3 comments about The Fairchild Dictionary of Fashion.

1. A thorough, detail-packed reference book that's invaluable for anyone connected with the fashion industry. We have found it to be the best "first place to turn" for terms and descriptions that add insight and excitement to the marketing messages we create for our fashion clients.



2. This is the ultimate resource for a student of costume and fashion design, the key for readers of all levels to decode the jargon that fills this profession's books. The organization is impeccable, the language clear and concise, and the rare but sufficient pictures are crisply adept at illustrating the necessary word or concept.
   
   It covers everything from names of period pieces, accessories, and undergarments to modern terms in the fashion world. It has everything you'd need.



3. It's a good reference book when you need information fast. The book is set up that way. It's a wealth of information

5 comments about The Impatient Beader.

1. This book is all that it is supposed to be...fun, fast, and funky! Margot Potter has a sparkling personality that shines through in her off the wall designs. She doesn't take herself nor jewelry making too seriously and that is why it is so much fun to read this book. Even if you don't make all the designs in the book you can't help but be inspired by her infectious style. It also helps you to see outside of the jewelry box and think about things that aren't meant for jewelry in a whole new light. Both this book and the follow up books are worth having in your personal library no matter what type of jewelry you like to design. Ms Potter brings a lot of fun to an age-old art and challenges us all to be inspired by the mundane ordinary things around us.



2. This books is full of really fun projects which I cannot wait to do. However, it's also riddled with typos--especially on the quantity and colors of beads you need so pay attention!!!! I'm working on Mermaid's Bounty and if you follow the instructions, you'll have 120 beads left over.



3. From the cover to the very end, this is definitely a great starter book for the neophyte beader. Margot Potter takes you carefully, step-by-step, in how to use findings and how to attach them to your projects. Not usually shown in other bead primers is the use of a bead board and how to make your own jump rings. The projects are not quite as funky as in Margot's later Impatient Beader books but, after all, she's just preparing you for the uninhibited possibilities in her follow-on books. Her chapters lead you on increasingly more difficult, but still fairly simple, projects that won't serve to discourage a beginner. Get this book first and learn the basics then learn how to go crazy with these basics using Margot's later books.



4. Almost everything I know about making jewelry I learned from Margot Potter's Impatient Beader book. Seriously. I bought this book because after a winter of being snowed in with nothing to do, I found myself obsessively shopping online auctions and buying piles of pretty beads. I had no idea what to do with them, so I needed to learn--quickly. Margot's book was exactly what I needed. It has excellent visuals (good for the person who is too lazy to read) and truly FUN projects. Most important if you're just learning: The book is set up so that the projects build sequentially in skills and complexity.
   
   Reading the text gives you the impression that Margot is looking over your shoulder (not in a creepy way) giving you good advice and cheering you on in your learning and creative expression. This is also the first craft book I've ever owned that is actually funny.
   
   When I started teaching non-English-speaking, nonliterate refugee women how to make jewelry, this was the first book they wanted to borrow and it's still making the rounds--I haven't seen my copy in months. Margot's work transcends cultures--and language.
   
   I only wish I, too, could get a little cartoon character representation of myself, then my Margot Potter-inspired beading joy would be complete. Buy the book--it will be money well spent!



5. This book has great ideas for necklace and bracelet designs. The only thing you need to be aware of is this: her list of what you need for each project is not accurate. For example, the grey scale necklace on page 48 calls for 74 pearls. You actually need about 74 for each of the four strings.

5 comments about Pine Needle Basketry: From Forest Floor to Finished Project.

1. I love this book! I made pine needle baskets years (20) ago and just started back with this hobby again. I just wish Judy Mallow would write another book with more of her basket inspirations in it. It is the best book on the subject! Thanks to you Judy!!



2. The instructions in this book are well written and clear, but what makes "Pine Needle Basketry" worth owning are the beautiful color photographs that are liberally sprinkled throughout the book. The book starts with a discussion of the required tools and materials and pretty quickly jumps into directions on how to make a simple pine needle basket. From there the author describes additional techniques such as: the different stitches used to bind the coils, adding beads and shells for embellishment, and using a gourd for the base of a basket. Next comes the "Projects" section where you are shown a photograph of a finished basket. Beneath each photo is a list of the techniques used and the pages where the technique descriptions can be found. The projects range from the first simple and functional basket to purely decorative pieces. Next comes the truly inspiring "Gallery" section. This is pure "eye candy". There is example after example of how other artists have transformed this simple craft into an art form. If you love baskets, then this is a great book to put on your shelf.



3. I purchased this book for my daughter's home school science project. She was learning about different types of trees. She brought back home a whole bunch of pine needles to use. She loves to weave, so we decided to make a pine basket with them.
   
   First, I went on the internet and found one instruction to make a pine needle basket. It was OK, but not clear enough for a beginner like me. The site linked me to this book. I am so glad that I found this book! The instruction is very concise and easy to follow with well illustrated diagrams. Also, it has many beautiful pictures of gorgeous works by the author for your inspiration.
   I definitely recommend this book to someone who wants to start a pine basket weaving. Also, for teachers, it is the MUST to have book in the classroom.



4. This is an exquisite book worth the price. The details are very easy to follow. I highly recommend this book for the beginner and advanced.



5. This is an excellent book. It gives detailed instructions for beginners and lists all the supplies needed. Then it also has instructions for more intermediate and unusually designed baskets.

5 comments about 500 Brooches: Inspiring Adornments for the Body (500 Series).

1. After looking through 1000 Rings, I was a bit disappointed in this sequal. Although the photography is excellent, it doesn't represent the same range and variety of styles. I did enjoy this book however, and will use it as a source of inspiration - it just didn't provide as much benefit as I'd hoped for.



2. Looking through this book, one cannot help wonder at the creativity of the human mind. How can there be such a diversity and invention in an object as small as a brooch? This book is a great snapshot of where contemporary jewellery (brooches) is at in the early 2000. The pictures are beautiful, there is just enough text to understand what you are seeing and know about the creator, and the way the pieces are put together (curated?) is excellent.
   For the jewellery designer this is a fantastic resource book, and for anyone else, it is a great introduction to an artform not always known or appreciated and to the discovery that jewellery can be far more a craft.
   The only thing against it: it is perhaps too heavily weighted towards American creators: I would have liked to see more Japanese, Australian, New Zealand creators.



3. This book, as all others in this series, is put together very well. But...the brooches are the poorest examples of exemplary contemporary artwork I have seen. In my opinion, 98% of the entries are unprofessional in their initial design and completion. Most are unwearable and impractical as brooches and are the farthest stretch of someone's artistic imagination in regards to fine artwork. Putting it bluntly, the bulk of the "artwok" in this book is rubbish. Embarrassing.



4. Amazing examples of all kind of imaginable brooches. You will start creating your own.



5. Lark has a series of books presenting well photographed, contemporary fine crafts. This book is a good survey of what is being created in brooches (compared to the bracelet book, which is not at all complete or even a small survey of contemporary work and should have been a gallery brochure). If you are teaching in art history or fine crafts areas, this is an important resource for students, collectors, museums, and libraries.

2 comments about Woodworker's Guide to Veneering & Inlay: Techniques, Projects & Expert Advice for Fine Furniture.

1. I have done a great deal of veneer work over the course of my woodworking career and I found this book to be a good all around guide to veneering. If you are new to veneering and looking for a thorough how-to or are experienced with veneer and looking for a couple new tricks I think you will find something worthwhile in this book.



2. Jonathan Benson has compiled an impressive guide to veneering, useful to both novices and the seasoned woodworker. The generous use of photographs make each chapter easy to understand, especially in the more complex areas of veneer matching and problem solving. An important addition to any woodworker's library.

5 comments about Everyone's Mandala Coloring Book Vol. 2 (Everyone's Mandala Coloring Book).

1. Author, artist, transpersonal psychotherapist and business person all describe what Monique Mandali is, but do not tell you who she is. I've been privileged to meet Monique and I know that she is a seeker traveling her path. Her walking stick is her love for all, especially children. Ms. Mandali offers a series of four coloring books for children and adults. There are three different delights in the original Everyone's Mandala Coloring Book series, each consisting of 22 designs. While the original three books in the series contain designs by the author, the latest (and perhaps greatest) has 25 peace mandalas from children all around the world. The Peace Mandala Coloring Book is very special because the mandalas are designed by children unencumbered by the pressure of adult living. Further, they bring a variety of spiritual as well as geographical cultures to bear.

   Monique Mandali has given us something special. Not only do we find drawings to color that can aid in health and serenity...Everyone's Mandala Coloring Book Series is additionally special because they represent the best part of Monique Mandali, her love!




2. I purchased the whole series. At times different forms call for my attention and the additional selection is definitely appreciated. The variety is quite good. They range from simpler to complex, with open spaces which leave room for my own variations. The author's designs seem to create a sacred space in which the individual's own light can shine, even if all they want to do is simply "color" a bit. I would expect this flexibility to make them accessible to people with widely varying skills: children, many disabled persons, the elderly, the imaginative and the gifted artist, as well and most of us who are somewhere in between. Yet they are undemanding so that no one need miss out on the calm center and its healing.



3. I recently discovered the Mandala and being the inquisitive person that I am I decided to try my hand at creating my own. This is just one of the coloring books I orderd by this author. Very enjoyable!



4. A wonderful book...big designs (not to complicated) gives enough room for coloring paterns...just be careful with the markers, pages are thin and colors go through it(luckly there is one design per page only)...have fun.



5. Purchased as a gift but would be embarrassed to give it. Very few Mandalas for $10.00. Very overpriced!

5 comments about Your Home A Living Canvas: Create Stunning Faux Finishes & Murals with Paint.

1. Being in this house must be like walking around in a dream.This man is highly gifted!



2. YOUR HOME,A LIVING CANVAS sits on my living room coffee table and everyone who sees it wants one. Curtis Heuser's work is stunning and his directions for achieving beautiful results in your own home are clear and accessible. This book is head and shoulders above any others that I have read on faux finishes and/or murals. For just browsing for aesthetic pleasure or for guidance in undertaking major artistic redecoration, YOUR HOME is the book to own; the perfect gift to give or to receive.



3. I love reading what people have to say about things I KNOW so well. lol I am very fortunate to have a Curtis Heuser mural in my home and when guest see it, they speak of my home to others as a mansion, not a house. Curt is a would class artist, however, this book gets criticized in some reviews because it is not JUST about murals. Please be thankful about that folks. A mural does personalize a space and add an art feature to a home but Curt then teaches how to complete the picture by showing you how to decorate the space. Curt does not say, "Give me a boat load of money and i'll transform your home", he tells you how to make your house a mansion. I, like Curt, came from very humble beginnings and he has taught me how to live like a king, or at least look like on a shoe string budget. He teaches how to select great paint colors, fabrics, and decorative pieces you can pick up at discount stores or antique shows. People come to my house and look at things I have picked up and marvel at their beauty and I smile knowing that the item might have been $9.00 and I bought it because I loved it. I didn't have to pay a decorator a commission on something purchased form a store that already has it marked up. Please enjoy Curts gift for making your house a home from mural work, faux finishes, collections that you purchase from Goodwill to antique shows. However, having said all this, my best purchase was the mural in my dining room. Check it out on HGTV website, episode 508 on the show Before and After. I hope there will be many more books from this man. He has the gift to create world class spaces. I wish all of you could have your own Heuser mural. His portfolio is amazing.



4. This is a delilghtful and beautiful book for artists or those of us who appreciate others' talent. Curtis has created a labor of love first in his home and then in his book. I was fortunate enough to tour the finished product and it is truly gorgeous. I'm able to relive the experience by revisiting his book from time to time. This book is a winner on all counts.



5. Decorative Artist Curtis L. Heuser will take you on a true-to-life journey of his purchase of a forgotten historic house in disrepair to it's reclaimed glory. A chance meeting between Curtis and the art director for the book's publisher resulted in this journey being documented for the benefit of creative thinkers everywhere. Where to begin? What to tackle first? How to proceed? Curtis allows us to enter his creative thinking process as he provides the reader with his inspirations, initial preparatory drawings, as well as tips and tricks, materials lists and instructions for executing many of the exciting painted and plaster finishes that he used in this stunning home. From the elegant chinoiserie-inspired garden mural on the cover to the creation of a faux-rusted vanity, Curtis hasn't kept much to himself. He allows the reader generous access to this handsome home and to all of the secrets of it's restored beauty. Your Home, a living canvas will inspire you to rethink your own living canvas and if you like, will hold your hand along the way.

5 comments about The Craft of Tattooing.

1. An easy read that can be finished in an hour due to its massive type size, the author includes hygenically questionable practices ranging from using hair-elactics for bands and meat-packing paper for bandages. A glossary of terms helps the reader understand completely unrelated slang such as what to call pretty women that come to your shop. Casualy written and easy going, it's also the only book I've ever read that includes a sideways winking smiley ;) in a paragraph.



2. I bought this book a few months ago and I have read it a couple times. I have also spoken to Erick via "MySpace" about a few things I still did not understand, He was very helpful and cool about answering all my questions.
   
   I have no formal training or opportunity for training and this book has helped me to do a total of 17 tattoos so far. Which have turned out very well actually.



3. This book covers all the things that one is afraid to ask in risk of sounding stupid.
   But I am a total amateur. I Have never picked up a tattoo machine before and my closest contact to one was when getting tattooed. So I was left in the dark a bit on ultra basic things like how to set up the clip cord on the machine and such.
   Aside from that Erick did a great job putting it all out there for the aspiring tattooer. He speaks in layman terms, shares great tips and walks you through the entire process very thoroughly.
   I highly recommend this book to all beginners.



4. This is a great book that is written from a very straight forward point of view. I agree with the previous review regarding the misspelled words, poor grammar, and illusions of being a misguided republican, but Erick Alayon offers good information and great advice for those of us that are just beginning in this field. Grammar is sort of subjective anyway. Who cares what his political affiliations are, we should all be a little different from each other. As always, check advice with your apprenticing master (Boss) or teacher. Read this book. Alayon writes like a "real guy" offering "Real advice."
   This book recommends that students of tattoo should learn another subject while tattooing and this is an example of the great advice offered in this book. Great idea! Students and hobbyists should read Ayalon's books and thank him for writing them. I recommend this book. Buy this book, take notes, mark it up, digest it, recommend it to friends, apply the knowledge and use the advice.
   
   Also check out his "Myspace."



5. Excellent book. Had question so emailed author. Received good responce in short time. Delivery was quick.

5 comments about The Complete Book of Jewelry Making: A Full-Color Introduction to the Jeweler's Art.

1. This book is by far the best I have. I have no professional training and I am pretty much a beginner (amateur at polymer clay pendants and total beginner at metal). The thing is that I love sculpting....Yet, this book has more info that is helpful to me than any of the other books that I have. The illustrations in this book are more helpful to me than just drawings, like in some of the other books. The angle of the photos shows me exactly what the author is doing. Yeah, it's a lot of info, but that's what I wanted. This book is more complete, in my opinion, than the other books that I have. I love the project pictures that the author has included, as well as the pictures of other artist's work. It's a good price- cheaper than the others that I have, and I'm glad I bought it.



2. can't put this book down. My design club members are borrowing it.Probably 6 more sales of this book as it is great reference material. The book is also "fun" to read. Great down time pleasure.



3. The book is complete in reviewing all the aspects of jewelry making. Very clear explanations supported by big beautiful photographs. A must for all jewelry enthousiasts who would like to start steps in this beautiful craft.



4. I've been doing basic stone setting and soldering fabrication for a couple of years and have been looking for a good introduction to more advanced jeweler's techniques to help inspire me to take it to the next level. There are a multitude of beautifully illustrated and produced books that attempt to do this - but fail because they don't show you enough (in an misguided attempt to keep it simple) - The Encyclopedia of Jewelry-Making Techniques comes to mind as an example of this problem. This book - Carles Codina's The Complete Book of Jewelry Making - is the real deal. It serves as a basic introduction, but gives enough detail to really get you off the ground and doing projects. I learned new wrinkles on techniques I thought I knew - and got really good insight into new techniques I've been wanting to learn, such as bead setting, engraving, bright cutting, granulation, reticulation, patination, enamel, etc.. Impressive as getting this right is - this book goes further: it gets into the cultural history and significance of jewelery art and is full of really inspiring examples of jeweler's art. Simply having pictures of great art isn't impressive - but really connecting the achieved vision of that art with the techniques described is. So, you don't just get a good idea of how to do the technique and what it looks like - but you also get a real sense of why; of how the technique pays off artistically.
   
   This book starts off with a brief introduction of where jewelry fits in human civilization. Then it moves to introducing the bench and basic techniques and then moves on to advanced techniques. The basic techniques section mentions important details such as collecting and organizing your scraps and assaying metals. The techniques section illustrate each technique step by step and each one shows you a finished project. Finally it does a series of project illustrated step by step that make use of multiple techniques in a real applied fashion. Each part of the book is illustrated with sumptuous photographs showing the technique and tools. The text is brief, but doesn't lack detail. The artistic vision of the artist is modern - but whether you love the pieces shown or not, there is no debating that they utilize and illustrate the craft in an admirable fashion. This book fires me up and gets me working.



5. This is an excellent reference for the bench as well as an inspirational book. It explains in a detailed manner about metalurgy, alloys, basic techniques, intermediate and advanced. The pictures are big and the author shows an extensive variety of projects (gallery and wearable pieces) to demonstrate the different techniques. It is a big book, therefore, contains lots of tables, information and pictures.

5 comments about How We Felt: Designs and Techniques from Contemporary Felt Artists.

1. Many of the projects in this book are a little complex for a beginner but even those offer ideas for new techniques that can be incorporated into simpler projects. It's nice to see samples of more advanced work for inspiration too!



2. The work of several accomplished felt-makers is represented,and the photography is appealing. But even as an experienced felt maker, I was unable to decipher and follow the how-to project information provided. It's confusing and incomplete. Too bad...this book is a tease.



3. A great book! a must have to any budding or even established felt maker. has lovely insight into how many artist make their felt. almost like doing half a dozen classes in one.lol



4. Great book with some great projects. I found the photos of some of the projects a bit dated in terms of colours and style.



5. Great book Carol a must reference for the serious felter and aspiring beginner. Looking forward to more