Miniature Books

Roz Snowden describes her patterns very clearly. I was a beginner when I started to work with her book and I found the instructions to be clear and straightforward.

The pictures of the bobbin lace in the different settings alone makes it worth to buy this book.

This book is filled with beautiful, creative lace designs for dolls and their houses. A must-have for the lacemaker/miniature enthusiast (and I know there are quite a few out there!). Be warned though: this book is only for those with excellent vision.

Sewing is not my strong point. But this book was a really big help! It is very discriptive and full of helpful hints. A beginner should feel quite at ease in doing Catriona's first project. My first project came out looking good. And that's saying a lot! I can't wait to do all the projects in this book. I highly recommend The Miniature Costumier!

This is an excellent book, full of good ideas and common sense. The patterns and instructions are crystal clear. I enjoyed reading it and removable clothing for 1/12 scale dolls no longer looks impossible! The author's own exquisite work is illustrated, but the techniques are usable by anyone with just modest sewing skills. This is a real find!

In the foreword to the book, the editor of Doll's House magazine enthuses about Margaret Major's lovely miniature embroidered quilts. From the wonderful selection of projects in this book, I can easily understand why.

Embroidery in 1/12 scale has a delicacy which makes these projects absolutely charming. When a simple single patch block is done on linen, the finished result is only 1" square. Even if you aren't a dollhouse enthusiast, I can easily see these projects as insets for Treasure Boxes, fridge magnets, or Christmas ornaments.

The opening chapters of the book cover general guidelines. The introduction gives and overview of the book including information about the project ratings. The first chapter, Getting Started, covers fabric, thread, mounting, stitches and a great section on stitching the piece and reading charts. A final part of this chapter is a quick, useful explanation of color guidelines. This information is especially important when a project is done for a dollhouse, where it needs to match the decor in order to look realistic.

The projects themselves are grouped into chapters by types of article. Along with the expected chapters on pillows, quilts, and rugs, there are chapters on footstools, wall hangings and chests. Each project is shown by itself and in a small dollhouse vignette. The charts are clear and printed in color. A material list and color key are included, along with information about the design size. In the text for each project there are working notes and information on varying the pattern.

Not all the pieces are done on needlepoint canvas, some are stitched on linen and some are stitched on silk gauze, but all the projects could be adapted to canvas (even if they might be somewhat larger).

There are also general finishing instructions included in each section which provide detailed instructions on how to make these items. The book finishes with three short chapters which are useful for any stitcher. One is on adapting projects to other uses. One is on designing your own projects. The final chapter is her golden rules for doing embroidery. This chapter has great hints and tips.

Just looking at this book made me want to pick up a needle and thread and begin to make one of these charming projects. Every time I look at it, I come away with visions of charming little quilts hanging on my tree (I don't have a dollhouse). This is a book I heartily recommend.

I am fairly new to miniature needlepoint and am pleased with the amount of information in this book. Sections on how to change sizes of patterns,colours etc. Lots of different projects.If you enjoy quilting as well, it is a terrific book for dollhouses!

This book is mad & deep & beautiful. If you can find a copy, give it a go.

This is an amazingly visual book. The author's powers of description are by far among the best I have ever read. I cared deeply for the characters and their varied troubles and couldn't wait to find out what happened to them. Fascinating reading

Miniature Schnauzer (Kennel Club Dog Breed Series)

This is the best information I've seen yet for the miniature schnauzer. Better information on the breed than other books I have read, which just says this breed is a terrier. Explains puppy behavior very well. Easy to read. For first time dog/puppy owners, I recommend reading this book before purchasing/adopting the canine.

This is a great book to establish everything you should know to understand this very intelligent breed. It also establishes the minimum maintenance that this very special breed deserves.

Thank you for your prompt service. Your communication every step of the way was greatly appreciated.

If you love schnautzer miniature just read this book. Read it, read it, read it, and you will become an expert.

I can't say I understood this writer's work, but it was very pretty, no not exactly that, it was inventive and sharp, but I didn't really know what was going on. I read it three times, and still didn't know. It's like the moment when an ant falls asleep. You can't quite catch it doing it, and this poetry is something like that. I wish I could talk to the author about what she was up to. This is even harder than Marianne Moore. She is kind of the Marianne Moore of the postmodern set, I'm to understand. Maybe it will take a long time to get her. She feels worth it. Let's keep trying.

Barbara Guest is a very interesting experimental poet. This book is so short -- & thsre are usually so few words on every page -- that it makes for a very good half hour or so of reading. But there's more. If the reader gives enough attention & time to the poems, they become more & more lucid. In their own way, their way of fantastic leaps & enigmatic surprises.

Good book, very well illustrated, a bit outdated (given the new releases by model manufacturer).
In any case a good guide to the modeller considering also the fact that model instruction tend to be of not much help when it comes to detailing or optional parts.
However it is not a 'how to' book, but, given the general directions, lets the user guess how exactly obtain the desired results: thus I would not recomend it to the beginner.

Books as gifts for Christmas, Father's Day and birthdays cannot be beat! I recently obtained a copy of Osprey's Modeling the Late Panzerfampfwagen IV, by Tom Cockle and Gary Edmondson. German World War II armor has a great fascination for many modelers. I believe the many variations, camouflage and versions of the vehicles are the primary reasons for this appeal, at least for me it is. I have several modeling manuals and publications in my reference library, and my goal is to improve my building, painting and weathering techniques.

Often the publications feature articles for the master or advanced builder, and although some of the efforts shown are beyond the ability or desire of most builders, the information contained therein can be valuable and useful to many modelers. The publication date for this book is 2007, and therefore is quite recent. This is important to me: this hobby is dynamic and ever-changing. New materials and methods are constantly coming to the forefront, and I like the challenge of something new.

Contents

This book is full of excellent, close up and detailed images of models during the various construction and painting phases. The captions add clarity to the images.

The Introduction offers some information on the vehicles.

The next section reviews tools and materials normally used by modelers. Many are "required" for the more advanced work address in the advanced or master builds featured in the book.

Each build chapter identifies the subject, builder, skill level, basic kit(s) used, tracks used, photo etched parts, gun barrel and accessories used. Here, too, I like to see the accessories being identified and how they are used in the build. This gives me some idea for possible purchases and uses in future builds.

The first build is noted as an "intermediate level effort and addresses an Afrika Korps Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf F2, using parts from the then DML test shots for their IVF2(G) kit number 6360 and Italeri IVF1/G kit number 217. The builder uses Modelkasten tracks to replace the kit parts. A detailed account of the build is included. Mixing formulas for RAL 8020 Braun and RAL 7027 Grau using Tamiya acrylics is included.

The second build is a Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf H "Fruhe" version. The work uses the Tamiya Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf H, kit number 35209, and the Dragon Models kit number 6264. This is an "advanced build" with many parts being scratch built or replaced with cast resin replacements. Here, too, the kit tracks were replaced with WW II Production resin parts. Detailed explanations for the side skirts and Zimmerit are covered.

The third build is a Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf J, also and advanced level effort. The Dragon kit number 6360 and Tamiya 35181 kits are used. Photos of the completed models before painting reveal the many replacement components used in the build. A striped painting scheme is also shown.

The fourth build is also a Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf J, and is a "Master" level. One of the major parts of this build article is the soldering effort used on the photo etched parts. This lesson can prove to be useful information for those willing to go the "extra mile" in their modeling.

The last chapter addresses a gallery of Panzerkampfwagen IV models with abbreviated build descriptions.

A list of museums and collections, further reading and web sites, and available kits and accessories. A detailed list of accessories is also included and will be helpful to those willing to spend the extra money to raise the fun level bar a few notches.

Special Features

The last page is a color plate of the various RAL paint colors used on the Panzerkampfwagen IV. The flip side of the color plate identifies the model paints or mixing formulae required to achieve the color. Either my color perception is off, or there is an error in the printing but the RAL 7027 Grau and the 7028 Dunklegelb look identical. The RAL 2027 does looks just a bit lighter when held under a bright light.

Conclusion.

I am very pleased to have this book in my reference library, and will use it often as a resource. The articles include techniques and methods that are bound to help improve my modeling. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in German WW II armor. I obtained this book from Amazon, and with a total purchase of more than $25.00 I save the postage and handling.

I love these funny pins with sayings from the movie "Office Space". The pins are small and I wish I could find some bigger ones, but these are great and always make me laugh. If you love the movie, you will love the flair!

This is a must-have for any cult Office Space fan out there. The buttons inside are hilarious, as is the mini-book that comes with it. Everything was printed and created top-notch.

The only disappointment, and this is probably my fault for not paying close attention, is that the thing is tiny! The book is about half the size of a deck of cards, and the pins are no bigger than quarters and dimes. I guess I was just expecting something a bit larger.

Other than that, if you can recite the movie, you need to have this.

While there is a glut of military type figures, trying to paint a female figure is very different. Softer tones, glamour poses, and more sensual. Quite the opposite to painting, shading and finishing a soldier/ warrior of any period. Very much the other end of the spectrum to heroic style grizzled warrior of any period you care to name.

So if you wish to paint a female figure in any scale (the book covers several scales) then this book will lay out several successful approaches.
Im using this book myself for my first female bust, and it garners notes of admiriation from my fellow figure painters.

One note; for larger scale figures, an airbrush will be an indispensable tool for the srious painter. Some techniques simply will be too difficult to do without an airbrush.
So this book is geared towards the serious, dedicated figure modeller.

Recommneded, for serious (or wishing to improve without lots of trial and error)

I purchased this for my husband for Christmas. He paints figure models and female figure models are one of the hardest to do, according to him. Lots of shading, etc. He was very happy to receive this as a gift. The edges were damaged when we got it, wrote to Amazon and returned it. We wanted a replacement. The replacement came a couple of days later before they received the damaged one back. I trust Amazon and their products. AMAZON is awesome.