Crafts Hobbies Books

Adding a coiled rim to your gourd is a fantastic way to make your nice little gourd pop into a great little gourd. Coiling doesn't need to be fancy as shown in the book but it gives that rough cut edge to extra boost to go from a craft project to a piece of art. Ms Devine does an excellent job of giving step-by-step instructs from the most simple rim to the most elaborate. She has included an excellent gallery of other artist coiling that gives you wonderful ideas to use on your gourds that may have had flaws and now you can just cut the mistake away and add a coil and viola a perfectly "gourd-geous" gourd.
I met Ms Devine at the North Carolina Gourd Festival '08 and she was a delightful woman with an obvious knowledge of gourd art.

This book offered even more info than I'd bargained for and was well worth every penny I spent for it! The author methodically takes you through each step with words AND photos and in my opinion, a one-on-one lesson couldn't be any better! Everyone who sees this book wants to borrow it, so be prepared to tell them they need to order their own copy if you want to enjoy it yourself!

I was lucky enough to have taken a coiling workshop with Catherine, and thought I didn't need the book...but then I thumbed through it at a friend's house and realized that I NEEDED this book. Coiling seems easy enough (at first), but just when you think you can be more creative with your design you realize that there is a trick to getting a professional appearance. This book is like having Catherine right there with you, mentoring you along the way. She gives clear direction and the close-up photos make a huge difference when you are wanting to put the needle (and thread) in the right place between rows. The gallery of coiled art is breath-taking and inspirational. This is a marvelous book and a must have for basket-weavers and gourd artists alike. Thank you Catherine, for making this book for us.

This book is excellent for those wanting to learn these techniques....book was in wonderful shape

This technique is amazing, it can make a painter out of a no talent like
me. The instructions and illustrations are great.

Excellent book. Would recommend to anyone interested in acrylics.

I always wanted to be an artist, and with Donna's easy-to-follow techniques, I can now paint! Before, I drew rotten stick figures, but Donna had me painting like a pro in nothing flat! I have given items away as gifts, and have had requests for items! I've been concentrating on clay flower pots, but I now feel ready to branch out to bigger and better things! Thanks Donna!

I have no natural artistic talent and no art experience, so I thought this book which promises "quick and easy techniques" would be perfect for me. However, I've been practicing Donna Dewberry's techniques for two months and still can't perfect the brush strokes. My opinion is that the words "quick and easy" are false advertising and should be removed by the publisher.

My daughter loves polymer clay and my wife saw this book so she told my daughter about it. My daughter got so excited she couldn't wait to order it. When we got the book, it was in excellent shape. Maureen Carlson is a awesome sculptor and my daughter said she does not know how Maureen created those realistic faces even though there are steps for it!

Maureen is such an amazing artist. If you are wanting to make figures in clay, then her books are a great place to start. I have several of her books now, and I love them all. Each one teaches you something more. Also this book came in great condition for a used book. Really good seller.

I have four of Maureen Carlson's books. They are all fantastic.
This one is my favorite. Very clear instruction. Gets you started and wanting to sculpt all the time. I love it!

Indeed a marvellous book you should have as one of your clay-book collections. Maureen has good eyes and different angles when seeing new things, and new thoughts to convert them into brilliant figurines. I love her ideas of how making the snakes and the dragons, and her tricks to get new color mixtures are awesome.

I almost bought her books entirely, and have no regrets so far. Thanks to Amazon for superb service, even though I must bear waiting for a month and so for my orders.

My advice, you always can give your book collections to your kids when you no longer need them.

How to make clay characters by Maureen Carlson is not available to buy in Australia. I had it on loan from my local library but only for limited periods and it was never long enough. I am happy to say that although it may have been printed initially a long time ago I am delighted to have obtained it as it has such excellent instructions and lots of handy hints for the polymer clay first timer onwards.To anyone reading this revue who wants another hobby to try (even in Australia) buy this book and you will be hooked.

The mere fact that it is still in print is a sign of how good it is for any age. Easy to follow and great fun all you need is polymer clay your imagination and this book.

This book isn't just about making bows. It has a great section on making bow strings from primative materials or modern ones. Includes design of stings, types, features. Great to learn to make a string for that bow you just made.

This book is written by several experts and is essentially a compilation of individual articles, each of which is outstanding in the detail of the direction given. However, for a person seeking to make a particular bow, all 3 books of the series are needed and there is not an orderly progression. Just count on buying all three, reading them all, making decisions based on what you've learned, and then picking chapters to help you as you go along.

Great book this has all of the details of making a good bow and more. I am very pleased with its content and recomend all three volumes.

This volume is very explicative and not lost any details of his points. All the volumes makes a great help, and even a single powerfull source of information, to anyone who want to make the finest traditional bows, i recomend !

If someone need to know all regarding archery and bow-making has to buy all these 3 volumes. Here you can find a huge quantity of informations and suggestions regarding it.
The books are also improved with a lot of imagines.
Andreas from Italy

M.T.Ryan is an amazing designer! This book is my all time favorite of about twenty jewelry design books. I would like to make almost everything from this book.

Due to a lack of experience & knowledge in jewelry-making, this was the first book I bought. I was able to make only one or two things in it, and
those I had to *dumb-down* to my techniques. But I LOVED the designs so much that I prepared as if I was going to reach the more experienced-level needed to make this beautiful jewelry. I actually picked out six or seven of the designs, bought all the pieces necessary to make them, put them each in a large pastic bag, marked them with the name of the piece and the book reference (I did doctoral studies so annotation is driven into my brain).
Now, about 18 months later, I have pulled out those designs. They are fabulous. I also pulled out the book again recently and found more items I want to make.
Someone wrote in their review that the designs involve wireworking, and that is true. The person also wrote that many of the designs involve light color crystals. Also true. It is from this book that I began my love affair with *Swarovski* crystals. This is personal preference. One can adapt most of the designs to use semi-precious stones.
A few of the designs are *vintage.*
So you can buy it before you learn how to crimp and use it to inspire your development, or you can buy it if you know how to wirewrap and just jump in. But you will find GLAMOROUS jewelry in this book! I hope they do another one.

I absolutely love the designs in this book. They are simply and elegant, but each one has a unique technique or element that makes them stunning. I want to make almost every design in the book. Also, there is a nice variety of techniques used--stringing, simple and more advanced wire work, and even wire crochet bracelet (no stitching projects, though).

And the detailed step by step photo instructions are some of the best I've seen. One project has 16 closeup photos of the technique! Some projects even have a photo diagram showing exact placement of each bead. Plus, the photography is fabulous.

I hope this author will come out with another book!

I absolutely love the projects in this book. One great thing about this book is that they have a list of resources at the back of the book to order the supplies needed. The projects though they look really complicated on the book are really easy to make. You will be surprised at what you can create with this book.

I have been designing jewelry for 12 years. There is always some elusive technique that I cannot find really good tutorial for. This book offered an excellent tutorial for wire wrapping briolettes. A great book for beginners with courage and moxy. A terrific book for intermediate skilled artisans. Whether you like the pastel colors used in the tutorials or not, the skills demonstrated in the book are a terrific springboard for developing your own individual style of artistic expression in composition that will render long enduring quality work-which is as it should be. The projects, with very little imagination, have room to personalize and augment into a design that is more than the initial project offered. All projects have an elegance and grace that are missing from many of the other books in my reference library. I highly recommend this one.

I love this book! I bought it on a whim, and I'm so very glad I did! The layout and photography are lovely, and the hardback construction of the book is remarkably nice for the price. Best of all, it is filled with wonderful patterns -- patterns that are sexy in a way that makes me feel beautiful and tasteful. I already have most of the book pegged for future projects. I heartily look forward to a fun and intimate journey through it with needles and yarn.

P.S. My husband loves this book too. He's also pegged quite a few projects for me. :)

I love knitting and I love making lingery. Two of my favorite things in one book. Both the beginning and the advanced knitter will find projects in this book. I am a public knitter and I am not sure how I would feel about knitting a thong or bra in one of our administrative meetings. Yes, I do knit in meetings or my red personality will take the meeting over in order to get back to the real work. But back to the book, it has great project and many of them will stand the test of time.

This book is better and contains more than you could even imagine! As far as sexy knits - this is by far the best book out there. I know that knitting underwear might not be every ones cup of tea, but that book is filled with much much much more than just that. Stockings, gloves, little sexy tops. I found the patterns to be well described, easy to follow and for knitters of every level. If you are looking for a timeless sexy knit book ... this would be it!

The patterns were very pretty, but I needed more room in the bust area.

I know I could have just change/add the bust darts on some of the patterns.

It just didn't suit my needs.

I loved this book. The designs, along with two other books (Fitted Knits and Romantic Knits) inspired me to give knitting another try after a 12 year break. Almost all lingerie you buy is knit already. It is machine knit fabric. To revisit the idea of knitting undergarments for beauty rather than warmth is genius. I have been able to find all supplies and yarns locally or online. Some patterns include plus-sized sizing. However the bra cups do only go to a D. I am a G. However, I am so used to having to figure out how to alter sewing patterns to fit, I was not too intimidated by doing it with knitting. You just need to check your guage, honestly measure, and do the math. For any one who says why bother, why bother making anything yourself? It is for love of fit and for love of the art.

Basic and the reading is consistant with this book style, easy to read and definitely not dry/boring.

I read this book cover to cover (took me about a week) before I started brewing. I bought the right equipment, and followed the instructions in the book. Now, three weeks after brewing and four weeks after purchasing the book, I have some pretty good homemade bottled beer!
Brewing is not for the impatient, but the author makes that clear. This book is very easy to follow. You don't have to read the whole thing. Some of the chapters are for people who are pretty advanced in the hobby.

A load of info and great tips... A must have for beginners or experienced brewers

Homebrewing for Dummies is an excellent resource and how-to guide.

Like all the "dummies" books this book breaks down the subject of homebrewing into simple easy to understand language.

Nachel explains the affects of each ingredient on the beer, as well as step by step brewing and bottling instructions.

If you are just thinking about starting homebrewing read this book first. It will guide you through what equipment to buy, how to brew and what to expect.

If you are already a brewer, Nachel provides a beginner, intermediate and advanced recipe for each of the AHA beer styles.

If you're a budding homebrewer or an experienced home brewer who could use a few tips and troubleshooting techniques, then Homebrewing for Dummies is a book worth buying. This book is a complete guide to homebrewing at different levels and it serves as a highly useful reference for those who wish to brew their own beer for the first time or who would like to find some ways to make their homebrew easier to make, better tasting, or more eco- friendly. This book covers everything that is important to the homebrewer, from purchasing equipment to buying the ingredients to bottling and evaluating the finished product.

Brewing beer isn't easy and many homebrewing hobbies have been ended prematurely due to a recipe turned bad or by general frustration with getting everything right. This is where Homebrewing for Dummies can help. This book was written to assist homebrewers at all levels in the fine art of making beer. It steps the homebrewer through all of the important steps, starting with the equipment inventory and ending with the bottling process. Along the way, the book shares some secrets for homebrewing success, pointing out the importance of cleaning and sanitizing, temperature control, and other factors that directly influence the final product.

What I like best about Homebrewing for Dummies is its penchant for thoroughness. Many other books exist on this subject, but few cover so many different aspects of brewing as Homebrewing for Dummies. Those who are unfamiliar with homebrewing will probably be shocked to learn that this book is more than 400 pages in length. Many people mistakenly believe that making beer is a simple process than can quickly be described in one- hundred or fewer pages and many authors have, indeed, attempted to compose quick guides to homebrewing that are a fraction of the length of this guide. But to cover every aspect of homebrewing, a much longer guide is needed. Homebrewing for Dummies wants to make sure that you, the homebrewing enthusiast, have all the necessary facts and information at your fingertips to make sure your homebrewing batch turns out just right and once you get involved in a hobby like homebrewing and realize what it entails, you will agree that a much longer book is necessary to do the justice to the craft.

Since this book is part of the For Dummies line of books, it is written in a format similar to the others in this popular series. Thus, it includes bulleted text, unique icons to indicate special points, highlights, boldface headings, etc. This type of format makes the book more readable and better organized. It is also humorous at times. The author wants the homebrewer to take his/her hobby seriously, but he also wants to make sure the brewer enjoys himself/herself in the process. So, he includes touches of humor from time to time throughout the book. The humor isn't excessive by any means. It is just right and is well timed, offering a nice change of pace as you read, helping to lighten up the mood as you learn more and more about the world's greatest beverage.

Overall, Homebrewing for Dummies is an excellent book about brewing beer. It covers the subject of homebrewing thoroughly and effectively, is flawlessly written, and is entertaining to read. It's an outstanding resource for the homebrewing hobbyist and a book I recommend to anyone with an interest in this subject.

The approach of this text is aimed at the beginner, but if you've played around with resin, I'm sure you'll still find plenty to learn between its pages because she covers so much in this 128 page book. Read the rest of my review here: http://jewelrymaking.about.com/od/mixedmediabookreviews/a/071107.htm

I like this book a lot more than another book I got on resin jewelry. This book was easier for a novice like me to understand. It was full of good ideas, explanations about the different types of resin and helpful hints. Best of all, the author mentioned where she got her craft supplies for certain projects.

I am new to resins, but have always wanted to learn. I had taken classes from people who were experts in their field, but found it was difficult to create the resin pieces based on their techniques. I love how Sherri has created techniques that allow me to do them in my small studio space and without much expense. (e.g. in the class I took, the instructor had us use aluminum sheeting to cut and put together to pour the silicone into, Sherri just has you use old sour cream tubs, butter tubs, etc. with the bottoms cut off. That is so much easier and cheaper!) The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that she didn't go into why she (or the artist making the project) chose a particular resin over another based on the project (e.g. polyurethane vs. polyester, etc.). I don't think she covers safety enough, but I teach classes and am a safety freak with my students. Overall though, I am very happy with my purchase and definitely would recommend to anyone wanting to get into resins.

This book takes the mystery out of working with resin. It explains mold-making in good detail and provides useful info for choosing the right raw materials. Not every artist can also teach, but Ms. Haab is skilled at both. The book is well laid out, not repetitive, and provides sample projects along with a list of necessary materials. Many of the projects are not my style preference, but written descriptions and pictures are clear and can be used for inspiration. Published in 2006, it is recent enough that the raw materials are still relevant and available.

Ever since I saw my first superchunky, gorgeous colored resin bangle, available for sale at an online store back in the early 2000's, I have been intrigued by the mystique of always different resin jewelry. Yes I kick myself to this day that I never bought that bangle!

Now I spot brilliant fabulous clear resin jewlery, with pretty silver embellishments, and inlaid semiprecious stones, for sale online. I see resin as well on etsy with yummy looking real candy pieces or sprinkles and glitter floating cheerily in the molded colorful bangles or pendants.

Well, I have finally broken down and bought my own how to book, from the best teacher around, and I am thrilled! Now that I own this award winning book, The Art of Resin Jewelry, by Sherri Haab, I can stop looking and start doing! Having already "devoured" this great book, I plan to get to work (or to play!) as soon as possible! I am hoping to stretch my imagination to the fullest, and to see what I can do as well, with resin as my launching pad!

Sherri Haab is the perfect guide for a neophyte like me! I need HER clear writing style. I need the fun of seeing the variety of her projects, such as her high art "Pod Bead" bracelet, shown in two colors, and her ultra hip Techno Polymer Clay Bezels (which obviously use more than just resin as the medium you work with). That second project I just mention comes from a whole section in the book she offers which is called "Combining Resin With Polymer Clay". Everthing is so fascinating!

The author is straightforward in her writing style and her book is great, in the manner in which she assists the reader to take the intial steps toward learning how to create coated resin, casted, molded or combined medium resin jewelry.

Not only did she produce this super cool book, she has a website where you can pick up the things you will need to create you own jewelry (molds, resin, colors, powders, bracelet blanks, ring blanks and more) without going through the sometimes confusing process of wandering around in a local craft store or even two, looking here and there and checking and rechecking your list of required resin needs you have to obtain to get started. This book and her site will get you started. Who knows were you will end up!

I love this book! I am please with the saftey precautions she is careful to explain, I love the projects, and I feel that this is a terrific all around crafting book!

I was hoping for a little more technical stuff with this book. It talks
about old buildings, privies, new construction sites, and etc. to look for
things. I wanted techniques in the handling of the detector. Not so much as
where to go. To me, it's a book about common sense. Overall, I would
recommend it. It is helpful in a few areas.

I am just beginning my hobby with a metal detector. I purchased several books on treasure hunting and this is by far the best. It has a broad range of extremely useful information. By all means start with this book if you too are a beginner. Most of the other books I bought had a lot of fluff. This book has a ton of useful information and guidance.

No matter what your treasure, be it coins, bottles, or somethisg else, this book has great tips on where and how to find it. I originally bought a copy for my son and was so impressed that I bought another copy for myself.

This book has a lot of information about treasures all over the country. Tells you where to look, how to go about hunting and what equipment you need and what to do when you find your treasures.

This book is an invaluable resource for the beginner and even the intermediate detectorist. It has filled me with new ideas of where and how to search for lost valuables and coins. The tidbits on history and archeology were most interesting.