Crafts Hobbies Books

This book is a truly inspiring and well-rounded review of woodturning work created by turners who are well-known for their efforts and accomplishments in the field. Descriptions of how these artists got started, their studios, their inspirations and their thoughts on turning provide the reader with a familiarity that adds depth to the beauty of each piece. The photography is excellent.

This is another great book from Kevin Wallace and associates. The book highlights multiple existing woodturning masters. Whether you are looking for inspiring art or just want to see how it's done this book overachieves in many areas. You'll be happy you bought it.

Fabulous photography of work by new masters pointing out the direction wood turning is going as an art form. It was great seeing some of the artists that I know and would have picked if I was the author.

While the choice of what artists to include in this book might be somewhat arbitrary, the authors have done an excellent job of presenting examples of the cutting edge of woodturning and sculpting. Excellent photos of the artist's work and frequent examples of how they work serve to make this book of great interest to turners and non-turners alike.

An excellent coffee table book at a very attractive price.

We used it for helping us put together our sewing room. The book contained lots of detailed information and suggestions for how to put a room together. It was well worth the cost.

This book offers some wonderful creative ideas. It shows some great ways to save space and organize. Especially great for people who sews or has creative hobbies. Shows best ways to set up work area for storage so that areas for working are clear.

I think this book is great. I used alot of ideas when moving back into my new sewing room. The designs of shelving and ways to put fabric away are great...

Amazing how extremely uncluttered and tidy studios can look. Always wonder
if they are ever used or just a space to lounge in.

This book has a lot of ideas I never thought of. The info about table heights and layout were very helpful. The pictures inspired me to get my room in shape. Highly recommended!

First, my qualifications as a "reviewer": I've been making glass and metal beads, along with precious metal jewelry, for a living for over 20 years. In my early beadmaking years I also made fiber and beaded jewelry, and I amassed a collection of over 1000 kinds of beads in all materials, shapes, sizes and hole sizes. So I came to this book with a lot of experience with all kinds of beads, a fair amount of experience with fiber; and none with knotting, knitting, braiding or any of that. I'm doing good to remember how to tie a slip knot! And finishing the ends of a fiber piece in a professional manner has always been a challenge for me. My goal was to learn how to work with larger cords in a way that was *simple*, colorful, elegant, and showcased my own beads.

I think this is a very good beginner's book and I'm happy I bought it. The knots are beautiful, the jewelry - although rather simple in design and color choices - is attractive and shows intelligent color sense, the illustrations and photos are clear. There were times I could not see how she got from Point A to Point B, and an intermediate photo would have been helpful. But by and large, the book will be very helpful in my desire to experiment with elegant fiber jewelry with knots as a design element.

I have not given it 5 stars, however, because I think there are important areas where it falls short:

1.) First, what she says about supplies and how to choose them only fills a total of one page, and is completely inadequate. The author spends 4 times more pages on her personal introduction and the history of knotting than she does on choosing the supplies. One requires very large-holed beads to use most of these techniques, and although she mentions hole sizes in passing, she gives no information about useful or minimum hole diameters, *relative to the sizes of the cords*. She also gives virtually no *specific* information on cord sizes or types, what might be suitable or not. Someone with experience would eventually calculate ratios of hole sizes to cord sizes, at least mentally, and would buy materials with minimum or maximum sizes in mind. But an inexperienced bead or fiber buyer could buy a lot of stuff, learn it was unsuitable, and end up very frustrated.

2.) Second, I wanted to see more of a variety of professional finishing options. A button knot makes a great button, but one loop of smaller cord might be completely undersized or too weak to be used over and over in a closure. There are many fiber finishing techniques for closures, ways of wrapping threads and loops and so forth, and it would have been very useful to have seen them incorporated with the knots. Clasps and closures are the mark of a professional piece; the pieces shown in the book were finished with commercial findings in a "hobbyist" manner. Because this is not my strong suit, I'd hoped to get a few more ideas. I was disappointed.

3.) Finally, any good how-to book should have a few good sources of supply. With this book, listing some of the larger mail order sources for silk and cotton cords would have been useful, as well as sources for larger-holed beads.

Having said all that, this is certainly is a good elementary book, and it will prove useful as a starting place. I recommend it to anyone who wants an introduction to using beads with Chinese knotting.

This book is awesome. It is very clear. I've been looking for something like this for integrating into my jewelry designs. I'm excited to get started. Photos and instructions are excellent. This is a great addition to any library for one who is interested in making jewelry that is "different" and will attract comments.

This is another book about the subject that have captivated my imagination in the same way of Celtic Knots. The same graphic explanation and the differents examples make this book another best selection of this type on the market. Satisfaction guaranteed.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn to make jewelry using Chinese knots. It is an excellent reference. The reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the instructions for some of the more complicated knots did not provide enough step-by-step guidance. For example, the knotting process might be shown in 2 or 3 pictures where 5 or 6 pictures would have been much better. Some of the knots took me a lot of effort to puzzle out from the pictures provided.

This is THE best basic Chinese knots book I've ever used. The diagrams are very very clear and easy to follow. The author also provides a lot very useful knots tips and how to put together beads and combinations. My 10 year-old girl learned how to make button knot from this book when I tried and failed from other books. This 80 pages simple book has done amazing jobs to show you the very complicated Chinese knots the easy way.

Even if I never make my own journal, I love looking at this book! It takes you through the whole process or suggests how you can transform an already existing book. The examples show creative and beautiful ideas. It focuses more on the use of paint than other materials. I bought it with The Decorated Page which elaborates on page ideas and love owning both. It is a great addition to my art reference material.

I was very pleased with this book! It has lots of great ideas for journaling or other mediums.

I loved Gwen Diehn's first book and this one is very, very good. The journal pages by the artists and the suggestions from the author are inspiring and thought provoking.
The design of this book is uninspired and boring. It is UNDERdecorated. It looks like a text book, which is a shame.

This book helped me get to the next stage in my beginning art journaling. I learned why paper behaves the way it does when liquid is applied, how different adhesives work and what they're good for--tons of practical stuff for a neophyte to art journaling. I go back to it again and again. It's got great information, and it's a beautiful book to spend time with. I'll grow into it for a long time.

I devoured this book! It is by far the most inspiring and informational book on journal making I have ever read. Wonderfully written and illustrated so it is easy to understand and put to use. I can't wait to try everything including making my own pigments! I guess I'll have to buy her first one!

I purchased this book for my mother-in-law who had seen it on TV. She was excited to get it. She didn't feel it contained as much information as they implied on the television show she had seen, but nonetheless, she was pleased.

I purchased this for my wife. She really liked it. My wife has been hand quilting since 1975, and her photo albums are stuffed. This book will enhance any book you might have on using 1930's fabric. Illustrations and instructions are very clear and easy to follow. You may wonder why this husband is writing this; because I'm a quilter too. Thread up that needle and let's go....Ken

This book is of such high quality and easy to read. I love all of her books.

THIS BOOK WAS EXTREMELY EASY TO READ AND PATTERNS FOR QUILTS ARE JUST FUN TO DO. I HAVE FOUND THAT ELEANOR BURNS GIVES THE BEST DIRECTIONS FOR HER PATTERNS AND THAT THE YARDAGE IS RIGHT ON THE MARK.I REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK.

I bought this book for my mom for Christmas and she absolutely loves it! She couldn't wait to get started on her next creation and says the patterns are easy to use and that this is one of the best gifts she received.

Ali's books are full of great ideas. I love this book and refer to it often.

Even if you read the whole book and don't get a single idea for your own scrapbooking, it's OK. And that's one of the first lessons in a book about cultivating an attitude which will free the life artist within you to create pages and albums and other projects which reflect your personality and vision. It's OK.

Although Life Artist is divided into chapters with themes, the book is essentially a series of two-page spreads with reflections about the themes the author, Ali Edwards, feels are an important part of creating work that is unique and personal. Although it can be a fast read, it's worthy of a more reflective approach.

I love her book. She gives you so many ideas to try and to start your own challenges. She encourages you to to it the way you want to. Great book!!!

I love Ali Edwards ideas and she inspires me in so many ways. This book is no exception!

Just finished reading the book a few hours ago, and it's awesome!!!

Ali's made me think in a different way about how I should be living and experiencing my creative side.

As she writes, Just be YOU, that's the point. We are the best to tell our stories, to enjoy our creativity no matter what others think about it. I should be getting my inspiration back shortly, so I'll try to be ready and go through the book a few more times.

Thanks Ali!!

I would recommend this book for those looking for additional references on the basics of serging that will be used frequently in sewing. The pictures and directions are excellent!

I ordered this book because of its description and because I wanted to determine my need for an updated serger machine. Serger Secrets: High-Fashion Techniques for Creating Great-Looking Clothes gives very clear directions, multiple photos of cut pieces, stitching, and the finished product. It uses insert lists for settings and materials, with Fast Fix notes for troubleshooting. I am finding it very helpful in seeing all that I can do with my present serger and hope to purchase a new serger after I've saved more money. The High Fashion techniques show how the professional readywear is made. It was just what I was looking for in this book.

I'm new to serging and wanted to know what kind of tasks my new machine will accomplish. This book fills the bill very well. Although I'm not necessarily going to try to repeat some of the featured projects, they do offer a good selection of ideas and demonstrate how much you can do with your serger. For home sewers used to only a sewing machine, it's an eye-opener.

Absolute beginners will want another book to supplement this one; it doesn't have much to say about set-up and mastering basic stitches.

I found this book very useful especially since I am a novice at using my serger. I found techniques in it that I didn't know existed. The pictures are very clear. A must have for sewing refernce library.

I am fairly new to serging; I had accomplished the basic skills and purchased this book hoping to discover some new techniques and to get step-by-step directions for other techniques I had seen or heard of but wasn't quite sure of how to accomplish them. It wasn't quite what I expected - there aren't too many creative, innovative techniques you won't find elsewhere, but what you will find is very detailed and easy to follow information on basic techniques of garment construction. I was amazed at the ease in which some of the tasks you've traditionally done on the sewing machine can be converted to a serger in techniques that are much faster, less trouble and with really professional results. The writing is clear and concise and very easy to follow and the pictures are remarkable. Although I don't make a lot of clothing projects, I'm sure I'll get a lot of use from this book. For anyone who primarily sews clothing and is learning to serge, this book will be an absolute treasure. There's also good information on some other basics that we all need to know - how the serger works, care and maintenance, thread choices and much more. This is a good book to have on hand and I'm sure I'll refer back to it often.

Martha Stewart has been my role model and continues to inspire me. Her magazines are worth subscribing to. They are filled with lots of ideas. she is a remarkable teacher.

I checked this book out at the library and had to keep renewing it! I used this for so many ideas for my wedding, and we spent less than 10k on the WHOLE thing by doing a lot of the things ourselves. Many people remarked it was the best wedding they've ever been to. I would have bought the book if I could have found it used, but it was too much new for my budget. Get this book! You won't regret it! Another great book for modern but charming wedding ideas is Jo Gartin's Weddings: An Inspiring Guide for the Stylish Bride. You can have a charming wedding without going into debt!

First, I would like to personally thank Martha (and her team) for the wonderful inspiration and pleasure that my family and I gleaned from this book. After having copied flower ideas and taken on board general tips given, on the big day we were bowled over with the amount of appreciation shown and praise given by guests. The results were truly wonderful.

I would like to point out that even though at first glance, it appears that a small fortune would have to be spent to achieve any of the ideas sold in this book, that is simply NOT the case. (In our case, where we took advice we saved quite a lot of money.)

In fact, the ideas that we realized turned out to be the cheapest yet offered the most 'wow factor'. Truly, Martha is a wizard at making the most out of the simplest things. She absolutely knows what she is talking about and I recommend this book highly.

This book is beautiful. The pictures are great and there are a ton of ideas in it. I am having an outdoor wedding in September/October and I could not have bought a better book. There are ideas about everything from the flowers to soaps to put in the bathroom during the reception. I am using quite a few of the ideas I found in the book. Love it Love it Love it

I wish I hadn't bought this book. I love the magazine so I was hoping that the book would be like a whole bunch of the magazines condensed into one huge helpful book. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

There weren't that many pictures with tips and most of the book seems to be a collection of comments on all the weddings Martha and her family and friends have ever had, from her grandmother to daughter to close friends. That was a little odd. The pictures were beautiful but not very helpful. There really weren't too many new ideas or good tips. I was very disappointed.

As long as you don't expect this book to be like a condensed version of the magazine, you might like it. I read the whole thing and put it on the shelf. Hopefully I can pass it on to someone who will appreciate it at some point.

I am a new beader, so this is new for my growing library of beading books. The projects look to be well explained and seem to go from beginner to advanced beader. I would recommend it to beginners especially.

I ordered both this book and another jewelry book and I waited for it to arrive and after it was a week late I called and talked to a customer service person who was extremely helpful. She immediately sent out a replacement order which arrived within 2-3 days. I was very happy with the service I got in fixing the problem. I just received the 3rd book that was not available when I ordered the other 2 books and it just arrived ahead of schedule. I had only ordered from Amazon once before and again had great service and received the book very quickly. I will use amazon to order other books that I cannot get localy as long as the service continues.

Excellent book for a beginning "beader" like me! Great instructions are enhanced by clear illustrations!

Pedestrian is a lot better word for this book than brilliant. These are very easy projects that can be found in many other books. Most of the appealing pieces were for reference only, meaning there were no instructions. Also seed bead sizes and thread lengths are given in metric measurements, not six, eleven, fifteen, etc. for seed beads and inches or feet for other measurements. The one bracelet I did make had a mistake in the directions, but the diagrams were accurate and I was able to finish the bracelet. It was a disappointing piece, that I would only be pleased with if it was the first thing I ever made. So once again, I have added to the large collection of bead books I own that got great reviews and turned out to be a major disappoinment. I am cancelling the second brilliance book.

The book has clear instructions and figures that are easily followed. I made a few things as quick and easy Christmas presents and they were a hit....but, I was mislead by the cover photo. Every photo you see has instructions in the book except the one I bought the book for. It is the one on the front cover, third photo from the left. I was VERY disappointed the instructions for that project were not actually in the book!

Monique~Albuquerque, NM

I just got my first scroll saw and then a few days later I got this book. It is SO much better than the instructions that came with the saw!!
I highly recommend this to any one new or considering purchasing a scroll saw...Even better if you don't have one as they describe what to look for in a scroll saw when shopping. Good lessons in here too !!

The book contained good example patterns to explain what I should be doing. The book's intended audience is the novice.

I've wanted to learn how to use a scroll saw and I wasn't sure what to look for or how hard it would be to use. I don't have one yet but wanted to find out all that I could before I puchase one. I actually checked this book out at the library first to see if it would be worth while to buy it, and I haven't been able to set it down. My dad is pretty good in woodworking and I showed him this book and he agreed that it is a really good instructional book. The author makes you feel confident in doing the exercises. He also explains about the different scroll saws and what to look for in a scroll saw. It also explains the different types of blades, wood, and material that can be used. Then it gives different exercises to do, starting with the beginner and if you make a mistake the different ways to fix it. I will definately buy this book, it will be an excellent reference.

i am still waiting for the book to arrive. where is it?

Good book for the money. If you are new to the scroll saw this book is just what you will need to get started.