Arts and Crafts Books

Duane Barnharts Cartooning Basics has just been so much fun for my kids ages 12, 10, and 7. Using the Books step-by-step guidelines to cartooning they have created some of the most fabulous characters and cartoon strips. Not only is it great from a drawing perspective, but it also has some fun and interesting facts about the history of cartooning. Love this book!!!

'Cartooning Basics' is a wonderful tool for young aspiring cartoonists. No. 2 illustrates how to create friendly, familiar characters from simple shapes, which every child can relate to (ie circles, ovals, squares, triangles, etc.). Art teachers can gain lesson ideas that are effective and easy to implement. This is a great buy and a must read for any aspiring cartoonist, art teacher and student alike. Duane and Angie have created a fun, creative, well-illustrated tool in 'Cartooning Basics'.

Great how-to book, lots of practice exercises. The most helpful, how-to book I've read so far, and I've got a ton of them. Wish I'd found this one sooner!

'Cartooning Basics' is a wonderful tool for young aspiring cartoonists. No. 2 illustrates how to create friendly, familiar characters from simple shapes, which every child can relate to (ie circles, ovals, squares, triangles, etc.). Art teachers can gain lesson ideas that are effective and easy to implement. This is a great buy and a must read for any aspiring cartoonist, art teacher and student alike. Duane and Angie have created a fun, creative, well-illustrated tool in 'Cartooning Basics'.

This book has helped me learn to cartoon, and now, I teach it to my 2nd grade class!

From the lyrical title "Fabled Flowers" to the elegant designs displayed, Kumiko Sudo has demonstrated artistry and exquisite taste.

Combining techniques first used for paper origami the author/artist employs every trick using cloth & stitching to create divine quilt patches which are enhanced with the Japanese quilting technique known as Sashiko.

Sashiko quilting began as a means of reinforcing work wear, and also stitching layers of padding for the cloth armor of the Samurai. It evolved into an intricate and breathtaking art of fabric enhancement and is employed herein for detailing on the small squares constructed by Kumiko for this book.

30 quilt blocks are featured, in gorgeous colour and detail deliciously folded fabric in different flower folds from complicated Hydrangea to glorious Pomegranate and sweet Morning Glory. I lament only the lack of Peonies, as a personal favorite.

The guides for folding the origami effect flowers are realtively simple and easy to follow, while the detailing on the Sashiko quilting is heavenly inspiration!

All necessary templates are included at end of book as well as clear instructions for assembly.

These quilt patterns are much more applique than patchwork although some is included in the design - a little bit of everything for everyone.

Great inspirational book and definately worth the price.

As a extra snippet, a cute fable is included with every flower.

kotori May'2005

In this book, Kumiko has included the most fantastic flowers for applique based on origami, unique designs, and sushiko quilting designs. There is enough variety for even beginners, and several designs that are advanced or intermediate too. Her fabric choices are very artistic. With each design, Kumiko also includes her inspiration for the piece in the form of poetry or a story. This helps one to really feel a part of the design. There is room for much creativity. One can make a single square or a small quilt, or even full size if desired.

The life-experience fables that accompany the creative expression of this fabric/quilt artist add to the wonderful texture of the final product. This book opens up new dimensions and levels of creativity using fabric as a vehicle and providing a serene pleasue for even the casual quilter. The directions are easy to understand. The patterns are complete. The process is great fun.

I love this book. I wanted to do something floral, I did want to do some applique, but didn't want to do a Baltimore album style quilt. This was the answer. It's beautiful, less work than regular applique, and very unique and visually interesing. I'm working on the hydrangea block.

The blocks are big (mine is 17 inches) and 3 dimentional. Some of the folded shapes are tacked down.

Another excellent book from Kumiko. Clear, precise directions and diagrams. The coloured pictures are worth buying the book for.

This is a great book for anyone who wants creative ways to use and display their antiques, family heirlooms, and flea market finds. The photos are inspirational and the instructions are easy to understand. I've bought two additional copies for relatives who saw my book and loved it.

This is the most fun.. creative book I have seen in awhile. I love this book! Wonderful ideas..great pictures.. absolutely..beautiful ! Fun~ Delightful book! If you like art, quilting, sewing, crafts, home decorating.. and Mary Engelbreit to Martha Stewart Livng and Laura Ashley decorating.. you will like this book! Totally cool!

This very personable book offers a novice or an accomplished crafter wonderfully interesting ideas to make with very practical items found at garage sales, flea markets, antique shops. I am now ordering books for other members of my family who have seen my book. The instructions are very easily to follow. I have already begun 3 different projects one of which is a teacup wreath that is breathtaking especially for a teapot and cup collector like myself. There so many ideas for the reasonable price of this book. It is beautifully photographed, and the authors are shown as real as the rest of us who haunt flea markets, etc.

You will love this book. It contains a variety of projects with easy to understand instructions. Highly recommended for anyone who loves doing crafts.

Let me start by saying I am NOT a "crafty person." BUT, the pictures, illustrations & directions seem simple to follow! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this book!!!!!!! When I looked through it, I immediatedly thought about different friends I wanted to get one for. If you like crafts & flea markets, buy this book! You won't be disappointed!!!!!!

Finishing the Figure: Doll Costuming, Embellishments, Accessories Book in good shape. Smooth transaction!

This was the 4th book in series of high quality and comprehensive books about doll making. I finally got around to buying the last one. I highly recommend getting these books before there are no more. The other three are Fantastic Figures, Anatomy of a Doll and Designing the Doll. Susanna was a great doll artist and long time member of NIADA. She was active with her local UFDC and other doll activities. She was a successful teacher and a supporter of promoting all things creative with doll art. She encouraged and gave inspiration to all learning to make original dolls and those that are successful doll artists. She was a prolific contributor to articles in many doll magazines. She was proficient in a variety of media, including polymer clay, paperclay, and cloth. This particular book features many well known doll artists work along with her own. This book has a large variety of styles and techniques depicted. Many of the doll artists were happy to support and show their work in her books because they also believed in promoting original doll art and also recognized the fact that many doll artists can use the same type of technique but each doll will be different in some way. Most doll artists share the fundamental belief that creativity in the hands is the window to the soul, mind and imagination. No two are alike! Mine will be different then yours! If you have never seen a doll challenge, do a search on line, you will be amazed. They may feature one or two doll patterns, a set of rules and parameters, but look at how many different and wonderful creative interpretations are produced! Susanna has done the doll artist world a great favor by publishing so may techniques and styles in her books. Making these public they helped discourage any one artist claiming a certain technique all to them selves or hopefully trying to patent a technique. Her books have wonderful details, tips, examples and fantastic photos. Very high quality, a joy to have and worthy to be in any collector or doll artist's library. This book has a nice index of the artists featured in it along with a contact list. These are "forever keep books"! You will not be disappointed. I was ecstatic reading mine and I very much enjoyed viewing my "Doll Buddies" work! Susanna was a top notch award winning artist, her book "Anatomy of the Doll" was honored by the Scientific American magazine as "Best Technical Book for Youth" in 1997. She also received the award for "Best Dollmaker" of the year for teaching and publication from the National Association of Cloth Doll Makers in 1995. Susanna will be ever so missed and we were all sad to see cancer take such a wonderful person from our doll world. Her legacy of creativity and inspiration will continue to encourage us all. Susanna Oroyan 1942 - 2007.

Heavily illustrated with excellent diagrams and color photos, this book is not only for anyone learning the art of art-doll making but will also appeal to anyone who enjoys seeing what the creative, human imagination can devise. Just a joy to read from cover to cover and the beautiful photos will provide inspiration for many different types of artist.
Susanna Oroyan gives us the best contemporary information available from the art doll world while also providing the historical bones of costume design.

Susan Oroyan has done an excellent work. I bought both of her books "Designing the Doll" and "Finishing the Figure" If you own one of the books, you have to own the other one, they go together. The books have a great deal of information and details on doll making. The book is good for beginners or professional doll makers.You will love it.

I just picked this book up in a local bookstore and immediately got the itch to pick up some clay. I did not have time to read much, the photographs were what enthralled me. Oroyan picked some fine dolls to illustrate her book and it offers a wealth of imagination to the doll artist. The detail in some of the cosuming is fabulous and the characters of some of the dolls unforgetable!

This is a WONDERFUL book. The pictures are gorgeous and the nstructions are accurate and concise. Makes you want to own every quilt and rug in the book!

Filled with beautiful photos of Polly's home and her hooked rugs, along with her sister's wonderful coordinating quilts, this is a MUST HAVE book for all rug hooker's new and "old." Americana "eye-candy!" It is refreshingly uncomplicated and includes patterns to both quilt and hook. Every crafter needs this book on their bookshelf!

Folk Art Friends is both an inspirational and a practical how-to-book, combining two art forms...hand-hooking rugs and quilting to produce your own folk art. I am a rug hooker of just 2 years; I have never quilted, but have wanted to hand quilt a piece. This book is urging me to "go girl". Beautiful color photos, clear directions, patterns galore, resources for materials...everything a quilter and/or rug hooker would need in one book...and you can produce coordinating works! These two authors, sisters, are experts who are willing to share their ideas and techniques with others...in the true spirit of their arts. This book is a true "keeper".

This is a wonderfully composed book with clear instructions, beautiful pictures, and interesting background. Inspiration comes from not only the projects, but from the wonderful ways the rugs and quilts are displayed in Polly's home. This is not only a must have for any quilter and hooker, but is also a tempting book for those who would like to learn either art.

Donna Schultz

I love this book! It is full of inspiration, information and lots of wonderful photos. Very clear, concise instructions are included, as well as lots of great patterns. I especially loved Polly's color palette in her folky rugs and seeing the rugs and coordinated quilts on display in her home. For those looking for Americana themed rugs and quilts, this is a great book, as it contains several projects based on red,white & blue designs.

Free Expression has information on design, color, construction, fusing, quilting, and dyeing your own fabric. Patterns are included in the book and sizeable on CD. The designs are wonderful, photographed artfully, you can really see the quilting in the photos! You feel like Robbi is talking to you when you read this book! There is no book out there even similar, it has every step illustrated and photographed. What a well written book.

What a fabulous book! R J E's style is unique, but the techniques are well explained and demonstrated in such a way that I can see how I can incorporate this work into my own style. There is a delectable sense of fun throughout the book, both in the quilts themselves and the way in which the book is written. The book is a great read as well as being full of fabulous new techniques and inspiration.

Robbi is a quilt artist who inspires the creative quilter in you. Her book is thought provoking and challenges you to think outside the box in both your pieces and quilting!

The best compliment I can give this book is that it is never on my bookshelf - it's always right next to my sewing machine! Robbi Joy Eklow has the best instructions for fabric dyeing (and I've read quite a few books on dyeing) and the best information on free-motion machine quilting. Since purchase, I have consulted it over and over. Highly recommended!

My eyes practically popped out of my head when I saw the amazing colors and techniques that Robbi Joy Eklow uses to make her quilts, and I couldn't wait to try them out myself. I found the directions easy to follow and the patterns and CD included really made this book a good value. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in new ways of designing and stitching quilts.

I own several Gooseberry craft/cookbooks, and do the majority of my cooking from them. I have NEVER been disappointed with any recipe I have made. They are simply the best!

I have recently started to collect Christmas decorating/gift making books and this series is by far the best I've come across! The instructions in these books are clear and easy and they show a picture so you can see how it will look. They include many gift mixes and food gifts, which I love and friends and family have always appreciated. Most of the ideas in this book can be accomplished in an afternoon, except for some of the cross stitch and crochet patterns. I am not a huge fan of country decorating; in fact my house is very contemporary. But most of the decorating tips in this book can easily be worked into any décor. If you want to find easy, fun, quick and wonderful ideas for the holidays buy these books, you won't be disappointed. Books 1, 2 and 3 are my personal favorite. The fourth book is great to have, but I found that the recipes in that book were better than the decorating, it was a little more country and old fashioned than the other books!

I found this book to be just wonderful. I wasent abel to use all the info before our family get together, but I plan to use it for next year.

Thank You for a wonderful book.

This was my first purchase of Goose Berry Patch books ,there are so many ideas from the begginer to the experienced crafter . Craft ideas you can personalize to your own taste, these craft projects are easy to follow and most could be family holiday projects or charity fundraisers .For the frugal crafter , projects are not expensive to create , many ingredients you may already have in supply , as an added bonus great holiday recipe book .This book would be perfect as a gift!

I enjoy crafting as well as cooking and this book has both. I have made 5 or 6 of the recipes in the book and have alwasy gotten raves! I use this book for making many of my handmade holiday gifts and I think their instructions could not be more simple. If you love handmade items and good food idea, this is the book for you.

I bought this "address book" with the specific purpose for cataloging my own recipes in alphabetical order, how I want. The ring-binder allows you to add pages to a letter or move things around, and that was perfect for me who needed blank pages where I could write down my own recipe for pumpkin pie, for example, and file it under "P". Not only are the letter dividers sweet, but the pages are blank besides the rule lines (it doesn't say: name, address, telephone), so it's perfect for writing what you'd like. The book itself is a good size; not too small that it's difficult to read or write anything in there, and not too big to be clunky around the kitchen where I need it. It's a great cookbook!

I am very pleased with my address book. I looked for several months for an address book that would fit into my small brief case and this one works great! Lots of room to add more addresses & extra pages. Very Pleased

This address book is lovely, with country home drawings, and good quotes to brighten your day, and nice little details everywhere. I like its size, not too small, not too big--it fits nicely in my desk drawer and hand. Best of all, the space for addresses isn't labled for telephone, email, etc. Which means I can fill it in the way that is convenient for me. That is important, since many addresses take up more than the traditional three lines alloted by most address books. There are five lines per entry, spaced like a college ruler notebook. There is an extra lined page at the beginning of each letter of the alphabet, for personal notes. There are plenty of refill pages, and space for notes at the end. The only drawback for me, is that there is no pocket to insert loose notes or cards. All in all, a very good buy.

I, like all the other reviews before me, love this book. No need to duplicate
all the highlights already mentioned, but I do want to add that I love the
spriral bound option. Great for taking pages in and out, and moving around if needed.
Love it.

I bought this address book because of the the wonderful reviews and I was not disappointed when I received it. I am not good at keeping up with my address book so I thought a very pretty and heartwarming address book might fix my problem. The address is a great size. It's portable enough to carry to the post office and will easily fit into a desk drawer. There are plenty of blank pages for addresses and enough lines to include e-mail address, fax nos. cell phone nos. etc. There is even a section for frequently called numbers. The book itself is warm and endearing with great sketches and verses. Not only did I buy the address book, but I would up with Autumn from the Heart and it is wonderful, too. I highly recommend this item.

I really enjoyed this book and it's what I turn to whenever I'm having a "blah" moment. The drawings are easy to follow, the writing is short and brief and there are tons of little extras throughout the book (stickers, punch outs, etc). It's more of an activity book than a drawing book and even if you have no interest in drawing, you'll enjoy the wit and whimsy of the words and illustrations. A great buy at the original price, but a fabulous bargin at anything less!

How to Draw a Radish: And Other Fun Things to Do at Work
How to Draw a Cup of Coffee and Other Fun Ideas for Home & Garden
How to Draw a Clam: A Wonderful Vacation Planner
All three books, by Joy Sikorski

I have owned these three wonderful books since the late nineties & have re-visited them many times.

In the field of what I would like to term as 'deliberate doodling', I consider these three books to be the best in the genre. Unlike the common doodles, which seem whimsical, 'deliberate doodling' involves some form of structure & purpose. I am very impressed by what the author has done in the three fun books of hers.

All three fun books are spiral bound, each with almost two hundred pages of inspirational doodling techniques, on top of various other discovery games & paper crafts for professional & personal entertainment. Each is sturdily constructed with two pockets for special projects, organised with ten card-board dividers & yet small enough to fit into your briefcase.

From my personal perspective, they are wonderful toys for grow-ups: playful, instructive & absolutely worthwhile!

The author has actually written another similar book, entitled 'Squeaky Chalk : And Other Fun Things to Draw (And Do) When There's Nothing to Do!' but for some strange reasons, I did not lay my hands on it.

For the benefit of readers, let me share this personal experience of mine: I have combined the 'deliberate doodling' techniques from Joy with the 'rapid viz' techniques from Kurt Hanks, & integrated them into the 'private writing' processes as formulated by Mark Levy in his wonderful book, 'Accidental Genius: Revolutionize Your Thinking Through Private Writing .'

I use what I often like to term as my 'scratch pad', the type artists use, foolscape size, spiral-bound, 100 pages per pad, 100 gms weight, in conjuction with a multi-colour/multi-utility pen from Rotring. At one point in time, (for about 3 years) I used the Bienfang spring-bound note/sketch pads until the only local supplier went out of business unexpectedly.

On many occasions, I have astonished myself by being able to wrestle with the valuable business & life insights from my own seemingly disparate "private writing"/'deliberate doodling'/'rapid viz' pages. The doodles & illustrations often add a perceptive visual dimension to my seemingly random thoughts on paper. My scratch pad is always a visual smorgasbord of relatively heavy text, mystical doodles & logical illustrations (thanks & no thanks to my engineering training!). I have translated many of my valuable insights into pragmatic projects. One of the sideline projects is writing reviews on amazon website.

To all readers: If you really want to use both sides of your powerful brain to generate valuable insights, I can guarantee that these three books can drive your imagination engine into hyper-speed mode.

I simply love this little book. I found it on clearance and thought "Hey, what can it hurt?" It didn't hurt at all, obviously. I love the whimsical flow and little extras like the herb labels and "postcards." It's also very informative, teaching you how to doodle things like cups of coffee, mice and peanuts, and the ever-honorable peccary. This would make an excellent gift for those who like a little silliness in their everyday life.

A delightfully silly and surreal book. I enjoyed the drawing lessons most.

If you are looking for a fun gift look no further! this book is an exellent peice of work from people of all ages! It is fun and creative and never boring! Read it and give it a try!

As a novice scribe in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) I ordered many books having to do with calligraphy and illumination. This book, the Illuminated Alphabet, has proven to be very helpful and I am extremely pleased with it. The images are large and easy to see and the examples have given me wonderful ideas for the scrolls I am learning to create. Learning painting techniques and seeing the detail is what I needed and this book has done exactly that. I highly recommend this book for those learning how to be scribes.

This book has helped me to learn and try my hand at several different styles of medieval illumination. I highly recommend this to any potential scribes out there!

It you have any interest in calligraphy, luminations, or just pure beauty, then this is one small volume you will want to add to your collection. Now I must admit that the skill needed to create these wonderful works of art is much greater than I will ever have, but that is okay. I use works such as this purely for inspiration. I figure that it is a nice world just to know "someone" out there is able to creat something like this. It gives me something to shoot for. This work is certainly not for beginners but I don't think a beginner would be hurt one bit for having read and studied it. I shows just what can be done if you have the skill and knowledge. This is always a good thing. I also appreciated the authors notes on the history of this art form. I do know something of history, and this information alone was worth the price of the book. Recommend this one highly.

"This book contains the best things to know to begin doing Illuminated manuscript writing. The authors list great resources, give useful lists, and then help you get started!!
In addition, I like the several styles of complete alphabets, how they are presented and described, and how to do the illumination techniques. It has taken me several years and attempts to find a book this beautifully complete. Other potential authors and publishers could learn from this wonderful book, because finally I feel confident enough to tackle the several projects I've got waiting for me. You don't have to be an artist to begin to do this work when you use this book.
Thank you to the authors and the publishers for their insight. Now I have the knowledge to be more confident in knowing where to start and how to progress with illuminating some of my projects.
Sandra Jones Ireland; Prince Edward Island Canada

A gorgeous book showcasing and demonstrating decorative calligraphy. Step by step instructions for a wide variety of styles and period pieces of illuminated lettering. A great way to add some interest to sketchbook journals. HOWEVER! A patient and attention-to-detail mindset is required for this exacting art form.