Book Description
Altered art is one of the hottest new crafts--but for the uninitiated, it can seem intimidating. Not anymore, with all the basics outlined in a simple question-and-answer format and shown in plenty of sparkling, detailed how-to photos. Find out the best type of books to alter, as well as the right adhesives and paints to use. As your skill develops, the alteration thrill will inevitably build, and so there are also projects for transforming more than just books--including making pendants out of matchboxes and gum tins, and revitalizing purses and luggage.
Customer Reviews:
The Most Uninspiring Book in My Library.......2007-03-01
I am relatively new at altered art, so I thought this book would be a good one for me. Sadly, I am grossly disappointed. How ugly the majority of the projects are! Many of them look like an elementary school child would have no problem completing them. The projects in this book were just not anything I would qualify as "Art." I only gave it two stars for the nice photography.
Disappointed, sort of.......2006-07-15
I love the quality of the pictures of the final projects and the overal quality of the book presentation. However, I did not like the "refer to page [x]" for the step-by-step techniques in each project and the pictures of the steps did not help much. Every technique is not the same from project to project. It seemed a lazy approach to the book layout. Other than that is was OK.
Altered Art for the First Time.......2006-06-12
An excellent offering for artists of all levels, Madeline Arendt opens your eyes to new and easy ways of creating keepsakes that will become family heirlooms. Her directions are simple to follow, and she gives the reader permission to take the project and "jump off the page." A great addition to any artist's library!
From expert to novice there is something here for everyone!.......2005-11-14
If you are new to the altered art craze or an old hand you will find inspiration and great advice in this book. The projects are well thought out, delightfully original and inspiring. Learn a variety of techniques easily with step by step photography or just gaze at the artistry to stir your own creative juices. This book is a must have for anyone working with paper, fabrics, paints, or inks.
Book Description
More and more needleworkers are rediscovering quilting—and these newcomers want a youthful, fresh, and fashionable approach to the craft. Here it is: a comprehensive introduction to quilting with a thoroughly modern attitude, plus creative ideas and time-saving tips. Of course, it presents all the basic tools and techniques, with advice on everything from preparing the fabric to adding backing and filler to assembling the final product. Twenty spectacular projects—from small wall hangings to large blankets—reveal the amazing versatility of today’s quilting. Easy-to-assemble big blocks and appliqués create a powerful visual impact. Freeform designs require minimal measuring and marking. The materials feature irresistible prints, vintage-style charm, or cool details. Each quilt is fabulous!
A Selection of the Crafter's Choice Book Club.
Book Description
Delight family and friends with exquisitely decorated cakes for birthdays, dinner parties, or just as a special treat. Through a simple question-and-answer format, with every procedure shown in color photographs, beginners will find out how to decorate without icing (just use a powdered sugar design); how to make chocolate curls and gumpaste flowers; how to prepare the drizzled chocolate icing known as ganache; and how to embellish tiered, bundt, and raspberry-filled cakes. See how to whip up fondant, ice petits fours, and use a pastry bag to write greetings and create adornments. The all-important wedding cake is here, too. And while the focus is on decoration, there are also basic cake and icing recipes, too.
Customer Reviews:
good but needs some proofing.......2006-02-14
For most things, the instructions are clear and easy to follow- great for learning the basics. However, something is wrong with the chocolate cake recipe. It tells you add 1/4 CUP cinnamon (although the picture shows what looks like a 1 tsp) and no where in the directions does it tell you to add sugar. This is the only mistake I've found so far, but I haven't tried everything yet.
Book Description
Arranged in a Q & A format, this handbook covers all the basics: different types of beads, tools, materials, techniques for 18 easy projects (each building on the one before), and 14 more challenging ones. Incorporate knotting, use pressure crimps and stitching to make ornaments, jewelry, needlepoint, a wrapped candleholder, and more. “Benson takes the mystery out of basic beadwork techniques.”—Library Journal.
Customer Reviews:
A beginners must.......2003-05-18
This was one of the first books I bought when taking up a new hobbie, I hightly recommend it.
Nice assortment of beading projects.......2002-08-31
What I really notice about this book is its wide assortment of large and nicely photographed projects, from simple to complex, easy to difficult, from earrings to bookmarks. The projects are also pretty and elegant in my opinion, and the workmanship looks professional.
There are a few projects a beginner could do without much difficulty, such as gluing beads to a wooden form, or stringing beads on an elastic cord for making bracelets. Many other projects would be difficult for a beginner to follow without prior experience. For those with some background knowledge and experience, I think the instructions and the colored diagrams showing threading techniques are clear and easy to follow.
The more advanced projects, among others, include weaving beads on a loom to make a bookmark, threading beads into a beautiful celtic knot design for making a necklace and squared-needle weaving to make a pretty beaded pouch that can also be hung from a necklace.
As one reviewer complained, there are a few holes in the instructions, with the assumption you already know how to do basic techniques such as "using round-nosed pliers, form a loop in end of head pin". For this reason, this is not truly a book for beginners. For a person who knows the basics, this book has lots of ideas and projects from which to choose. Since it is difficult to follow instructions in any book for detailed work such as this, I recommend taking a class first and then buying this book for building skills and getting inspiration.
Terrible lack of technique, instructions out of order........2002-04-12
I am a beading beginner who has done some simple stringing on my own and wishes to find books to show me some fun projects with which I can learn some pattern stitches and most importantly, techniques for working with findings and finishing strings in a clean & professional manner. I had hoped the Ann Benson books would help but I find she is a second rate author and although she may be able to teach in person, these books are terrible for a beginner: they contain patterns but do not teach, instructions for projects are out of order, materials required are not sufficiently explained, techniques are not explained. They claim to be written for beginners {in both titles, for crying out loud} but are instead incredibly frustrating as you need to look elsewhere for HOW to do the things you will be asked to do. How do you "create a loop in the headpin using round nosed pliers"? How do you "close crimp neither too flatly nor loosely with needle nosed pliers"?
In addition, I'm really annoyed with the poor quality of work shown in the book. Frankly the project photos reveal cheesy taste; lots of thread showing and not {in my estimation} very wearable or attractive end results, little of the jewelry is aesthetically pleasing being clunky, chunky stuff that I don't want to learn to make. Exceptions being a fringy pair of earrings and a fringed bag, the pattern for both can be gotten everywhere.
I'm really disappointed, I've purchased and returned "Beadwork Basics" and "Beading for the First Time" immediately. I have requested other "beginner" style beading books and will post reviews of all that I find.
WOW.......2001-12-28
This book is amazing. The detail the author go to makes beading for the first time really fun and successful. It is a definate must buy for a first time beader.
A good starter book.......2001-09-18
Ann Benson has written several bead books: Beadweaving, Beadwear, Beadwork Basics, and Two-hour Beaded Projects. Beading for the First Time contains the best of these four books, combining techniques into almost thirty projects. You will learn to bead using glue, wire, headpins, needles and thread, elastic, and many other materials to show off your beads and design skills.
At the end of the book in her artists' gallery, Ann shows the work of Jackie Hirsch, Christiana Lapatina Johnson, Sharon Bateman, Kathy Rice and Ginger Sizemore. This book is an excellent starter book, but even an advanced beader can learn a few new tricks from it.
Book Description
Cloth dolls and wooden dolls; life-size figures and those as small as clothespins; dolls as ornaments and a complete set of dolls—like a miniature family: oh, what a beautiful doll you can make with this well-illustrated guide at your side. As with all the acclaimed For the First Time books, it teaches the basics, from preparing the patterns to painting the face and styling the hair. The techniques unspool in an easy-to-follow question and answer form—How do I make a simple cloth doll? How do I make a doll with button-on joints?—accompanied by a project. Above all, every page encourages crafters to break the rules, use their imagination, and find ways of making each doll special and personal.
Customer Reviews:
Dolls homely, techniques helpful.......2006-06-18
These dolls are not my style, but the lessons are good and progressive. I will apply them to other types of dolls. She even shows you how to make your own shoes to fit any dolls. One tip that she gives I disagree with; she makes fingered dolls by placing a folded pipe cleaner in each finger, which makes the hands look elongated. A more natural hand is made by making the hand then using hand stitches on the outside.
Unleash your inner primitive folk artist!.......2006-05-11
This book is a thorough course in the basics of doll-making. I do think the title is a bit broad, since this covers the folk style of doll-making exclusively. The instructions and color photos are excellent.
The Doll Making Basics section is almost a complete course in itself. The techniques are general in nature, and could be used in designing your own dolls. Almost every page has multiple color photos that are very helpful. The directions for making a cloth doll illustrate in detail how to sculpt fingers, toes and faces. Next, the basics of making a wooden doll are shown. Hairdos, clothing, shoes and embellishments round out this section.
The crafts skills that you will use the most are sewing (hand and machine) and decorative painting. A big heaping of creativity and personality help out, too.
The projects are arranged in order of difficulty, and each doll is designed to teach a different aspect of doll-making -- using patterns, mixing wood & cloth, sculpting faces, adding a beard, making an ornament, painting methods, and more.
Due to the clear instructions and photos, and the emphasis on learning new crafts techniques, this is a reference book that you can use again and again. It's a great example of how craft techniques should be taught.
Inspiration for the beginner.......2005-01-09
This is a beautiful book filled with photos, clear instructions and inspiration for making a personable first doll. Instructions guide one through the basics of making the dolls presented and the skills needed to move beyond. The range of dolls presented provides a jumping-off point for creatively making a doll of your own. I have dipped my fingers into doll-making for a long time but after reading this book, I am ready!
Average customer rating:
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Buying a House: The First Time Homebuyer's Guide
Michael T., Sr. Perry
Manufacturer: Writer's Showcase Press
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100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask: With Answers from Top Brokers from Around the Country (100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask)
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The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make (and How to Avoid Them)
ASIN: 0595123236 |
Book Description
This is an easy to read, easy to understand, guide to buying a house for the first time. Buying that first home is usually a frightening and unsettling experience. The average person has no clue as to what to expect, how to begin, or what to look for to protect their own interests. This simple guide helps to alleviate the anxieties experienced in that first home purchase. It defines the roles of the buyer, the seller, the realtors, the mortgage companies, attorneys and escrow companies. The glossary contains only those words a first time buyer might reasonably come in contact with.
This is NOT a real estate investment guide, or a get rich quick manual. It is a guide for serious first time buyers who want to go into this transaction armed with the basic facts, and the confidence that comes from knowing the ground rules. Recommended for EVERY first time buyer!!
Customer Reviews:
Good Review.......2007-08-24
If you are looking to buy a house for the first time, this is some good research material.
Average customer rating:
- Not very meat-y.
- This book sucks!
- Great Ideas and Very Helpful
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First Home: A Decorating Guide and Sourcebook for the First Time Around
Leslie Linsley
Manufacturer: Quill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 068815137X |
Amazon.com
Consider the circumstances that most first-time home buyers find themselves in. For weeks or months, they've been assaulted by choices, ending with the biggest, most nerve-wracking purchasing decision of their lives. They've already spent enough dough to rival a hamburger-bun factory, and now they've got to figure out where, in the vast cavern that is their new home, to put the meager belongings they've accumulated. Suddenly the house that looked so wonderful with those other people's furniture just looks ... empty. Yet most new homeowners also don't want to go further into debt, nor do they want to live with the shoddy results of bargain-basement decorating.
Leslie Linsley comes to the rescue with First Home, written expressly for those furnishing and decorating a house or apartment for the first time. Linsley's room-by-room approach is focused, relaxed, and helpful, and she stresses repeatedly that it doesn't all have to happen at once: "Don't be in a hurry and don't be embarrassed if your house or apartment is filled with empty space for a while. Take your time." Thinking, planning, buying the pieces that are most important first--what Linsley dubs the "I-can't-live-without-a-bed" items--and living in the space for a while before deciding exactly how to fill it help ensure that each room will reflect your personal style and go easy on your overall budget.
Linsley covers all the practical aspects of choosing a room's permanent and semipermanent fixtures--wall and floor coverings, lighting, furniture, window treatments, storage, hardware, and accessories--thoroughly and sensibly, always making a case for both high quality and good value: "Comfort is more important than anything. If it looks good but feels wrong, it won't last."
She gives great rules of thumb for space planning and furniture placement (e.g., allow three feet for opening drawers, and two to three feet for pulling dining chairs away from the table). Small tips in the margins offer everything from where to find online advice for wallpapering to a list of the toll-free phone numbers for major appliance manufacturers. Perhaps the book's only weak point is the sidebar tips from professional designers, which are too brief and oblique to be truly helpful. But Linsley's own advice is so solidly on the mark as to make this a near-perfect choice not only for first-time decorators but also for those considering a new look for their living space. --Barrie Trinkle
Customer Reviews:
Not very meat-y........2000-10-13
This book could easily have been half the number of pages for several reasons. Besides using larger print (which is okay by me) and lots of b&w drawings, she only uses about 2/3 of the page for text, so there's quite a bit of blank space. Mainly though, I got tired of her repeating the same information. For example, when she talks about cabinets, she tells you the same stuff in the chapters on kitchens and home offices. She repeats the information about lighting in the bathroom and living room chapters. Also, she likes to decorate with white and often recommends that color scheme, which doesn't seem very practical to me. Overall, I learned a couple of things about decorating and picked up a few tips, but unless you really don't know anything at all about decorating, I would keep looking for a book with more depth and detail.
This book sucks!.......1999-09-15
I ended up returning this very disappointing book. It's all black and white, with no color. How can a decorating book be effective in black and white? The advice seemed very outdated and the book was boring. Don't waste your money!
Great Ideas and Very Helpful.......1999-07-19
I checked out this book from the library to "preview" it. My husband and I are planning on buying our first house in less than two months. I wanted to see what type of advice the author gave before I went out and spent the money on a book. (We are on quite a tight budget, my husband is finishing school.) I thought this book gave me lots of "direction" and helpful advice on where to start. Although, I do disagree with the author about the bedroom being the most important place to decorate. I believe the kitchen is the most important. But that is a matter of personal opinion. She gave me lots of ideas about how to go about furnishing a room etc. The only problem with this book that I can see is that there is no real help when it comes to choosing colors for room and no "instructions" on where to place furniture. I think a little more "insturction" in classical placement and color would have made the book a little better. On the whole it is a very helpful book and high on my list of things to buy when we do get our new (first) house.
Average customer rating:
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Decorating for the first time (For The First Time)
Eileen Cannon Paulin
Manufacturer: Sterling/Chapelle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1402734565 |
Book Description
With its luminous photography, question-and-answer format, and detailed instructions for putting a personal stamp on every room, this guide—written by a media expert—is simply a must-have.
Take it to the home improvement store when you’re choosing materials or keep it handy as you’re working on the nitty-gritty tasks required to turn decorating dreams into reality. Formulas for measuring windows, walls, floors, and other spaces will prove invaluable for those have never hung a drape, laid a carpet, or figured out whether that king-size bed will fit. Whether your first time decorating project is a small, rented apartment or a spacious home, you’ll see how to do it right, do it on your desired budget, and do it beautifully. A Selection of the Homestyle Book Club.
Eileen Cannon Paulin appears regularly on HGTV and the Discovery Channel, and is a frequent guest on It’s Christopher Lowell! She is the former editor of Romantic Homes magazine, the former publisher of Victorian Homes magazine, and the author of The Serene Home (Sterling, 2003).
Book Description
Most ancient cultures used gourds in every aspect of life. Decorating gourds is everybody's favorite craft, as you'll see from the more than two-dozen varied projects shown here. A handy guide tells you where to find or buy gourds, and how to prepare them. Then use your easily-learned skills with leather-dye, egg-dye, spray and acrylic paint, wax shoe polish, découpage, airbrush, waxed linen, dyed raffia, and beads. Select your projects: storage containers for food, medicine, herbs, seeds, oils, jewelry, and even sacred objects. Turn dipper gourds into ladles, bowls, and cooking utensils, or create musical instruments such as thumb pianos, harps, banjos, drums, and rattles, as well as a variety of masks, earrings and necklaces, piggy banks, bird feeders, birdhouses, toys, candleholders, and luminaries.
Customer Reviews:
THIS WORK IS JUST WHAT THE TITLE STATES IT IS.......2006-08-06
Excellent work and publicaiton here! This is one of the first works I have encoundered that is truely for the beginning gourd worker. It is wonderfully illustrated and the text is very, very workable. The author gives step by step instructions, all illustrated of dozens upon dozens of projects and ideas for others. The author gives a good overview of the basics, types of gourds, preparation of the gourd for work, different techniques and different materials that can be used. I most certainly agree with another reviewer here, in that this work probably would not be the ideal one to use for smaller children our large groups. On the other hand, it is just crammed with great ideas. I have been working (mostly carving) gourds for quite a number of years now and have many books on the subject. This book pretty well illustrated the untruth of the old saying "you can't teach a old dog new trick." Recommend this work highly. You probably will want to purchas this one as it is a good reference to fall back on.
Beautiful and useful..............2005-09-24
GOURD CRAFTS FOR THE FIRST TIME. At last, a book that meets my expectations. Marilyn Host starts with the assumption you have already grown your gourds, or purchased them from a nearby market and are ready to work with them. She covers everything from identifying the individual gourds by type to selecting the general materials you will need for your projects, such as soap, bleach, scouring pads, knives, spoons, glue sticks, scissors, sandpaper, pencils, rags, saws, drills, brushes, paints and dyes, sponges, and twine as well sealing agents. She then describes the steps for preparing the gourd by cleaning the surface and interior, and carving the gourd while it is pliable. Assembly of a specific item may involve combining forms, puncturing and/or extracting sections of the surface, as well as painting and/or decoupage. Using photos and well written text, Goldman describes in great detail the construction of a number of gourd products ranging from containers to decorative pieces.
While this little book is very thorough, the projects are relatively complex and mostly for adults. I personally would use this book with older girls, but not younger children (especially most little boys) unless you are working one on one with a responsible child. If you plan to use gourds for a group craft project, be prepared to do the prep work involving knives and drills yourself. You can then let the kids apply paints, dyes, and glue to their heart's content. There are some nifty ideas for masks, bird houses and luminaries but all require puncturing and cutting. This is an excellent craft book.
Average customer rating:
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Decorative Painting for the first time (For The First Time)
Plaid
Manufacturer: Sterling/Chapelle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 140272764X |
Book Description
Take a decorative painting course right in your own home! Through a series of questions and answers, this latest addition to the popular “For the First Time®” series walks you through the basics of decorative painting, carefully building your skills with a collection of sequential projects. Familiarize yourself with the necessary tools and supplies, and then start learning to paint. Practice making scrolls on a filigree platter, and use the chiseled end of a brush when you make a palm tree bathroom set. Work with splattering on a snowman candy dish, and stippling on a honey bear plate. A selection of more complex projects lets you move beyond the basics, as does an inspiring gallery of advanced ideas and designs by professional artists.
Customer Reviews:
Super paint instructions.......2005-09-21
This is a clearly written book with complete instructions for both the beginning painter and painters needing to hone their painting knowledge. It contains information about brushes, tools, and techniques. Many patterns are also included.
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- America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It
- Architectural Graphic Standards, Tenth Edition (Book only)
- Back to the Bedroom
- Buddhism Plain and Simple
- Call of the Mall: The Geography of Shopping by the Author of Why We Buy
- Classical Living: Reconnecting With the Rituals for Ancient Rome
- Color for Interior Design
- Color Your Home: More than 65,000 at-a-glance Room Combinations
- Complete Deck Book (Complete Book)
- Concise Rules of APA Style (Concise Rules of the American Psychological Association (APA) Style)
Books Index
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New Directions in Altered Books
