Arts and Crafts Books

This book contains stunningly beautiful pictures of japanese chogokin (=die cast metal) toys from the 1970's and 80's. Many of the toys are quite rare and hard to find pictures of (like toys made by Takatoku, Nomura, Marushin and Nakajima), even in Internet times. Highly recommended!

In addition to Tim Brisko's incredible photography, Matt Alt and Robert Duban provide a brief history of Japanese toys that explains how these toys fit into the grand scheme of things. Recommended!

I bought this book for my husband because he's obsessed with transforming robots. He squealed when he read it. The photography is wonderful and it is like a history book for the ultimate transforming robot fan.

Hi, this is hubby James writing this review...

I just got SUPER #1 ROBOT and it totally rocks. As much as I thought I knew about J-bots, this really showed how much I didn't know. Even if you are well-versed in "super robots" and anime mecha, expect to be surprised by some really far-out machines you've never seen, from shows you've never heard of (but wish you had)!

The photos are wonderful, shot from a proper low perspective, giving these tiny giants their respect. They look like huge works of art here, which in some ways, they truly are. Great work! I am looking forward to Alt's next book very eagerly.

It's about time an American book in english came out on this subject, authored by people who know what they're talking about and thankfully NOT including tin and wind-up robots from the 60s and earlier. This little paperback is what chogokin collectors would humorously refer to as "robot porn." It's a glossy, high-quality picture book that causes salivation and drooling with the turn of every page. Unfortunately it is by no means a complete encyclopedic manual for all toys diecast during the 70s and 80s, but that can't be expected, considering such an undertaking would produce a book (or morelike a series of books) far heftier than this little paperback. Since that expectation is unreasonable, it is entirely forgivable since this little tome covers quite a chunk of the chogokin, vinyl and plastic market, and a nice variety, as well.

First off the book construction is sweet - small and easily handled, it's like a mini coffeetable book with a glossy softcover. I wasn't expecting such a nicely made little book. There is minimal chitchat and all the talent is poured into the photography of the most mint-looking chogokin robots I have ever seen. I think the thing that I was most tickled about was there was a picture of a mint Tetsujin 28 in the front of the book, and a beat up, played-with, broken and paintchipped version of the same robot in the back of the book. The wear on the used robot shows more as a sign of how much that toy was loved, not abused, and anyone who loves collecting chogokin, I think, would get the same tingly warm feeling looking at that beat Tetsujin 28 as the shiny minty one.

There are a few vinyl robots included in the line-up, and I could think of quite a few chogokin that were left out that could've taken up the pages of the vinyls, as I'm not much of a vinyl collector myself; vinyls are a whole other collector market and I can see why they were included in the book, but then again, I would've preferred that they weren't. Vinyls were usually monsters, but the ones that depict robots were the ones focussed on. All in all they don't take up a lot of space. Also the book is an almost even mix between the comical/humorous chogokin like Robocon and Robodachi and the more serious robot gladiators and team robots like the Godaikins; again these are (more or less) two different collector markets and not everyone collects both. As well, there are some Giant Machinders included, which is not even a scratch on the surface for them since there are quite literally hundreds if not more to collect in that category, but this book is really not meant to be a catalogued record of every robot ever made. Even though one will be able to think of some robots that were left out, all the major ones were included. The only complaint I have is that a lot of them are shown not holding a weapon, when many of them are known for their specific or characteristic weapon(s). Some are shown with a weapon, like Garbin, but too many are just robots standing weaponless. Again, though, this book isn't meant to be an official catalogue, so don't expect accessories to be featured.

If you want lists and cataloging of every robot ever made during the 70s and 80s, there are plenty of online sites that attempt to accomplish such a massive undertaking. But if you want to flip through a nice hefty little book just to get the tingly warm feeling of joy gazing upon the robots of your childhood, this book is totally worth it. It's a little window peephole into the past, but man is it worth peeping.

I love Temari balls. If you want to learn this fascinating craft - you will find this book very helpful.

This is an excellent guide to help you create beautiful, and fun-to-do, Temari balls. Simple and easy to follow intructions are given.

I first became aware of Temari when I saw some balls on display by a lady offering lessons on how to make them. The lessons were $65.00. I decided to check Amazon.com before I gave up learning it on my own. I ordered this book and was thrilled with the results. The instructions are very easy to follow with lots of drawings showing exactly what to do. I was successful on my first try and I am delighted with my new hobby. I have just ordered a second book by Diana Vandervoort and can't wait to get it. By the way, the balls that I had seen on display were all from this book.

As far as I can tell, I own every Japanese and English book on Temari currently being published. This is the book I recommend to beginners who want to learn this wonderful craft. It would also be good for someone who knows a moderate amount already, as it has some advanced skills.

I first was introduced to temari while channel surfing, and stumbling onto the Carol Duval show on HG network when Diana Vandervoort was demonstrating her craft. I could not wait to get my hands on her book and try it for myself-mostly because I could not believe something so elegant and complex could be so easy to do! This turned out to be one of the easiest crafts I have ever tried, and I have tried my hand at A LOT of things. The photos are truly inspiring, and the instructions are some of the easiest to understand and follow. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book, and new patterns.

This book has easy to read diagrams. The projects start simple and expand into a more complex types of projects. (daisy chains to wide bead woven laces) Great for any beginner!

A variety of patterns gives a good overview of beading and the many different looks you can achieve.

An excellent tool for creative beading!

I really liked this book. I dot this book near the beginning of my beading career and find that I still refer to it regularly to refresh my memory on beading methodology. It is an easy to follow guide that has easier projectss for beginners, as well as more time-consuming and difficult projects for the more advanced beader. I love these designs, and one design can be used over and over in different bead colors. As you become more comforatble with them, you can make your own variations and build upon what they have shown you. I definetly recommend this book to everyone interested in jewelry beading.

This is a very slender book, only 34 pages of photos and instructions. Seven pages of colored photos, including the cover, show an average of six projects per page, making a good number of projects to choose from. All of the designs use seed beads and other small beads strung on thread, with simple clasps added to the ends. Instructions are not included on how to add clasps, so you'll need to learn how to do that from another source.

The designs include a wonderful variety of necklaces, bracelets and earrings, ranging from sweet and delicate to large, complex, and dramatic. The cover photo gives a good idea of the variety of projects inside, and even if you just find a few that you want to do, it would be worth the low price of the book.

The instructions are okay. They are written in paragraph form, which makes it difficult to find your place again when returning to read them. I'd prefer the instructions written as Step 1, Step 2, etc. to make them easier to read, but the drawn diagrams showing how the thread passes through the beads are very good; they are large and easy to follow.

One little problem is that none of the instructions tell you on which page to find the photo of the corresponding project, so you have to look through the book to find it. To solve this, on each instruction page I wrote the page number on which to find the appropiate photo. Otherwise, I think this is a very good investment for people who like the intricate work with seed beads.

Reading The Way of Story is like having a talk with a trusted, intelligent and interesting friend. The writing style is friendly, easy to read, and inspiring.

The personal anecdotes and quotations Jones uses to illustrate her points are brilliantly chosen.

In The Way of Story, Catherine A. Jones shares lessons learned in becoming an award-winning writer.

The script is the first basic building block of any film, theatre, or television project. "The Way Of Story: The Craft & Soul Of Writing" by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Catherine Ann Jones offers aspiring authors an integrative approach to writing all the various forms of narrative storytelling. Laced with anecdotal stories and personal insights from her own professional experiences as a writer of scripts, Catherine Ann Jones persuasively argues that craft alone is not enough for success in this highly competitive, highly volatile business. There must be an effective integration of storytelling technique and experiential inner discovery as a writer in order to produce scripts that are commercially viable and persuasive when it comes time to pitch them to producers. Of special note are the wealth of practical tips for writing a successful script whether it is for a play, a movie, or a television show. "The Way of Story" is especially recommended reading for anyone who aspires to writing a screenplay, and will provide invaluable insights into both the process and the marketplace.

Catherine Ann Jones work puts all the elements of good writing in perspective, especially the importance of theme in producing a good story.

The Way of Story may appear as a deceptively simple memoir/manual, but it is not. Catherine rockets you into the essentials of craft, as well as urging you to dig deep into yourself and transmit your emotions to the page, and the story.

Few books simultaneously pay equal attention to both the architecture AND the soul of the story. Finally, I think the book offers gems to both novice and experienced writers, including advice and a bounty of challenging exercises to get the ideas out of your head and onto the page. I wish I'd had this book when I started!

It was the subtitle of this book about writing that drew me to it: The Craft and Soul of Writing. The use of the word "soul" in connection with writing stopped me in my tracks. I too believe that good writing comes from the soul, yet my writing always has sounded more like a lawyer's brief than a soulful memoir or story. And so I wondered... Might this book free me from my mental prison? My hopes soared when on the first page, I read, "The whole of life can be a meditation, even writing." Clearly, I was in the hands of a philosopher as well as a writer. Here was a book which combined practical guidelines with spiritual experience.

I left the bookstore, looking at the book's unusual cover--a picture of an elderly fellow seated in a large old rowboat, its empty space in the rear crowded with colorful flowers. He uses a single wooden oar to paddle through the wide open sea as sprays of watery foam hit his face and obstruct his view. I see this as a metaphor for the obstacles and endlessly murky situations humans encounter as they row their way through each and every day, experiencing both the beauty they enjoy and the unpredictable vicissitudes that inevitably become obstacles along the way.

Numerous brilliant, relevant quotes by famous people appear on every page of The Way of Story. They remind the reader of the importance of soul to writing, of the path that writing must take in order to include the elusive soul. I read the profound and unique philosophies of such luminaries as Winston Churchill, Rimbaud, Harold Clurman, Lao Tzu, and many more, all of whom guide us to honor the soul. And we honor the soul by listening, by being still, by believing passionately in ourselves. "Passion," Jones writes, "must come first, then craft. The essence of Art is to use the outer form to convey an inner experience. This sacred thread, your innermost being or Soul, binds you emotionally to what you write, and if given respect, will lead you on to the desired end. Stories written from this center will move mountains--and even create livelihoods. Years ago, when interviewed by the New York Times about my approach to teaching, I was quoted as saying, 'We've become lopsided living only in our heads. Writing, in order to serve the Soul, must integrate outer craft with the inner world of intuition and feeling.'"

This book has become my bible because I am among those who are lopsided. And for all those writers who believe they are lopsided, Jones offers excellent guidance. Among the numerous suggestions she offers is a remarkable exercise called Soul Dialogue, in which she guides us to envision our soul, to learn from it what it wants, what it truly wants, and sincerely wishes to communicate to others. This message pervades her book. One of the many quotes I will always remember comes from another spiritual teacher--Butoh, a famous Japanese dancer: "The Soul is the important thing. Form will follow."

Form is the craft; soul, the art and passion. The author insists that the goal of writing is to reach the essence of feeling. She shares stories revealing how she has achieved this. An example was a day when Jones was in an acting class with the famous teacher, Uta Hagen. Jones was playing Ophelia. Having already played Shakespearean roles for a well known director in England, she felt confident that her improvisation was a good one. Until Ms. Hagen shouted, "I want you to play an Ophelia I believe goes to the bathroom!" At the time, she was stunned by her failure, but she carries this lesson over to writing. "Characters," she reminds us, "must be three-dimensional, grounded, and not just an extension of the writer's projected aesthetic imagination."

The essence of the author's advice is to dare to be personal. Jones reminds us that how we remember is how we give meaning to our lives. Lao Tzu asks, "How do I know about the world?" His answer: "By what is within me"--five important words I have placed on my mirror where I can see them each morning before I begin my day.

Catherine Ann Jones does not overlook the supreme importance of craft, and she is nothing less than inspiring in her chapters delineating the various genres. She covers the more obvious and less interesting ones (to me) such as structure, rewrites, outlines and dialogue. But her book is about so much more--about the voice of character and how to convey it, the unexpected synchronicities of writing, the resource of memory, the writer's voice, discovering your personal myth, one woman's remarkable story. She believes we must pay no attention to what will happen to the work, whether it will succeed in the marketplace, whether it will even reach the marketplace, quoting Robert Frost... "All the great things are done for their own sake."

There is no way to do this book justice in a brief review. Like most things in life, this book must be experienced to be fully known and appreciated. I can promise any student of writing, experienced writers, and anyone merely interested in learning more about the craft that this book will make you glad you did not leave it behind in the bookstore.

by Duffie Bart
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Just purchased a wheel and this book will help me with the how-to in using it.

This book provided wonderful inspiration for wheel thrown pieces. When you want to create but are at a loss for a goal, this book will release your creative talents.

I loved this book! Bill has a unique talent for sharing his knowledge so both the experienced potterr and the novice will learn. I highly reccomend it.

This is a great book to learn how to do pottery. Bill Van Gilder explains fully how to make the different pieces. The photography is great in helping to see how to do what Bill is explaining. The recipe for clear glaze is incorrect (the ingredients add up to 118%) There should not be dolomite in the recipe. Dolomite is for high fire glazes, not mid range. The recipe for red raspberry (beautiful color) should be 7% instead of 3.7 with a question mark. Poor editing of the recipes. Those are the two mistakes I've had to deal with so far.

I had seen one episode of Bill van Gilder's show on DIY Network and walked away with at least 3 great ideas for improving my skills with clay. I bought this book and brought it to my pottery class and several other students and the teacher all went out to get their own copy. The projects give very clear instructions and photos, telling you exactly how much clay to use. There are useful techniques to learn with every project. There are even glaze recipes for the glazes used in the examples in the book.

A very usefull book, with many good informations in bear making, now and in the future.

I love this book. I'm learning everything I need to make pretty bears like yours! Thanks!

This book has a wealth of information that i would recommend to, any one concidering Bear making or those who are already making bears. It is easy to follow and the tips are extremly helpfull.

Of all the many bear books I own this one is the most thorough and easy to follow. It's twice as large as most books. Covers many things for the beginer and lots of advanced instructions as well. It has new ideas I've not seen in other books. You can't do better than this book.------------Pam

This is a great book that was recommended to me by a teddy bear artist. It's thoughtfully developed, detailed, and the photos are beautiful. There are some great ideas in this book. It can save you months of scouring the internet for tips. Definitely the best teddy bear book I've read.

This book was extremely useful to me, it really provides me a clear picture of the colors,textures and designs of that time.

Gorgeous and fascinating! I love embroidery, so the history and reference in this book are especially interesting. Very good value.

This book has an abundance of photos of actual gaments to illustrate the various stitches. Anyone who loves this period of dress, and the details of fabric decoration that made the 18th C.costume unique, should have this book. Whether they are into making their own pirate coats, or just admiring the amount of work that our ancestors put into the highest fashions of the day, this is a valuable reference.

This is my favorite book, bar none. I know, weird, but I'm a fiber artist. The contents of this book take the mystery out of the "how'd they do that?" It explains clearly what and how embroidery, especially of royalty and the royal court, was accomplished. IF it was still clear as mud after I read it, there were pictures and drawings. The pictures, BTW, are amazing. The content, superb. The writing, clear and personal.

This book is well researched and presents clear detailed descriptions of a fascinating subject. I love the inserted quotes especially those from the ever chatty Mrs Delany. (I highly recommend the wonderful book by Ruth Hayden "Mrs Delany Her Life and her Flowers") The only reason I chose to give this book 4 stars rather than 5 is the lack of color photos of the garments. Too many of the items are represented by simple line sketches making them difficult to visualize.

Angela Fisher spent seven years criss-crossing Africa, seeking out traditional forms and styles of jewelry and body adornment. The metal crafting, artistic modes and affectations of traditional piercings are stunning. The more extreme examples of African body art are already missing: cutting and/or scarring, limb binding (neck/arms/legs) and lip stretching are lost arts these days.

The photography is top notch, with highly detailed closeups and oversize, full-color images on most pages. Notes are included for each image, with geography, tribal information and craftsman's details for many pieces.

This is a great example of the "coffee table" book. I checked this title out of the library while in graduate school repeatedly until my mother gifted me with my own copy (thanks, Mom!). For artists and jewelers, this volume will be an endless source of inspiration.

...origin as it relates to African cultural and creative expression and influence. Many designs and patterns we see repeated in contemporary jewelry design can be traced to African styles and designs created centuries ago - a fact beautifully exemplified in this book - with the added bonus of learning something about the meaning behind the particular adornment/piece of jewelry. The photos are brilliant! This book is a treasure and a highly recommended "must read" for everyone interested in design, jewelry and fashion history, and cultural customs, influences and contributions.

I found this book to be amazing...I loved the discussion about the different African cultures and most especially the pictures--I'm even considering purchasing another copy of this book just so I could frame some of the beautiful, highly colorful pictures. I am buying more books from those authors--I expect the other books to be just as beautiful and informative.

This is a thoughtful and gorgeous peek at the diversity of the continent. The colors of the photos alone are worth the price! Fisher's more recent work, "African Ceremonies", with Beckwith, is even better, if possible. And folks, Africa contains 54 countries, over 800 different languages and thousands of dialects, and has around 730 million people. If you consider yourself an interested citizen of our world, don't just look at the pictures, learn about the continent! Many people have criticised the authors, for this and their other works, because they present an Africa that doesn't exist anymore, or they are patronizing and exploitative- I agree in part with this criticism, but I would add some balancing words. This continent has some of the richest cities in the world- Johannesburg being one, and some of the poorest villages- I was visiting in one of them several weeks ago in eastern Namibia. People have cellphones, people have no phones, some drive Lexuses and some drive donkey carts made from the beds of old pick-up trucks. "Old" ceremonies are vibrantly alive for some people, and simply unimportant for others, sometimes within the same family or community. The point is that the images from this book *are* parts of life on this continent, but obviously do not tell the whole story. However, it is just as wrong and short-sighted to dismiss cultures as it is to see only the "exotic". The funny thing is that I first saw this book and "African Ceremonies" at a Himba village in Kaokoland, Namibia, shown to me by a man who was wearing "traditional" Himba clothes, with red ochre on his skin and so on. We were paging through this book and my friend, who is also Himba but wears "western" clothes, commented on how weird the images were, to which his friend laughed and agreed. To them, the pictures of most of these ceremonies were just as alien as they are to most westerners. So, to everyone who likes to box "Africa" and "Africans" into one category, this is perhaps something to think about.

The beauty, dignity, and composition of the photos are enough to lure the reader. This book features the jewelry and accessories of African costume in different regions and tribes. It gives the reader information on the people wearing these lovely adornments, as well as describing their meanings and ceremonial uses, when applicable. While this represents only specific aspects of some parts of Africa, it is a beautiful glance at some tribal costumes still worn in increasingly fewer and fewer places.

All that have seen my copy have loved it. Hardly anyone could view this book and not smile. Too bad it's now gone out of print, but there are other wonderful books and a brand new movie by Harrod Blank.

I visited my niece in Seattle, and she KNOWS one of the art car owners, so showed me the book. What fun!!! I am buying it today!

One of the most joyous picture books ever published. Put a copy on your coffee table at home or your desk at work, then sit back and wait for your visitors to start chortling. It's impossible to look at just one page!

This book is just a blast -- it is so fun and inspirational. It made me happy that I own a crappy old car, because now I can run out and paint it without worrying about the resale value.

I read Harrod's first book after seeing some art cars at The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. After that, the seeds were planted! In a few months I had made my first art car. I finally got to meet Harrod and get a copy of Art Cars when he appeared with several of us exhibiting our creations at Artscape. It was fun to ooh and aah over pictures of many other art car folks in this book who have become good friends of mine in the past few years. Art Cars will inspire you to go out RIGHT NOW and start decorating your vehicle!

I loved this book. I was inspired by the ideas of the author and her guest artists. Wow! A beautiful book, great photography, fabulous ideas! Creativity and imagination and just plain American know-how. A must read book for miniaturists (is that a word?) Wish I could have given it ten stars. Yes I loved this book.

Even reading this book purely for inspiration and enjoyment, it's wonderful and fun. The ideas are imaginative and often breathtaking. I have given this book to many friends from all walks of life who are delighted with its spetacular prose and astonishing miniature worlds. Even for those who are "all thumbs," it's thumbs up, way up!

This is a wonderful book. There are lots of ideas for making beautiful rooms, the pictures are beautiful and clear enough to see each item, plus how to's and shopping lists. Many talented artists are pictured not just the author. I am enjoying this book very much.

This is a book any beginner in miniature art should read. Its inspirational, informative and very interesting. There are many pictures in the book which also serves as a visual treat to stimulate and evoke the artist in anybody. The author, Jane Freeman of this book has not only elevated making miniatures as a pure art form but sanctified its stature with her amazing creations. While reading this book, I noticed one thing very special about this book, the author has a talent which lures us to look at everything in life with the creative eye.

...and this is the true strength of the book. Jane Freeman's work reflects her classically trained background and does not sit well with the often twee world of miniature 'craft'. If anyone can bring miniatures out of its association with children's toys, Freeman can! This book showcases the work of Freeman and other artists who work in miniature form in brilliant photographic colour and quality on every page- not a single, irritating and pointless black and white among them. I turn to this book when I feel the need to be 'freed' from the conventions of miniatures, namely expense, scale, and realism in the traditional sense of the term. Freeman's talent for producing the essence of what is most important in life is second to none in the miniatures world, and her flair for finding alternative uses for rubbish is ingenious. My work took quite a different turn after the influence of Freeman, from heirloom creations of the Australian past, to scenes of my own life which actively engages the onlooker by requiring their interpretation. This was my most expensive miniatures book purchase, and one of the most valuable. Highly recommended.