5 comments about Creative Cloth Doll Beading: Designing and Embellishing with Beads.

1. A must for your library. This book has easy to read instructions, wonderful instructive pictures and tons of inspiration! So very glad I purchased it!!!



2. I love Pattie's unusual style and I learn something new in everyone of her books and I have all but the faces one. My only complaint is having to add seam allowances on some pieces.I find it unnecessary and bothersome..but she must have a good reason for doing this I just don't like it. Also some of the instructions are vague for anyone with limited sewing skills. But it is always worth the time it takes to teach yourself if necessary.



3. Creative Cloth Doll Beading: Designing and Embellishing with Beads
   
   
   
   Creative Cloth Doll Beading
   Designing and Embellishing with Beads
   by Patti Medaris Culea with Anne Hesse and Laura McCabe
   
   * Beaded Tattoo's - what more can I say? How COOL!
   
   * The collaboration of these three stellar dollmakers brings out the best in each artist.
   
   * Great new Techniques for wings, hair, creative clothing and beautiful faces! Also... detailed directions on making flowers - WOW!
   
   I am not really a beader... so I sighed when I got this book "Oh... tedium, oh schemedum, oh little tiny bead-ium" but what I saw knocked that apathy right into a shocked puddle on the studio floor which was dangerously slick... what with all those beads rolling all over the place!
   
   
   What a killer book! Patti gets some able assistance from two of the doll making worlds finest, Anne Hesse and Laura McCabe. Just as she did in the wonderful Creative Cloth Doll Couture, Patti provides one versatile doll pattern. This pattern is used by all three main artists and the many talented "gallery" artists, to create a flock of beautiful and unique dolls.
   
   Patti does a chapter on flowers, making them look wickedly easy and raucously beautiful. Anne has the next chapter and with her two comrades, she leads us through a bead embroidered face, now THIS is exciting to me! Next Laura creates a "wood elf" and beads her leather garment with several cool techniques, my favorite being the bead stacking. Finally Patti returns at the end of the book and gives us "Franalizia of the North Sea" who has scales of beads, and a wealth of burned, melted and glued beading and embellishment techniques. She is a "Fairymaid" Upp you guessed it, a mermaid with wings, extremely clever!
   
   Off to the right here... is my version of the beaded head... Ok, so I didn't draw the face onto the fabric and I didn't use a rubber stamp (tho this is a great idea!) , I basically didn't follow any of the directions, (tho they are great!) but I did get INSPIRED and I did LEARN about "Wedges", "Focal Beads" and "Fill Patterns". I also learned how to make fringe, and flowers and what a "bud" is. (this was welcome news to me as it associated with the "bezel" and I can't help but sit around snickering about "budding the bezel" or "bezelling the bud" - Yeah, just alittle easily amused... Ya think?!)
   
   I highly recommend this book for us "regular folk" as well as the seasoned beaders. Hum, now where did my charolottes go, I need to do a basic bud on that bezel!
   
   This would be a great gift



4. This book is just another one of Patti Culea's delicious writings, complete with other people's work as well. Wonderful.



5. Great Book. Full of Good Stuff to work with.
   
   Very Speedy Mailing. Thanks.

1 comments about Ms. Fix-It (Nick Jr. Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!).

1. The crayons are a little dull but my son does not mind, he has filled this book with tons of color and enjoys talking about every picture.

5 comments about Cigar Companion (Connoisseur's Guides).

1. It's a nice read for anyone starting in Cigars, or even if you started a while back but want to know more about the lore and the background of big cigar companies. It's a real basic fast read of cigar information, history and making (nothing special, just the basics). It tries hard to cover all of the basis, that's why it got a 3 and not a 2.
   
   But as reported earlier, it need more advance or detailed information. They could of put some of their Cigar 101, like info on the beetle, and how to deal with it; The counterfeit gallery etc... But instead, a lot of the book sounds like a sales pitch, saying cigar's are good, these popular peoples smoke cigars etc... (actually that list of Hollywood peoples smoking is repeated twice, and we got a photo gallery of them, so they are listed 3 times).
   
   1st, I never started smoking cigars because it's cool or a Hollywood star is smoking, I DON'T CARE!
   2nd, They try to hard at some point, it feel like a propaganda book, and when they give you facts, one is cautious of the Bias of these so called "facts".
   
   All in all, a nice quick propaganda book with some basic cigar information.



2. Excellent book for beginners and people who wants to know more of the world of cigars



3. I bought this thinking it would be a good reference and tell me something about all the different brands of cigars, but I don't find any value in it whatsoever. I feel like the author wanted a quick buck so he cut and pasted alot of crap from back issues of his magazine into this book so he could sell the same opinions twice. In addition to that, the brands discussed are very limited and only a few examples from each are featured. Take my advice: I realized that it is dumb to buy any book that claims to lists different types /brands/shapes of cigars because the information is always changing - look on the internet at cigar sellers' websites and cigar makers' websites, where you will find everything you need.



4. Great book with loads of info. Great for the beginner just getting into cigars for the first time. Very helpful backround info on the brands as well as tips on storing, buying, and lighting. A great book all around.



5. I bought this book to replace one by the same title and was dissapointed that it bears no resemblance to the 3rd edition that I had lost. While it is a handsome book, I was ultimately disappointed. What was a clear and concise review of many cigars widely available has become a very limited survey of a few cigars many of which are not easily obtainable. Most frustratingly, the reviewers will describe a certain stick as "the best of this manufacturer" and then go on to review a different offering from the same company without further reference to the cigar they deemed the most desireable. While the section on rare cigars makes for an interesting read, this seems more like a book for cigar admirers rather than one for buyers and smokers. I had hoped to find a book to help me make informed buying decisions. I plan to buy the 3rd edition-used!

5 comments about Tiffany Designs Stained Glass Coloring Book (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. I love stained glass. I think the stained glass coloring books are fantastic. This one has so many wonderfull designs in it. Glad to have added it to my collection.



2. This coloring book is so beautiful, you might be afraid to color on it. The artwork is wonderful and detailed, and it's a great book for older children and adults.



3. The book presents 16 color images on its covers.
   The patterns on 16 pages are translucent black and
   white patterns suitable for enlarging 300-800%.
   The "coloring book" misnomer disguises the books use
   for serious stained glass makers.



4. I use watercolor in these books. I've made some beautiful suncatchers with "my" artwork from this book.



5. As others have said, this is so much more than a coloring book. I have a serious illness that really limits me and the time that I spent coloring these added so much to my days plus the fact that I could then display them so that I could look at them over and over. I have a wall that I displayed them on along with other stained glass designs that I love to look at. It is definitely a great book to add to any collection.

5 comments about Digital Designs for Scrapbooking 2: Making Your Own.

1. This book was an impulse buy about three weeks ago. I took Renee's class "Doin' it Digi" at Big Picture Scrapbooking in April, but didn't do anything with PSE except organize my pictures afterwards. I was still interested, but very intimidated. Then, as I was getting ready to check out of Hobby Lobby, I saw the book and the author and I grabbed it.
   
   Her instructions are VERY VERY clear and easy to follow, and I was able to create a fantastic layout that will be in my family albums using only the things in one of her tutorials -- in less than 45 minutes -- while reading through the instructions for the first time -- and being interrupted by children.
   
   This book was the lightning strike I needed, and I've now conquered that initial vertical learning curve of Photoshop. I now am capable of SO much with the program that every new thing I learn gets an "Oh, COOL" reaction from me instead of further intimidation. This book gave me the tools I needed to know that yes, I really CAN do this.



2. Considering I've been in Digital Scrapbooking for all of a week, and I've already learned how to make my own backgrounds and embelishments, that goes to show you that this book is amazing! Renee does such a great job of going step by step, it really makes it so wonderfully easy to follow. I definitely recommend this book to anyone getting started in Digital Scrapbooks. It's a great investment!



3. This is a wonderful book, just like the first one. As soon as I get my new version of Photoshop Elements 6.0 for the Mac I can work with it more. I've already taken a class with Renee and it was great. Her instructions are always very clear and concise, and the goodies on the CD are wonderful as well. They can be used in so many different ways and the embellishment that can be created on your own are endless! Well done Renee!



4. This book uses a specific software product to teach you digital scrapbooking in a hands on, step-by-step process. As a self-taught digi-scrapper, I can look at this book objectively and tell you that it is chock full of excellent information. This is a great book for beginners, while still having plenty of good information for experienced digi-scrappers.



5. This book is great for designer beginners with little working knowledge of Photoshop Elements. The instructions are very simple to follow and easy to remember when re-creating on your own. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested designing digital kits of your own.

No comments about Fuse-and-Tell Journal Quilts: Create Your Story in Cloth.

3 comments about Floral Art Structures.

1. Great book for profesional florists amazing techniques and all the variations that can be done with them.
   Thanks.



2. This book is a reminder that a container does not look like the items you can buy in a store. We can create containers that look like nothing else available, to bring out of ourselves the imaginative designs that the best of our profession create. This book can take your designs to the next level!



3. For art lovers, especially those who appreciate contemporary sculpture, this book is a stunner. As a floral designer, I found it fun and inspiring (and a bit humbling.)
   
   I highly recommend it to flower lovers--you will never look at flowers the same way, and to all who just appreciate great art--ephemeral though it may be. This is a visual concert recorded for your eyes.

4 comments about Candy Crochet: 50 Adorable Designs for Infants and Toddlers.

1. I've really enjoyed this book, it's a great source of inspiration and patterns for great baby and little kid items. Recommended!



2. I love this book! So many cute things for babies and toddlers--girls and boys! The first thing I made I used the yarn used/shown in the book, but I would suggest using more readily available, less expensive yarn when able. I had to order the shown yarn via the internet as it was the only place I could find it, and it was very costly.



3. I have made a number of items from this book - the granny square hat with earflaps and the matching vest, a cardigan (I think you call it a jacket in America), and two dresses. I always find Candi Jensen's patterns are completely accurate and reliable, and the finished item looks EXACTLY like the picture in the book. The guages are spot on and as I am in Australia, I can't always find her recommended yarn but have never had a problem with substituting - you just must make the time to do a couple of swatches to get the guage right. I would rate myself as an experienced crocheter, but I have used her patterns when teaching friends how to crochet and one friend made the cute little boys striped t-shirt and another friend made one of the simpler boy's vests and they also did very well and were thrilled with the results. So if you want a book that is easy to follow and offers plenty of patterns to choose from from beginners to advanced, this is the book for you. The selection of truly adorable outfits are outstanding, and the baby blankets are just fantastic. I have alot of crochet books for children and this is by far my favourite. Will suit you for both boys or girls - some of the best corchet patterns for boys I have seen, and the girls dresses are really pretty.



4. This book is a joy of patterns that are new and different. Not the same old afgan type sweaters and blankets.
   
   I couldn't decide which one to make first.

5 comments about Subversive Seamster: Transform Thrift Store Threads into Street Couture.

1. I received this as a gift and was very pleasantly surprised! There are a lot of fun, inventive, and easy ideas in this book. After reading it, I wanted to go right out and go thrift store shopping! It's true what the other reviewer said: you are not going to be able to make your typical business casual wardrobe from this book, but there are several very cute projects that are more than appropriate for any casual wardrobe, such as the peasant-style blouse and the adorable cuffed shorts, with instructions for three different lengths. And I personally think the sports jersey top made into a skirt would be a fabulous way to show your team pride at a Super Bowl or World Cup party! the tank with the corset back is very wearable, and the refashioned silky tank is a great idea (though poorly represented in the accompanying photo).
   
   In general, if you eschew stores like Banana Republic and Ann Taylor in favor of more original looks, but don't want to spend the money/environmental resources on buying new from boutiques, and you have beginner sewing skills, then I can recommend this book.
   
   Caveat: although I have read the directions for many of the projects, and they seem quite easy to follow, I have not yet made any.



2. SUBVERSIVE SEAMSTER: TRANSFORM THRIFT STORE THREADS INTO STREET CULTURE as for any sewer who has patterns and methods down - and wants to move beyond them into the world of altering and enhancing existing offerings. Refashioning is covered with a host of tips and secrets to re-doing vests, purses, dresses and more, from a salsa skirt to a poncho, tops, and accessories. A 'must' for any collection catering to sewers.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. Although I have only flicked through this book, I can see myself finding it pretty handy as a reference and for inspiration. Definately for people who do love to re-create op shop or their old clothes.



4. Making trash into worse trash
   
   Oh. My. God. Where to begin? Upgrading ordinary clothes is a hobby of mine and I purchased Subversive Seamster by mail hoping for fresh ideas. After I turned the first pages I realized that the real value of this book is entertainment. As each photograph reveals a new fashion atrocity you begin to merrily anticipate further sartorial horrors and you are not disappointed. Chest-flattening tops, skirts without proper hems, tucks that look like accidents, a shirt sleeve made into coin purse (who is THAT poor?), appliqués zigzagged with " medium stitch length and width" showing unraveling edges and other hobo projects. If you want to apply for food stamps wear one of these creations. It will help. I alternatively laughed and cringed. I still cannot decide which project wins the Palm of Ugliness: the bulging un-hemmed Peek-a-Bootylicious Skirt made of men's pants or the gaucho pants with applied flannel pajama legs. I also question the wisdom of sacrificing a classic leather vest to make a pair of earrings. I would no more want to wear such clothes than I would want to eat from a garbage container. If you are very poor, save your time and effort by wearing unaltered thrift store clothes, you won't look any worse.



5. This book is beyond bad. For those trying to save money by buying at thrift stores - save your money and don't buy this book! The "fashion" ideas, and that is a term used loosely, are horrible and all look badly home made. In some of the photos the edges aren't even finished correctly ( i.e. a bustier with uneven edge seams and threads hanging out)- and most are fashions that no one in their right style mind would wear. They are not radical and hip, they are messy and sad. The only idea that might prove helpful is how to create your own dress makers dummy - and this is a recycled idea.
   
   
   If you must look at this book, a trip to the local library and about 30 seconds is all you will need.

No comments about Knit to Be Square: Domino Designs to Knit and Felt.