christian should be led to God. How? By learning to turn within to Jesus Christ and by giving the Lord his whole heart." p.117

This book is about how this happens. I have not read a more practical book about Christian living. I highly recommend this book to those who have exhausted themselves by attempting to live like Christ in the soul-life.

For more of a thorough teaching on the tripartite nature of man... please read, "The Release of the Spirit" and "The Spiritual Man, vol.1" by Watchman Nee.

I recommend the following books:
The Release of the Spirit
The Spiritual Man (3 volume set)
The Centrality of Jesus Christ (Works of T. Austin-Sparks) Volume One
The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine

"Experiencing the Depths..." is one of the best books on prayer ever written. But, you need to follow her instructions to actually do chapters 1,2, & 3 before you read on. The temptation to continue reading and not doing is enormous but the result will just be confusion. Also reading her Autobiography will increase your understanding and connection with this book.

Pastor pablo alegre

This book seemed very interesting, however I found that even when its contents were explained simply, it's almost too vague or confusing for me to comprehend what the author is suggesting. In its shortest form, this book teaches Christians that meditation is the key to remaining focused on God and staying in His holy presence. However, it uses vauge suggestions like, "Now bring your self into the Lord's presence and just hold yourself there in silence." Now, I take it as if I could already bring myself into the Lord's presence, then I probably wouldn't need this book! However, late on the book does offer a little more explanation. But the true value of this book is when it goes in to describing the difficulties one can expect to face when trying to draw closer to the Father. This section of the book (luckily a large portion of the entire text) is by far the most useful and practical and on it's merits alone I would recommend this book to all but the newest followers of Christ. (Newer followers might not understand the issues discussed without a little "practical experience" under their belt.)

This little book will help you get closer to God as you pray. It should be on every Christian's book shelf. It is a little hard to get in to, but don't give up - persevere - and you will be rewarded with a better prayer life.

This is a great book, easy to read, and packed with excellent examples for the academic writer.

I finished reading the book in a day. In addition to the excellent writing style, the honesty and suggestions of the author will move you to start writing. I've already started to implement some of his suggestions. It works.

The fluid writing and simple, invaluable ideas in this book will transform you into a more productive writer. Before reading his book, I would write when I felt like it and it would often be huge writing binges (8-10 hours straight for 3 consecutive days) and then days of nothingness. Also, I would never start writing unless I knew I had a few hours to get into a rhythm.

As soon as I followed Silvia's guidelines, I began averaging over 500 words per day and it has led to an enormous output in my career. I refer this book to all of my undergraduate and graduate students and they are seeing similar gains in output.

You cannot criticize the ideas in this book without implementing them. It works and that's all that matters. Since I won't do the ideas justice with a brief summary, I encourage anyone who is serious about writing to buy this ridiculously cheap book, create the spreadsheet and time blocks that Silvia talks about, and start cranking. You only need to go to Silvia's website to realize that he lives what he preaches and is one of the most productive young scientists in psychology.

This book offers a great kick in the pants for any writer who feels he or she is just not producing enough. The author's tips will improve your efficiency and relieve that creeping guilt you feel whenever you aren't writing. The psychological insights gleaned from his own professional reading about high-producing authors and procrastination give a solid theoretical foundation to his practical advice. Which you know already, really -- schedule a time for your writing, guard it fiercely, and just do it. But buy the book anyway and dip into it when you need a push!

Better yet, implement the behavioral plan. The book will not do you much good if you do not implement a plan. Silvia writes a clear and concise book. His advice cuts the heart of every writer's problem. In fact, the more a person gets further into a profession, the more that person relies on writing. Writing, therefore, becomes the curve ball of professional development and advancement. Baseball players who cannot hit the curve ball never make it into the major league. Academics who do not write, do not get tenure. Scientists who do not write do not contribute to science. Silvia offers us a simple plan that will get you moving toward hitting the professional's curve ball; read it and write.

Women love to share their birth stories, especially with good friends. Ann Leary's novel makes the reader feel like they are laughing and joking about the time of their children's births over coffee. By the end of her book, I felt like good friends with Leary. She is smart, funny, and not afraid to expose her insecurities in a way that we can all relate with. A fun, quick, satisfying read!

I really enjoyed this book. Ann Leary has an engaging and enjoyable writing style and a great sense of humor. Her story, about her premature son Jack, was touching and heartfelt without straying into maudlin. I read it in one sitting, in a few hours, and can honestly say it was worth staying up until 1:00 am to finish it, even though I'm now grouchy at work.

This book was very entertaining. I felt like I could relate to a lot of the author's experiences. In my opinion, she did such a good job telling her story, I found it hard to put the book down at times.

I couldn't believe how much I identified with Ann in this perfectly and eloquently written memoir. My husband and I also had a 28 weeker, who weighed in at 2 lbs 1 oz and 14 in. long. The contractions wouldn't stop with medication while I was in the hospital for 8 days trying to keep him in. He was born via emergency C-section. It has been 2 years since his birth and I am just starting to deal with the pain and trauma of the whole thing. Ann's story is so closely related to mine that I couldn't put the book down, read the whole thing in one day (while watching my 2 year old, which is no small feat) and cried at every turn of the page. She really nails the experience in a delicate way, because when it happens to you, it is even more devestating than it sounds.

This book is the only thing that my husband and I can relate to regading the birth of our son. We are always saying how no one but us can understand what really happened. I can't even imagine being in a foreign country during this ordeal, but the experience leaves you feeling as though you are in a foreign land, all by your self, with no one to relate to. I wish I had read this book sooner, it was extremely helpful in healing my soul. I think Ann and I could become good friends if we ever met.

Cheers to her courage!

Ann Leary's autobiographical account of her sons birth abroad, amidst the rise of her husbands comedy career, is well-written, interesting, and very truthful. Unlike some autobiographical stories, Ann doesn't attempt to present herself as some sort of hero, and she doesn't portray anything that happened to her in a way that is self-serving. She tells it like it is. And it is a very interesting story. From her son's surprise appearance, to her unexpected life abroad, Anne's story is intriguing, sometimes sad, funny, and sometimes happy. I would expect that anyone who's ever had a premie, or anyone who's lived abroad, would especially enjoy her story, but to the rest of us, it's still a good read.

This one expands on were he stopped with the first book. 19 chapter headings with a multitude of sub headings.

* The Message of Jewelry, why we wear ornaments
* The Means to Creation: working environment, facilities and implements
* Metal, the Jewel's Raw Material: Its origin, quality control and variety
* Basic Techniques: processing sheet metal without deformation
* Sheet Metal: Forming by deformation techniques
* Wire: The uses of drawn or extruded flexible filaments
* Tubing: The use of Fistular Forms
* Surface ornament with out heat: Metal removal techniques
* Surface ornament with heat: Metal fusion techniques
* Fabrication: Building fragments into units
* Casting: Methods of giving form to molten metal
* Natural Materials in Jewelry: Using natures valued nonmetals
* Stones and their setting: Inorganic minerals employed in jewelry
* Metal Finishing: Achieving desired surface appearance
* Metallic Coating Techniques: Changing the base metal's surface appearance
* Metallic Buildup: Electrolytic molecular creation of surface and form
* Coloring Metals: Achieving patinas through heat, chemicals and electrolysis
* Standard weights, Measures and Tables
* Glossaries, Bibliographies, Sources of tools, supplies and services: USA and UK

Around 800 pages of pure golden info, I have read and keep finding new and interesting things since I picked up a copy last year. I find this gift keeps on giving every time I pick it up. He goes into detail that others can only dream about.

This book isn't only for jewelry artists, anybody that is into the metal arts working or a collector. This will give years of educational enjoyment. It is truly an investment grade book of knowledge. I use my copy on a metals arts forum for answers to question from people that are looking for answers that can be counted to be correct.

This book is the jewelry makers bible. I cannot begin to scratch the surface of its value by lising content. It is a gem of a book (pun intended).

Oppi Untracht did the jewelry industry and anyone serious about learning jewelrymaking the right way, a HUGE service by compiling the information in this book and presenting it in clear and easy to understand language. This book must have taken years of research and editing to produce and publish. That, my friends who harp about price, is why this book is so high priced. It is not over-priced, it is aptly priced. Think how much the Oxford English Dictionary costs- [...]
it's just words, why so expensive?!

You could learn a new technique or factoid every day for a year from this book and then start all over again and learn even more.
This book, however, is not for teaching silver or goldsmithing, gem setting, etc. It is not a how-to book at all. It is a reference book, like the ones that the library won't let you check out because they're too valuable.

If you are serious about jewelry making, fine and art jewelry- not hobby craft wire and bead stringing- put this on your wish list. You'll be thrilled if someone sends it to you for a birthday or holiday gift. If nobody will kick for it, save your nickles and find a used one, reclaiming the silver from spent pickle solution and making solder from scratch never goes out of style.

Jewelry Concepts and Technoloty by Oppi Untracht is the must reference text for the jewelry artist. Untracht provides historical reference for styles and techniques, clearly explains how various techniqures can be utilized by beginners, advanced art jewelry students and professionals. If that is not enough, the visuals and historical references stimulate the imagine.

This book was purchased to replace a book lost out of our Mineral & Gem Society library. We have many master gemologists and geologists in the club and each speaks highly of this book. It's full of basics but also provides information for the advanced jeweler. Highly recommneded.

In this volume Oppi Untracht offers an excellent overview of metal jewelry making. The seemingly limitless information offered is technically precise,and beautifully illustrated.

Note this is not a step by step manual, however it will lend itself most useful with almost any project of your choosing.

Many may shy away from purchasing this due to the price, but one must consider the priceless information / references its pages withold. EVERY jewelry maker will consider this their
"bible", and keep it close at hand.

In mid 60's, a Japanese elderly lady was shocked to death when she watched TV where Freddie was bititng Rikidozen on his head. This was a real story. He was a real villan in Japan. But we knew that his wife was a Japanese, he likes Japan. We like him very much. "Vampire Blassie" forever. Review from Tokyo.

All you really need to know about me is the names of my five idols: Stan Lee, Stan Laurel, Gomez Adams, Steve McGarrett and Freddie Blassie (hmmm, they are all to some degree fictional--that's something I'll have to bring up in therapy).

Anyway, this is a thoroughly enjoyable and quick read that recounts the well-known events of Freddie's life and spills some beans about him and other wrestling superstars, too. I suspect that it's very heavily ghost-written but what the heck...and if it's cliche to call someone an original, then what the heck again--if anyone deserves it, it's Freddie Blassie.

He did it all: wrestle for real, for "real"; act on the Dick Van Dyke Show and an Andy Kaufman movie; make popular recordings; advise Muhammad Ali. And not too long ago he worked on this important book, which belongs in any Sports library, or bookstore department.
Following in the timeline, in Georgeous George's footsteps, or better put, on his (pause) heels, he overshadowed the original icon of TV Wrestling, with his decidedly unorthodox approach. He used more "dirty tricks" than Nixon in '72.
When he retired from competition, he became one of the most villanous Managers, whose candor was never appreciated: he would openly admit on Interviews, and in the presence of his proteges, that he remains in the game for the watches and rings. He'd then counter this admission, by showing his self-deprecating side, by pummeling himself with a folding chair. (Just as he filed down his own teeth in his prime of his career).
Blassie takes you back to a period in Wrestling when the stars were believable; when they drove themselves to matches.

I too grew up in Southern California. To kids my age, Freddie Blassie was as big a sports personality as Don Drysdale or Roman Gabriel. Only Sandy Koufax had more elevated status, and was spoken of in hushed reverential tones.

Even though Blassie usually played the heel, I always stood by him. When he was a "good guy," I was in heaven! His rants with John "The Golden Greek" Tolos were priceless, and have never been duplicated by modern wrestlers.

This book was wonderful! I literally couldn't put it down, and read it in one enjoyable sitting. It really was a "no warts" look at his life. I was surprised to read that people took his work so seriously that he was stabbed several times.

Rest in Peace Freddie Blassie. There'll never be another like you!

I began watching professional wrestling when I was 8 or 9 years old - back in the days of the Bruiser and Crusher, Verne Gagne and Bruno Sammartino. I loved it then and still watch it now on occasion for fun. The difference being that when I was 9, I thought it was real, when I turned 13 or so, I figured it out and understood it to be "entertainment". Freddie Blassie reminds me a lot of a 9 year old boy who fell in love with the image of professional wrestling and never out grew it. In his book you learn of his rough life growing up. His alcoholic abusive father who left his mother and him when he was young, his dropping out of school after the eighth grade, growing up during the depression, his countless affairs and cheating on his wife (which he justifies), his absentee role as a father of three children (which he justifies), his multiple paranoias and insecurities etc. You learn of Freddie Blassie thru his own words and see the sad and shallow character he truly was and the empty life he lead and yet amazingly he presents it with a sense of pride believing that others envy him and his life. It's this paradox of how he sees his life and how others see it that is truly fascinating. Like getting two completely points of view on a car wreck. The book itself is well written and a good job by the author, I enjoyed reading it. The main charactor howeve is just sad and I can't help but feel sorry for him and how shallow his life must have been.

I realize that most of the readers of this review will be unable to carry out my suggestion but for those that can, I recommend this procedure to get the most out of the Liturgy of the Hours. After daily or even Sunday Mass, walk over to the rectory and suggest to the pastor that you would like to have the priests join and of course lead Morning Prayer in the Church before daily Mass. He will probably be overjoyed that you are that interested in praying 'his' prayers and will begin as soon as he can. In addition to the spiritual benefits of group prayer, you will be surprised how quickly you become expert in navigating the 'Breviary', even pointing out, diplomatically, the times the priests make a mistake. It becomes quite habit-forming and as others have said, your day will not be complete without it. Since we have two daily Masses, we are able to pray both Morning and Evening Prayer in common. The priests still pray the Office of Readings and Compline in private but who knows when we will join them for that. We have also printed up books with the Morning and Evening Prayers in them for those who do not wish to purchase the Liturgy. The only day we do not pray in unison is on Sunday and maybe someday we will bite that bullet. By the way, we are not the only parish that does this. I know of at least one other parish that recites the Morning and Evening Prayer and like us has a goodly number of participants. I do understand that work would preclude the majority of wage-earners from participating but for those who are retired or otherwise not working this does give you the chance to practice your faith. And finally, the daily reading of the Psalms mirrors so much of what is occurring in our modern life that it is almost scary. But then, considering the author, how else could it be?

It was just what I expected. It was given as a gift to a friend and I am so happy with the purchase. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to deepen their prayer life.

I wanted to buy the Liturgy of the Hours, but I wasn't able to buy all 4 volumes at once. So I've been buying them as the season for each comes. They are amazing! I used the Shorter Christian Prayer a little before, but each of these complete volumes is better. There is more variety in the prayers and it is great when it is a saint's feast day and you get to read about the saint. Not to mention the Office of Readings which often includes a homily from an early Church father! I recommend this to, well, anyone!

The Liturgy of the Hours is, after the Mass, THE universal prayer of the Church. Composed of Psalms, Biblical readings, intercessions, writings of the Church Fathers, and prayers specific to each day of the liturgical year, this beautiful prayer orders the day and unites each person to the other members of the Mystical Body of Christ, who are saying the same prayer the world over. I truly love this 4 volume set, finding it to be a deep well from which I daily draw the spiritual drink I need.

I previously used both Shorter Christian Prayer and Christian Prayer. Both are great additions to anyone's prayer life, but the complete Devine Office is even richer.

Someone has accurately stated the musical notes are not in this as they are in Christian Prayer, but I tend to say the hymns (like poetry) so it didn't make any difference to me. The nice thing here is much more is laid out for you and requires less jumping back and forth. A good example is the Antiphons. They are reprinted at the end of each Psalm so you do not have to turn back to read them from a previous page. And each day is nicely laid out so you can go thru the entire office if you choose (I try, but it is hard to work in the daytime prayers during the day at work - even though they are fairly short).

Perhaps the thing I have enjoyed the most is the complete Office of Readings. How wonderful to add to my daily prayers the readings from the Bible and from the early Church.


Now about this set...outstanding quality! I got the black leather set and it came quickly and very nicely packaged. Each of the four volumes were individually wrapped and they were fitted snugly in a solid box. I am very pleased with the volumes, the timeliness of receipt, and overall quality.

In conclusion, let me say this with open heart: if you are a Christian - Catholic or Protestant - and you want to jump start your prayer life or take it to a new level, you will find nothing better than praying the Devine Office (Liturgy of the Hours). Even praying just morning and evening prayers faithfully each day will draw you closer to God and enrich you.

I really enjoyed reading this screenplay. It's the kind of screenplay you can read and I know this might sound silly, but I actually felt I was inside the book with them all. P.T Anderson , has created intense, interesting characters that engulf your curiousity. You'll read this in one sitting. It's the kind of screenplay you don't want to put down. Definately worth owning. I wish I wrote it.

Anderson is brilliant and this is a great screenplay to buy for anyone interested in screenwriting and/or directing. The story, or stories, are so compelling that the suspense is there even when you read this book. Good stuff, good times.

Paul Thomas Anderson is a very vulnerable & giving author!He really nurtures the reader with secrets that aren't even revealed in the wonderful "making of" additional feature on the DVD. Get both & you will be powerfully inspired by a true artist, who went against the rules & won brilliantly. Thank God award season appreciated the wonderful work of art Magnolia was, and still is in my collection.

I have to say when I first read the script I was kinda of disappointed because there are changed lines in it like the scene where Frank meets his father for the first time its almost completely changed but I'm not mad its cool reading stuff from what Anderson wrote first But disappointing there are so many great stuff that are in the film but not in the script thats why I'm disappointed. Its a very well done script but changed.

See Magnolia first and then read the screenplay.

Matt

Magnolia is the only film that made me cry last year. The way the characters fall apart bit by bit makes this an amazing look into the lifes of people who appear to be strong. Every character in the script is amazingly ordinary and fasinating , and the actors who played them did a PERFECT job. Also how the film builds in tenison of saddness makes you wonder what will happen next. And then something you forget and unexpected happens. It is brillant, moving film.

Another excellent resource item for my daughter who is currently just beginning her experience in creating metal objects.

LOVE THIS BOOK. My new favorite. Well done with good detail on how-to as well as a nice gallery of art. A+

Taa-Daa! Linda and Opie O'Brien have come to your metal-anxiety rescue with Metal Craft Discovery Workshop. The O'Brien's - the combined force behind Burnt Offerings - are prolific in many artistic realms, but especially in metal. The duo produces some fantastic creations, especially with metal. In this book they share some of the secrets behind their awesome work - and demystify working with metal. Included are the steps necessary to achieve specific results, common tools you can use to work with metal, and an extensive array of cool projects. Having this book at your side is like having two metal experts at your disposal - the book is laid out well, easy to understand, full of great pictures, and stuffed with hints, tips, explanations and ideas.

From a way cool family tree to wearable art - and everything in between - you'll learn the ins-and-outs of making various items out of many types of metal. The O'Briens have done a magnificent job of writing for beginners, without turning off those more familiar with metal. Another reason I'd recommend this book? It proves that the most important factor in making magnificent art is the creative drive - not a lot of expensive tools. For example, did you know you could get a patina finish with potato chips and water? I'm serious...and the O'Briens tell you how - in a fun, breezy style that amps up your desire to jump in.

After following this book you'll have some neat new metal creations - and you'll have learned from two of the best.

This is the book you will want if you want to learn how to creatively make jewelry, collages and dolls. They provide you with clear instruction , lists of tools needed, and supplies to do the creating.

I received this book within a week of ordering.

The book is very helpful and provides you with all of the tools you will need for the techniques in the book. Very helpful for someone just getting started with working with metal.

This book is amazing for the ideas she has. Her techniques are easy to do, easy to follow and make me want to play in the clay for hours.

I've gotten terrific ideas from her and I'm hitting the studio tonight to try some new things.

I will be taking a class from Laurie in October and when I googled her name, I found she had a book out. I ran here to place an order, received it quite promptly and was AMAZED from the moment I took the book out of the box. Out of all of the art books I own, this is one of the BEST in every way. The color photos are large and close-up, the attention to detail is incredible. The background color and font size make this book VERY easy on the eye. The materials list, step-by-step instructions and extra Tips are VERY easy to follow. I made a trip to the store yesterday and am ready to start creating TODAY! Kudos to Laurie and everyone involved in creating this wonderful book!

I didn't just learn about techniques from this book. I learned about style elements that could used according to personal interpretation, about products (some of which I already have), and about angel companies. The pictures were excellent and numerous tips were included that can save a person a lot (!) of grief.

Angel companies are those rubber stamp companies that let you (no mechanical reproduction) use their rubber stamps to create art you may sell. Their restrictions and requirements vary but I had fun researching them once I had the phrase with which to look them up!

Now I think about adding some mosaic elements to jewelry, boxes, and more...nearly all my waking hours. Like a good song, I can't get it out of my head so I might as well do it.

The really important thing is that this book was so well written from so many aspects that I feel **comfortable** really getting into this and can imagine many crossover potentials that would make my renditions my own.

I loved this book and am a huge fan of Laurie. I am an artist myself using the same mediums and selling work at fine art shows. I have even been compared to her because we do have uncanny similiarites in the stamps we use and style. I was doing my own tile boxes and wall art before I ever saw hers. The only downside I saw to the book is that there are many easier ways to do some of the techniques she talks about. I personally do use a pasta maker to roll my clay, the thin tiles work just fine,I use a water based acrylic varnish and before stamping images into the clay, I "paint" on a little baking soda to eliminate sticking. Otherwise the book was gorgeous and inspiring, I learned several new tricks, and is a great addition to my wonderful art book collection.

Mixed Media Mosaics: Techniques & Projects Using Polymer Clay Tiles, Beads & Other Embellishments
Now this book has really fired my imagination when it comes to polymer clay. I love making jewellery but this book opens up so many other possibilities for self expression. Mosaics allow me to tell a story so I really love this book and would recommend it to all polymer clay artists and beginners who want to experience this wonderful medium. The author Laurie Mika warmly invites you into her life by telling her stories through mosaics. This is truly a book about Art Narrative and when words fail me the pictures take up the story. Just brilliant!