Reviews (8)

The Ultimate Gift for the Lover of Beauty
Carolyne Roehm demonstrates her exquisite taste from the very first page of this lavish book.Organized by season, each chapter celebrates the beauty of all sorts of blossoms in stunning arrangements.These arrangements are lush and full and show an artist's mastery of texture and extraordinary combination of color.The photos are reminiscent of the sumptuousness of the movie, The Age of Innocence, with lovely gilded gold, crystal and porcelain containers. The photography truly is breathtaking and includes not only close ups of the bouquets but also glimpses of elegantly set dining tables, gorgeously furnished rooms and spacious gardens.Her prose is poetry, but also practical in the sections on containers, elements of style and basics.A better book on flower arranging couldn't possibly exist.

**Fantastic Photos**
This book is a joy- the vibrant photos actually helped me through the long Pennsylvania winter.Lots of great tips on arrangements- from colors and containers.I envy Roehme's budget for entertaining!

Incredible photography of the most beautiful flowers
The flowers depicted in this book gave their lives for a truly noble cause and have been honored appropriately by the photographer.Quite simply they were displayed and photographed in the most beautiful fashion possible.Perhaps the key word there is fashion -- Carolyn Roehm has the experience and eye for fashion, having been a former designer, and that experience may be what enabled her to display the flowers in a way that truly does them justice.I coveted this book for a long while, having seen it in a bookstore, and couldn't get it out of my mind.Now that I own it, I consider myself very fortunate indeed.The book is divided into the four seasons.Particularly strong are the photos depicting the flowers prevalent in Fall and Spring.The smoky greens, yellows, oranges, reds, and browns of the Fall months's foliage manage to look festive and lovely despite their representing the waining of life until the Spring.The photos of lilacs and daffodils in the section on Spring make one hopeful for the end of winter and make one realize why all that shivering is eventually worthwhile.I loved this book and recommend it heartily for anyone who loves pretty flowers and doesn't particularly have any special horticultural knowledge. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dried Flowers    4. Floral Arts    5. Flower Arranging    6. Flower arrangement    7. Flowers    8. Flowers - General    9. Gardening/Plants    10. Pictorial works    11. Floral crafts    12. Gardening / Flowers / General   

Subjects:  1. Buddhism - Zen    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dried Flowers    4. Flower Arranging    5. Gardening    6. Gardening/Plants    7. General    8. Zen Buddhism   

Reviews (5)

definitely not the best book on ikebana
The problem with this book is that most of the shownarrangements are plainly not beautiful. They don't look balanced as real ikebana should look, containers don't seem suitable for flowers, color combinations are not always harmonious, and in many cases it is not clear why this is called ikebana at all. There are some pieces of useful information such as diagrams, tools, and tips, but I don't think it reasonable to buy the book for those 10 pages (like I did). Decent how to, but lacks explanation of why
I got this book to go with Origami Flowers by Hiromi Hayashi.Reiko Takenaka does a good job explaining how to make an arrangement that looks like the pictures, with step by step instructions and clear diagrams.Some of the containers seem to clash with the flowers, and some of the special occasions arrangements are lost in translation for someone not intimately familiar with Japanese culture like me.My only real criticism, however, is that the book does not really explain any principles about why and how and what looks good - it's more a menu to find an arrangement that looks nice in the picture and repeat it.

great book for those who need English explanation of basics
This is a clearly written, well thought out explanation of the basics of Ikebana. The photographs demonstrating the combinations of materials, and their height relative to each other, are great as examples for beginners. Many ikebana teachers don't speak English well, so this book is useful for a cross reference for something you were taught in class. One problem - there are many schools of ikebana so the book has to be quite generic in its explanations, which is not necessarily how your particular school may approach a certain principle. But again, as a study supplement to a class, it works well. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Dried Flowers    3. Flower arrangement, Japanese    4. Gardening    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Japanese Gardens - General    7. Flower arranging    8. Japan   

Reviews (4)

Ultimate book on creating beautiful wreaths for your home
This is a wonderful book!It has been in my collection for several years now and I have used it a countless number of times for inspiration and as a valuable reference guide in creating my own floral designs. Wreaths pictured are very unattractive.
I was very disappointed in the wreaths that the author was going to help me make, because as many as there were (a lot) I found them overloaded withdecorations, unbalanced and nothing I would make to give or sell. The stepby step "recipes" for each wreath did have some helpful tips forthe novice.

This book is creative and colorful.
How To Do Wreaths gives you good ideas.And the easy to follow step by step instructions are very helpful.Also included are the tools needed to get yourself atarted.Overall a very useful book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Dried Flowers    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Seasonal    5. Wreathmaking    6. Wreaths    7. Floral crafts   

Reviews (6)

Easy, Mistake proof way of pressing flowers, great projects
This is a great book for anyone wanting to learn the easy, quick, more mistake proof way of pressing flowers. It's useful tips and wide variety of gorgeous projects make it suitable for crafters of all levels and tastes. Another Truly Wonderful Book
A good overview of traditional presses as well as instructions for using a homemade microwave press. A list of flowers and herbs commonly pressed, including notes for eachwith pressing tips. Instructions for greeting cards, drawer liners, floral lampshades, boxes, picture frames, flower pots and furniture decorated with pressed flowers, and framed pressed flower pictures with lists of materials, instructions, and over 100 photos & diagrams. 112 pages hardcover

She Does It Again
They said it best when they wrote, "Joanna Sheen is a leading authority on pressed flowers and all things floral."It's so wonderful to have a book written by someone who has been doing this craftfor 21 years....now THAT'S when experience talks!I've been pressingflowers and other botanicals in books and wooden presses for ages, and I'mso glad to have discoverd the revolutionary method of microwave pressing. Read more

Subjects:  1. Collection and preservation    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Dried Flowers    5. Flower Arranging    6. Flowers    7. Flowers in art    8. General    9. Hobbies/Crafts    10. Microwave pressing    11. Pressed flower pictures   

Reviews (1)

This is an extremely useful book!
I can't believe that this book is out-of-print!I used it as a reference book when choosing the flowers for my wedding.I am an ignoramus about flowers and the four-color pictures were invaluable to me.Also Gilly Love lists flowers available by season which saved me a ton of money.If you can find this book, it is well worth the money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Cut flowers    3. Cut foliage    4. Dried Flowers    5. Floral Arts    6. Flowers    7. Gardening    8. Gardening/Plants    9. Pictorial works    10. Reference    11. Crafts & Hobbies / General   

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Dried Flowers    3. Art / Design / General   

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. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Dried Flowers    3. Floral Arts    4. Flower arrangement    5. Decorative arts & crafts   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dried Flowers    4. Flower Arranging    5. Flower arrangement, Japanese    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Japan   

Reviews (3)

Learn to make your own wreaths from what you grow and find.
As the subtitle implies, this is an idea book. The wreaths are beautiful and the instructions simple. The focus is not only on giving guidelines for preparing the flowers and making the wreaths, but on sharing the elements of design necessary for striking out on your own. A Must Have Bookfor Wreathmakers
Richard Kollath's Book on Wreaths is very easy to follow and his work isvery beautiful. I have looked at numerous books and have found Kollath'sBook to be easy to understand and lightweight to carry around forreferences. It's a Book reference thatthe reader can say "I can doit" and make creations to beautify their home or gifts for friends.Ifound that the "Wreaths " book expanded my own creativity andimagination. I like the way it is easy to read and the floral craft piecesare beautiful as well as stunning.Richard Kollath's book has been aninspiration and only added to my own creative pieces of work.

A Must Have Bookfor Wreathmakers
Richard Kollath's Book on Wreaths is very easy to follow and his work isvery beautiful. I have looked at numerous books and have found Kollath'sBook to be easy to understand and lightweight to carry around forreferences. It's a Book reference thatthe reader can say "I can doit" and make creations to beautify their home or gifts for friends.Ifound that the "Wreaths " book expanded my own creativity andimagination. I like the way it is easy to read and the floral craft piecesare beautiful as well as stunning.Richard Kollath's book has been aninspiration and only added to my own creative pieces of work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dried Flowers    4. General    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Seasonal    7. Wreathmaking    8. Wreaths    9. Crafts & Hobbies / Flower Arranging    10. Floral crafts   

Reviews (3)

The Art and Craft of Pounding Flowers
Excellant, the book looks as if it is brand new. I would gladly do business with this seller. Thank you.

A wonderfully stress-relieving craft using flowers & leaves!
I found Laura Martin's book over a year ago, and following the very easy to understand steps, have learned to pound flowers, leaves, and stems onto treated material (she gives the receipe)and also on paper. I have been able to spend many stress-relieving moments with my board and hammer in my little flower garden on cool mornings capturing and preserving the lovely blossoms which I have used to make very special cards, gifts, and treasures that will last a lifetime. I am now teaching this art to a few good friends and some young girls in our homeschool group, encouraging them to buy this book! My 9 year old daughter and I love to make "Flower Fairies" and "Flower Ballarinas" to put on cards, in frames, and on material for pillows and handmade journal covers, etc. The ideas shared have endless possibilities! If you have had a stressful day, go outside in a shaded area, sit on a blanket with your supplies, pick a few wildflowers, or blooms from your garden, or even some from the flowers you find in the floral market of your grocery store, and pound to your hearts content! I especially appreciate Laura Martin's knowledge of flowers shared in her "Plant Guide" in the back of the book. It has inspired me to plant more flowers, spend more time at the floral market and public gardens. I have even purchased seeds from a Wildflower Company online to grow this spring on our 1/2 acre of land that is usually overgrown with weeds!When I visit our kids in Oregon next month, we plan to find some ferns on our hikes that we will pound while taking a rest from our hiking. We will have these beautiful plants preservered as a wonderful reminder of our visit! As a homeschool family, we are using this art to teach our daughter about botany, keeping a visual record of the plants & wildflowers in a notebook, and then looking up the names in books at the library. And we are learning how to cultivate the flowers and are keeping a diary of that process!Highly recommend this book and craft for Garden Clubs, Girl Scouts, and the boys like it, too!

Flower Pounding is Awesome
The Art and Craft of Flower Pounding is awesome.This arts and crafts book is well written with easy to understand directions.The photographs of the projects presented in this book is a motivator in itself.The ideas are endless.Flower pounding is easy enough to do for a child's summer project as well as for an adult.My family is really enjoying this new craft so much that we had to go out and purchase a few more hammers!I highly recommend this book - especially if you are looking for a new, easy and unusual craft - this is it!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dried Flowers    4. Dye plants    5. Dyes and dyeing, Domestic    6. Flower Arranging    7. Handicraft    8. Hobbies/Crafts    9. Papercrafts   

Editorial Review

Although published over a decade ago, Read more

Reviews (5)

Great recipes
Nice collection of recipes for potpourri and sachets.Some ofthe ingredients are tough to find but I found most via the internet for the couple I've tried so far.Last half of the book is on flower drying, arraging and wreaths - not really my thing but I really enjoyed the first half.

I could almost smell the fragrances
This is one reference book that I read cover to cover, not wanting to miss a single wonderful idea.I bought the book mainly because I have a huge rose garden and wanted potpourri recipes, but I was enraptured by everychapter, including making sachets, door hangings, and dried arrangements,and the section on the centuries-old "meanings" that have beenattached to many flowers.There is even an intriquing recipe for making"wet" potpourri, a concoction that I had never heard of beforebut now intend to try!This book is beautiful, nicely organized, and wellwritten.I could almost smell the scents and see the colorful gardens as Iread.A must have selection.

The Scented Room
This book is wonderful.I have had this book for about ten years and, although I have purchased many beautiful books since, this one remains a favorite.The pictures are beautiful and the instructions are easy tofollow.Also, sources for purchasing any ingredients you would need arelisted at the back of the book.Buy it -- you will cherish it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aromatic plants    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating - General    4. Dried Flowers    5. Dried flower arrangement    6. Floral Arts    7. Flower Arranging    8. Flowers    9. Gardening/Plants    10. Odor    11. Potpourris (Scented floral mix    12. Potpourris (Scented floral mixtures)    13. Floral crafts    14. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (5)

The ultimate book on how to arrange dried florals
This is a wonderful book!If you only want one book on dried floral arranging this is the one to have.Whether you are just starting out or have been doing floral crafts for years, this book offers plenty of projects (over 90) to create or to be inspired by and in typical Leisure Arts fashion, each project is beautifully illustrated with colored photographs of both the projects and the step-by-step instructions.

Some good ideas, over-done and off balance.
There are some good project-ideas in this book but for me the results are unattractive, overloaded with flowers and accents and not balanced. I wouldnot want to make very many of these as shown although there are helpfultips on "how to" that I can use.I was disappointed.

Worth having on the shelf!
Even if you are familiar with drieds, this book stimulates your imagination with new ideas.Many ranges of ideas--great for making wreaths and other gift items for those whose taste differs from yours.Can also beused like a "cookbook" with great results. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Dried Flowers    3. Dried flower arrangement    4. Flower Arranging    5. Flower arrangement    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Wreaths   

Reviews (4)

best book on wreaths
I bought 4 other books on wreaths by other authors, and this one is the most inspirational one with clear directions.Not fussy.We turn to it every year when it is time to decorate the house for Christmas.

Beauty!
I am not from the United States and still adored this book. The photographs are amazing and the ideas are astonishing and so symbolic. Martha and one of her staff members embarked to create a wreath for each of the states, and each wreath reflects some natural element of the state in question. Whether it's wheat, moss, succulents, palm leaves, pinecones, tumble weeds, sunflowers, grasses, pine branches or sea shells the ideas will inspire you. Martha's introduction shows a photo of Martha on the balcony of the White House where she writes about her exhilerating experience decorating the White House with Hilary Clinton for Christmas one year and how that very American event inspired the idea for the series of wreaths and the book. This is a must-have for any Martha fan!!

Great American Wreaths: The Best of Martha Stewart Living
Just as Martha's magazine is a joy of visual delights, this book get's the creative juices flowing.Divided into wreath making by types: wire wreaths, living wreaths, gathered wreaths etc. it is also written with a focus of wreaths presented by the 50 States with the bounties of each state proudly displayed in stunning wreath form. Maybe because it is fall and the beautiful changing leaves in Minnesota make me feel all homey, I am stirred to actual creation. Unlike some of Martha's projects when I say to myself, "yeah, sure...." I truly believe I can do these!This would make a wonderful birthday or Holiday gift to anyone who loves visual delight or poking in nature. "It's a good thing." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Dried Flowers    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Nature craft    7. Seasonal    8. Wreaths    9. Crafts & Hobbies / General    10. Floral crafts   

Reviews (1)

luscious lavender for the eye and much more
I just saw this book while visiting a B&B on a lavender farm and cameright home to try to find a copy to buy - i just had to have it! Thephotographs of commercial lavender fields in bloom are unbelievablygorgeous and make you want to take the next plane to Provence or Norfolk.The history is fascinating and also beautifully illustrated with picturesand quotations.The crafts are lovely and the recipes tempting. This bookis a treat for the gardener, cook, craftsperson, traveller, historian andmany others as well. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dried Flowers    4. Folkcrafts    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Crafts & Hobbies / General    7. Floral crafts    8. Gardening: plants   

Reviews (2)

For the Love of Flowers
Flower Dyring with a Microwave unlocks the secrets of preserving virtually any flower.Detailed charts and useful tips help you dry over 200 different flowers, incld. delicate roses, tulips, violets and wildflowers.Color photos.

Does not cover pressed flower drying
Some readers may find it helpful to know that this book covers only silica-type drying methods where the flowers are retained intact and dimensional, it does NOT cover pressed flower drying at all. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Botanical specimens    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Dried Flowers    5. Dried flower arrangement    6. Drying    7. Floral Arts    8. Flower Arranging    9. Flowers    10. Hobbies/Crafts    11. Microwave drying    12. Crafts & Hobbies / Flower Arranging    13. Floral crafts    14. LITERATURE - LIT CLASSICS TRD PB   

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

Reviews (1)

More Style than Substance - Two Thumbs Down
The adage "you can't judge a book by its cover" applies here: the book jacket promises "A practical and comprehensive guide to equipment, techniques and design... guidance at every stage, from gathering flowers to the finished design... clear comprehensive instructions for beginning and experienced hobbyists...".This book fails to live up to its cover and my vote is TWO THUMBS DOWN.Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dried Flowers    4. Flower Arranging    5. General    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Pressed flower pictures    8. Floral crafts    9. Miscellaneous Items   

Editorial Review

The owners of the popular Parisian floral-design shop Milles Feuilles, Pierre Brinon and Philippe Landri, have a love of flowers that is inseparable from their passion for interior decoration. They peppered their shop with antiques, linens, and Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dried Flowers    4. Floral Arts    5. Flower Arranging    6. Flower arrangement    7. Flower arrangement, French    8. Gardening/Plants    9. Non-Classifiable