4 comments about Flower Designs (Design Source Books).

1. The designs are very good and can be used for lots of different crafts. The black line masters could be enlarged or reduced in size to suit many projects e.g, glass painting, embroidery, applique, machine embroidery, cross stitch, stencil printing and more. They can be a starting point for individualising the design to your own needs by adding the flower designs together to make interesting and creative work.



2. This book has designs that can easily be used for quilt piecing or fusing. I needed ideas for a baby quilt and wall hanging where another person wanted to pick the design ahead of time (instead of my usual make it up as I go along) and it's worked very well.



3. I like this book, but it's not up to Mandy's usual top notch style. It's on the simple side.



4. There are 31 pages of flower designs. The first one which is large and simple is perfect as is for goldwork embroidery. Several others are also good or can be changed slightly for use. Goldwork uses simple designs which is why this book is so good.

No comments about The Flowers of La Grenouille.

3 comments about Faux Florals: Arrangements for All Seasons (Creative Home Arts Library).

1. I never would have considered using anything other than fresh flowers for my
   catering business, but after reading this book and applying Mr.Quintero's (the author) "easy to do" methods, I don't have to go back to using expensive fresh flowers. It absolutely transformed my catering hall (not to mention that New York's most discerning designers and event planners can't notice the difference) and it's great to decorate my home for the holidays.



2. For many years I have been interested in arranging flowers but certainly did not have the knack for making something pleasing to the eye. This book gives wonderful pointers that makes it easy for someone to make a beautiful and professional arrangement. An enjoyable book to read with so many helpful guidelines and the pictures are gorgeous!



3. This book has easy to follow arrangements and design choices to create stunning floral arrangements for your home. rather if your are a pro or beginer this book would be the perfect addition to any collection.

3 comments about Harvesting, Preserving & Arranging Dried Flowers.

1. This book is great for a beginner. I went to the library to find a book that would tell me how to dry my valentine roses. I so thourghly enjoyed this book I am going to buy it for myself as well as for others as a gift. Not only does it tell you how to dry flowers, but it demonstrates step by step how to grow them, and different ways to arrange them. It has beautiful pictures in it with arrangements from elegant, country to modern - something for everyone. I highly recommend it. It makes a lovely tabletop book as well as a reference book. The author Cathy Miller has designed flower arrangements for presidents throughout the years, even for President Clinton who has allergies. Cathy has designed the flower arrangements for him encased in glass!



2. Great book full of info and ideas, worth your time and money



3. Excellent detailed information on many different ways to dry flowers including charts on how long flowers take to dry in different methods and which methods should be used for which plants. This takes up about half the book and is very useful for those frustrated with the few miserable pages that most books give on drying.
   The rest of the book is taken up with a variety of flower displays for different styles and seasons. Instructions are given but they are fairly basic such as "add hydrangea from front and center' For a beginner these instructions may not be sufficient to achieve the results show without a lot of perseverance. The Majority of the photographs are good, helpful and easy to use as guides. A few however concentrate more on the scene than the display making it difficult to duplicate. Overall it's a very good book.
   My major complaint about this book is the mixing of displays and instructions into the chapters on drying rather than concentrating them in one section of the book. It means you have to keep paging through to find what you want rather than just looking in one section.

3 comments about Flowers by Design.

1. Being inspired by Jane Packer and Paula Pryke floral decorator books for years I think I have been spoilt and this book by Jeff Leatham, while being beautiful, is not really a flower arrangers book. In actual fact, the flowers play very little part in the actual photography. At times the "eye catching creations" (the reviewers comments) could not even be found. Nothing "genius" in this book except pretty interiors with flowers on the mantle -sorry Jeff, I will stick with the girls.



2. As a professional floral designer I was very disappointed in this book. About half of the arrangements are this:
   
   select a bundle of flowers - probably of all one type
   
   arrange them so all of their heads are at the same height
   
   tie the bundle together or simply cluster it so it stays together
   
   stick it in a vase so the stems don't touch bottom and the thing leans at an angle at the top of the vase
   
   or.....lay it across the top of the vase out of water.
   
   or.....do exactly the same as above only slant the bouquet in the vase at an angle and allow it to touch the bottom.
   
   
   Over 45 photos illustrate that single technique. The designs are mostly made of callas and roses. The repetition is pretty annoying as a person usually buys this sort of book to learn new techniques not to just see the same old one repeated again and again.
   
   Oh, I forgot - and for some real excitement make a bouquet exactly as above then stick it in a clear glass vase standing straight up.
   
   There's a lot of single flowers alone in a vase and a lot of flowers beheaded and set to float in clear glass vases. There are a few flowers shoved upside-down into clear vases and a few settings highlighting flowers out of water but there's really nothing terribly original. The arrangements were all pretty and all photographed in marvelous settings but unfortunately I learned nothing new from the book.



3. I had the good fortune of working with Jeff personally, and I own this book. I love his idea of decorating the space as opposed to just decorating a vase, and putting it on a table. Most Floral designers just think too small!Jeff only uses the most beautiful flowers and displays them in a way, that they not only are most beautiful, but can be most appreciated. The flowers are not "shoved up-side down in a vase" they are placed carefully and willingly. Jeff has the upmost respect for flowers, more than most people who call themselves floral designers, that shove hundreds of flowers all together in a vase in a contrived matter and call it beautiful.
   
   If you want to know what's really going on in floral design you better pay attention to this book and his other books. Jeff is admired by the most prestigious and forward, and successful floral designers and floral event companies in the world. As a Professional Floral Designer myself of over 25 years, I know sometimes we think we know everything about what we do. But, sometimes something new comes along and blows us out of the water, and this is what Jeff Leatham has done, in America and Europe! Hope to see you again sometime in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, or Paris Jeff! Christina

3 comments about Painting Garden Decor with Donna Dewberry (Decorative Painting).

1. Just another Donna Dewberry book with the same designs painted on different surfaces. I was very disappointed that there was nothing new offered in this book.



2. This book really showed me how to use decorative painting on tht outside of my home. I loved the the patterns in the book that can be enlargened for those who are afraid to "Free Hand" paint. One of the best parts is showing how to take "essential" items such as trash cans, fences, and clay pots and turn them into works of art. It also contains an excellent step by step of painting a realist bunny. I was amazed on how easily it was accomplished.



3. Most of her books are pretty similar, if you like others you will like this one too. Neat garden bench. Many nice garden painted pieces.

1 comments about Flowers Of The Bible: And How to Grow Them.

1. We are moving to a high desert terrain and I thought this book would be very helpful - I was right. It is easy to read and will be used a lot.

No comments about Judith Blacklock's Flower Recipes for Winter.

5 comments about Flowers, Flowers.

1. I have been running my own floral design business for parties and special events for two years now, and this book has proved itself to be one of my most valuable resources. A very diverse collection of arrangements is found throughout the pages of this book and I would rate it as a definite asset to the library of both professionals and flower lovers alike.



2. 
   There is no need for a lengthy review of this book. Quite simply, it contains photos of the most beautiful floral arrangements I have ever seen. I enjoy it often with a sense of awe and envy.



3. This book has all you would like to know about flower arrangement. Starting from how the flowers make it to the market(from the growers) ,to the Common names and Latin names of the different flower species. There are superb pictures of 100s of arrangements for different occassions and step by step descriptions of how to do some of them. What I liked the most , was the last chapter called techniques, it has a thorough description of all the equipment one needs to do these elaborate arrangents. However, for a complete beginner like me , this book might seem too intense as the arrangements are quite elaborate. At any rate, it makes a good coffee table read.



4. Paula Pryke is an artist is every sense of the word. Coming across this magnificently and luxuriously illustrated book is like discovering a famous artist new to you. The topic is 'Inspired Arrangements for All Occasion' and both the writing and illustrations certainly prove that claim to be true.
   
   But what is so very different in this rich volume than in other volumes on flower arranging is the unique approach to the medium. Pryke's keen eye combines not only flowers of every possible kind (from simple wild garden blossoms to the most exotic of species from strange lands), but she also sees vegetable, seeds, gourds, branches, twigs, moss, vines - all are of equal importance to her choices for synthesis of her amazing creations.
   
   Some Floral designers elect to create books about their craft that are limited to beautifully photographed final arrangements. Paula Pryke, with a winning writing style, takes us through the puzzling mysteries of how she finds and assembles the components of her art. She also separates the book into simple works, arrangements according to a unified color scheme, and arrangements and accoutrements that are celebratory for holidays and special occasions.
   
   Whether this book is added to the library as a coffee table adornment (sure to be admired by all discerning guests) or as a guide to creative floral design, FLOWERS, FLOWERS! is an artwork containing some of the most exquisite floral you will encounter. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, August 06



5. Maybe I should have been tipped off by the cover but I found the arrangements in the book quite old fashioned and too structured. I much prefer "Simply Elegant Flowers" by Michael George which I find to be more contemporary, both in it's arrangements and book layout.

No comments about Quick and Easy Flower Design: More Than 125 Color-Based Recipes for Everday Bouquets.