Reviews (8)

Never judge a book by its cover...
Just because the title of a book has the word "Cottage" in it, does not mean it is a book about Cottage Design. Who the author is, has a great deal of bearing on what you will find inside the pages of said book. Any one who would pick up a book by Lynette Jensen would realize she is a quilter and "Designer" of quilts. Ms.Jensen is a very well known and talented designer. If "Cottage" design isn't your style...then neither is this book. I happen to love her work, the book is a pleasure to look at, to gather ideas or improvise your own from hers. I enjoy looking at it over and over.

Great book for Quilters
Lynette Jensen is very well known by those who quilt.Her books contain mainly quilting patterns or ideas for decorating and entertaining with quilts and accessories.For those of you who quilt this book will not be a dissappointment.It delivers all of the great quilting patterns, tips and hints that her books are so well known for.This is a great book for a quilter.

Pretty Picture book
This book would make a lovely coffeetable book.If you are looking for a book about quilting then this is not for you.I found this book to mostly showcase what the author's accomplishments rather than teach others. I love Jensen's quilts but feel like I've been cheated with this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Arts And Crafts    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. Decorating - General    6. Decoration and ornament, Rusti    7. Decoration and ornament, Rustic    8. Entertaining    9. General    10. Hobbies/Crafts    11. Home Improvement / Construction    12. Interior decoration    13. Quilts & Quilting    14. Residential Interior Design    15. Textile crafts   

Reviews (10)

Great book for crafters and budget decorators!
This book primarily deals with making accessories for your home, and is full of great ideas for making things on the cheap.It provides just the inspiration a creative mind needs to take some great, basic design ideas and run with them.
Fun, Hip Home Decor Projects
What an unexpected project book. Oftentimes, when I see "hip" or "homemade" in book titles, my expectations of the quality of the projects presented is suspended. What a nice surprise. The majority of the projects are so well done that it makes this book worth your time and money. Even though my decorating style is not "hip", I definitely would recommend this book.
Colorful, easy, fun
Abode a la Mode hadn't been on my wish list for long when it disappeared!
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Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Handicraft    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House & Home    7. House furnishings    8. Interior decoration    9. Crafts & Hobbies / Decorating    10. Home furnishing & decoration    11. LITERATURE - LIT CLASSICS TRD PB   

Editorial Review

A stroll through the woods or even a trip to the backyard will yield most of the no-cost materials needed to create the nature-inspired decorative items featured here. Using very basic tools and supplies (pruning shears, hammer and nails, wire, glue, and twine), the authors whip together twig-bedecked baskets, lampshades, desk accessories, clocks, frames, bathroom caddies, window treatments, and dollhouse furniture, as well as such major pieces as a headboard and faux mantel. Directions are adequate for these generally simple projects, but more photographs of the finished product would have been preferable to the colored drawings that illustrate most projects. Read more

Reviews (2)

My kind of Book!
What a great book! I lovewalking in the woods.With these simple projects I can bring some twigs home and turn them into something that is both a reminder of the outdoors as well as a useful object.(And a conversation piece.)Also, we don't have to spend a lot of money to make something.And the basic information about using tools and materials will help me with future craft projects.Thoreau would have loved some of these items for his cabin at Walden Pond!

Two charming people, but...
The authors give some background detail about their lives and their philosophy of living, and it is engaging, but most of these projects are not things you'd want to see displayed in your home.The majority looklike a bunch of twigs tied together, which is, of course, the idea.ExceptI'd like them to have some style too.One notable exception: the lampshadepictured on the cover.Some of the projects are illustrated with drawingsinstead of photographs, and that makes me suspicious.Couldn't the authorsmake one of these themselves, so it could be photographed?Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Decoration and ornament, Rustic    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Nature craft    7. Twigs    8. Handicrafts    9. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games    10. Home furnishing & decoration   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. General    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Jewelry    7. Jewelry Arts And Crafts    8. Textile Fabric (Applied Arts)    9. Crafts & Hobbies / General   

Reviews (7)

Book a must for scrapbooking,card making and decoupage
This book is another must for scrapbooking,cardmaking decoupage and collage.altered books..all ..I love the color prints nice enough to frame alone and love the black and whites to add my own pastels to or paints..perfect for glass paints too..Very nice paper..a real find.B.W.

Great decoupage book!!
This is a really great book to have.The pictures are beautiful and there are lots of little elements tucked away on each page that makes the book even more useful.In addition to all the other excellent prints, the authors have also included the prints that were used for the items in their photographs. Excellent Presentation!!
This was a great book!The presentation and abundance of prints is excellent.I have been playing with decoupage for some time and I found that this book has inspired me to do more and more.I found the collection of prints very helpful in both planning and enticing new projects out of me.The variety of prints and the clear and precise information would be helpful to anyone working in decoupage or just beginning. Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Decoupage    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Paper Crafts    7. Papercrafts    8. Art techniques & materials    9. Art, Architecture & Photography   

Reviews (3)

Inspirational Shrining
Carol Owen takes us through a catalog of artists' personal shrines, that are both thought provoking and beautiful!I'm an artist, and I found this book very inspirational!I would recommend it to fellow artists who are interested in capturing their sprirituality in 3-d form!

Practical, Inspiring and Beautiful!
I picked this book up at the library, but had to buy my own copy after reluctantly turning it in after having it four weeks and renewing it once.
OH GOODNESS!
This is simply one of the most inspiring books i've got!!!! Such beautiful pictures,how-to-s projects...SIMPLY AMAZING! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts And Crafts    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. General    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Body, Mind & Spirit / General    8. Handicrafts    9. JUVY-CLASSIC - BG-B&N CLASSICS   

Reviews (5)

As inspiring as his classes
This is a long awaited book by Ron.This is as wonderful as the classes he has given on floral design.I would put him in the same catogory as Kenneth Turner.

Inspirational elegance
WOW! I was just given "The Center of Attention" as a holiday gift and was stunned as I opened each page. The cover did not do the contents justice. Some of his concepts seem simple enough for someone like me to replicate. The photograpahy and lighting was beautiful. This is a book to keep out for others to enjoy as well as a perfect gift for anyone with an eye for beauty.

A splendor-filled book that eschews mere words
Aside from a brief text forward, The Center Of Attention is a splendor-filled book that eschews mere words and devotes itself entirely to photographs of eye-catching and heart-stopping tablescapes using flowers, vegetables, and other plant themes as created by master floral designer Ron Morgan. Powerfully enhanced with a wealth of full-color photographs by Pamela J. (works of art in and of themselves), The Center Of Attention fully captures Morgan's beautiful floral design masterpieces ranging in a wide variety of moods from fresh spring morning to somber candlelight evening. The Center Of Attention is enthusiastically recommended for serious and dedicated students of floral design, as well as the non-specialist general reader with an appreciation of skilled and artistic flower arrangements. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Dried Flowers    5. Flower Arranging    6. Hobbies/Crafts   

Subjects:  1. Art Needlework    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. Decorating - Upholstery/Fabrics    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Machine Design    8. Needlework - Embroidery    9. Embroidery   

Reviews (27)

Lots of Quick, Easy, Effective Tips
For those of us who are short on time and cash, the ideas in Lauri Ward's Trade Secrets are a life-saver (or rather, a room-saver!). The chapters break things down into sections on how to get a decorator look when displaying accessories, which tricks pros use for making artwork look great, etc.
Helpful but a little bossy...
While I enjoyed most of the suggestions in this book, I did not enjoy the way it was presented. I felt a little like a new recruit in bootcamp! Yipes! And what to do about my beautiful leather loveseat? Throw it out? I did however rearrange my living room so that my fireplace in the corner AND television nearby are both focal points. HELLO... we are real people with real homes and YES we do occasionally watch television in our real home. Color pictures would be great too. Maybe we have all just been conditioned by glossy magazines companies to expect pretty color pictures with our text. Well, we are the demanding and drooling public and WE WANT PICTURES! I'm glad I borrowed this one from the library and didn't purchase it first!

Good book, though more on organization than decorating....
This book consists of lots of tips, think Martha Stewart's "Good Things" but with no pictures. Most of the tips don't need pictures, but some tips definitely could have used them. The tips are all over the map and not necessarily decorating related.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. History    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. Interior decoration    9. Interior design    10. Crafts & Hobbies / General   

Subjects:  1. Carving    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Seasonal    7. Crafts & Hobbies / Seasonal    8. MUSIC & DANCE - INSTRMTS/INSTRCT TPB    9. Sale Books   

Reviews (8)

embarrassingly tacky
I found not a single usable idea in this book.The ideas are decidedly unimaginative and the results quite ugly.A friend bought this for me at a bargain shop without looking inside--thank goodness she spent only $2 for it.Even that was a waste.

101 ideas, 10 good ones.
This book contains a few good ideas, but none that I would use. Best used for decorating your house for a pre-schooler's Halloween party.More CUTE than scary.Contains nice color photos and easy directions.

simplisticand uninspiring
This book was a total disappointment . I expectedcreative adult halloween ideas--things I would want to keep year after year.There were only2 projects I foundinteresting-the halloween tree trims & the silver swirl pumpkin(the cover pumpkin) However,If you are looking for very simple ideas geared towards little children---this book may be what your looking for.Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Halloween cookery    4. Halloween decorations    5. Handicraft    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Holiday - General    8. Seasonal    9. Crafts & Hobbies / Decorating    10. Sociology, Social Studies    11. holiday   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. General    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Mosaic    7. Pottery & Ceramics    8. Arts & crafts design    9. Crafts & Hobbies / General   

Reviews (6)

A Great Reference
The Author, Tera Leigh, does a fantastic job "breaking down" decorative painting.The pictures and descriptions are fantastic.If you are contemplating starting decorative painting or just need a great reference, this is for you.Everything is broken down step by step and the diagrams, demos, and descriptions cannot be beat!

Create professional quality results
Tera Leigh's Complete Book Of Decorative Painting (1581800622 ...) tells how to use color basics, brushes, and techniques to create professional quality results in crafts, home decoration, and projects. From lettering and faux finishes to brush techniques and antiquing options, this uses a reference and question/answer format along with color photos to encourage easy experimentation.

Fabulous, from Start to Faux-Finish!
Ms. Leigh's book, unlike so many others entitled 'complete,' is the genuine article, and comprehensively surveys the many styles and techniques used in creating decorative paint effects for craft. Whether you are a complete beginner (like myself) or an experienced artist, this is the only resource book on the subject you will need. Beautifully illustrated and written in Ms. Leigh's informed and engaging style, The Complete Book of Decorative Painting is as enjoyable a read as it is a valuable guide to painting. Each technique is illustrated with step-by-step instructions (including technique tips such as how to hold the brush and recommended types of paint that many other publications overlook), an honest evaluation and rating of the skill required for each (so the novice painter can select projects more likely to produce satisfactory results), and interesting details on the origins and historical development of individual styles. If you get the chance to see Ms. Leigh in person, as I recently did, do so. She is as engaging in person as she is in print. Long a Martha Stewart wannabe, I was genuinely surprised as how simple some of these techniques actually are, and found Ms. Leigh's instructions clear, comprehensive and easy to follow. I recommend this book without reservation to anyone interested in decorative painting. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Decoration and ornament    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Painting    7. Technique    8. Art techniques & materials    9. Handicrafts    10. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games    11. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (2)

great retro crafts!
i bought the book for the crafts from vintage linens--beautiful. the food doesn't look bad either.

Can I give it 0 stars??Save your money
Not one "original" idea that I havent seen in every magazine or craft book for years.Most of the items were scrapbooking related, which was little things like tags and noting worth duplicating.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Entertaining - General    5. Holiday - General    6. Seasonal   

Reviews (2)

EXQUISITE GEORGIAN
This is a beautifully realized book on a most deserving subject.The text is highly informative and the images are vivid.The craftmanship of these interiors is astounding.Early Georgian furniture and interior design is so elegant and it does not overwelm, like its contemporary styles like Louis XIV, the woodwork and molding in these homes is just breathtaking.If you have any interest in the Georgian style or just appreciate beautiful interiors then you will love this book.

All you need to know about early Georgian English Interiors
As a classically trained english architect I find myself in a unique position to authoritively review this book. And what a book. That perfect blend of photos (most of them colour), drawings - both plans and renderings, and an informative text. This is a must for anyone interested in early Georgian Interiors, as it comprehensively covers interior architecture, decoration, furniture/artwork, and the general design aesthetic of this era. If only we still had the artisians and cratspeople to still build like this. It is an inspiration to any aspiring classical architect. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 18th century    2. Architecture    3. Architecture, Domestic    4. Crafts & Hobbies    5. Decorating    6. Decoration & Ornament    7. Decoration and ornament    8. Georgian style    9. Great Britain    10. History    11. History - Specific Styles    12. Hobbies/Crafts    13. Interior Design - General    14. Interior decoration    15. International Architecture - British    16. Art / General    17. Interior design    18. United Kingdom, Great Britain    19. c 1700 to c 1800   

Reviews (3)

Something for everyone
After hesitating to purchase this book due to the negative reviewer, I finally got a copy and disagree with her.Yes, some of the designs are very 'young', but a lot of things seem very youth-oriented lately (obviously more a reflection of my advancing years than anything else!).And with the eclectic mix in this book cetainly not all of them fall into that category.Plus, while I have quite a few handbag design & embellishment books myself, there are imaginative ideas in here I haven't seen anywhere else, and ones I'm actually eager to try.Stephanie Kimura's work is obviously more sophisticated, but these are a lot of fun and in my view very much worth a try.

Highly recommended for handicraft enthusiasts and weekend hobbyists
The Decorated Bag: Embellishing Handbags, Purses, And Totes by Genevieve A. Sternbenz is an eclectic collection and guide to the fun and inspiring art of embellishing hand-carried bags, beautifying their various designs in creative and interesting ways. Ably guiding readers through an easy-to-follow, step-by-step process for do-it-yourself projects ranging from the "Buttoned-Up Hobo Handbag" to the "Pave Polda-dot Purse", The Decorated Bag is enhanced with 175 photographs, patterns, art, and features more than fifty exclusive designs. The Decorated Bag is very highly recommended for handicraft enthusiasts and weekend hobbyists.
Fooled by the Cover
I was attracted to this book by its cover, so I pre-ordered it. After waiting 3+ months past the release date (Feb 6, 2006) it finally arrived in early May. Wow, what a disappointment!I was expecting some upscale professional design ideas for handbag embellishment. Instead, the ideas in this book are very cutsey-poo and childish.The only nice design is on the cover. These designs might be appropriate for very young girls (faux fur, poodle appliques, felt cat with rhinestones, pom-poms, costume jewelry decorations, etc) but not for the sophisticated handbag creator.A better choice for elegant handbag embellishment would be Stephane Kimura's BAGS WITH STYLE, or Barbara Weilands new book SEW EASY DESIGNER BAGS & TOTES. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts And Crafts    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. Fashion    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Crafts & Hobbies / Fashion    8. Needlework & fabric crafts   

Reviews (15)

Great book from great lady
Leah is a super sweet chica!I met her online and in person and she is firm, sweet, generous and CRAFTY!The book shows some crafts that I can't wait to do and a few that I don't think I'll ever try.But the pictures are great and the commentary is fun.

This book is okay.
This book is definitely cute and has great photos full of vintage inspiration!I'm an avid crafter but wasn't super thrilled with a lot of the projects.I do like the ideas using vinyl records (nut dish, anyone?) but most of the projects wouldn't be worth my time.It's a fun read though.

Absolutely Wonderful, Sweet, Charming and FUN Craft Book
I bought this book for each of my crafty nieces and wish I had ordered one for myself. I grew up in the 50s and 60s so I remember a LOT of the crafty projects in this book. I am *demanding* that one of my nieces makes me the Blue Merry Monster (p. 139) for Christmas. :-) I highly recommend this book for aging baby boomers like myself and for the young-at-heart crafter. Makes a super swell gift! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Arts, American    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Decorating    6. General    7. Handicraft    8. Hobbies/Crafts    9. Kitsch    10. United States    11. Handicrafts   

Reviews (9)

Surprisingly good recipes
I'd never heard of Katie Brown nor am I very domestic, but I first borrowed this book from my public library - lured in by the great photos and simple-yet-elegant-looking recipes.I've made 5 or 6 of the recipes in the book and every one of them has been delicious (my husband and friends/guinea pigs think I took some great cooking classes).I'm finally buying my own copy, so I can try out all of the recipes.I like the little personal comments in the book, too - my best sure-to-please recipes are family recipes (my own or friends' families), and this book often reads like a collection of family recipes from a good friend.Give it a try!

Creative Companion
This book allows one to take their creative minds to the max...it was easy to plan parties, get together, or kids craft days with this book!

She had an opportunity...
To do a better book. I'm not sure this is stuff any normal person would want to do on a weekend. I mean, using an old tire as a planter? An old filing cabinet?Katie...that's called a junk yard.Trash heap.I think you get cited for that stuff in most towns. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts And Crafts    2. Cookery    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Decorating    6. General    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Crafts & Hobbies / Decorating   

Reviews (2)

Definitely for beginners
The book is well written and has great illustrations and especially good information on products for the beginner.It really shows how much fun textile surface design can be however I must stress that if you have done much work with surface design at all, this book will not be very challenging.It is a great book for beginners!.

Great Ideas and Instructions
What a lot of great ideas in this book.The instructions were easy to follow, and the designs were so beautiful.I am just a beginner with designing for my home, but with this book I know I can do it.Thanks for the wonderful book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acrylic painting    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. Dye    6. Furniture painting    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Stencil work    9. Technique    10. Textile painting    11. Crafts & Hobbies / Sewing    12. Decorative arts & crafts    13. Handicrafts   

Reviews (16)

Lucky for you this book was created
If you are lucky enough to stumble upon this book, pick it up! The author has created 52 amazing projects for you to do that require very little or no money. All you need is pen, paper, a camera and some film, and some creative good spirits. If you like to journal or write there are things to get you going in here or if you are looking for ideas for a photo project there are tons to get you started. I love this book! Note: This book is not a typical 'crafty' book, there is no knitting, sewing, making picture frames, etc... This is a more introspective project type book with photo and writing exercises.
Excellent Way to Jumpstart Your Creativity!
Ok, so the synopsis doesn't do much for making the book 52 Projects appealing in anyway...but I highly recommend that you visit Yamaguchi's website (www.52projects) if you want a better ideas of what this book is all about...or just buy it and read it!
52 Great Ideas With Something for Everyone
Everyone can learn something, about themselves and their artistic impulses, from 52 Projects. I have never been able to draw and don't think of myself as particularly "creative," but I found Yamaguchi's suggestions simple and inspiring enough that they had me thinking of projects I could work on, even simple ones. He offers enough detail to start you on the path but enough room for interpretation that people can take these projects and run with them, in whatever direction they like. Aspiring artists or people just looking for something to do on a rainy day will be well served by 52 Projects. I've given it as a gift to various friends and family members with very diverse interests and all have enjoyed it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Creativity    3. Decorating    4. Handicraft    5. Self-Help    6. Self-Help / Creativity