Crafts Books

This book is a great resource if you want to grow flowers for a living. I have to warn you, if you love flowers as much as I do, you may have a problem cutting and selling them. Oh, well. I still do sell tomatoes.

When they think of farming, most folk conjure up images of grains, vegetables, and livestock. One very active and lucrative area of specialized farming is the growing and harvesting of flowers -- mostly for the ubiquitous flower shops that are to be found in very town and village. Now in a newly revised and significantly expanded edition, "The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower's Guide To Raising And Selling Cut Flowers" by Lynn Byczynski (who draws upon her considerable experience and expertise as the publisher and editor of the monthly industry newsletter 'Growing for Market' and her operation of the Wild Onion Farm in Lawrence Kansas) is the ideal instruction manual and guide for novice and experienced gardeners and farmers alike who wish to take full advantage of new techniques for prolonging their harvests, utilizing greenhouses, selecting flower cultivars, and post-harvest handling for growers throughout North American supplying commercial markets with their flowers. Enhanced with a resource directory, complete with sources for seeds, plants, supplies, and expert information on organic production under the guidelines and standards of the National Organic Program, "The Flower Farmer" will prove to be as valuable as it is indispensable whether growing flowers for fun, family and friends in the back garden, or for commercial profit on the acres of a farm.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Lynn Byczynski's book is terrific! It has all the information that you need to pursue a career as a flower farmer. It has given me the information that I was seeking to make a career change and become a farmer's market flower grower. Especially appreciated the "Source and references" section.

My daughter picked this book out over every one she could find on this subject, after an extensive library search.

The author spends a great deal of time telling you how to plant, transplant, fertilize, etc. She spends way too much space on basics of horticulture. Surely, anyone interested in selling flowers already knows how to grow them! The Ball RedBook would be a better reference for plant-specific growing advice. This book has extensive information about marketing and field yields, but I would take her advice with a grain of salt. I do not agree with some of her calculations and her other information is so far off the mark that I do not trust her opinions in this regard either.

The best info in this book is from her "case studies". The farmers she interviews give good information about their methods and mistakes, but very few specifics about the most important topic: preservation. Just as top chefs will alter recipes so that no one can duplicate their materpieces exactly, most flower growers are very tight-lipped about their secrets and will write pages and pages without giving specifics. This book is true to form. "Proper contitioning" tips go no farther than adding sugar or asprin, or buying commercial (and expensive!) potions.

My greatest complaint has to do with her guide to cut flowers at the end of the book. Some flowers that keep beautifully (after conditioning) are dismissed as having "no vase life". For example: Poppies and Cleome are dismissed as lasting a day or two, but using certain methods my Cleome lasted 2 WEEKS in the vase and won a blue ribbon at the county fair, and poppies can fetch $5 a stem and last 7-10 days if you do it right. "Flowers for Sale" by Lee Sturdivant has much better conditioning and plant selection information.

I've been working as a flower designer for a while and decided to get this book mostly because it looked pretty and comprehensive. I was not disappointed. The book is fabulous and it has a little bit of everything, including tools. I like it a lot and highly recommend it for anyone interested in Flower Design.

This book is simply a must have in your library. Malcolm Hillier is one of the most talented in the industry. beautiful book!

The plant directory was extensive, but I would have liked a little more information on the growth cycle of the plants or the zones in which they grow. The basics are all there and I would suggest to anyone buying the book that they do read the introductory chapters. The floral arrangements are absolutely beautiful and the author also gives alternatives to the arrangements to suit your taste. Very nice.

This is a very wonderful book, which the Floral Design Institute uses as a supplement "textbook" to their syllabus. It is rather heavy but well worth every page as the book is packed with beautiful arrangements and spilling with creative ideas. There aren't a lot of step-by-step instructions on mechanics, but the book gets the point of selecting different material colors and textures across - which, in my opinion, is a significant factor to consider when it comes to floral arranging.

This is a gorgeous book, with gorgeous flowers. However, it's less of a learning tool, then a recipe book. While it does grace upon a few floral design basics, it doesn't spend a great deal of time on it. The raw information it conveys is pretty light, having more to do with warm, neutral, and stark colors, as well as a few techniques on drying flowers and taping them (etc). The bulk of the book is taken up by pictures of arrangements, and little "recipes" on how to make them. A good book for someone who doesn't want to learn the mechanics of floral design, a good book for the coffee table -- but ultimately, not a good book for someone who wants to study design on a more advanced or technical level.

I got this book from the library. It looked interesting because the pieces Ms. Carlson made were beautiful yet there was little sewing involved. That along with the fact that she loves fabrics appealed to me. Although fish are not my favorite subject, I felt that the way she describes the process could be applied to any other animal. So I practiced using a picture of a bird and was surprised at how well it turned out, esp for the first time trying this method. Then I used a photo of a tiger and I admit I was very impressed with my finished product! I have never considered myself an artist but my tiger amazed me. I also loved having to look through my fabric stash for just the right piece of fabric for each detail. Thank you, Susan!

This book has so much creative inspiration in it! I did traditional quilting for 8 years and while I still love it there was something in me that would long to do something with all those fabrics that had printed animals and trees and bright flowers on them. Something non traditional. This book along with "Beautifully Embellished Lanscapes" by Joyce R Becker made my creative muse completely take off! Even if you don't like fish the techniques and inspirations in this book are sure to inspire you to make something that does capture your fancy. Sometimes there is something about seeing what other people have done that makes the wheels starting turning in your mind and helps you to come up with your methods. If you are even considering this book I would recommend you buy it and give it a try.

I'm shaking. Literally! I have books for Africa on quilting and not one of them has made such an impression as this book. Susan Carlson is simply an artistic genius. Her quilts are nothing short of amazing, the beauty and the realism surpasses belief! Her techniques are simple, clearly explained and shared with enthusiastic joy. I started my own fan-fish, before I'd even finished the book! You're an inspiration Susan, thank you for such a marvelous, delicious book-it's certainly wet my artistic appetite and if I didn't live so far away (New Zealand), I'd be signed up for your next class!

I'm very new to quilting...having just completed my first quilt and I was looking for what to do next when I spotted Susan Carlson's Free-Style Quilts A "No Rules" Approach. The idea behind this book (and the title) intrigued me. The artist's work, and those of her students are very inspiring. I couldn't wait to start, so armed with the book I went to my local fabric store (okay truthfully I went to all the stores that carry fabric in a 30 mile radius). It changed the way I look at textiles. Picking out fabric, always so much fun now has a new dimension to it. Fabric I might have overlooked in the past holds so much promise/potential. Now I look at the patterns or textures thinking, could this become a fin? Oh, this would be perfect for a butterfly's wing! It's like creating a painting with fabric. Her free-style approach is very freeing. You can use an enlarged photocopy of the picture as a template to cut, but that's more of a springboard. Thanks Susan, I'm hooked. I've posted a picture of my first free-style project (it's still in progress). My mind is brimming with ideas from photos I took in Hawai'i, from flower shows, maybe this summer I'll even attempt a portrait!

The title of this book is very misleading. First and foremost the ONLY technique recommended (or explored) by the author is cutting and GLUING fabric (yes, "GLUE"). The technique is developed from a combination of foundation and applique quilt methods; hence, the 'free-style' method, is to substitute glue for any and all other peicing methods. In addition, "No Rules" is not a 'play-on-words'; her techniques require extensive drafting/drawing, piece numbering etc. . Therefore, exact guides, measured 'seam allowances' (glue overlap allowances) etc., are imperative to her method.
Ms. Carlson is a huge fish lover. I, unfortunately, am not. 95% of the examples and 100% of the 'exercises' are of FISH. I had hoped for a wider range of subject matter; or that the book description had included this very relevant fact.
All of this being said, the book is very well organized, with lots of color photographs, well written, and true 'hands-on' step by step approach to the author's method.
However, unless you want to glue fabric and depict a lot of fish, I would recommend giving this title a pass.

I have purchased 6 books and 2 cd sets to get started in hand binding. This book by far will get you going with simple, straight forward instruction.

Less "flashy" than some titles out there but extremely substantive. A comprehensive guide that explains and explores its subject matter from every angle.

Even for a 50+ year old, third generation publisher and printer, this publication enlightened even myself on the lost art of handmaking and restoring books. Very helpful for the novice, or for the collector of fine books - to be learned and unes as a reference.

This book doesn't have flashy pictures, but it teaches you how to bind your own books. The instructions are detailed, the process is well explained and it worked great for me.

I have also bought another book on bookbinding (or so I thought) - Book Arts: Beautiful Bindings for Handmade Books by Mary Kaye Seckler. This one is the exact opposite of the previous - flashy pictures, but absolutely useless.

After reading this book I was able to complete my first ever sewn multiple signature hardbound book with little to no problems. Watson's numbered and illustrated instructions were simple and easy to follow and his techniques - especially on proper folding, measuring, squaring, mitering the corners and attaching bookcloth - proved very helpful. He even provides a section in the end of the book on how to make your own bindery tools, which is great because equipment such as sewing frames and press tubs can be quite expensive these days.

Watson assumes that you have already collated the signatures for your text block. This is important because there are some things you'll have to consider when assembling the text block in the first place (such as squaring off the fore edge for a finished look) But overall, this is a useful reference for serious home bookbinders.

I highly recommend it!

This is the best book on miniature bear making I've encountered. The author leads you thru the easiest to the most difficult with ease. You don't have to buy this book for one or two favorite patterns, all of them will be your favorite. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to make miniatures.

If you love making miniatures you will love making this gorgeous little bears the only porblem is once you start you cannot stop.

The instructions and patterns are very easy to follow specially if you start from 1st project and go right through the book.

How to Make Enchanting Miniature Teddy Bears by Debbie Kesling is as perfect a book as the tiny teddies she makes. Just as each bear is executed with thought, planning, and skill, so is this book. The text provides not only an excellent guide to the world of miniature bears, their design, and creation, but is a very enjoyable read. The photos are sharp and detailed and give the user an excellent picture of each step in the process. This book is absolutely number one!

Filled with a wealth of information and beautifully photographed, Debbie Kesling's book is an absolute neccessity for the beginner as well as the more experienced bear maker. Every bear lover should have a copy. It is a wonderful coffee table book as well!

Debbie Kesling's book has given me hope that even I could make a miniature teddy bear. After seeing her work up close, I was certain I could never manage the mastery evident in each bear she creates. During the years I taught crafts, I never ran across a more clearly written how-to book, especially with such detailed photographs and a willingness to share secrets to success learned from years of experience. Her book is typical of her work... precise, well-composed and full of substance.

This book is the bomb! The art is amazing and facinates the imagination, the quality of the book is perfect, The cross-sections are the best and are getting bigger... and better than the last book and I can expect the next one to be the best of them all. Excellent job, Curtis J. Saxton. I am most pleased. Star Wars rules and may the force be with you!

P.S. This book is DEFINITLY WORTH The money! Bye!

Ep 2's turn to have it's spaceships and other craft pulled apart and exposed in all their glory. Once again the foldout format is still the best and great for childern and grownups alike.

This Star Wars Cross-sections book is a must-have for Star Wars fans. The detailed renderings of all the main vehicles in AOTC is as impressive as the companion for The Phantom Menace. The writer, Curtis Saxon, has obviously done a great deal of investigation for everything, with so many detailed drawings and fascinating notes. For curios of the inner workings of all the speeders and starships, this is indespensible. Great stuff.

I just recently received this book and all I can say is that it's the bomb! The pages are full of intricate details about both the vehicles and story of Episode II. The foldout of the Republic Dropship is definitely a highlight of the series. If you like Star Wars and want to know more than you can possibly imagine about Star Wars engineering, pick this book up right away.

really ignites a kid's imagination. i got this for my nephew and he loves it!

This is a great reference book. We have used it many times and I have purchased many copies for gifts. My son just got married and he and his wife are requesting it on their gift registry.

This book not only gives you every ingredient you would ever use in cooking, but every single ingredient has a picture. I would highly recommend this book if you can get your hands on it!!!

We have lots of books about the economics of food and its
place in the world's economy. There are books about the dietetics
of food and its relation to individual health and a healthy
life. There are, of course, a million cookbooks and a dozen or
so good books about the chemistry and physics of food and
cooking. We even have a handful of good books about the
history of food (has everybody read EATING RIGHT IN THE
RENAISSANCE?).

What has been in short supply has been books that deal
the sheer beauty of what we eat. We are missing a
credible erotics of food. One book that has stepped up
to the plate is INGREDIENTS, a gorgeous picture book
about, well-ingredients-the simple stuffs from which
we make our food.

INGREDIENTS is a picture book. Almost 400 pages of
luscious, sexy photos of food in all of its bewildering
diversity. The page devoted to plums has a plum called
'Tragedy' as well as the more prosaic santa rosas and
gaviotes and greengages. The fish page should drive you
out to the fishmonger with drool on your chin and the
page on greens is so good you can almost smell it.

The book has no recipes. It's also short on real infor-
mation-the photo spread on potatoes gives no hint
of the differences in starch type that cause all
the variation in use. But let's not quibble, this
is pure food porn, the sort of book that we use
to remind ourselves of our appetites at the same
time that it stimulates them.

Yum.

Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine
and the forthcoming novel bang-BANG from kunati.

This book is OUTSTANDING. As a future chef and culinary enthusiast I find it absolutely necessary to have a variety of great references. This book is one of those great references. This book lists thousands of ingredients which are coupled with colorful and clear pictures that allow you to fully understand what each ingredient is. I have often found myself running to this book after hearing someone mention an ingredient in class or in general conversatoin that I am not completely sure of. This book never lets me down, and always had the ingredient I am looking for along with a description listed under the picture. This book breaks down each ingredient and tells of all of the different varieties. I did not know there were so many types of grapes for example. I have noticed an increase in my own knowledge of ingredients in the few years that I have had this book. I found this book for about 7 dollars a few years ago, and have been looking for more ever since then to pass out to friends who are in the business. If you can get your hands on a copy, it would be to your advantage to invest in this great reference. I wish I could personally thank the authors, photographers and all who were involved in the production of this book, they did a GREAT job!!!

We have lots of books about the economics of food and its
place in the world economy. There are books about the dietetics
of food and its relation to individual health and a healthy
life. There are, of course, a million cookbooks and a dozen or
so good books about the chemistry and physics of food and
cooking. We even have a handful of good books about the
history of food (has everybody read EATING RIGHT IN THE
RENAISSANCE?).

What has been in short supply has been books that deal
the sheer beauty of what we eat. We are missing a
credible erotics of food. One book that has stepped up
to the plate is INGREDIENTS, a gorgeous picture book
about, well-ingredients-the simple stuffs from which
we make our food.

INGREDIENTS is a picture book. Almost 400 pages of
luscious, sexy photos of food in all of its bewildering
diversity. The page devoted to plums has a plum called
'Tragedy' as well as the more prosaic santa rosas and
gaviotes and greengages. The fish page should drive you
out to the fishmonger with drool on your chin and the
page on greens is so good you can almost smell it.

The book has no recipes. It's also short on real infor-
mation-the photo spread on potatoes gives no hint
of the differences in starch type that cause all
the variation in use. But let's not quibble, this
is pure food porn, the sort of book that we use
to remind ourselves of our appetites at the same
time that it stimulates them.

Yum.

Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine
and the forthcoming novel bang-BANG from kunati.

The author covers in detail step by step projects and the types of woods used and patterns are wonderful! I would recommend this book to anyone interested in doing Intarsia.

I have been doing Intarsia for nearly 10 yrs now. I had ordered a couple of patterns from Kathy in the past. It had been awhile since I had been on Kathy's website and then one day I was looking for new patterns. Wow did her work ever take off to another level. She had just been featured with her animal jungle scene in a wood magazine. I was blown away by that work of art. Well her book had just been published as well, so I had to purchase this book. Whatever tips I could get from this book I knew I needed. I only hope that someday my work can be as good as Kathy's is. Great deal on this book, you get a lot of very cool patterns. Plus all of the tips to go along with it.

Kathy Wise breaks down the sometimes difficult art of intarsia into easy-to-follow steps so that any beginner (with a little knowledge of power tools) can achieve satisfactory results. Each step is explained in detail and there are many photographs in the "Get Started" section that show clearly what to do next to create your own piece of wood art.
Kathy's included patterns range from simple to a level that can be appreciated by any experienced intarsian.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this very intriguing style of woodworking.

This wonderful Book has really great patterns and the basic information in the front is very complete. I would and will recommend it to any beginners or woodworkers that want to improve their skill at Intarsia. The 21 patterns are well worth the price of the book. Kathy's designs are bringing intarsia to a new level of art, way beyond the craft stage. It is absolutely the BEST book on Intarsia available in the marketplace today, can't wait for her next book!

Refreshing! A friendly guide into the world of intarsia... not at all intimadating or patronizing. Kathy's book gives me confidence to try projects that I otherwise may have thought too advanced for my skill level and as a result of this... My skill level is advancing too!!! Thank you Kathy! Please write more books!!!

A challenging workbook. It's made my handwriting look great. I love how you trace right on the paper of this book.

Excellent book. Especially, because of the practice sheets that are included in order to learn the strokes.

Give this book 20 minutes a day for two weeks - your friends will be amazed - mine were!

I am a beginner calligrapher taking classes, and my instructor is using the Fred Eager method of Italic and cursive writing. Since this book is out of print, I was determined to try and find a used copy, which I did, and I am thrilled to have a copy in my possession. I now don't have to ruin my eyes using bad copies and the book is in really good condition so that I am improving with every class and every homework assignment. A beautiful book and method for those who have an interest in improving their penmanship and producing beautifully written text.

This book is hands down the greatest handwriting book i have encountered (i have had at one time or the other more than 8 handwriting books). It is inspring and the results are clearly evident. He doesn't just stop at his book, he goes above and beyond in making you grow as a writer by recommending so other materials and books along the way. My writing has improved drastically (according to other people). One guy in my business college said my writing was the best he had ever seen. GET THIS BOOK NOW.

Very easy to do, and nice patterns to work with. Get finished in hours.

This was a great book to learn new patterns. I especially loved the popcorn hat. I look forward to creating new items using the new stitches! I only wish that there were more patterns included!

I had trouble finding any thing more than a brochure for the looms. This book solved that prblem admirably. You should also get the book on working with the knifty knitter as well as the round looms. I did and found it very helpful. I also plan to get the DVD and any more books that show up.

I am also a needle knitter, but love my circle looms. This is a great book that will take you away from the simple knit hats and into some wonderful projects. The photos in the book are teriffic with not only the finished projects, but how-to's as well. It is great to see that these looms can produce the same beautiful stiches that you can do with needles.

I love this book. I have made hats and scarfs shown in the book. I especially like the instructions on the different stitches I can do on the loom.