Crafts Hobbies Books

This book provides great ideas for a beginner, I really like this book. When I'm stuck I can just flip through the book and find some good inspirations. I also picked up several new techniques that I didn't know before. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who is just picking up scrapbooking.

This book tells you all the materials you can use, and how to creat some very unique designs. This book is excellent for beginners to scrapping, especially if they need ideas. I just got this book today and so far it is the most helpful book I've gotten on the subject.

I purchased this book for my wife and daughter who are just beginning scrapbooking. We looked through the entire book in one day, and to be honest were overwhelmed by the volume of ideas photographed in this book. It is also packed with detailed descriptions of all the different techniques that they will be using for quite some time. I read all the reviews before purchasing this book, and understand that there are probably a lot of advanced techniques that hard core scrapbookers use, but since my ladies are new to this, I imagine that it will be great for them as they learn this art.

Just started scrapbooking and it was very confusing to try and decide what I needed and how you go about it. This book explains in detail and gives great ideas and examples. Each sample scrapbook page tells exactly what was used to create the page and has given me lots of ideas!

I recently purchaced this book, and i was very disappointed. I have some of the other Creating Keepsakes books, such as the "Scrapbooks tips" and "Scrapbooking Family heritage" (I'd give all of them 5 stars). But, the Creating Keepsakes Encyclopedia has half the images and examples as the other books. After about 1/2 an hour of reading through it I was done for good; whereas with the other books every time I open them I see something new that I didn't notice before. I was extremely disappointed with this book. I would not recommend it to anyone. And it shouldn't be called an "encyclopedia"-it only explains the MOST BASIC of scrapbooking techniques. I mean, it takes 4 pages just to show you how to tear paper!!! PLEASE don't waist your money on this-instead, try some of the other "Creating Keepsakes" books. This one is the worst of the bunch. All the other "Keepsakes" books I own or have read are terrific.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the project on the cover. Already having other books by Terry Taylor, and especially loving Artful Paper Dolls: New Ways to Play with a Traditional Form I was curious what projects lay inside this book. Already having mixed media and home book binding experience I didn't find any truely new techniques but there are many pages of inspiration.

The project on the cover, The Queen of Tarts, has already got me thinking, as well as the retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Seeing how the artists worked has helped me give direction to one of my projects.

If you have other books by Terry Taylor this will go nicely with them. Looking for a gift for an artist old or young combine this book with the paper doll book or Altered Art: Techniques for Creating Altered Books, Boxes, Cards & More and let the creative juices flow!

This is a MUST HAVE in your art library! Many well known artists come together to show you there own kick of well known story books. I am a long time follower of Catherine Moore and Sandra Evertson and both have rose to the occasion as expected! This book shows you some simple book making techniques as well as ideas for your own books to make. LOTS of eye candy as well as how to's and ins and outs of book making. I made my first hand made book following the simple instructions and am truely pleased with the results! Next i am going to try my own style doll book! This is a good book to sit and relax and take your time and read and get inspired!!! WELL DONE! Buy this book then go make your own to cherish!

I Love Catherine Moore's stamp and art paper collection, I own them all and I am not even a doll person. She has a fresh look and an incredible imagination. The book met up with the cover. All the artists books in there are fantastic! Catherine and Terry Taylor(author) live up to there expertise they are known for.
This book is a look at many artists and how everyone constructed a childrens fairy tale book. Their lay out, plans,color choice, etc. You get a great glimpse on how they all completed their books.
As Terry says curl up for a nice bed time story, you get that as well as an an important art book that one must have for technique. I found as a quilter this was really good for me on balance, value and colors. You don't often see that in all the "art books" being made. These people are experts at their craft. They are all wonderful. The stories they chose and fantastic display of simple book making looking difficult.

Seeing the patterns in color is absolutely wonderful and so helpful. I have a popular book, which I love and use constantly, but with the black and white photos of the patterns you don't get the real 'picture'! This book is an invaluable addition to my reference library of weaving books.
Thanks,
Happy Weaver

A must have for all weavers using 4-shaft loom patterns. It has all the patterns in color which allows you to see the beauty in the different patterns. Easy pattern instructions. If you are buying only one book, THIS IS THE BOOK!! Great Price.

An excellent book, for all stages, for weavers using 4-shafts.
Clear diagrams with photographs of the actual weaving item.
A must-have book at one's elbow when weaving.

An excellent guide to weaving and 600 patterns. The first part of the book is dedicated to weaving terms and techniques, with illustrations. The bulk of the book is treadle and heddle diagrams and color photos of the patterns created. A beautiful, lush and textural book.

Excellent pictures, with close-ups and so many different new patterns! Great for "many" shaft peoples to experiment on only four.

I really enjoy this book for ideas and inspiration. She has some truly wonderful soaping ideas in here, and I love just browsing through it.

That being said, I really don't use it that much. The recipes call for too many ingredients, are WAY to heavily superfatted to last, and her mixing method (in a stand mixer) takes forever. I can stick blend my soap to trace in just a couple of minutes.

We've also found out a few things about grapefruit seed extract since this book was published. Basically, it does little to nothing to preserve the shelf life of your soaps....a lot of reputable suppliers are pulling it from the retail inventory and substituting other antioxidants.

If you're looking for some interesting ideas, by all means invest, but don't make this your first book.

I found her information very helpful and clear. My mother also uses this book and is the one who suggested it to me. She has been making soap at home for years and finds this book the best one she's seen.

I've been making soap for some time and have enjoyed this book immensely. It has lots of good suggestions and tons of excellent recipes.

The Soapmakers Companion has been in print for more than ten years now. My copy of this book is worn and stained from many soapmaking sessions. Despite the drift of time and my accumulated knowledge, this is one book that I return to frequently for review of all that pertains to Soapmaking. One of the strong points of this book is that it gets you up and running making soap. The recipes work their way from the relatively simple Soap Essentials Bar comprised of a basic coconut/olive/palm oil mixture to more elaborate recipes such as transparent soap and soap in the round. While Susan Miller Cavitch notes that this book is not that much of a basic book, yet I believe that even if one has never made soap before, this is an excellent book to start with.

I am only just getting into soapmaking and found this book to be comprehensive and interesting for the most part. What I did not find helpful was the limited (and often dangerous) lack of direction that the author gives re: safety and soapmaking. References like, 'be ready to leave the room' or words to that effect, if you are overcome by fumes, is not my idea of dealing with safety issues, in a professional and sustainable way. Im still looking for information before I begin making soaps but this book did pique my interest even more. Limited what's available at present, finding a book on soapmaking that covers all bases, completely and accurately. It is a craft/business that is growing by leaps and bounds though, hopefully someone will write a book that really covers every issue in detail. Ill be ready to purchase!

Wow! What a great book. I am THRILLED I got this book for my 4 and 5 year old. I order a ton of art supplies from discountschoolsupply dot com and now I have a structured and organized book of ideas! YAY! If you are on the fence, this is a beautiful book. Every page has gorgeous, colorful illustrations. The paper feels wonderful. Each project is laid out in a simple format and will make working with kids on these projects so pleasant. Usborne books are awesome - I am finding a solid product with every Usborne I buy. What a great brand!

This is an absolutely wonderful book packed with lots of different techniques and ideas. It's much better with a hard cover though. Worth the money.

This book has a great variety of projects using many different techniques and media. Full color photographs and explanations for each project make them easy to duplicate. Also, there are many pictures of other projects done using similar techniques. As a homeschooling parent of elementary-age students, I found this book to be a great addition to our art curriculum. I can teach art concepts and then find projects from this book to reinforce those concepts. I highly recommend this book.

This is a great book for techniques for art for all ages projects can be tailored for a variety of age groups.

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! FULL OF GREAT ART IDEAS AND COMPLETE PROJECTS. VERY WELL ILLUSTRATED (ALL THE PAGES ARE IN FULL-COLOR) AND EASY TO READ. THE DIRECTIONS ARE CLEAR AND YOU CAN DESIGN YOUR OWN VERSION OF THE PROJECTS. MY DAUGHTER LOVES THIS BOOK AND I REALLY LOVE HER LITTLE "WOW!" FACE AFTER EACH PROJECT.

Donna did it again with this book and as with her other books, I am learning so much. I suggest this book to anyone who wants to take their polymer clay work to another level. Well written, great photos, easy to follow instructions. Thanks for another great book, Donna.

Madeline Faiella

As a statement jewelry artist [...] I work in polymer, glass and metals.

This book is really informative, great easy techniques that give really nice results. The pictures are great and she always
carefully gives you step by step, I have not done transfer but will try it now. For beginners start with her earlier books, then move on to this book.

I was totally new to clay working, heading for a class in the medium, when I purchased this book. I was absolutely delighted, and was able to start my class with some background and understanding of working the materials. I sit in awe of Ms. Kato's talent, and did find the techniques more difficult than they look. This aside, it is an excellent accumulation of many of the techniques that makes polyclay such a joy to work with. Ms. Kato does list several varieties of clay, inks, paints and other products, but I appreciate that she enumated which she found easier to work with, and why. I did expect some bias towards Kato Polyclay, as she helped develop it, but have also found this an excellent product to work with and have not been disappointed with its performance.
The book is a MUST HAVE for the beginner reference library, and is also an inspiration with the images from Ms Kato and other artist's collections. I'm pleased I purchased this book, and plan to keep it as a cornerstone for clay working.

I found the book just did not live up to my expectations. When will crafting books realize that photo transfers done with xerox machines hardly ever work as they are shown in books? The techniques of photo transfer, which is covered in this book as if it works, is really frustrating. Also, the use of translucent clays to good effect is iffy and the high polish acheived by the author on many of the pieces. I just couldn't get it to work.

This book is outstanding and extremely useful. It has great projects, detailed descriptions, and plenty of info on where to find suppliers for every tool and material used in the book. I found it very helpful.

First of all, this book touches upon felting techniques (as in, mentioning them in a paragraph or two) but doesn't tell you how to do them. For example, it talks a lot about what soap to use when felting. Soap? What? Why am I using soap? The book doesn't say. If you know how to felt already, then that's one thing. But if you don't know how to felt, then you're pretty much screwed.

Also...I feel the need to mention the projects. Most of them are hats, and weird hats at that. There is a template for a scarf, which is fine, and a book cover (which, in the photo, doesn't really look like it fits) and 1-3 other "normal" items. The rest are REALLY weird hats, tunics, vests and cloaks. I don't even know WHAT to say about those, other than that they are definetely beyond the description of "unique".

I was really disappointed with this book. I have no idea what to do with it, as shipping would cost more than the price it cost to buy a used copy. Maybe I'm just missing something here, but to me this book is nothing more than a discussion of different types of felt and felting artists. Oh, and really weird hats!

I'm new to working with felt and this book is an excellent introduction to the material and various techniques. There are enough choices of projects to keep me busy for a long time, too. I like having lots of choices when I'm learning to work in a new material, and that's definitely the case here. The projects are described well and the materials list is excellent. Also, the list of resources is a plus - no long hunts for anything too obscure or expensive.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone new to working with felt, and even for those who have some experience there are some inspiring variations and techniques they would enjoy.

Very well illustrated, too - I do like having good pictures when I'm learning something new!

This is an excellent resource for any felter. Chris shares her knowledge from many years of experimentation and experience with us. It's well written and easy to understand with a slew of inspiring ideas to try.

The book gives very good information on wool and fibers. It contains the large scale from basic wet felting to nuno, cobweb and 3-D seamless felting. The techniques are thoroughly and clearly explained and followed bij beautifully illustrated projects.
A pleasure to read, inspiring to see and one of the best books on wet felting I know

Just skimming through I caught one of my errors in wet felting (if a little bit of soap is good, then a lot of soap is better... NOT) So.. I can be a bit excessive.
The style is as one friend speaks with another. Wonderful analogies to bring home points and so much content. Amazon has a section for "look inside" and it is the tip of the string. If you are at all interested in wet felting, go for it. At 320 pages it is engaging/detailed content with personality and style. No cursory fluff overview. Enjoy!

I'll pull out this book every time I want to make a book or journal. With this book in my library I'll never forget how.

Bev in Arizona

Esther Smith's "How to Make Books," which combines warmly written narratives with clearly written instructions, has shown me how to bring my love of reading into the third dimension. I love that active reading forces self-reflection; however, bare words, in that they can always be contradicted, often confuse more than they help. Through folding and cutting Instant Books, and quickly filling them with compiled words and images, I can instinctively react to an author's idea without second guessing away from myself. Esther Smith's examples, alongside her encouragement to experiment, have helped me see myself more clearly. My eyes and hands are involved with words in a wonderful new way, and I highly recommend this book to other readers.

Full disclosure alert: I haven't seen every book-making craft book out there, but I have a few of the big ones, and this is the book I like best. Why? Simple: clarity and ease of instructions. I don't know about you, but a little too often I find myself reading through the instructions in a craft book going, "Okay, but how do I DO that?" Not so with this book. That really set it apart.

Plus, the author is just so charming! She packs plenty of stories from a full life as an artist into these pages; they're a fun read and very inspiring too. I was delighted to discover that she gives classes at Cooper Union in NYC. Her class is now on my to-do list.

With a bulging shelf and a hard drive full of patterns, I'm on a craft book diet right now, but I had to make an exception for this one because it's so good.

I had never made a book and needed to learn how, fast, for a class project. This book did the trick. The author clearly describes how to make several simple types of books (accordion, pamphlet, etc.) and also gets into more complicated techniques like Coptic binding. Her examples are creative and inspiring.

Came in good shape and in good time. Wish it had more information on the coptic stich, but oh well. My friend enjoyed it.

We let the kids flip through this book and choose which design they wanted on their face. They had a great time and were also able to understand that with patience the end product would look (at least somewhat) like the picture in the book. They had a great time.

My Girl Scouts ages 8-12 had an awesome time practicing the face painting for the haunted house on Oct. 27 & 28 at the VFW Post 10211 in Key Largo, FLA. Thank you so much for offering such a book as the girls has no idea how to face paint and now they are prepared for almost anything!!! Cudos to you !!!!!! We wuld highly reccommend this face painting book to anyone young OR old that needs hints/help in the how-to's of face painting!!

I cannot rate this item. This item was on backorder and I have never received it!

I like the way the book is laid out and how simple the instructions are.

I did the vampiress and japanese doll faces from this book on my daughter and friend. We made an errand to our local "clown store" and all the entertainers said how great they were. Those were just 2 of the fun face designs out of the book. The wicked reptile & colorful butterfly faces from this book are also very nice. There are over 40 faces!

I like the information here, it wasnt alot of new stuff. But I liked way the author presented it. Nothing new, but a fresh take on old faithfuls.

I ordered this book thinking it would give me some original ideas to do with my 3 year son. There is not one thing in this book that I found helpful. It is all very basic stuff that doesn't seem like much fun. I think there are better books out there.

I'm an artist, but I have no idea what to do to introduce art to my little girl, which is why I got this book. But I've gone through the entire thing and I haven't found one thing that my 2.9 year old would grasp. I guess she could sit there while I cut and folded and painted faces, etc. But I'd really prefer to find something that would make more sense for her since these aren't the kind of projects I'm interested in for myself.

I didnt find any originial idea's in this book- i'm very disapointed by the purchase

This is a really fun book, I enjoy the cutting and pasting stuff. I am 10 so I am not really challengend on some of the crafts. The DVD crafty fun is really good for my age, I have learned how to make christmas stuff, iron-on tote bags, necklaces and other really fun stuff.