Arts and Crafts Books

shes's my art teacher and friend hehehe :) Great book she's great she can really relate to teenagers. Great artist too!

If you want to be more open minded with yourself then you should really pick up journal to the soul for teenagers. It has opened my eyes and now i can really focus on the things most important to me. I love it and I know that anyone that would pick it up and read it would think the exact same thing. It is a beautiful peice of work and I recomend everyone to read it!

When I first got the journal, I remember thinking that this author was the only one that really seemed like she related best to teenagers. She touches on many subjects and situations that happened to me, or feelings I had once had. I started writing in the journal, then I became addicted. I always wanted to come home to fill it out, especially on really good days, or really bad days.This journal was the first journal that truly helped me in my life. It was very helpful and healing. The author did a excellent job creating this piece of art!!!! I believe the Journal could help anyone...

This was a wonderful journal. It's not like any journal, this one helps guide you through and helps you overcome some of your greatest fears. It helps you accomplish things and you find out things about yourself that you didn't know. I love this journal and i think that every teenager should have one. It is very decorative and that helps me a lot. This journal has done a lot for me. You did a great job Rose!

I think this is a really neat book. It has over 30 different topics in it for you to write aboout. It gives you several pages to use for each topic. This book gives you ideas on what to write about, and most of them are interesting topics. Any teenager who enjoys any sort of journal writing would like this book. It gets you thinking, and is a fun way to record your thoughts about different issues, from family relationships, to crushes, to the pressures todays teens face.

This book is so invenitive! I have been altering clothes for years and failing at least half the time but this book has made them all a success.It is a great instructional to get you thinking outside the box about some of your less than desireable clothes. The projects are understandable and clear and not full of out of reach materials. Sonya and her projects are relatable and inspiring.

This book is the best craftbook I have ever read (I'll be honest and say I've only read about 15 in my life). Anyways I stumbled across this book at my local book store last week when I was looking for a cook book. The projects in it are easy to follow and they are things that you would actually want to make (unlike most craft books). Anyone with a small dog needs this book since they also have a super cute outfit that took me no time/no money to make.

not only is this book awesome, but i had the awesome luck to be at a table next to sonya at a craft show recently, and she is just awesome!!! if one were to buy books based on the character of the author alone i'd say buy twenty copies of this one becuase this girl is just about the nicest funniest person around. AND there's lots of fun things to do in this book! i can't wait for her next one!

Sonya Nimri's JUST FOR THE FRILL OF IT tells how to put together a hot new wardrobe - with items you already own. These can be items which have lost their luster, or are shoved in back of a closet for some reason - but Nimri shows how to turn these once-appealing clothes into new styles, from pairing a scarf with an old sweater to produce a novel tango top to stretching old ties together to make a new shirt. The focus on contemporary styles for 20-somethings makes for a fun, appealing idea book packed with easy sewing instructions and color photos: perfect for libraries seeking something different and practical for a needlework addition.

this book was so much fun! I bought it and sat down for a night w. friends w. wine and dinner and we all brought what we thought was "junk" from our closets... who knew! by the end of the night we had bunch of new fun outfits to wear, tshirts, shoes, my fave black dress (worn a few too many) and even a garter belt! All new fashionable stuff -- who knew! It was super simple and so easy to follow, plus this kept me from a shopping spree, and it was one fantastic night w. friends!!!! I definitely recommend it!

I am sitting down w. my niece to redo her school wardrobe next week! I hope it goes as well as this!!!!!

This is a good series of knitting booklets to go along with Debbie Macomber's wonderful novels. If you haven't read any of the novels, I definitely recommend them. If you knit, the booklets have nice projects to do. Enjoy!

All of Debbie's knitting books are easy for beginners and more knitters. She is a avid knitter herself.

I enjoy Debbie Macomber's books and having a knitting book companion makes it every more interesting. I lead a group for charity knitting so enjoy sharing with my group. Thanks for the good work!!

IF YOU ARE INTO SHAWL'S THIS IS THE BOOKLET FOR YOU
ALSO A COUPLE OF BABY ITEMS TOO
GREAT PATTERN BOOKLET

my mom is a big fan of debbie macomber so she does enjoy these book for knitting projects she will highly recommed these book
Linda and Becky

I've never seen a finer book of Tiffany Lamp photographs. The photographer for this book developed a new technique for photographing stained glass and this is a landmark book. There are photo's in this book of some of the rarest of all the Tiffany lamps - many I've never seen before. Buy this book before it goes out of print!

Over the years, there have been many books written on Tiffany's leaded glass lamps.

Most were very expensive, they had very biased opinions of the author, and some were down right full of technical errors!

I use these books as references to make my reproduction pieces. Without these resources, my job is a lot more difficult.

It is so refreshing to find a new book that not only has excellent quality photos, but also presents a fresh review of a very important topic!

Overall, I found very few technical miscues and I think this book is the best value on the planet for this niche. It contains several previously unpublished lamp patterns. The photos of actual equipment used at Tiffany Studios is very impressive. The authors did their homework!

If you want a great starter book for your library on Tiffany or just need a beautiful book for your coffee table, this book is a winner!

I really enjoyed this book. The color full page pictures are great.

I'd postponed writing a review of this book because I imagined that it was only fair to read the entire text before I wrote about it. I've never really gotten to concentrate on the words, though, because the photos are so, *SO* astonishingly beautiful.

This isn't simply a collection of lamp pictures, taken as though they're head-and-shoulders photos in a police lineup. Many of the lamps have multiple views, from very small (to show off how drapery glass was used, for instance), to a general detail shot, to photographs of the bases the company used to accompany the shade. The photography quality is excellent; you really see everything you need. A professional glass artist (or drooling amateur like myself) can see the details and understand why these lamps set the bar for stained glass. Even if you know NOTHING about the subject, you'll be blown away by the overwhelming prettiness of the material.

I'm not sure if this book represents every Tiffany lamp ever made, but it must come close. Additional images show related material, such as photos of Tiffany's Long Island home (wow), cartoons for lamps we've never seen, and Tiffany Studios' 1904 advertisements for its lamps. Most of the book, however, is a study of the lamps themselves, organized by topic (such as fauna or wetlands), and analyzed in some detail.

When I drag my eyes away, I can recognize that the prose is as complete as the photographs. In addition to the historical context in which the lamps were created, there's plenty of history and analysis about their manufacture. ("Another watercolor rendering in the collection in the Metropolitan Museum is for a Snowball shade [figure 93]. Here, because of the model's domical form, the designer compensated for the curvature of the surface by opening the top sections of the shade into a series of regular projections, just as a cartographer has to allow for the curvature of the globe.") Some of it is a bit dry and academic, at least for those of us who are here primarily to say, "ooh, how pretty!" but if you cared about the details, you would definitely appreciate its depth. In other words: there's plenty to look at, and there's plenty to read, depending on what you're looking for.

You can find a few other collections of Tiffany's works, but I can't imagine you'll find a better one.

It is about time that another great book joins the volumes published in the 70's and 80's. There is some new information here as well as photos of lamps that have not been seen for years. This book is well worth the money for any fan of these incredible lamps.

THIS BOOK IS A MUST HAVE,IF YOU LOVE THE JAPANESE SWORD AND THE SAMURAI.TONS OF BEAUTIFUL PICTURES ALL IN COLOR.TSUBA AND FITTINGS.

Being relativelly new to the subject of Japanese swords and fittings I was quite impresse by two things:
- Quality of the pictures
- Description of the items
I think this is worht having for anyone that trully appreciates the japanese swordmanship and art itself.

Very amazing photos, and quality information on each photo and sword. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

This review is a joint effort with Laerte E. Ottaiano
The book is very good . It has a few annoying errors. I give example of two of them: On page 171 there is a tsuba described as "Design of Egret and Crab" . However the Crab is not there . It is on the back of the Tsuba and is relatively ugly in our opinion . On page 193 there is a tsuba described as "Design of deer and the moon". Again the moon can not be seem. It is on the back of the tsuba and is very,very, beautifull. You can check what we told in the book by Ogawa Morihiro on the Boston Collection. The great thing of this book is that it presents a new way to way to apreciate Tsubas.Kinko( as oposed to steel , sukashi tsubas) were underrated in the USA and Canada. Only steel tsubas were considered old and of true use by Samurai.As this book teaches us this is not so. Kinko Tsubas were used by Samurai and Sukashi Steel ( or Iron ) Tsubas are not usualy so old . This came as a great relief for us . We always thought that Kinko tsubas were works of art. It is a grest relieve to find this in this book

On top on anything else, this book has the best pictures of japanese sword fittings that I've had the chance to see so far. There are many good close-ups that show well the work done by the craftmen.
Earle goes through explaining the evolution of sword fittings by presenting the influence of History upon the samurai, and their needs.
He also exposes techniques, although not in depth - it is not the purpose of this book - and materials used in the making of the tsuba and other fittings.
I believe he succeeds in bringing the reader to understand the how and the why behind those very impressive works of art.
The works chosen - among the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; probably the greatest collection of japanese swords and sword fittings outside Japan - are just plain divine. The pictures were all taken using digital technology, and -as a photographer - I must say it is above anything I'd have expected from any technology and any subject. A must have for any japanese art/craft/design/sword lover.

I bought this book after meeting the author. The book cover doesn't look as pretty as other books but they are wonderful! The writing is marvelous! I learned a lot about the Lewis and Clark Expedition from this book. I was also impressed with the activities that go along with the book. Very nice. I wish I had bought the book on Columbus and the exploration of the New World, it is out of print, but I bet it's good!

This book is full of information and activities that are interesting to kids. Many pieces of information that I never came across in other books. For younger children (4-7), the best one might be Lewis & Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President.

Build a keelboat, learn how to use a compass, carve a canoe - all of these adventures await you in The Lewis & Clark Expedition! Terrific book which makes the Expedition come alive. The activities and illustrations are excellent and have proven to be winners with children of all ages.

What a lot is packed into this brief (112 pages) activity book for children! It's a vivid account of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, rich in adventure, yet also presenting the journey from many political and cultural angles. Activities and lively descriptions bring out not just the physical conditions of the trip, but leadership dilemmas, and moral issues faced along the way.

The book is filled with apt and frequently witty illustrations. Also, numerous intriguing asides about the trip mesh nicely with the main narrative.

Facts are presented; questions are posed. Children are asked to think - and after the mental activity - they'll come away from the book feeling they were there

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, by Carol Johmann, is a fantastic book filled with first-hand information about two of our U.S. history's famous explorers. Johmann includes excerpts from Lewis & Clark's own journals, as well as from some of their fellow soldiers. This lends a great deal of authenticity to Johmann's book, as well as gives the reader a feel of being right alongside these men as they progress on their journey west.
As a home-schooling mom, I especially find Johmann's kid-friendly style of writing refreshing as well as informative. The inclusion of various age-appropriate crafts throughout the book is a great way to stimulate further interest in the reader, and gives the child an even greater understanding of what these two men and their crew dealt with during their journey.
I highly recommend this book. For the home-schooler, this is an excellent social studies curriculum combining intellect with creativity. For public schools, it's a fantastic way to draw the students in and give them a more thorough understanding of the trials and accomplishments Lewis & Clark underwent. For parents who want to give their child(ren) (or themselves) a more informative and well-rounded experience of Lewis & Clark's exploration for westward expansion as well as to determine if a single water route existed across the continent to better accommodate for trade, this is the book for you!
Ms. Johmann, two thumbs up!

I purchased this book as a gift and it was absolutely perfect for an up and coming potter who has the building techniques down but would like to move to the next stage of creative pottery design.

Making Marks is an excellent reference book that both beginners and advanced potters can benefit from. It delves into all aspects of potting, and not only illustrates the results that can be achieved, it provides the "how to" for many of the processes. Any potter who has this book in their library will never run out of ideas for creating unique pieces.

While I'm relatively new to the art and craft of pottery, I beginning to find my own voice in my work. This book is helping me to think about differnet ways to express myself in my work. While I will probably never go out and buy a sand blaster or work with lusters, I know I have the inital reference source I need should I decide to go that way.

Possibly one of the most valuable (but not necessarily exciting sections) is his intial discussion of drawing and line. I come from a background of hard science (chemistry) and know little of formal art or the principles of "line." He explains why this is important and how to start thinking about it.

Finally, the book is a visual orgy. My husband (non potter) and I frequently sit and flip through the book to look at the examples of the various works. It becomes intoxicating. We can sit and discuss what makes one peice have that "come hither" look while another, while technically excellent, has little or no appeal to us. It has become a spring board for me in terms of astectics.

While this book will not teach you how to sand blast or give you important clues about the proper layering of airbrushed glazes, it will help you think about all of the different types of marks you can make on clay and choose the ones that call to you.

This is an exciting book, it is not just about painting marks on surfaces. The list of options is quite comprehensive from liquid slips, clay colour modifications, carving, underglazes, slip-trailing, lustre-ware and of course impressions and incisions made by tools. Robin Hopper is a master of clay due to the years he has be absorbed by it. He has used good quality work by various potters to display the different forms of decoration.

Surface decoration is always something you need to think in advance about before making the piece. You need to be clear what you want to see in the end, these choices will affect how smooth you want the surface to be and of course the decoration needs to be a custom-fit aesthetically for each piece. Discourse about these matters is found throughout the book.

Glaze technology is discussed in this book, though not to the depth a total beginner would like - total knowledge could be gained in a technical course.

This is one of those books that you can keep using as your understanding grows depending on where you are. Always interesting and inspiring to read about other surace decoration forms gaining knowledge all the way.

This book would also be good as a guide in a set course, chapter by chapter you could do projects eg Chapt 1: Drawing, Chapt 2: Sign & Symbol, Chapt 3: Pattern & Space, Chapt 6: Marks of Slash, Scratch, Carve & Cut etc.

All in all, a wonderful storehouse of so many ideas to have at hand !

Hi,
I am the author of this book. The first review in the list of five gives a glowing report and yet rates only one star! I feel that this is a mistake. All the other reviews give the book five stars. This might be detrimentally affecting sales. I feel sure that the reviewer did not intend the single star rating with the review that he or she has given.

Perhaps you can check this out. Thanks

I found the pictures and descriptions very helpful. Good ideas and easy to follow, even if this is new to you.

Very clear directions and instructions with lots of pictures. This should be the first book that anyone buys, if they're wanting to make dollhouse dolls... simple enough for a beginner. Historical details.

I was very frustrated when I was looking to but miniature dolls because they are so expensive. I'm a do it yourself kind of person and this book really helped me through the entire process to make my own dolls. The book starts with a description of all kinds of polymer clay and the author makes her recommendations of clays suitable for miniatures. The book has patterns to make women, men, girls, boys and babies. There are different variations for the different periods (for example the position of the breast to fit better the different styles of dresses, the shoes, etc.) It also has variations to make the dolls look older. The diferents periods represented in this book are: Tudor, Regency, Victorian, and Edwardian. It comes complete with patterns, fabric guidance and full instructions on how to dress the dolls and how to make the wigs. A lot of photos of beautiful dolls in a doll house setting. Do not get discoreage if at the beginning you don't get good results, the author herself advises to practice until your skills improve. It really doesn't take much. Buy this book, you won't be sorry.

If,together with this review,I could place a picture of the two dolls I was able to make following Sue Heaser's instructions in this book,you would know why this book should be in everyone's library (that is,all miniaturists). Do not miss out on the author's "Making dollhouse miniatures with polymer clay". This is,in my opinion, another "five stars" book that I absolutely love.

I do a lot of different handwork, including very occasional polymer clay, but I bought this book because my then 5 yo daughter loved it. Everytime we went to the store that carried it, I browsed patterns and fabric, she lusted over this book. Finally, I just had to give in to her before someone else bought "her" book. :-)

We haven't been disappointed. The illustrations are very clear, and very much to scale. I love having clothing patterns for the dolls available- they're worthwhile even if you never make one of the dolls. The clear directions make it almost easy to make a face that actually looks like a face. The supplies lists are very straightforward and doesn't include anything you can't easily pick up at your local craft supply stores.

I highly recommend this book, even for children. A 6 yo is a little young to be able to carry out the project on her own, but working together with an adult is very possible.

Ilene Bartos' MAPLE LEAF QUILTS: 12 PROJECTS, 9 TRIANGLE TECHNIQUES offers a new twist on the traditional Maple Leaf block quilts, presenting some 12 projects that feature new ways of using Maple Leaf blocks. From making triangle squares to points, this packs in plenty of tips for personalizing a quilt.

This book has wonderful quilts! It suggests beautiful colors and the instructions are great and easy to follow. If you like leaves, this book is a must have!
Sandy

The quilts are stunning and relatively easy to make. You learn which technique for half square triangles works best for you and the directions are easy to follow.

The use of color is fantastic, from traditional to artsy. As an added bonus there are also some very inventive border treatments. There are some terrific techniques here and the directions are easy to follow.

I LOVE FALL and this book puts me in the mood to quilt for those cool autumn days coming up. Plus by making the maple leaf block, Ms. Bartos makes that one block look like many others just by the way she orientates the block itself.

The author shows us nine ways to make half triangle squares which is the main square that makes up the maple leaf block. Read the how-to's and decide which method works the best for you. Once you have chosen how you want to make your half triangles, go on to the how to make a stem section. There are three ways to make these and one should work for you.

Pick one of the twelve patterns and start sewing. Before long, you will have a table runner, a quilts or a wall hanging from half triangle squares. Each pattern has a materials and cutting list with a photo of the completed item. The finished size of the item and the finished block size are given as well.

Instructions on how to make the blocks for the project are listed next and there are graphics to help explain the instructions. Assembling the project and finishing suggestions complete the pattern. What are you waiting for? Grab a copy and start working on that comfy cool weather quilt.

I have a number of books on Copperplate. This is the most thorough, and produces the best results. Winters sweats the details, both in the letterforms (which all the books cover), but in the fine details of them, details of posture, help in choosing paper and ink (A real issue when trying to learn copperplate -- the right paper can make all the difference).

Absolutely, if you're trying to learn Copperplate, get a copy of Winters and read it. It will make all the difference.

This is a wonderful book that goes into great detail about how to write each letter. The author knows so much about copperplate and she offers great advice and tips. Listen to her advice! Instructions are very easy to follow and I got a really great understanding of writing copperplate. Great for beginners or for those with experience who want to work on technique.

This book is wonderful! Mt daughter got interested in calligraphy after a project in school about colonial America. I bought this book for her to try to learn one of the styles of that period. It was a bit much for her, but I became fascinated by it and quickly began to improve my own penmanship. This style of writing is not the easiest form of calligraphy out there, and I wouldn't reccommend it for someone just learning to use a calligraphy pen, but after a little practice holding the pen and some basic calligraphy like unical or roman, an older child or adult will find this a very helpful book.

After studying calligraphy through workshops and lessons since 1989, I decided to add Copperplate to my repertoire. I found learning this style requires a whole new "think" on writing: different flexible pen nibs, pen angles, paper slant, stops, bold and hairline strokes, and of course incredible(albeit refined)embellishment. This book holds prime position in my library, is ink-stained and spotted, has pages unbound from overuse, and is the most perfect way to learn this hand as any I have ever seen. Every time I want to use Copperplate on a commission or project, I haul it out to have beside me, to remember all the little specifics that make Copperplate so beautiful. I love this book!

First to Eleanor--thank you thank you thank you! For giving me a handwriting style that will last centuries yet.

Ahem... Copperplate hand is beautiful, and instead of having to guess how to go about making it right from a one-page sample, you have a kind and considerate teacher walk you through a complete tutorial in a real-world classroom pace--with every intention of actually passing down this beautiful hand--warts and elegance--all--from her years of experience into your fingers. This text will be your guide to teaching future generations this beautiful hand. I am honored to have found this book and even more honored to have the chance to learn this hand from a true master. I hope you will find it, as I did, that her tone is considerate, experienced, and helpful every step of the way--she made _every_ _word_ _count_. She will never bore you.

At this moment I plan to work on this hand whenever I take notes. I have a Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point fountain pen, and although the default nib cannot vary stroke width through pressure--it's a hard nib--I have every intention of enjoying the styling of copperplate in my everyday writings. Like any others who have recently rediscovered the pleasure of writing a journal, I am using a fountain pen or a roller ball on a Moleskine brand notepad. There are many blogs and online write-ups helping you get into this fun activity. Check them out. But I realize I need a cursive hand to work on, otherwise my handwriting would remain illegible! But thanks to Ms. Winters--I am saved!