5 comments about World of Knitted Toys.

1. There are some cute ideas in here, but the major fluctuations in scale are just annoying. Also, none of the patterns are knitted in the round, which would make much more sense and you wouldn't have these big ugly scars on one side of every animal.



2. I have been knitting for about a year & found these patterns to be very manageable. I showed the book to my sister to see which animals my niece & nephew might want & she said, "I don't know about them, but I want the platypus!" I made it for her & she loves it. I'll make something for the kids next.
   
   There are a lot of seams to sew after you knit up all the pieces, but if you knit in the round instead of flat you can eliminate a lot of the tedious seam work.



3. This book is packed with adorable animals to knit. I am knitting the Kangaroo right now for a gift for a two-year old little boy, and it is coming out really cute so far. My recommendation is to take the pattern and write notes, line by line, to keep track of how many stitches you should have on various rows and what the number in Parentheses should be (it might say, "with the number in parentheses 1 less each time or 2 more each time). I wrote out line-by-line instructions for myeself and use a stitch counter and am doing well with this pattern. Her pictures are beautiful and she is so creative!!! A must have for any knitter who likes to knit toys.



4. This book is packed with wonderful patterns and projects. There is every type of animal in all range of sizes. Best of all the designs are wonderful and detailed so that you can easily tell which animals are which (other patterns I've seen you can't tell a dog from a bear). These are great! What fun for the knitter and the person receiving the knit gift of love!



5. As a doll and critter knitter from way back, I have a shelf full of knitted toy and doll books and loose patterns, but this one tops them all! What a great collection of well illustrated, patterns, clear and easy to follow. For those of us addicted to 4 dpn knitting in the round, most of the head-body and leg and arm directions are easily adapted to that method as. Patterns call for double knit yarn but also work well with sport weight yarn. I've learned a few new and very useful tricks as well. Somewhat experienced beginners should have no trouble turning out critters they'll be proud of, and the rest of us will knit critters we never expected to. I've only made 4 so far, but am well on my way to at least a year of knitting fun with this book.

5 comments about Creative Cloth Doll Faces: Using Paints, Pastels, Fibers, Beading, Collage, and Sculpting Techniques.

1. Creative Cloth Doll Faces is delightful, inspirational and visually stimulating. It takes the idea of an art doll to a new level of elegance. The directions are easy to understand, even for a beginner. It is amazing how much diversity can be made from one basic face. Each artist gives the face his/her own creative identity. I highly recommend this book to folks who wish to get into the making of elegant art dolls. Bravo for Patti Medaris Culea for a fine tutorial that includes paints, pastels, fibers, beading, collage and sculpting techniques.



2. That's what this book is good at. Easy to follow directions, great patterns, that can be changed to fit - your doll. But most of all, a easy way to get that face looking, like a face. Not a blob of colors, where the eyes are not in the right place, or are too big on one side, and smaller on the other. This book also has great tips for those who are more experianced. The face intimadates most begainers, and some who have expriance too. And this makes it fun to come up with your own doll face. Where you'll know it will look like a face. Enjoy - this books is tons of fun. You'll find yourself going back to it, again and again.



3. Creative Cloth Doll Faces: Using Paints, Pastels, Fibers, Beading, Collage, and Sculpting Techniques
   Using many photos and easy to follow directions and diagrams, Patti has reduced the terrifying and difficult task many feel unable to acheive to its basics and allows the artist in you to come alive!
   
   The book has dolls from a number of different artists and demonstrates each of their approach to making the face come alive! The tips are portable and not limited to just Patti's own dolls, but ones you can save in your head for future use on a new project.
   
   I highly recommend this book for both beginning dollmakers as well as for advanced artisans who want to improve their work or techniques.



4. Excellent book! Great instructions on how to draw a face on cloth and how to paint and highlight facial features. I haven't made my first doll yet, but I have it on my "to do" list. I really like Patti Medaris Culea and Anne Hesse's dolls as they seem so realistic with the beautiful colors and embellishments. I make handsewn beaded jewelry and I look forward to making my first cloth doll creation. One of the things I really like about Patti's books is she also includes other dollmakers work so you can visually see all the different styles of the designers and it makes your own creative juices start to flow.



5. Another wonderful cloth doll book by my favorite author in this area. Great illustrations. Thank you!

5 comments about The Pop-Up Book: Step-by-Step Instructions for Creating Over 100 Original Paper Projects.

1. Good book in that it tells a lot of various methods for making pop up's and shows example and tells you to prctice and gives good advise if you are a beginner. Doesn't have many practical ideas though for beginners. All examples are with heart motifs and other examples of pop ups made are obviously for someone who has lots of experience as they are really impressive and took lots of practice. No way a beginner could make those. Overall a good book though as it has lots of instructions.



2. Wonderful projects. I do wish the directions were a little clearer. Best for intermediate-to-advanced card makers.



3. No, this book doesn't have luscious designs for you to copy & make.
   
   What it does have that makes it a superior book on the subject are logical. easy to understand directions on how to design & make your own versions. This book also alerts you to problems that might appear if you ignore underlying structural mechanics.
   
   Of the books I own on this subject, this one has been the springboard that has allowed me to design my own successful and creative pop-ups.
   
   If you want to make someone else's designs, this isn't the book for you. If you want to express yourself using imaginative pop-ups that are your own designs -- and that work -- then I recommend this book!



4. Nice book with lots of pictures. What it could use in my opinion is an explanation of the more complex or less common pop-up methods. Now I have to figure a lot out myself because it is not in the book.
   
   I'm not tatally satisfied with this book and will definately need another one to complete the pop-up book i'm making.



5. I became the shipment very quickly. The book is good for someone who never had make paper creations with pop-up techniques before.

5 comments about Plush-o-Rama: Curious Creatures for Immature Adults.

1. Plush-o-Rama, abook for immature adults is an interesting book that would appeal to people that enjoy making crazy type [adult] toys



2. Finally a book of toys that include something for boys. Curiously original designs, this book has that something just a little left of center.



3. Plush monsters are wonderful. You can make dozens of mistakes while making them and at the end of the day you can pretend that they were all intentional. It doesn't matter. This book provides patterns and instructions for making 30 such monsters, some of which I think are very cute, such as Catzilla and the half-eaten gingerbread men, and some of which just don't appeal at all (in my opinion, the Pig/Duck is just creepy). However, the fact that I don't like all of the patterns doesn't bother me because this book is just as useful for providing inspiration and advice on various toy-making techniques as it is for giving instructions. After all, monster making is about making what you want to make, not about following a set of rules.
   
   Each pattern in this book is designed by a different designer, which is great because it means that there is more variety in the patterns that if they were all designed by the same person. In that respect, there are many similarities between this book and "Plush You!" Both books serve as galleries for soft toy designers. However, "Plush You!" failed by only providing patterns for a small number of the toys (the least impressive ones), while this book does not make that mistake.
   
   This is a very good book for beginners. Most of the toys are very easy to make and basic sewing technique instructions are provided for novices. In a number of cases the toys look like they may have been made from cut-up old clothes, so you might not even need to buy fabric. And remember, even if you do make a mistake, just pretend that's how the toy was meant to look. With toys as weird as this, no one will notice.



4. I just love this book! I haven't tried any of the projects yet but it just makes you feel happy when you see that smiling creature on the cover! Maybe I'll even try making one or two! I sent a copy off to my grand-daughters right away.



5. This is a great book for kids and adults some really cool ideas and patterns leads you to even more ideas of your own. Why pay high prices for those strange creatures in our imagination. Make it your own, make it yourself and use your choice of materials. (some of the pre-made dolls are made with shabby materials)

5 comments about Aranzi Aronzo Cute Dolls (Let's Make Cute Stuff).

1. I dont know how to use a sewing machine and the instructions in the book were super simple with great results.



2. In "The Cute Book", readers were treated to patterns for making small felt versions of many of the Aranzi Aronzo characters (if you aren't familiar with the Aranzi Aronzo characters, check out the Aronzo website, '[...] - they're sort of like the Sanrio/Hello Kitty characters, only with more personality). "Cute Dolls" is another book of patterns for making Aronzo character dolls (18 patterns in total), but this time, the patterns are for full sized (8 - 12 inch) dolls, most of which are made from jersey cloth (t-shirt fabric).
   
   As with "The Cute Book", the patterns are very easy to follow. The instructions are fully illustrated, making it so that you don't even need to read the words in order to make these dolls. The book is beautifully presented, with colour photographs throughout and the captions on each of the pictures are hilarious (for example "Make us cute or we'll be angry!").
   
   This is the second book in the Aranzi Aronzo "Let's Make Cute Stuff" series. People who enjoy this book should also consider purchasing the other books in this series: "The Cute Book", "Fun Dolls" and "Cute Stuff".



3. I have really enjoyed looking this book over, and have chosen more than one pattern to try. the patterns and directions are clear and concise.



4. This is a fabulous book for making cute two-dimensional dolls! Since the recommended fabric for these dolls is jersey knit- I use old t-shirts to make them! Recycling and crafting all in one! Most of the patterns in this book are recommended to enlarge on a photocopier- or you can make smaller versions without enlarging. These dolls are great to hand sew- making it a great little craft for all ages!



5. This is the first doll book I've been interested in. The instructions are funny, simple and easy to follow. I've made the spacey bear and the panda and both are just adorable. Planning on making them all! I wish the full size patterns were included (you have to use a copy machine to enlarge some of them). Happy crafting.

5 comments about 500 Handmade Dolls: Modern Explorations of the Human Form (500 Series).

1. I would have liked more text! I want to know more about the artists and more details of how each doll was created. Glad I bought it, though. Very inspiring. Some dolls are NOT in the least modest, so I cannot let my daughter peruse this book on her own.



2. This beautiful book will especialy appeal to three classes of people: artists who make handmade dolls, amateurs who emulate them, and general readers like my wife and me who collect them.
   
   Helen Bullard, who was instrumental in popularizing the art form in the US described these dolls in 1983: "Collections of mass-produced dolls, originally made for children to play with, are everywhere. Far rarer and generally unknown to the public are the original dolls handmade by artists with the same creative approach which is used in painting and sculpture. Their dolls, many of which express American culture, are not intended for play." The National Institute of American Doll Artists is an embodiment of her efforts, and their website is an excellent starting place for anyone interested in exploring the art form.
   
   For several years Lark Books has published a series of picture albums of contemporary arts and crafts. The production process is similar for all the books in this series. A leading artist -- in this case Akira Blount -- asks craft artists to submit photos of their work for inclusion in an upcoming book. (Artists can find a copy of the application form on the Lark Book website.)
   
   A jury selects one or more photos from each chosen artist for inclusion in the book. Each artwork gets one page with one or more photos of the piece and a short writeup -- artist's and work's name, size, materials, photo credit is a typical entry. There is no other text, except for in this case a three page introduction by Blount outlining the history of handmade dolls, and an index of contributing artists with page numbers.
   
   Lark's object is to democratically represent the creative scene at the time of publication. This book meets part of that objective. However, only artists who are asked to contribute or who see the publisher's announcement and can read English and apply are considered. The great majority of the works shown here are from the United States with a scattering of artists from Australia, Canada, Belgium and The Netherlands. There is only one artist from Japan in this book, a serious omission in view of the many vibrantly creative handmade dolls being made in Japan at the present time.
   
   The quality of the photos in this book varies a bit, and doll makers might well learn how to improve their photography skills, especially with respect to shadows. Nevertheless the book itself is printed on excellent paper in an 8" by 8" format with superb color reproductions. Many of the best photos seem to leap off the page giving life to the subjects.
   
   As to various audiences, doll makers and their dealers are proudly announcing that their works appear in the book, and copies are prominently displayed at the booths of included artists at craft shows. (Many of the included artists have their own websites.) There are already over 13,000 references to the book on the search engines; the great majority of the hits are to discussions between amateurs recommending that people buy the book to get ideas for their own doll making. I'm sure that many of the leading artists will be recommending the book to their students during their doll making workshops.
   
   This is a book of inspiration, however, not a how to do it book. It probably appeals most of all to collectors like my wife and myself for a number of reasons. First, it introduces us to many artists new to us. Second, it's a thrill to see an artist we know included in the book; that validates our taste in collecting. Third, it enhances the value of works actually shown in the book, adding to its provenance. Fourth, it is great fun to discuss the book and the works shown with artists we know -- conversations with living artists are one of the greatest joys of collecting modern art. Finally, these dolls are great fun to look at, even if some of them have absolutely no appeal to us at all.
   
   Lark Books is to be congratulated for producing such a splendid book. I'm going to review their other offerings to see what other collectibles they cover.
   
   Robert C. Ross, 2008



3. This catalog of dolls is layered with inspiration, challenging any conventional view of "dolls" that one might have. Beaded, sculpted, poured, spun, carved, knit, sewn, wired, wrapped - the human form is not only explored, but interpreted, re-defined, expanded, and viewed from unfamiliar angles.
   My good friend, Leslie Molen, has several dolls included - I have had the privilege to take lessons from her & am thrilled to have my copy autographed by her!



4. A lapsed dollart maker myself, I was looking for inspiration to start again, along with other artforms, mixed media things....so this juicy and satisfyingly-sized volume seemed promising. I didn't want any how-to's, because I'd explored that in depth in the '90s. In this book, I found new works by favorite doll artists, (missed some I wish had been included), but was thrilled to discover a few new artists to add to my list. Seems like art is evolving to include even more of what we can make of it and dollart is perhaps at last being recognized for a valid art form. So if you are looking for inspiration, or just want to gaze and be thrilled, treat yourself to this book; it's well done.



5. I found this book to be a very good resource for inspiring examples of mixed media sculpture and 3 D art. The
   photography is excellent and the color vibrant. The level of examples ranges from very complex to simple and
   readers will be able to gain know-how and the boost to try this art form themselves.

No comments about Little Felted Animals: Create 16 Irresistible Creatures with Simple Needle-Felting Techniques.

5 comments about Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet.

1. The patterns in this book are very simple and easy to read and mostly consists of single crochet. The projects are extremely cute as promised and the results are sure to make your friends and family "ooo" and "ahh". My only complaint would be that the descriptions of how to do the stitiches in the begining of the book are not very clear, I ended up looking up youtube videos of how to do the stitiches (very helpful).



2. I love this book! These little guys are a breeze to make and the are so cute. They are nice proportionately sized and they make great favors for little parties. Enjoy, highly recommend.



3. Recently, I decided to start crocheting again and didn't want to make a bunch of afghans. When I found this book, it was the perfect answer. The instructions are pretty easy to follow for a beginner. There were a few things that I had to figure out on my own, like when I realized that I had the animal pieces all inside out. Also, it is important to use the suggested hook size and yarn type or your stuffing will show through the gaps in the stitches and your felt pieces will be too small. I found this out the hard way when I used a sport weight yarn and a hook that was too big. There are illustrations for all of the stitches, but you mostly use a single crochet stitch. Once you get the basic concepts down, you can tweak the designs or come up with new designs. It's really addictive and a great way to make inexpensive children's gifts!



4. I had always thought crocheting was a little hard to pick up. The illustrations in this book are wonderful. They show how each stitch is made with accurate color illustrations. And not to mention the patterns. I really love how cute and easy every single pattern in this book is. A definite steal for the amount of good quality content found inside. I love it!



5. This book is super. Ana's patterns are clear, easy to understand and completely "do-able." She does a great job of detailing the needed items at the beginning and lets you know about alternatives to using expensive items. So, with that said, happy crocheting!

5 comments about Forbidden LEGO: Build the Models Your Parents Warned You Against!.

1. Great book, as soon as my four sons saw the word FORBIDDEN the wanted to read it right away.



2. This book has step-by-step instructions that are fun to build and use. My Jr High students really enjoyed making the projects.



3. You've always wanted to make that medieval catapult hurl things at your siblings. You've always wanted to gear down that racer and try to take it into the sandbox. Now here are designs that can help you do it. Not only do you get a ton of cool designs, but included are a ton of ideas on changing up the designs or switching pieces in case you're missing a few of the bits recommended. The designs all work very well, and are of the top quality that you'd expect from the former LEGO employees who made this book.
   
   The real fun is that you get so much more than that. The book opens with exposition on how the LEGO design process works, and gives you a ton of excellent trivia (yes, the designers really have hugs bins of every part ever made so they can build any design they can dream). The insights into the LEGO design process not only show you the incredible quality that LEGO puts into every product, but give you excellent ideas on better building for your own models as well. Even when the book's models are presented, they've given multi-page stories detailing their history, and why the designs would never make it at LEGO headquarters, as well as the little technical aspects down to exactly why the model uses the gearing solution it does.
   
   I definitely recommend this book for the LEGO fanatic in your life- they'll thank you for it. And, with help from the designers, they'll likely expand on the models presented and dream up all-new creations that will allow the design hints from this book to remain in use for a long time to come.
   
   The only thing I'd note in closing is that this isn't really a book for kids, though you should be able to figure that out from the gun modeled on the front. This is a book for grownups, or at least kids with proper supervision.



4. I was very excited to get this book for my LEGO-crazed son, and the included projects are great...EXCEPT for the fact, as others have pointed out, that many required parts are, to say the least, non-typical. To require the book purchaser to spend hours searching for parts online, then spending multiples of the book price to get them, is deceptive to say the least. Bad form. It's like writing a cookbook with recipes requiring ingredients only available in ancient Mesopotamia or on modern-day Madagascar.



5. the boook is fine, but you only get five "projects". for $17 dollars new, you'd think there would be more ... guess i should have reviewed the table of contents before purchasing. also, the pieces aren't identified well enough for me. a name, or piece number would work MUCH better because i don't have some of the pieces and would need to purchase them, so now, i have to order them, blah, blah, blah. anyway, the book is nice, slick and well bound. there, i said something positive.

5 comments about Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Softy Friends from Cast-Off Socks and Gloves.

1. I love this book! The pictures are so whimsical. I have recommended it to several other crafty people that I know.
   The directions are very clear and the product - well, now I can create my own "folk art"!! At Easter time all the little people that I know got these zany looking rabbbits made from gloves...



2. I found this book very helpful in creating stuffed animals. The instructions are simple and easy to follow. There are also many various animals to choose from. I recommend it highly.



3. I LOVE sock dolls, and now i LOVE glove dolls too!This book is by far my most favorite book ever on making this type of doll. It is a must have for anyone interested in starting this craft.



4. This book is awesome. The toys are easy to make - some of them have been completed by my children aged 9 and 11 years old. There is only basic equipment required to make the toys and the stitching is easy. Step by step instructions of each toy and clothes to fit are also provided.
   
   A great gift for someone with young children or a baby on the way. I am going to make these for my friends who are expecting. They will make great cheap gifts for all - christmas, birthday etc. My children have enjoyed raiding their old socks to make new friends...



5. This book was prefect. I was novice sewer with only little sewing knowledge when I bought this book. It was worth a million bucks. The instructions were easy to follow and within two days of buying the book I was sewing each of my friends two or three little sock and glove animals.
   It's great for last second gifts, birthday presents, and Christmas gifts.
   Who doesn't want a cute, little cuddly friend?
   I made myself three.
   I liked the way the book was setup in story format. Instead of just instructions there was colorful photography and a storyline.
   I'd recommend this for anyone from beginners to experts. Even months later, after I've had much more sewing experience I enjoy using the book and making more stuff animals!