Arts and Crafts Books

I'm getting my Doctor of Ministry degree in preaching, and so I've read lots of books about giving sermons through the years. This is one of the best. Dozens of scholars have written articles divided up into different categories (style, delivery, preparation, application, illustration, introductions, conclusions). Timothy Warren has several articles defending the topical expository sermon. He is strongly committed to expository preaching, but he doesn't necessarily feel that this always has to be from just one passage per Sunday.

Haddon Robinson has a convicting article warning about plagiarism, and he also has a great article about planning your sermons ahead of time.

Rick Warren has a good article about purpose driven titles for your sermons. The title should clearly communicate what the message is about without giving too much away.

John Ortberg discusses the use of illustrations, and there are also articles about outlining and discovering the main point of the scripture passage you are preaching on (frequently referred to as "The Big Idea").

Don Sunukjian has some contributions to the book, and one article warns about using too much alliteration, which is often the result of the preacher forcing his outline on the text.

You could read this book straight through, or you could pick out the articles that interest you at that moment in time. Many of these articles were first made available only to those who had an online membership to a certain website. But now these sterling pieces have been compiled into this thick volume. The book also comes with an mp3 cd. Highly recommended.

This is an A-1, first class book. Very inspiring and worth every bit you pay for it. We need better preachers and this book will for sure help you be one!

this was an excellent book on preaching. it taught me so many things. i do not agree with everything, but most of it was excellent. i would strongly encourage you to buy it.

I recently received a copy of The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching: A Comprehensive Resource for Today's Communicators, and have been browsing through it from time to time. Whether you're a full- or part-time preacher or even if you spend any time at all speaking in front of others as a Christian attempting to bring others to a better understanding of the Bible, or to bring them to a point of decision, you need this book on your shelf. It is the finest compendium of useful preaching/exhortation articles I have ever seen.

I've only just started to browse through this tome, but every article I've glanced at or read has excited me, filled me with ideas on how to improve my preaching and prep-time, and given me already useful techniques to make my delivery more effective. Many of the articles were repurposed from timeless Leaderhip journal articles, some were culled from the Preaching Today website's "Skill Builder" articles, but there are a ton of new articles written fresh just for this project.

About the two editors: Haddon Robinson is considered by many to be one of the finest preachers alive today. I've always enjoyed the interviews and teaching I've heard from Robinson, and he has a clear, fatherly style of teaching. The blurb from Preaching Today Audio says, about him:

"Dr. Robinson has been named one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world. His text, Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages, is used in more than 100 seminaries and Bible colleges in North America. He is also host of Discover the Word which airs on 400 radio stations across the world."

Craig Brian Larson is pastor of Lake Shore Church (Assembly of God) in downtown Chicago, and is the managing editor of Preaching Today. He's well-known in the world of sermon illustrations, having compiled several illustration compendiums (see Movie-Based Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching, volumes one and two, for example), and coauthored a guide for helping preachers add journalistic impact to their messages (see Preaching that Connects).

If you preach or teach at all, you really owe it to your listeners to pick up this book and refer to it from time to time. It will be a resource you refer to for years, and it will challenge you at every turn. This book is truly a gift to the Church!

Rich.

This is a thoroughly exhaustive resource in the toolbag of the pastor. The multitude of author's writing on a variety of topics from one end of the field of homiletics to another adds a fresh view to bringing a Holy Word for God to affect the "Fallen Human Condition."

The reviewer had to read the book for a seminary preaching class. It was somewhat tedious reading this long book cover to cover. This is expected when there is such a vast number of author writing, but this cross-over isn't necessarily bad. It does give weight to techniques that are shown to be pragmatic. None of the authors are claiming that "their-way-is-the-best." They are merely showing what's worked for them and what is tried and true. They are passing their perspective on...because everyone has something to learn.

So from the lay minister to the scholar, this is a worthy resource to be in your homiletical arsenal.

Ruth McDowell's well-documented journey to develop an extremely personal and artistic quilting 'statement' almost leaves you breathless. She has been able to adapt complex photos and themes into vibrant fabric art, using mostly traditional quilting techniques. However, her innovative use of fabrics (plaids never had it so good), shapes, and design concepts truly rate the title of "Art & Inspirations". A good friend with whom I shared the book got halfway through and said "I'm afraid to turn the pages - they're all so wonderful I can hardly stand it." My sentiments exactly.

What a joyous collection of inspiring images! This amazing teacher creates paintings with fabric. Her wording is clear and uncomplicated for the novice and, I am sure, challenging enough for the seasoned quilter. Buy this book to look at as well as to learn from! I purchased it to use as inspiration for my paintings but Ms. McDowell makes the whole process sound exciting enough to get me peicing too!

I adore Ruth McDowell's work and have felt that way for years. This book is a wonderful book, full of great pictures of truly great quilts. I've spent much time looking through the book. I pick it up every now and then and just enjoy it. It is an awe inspiring work and it is also thought provoking.

The originality of the quilts in this book are awe inspiring, but don't expect to get any instructional how-to's. The author uses some verbage to describe what motivated her designs (many flowers and plants transformed into fiber art), but leaves the actual making of such to the imagination of the reader. This is a digest of the author's evolution as a quilter.

What is surprising about this book is that it is not just a text-book showing simple patterns that you can copy, nor is it a picture book of dozens of incredible quilts that you will probably never equal. Instead this is a clear-eyed tour of the history of a wonderful Quilt Artist. Ruth shows some of her first simple, but well chosen and unique quilt patterns. These simple patterns from nature, lead directly to her more complex quilts, where she shows her increased talents in dazzling quilts of landscapes and semi-abstract trees and plants. But if nothing else, this book is well worth the cost for the single quilt using her daughter's outline in translucent black cloth in an amazing picture quilt. This is a book of inspirations for quilters at all levels.

I would recommend any of Juliet Bawdens books. While in a friend art store a few years ago I saw some bowls like the ones Ms Bawden makes and was intrigued and I admit I said to myself that I could make similar bowls. Had I had this book to begin with I also admit that the journey would have been much easier. I also like the fact that you can use things around the home or inexpensive items as molds. Be it deflate type balls, big cones, or even balloons blown up. And if you take the time and are willing to follow her wisdom you will discover you can make high end pieces that would fit in well within any quality home.

This is a wonderful book that teaches you everything you need to know about making papier mache objects. Throughout the book you find many full-color photos of beautiful and unique artwork.

The book starts out with a brief history of papier mache as well as discussion of modern folk art practices. Then equipment and supplies, including choosing a mold, are covered. Several techniques including pulp making, covering a mold, using a wire armature, forming a plaster mold, creating a lino print, using a gesso base and adding a rim, handle or spout are explained. Instructions are step-by-step and include simple illustrations.

The techniques are then used in the projects. The projects include a box with lid, frame, plaque, bangle bracelet, hat, carnival mask, doll and figure. The projects are not "do exactly as I do". There are no templates and such. They simply give you basics of construction and allow you to add your own personality and creativity to the artwork.

Conveniently, there is a glossary and index as well as a list of addresses for all of the artists (most are British) in the back. If you are looking for great easy-to-follow instructions and lots inspiration this is the book for you.

Beautiful examples, very clear instructions with drawings of the steps. First 66 pages are all on techniques. The rest gets into actual things to make like bowls, frames, jewelry etc. Quite an inspiration.

After picking up this book I became enthralled with papier mache. (BTW, Angel wrote a very accurate review!) This book touches on a variety of techniques for both small and large papier mache objects. The supplies needed are listed clearly, the photographs of the project representing each technique are inspiring, and the instructions are easy to follow while still allowing for experimentation and personal expression. This is just an awesome book!

Great book!
I love the pictures, especially pages 128 &129 of the life size paper mache people. They are awesome!
The recipe for pulp is the best I have ever used.

Before I read Tom Whidden's book I too was victim to a whole load of old wives tales, black magic and voodo of sail trim.

Having read the book I can finally look at a sail and start to understand what is really happening. Tom Whidden's book manages to demystify otherwise difficult to understand topics with simplicity and clarity.

I am very impressed by the way the author has made a very complex subject understandable, enjoyable and relevant! The science behind it all is fluid dynamics...but to the reader this book is ALL about sailing.

The explanations of how each individual sail works are very clear. Even more vital is the knowledge of how the foresail and main interact, how that impacts on boat speed and performance and how you can use that to improve your sailing. The explanation of "the slot", how it works and why the "myths" are "myths" I found particularly revealing!

The other feature that appealed to me was the balance between the technicalities and other aspects. The practical assessment of different sail materials was great, and the history and anecdotes of how modern sail design grew up is absorbing.

It isn't for the total novice...but it will teach a great deal to anyone beyond that.

Alistair Gillanders MRIN (RYA Ocean Yachtmaster)

The authors draw from their vast experience and share the various philosophies of sail design with the reader, exploring in more detail the North approach of designing sails the engineers way, so to speak. An outstanding book, covering all the important design choices and their consequences, and how they relate to sail trim. The book also includes perhaps the best written, short and concise explanation of the complexity of sail aerodynamics I have ever read.

This book offers invaluable information on the how and why sails work. Someone with basic knowledge of sailing can use this book to understand the multiple dynamics of optimum sail selection and use. Even a seasoned sailor/racer will find information on getting that little extra from their sails

This book has managed to get the correct balance. Tom Whidden explains why (and how) sails work in a scientific way. Still there are no formulas in the book. The result is a book that is very interesting for the sailor that is interested in science. Still the absence of math and formulas makes the book a very smooth reading.

Among other thing, Tom Whidden explains why the old slot effect theory is false. He also does a wonderful job in explaining the interaction between the headsail and the mainsail. The chapters on sailcloth and new materials are great, too. Unfortunately the book was written in 1990, thus there has probably been more advances in sail cloth technology since the book was written.

Overall a really great book.

This book will have you in tears with its beauty in the face of diversity so extreme you can't imagine unless you've talked with a survivor of these internment camps. The level of the art is very fine, museum quality. It is hard to believe they had to scrounge the materials from dump piles and surplus. Anyone who doesn't think art can save lives should get this book.

The heart and spirit of the japanese internees continued to shine within the walls of their confinement. They found beauty and admiration of beautiful things living in desolate and inhumane conditions of the prison camps. This is a understated book with touching stories to tell.

Delphine Hirasuna is to congratulated on producing a fascinating and moving tribute to the 120,000 Japanese who were interned, firstly in makeshift Assembly Centers for a few months then in Relocation Camps until 1946. It took until 1988 before a Presidential apology was forthcoming for the blatant violation of their civil rights by the federal government.

I think the strength of the book is the background to why the art and craft was produced. Hirasuna explains the rounding up process and public perceptions towards the Japanese only a few months after Pearl Harbor, the locations of the camps (as remote as possible it seems) and daily struggle in a hostile environment.

On page seventeen there is a map of the US and some camp statistics including a reference to Crystal City in Texas which bizarrely held 2264 ethnic Japanese from Latin and South America (1811 from Peru) who, having been forcibly taken to the camp, were then accused of entering the country illegally! After the war the Peruvians were not allowed to return home until Congress sorted out this injustice in 1953.

Look at the paintings, sculpture, craftwork and furniture and be amazed that most of it was created from whatever materials were available, discarded wood, sacking, vegetation, rocks, shells and anything that could be cut, woven or molded. My favorites are twenty-two brooches made from shells, ribbon and wire and they look just stunning. On pages 104-5 you can see a Buddhist shrine, five foot tall, with the most intricate carvings and hard to believe that it was probably made from firewood.

In the back of the book there is some background information about Japanese history museums and a short bibliography which strangely misses out Manzanar: Photography by Ansel Adams, Commentary by John Hersey. A more recent look at the subject is Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment a portfolio of photos by Dorothea Lange. Unfortunately the reproduction and design of the book don't do the photos justice.

The Art of Gaman is beautifully printed and designed (by Kit Hinrichs of Pentagram) and a suitable tribute to creativity in hard times.

***FOR A LOOK INSIDE click 'customer images' under the cover.

This book shows artwork done with minimal supplies in the Japanese-American concentration camps of the western US during WWII. The images are high quality, in color, and very thought-provoking.

This work documents the extensive detainment of Japanese
citizens during the later period of WWII. These prisoners
were kept in whitewashed horse stalls in California, Oregon
and the State of Washington. The camps emphasized education
including arts/crafts with a shortage of teachers.

Fine works of art include:
- The Natural Form of a Snake by Obata
- Kobu by Matsuhiro
- A Bonsai Notebook by Iseyama
- Shell Broaches and Corsages by Iwa Miura and Shintaku

The volume is a solid value for the price charged. It is a must
for serious students of WWII and historians everywhere.

I just bought this book on Amazon after checking it out from the library. It is excellent and I know I'll find it very useful. I thought the title could perhaps turn some folks off (as it nearly did for me,) since it leads with "The Art of Handmade Paper" and adds "and collage." I do a lot of art work and making paper is something I probably won't add to the list but collage is something I do in one form or another all the time. If I wanted to make paper, I would certainly find those instructions very useful. However, the bulk of the book is using those papers in collage - and this is the part I am finding particularly useful. There are a number of ideas that I hadn't thought of - and since handmade paper is readily available for sale, that part is easy enough to take care of. Actually, I have been working with painted and dyed paper towels, and realized that the texture of my paper towel sheets is almost identical to the handmade paper sheets in the book. A million great ideas for using my "altered" paper towels immediately came into my mind as I read through the book. I am very pleased to have found it and look forward to having my copy arrive in the mail so I don't have to give it back to the library.

As an artist myself, i have always been fascinated with the wide range of possibilities that come from making your own paper. When I picked up the book i already knew the basics, and had been making paper by hand for quite some time. I really liked the way she included many ways to push the papermaking process a step further (ie. watercolor dyeing, embossing etc.) to actually transform the paper into something more "artistic". The projects outlined in the book i saw as really great STARTING points for my own work. I felt that many of her final projects had a Martha Stewart quality that didn't really appeal to me. My suggestion? Make your own templates for the projects instead of using hers in the back of the book. Your final product will be much more rewarding if it's your own creation.

I received this book on ILL from a library yesterday and am buying it for myself today. Everyone who handled the book in the library was impressed by its beauty. It seems clearly written, easy enough for beginners and stimulating for more experienced crafters.

I saw the ads for this book in Somerset Studio (coincidently this book is very like their style of photos and intructions), and had to have it the day it was released! The Photos are glorious and illustrate the authors points well. You will love this book if you are a begginer or have been pack-ratting and collaging for years!

This is the best collage book I have ever read. I love the look of collage, but have always had a hard time getting started. The beautiful artwork and advice here have helped me to create many masterpieces.

The author starts out by taking you step by step though the papermaking process. Materials used include mostly common household items and scraps. Making a mold & deckle is also demonstrated.

Next, many interesting surface techniques are covered including wet/dry embossing, glue-gun embossing, coffee overdyeing, watercolor dyeing, & crayon resist. The collage section has tips on collecting, sorting, arrangement, & materials.

I loved the many unique projects that followed including making envelopes, greeting cards, fabric motifs, paper sculptures & kaleidoscope collages. There are also some templates and a great list of suppliers in the back

This is a great book with ideas about what you can do with pebbles used to make designs in your garden. Many gardening books are very much alike, but this one is different. I very much enjoyed it and hope to make my own pebble mosaic soon.

Of the three books I bought on pebble mosaics this one was the best. There is a history of "floor" mosaics, a detailed discussion, with drawings, of the shape and placement of stones, a lesson on drawing designs to scale, site excavation and preparation. The two step by step projects, a "threshold" mosaic and a dining patio, are both beautiful and do-able. The mosaic on the cover is so complex I wondered if this book would be too advanced for a beginner, it turned out to be very clear and understandable. I'm off to the river to pick some stones!

This book is short and to the point on the do's and dont's of pebble mosaic. A great resource if you're looking for instruction and a direction with this technique. I recommend it.

Not only did I learn alot about pebble mosaics, the photos are excellent for reference and design possibilities. This book is very inspirational visually and written very well.

The book is very helpful. Goes into detail on the how to's of making a mosaic. Lots of nice pictures of mosaics already done and in use. Several smaller drawings to use as ideas or maybe copy and enlarge. This is one book that will be put to use. Many
projects to help spark the imagination.

Thomas Graham's Aurora Model Kits is an informative tome fill with models of cars, planes, tanks, and the like; but it was the monster/ sci-fi kits that brought back many nostalgic remembrances of my childhood days- most of which was spent reading monster comic books like Dick Briefer's The Monster of Frankenstein and Zombie Factory, while waiting for the paint to dry on my glow in the dark monster models. If you were a kid in the 60's and want to see some of the kits you begged your mother to buy you at Woolworth department store, this 160 page "time machine" is for you!

Wonderful value for the price. SRP is $29.95 and got it for $19.77 through Amazon. Tons of great historical information and lots of fabulous color photos of build-ups and original boxes. Price guide is "okay" as many prices are pretty far off compared to what they sell for on ebay, for example. All things considered, it's a great book!

Highly recommended to any afficiando of Aurora kits, particularly those who wish to recall the deeply statisfying pleasure of finding those great Aurora art work boxes under their Christmas tree in the 1950's!

Apart from its enormous appeal to nostalgia,the serious student will find the work very well organized and a most reliable reference guide well worth the outlay.
Dave Owen,
Stevensville, Ontario, Canada

I was so happy that Schiffer brought Dr. Graham's Aurora book back out. In fact, I sent in a card requesting they do so a few years back after I bought his Revell Model's book. I just loved the memories, especially seeing that just horrible "Yak-25/Mig-19" kit Aurora put out. Of course it was totally fanciful, but I remember 51 years later the day I bought it. There are kits in here that have disappered from existence for so long, like the model knights and the USS Halford, which I had thought was a Revell model until Dr. Graham was kind enough to answer an e-mail a few years ago. For any of us who grew up in the 50's making models, this book is a must. It is amazing, it brought back friends, times, feelings, the whole 9 yards. Dr. Graham is an excellent writer and obviously historian, you won't be sorry. Get this and his Revell book and just be 8,9 or 10 again.

I should mention that if one is not interested in model aircraft, particularly the models built in the fifties, you should skip along to something else, but for someone who actually built many, if not most, of the kits in this book, this was a marvelous gift, memories of days when fun was the order of the day.

The historical information was most welcome, and Graham gives the reader a look inside the business of a model company in the fifties, a company that made some great strides in some areas but whose products were never considered the meat of "true modelers." The kits may not have been accurate -- the Me-109 was simply awful, and cast in a metallic burgundy besides, and the "Mig 19" resembled no aircraft ever flown by the Soviets -- but they were invariably fun. They were actually better in terms of fit and casting quality than some products presently on the market. And as a special treat, they were the only source for armored knights, gladiators, and movie monsters. Even the movie monsters issued by other companies were actually molds from the defunct Aurora line.

The only question is whether the book was more fun to read or to look at for the pictures.

The pictures are stunning and cover a range of designs. What surprised me was how much I enjoyed reading about a woman who collected the textile art of Balenciaga and the history of Neiman Marcus. The author included pictures of Balenciaga creations being worn by their owner. Somehow that added a special touch and made this more than a collection of photographs of elegant clothing. I look forward to enjoying this book for many years.

My company produced the mannequins used to exhibit the couture in this fine text, so for me it was a delight, that bias aside, the forward by Givenchy is worth the cover price alone. The text my Myra Walker is insightful and the book is beautifully ilustrated. Seeing Balenciaga's illustrations along side his creations is a joy for any true fashionista. The book is a homage to Balenciaga's work, but not Balenciaga, who was a private and complicated gentleman, and who would like to remembered that way, for his work, not for himself.

gorgeous pics of gorgeous clothes. this guy is my fav. when it comes to couture and this book won't disappoint. well worth the money. yeah, Dior is great too but this guy really is the 'master'

M. Balenciaga was a master couturier so lacking today as one considers haute couture, especially, as the French houses of haute couture are virtually gone. At the time of M. Balenciaga's impact from the 1930s through 1968 when he closed his Parisian house, there were many more houses of haute couture. He, like Chanel, Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, Mainbocher, Jacques Fath, Schiaparelli, Vionnet, and Gres to name a few, flourished as women from around the globe turned to the tradition and process of the haute couture as the pinnacle of what it meant to being well-dressed. Out of this number, the creations of M. Balenciaga stand-out. There is that certain something about his work which commands and rivets the attention. Yes, unquestionably elegant, imbued with masterful design, quality, and exacting a nobility for the wearer which she may or may not have actually possessed, but still whenever I view his creations I think to myself "more". Unlike today where being anonymous seems to be the rule of what passes for style, M. Balenciaga assured a woman would never be forgotten. This volume pays homage to that certain something and begs the question "where are the contemporary talents?" At the moment, in Paris there are only in my view, Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel and Valentino. These individuals know how to dress their haute couture clients (especially, those not wishing to dress perennially 18 years old) whereas the remaining haute couture houses present nothing but a media circus, for too long lead by that dreadful costumier posing as a couturier at Christian Dior. For the sheer pleasure of pondering something beautiful, I recommend this volume as well as Balenciaga by Marie-Andrée Jouve and Jacqueline Demornex published in 1991.

This is a fabulous book! I love the images and history. I would recommend it to anyone who has an appreciation for fashion history and photography.

As a jewelry designer, I am forever open to quality inspiration. "Beadazzled: Where Beads and Inspiration Meet," has become the go-to volume in my library when I need a little tug in the right direction. Unlike other jewelry showcase books which tend to present pieces in stark lighting with little more text than a list of ingredients, this one is rich in both bead lore ("Prized in China, Mongolia, and Tibet for its ability to protect wearers from evil, turquoise was also pulverized and added to traditional Asian medicines") and sumptuously arranged photos (necklaces adorn not only lovely decolletage, but also gorgeous raku pottery and Indonesian textiles). Sheer beauty and innovation were key when choosing featured designers; works from celebrated masters such as Grazia Zalfa, Amy Kahn Russell, and Susan Green appear alongside necklaces from up-and-comers such as Caito Amorose, Walter Ford, and 16-year-old Elizabeth Hutsell. Author Penelope Diamanti and photographer William L. Allen have created an inviting atmosphere for pure inspiration. My advice? Curl up on the couch with a cozy blanket and this book -- start with Diamanti's engaging introduction, and by the time you turn to the last page to see Zalfa's joyful bottle-cap necklace, your beads will be calling you to play.

Beadazzled: Where Beads + Inspiration Meet

Anyone who is interested in beads -- making them, buying them, stringing them or wearing them -- will love this book. First of all, the quality of the photographs and the writing are exceptional. That's not surprising when you learn that all the principals connected with the project have worked for National Geographic at one time or another. So along with remarkable designs by 70 of the best artists now working in the field of beaded jewelry, you'll find information about the history of beads and beading. The combinations of colors and materials are truly inspiring. This is a must-have book for anyone interested in the age-old art of creating beauty from stone, glass, metal and string.

I received Beadazzled as a gift from my 14-year-old daughter, who's always loved making jewelry. Nothing like the stunning creations in this book though. We enjoyed the book together, and were amazed at the range and beauty of all the beads--and also compelled by their stories. Every page of the book drew us in. The beads themselves are fantastic, but also seeing them around the necks of women is inspiring. So inspiring, in fact, that we've already made a couple trips to a Beadazzled retail shop in our area. My daughter is hard at work, creating "just the right jewelry" for me, her sister, her grandmother, her friends. I think this book has started a lifelong interest for both of us. I'll surprise her with one of my own creations on her next birthday.

This book has become the ultimate coffee table decoration in our home. Out of several we display, this one gets the most admiring attention. The women are drawn to it at once. The book is rich, well concieved and crafted. The verbiage is plain and easy to read and the pictures are warm and beautifully detailed. Many are almost 3D. For the neophyte (like me) this is a virtual "course" in cultral taste from around the world. There are high quality pictures of jewelry, the likes of which, I have never seen. Very worthwhile and well done. Congratulations to Penelope Diamanti and to Bill Allen for such a successful collabration.

Beadazzled: Where Beads and Inspiration Meet (COLOR) (Hardcover)

I highly recommend this extraordinary book! It is an inspiration, showing the creative diversity of bead artistry. I love the way the authors have included the historical value of these art pieces from around the world, integrating personal comments from the artists themselves. The superior photographs show details of rich color and texture not usually seen in books of this genre. I have sent this book to professional jewelry designers and friends around the country.