Crafts Hobbies Books

How To Start A Faux Painting Or Mural Business by Rebecca Pittman is a book that appears to consider every aspect of starting this kind of business. This is about the decorative arts, and this kind of thing has been needed for so long in all of the Fine Arts. This is not a book about generalizations. It is so impressive regarding: The details of setting up this business; how to dress; the briefcase or carrier; proper etiquette in every kind of situation; how to bid; preparing and securing the client. There are quesions and information regarding: Working conditions; the steps for presentations; assessing the environment; bidding; negotiating; several methods for estimations; landing commercial jobs and home jobs; dealing with contractors; subcontracting free lance artists; taxes; ceilings versus walls; and homes and commercial sites. There are salient points regarding what constitutes plagiarism, as well as motivation and goals. There are useful forms; sample contracts; sample commercial and sample home contracts; invoices; record keeping; and ledgers. In addition to several business forms, there are references for further reading. This is an excellent book for starting a faux painting or a mural painting business.

Is your question, "After reading this book, will I be able to start and run a successful business doing decorative painting"?

My opinion? This book follows through on what it promises! The focus here is learning how to start a business in Faux Painting/ Murals, and make money in the Decorative Arts Trade. This book gives facts, and proven successful business practices and technique, needed by Right Brainers, Artists, and those blessed with Creative Genius. If you need some help with how to go from being a hobby artist, to making real money with your talent, Rebecca has written your instruction manual. This book will save you time, money, and a ton of first time business owner headaches!

Rebecca's book (manual), puts Art and Business together in an easy to read format. It can springboard the Artist/ budding Business-Person into starting a viable business with their artwork.

I found this book easy to understand, well written, clear, and to the point. It will appeal to Artists who want to take their Art to the next level; start a business, market your art, and make money selling it! Don't we all want to do what we love and have the money follow? This book can make it happen for you!

I have been painting murals and doing faux finishing, decorative paint, etc. for 11 years myself, and this is the first book that isn't laden with pretty pictures...it has the nuts and bolts of a business. When I started out professionally in this business I was 19 and had no idea how to run a successful business. Sure, I could paint anything I was asked, but that's not how you become a success, alone. Understanding the labor and customer service skills required, the marketing techniques and time management, those are the pitfalls of many artists, like myself. I learned the game as I went, but I made many mistakes. Reading this book gave me some clarity on my own business issues, and gave me some insight on how to tackle them. Most of us looking into purchasing this book are talented artists of some sort, usually people like us aren't the type to run a business too well, until you learn the ropes. Ever heard of a starving artist? WIth this book you will no longer be one!

The first thing I learned from this book is that I'm NOT ready to start my own faux/mural painting business!! This book is chuck full of information from someone that has been there. The author really explains scenarios well, and prepares you for, from what I can tell, every situation. In the back of the book she provides sample forms, and check lists, etc. I really feel that this is a true gift for anyone interested in this field. Even people that have been doing it for a few years might get some good tips here. Great job!

I bought this book for my brother who is an artist and he loves the book.

Becky Higgins is just a genius. This book is so inspiring and motivating. So many ideas are sparked each time I look through it. Recommend it to anyone remotely interested in scrapbooking, and even those already engrossed in the 'sport'!

Well designed book with inspiration for all kinds of layouts. These are organized and tabbed by number of pics in the layout, but as the first three-picture layout attests, you can mix it up a little.

SO worth the money.

Even though I've got Becky's Sketch books 1 & 2, I find this book just as useful as it updates many of the sketch interpretations as well as including new ones. The interpretations are all done by Becky and I love her style so have found many sources of inspiration from this new volume.

It isn't as useful as some of her previous work, but a great book for idea starters.

I love this book. It's so great to have a book of her sketches all in one spot, organized by how many pictures I need to scrap. Make my job so much easier!

Super fun. I love this book and the ideas in it. The water bottle holder is a personal favorite. I don't follow other people's patterns often, but this book really tempts me. My daughter even loved it and she doesn't crochet!

This is a really cute crochet book that has cool easy projects for teens as well as adults. Easy stuff for beginners too.

I received this book as a gift, and although it is a cute book, I found that some of the directions and number of stitches didn't match up well.

I've just gotten into amigurumi and other knitted/crocheted toys, and so I read reviews for several books before ordering. I chose this book because it was well-rated, but I have to admit I was a little bit disappointed when it arrived. Since there were very few photos available on Amazon, it was hard to get an idea of what the patterns would be like. While the book is well-written and the directions are clear and easy to follow, the "wearables" section of the book isn't really that great - there are hardly any patterns that interest me.

As for the toy patterns, they're just alright. I've found a couple of other books that offer better-looking animal patterns. Overall, in the entire book there are probably only about 5 patterns that I'll make.

Maybe it's just not to my taste, but you might want to look through some other books instead of this one.

This book has some really cute patterns, but most importantly to me, there are diagrams, and not just written instructions. I can't seem to ever get a handle on the written type, so I appreciated the visual cues. Besides the cute, very easy to make animals, there are lots of simple, people-sized accessories that are easily modified to suit your yarn stash. This book is good for crocheters of every level. Adorable pictures, too.

Bought this for my granddaughter and hope she finds out the the sewing machine isn't too scary.

Great tools to help your child (or yourself) get used to using a sewing machine.

I purchased this book for my 9 year old grandaughter. What a wonderful introduction to sewing. First and formost, it is fun, visually attractive, in a easy to use spiral format on durable stock. It begins with some nice graphics and games that involve learning the parts of the sewing machine, moves on to some FUN drills that teach little hands how to control sewing lines, curves, points and so on. It ends with some very basic projects that kids can complete on their own giving them a real sense of acomplishment. This is a must have for children learning to sew.

This is a great book. Inside it has actual patterns for your kids to practice tracing with their machine stitching. Very colorful and excellent quality...thick pages. Can't wait to try it out with my daughter after we give it to her at Christmas.

This book was exactly as described. Easy to read and use. Cute projects for kids!

Nancy J. Martin's ROLLING ALONG: EASY QUILTS FROM 2 1/2" STRIPS tells how to work with a bundle of Jelly Rolls - prepackaged strips - which here produce 10 traditional quilt designs as examples. Construction methods are geared to quick quilt production and color photos of completed quilts and blocks make for an involving presentation. An excellent addition to any quilting library.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Have you seen those "Jelly Rolls" in your favorite fabric store? Ever wondered what on earth you could do with them? Ms. Martin gives you a whole book on just that subject---10 quilts and 3 other projects --- a tote bag, a pillow and a Table Runner. With the 13 projects, you will be busy for a long time.

OK, so you don't have Jelly Rolls and you don't want to spend the money on getting one. Grab some of your favorite fabric and make your own 2 ½ inch strips. The first 17 pages provide you with basic techniques on how to make your own strips, the tools you will need and how to appliqué and quilt. There is even a suggestion for a quick and easy "light box".

Each project shows a photo of the finished item and a paragraph about the item. It gives the finished size and finished block size. A materials and cutting list is provided as well as how to put the blocks together. There are LOTS of graphics so you can be sure you are following the written directions correctly.

The final pages provide the templates needed for one of the projects as well as several paragraphs about the author. All in all, this is a wonderful book that will have you sewing far into the night.

This book has a number of good designs, but I think it's misleading to call it Jelly Roll friendly. Very few of the designs would make efficient use of the number of strips contained in a Jelly Roll -- you'd either need more strips, or additional fabric (FQs or something) or you'll end up with strips left over. A much better book, with designs which use the Jelly Rolls more efficiently, is Jelly Roll Quilts by the Lintotts, mother and daughter. I can't remember the mother's first name, but the daughter's is Nicky. It's available here on Amazon.

What is a quick, easy and fun way to make a quilt? Use Jelly Rolls!! This book provides patterns that can be used by quilters of any ability from beginner to beyond. They can be used as shown or adapted in any way that you can think of so this book can be used as a jumping off point for your own designs. It has lovely photos and user friendly instructions. The quilts are beautiful and you can make your own 'jelly rolls' so that the content of each pattern becomes unique. This book provides patterns that are easily adapted to each quilter's level of ability and their preferred colour palette.

I got this book as a surprise...and then I was surprised when I read through it. I've been aware of Jelly rolls offered in the quilt shops, but wasn't all that interested, until now. What I like greatly about this designer is that you cut the WOF strips in two so that you are just working with a 22 inch strip as opposed to the 44-45 inch width...therefore it will make for better managabiltiy of the strip sets. I have not tried any of the patterns, but I am totally interested in the concept. It is best to read the instructions when previewing a book, not just looking at the designs of the quilts...but that's difficult to do on amazon....

I am a fan of the "Pretty Little" series, and this is probably my favorite. So many cute ideas to "snaz up" the humble potholder. Guess what everyone is getting for Christmas this year?

I first got this book from the library & bookmarked most of the pages. Then I remembered to look it up on Amazon and there it was, at a great price, too! Although it arrived just when they promised, it wasn't fast enough because I was painfully anxious to get it in my hot little hands. No reflection on the seller, just my impatience. The seller is great!
This book is so EXCELLENT, with well-written instructions, marvelous ideas that are original and fresh. I LOVE THIS BOOK, so it MUST be illegal-- how could anything this good be otherwise?!? My sewing machine is going to be smokin' from all the goodies I'll be making now!

For the most part this book should have been called 'Pretty Little *DECORATIVE* Potholders.' Too many of them have items on them that are fairly incompatible with a hot pan. The aforementioned metal hanger on the sweater potholder, beading on another, and plastic buttons on several.

Still, despite that (you can always leave those bits off or substitute some appliqué or lace) there are some very clever and cute potholders featured. The butterfly is adorable (minus the buttons), and the recipe card one is very clever (minus the button). The instructions took a second reading and a good hard look at the picture to decipher on a few of them (admittedly, the butterfly is one of the more complicated ones) but the slight frustration is worth it. And, yes, some of them are a little finicky, but I think the end result would definitely be worth it.

Perfect for a person with a lot of scraps who's in need of some nice, but quick, presents.

First of all the designs are too cute in this book. I especially liked the Butterfly Flutter, Girly Garden, Pompoms and Pearls, Handle with Flair, and my daughter liked Little Bunny Foo Foo. You will need a copier for this book, and I would suggest at 200% to 400% enlargement. The directions are very simple. My 12 year old daughter is just learning to sew, and she can understand these simple steps. I also bought A Is For Apron book, and they make a wonderful pair together. We plan on combining designs from each book to make Christmas presents for the ladies in our family.

If you are ready to get really creative by thinking of potholders as mineature works of art, then you will adore this book. The photographs are clear, colorful and inspirational. The directions will take you step by step through each project, but you will certainly find tons of inspiration here to come up with designs of your own!

The major plus of working on potholders is their small size, which will afford you a small canvas on which to lavish the most luxurious details. There is something here for the beginner and the most advanced sewer, although you are certain to learn as you go!

You'll soon have an awe-inspiring collection of these useful but beautiful household items that need never languish in a drawer again!

I bought this book for my husband, and it was exactly what he was looking for. It contains everything you need to know if you want to build model ships. Plus there is historical reference to the different types of models. Very happy with this book!

This book is more of an introduction to ship modeling than a comprehensive volume. It might be appropriate as (one of) the first book(s) one reads on the subject, but is not sufficiently detailed to live up to its highly ambitious title. The chapter on gunnery fittings is the most detailed, but still can't impart the detail and volume of information available from other sources. The author communicates his palpable enthusiasm for the hobby. This, combined with the broad but somewhat thin material he offers, will stimulate readers to further and more detailed exploration of ship modeling. This book is a good choice as a gift for someone (early teen or older) who may be interested in the field.

I am beginnig to learn about model ship building. I have bought several books on modeling and wooden ships. It seemed that the more I read, the less I learned, UNTIL I purchased this book. I gives more details, more information, and more additional resources than anything I have found thusfar.
This is a MUST READ for any beginng plank on frame or plank on bulkhead shipbuilder.
It also is simply a Great read. It is likened unto a novel.
Thank you Milton Roth!!!!

I'm all new in the modeling wooden ships game, though I have been fascinated since my early childhood and grew up working plastic aircraft models. I always saw wooden modeling as the Holy Grail and finally decided to get on with it. I was captivated at age 7 watching the Cpt from the "Ghost and Mrs Muir", seizing lines and tending to his ratlins whilst educating the youngest boy about the moral to-do's and don'ts.

Having recently purchased my first model, the Scottish Maid, from Artesania Latina, I decided after looking the plans over that I was going to need more in depth help and assistance. After researching online I have discovered that there is quite a decent literary safety net regarding the subject, but as usual it's a case of where to start?

Well after leafing through this book in relative depth I have found a brilliant place for the Ship Modeling neophyte to make their start. The work gives a great overview of the many complex areas involved in the longtime craft of Ship Modeling as well as gently leading the enthusiast into the greater intracacies involved therein. I was delighted among other chapters to find a section on Ships in Bottles, one of my fascinations, as well as informative tips and tricks regarding all manner of applications from planking to seizing lines and rigging.

I found the sections on Running Rigging, Proportions of Rigging, Making Masts and Sails for Sailing Ships a revelation, which has totally whet my appetite for exploring singular works dedicated to these subjects alone. Roth does a great job of keeping the language simple and with a little observation of the diagrams, which are easy and clear, most questions left wanting in the text are answered. I only wish this work had more colour plates of ships in the building and completion stages, which is why I have witheld the final star.

Apart from this small omission I can wholeheartedly recommend this work to the novice and enthusiast alike as it has enlightened and informed me as well as fueling my passion for this noble craft more than ever! So if you want to know where your mizzen is and how to rig your gaffs; if you care to know how to set the rake of your masts or find out what box off is all about, then get 'Ship Modeling from Stem to Stern' and quit your blatherin land lubbers!

I found this to be a very informative collection of hints, tips and reference information for any modeller.
Unlike a previous reviewer, I only found one photo that might be classified as upside-down; the rest of the photos and diagrams are clear concise and very helpful.
Excellent sections on tools and adhesives plus 'why didn't I think of that...' tips; there are some nice tables not seen in other books and some excellent line drawings of rigging and sail tackle.

This is not intended to be a guide to building an 'Admiralty' model, or a faithful built-up model; what it does do is fire one's enthusiasm for building a reasonably accurate scale model - other books cover the finer points of fidelity.

I would recommend this to anyone starting to build model ships, it is not too detailed to put one off, nor is it dumbed-down.

I love this book! This is actually my second copy after lending my first one to a friend. I have recomended this book to quite a few friends that also have goats and too much milk. This is the best basic book on the market!

Do you have a muffin recipe that you love? This book is like having a favorite muffin recipe with many variations. I guess if it is your favorite don't argue with it. But, this book is full of variations of a basic recipe.
It is a nice book, but I had hoped for more variety.
But, I do love muffins.

I liked Caseys recipes but..it was almost tiring just reading her instructions,like...start with this pan,then put the mixture in that pan...then stir both pans at the same time.I make and mix my soap in one pan,it's really not that difficult.I agree with another reviewer who said it does'nt have to be a team effort.The best soapmaking book I have ever bought is "The Everything Soapmaking Book" by Alicia Grosso. This book has all the information you will ever need to make really beautiful handmade soap.

I had taken intrest in soap making and so I bought this book off of Amazon.com. It helped me a lot and had some awesome recipies in it.

I was initailly intimidated by this book and I owned it for a while before I attempted her methods. But if you want to make soap with real milk (not powdered as an additive) this is a great resource. Making whole milk soap is not easy. This methods works. I admit I use a stick blender and keep it in one pot but my milk has never curdled due to her cold bath method. Her recipes produce gentle, silky soaps and are made with readily available ingredients. My main complaint with some of the other books is that you cannot get many of the ingredients unless you go online and pay shipping. I agree with another reviewer that she does not explain the why behind some of her methods. I think the glycerine and the sugar are for more lather but I'm not positive. I know the amount of honey is limited due to the risk of the soap overheating in the mold. My only other concern about her recipes is that they do not produce much lather and I like bubbles. However, now that I know the method and have had a lot of success I can experiment with the recipes to customize the soap.

Very informational book on quilting processes. The pictures are helpful and the information is presented well.

Lots of Quick and Easy patterns in this book. Eleanor explains
things so that you can put them together quickly. My copy is a
class book, and my quilt turned out gorgeous. Has hung in my
quilt shop for several months now.

I enjoyed reading this book and learned a few new techniques for building blocks and I have decided to start some of the book's projects as soon as possible.

I have a collection of dozens of quilting books and this has to be the prettiest, most compelling and easiest to follow. I'm on my second quilt from this book and it couldn't be easier. I can't recommend it highly enough.

The instructions of this book are so good that I made the quarter log cabin quilt in just a few days. The illustrations are very helpful.

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.