Arts and Crafts Books

This book offers the beginner and experienced carver alike a clear and easy to understand way to make your own miniature carosel animal. Horse shown, other for inspiration. You'll like it.

The instructions and illustrations in this book makes carousel woodcarving for the beginner or pro a real pleasure. Everything needed in the way of instruction is included in this book. A great addition to any woodworker's library.

I have taken classes from the author, and the book is written just like his classes. The book goes step by step through the whole process of carving the carousel. I have observed some of Mr. Rienhardt's other works and I hope he continues to write other great books on carousel carving.

This book includes the plans for many horses and there aren't a lot of separate parts per each horse, which is good. He handles all you need to know in a basic, down to earth manner including wood grain, finishing, etc. He's carved over 1,000 horses so I guess he knows what he's talking about. I hope he puts out other books about different carving styles of carousel horses (especially Mullers) in the future.

Jennifer created a fantastic book. Tjhe illustrations are beautiful! The i nstructions are easy to understand. The book makes you want to immediately start making your own beads.

I pre-ordered this book in March and was so happy to receive it this week. I had read about it on a yahoo group called beads of clay. It was well worth the wait. Very clear pictures and thorough instructions on how to create beads with clay. I highly recommend this book.

A couple of days ago I received a copy of Jennifer Heynen's book Ceramic Bead Jewelry, published by Lark, in the mail from Amazon. This is a wonderful book and especially so because of Jennifer's friendly and enthusiastic voice which comes through on every page. Her excitement about working with clay is catching.
The book covers all the basics of making clay beads and will be a a great help to anyone starting out in ceramic clay. I found the directions easy to understand and was pleased to learn some new things myself. I was especially happy to find a very easy way of making molds and plan to try it this week. Her directions for making bead shapes is also easy to follow and had some new ideas for me. Specifically, the book covers the basic tools needed, how to work with unfired clay, how to decorate the clay and how to fire and glaze clay. These are essential directions for anyone trying out this wonderful craft. Jennifer does a great job of covering all these necessary skills.
The second half of the book is devoted to making jewelry. She has 30 different projects for the reader to make. Again the directions are simple and easy to understand and the jewelry is original and looks fun to wear. I especially like the Multi Strand Bracelet and the Square Bead Bracelet.
I hope all of you who are new to ceramic bead making will take a look at this great book which is the first major publication on the subject.

This elegant hardback book, Ceramic Bead Jewelry, by Jennifer Heynen, is the first book of its kind to really get right to the heart of ceramic bead making, while additionally offering fabulous jewelry designs, all created by the author. What a great book! I was blown away by the projects, the colors, the fantastic innovative ideas which are shown in this terrific book by Jennifer. She teaches us to create the beads, and then to design with them.
Ceramic has not been a medium which has been covered sufficiently in print, although there are many fabulous artists out there who are extremely popular right now. The author is one of the leaders in this great group, and sharing her manner of working is a very wonderful gift which she has given to the reader. The projects are myriad in variety, too. If you don't want to make your boyfriend a cool necklace (I personally love that "Boyfriend Necklace"!), move on, and try her "Cupid Ring"! If that doesn't suit you, prepare yourself to flip out over her "Cute as a Button" earrings or her "Polka Dot Fun" bracelet. Interesting to me as well are her "Flowery Cuff", where she has studded her flower shaped beads on a wide, soft, tan velveteen band, like something I have never seen anywhere before, and her "Fabulous Fiber Belt " which shows off her sense of color, which is always on target, whether she is working with brights or muted tones.

Even if you don't plan to make your own ceramic beads, this book stands as a success simply as a jewelry design book. The author has a website and you can find it right in the book. Her fantastic, gorgeous beads can be purchased there, which makes it easy to start at step two, if you like.

The photographs are great, with very vivid and exciting colors.

I think that this book, with its many bracelets, pendants, earrings, rings, even a cute pineapple pin, is a total winner! I am delighted to own this high quality, clearly explained, well written, beautiful piece of work: Ceramic Bead Jewelry by Jennifer Heynen.

After visiting Charleston and meeting this wonderful, talented gentleman, I bought the book to learn more about him. It is well written and describes beautifully the wrought iron gates that he designed and built in this lovely city. If you've seen any of his work either in Charleston or the Smithsonian Museum, this book will add to your knowledge of this very talented African American, now 95 years old.

John Vlach gives us an interesting biographical study of Philip Simmons' blacksmithing in this richly illustrated book. The book begins with Simmons' accounts of his early life in the Sea Islands off Charleston's coast. He then describes how Simmons' life changed when he discovered the love of his life: blacksmithing. Vlach and Simmons provide enough context to show how he began learning the art. The book then gives us a portfolio of Simmons' work, with a special focus on the elaborate gates that epitomize much of his artistry. These photos were selected by Simmons, and Vlach provides fine commentary on each illustration. This commentary gives readers a better understanding of blacksmithing, and it trains the eye to examine this type of ironwork, thereby enhancing one's appreciation for Simmons' skill. One of my favorite chapters is a vibrant presentation of Simmons' work with apprentices. He describes interactions between Simmons and Willie Williams to provide a vivid depiction of the folklife of a blacksmith shop. This chapter reveals the passion that both artists feel for their work. The book's final chapters show how Simmons has been honored for his work, and they provide a fine tribute to his many accomplishments and his inspiring artistic vision.

I am sorry, but I never read the book, but I purchased it as a gift for friend. However I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Simmons on a tour of Charleston, South Carolina in 1998. He is an incredibly lively person who is full of humor and has countless stories to share. I remember one in particular, when he spoke of his years as a boy when there were only horse & carriages for transportation. Then he said the age of the automobile came to be and folks would stop whatever they were doing to watch in awe as the automobile went by. Then he chuckled quietly as he descibed the same behavior today when a horse & carriage goes clamoring through town. There are no words to describe the artistic craftmanship of Mr. Simmons iron works, you simply have to see for yourself. As for Mr. Simmons, he is a proud yet humble man about his craft, his works and his life, you should meet him for yourself.

a stirring and engaging account of a man whose life spans almost the whole century, who grew up in a fascinating environment, regularly crossing between worlds while he served an apprenticeship, and went on to cross between other worlds, a folk artist who is regarded by the art world as a peerless sculptor, whose work is exhibited in museums. THis is a great study by a preeminent folklorist that will interest anyone.

Worth every penny I paid!
Great book for beginners and advance artist. Step by step instructions with pictures at the same pages, Easy to learn in every step from shadings to highlightings in every details!

This book is wonderful. The pictures show so much detail and the step by step guide makes it seem like the teacher is in the room with you. Everything you need to be a successful painter is included in this book.

This book is wonderful. The pictures show so much detail and the step by step guide makes it seem like the teacher is in the room with you. Everything you need to be a successful painter is included in this book.

This book is wonderful. The pictures are in color and show such good detail. The step by step guide makes it seems like the instructor is actually in the room with you. This book is great for intermediate to advanced painters and would recommend to anyone who enjoys this hobbie.

I was looking for some books to give my 5 year old daughter that she could do on her own with her 1st grade reading level. Well, these books definitely fit the bill. She ended up not even needing to read what it said, she simply followed the pictures and both her and her 4 year old brother (working with her) were bringing me all types of creative and neat hand animals and odd creatures they came up with their own imagination, all based off of this book. They really like it, it is good independent play time for them and for me as well! And the one thing that I really liked about the book is that if you run out of supplies, they are easy to replace, all you really need is to buy a huge bag of wiggly eyes and you are all stocked up again, or just have the kids draw their own eyes on the animals. So it's really nice that it's a "craft kit" and yet still usable to make more crafts after you run out of the supplies they provide.

My three year old and I could make these animals together all day long. It is fun for me and her. I think my older nephews and nieces would also enjoy this. It's a good buy. Get some extra eyes and pom poms and the book will last you ages.

We love this book. It has 20 different animals/aliens/bugs you can draw all from tracing your hand a certain way. The instructions are helpful and you can easily restock the supplies. All you need is some pompoms and googly eyes, though you can just draw those in if you'd prefer. My 5 year old can do these by herself and my 3 year old needs help. But I think it's fun, they do as well, and for kids who love to draw and/or do crafts, this is a great book to have!

My 8 year-old son and I just bought this book at G. R. Doddlebugs in Danville, California. We came right home and did a couple of the drawings. "It's super fun" he says. The book gives an interesting take on how easy it really is to construct good drawings.

The designs are just what I was looking for. The stencils are a heavy plastic; very high quality. I want to see more by this author. I hope there is a volume II. I have found a new hobby!!

There are three sheets of heavy white plastic with 6 stencil designs.

One sheet contains a single design - a Chinese dragon. Another sheet contains two circular motifs. The third sheet contains a fish, a dragonfly and a flower motif. All are beautiful. I agree with the other reviewer - we need a Volume II! I want many more of these designs.

great high-quality pre-cut stencils - would love to see more - perhaps a volume II.

these are easy to use and high quality! would love to see a volume 2 also.

Focuses on the romance and idealism of the artist and his art rather than just functioning as a clinical review of his work... as of this review date (2001), new hardcover copies are still available from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Online Store. I've purchased two.

This is a portrait album of a sampling of Christian Dior's masterpieces shown in the 1996 New York Metropolitain Museum of Art's retrospective. Every garment is beautifully captured. The detail photographs are exceptional.
But this is more than just a picture book about the 11 years Dior designed under his own name. The text offers a balance of historical costume references that Dior used in his creations against the social and economic era he designed in. It is both interesting and informative--two words that usually don't co-exist in most fashion references.
As a coffee-table book, this is a must-have for fashion afficianados. For those who can visualize and appreciate the complexity of drape and construction in some of the garments, there is no excuse not to own this book

The photographs of Christian Dior's magnificent creations are breathtaking. But the writing is unbearably pretentious. Unfortunately, this characteristic is a hallmark of most academic writing. But get the book anyway. Dior was an artist, a seeker of Beauty, and we're all the richer for it.

This book is gorgeous--fabulous photography, lots of detailed shots (I love the way they concentrate on the dresses and don't feel obliged to get the manniquin's head in every shot)--glorious! Get this book now!

Creative projects for homemade Christmas decorations make this book a great gift.. If you can part with it!

This book has lovely ideas for decoarting using natural materials. I found many of the ideas could be done very inexpensively.

I bought this book for my neighbor and when it came I wanted to keep it! She had recently visited Williamsburg and came back with stories of how she loved the Christmas decorating and wanted to emulate things for her own home.
I've never been to Williamsburg myself, but this book was beautiful! The pictures were professional (I've seen books where they were not) and there were instructions on how to make the decor yourself. Well worth it! I will probaly get one for myself for next season!

Since I love boxwood growing in the yard and using the beautiful greens at Christmas, I found this book to be one of the most informative books I own about Christmas greens. The instructions on how to create many decorations for the inside and outside the home are very clear. The pictures are gorgeous. I have learned to make garlands, wreaths, centerpieces, swags, boxwood trees, and other lovely items. The book features many different types of greens to use for creating holiday decorations. I have taught many others how to make holiday decorations that are featured in this book.

This book gave me many ideas to change the colors, make up my own designs, and generally be creative. I find all the Rodale books to be complete and easy to follow.

Love the book, represented well, quick efficient seller, I was very surprised on how fast I recieved my order.

This is a Great Book..Quick Delivery...To me she's a A+++++++

This book contains instructions for 12 log cabin variations, antique & contemporary. The diagrams, charts, and yardage requirements are as good as they get! There is even a black and white line drawing of each quilt so you can experiment with your own color combinations. Very well done, a nice book for a beginner or experienced quilter.

This exciting book shows uncomplicated rag dolls a child can make and sophisticated dolls that will challenge experienced dollmakers -- and everything in between. Complete doll patterns including clothing. Tips, embellishments and secrets are shared by well-known dollmakers. Beautiful color photographs as well as clear drawings/black & white sketches. Among the 10 patterns given are Dirk,a flag-bearing American Revolutionary boy doll, the Princess Bride and Anne of Green Gables. If you're going to buy just one book on doll-making, this is the one to purchase. Great comprehensive book!

This book is one of the most complete for cloth doll making that I have found. Covers choosing the cloth, hair, faces, clothing, patterns, you name it. Anyone who loves cloth dollmaking needs to have this book. Excellent!!

Excellent teaching, photography, examples!!

A must for all doll makers of all levels!

Worth every penny and then some!

This is an excellent book for those who would like to learn more about the craft. Ms. Gorley is an excellent writer, teacher and the diretions/drawings are super helpful even for the novice.

She covers the basics and takes it from there. What is nice in additon to the lovely photographs are the drawings and sketches included.

Highly recommend this pulication for your doll making library.