Arts and Crafts Books

This is a fantastic book! It has great instructions and wonderful projects. If you like folk art this is the book for you!

Excellent book on needle punching. I have already completed two projects and like them very much.
Well defined book. My hat is off to the artists who designed this one. I would recomment this book
to any body who wants to do Punchneedle Embroidery.

Wonderful book --- I would recommend to anyone who does Punchneedle Embroidery --- Great designs.

Barbara Kemp has produced a beautiful, informative, and inspiring book of Punchneedle patterns and instruction. After drooling over the photos of completed pieces, the hardest job was choosing which one to start first! But don't skip the Intro and Basics sections, they're well written, beautifully photographed and even the most experienced "puncher" is sure to pick up a tip or two. Really, this book is one of the "Most Excellent" Punchneedle books available. Janice in Niwot

This is a great book with detailed instruction and wonderful color pictures. It is so worth buying this book. I will use some of the patterns for rug hooking.

This is a good introduction to both casting and pate de verre, well-researched and the authors obviously have a lot of hands-on experience. Don't be put off by the fact that it's a decade old; although some of the latest equipment and glasses won't be referenced the techniques don't change.

This is one of my favorite glass technique books. It combines intense technical detail with profound humor, and was my main source of information for my first forays into mold making, casting and pate de verre. Many "how-to" books will tell you what to do, but they don't tell you why. They don't provide the science, the reason. This book is excellent because it not only provides all the science you could want, but it does so with humor so you can read the technical bits without your eyes glazing over.

This book was awesome. It had everyhing I needed to know to get started with pate de vere. It was the only book I could find which talked about safety in my workshop. I liked it because it was not the visual fluff found in all the other books.

This is the best book I have seen for anyone who wants to learn the basics of glass casting and pate de verre using a kiln. It's more focused than Lundstrom's 3rd book, better written, with more coherent step-by-step instructions and lots of suggestions that will be useful to both the novice and the more experienced kiln caster. Highly recommended.

Note: This book is NOT, despite a previous reviewer's statements, about making beads. It has no information about beadmaking -- the earlier reviewer was probably confusing this book with Dan Fenton's "More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Glass Beadmaking" (which is, as the title suggests, about beadmaking).

This book is everything you wanted to know about glass beadmaking. For only fourty daollars this book gives you a step by step account of what you should do to create beautiful glass creations. It starts out by telling you the tools needed to get started in one of the fastest growing arts in the country. The step by step instructions on how to create special types of glass beads is also exceptional. This book is a must buy book if you are interested in the art of Glass Bead Making!! -Nicholas J Johnson -Milwaukee Art Examiner

As a beginner quilter and novice computer user, I found this book to be well worth sitting up late last night, eagerly devouring the wisdom that Heim and Hansen have compiled. Using simple, concise directions and "down to earth" discussion, they have covered all of the topics that formerly cowed me into believing that I should've lived 100 years ago! Now I'm eager to integrate my love of quilting with the new love of computers and the information superhighway! The yellow pages of web addresses are especially useful to someone located in the wilds of Northern Maine. Often, internet access is my only contact with the outside world! A simple comparision of the available software programs have helped me to narrow my search for the next acquisition - quilting software!

I highly recommend this book to any quilter who has access to a computer. It's loaded with excellent tutorials, clear illustrations, helpful advice, tips, and gorgeous quilts. This book has kick-started my creative juices, and I find I'm referring to it over and over again. It's an amazing reference. Heim and Hansen are quite a team!

I must commend Heim and Hansen for taking such a complex world as computers and reducing it to concepts the average quilter can easily understand and follow. It is also a nice feature that this book encompasses both the PC world and that of the Mac usuers. A goodly portion of the book is dedicated to walking the reader through the processes Gloria Hansen used to design her award winning quilts. This will inspire many who have been daunted by the process. The authors analyze many of the software programs available giving insight to their use in design as only seasoned quilters could. They also discuss so many aspects of printing, scanning and the internet with a wondeful section of Internet Yellow Pages chock full of exceptional web sights from quilters from traditional, through contemporary to art quilters.

This is THE book to integrate the art of Quilting with the skill of the Computer. Judy and Gloria have brought the high tech words into the realm of the everyday person.

Hats OFF for a job Well Done. !!!

Since I bought this book (just several days ago) I have learned more about my computer in general, quilting, drawing and paint programs, and what I want, what I need and where to find it all, oh yes, and how to use it all than in the 4 or so years I have had my computer. I highly recommend this book as a source for all quilters who own computers.

Lots of great ideas and techniques. I've just started doing fiber arts/art quilts and this book has been very helpful.

It was the first of the several books to arrive that I ordered on one day. Condition was exactly as stated.

Excellent details. This book helps to free you up, so that you can spend more time on the creative process. Once you master her techniques, your work just seems to flow.

This book is a great resource for anyone who is making or has made the transition from traditional to freely expressed quilts. The author gives really clear instructions on how to form curves in both the quilt construction and the borders. The curves are all done with the topstitched method, using freezer paper, so there is no seam matching. Her own quilts are colourful and exuberant, and her passion comes through on every page. There are very clear instructions at each stage, and patterns for three small quilts to try out some of the ideas. It would not be suitable for complete beginners, but is not scarily difficult.

I prefer improvising and it really liberates my skills. Thanks for the useful tips to make it easier.

I thought this book was great. Robin gave very good background history of his life in ceramics and his views on what he created on his long career.
I loved the pictures and his instruction on how to be the best in what you make. I have read the book cover to cover a few times and have still learned more after a second and problably a third look.I have tried a few of his ideas and had fun which I think ceramics is all about.

Although much of this book is a compliation of his former books, it encompasses his personal and professional history as well as his philosophy, recomendations on style, and insights about pottery, designs and life.
Every potter, and collector of pottery shoud read and own this book.

This book is great. Robin Hopper shares his unique background with the reader and the thought processes that have gone into shaping his life and career. His down to earth approach to doing the work he loves so much was a joy to read. The technical information in this book and the way he presents it with illustrations and examples is great. The experienced potter as well as the beginner will enjoy this book.

I have several of Robin Hopper's books and I have enjoyed them all immensely. I am able to find any type of info I need from these books. Well laid out, good explanation and very very useful information for a home studio potter. Cheers, Cheryl

I am a potter. I make pots. I make a bunch of pots. I am always open for improvement, assistance, and suggestions. And I am very glad I added this book to my personal library!

Robin Hopper writes very simply about the various stages of making pottery. He profusely illustrates his techniques with photos and drawings, making the book itself a work of art. It is a pleasure to read, and an inspiration for all potters who want to learn to be better at it.

Hopper offers tips on every phase of making pots, from sketching, through preparing the clay, to making glazes. His examples are beautiful, and the descriptions are clear and concise.

If you're in one of those inevitable "slumps," I suggest Robin Hopper's "Ceramics: A Lifetime of Works, Ideas, and Techniques" to break you out of the clay doldrums and into new territory.

While the content of both the hardcover and paperback is the same, the paper quality of the handcover is much better which leads to better photo quality. If this seems like an important book to add to your library I would recommend splurging on the hardcover.

A great description of commercial blacksmithing in its most successful era. Excellent pictures of some of his completed works with enough details to allow you to make them.

Samuel Yellin, Metalworker by Jack Andrews

This is a new release of one of the two books that have made Jack Andrews a household name in the blacksmithing community.(The other is the "New Edge of the Anvil.") While this book has been around for some time now the new release offers the title in a more affordable paperbound cover. Samuel Yellin is the king of the blacksmiths and a true inspiration to virtually anyone who has ever swung a hammer. at piece of hot steel. His accomplishments as a metal artist are thing to be grasped at and never achieved by the mere mortal. Andrews does and excellent job of capturing the spirit of this man who organized teams of immigrant blacksmiths into a shop in Philadelphia spread ironwork across the country. In this work you will learn the history that is the Yellin legacy, including the formative years before he was a household name. A time line gives important dates in his history. Of special interest are the historic photos of Yellin and those under his employ. Even better are the many pages of his work, each piece speaking volumes on its own. There are gates, railings, keys, locks, fireplace sets, lighting devices, whimsical creatures and more. Now that Andrews has brought this book back at less that ..., there are not excuses for not having it in your library. Just owning this book may make you a better blacksmith! Get one before the are all gone.

Jim McCarty

Jack Andrews and Skipjack Press have done us all a favor by republishing this book in paperback. Samuel Yellin's work remains an important subject of study, not only for blacksmiths, but for artists, architects, interior designers, and anyone who works with or enjoys ironwork. Jack Andrews worked in the Yellin shops at Arch Street and is deeply familiar with his subject, and his expertise shows throughout this book.

Of course, the many examples of Yellins work is enough reason to add this book to your library.. As usual, the scale of the works is sometimes immense, and requires the labor of fifty smiths to execute... but that's not what most people are after. The details shown in these works can give you a myriad of ideas to try in your own shop.

But there's more than that. Yellin's business practices are a lesson to us all, especially the way he documented all of his work. In a sense, this practice of Yellin's made books like this and the study of his work possible. He used job cards and took photographs of every piece of ironwork that went out the door. We should all document our work so well.

Yellin's thoughts on design and the artistic nature of forged iron make great reading as well. I keep going back to Yellin's discussion of "Craftsmanship" again and again, each time finding a new and interesting point to consider.

When you add all this with the fact that this reissue costs twenty dollars, you've got a real bargain. This book should be required reading for anyone with an interest in metals.

Samuel Yellin Metalworker was originally published in hard cover and has been out of print. I am pleased to see it released again in soft cover and at a reasonable price. This book is sort of a history of the Samuel Yellin organization and a tribute to the man's genius at creating beautiful ironwork. I especially like the quotes on the back cover of the book: "The true craftsman should know every branch of his craft and a piece of work can only be either good or bad. If one small part of the grille is bad, the whole grille is bad. For a piece of craftsmanship to be good not the smallest part should receive adverse criticism. And even though twelve men work on one pair of gates, they must appear when completes as though they were made by one man." That is requiring pretty exacting work from all of his help in his shop and is no wonder that he achieved such great stature as an Art Metal Worker. With this sort of attitude about the work from his shop, it is no wonder that this man achieve so much stature in only 55 years on earth. The beginning Chapter talks about Yellin's shop and business. The second chapter talks about and profusely illustrates the Yellin Wrought Iron. The next chapter presents Yellin's views on Craftsmanship being a reprint of a talk that he gave before the Architectural Club of Chicago on March 9, 1926. Interesting stuff. The next chapter is a group of Wrought Iron Selections that shows the great variety and wide range of the metal art that was created in the Yellin shop. This chapter alone is probably worth the price of the book because of its content of so many different types of objects. Through viewing such objects, one's mind becomes inspired and makes one able to do what Yellin says, "There is only one way to make good decorative ironwork and that is with the hammer at the anvil, for in the heat of creation and under the spell of the hammer, the whole conception of a composition is often transformed." I would say that this transformation takes place because of images that the ironworker has seen in the past, which tend to influence the way in which he or she sees the current project. By viewing many fine works, your mind can take on an appreciation of such work and help you to also produce similar works. Yellin urges the ironworker to "look to the past at fine works, but not to copy them." The final chapter talks about the Yellin Job Cards and shows a graph of jobs, job cards, and number of employees. It appears that Yellin's number of jobs peaked in 1923 and his number of employees peaked just before the stock market crashed about 1928. Everything sort of went down hill from there probably because of the great depression of the 1930s. Yellin died in 1940. An excellent book that every blacksmith and decorative metal worker should have in their library.

Reviewed by: Fred Holder, Editor Blacksmith's gazette

Nice collection of recipes for potpourri and sachets. Some ofthe ingredients are tough to find but I found most via the internet for the couple I've tried so far. Last half of the book is on flower drying, arraging and wreaths - not really my thing but I really enjoyed the first half.

Absolutely the best book on making fine potpourri (dry or moist) and much more. Also included are beautiful wreaths, dried flower bouquets, pomanders, cologne-type floral and herbal waters, bath bags, scent pillows, fabric sachets, drawer liners, etc. Gardening and flower drying information too. From cover to cover, fabulous ideas for elegant home decorating with antiques or inexpensive fakes. Gorgeous photographs.

This book is wonderful. I have had this book for about ten years and, although I have purchased many beautiful books since, this one remains a favorite. The pictures are beautiful and the instructions are easy to follow. Also, sources for purchasing any ingredients you would need are listed at the back of the book. Buy it -- you will cherish it!

i've had this book for two days and i love it. it truly inspires me. its easy to read and the fragrant recipes are simple and inexpensive to make. i created my first dried floral arrangement and i was amazed with the results. i love to walk into a room and be surrounded by pretty flowers and nice aromas. you can definitely achieve that with the help of this book. enjoy!

This is one reference book that I read cover to cover, not wanting to miss a single wonderful idea. I bought the book mainly because I have a huge rose garden and wanted potpourri recipes, but I was enraptured by every chapter, including making sachets, door hangings, and dried arrangements, and the section on the centuries-old "meanings" that have been attached to many flowers. There is even an intriquing recipe for making "wet" potpourri, a concoction that I had never heard of before but now intend to try! This book is beautiful, nicely organized, and well written. I could almost smell the scents and see the colorful gardens as I read. A must have selection.

This is the book that convinced me I could have fun with collecting even though I don't have an unlimited budget. I got the inside track from a real expert. The author writes as though he's talking to me personally. I can go to an antiques show or flea market now and have the confidence to talk to the dealers, and usually get a better deal on whatever I buy. I bought copies for a couple of my girlfriends who I go antiquing with and they loved it too. Heartily recommended.

This book was wonderful. I have been antiquing for about 15 years now and wish I had this book when I started. It gives you advice on how to bargin with dealers and how to handle auctions. It also gives you some good advice on how to look for the sleepers at garage sales and also at thrift stores. Very well written. Could hardly put it down! Few pictures and not much detail on marks and how to really tell an orginal from a repoduction. But for some one just getting their feet wet and who only want to spend a few dollars, this book is well worth it.

Excellent book- increasing your knowledge and know-how of antiques by 700%, it also was a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.

Frank Loomis knows his stuff. This is the easiest book to follow, the best advice for newcomers to antiquing, and packed with valuable information for everyone who has ever found an interesting article in the attic. Frank has obviously worked very hard to acheive this amazing book. I will now start my collecting with a valuable asset in my back pocket, The Secrets to Affordable Antiques.

Ann Brandt, author of Crowfoot Ridge, HarperCollins 1999

This book does a wonderful job of steering novices as well as "vintage" antique buyers into making well-thought-out purchases. I found the many tips very helpful. Even though I've been in and out of the antique trade world for 20 years, Mr. Loomis's book gave me a number of insights which I had not been aware of. I highly recommend this book to anyone who dapples in the antique world. One of the many strengths in his writing is that it invites even those with limited resources to have a valuable experience when out antiquing.

If you're looking forward to doing the interior trim of a craftsman or Roycroft style home this is the only book you need. It has page after page of clear shop drawings of all the trim that will need to go in every room of the house, and covers every interior trim eventuality throughout the entire house.

Crown, base, casing, chair and picture rail moldings are shown in detail. Cabinet work for kitchen, bath, dining and living rooms, beams, columns, paneling, and doors are all shown in detail with full construction and assembly drawings.

This book, a few power tools, and access to a lot of oak is all it will take to create comfortable, inviting interiors that look like they're a hundred years old. Even if you aren't finishing off a craftsman house the book is great reading to fully understand the style, and could easily be the impetus for a lot of shop projects.

We own a home built in the Craftsman era, and are currently remodeling / restoring it. I have bought several books about home rehab, Craftsman furniture, etc., and was disappointed with every one of them. Then I purchased this book. The level of detail regarding moldings, for example, is incredible. The complete set of dimensions including radius data for the cove are included. Not only are all the major variants of Craftsman design illustrated and specified, the original drawings for cabinets are shown and then separate, updated drawings that conform to modern kitchen design standards are presented. Anyone who is interested in the architectural details of the Craftsman era should own this book. It is a MUST HAVE!

This is a great book for the craftsman wanting to actually build Mission style furniture. While designs for many pieces are not included, the concepts of design and construction can be used to make pretty much any item you can dream up. A craftsman style entertainment center? Stickley would never have dreamed of it. You can combine a few designs and he would be proud of what you conceived.

This book contains very good drawings of various craftsman details. Everything from front doors to various builtins. The author shows the historic details and how to recreate them with modern construction methods and materials. There are no color photos, but none are need for the type of book it is. I would love to have this author release a book on Craftsman Exteriors!!!!

The built-ins shown in this book are just what my old house needs to make it rustically "modern". I've hired a team of Amish carpenters to build them, as I don't trust my skill in that area just yet. Great book!

Take away the celebrity chic aspect of this book, imagine that the drawings of flowers were rendered by a cross-section of not-so-famous people, and its power and pleasure remain undiluted. This is an enormously entertaining and wildly creative collection of words and pictures linked together by a dark and disturbing subtext. And that is something of a miracle, courtesy of the potent mind of the author. You get sneak peaks into the psyches of an amazing array of artists who, best of all, gradually coalesce to create a smartly subtle memoir of the charismatic character who conceived this book.

This book is absolutely great. Kids of all ages enjoy looking at the flowers that were drawn by the many famous stars that appear in it. I personally know Victoria and the work that she put into the book. There are stories in it that will make you cry, like the Alison Gertz story. It is very heartwarming. Thirty percent of the profits go to the Aid foundation known as Love heals which is absolutely great.

What a cool book! Who knew all these celebrities could also draw! I bought 2 copies. One for myself and one as a gift for Christmas.

This is a beautiful book to keep and to give. The drawings are very interesting and beautiful, some of them are very basic sketches, some are complex artistic works, but all of them have one thing in common: they were drawn with lots of love. And that shows. Thank you for this book Ms Leacock!

A very beautifully well put together book. Not only are the drawings interesting, the text that goes along with them as Ms. Leacock remembers the acquiring of the flowers will make you laugh and cry. The wide range of celebrities drawings of flowers is quite amazing (authors, directors, actors, etc.). That Ms. Leacock would share these very personal rememberances make it quite touching. Makes a wonderful gift for anyone and you will want to display it on your coffee table forever. The fact that a large percentage of the proceeds is going to AIDS charities is even more special.