Arts and Crafts Books

Excellent book! Very good instructions........easy to follow! Lots of great ideas to stir your own creativity.

I'm no sewer, but this book makes me think I can... Incredible ideas and great instructions. Definitely an inspiration.

A lovely book to look at and be inspired. Lots of photos of very original work, unique projects for wearable art.

This book is a crash course in Rosemary Eichorn's fabric collage techniques. If you read it carefully, you will be able to recreate all her projects, or use that knowledge to further your own designs in fabric. Her instructions are clear and generous. It's an inspiring book. The photos are clear and well done.

The best manipulated fabric book I own. I read it cover to cover because I was interested in every page. She took the time to teach many different facets of sewing, fabrics, colors and many techniques. I belong to a Wearable Art Group and all I do is rave about this book. Her patterns are very good also.

Excellent layout and binding that allows you to leave it open to the page your following. Easy to follow instruction and pics for the visual learner. Love it and looking forward to the projects!

Very detailed and organized. I am glad I bought the book. As a beginner in stained glass this met my needs.

Quick, easy and lots of pictures. Binding allows all the pages to turn easily, preventing the pages from 'closing' up on you while you try to follow the instructions.

I have been checking out many of the books that are available and this one gives the best directions and it has made my first project half way easy.

The title says it all. I went from never having worked with stained glass to completing the first two projects in the book - and it was fun! Now, I'm working on my first original stained glass design. This book is great for anyone new to stained glass - the step by step instructions would probably be excrutiatingly slow to someone who already has a lot of experience, but they were exactly what I needed to get started! I also really liked the explanation of all the most common tools and equipment.

WONDERFULLY INSPIRING BOOK - I just LOVED it - have studied all the examples and will use them to try my own carvings and paintings on Aussie gourds.
THANKS for writing the book.
Melody Haskins (Downunder, in Australia)

I baught and loved the hard cover of this book. When I saw the paperback version with the fish gourd on the cover (a picture of a
different equily beautiful gourd apears on the hard cover version) I thought yahoo, David Mcfarlane wrote a new book,Gourd art 2. Boy was I wrong. Its the same book, a very good book but the same. Rookie mistake, live and learn.

Beyond the Basics Gourd Art is an excellent book, with exquisite photos, and diverse projects presented by several different artists. A must-have for gourd enthusiasts of all levels!

Great Book even for beginners, easy to follow steps allows creative people to quickly hone their gourd crafting skills.

I really liked this book and found it one of the best for gourd artists. There are so many styles, examples, techniques, designs and suggestions.

It is fabulous for the beginner through the expert. A definite book for your collection.

This book is recommended for all art fans--you don't need to be familiar with the Sandman character to enjoy McKean's gorgeous covers. The commentary is also very interesting, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the thought process behind many of the works. McKean progresses from producing physical pieces of art to digital manipulations as the series progressed, and although some of his initial digital effects are now dated, it's still fascinating to see a modern master at work.

is there any difference between the Watson-Guptill edition and the Vertigo edition? i noticed one says '1989-1996' while the other says '1989-1997', the size also seems to be differnt, althogh the page numbers are both 208. what i want to know is, is there any difference as far as the artworks go inside? and if so, which is the better one? (one's also more price than the other, it seems).

I bought this book as a gift for a Friend, I was familiar with McKeans art from the comics and she had recently gotten into his work... So i thought it'd make a good gift.

It was a great gift! I looked through the book thoroughly myself and was amazed at not just the artwork but the presentation of it throughout. McKean and Neil Gaiman's Commentry and Notes throughout are both Fascinating and sometimes hilarious. (Ah the Fish...)

I'm gonna pick up a copy for myself, as this really is an Amazing book... ArtFans or ComicFans alike will appreciate just how Beautiful Mckeans Art is.

I don't know why I haven't gotten around to reviewing this collection of work before, but it is amazing! As the title suggests, it is the collected covers of the Sandman comic book series that ran from 1989-1996. There are no Sandman stories in here, just the collected covers of all the issues and some commentary on the covers and The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman himself.

"Just." I love this book. It's "Art" with a capital "A." So many different styles, forms, and moods. It's beauty and magic captured on paper. It calls to mind art as diverse Edward Gorey, Salvadore Dali, the movies of Tim Burtn, and on one startling cover even H.R. Geiger (in a non-Aliens way).

The introduction is very nice too.

I recommend this for any fan of the Sandman series.

When I had collected the original Sandman issues, I was always intrigued by the cover art as well as the story and illustrations inside. Sometimes, I would find myself staring at the covers for minutes before reading the actual story. This was the only time I had ever really done that. And now you can own this book full of those intricate, detailed, and amazing art pieces, along with commentary by McKean and Gaiman.

And there's a Sandman story that I have never read before! If you're a Sandman fan, buy this book.

This book is clear & concise for any level of clayer. Katherine has the amazing ability to relay to the sculpter what is needed to bring the sculpt to life while expounding on the importance of a solid foundation.
My only critisim would be that I wanted even more animal examples & will be the first in line to purchase a follow up book should she decide to do one.

Katherine Dewey is a wonderful artist. I already own her book, "Creating Life-Like Figures in Polymer Clay" so I knew that "Creating Life-Like Animals in Polymer Clay" would be great. I wasn't disappointed! The only project I have finished is the fawn and it is adorable. I'm looking forward to my next project from the book but I can't decide which one to create because I love them all.

I'm not near this good yet, but it definately gives me the inspiration to keep trying. Great detail and instructions from a fantastic artist.
I bought this as a used book and was very, very pleased with the seller and the condition of the book.

This book gives detailed explanations and has great pictures, it is helpful and inspirational : it allows you to expand your skills beyond the book's examples. A must for fimo-maniacs. Katherine Dewey is probably the most gifted polymer clay artist in the world but is able to use pedagogy to share her knowledge.
I do not recommend it for beginners or children though, as some of the creations are detailed and might require some anatomy basics to be sculpted successfully.

This book, by Katherine Dewey, is a terrific resource book for those wishing to make animals from polymer clay - either to enhance their other sculptures or as a stand alone product. Numerous pictures and examples, with detailed instruction guide you step by step through the process. Animals included are deer, in two poses, frog, wolf, seal, bear and more. She also includes examples of bases, such as a leave for a sleeping mouse.

The book is well organized and transitions beautifully from one point to another. Graphics are included along with tips and tricks on making armatures and painting the final product. This book has it all and I highly recommend it as a necessary part of your crafting library.

I have lots of jewelry books. This is more of "class examples" and the like. It shows many ways to do textures, finishes, etc. and shows the finished product. It has saved me the time and expense of doing them myself. What a help!

Its title is the best description of this book; you must try all possibilities that you can find inside.

I found this book well structured for me as a novice. It provides lots of beautiful examples of the techniques. I'll look for more detailed "how to" instructions elsewhere but this book is a great start.

Awesome book with great illustrations and techniques for many different finishes in jewelry making!! Get this one!!

This is a wonderful reference book not only for a beginner but for a silversmith that has much experience. I have purchased several of these books for students!

This is a good book if your just starting out. A lot of it is common sense but there are some good pointers. I would recommend it. Easy read. Also has some good resources.

I received this book really quickly and very pleased with it. I love the book and I couldn't wait to get it. The transaction was effortless.

Viki Lareau's book Marketing and Selling Your Handmade Jewelry is a well-written, experience-based guide for the novice. With the exception of a couple of small number of typos or misspellings, the book is a delight. I found that I wanted to read it straight through and almost succeeded in doing so before being interrupted. The photos complement the text, and it helps that the reader comes to like the person writing the book (at least I did).

I have purchased other similar books in the past that I skim, but never really take time to read. This book was not only worth the money, it was worth the time. Concisely written, clearly categorized, useful information. I only wish I had read it seven years ago when I first started selling my jewelry, as some of the lessons I have learned a much harder way!
My little company is currently turning into something much bigger and I am so glad I have the insight from this book to help me in negotiating and decision making.

If you're just getting started in the hand-made jewelry selling business, this is a straightforward, well written, and practical guide for the basics of setting up your business. The author provides tips on pricing your work, which are especially helpful. Overall, I found the tone warm and helpful, and it's a quick, easy read.

From the author of A Line Between Friends and owner of Dream Life Designs jewelry.

This is the first craft book that I actually read. I mean, I usually just skim these sorts of books for what I need, but this book was so intriguing, inspired and well-written, that I was compelled to lay in bed and read the whole book. It is just wonderful. There are some nice instructions for those that want to make similar projects, but the beauty of this book is the inspiration it gives for coming up with your own unique pieces. Incorporating my photography with my sewing has become a goal of mine, and this book gives me basically all I need to get started on doing so. I HIGHLY recommend this one.

Every time some one sees my book I am compelled to purchase them one as a gift. I am on my forth book. Everyone I know loves this book!

A wonderful book for multi-tasking, multi-talented people who love to put creative personality into their craft projects. Riley's instructions and ideas make for page after page of motivation to create your ownn original family heirlooms."Scraps: Adventures in Scrapbooking" got me into the joys of cropping and journal-keeping, and this book motivated me to take the next joyful leap.

If I never picked up a needle, I'd still want to have this book. It is beautifully written and photographed. Instructions are very clear and make it all seem so simple. This book certainly takes the fear out of the idea of quilting. Lesley has done a fabulous job blending the arts of quilting and collage. Pages and pages of wonderful photographs to inspire you to pick up that needle and head for the scrap bag.

Traditionally, quilt making truly IS a form of fabric collage.
How cool, to see the directions in which narrative quilting is moving!
It's expertly shown to those of us lucky enough to run across this swell volume by Ms. Riley. And we realize from the eye candy, ideas, inspiration & techniques illustrated in this charming (& nicely made!) book, that it's not the size of a project that guarantees its impact. I especially love the "Gallery of Quilted Memories" beginning on page 110. Each example is a small treasure of the four elements I listed above & something to which I will continually return.

This book is chuck full of antigues with prices and pictures, I highly recommend it!!!

The 2007 Edition of Antique Trader Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide is superb. Filled with gorgeous color photography and to the point descriptions, this modern guide has become a leader in the field. I highly recommend that you add this guide to your library without delay!

The weighty yet portable Antique Trader guide Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2007 may not fit in a jacket pocket but it will easily be a take-along to any garage sale or flea market for avid collectors. Public libraries strong in collectibles price guides and private collectors alike will find this annual reference follows the market, offering up the latest prices and some 5,000 new color photos and upgrades to this latest edition.

As always a useful reference for the collector. My wife and I buy and sell glassware as well as other small collectibles and antiques and find this to be one of the more useful general guides for pricing and identifying a range of items.

This book works well to get a general idea of the value of items, but it has some bare spots. They cover some items in great detail and others in very general terms.

I would have liked it better if there was more discussion about what causes the variation in prices of certain categories.

The book has all the different kinds of applique techniques. It is a great reference book.

This book is great for the beginner or advanced sewer. It shows many ways of applique that all make sense. This book has clear illustrations and wonderful pictures. There are detailed instructions that are clear and easy to follow.

I own several books on applique, but will probably never use them again. This one has it all! Great photos and easy intructions for every method and then some. A must have for anyone who sews or quilts.

This a great book for the novice as well as one who has had some experience with applique. It provides some basic ideas for doing applique work but then goes further into more sophisticated ideas and projects for using this technique. If you're a novice or just interested in exploring applique, this is a good buy since it takes you beyond the basics and provides some "seeds" that could germinate into creative applique.

This book has just about everything you need to learn how to Applique If you are Right-Handed as all of the people that wrote six star reviews must be. There are no instructions whatsoever for the left-handed person.