3 comments about Making Great Lamps: 50 Illuminating Projects, Techniques & Ideas.

1. I am really just writing a follow-up to the last review . I have a copy of the book so I was able to check page 142 and mine does contain the Sources for Lampmaking Supplies (pg 144 is the Index). Mine is the 1st edition of the book so possibly the sources were omitted from a later printing or possibly the other reviewer received a defective copy.
   This book has some beautiful lamps to make as well as a few odd ones depending on your taste. There are lamps made from such items as stacked books, stacked tin cans, gourds, vases, a coffeepot, a birdcage, flowerpots and one even made from steel colanders. If you can't find one you like you'll at least get some ideas.



2. If you want to make lamps this book will not be much help.
   This book has a few interesting ideas, however, on the whole it was a disappointment.
   I bought the book because I want to make my own lamps...many of the projects call for starting out with a lamp in working condition, which is not what I expected as per the title of the book.

   The projects that actually are about MAKING lamps refer you to the suppliers list on page 142.
   THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM because that suppliers list is NOT in the book. Page 142 is the book's index. The suppliers list was omitted from the book. I contacted Lark Books, (the publisher), about this problem, and received an obnoxious and very unbusiness-like reply from Chris Winebrenner, Customer Service.

   Having worked at a publishing company myself, I understand how mistakes like missing pages happen. I also understand that it's the publisher's responsibility fix the problem. Lark Books isn't
   interested in fixing the problem so I have contacted Sterling Publishing (Lark's parent company) about the problem and have not heard back from them.

   I'm sorry I wasted my money on this book and will not buy anything else that Lark publishes. I certainly do not hold Amazon responsible for missing pages.

   On a happy note I also bought "Paper Illuminated" by Helen Hiebert. What a wonderful and informative book, much more than the title implies.




3. This is an absolutely wonderful book for any craft enthusiast and would make a great housewarming gift. The book is filled with beautiful color examples. For each project there are clear written instructions, a complete supply list, & before and after pictures.

   First it takes you step by step with both text & photos on how to assemble & wire any lamp. Then it shows you how to build a lampshade from scratch. Types of light bulbs and how to pair a shade with a base are discussed.

   Next, it explains how to make lamps out of common objects. In this section, one unusual one is made with tin cans, while another is created with gift boxes. However, my favorite was made out of a birdcage lined with paper.

   How to transform an old, plain lamp into an extraordinary one is demonstrated. Many techniques including decoupage, beading, wrapping with plaster & the use of mosaic tiles are shown. My favorite was a ginger jar with a painted fish.

   Lastly, making a lamp from scratch is detailed. My favorites here were a hanging lantern & gourd sconce. I also loved the fabric canister made of PVC pipe and cloth. The beautiful gallery, artists list and suppliers list were a great end to the book.

1 comments about Collecting Royal Copley Plus Royal Windsor & Spaulding: Book 2 (Collector's Guide to).

1. A very handy 144 page reference book featuring hundreds of small, full color photos of Royal Copley, Royal Windsor and Spaulding items. This Book II has no repeats from the previous Book I. Major chapters run from Royal Copley-Still Going Strong, The Truth About Royal Windsor, A Warm Experience at Spaulding, to Labels, Bibliography and Source Material. You'll find this handy purse size volume useful as you attend auctions and antique shows.

No comments about English Earthenware Figures 1740-1840.

1 comments about Royal Copenhagen Porcelain: Animals and Figurines.

1. Wonderfully illustrated and very thorough, but difficult to follow. There was more information about each piece and the history of it than I ever expected. Only complaint is that the information is broken up in different tables in the front and in the back; ButI learned a lot about figurines and the history of Royal Copenhagen from this informative book.

5 comments about Staffordshire Figures: History in Earthenware, 1740-1900 (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. What a great read! This is a study of not only Staffordshire figurines but the people who made and decorated them and the life and times that these people existed within. It is a wonderful fresh social history and commentary of especially Victorian times based around ornamental objects that were produced for the masses, rather than the elite and wealthy. It is a fascinating book to read and requires on previous knowledge of the subject. Chapters include an excellent introduction to "the potteries" and the makers, modelers and decorators followed by indepth studies of predominately Victorian life as reflected by chapter headings such as Never-never land : children; rogues and renegades : the criminal element; country life : a rural romance; and entertainment : streets, spirits, sawdust, spotlights and stirrups.
   The book is extremely well written and beautifully illustrated (often with previously unpublished figures). The index is prolific and all en-compassing. It is elegantly produced by the publisher Schiffer. This is a fascinating reference work that one just wants to sit down and read from cover to cover-unlike most reference books that are just "dipped into". It is not simply a catalogue of Staffordshire figures but an engaging study of the period.



2. As a long-time Staffordshire collector, I was delighted when my copy of this book arrived. My personal library contains numerous Staffordshire figure catalogs and "studies," but I've never read anything like this incredible book before. The authors have brought the Staffordshire figure-making era into remarkable focus with an immediacy that takes the reader into that long-ago time when Staffordshire figures were first placed on the mantelpieces of homes and inns throughout Britain. This is clearly a book about Staffordshire's earthenware figures and groups, but it is also a book about the era in which they were crafted and the people who made and owned them 100-260 years ago. Kenny and Moriarty have gone where the "catalogers" and previous Staffordshire authors have failed to go - directly and comprehensively to the essence of the Staffordshire figure era. This is a wonderfully readable "history" book, abundantly illustrated with Staffordshire figures and groups, and filled with the vitality and drama of the dawning Industrial Age. A long forgotten potter once stated, "No art with potters can compare, we make our pots of what we potters are." It may now be said of this new and exciting book's authors, Adele Kenny and Veronica Moriarty, "No other authors can compare, they made their book of what the figures are."



3. This fabulous new book has been flawlessly researched and written, generously illustrated, and elegantly produced in a hardbound edition complete with a very attractive dust jacket. It is a reference that provides inclusive historical information on the social, cultural, economic, and religious conditions that provided the backdrop for earthenware figure production in North Staffordshire from the mid-eighteenth century through 1900. In this volume, Staffordshire figures are not merely catalogued and illustrated - they are presented as historical "documents" that illustrate various aspects of British life during the time of their making. The 240-page book contains twenty chapters, an introduction, a conclusion, a very complete bibliography, and a comprehensive index. Over 565 illustrations complement text that is written in an intelligent and lively style that draws the reader into the changing, turbulent, gritty, and gutsy world of the Staffordshire figure. The authors have skillfully designed each chapter as a separate content area that may be read and savored individually or studied and enjoyed within the larger context of the whole book. Detailed captions provide descriptive data that adds to the already substantial text. The value ranges noted are honestly wide and reflect the current market. Kenny and Moriarty have created a masterwork that is destined to become a standard reference in the field.



4. If you are looking for the WHOLE story of Staffordshire figures, this is the book for you. Written in an intelligent, literate style, here is a reference text that draws the reader into the world of Staffordshire figures as well as into the world of the potters who made them and the people who purchased them. This book presents a new reading of Staffordshire figure history through highly engaging and compelling text that is enhanced by hundreds of superb illustrations. The authors' carefully researched and insightful study is powered by the highest standards of scholarly, yet eminently reader-friendly, writing.



5. I'm an avid reader of "antiques" books, as well as being a collector of antiques. It's not very often that a book about antiques comes along that not only gives you the information you want to know about your antique, but also manages to let you into the world of the people who made that antique.
   Not only did I find this work a way to help me better appreciate where the pottery of Staffordshire was coming from and why it happened when it did, but I ENJOYED reading it! The work is entertaining - a real surprise for a book about antiques. I found it a breath of fresh air for Staffordshire figure and antiques writing in general.
   Congratulations to the authors. Informative and entertaining and comprehensive text and great pictures to support it.
   I highly recommend this work not only to those who collect Staffordshire figurs, but to anyone interested in 19th century history and society.

1 comments about Sister Wendy's Book of Muses.

1. A great little book for any coffee table. If you have any interest in Sister Wendy, or porcelain figurines, or Muses, this is the book for you. Sister Wendy brings her charm and artistic experiance to this little book. The photos are splendid and in full color high quality color plates. For the price, you wont find a more inspiring art book for your favorite coffee table.

1 comments about Chinese Potter.

1. VERY OLD STYLE BOOK, WITH ELEMENTARY INFORMATION GOOD ONLY FOR
   TURIST.

2 comments about The Tile: Making, Designing and Using.

1. After I got through the section on the history of tile...I don't understand why tile books all start with the same history lession, I found the book to be extremely informative and very well versed on a multitude of tile making and decorating applications. Thanks to Mr. Clark for sharing his knowledge.



2. If you are looking for many small pictures with little detail for ideas, this is your book.

   If you are looking for a source of instructional material with step-by-step or other detailed information on various methods of tile making and/or decorating, I STRONGLY suggest that you save your money & look elsewhere.

   This book was a great disappointment to me & I found much more useful information in Giorgini's book, "Handmade Tiles."

1 comments about Crimson Embrace 6 - A Gallery Girls Book (Gallery Girls Collection).

1. Wow...hard to believe that the Crimson Embrace series is now into its 6th volume collecting the art of female vampires from some of the top fantasy artists in the world. I enjoy all of the Gallery Girls collections since they provide such a wide diversity of talent with very different artistic styles. My favorites, though, have always been the ones that celebrate the dark female such as the witches of the Coven series and the vampires of Crimson Embrace. As with the other Gallery Girls books the art here is presented in black & white pencil, pen & ink illustrations. Joe Jusko gets things started with a great, full-color cover. Other artists featured in Volume 6 include: Arantza, Pedro Cuevas, Tomas Giorello, Brian Le Blanc, and Jim Fern.
   
   Anyone who has read my previous reviews knows that I am a big fan of Spanish artist Arantza so it should come as no surprise that one of her drawings is among my most favorites in this latest volume. Her depiction of a Victorian era blonde vampire bursting forth from her tomb, dressed in a sexy negligee is simply breath-taking, as is most of her work. Another Arantza example is of a bat-winged, blonde vampire resting atop a tomb in an ancient grave yard. Enric presents a horrific vision of a brutish, demon like vampire tormenting a near-naked blonde woman who is chained and at its mercy. Marcelo Fleitas contributes a truly dark and gothic illustration of a vampire shepherdess walking through a cemetery while a subservient male kneels at her side.
   
   A pair of erotic vamps, frolicking in a pool of blood is Federico Ossio's contribution to this volume and it's a gem. Lorenzo Lorente provides the most gruesome illustration this time out with a modern day vamp that has just taken her latest victim in a men's room and holds a ghastly trophy in her hand...the man's severed head! Beheading is also the theme of a piece by Javier Lara as a short-haired vamp returns to her tomb clutching another poor victim's head, as blood flows down her faced and chin. Another favorite of mine, Paleaz shows a vampire creeping up on her next victim who is sleeping and wearing only panties. Will the crucifix around her neck save her? Lorente, yet another rising star, has a second outstanding, and darkly sensuous piece in this book, this time showing a nude vampire, a trail of blood flowing the length of her body, clasping her breasts in front of a mountain of skulls.
   
   This is one of the best volumes I've yet to see in the Gallery Girls collections. The art is uniformly fantastic throughout. Darkly atmospheric and moody, all of these artists set a great tone. A Goth fan's dream!

2 comments about John Evans: Collages.

1. This is a great book spanning 40 years of history from the streets of NYC. The collages are beautiful and it's amazing that Mr. Evans was able to create one a day for 40 years. Peersonally I would like to see more of his work.



2. When I heard John Evans was going to have a book published on his unique and beautiful collages, I eagerly awaited it's arrival. It was worth the wait and I can say it did not disappoint! Enjoy the vibrancy of his work while taking a stroll through history beginning in the 70's. His ability to take something as simple as a ticket stub, matchbook cover or old photo and create a theme combined with gorgeous colors in each piece is truly a work of genius. This is a wonderful book!