Reviews (2)

Good book with few reservations
I've recently begun my first project from this book. The book has progressively more difficult projects in this scale, starting with a very simple room and ending with a very large Tudor house. My project is with one of the more advaced houses, the Georgian townhouse. While I like the way this book is organized, as with most how-to books there are mistakes. I have found a couple of places where the measurments or diagrams don't match or don't add up. But so far none have been too difficult to correct. It would be advisable to spend some time looking at the photos of the house you are working on before building it, especially on the the more advanced projects.

Another Fine Book From Derek Rowbottom
His books are so well written...for the beginner to the advanced miniaturist.The book is full of wonderful ideas.It is hard to believe they are in miniature, much less 1/2" scale.The instructions arevery easy to follow. The photos alone are more than enough to get the ideasflowing.Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dollhouses    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Miniature craft    6. Miniatures    7. Toymaking - Dollhouses   

Reviews (9)

When Form Follows Function
For some inexplicable reason my mind sees a parallel between Japanese furniture craftsmanship of the past 1000 years or so and the work coming out of the Arts & Crafts Movement the flourished between 1870 and 1920 in Europe and the USA.Despite the fact that I know full well that they differ in many core esthetic principles.Perhaps it is the preference for simple, geometric lines and grace, or the emphasis on workmanship rather than decoration, or the desire to create beauty in the simplest of things.But there is a connection, and as someone who has become focused on redesigning a home, that connection is all that is needed. Nice book, Great Photos
This book was a gift for Christmas...I'd been looking for Morris Chair plans for a while and this one offers four (one base unit and variations on the plans.)The materials list for the Panel Side Morris chair were good, however, on the "leg pieces" I think the dimensions are switched.It states 28" x 1 1/4" x 2 1/4"...I think it should be 28" x 2 1/4" x 1 1/4".Otherwise the directions and dimensions are great. how good are you at reading text and plans?
If you're competent to read and follow instructions, I think you'll enjoy using this book! I don't think anyone should be using sharp tools if they can't follow instructions! I have successfully completed several projects in this book and read through the rest of them.Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateur's manuals    2. Arts and crafts movement    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Furniture making    6. Furniture, Mission    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Miniatures    9. Reproduction    10. United States    11. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    12. FAMILY & CHILD CARE - PREGNCY&CHILDBIR TPB    13. Furniture & cabinetmaking    14. Furniture & furnishings manufacture    15. Woodworking   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Miniatures    5. Stuffed Animals    6. Soft toys   

Reviews (12)

absolutely love it, but not really for the very new beginner.
I've been sewing since i was a little girl, using regular vogue, simplicity, butterick, and mccalls patterns, mostly for doll clothes., this is the first book i've tried. I LOVE the freedom of it, how simplistic the patterns are. I've always been a stickler for authenticity and never really admired whimsy, this book really changed that. This book showed me how using fun whimsical fabrics can really add personality to a doll. Anyway, I found it really easy to use, but i'm a very experianced sewer of doll clothing. The instructions really weren't very clear, I didn't really see how you could make anything of lasting value using the no-sew methods that were also included. But my very favorite part of all was that by combining patternpeices you can make literally THOUSANDS of different designs for almost any size doll, included are patterns sized 12" to 18", I've enlarged them to fit 22" dolls and shrunk to 8" dolls and it worked alright. (with a little fine tuning), I've made some beautiful things using this book, and I also like how the clothes are arranged in seasons.

Gorgeous Book!!!
This book could be classified as a table-top book besides a how-to-pattern book! Anita Crane's watercolor illustrations add to the beauty of this gem of a book. The photographs are also superb and I simply cannot wait to make the clothes, they are all exquisite! I like the idea that there is a multiple size range for the patterns and the ideas on customizing the doll clothes. This book is nothing short of sensational, superb, sublime and the absolute best I have seen! Thank you Anita Crane for a DREAM of a book!!!! You have inspired me! Dolls and teddies at this home will be quite fashionable soon! Could you do a book on dreamy and vintage type doll clothes for boy dolls/teddies? My children will love to have their toy friends dressed in clothes to match their own!!!

the next step after mary frances sews
this book is the logical next step to the mary frances sewing book.it's incredible and simple.learn to sew doll clothes and then take on the real stuff.i started with sewing 101 went to mary frances and did my graudation here.now i'm on to the finer points of tailoring.forget home dec, do clothes, it's really fun and incredible and great showing off your creations.Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Doll clothes    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Miniatures    6. Patterns    7. Seasonal    8. Sewing    9. CRAFTS & HOBBIES - NEEDLECRAFTS TRD PB    10. Toys, teddy bears & dolls   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Miniatures    5. CRAFTS & HOBBIES - PERSNL FINANC TRD PB    6. Crafts & Hobbies / Miniatures    7. Dolls' houses   

Reviews (2)

A Collector's Handbook of Miniature Perfume Bottles:
This is a great book for all collectors of minis. It has good photographs and information. Best of all, the prices are next to the pictures. This saves a lot of time when looking up many bottles at once.

Wonderful,Exciteing to find my passion in print
This book is more than a colledtor's handbook, it is my bible.It has brought great joy to my life, I don't know which is more fun-finding my miniatures to purchase or coming home and finding them in Jeri Lyn Ringblums' book.I would purchase any of her work!!!!The color,detail,information about each miniature perfume bottle is wonderful.I would suggest to anyone to buy 2 of her books at a time because the first one will get worn out.Such fun to wear out a Book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques    2. Antiques / Collectibles    3. Bottles    4. Collectors and collecting    5. Crafts & Hobbies    6. Glass Arts And Crafts    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Miniatures    9. Perfume paraphernalia    10. Perfumes    11. Antiques & collectables: ceramics & glass    12. Ceramic arts, pottery, glass   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Doll furniture    4. Embroidery    5. Embroidery, Stuart    6. Embroidery, Tudor    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Miniatures    9. Needlework - Cross-Stitch    10. Patterns    11. BUSINESS - BUSINESS REF TRD PB    12. Crafts & Hobbies / Miniatures    13. Dolls' houses   

Reviews (1)

Caution
It is a lovely book but I want to caution you that there are no patterns for the furniture.The furniture is bought ready made from Walnut Hollow and the directions are for decorating it.At least one of the items is not available in the Walnut Hollow catalog that just came out. There are directions for making foamcore backgrounds. If you already have the clothing books you may not want this one also unless you need instructions for tablecloths, bedspreads and such.Cute ideas though. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dolls    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Miniatures    6. Sewing    7. Toy Arts And Crafts    8. Toymaking - General    9. Dolls' houses   

Reviews (6)

Miniaturist and dollmaker
I found the pictures and descriptions very helpful.Good ideas and easy to follow, even if this is new to you.

MUST BUY BOOK
I was very frustrated when I was looking to but miniature dolls because they are so expensive.I'm a do it yourself kind of person and this book really helped me through the entire process to make my own dolls.The book starts with a description of all kinds of polymer clay and the author makes her recommendations of clays suitable for miniatures.The book has patterns to make women, men, girls, boys and babies.There are different variations for the different periods (for example the position of the breast to fit better the different styles of dresses, the shoes, etc.)It alsohas variations to make the dolls look older.The diferents periods represented in this book are: Tudor, Regency, Victorian, and Edwardian. It comes complete with patterns, fabric guidance and full instructions on how to dress the dolls and how to make the wigs.A lot of photos of beautiful dolls in a doll house setting.Do not get discoreage if at the beginning you don't get good results, the author herself advises topractice until your skills improve.It really doesn't take much. Buy this book, you won't be sorry.

Just Fantastic!
Very clear directions and instructions with lots of pictures. This should be the first book that anyone buys, if they're wanting to make dollhouse dolls... simple enough for a beginner. Historical details. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Clay    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Miniatures    6. Toymaking - General    7. Ceramic arts, pottery, glass    8. Crafts & Hobbies / Miniatures    9. HEALTH & FITNESS - HEALTH GENERL TRD PB    10. Modelling (in clay, wax & other plastic materials)    11. Toys, teddy bears & dolls   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Doll furniture    4. Dollhouses    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Miniature furniture    7. Miniatures    8. Upholstered furniture    9. BG-JUVENILE PROP - BG-JUVY NON-FICTION    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Miniatures    11. Dolls' houses    12. Models & model-making    13. Upholstery   

Reviews (2)

Nostalgia city!
What a great time I had with this book!Every page, and every photo,brought back memories of these cars.It's a really nicely produced volume(I already bought a copy for a friend who's rich enough to collect realcars!) and if you leave it out on a coffee table, say, everybody reachesfor it and, as they leaf through it, they invariably start to smile.NowI'm just sorry I gave away (or maybe my parents did) all my own toys fromthe 60s!

Fascinating and Fun... A Must For Any Kid From the '60s
I was given this book by a friend and didn't know what to expect... butall sorts of happy memories fooded back as I flipped through the pages.Ragan clearly loves his subject, but he's a added a quirky tone that makesthis fun not just for collectors but also for people like me who justremember playing with some of these toys. It's also worth noting that thephotographs are fantastic.Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques / Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Automobiles    4. Collectors and collecting    5. Crafts & Hobbies    6. Miniatures    7. Models    8. Toys    9. Antiques & collectables: toys, games & models    10. Model cars & road vehicles    11. c 1960 to c 1970   

Subjects:  1. Art Needlework    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Miniatures    6. Needlework - Embroidery    7. Crafts & Hobbies / Embroidery    8. Dolls' houses    9. Embroidery    10. JUVY-WORKBOOKS - JUV WORKBOOKS   

Reviews (1)

This book is quite rediculous

Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Claude glasses    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. History    5. History - General    6. Landscape painting    7. Miniatures    8. Reference    9. Reflection (Optics)    10. Technique    11. Art / History / General   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. General    4. Hobbies    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Miniatures    7. Toy Arts And Crafts    8. Toymaking - Dollhouses    9. Crafts & Hobbies / Miniatures    10. Dolls' houses    11. STUDY NOTES - SparkNotes   

Reviews (3)

Never Judge A Book By It's Cover
This book is pretty on the inside and outside. Lots of colored photos. Plenty of photos of the shoes they have made and who they were made for. But no patterns to go with any of them except two. Very involved detailedprocess for making the solid shape to build your shoes upon. Briefexplanations of various shoes over the centuries is nice, but don't expectto be able to design a shoe from many of the line drawings of shoes. Thedrawings are crude with no variations for each time period. They are not incolor and mention no fabrics or popular colors for the time period.Niceglossary of tools used, shoe parts and techniques. There are 8 sourceswhere you can purchased parts, etc. And last but not least there is a nicefull page plug for the new upcoming book.I gave a three because the bookis pretty, photos done nicely and process explanations were clear.

Great Book--More Shoe Photos, Please
I really loved this book.I have no experience in creating clothing for my 15�" Franklin Mint fashion dolls & the shoes that came with the dolls are a major disappointment.I hope to be able to rectify that soonwith my husband's help in creating lasts & molds.

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Miniatures    5. Toymaking - General    6. Antiques & collectables: toys, games & models    7. Dolls    8. Fashion design    9. Shoes   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. General    4. Historic buildings    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Middle Atlantic States    7. Miniature craft    8. Miniatures    9. Models    10. Patterns    11. Woodwork    12. Woodwork - General    13. Models & model-making    14. Toys, teddy bears & dolls    15. Woodworking   

Reviews (1)

An Enjoyable Book
This is a good source of tips and hits for an under-covered aspect of military modeling.Most military modeling books cover aircraft, armor or figures.This one covers the other stuff: trucks, jeeps, fuel bowsers, etc.But more importantly, it is full of useful examples of scratchbuilding, conversion, and painting.Veteran armor modelers may already be familiar with much of the information in the book, but less advanced modelers (like me) will benefit greatly.I would definitely purchase this again for my modeling library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Military Transportation Equipment    5. Miniatures    6. Models    7. Decorative arts & crafts    8. Handicrafts    9. History / Military / General    10. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games   

Reviews (4)

More, please
There are only 5 designs for this book.I am happy to learn that there is a second book available. I want to see more. The victorian store and thatched cottage are very nice. The fisherman's cottage is excellent and really tempted me to buy this book (got this out at the library) I liked the goergian house as well but it lacked a second staircase so there was no entrance into the attic rooms.
Somewhat helpful....
I checked out this book from the library and used it for my FIRST EVER miniature project - the Georgian dollhouse.The narrative instructions are a little hard to follow, (perhaps because the authors are British and I am not), and there are only a few basic diagrams.But after a few months of mild to moderate frustration, I had a beautiful product!I wouldn't recommend this book to someone who hasn't done any woodcraft or miniature projects, but for someone with a little experience, the end results can be worth the effort.

Neophytes beware!
Following the authors instructions may have you pulling your hair out. There are quite a few mistakes and vague instruction in this book.Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dollhouses    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Miniature craft    6. Miniature furniture    7. Miniatures    8. Toymaking - Dollhouses    9. Woodwork - General    10. Models & model-making    11. Toys, teddy bears & dolls    12. Woodworking   

Reviews (2)

great book about american miniatures
This is a wonderful book on American miniatures and mourning portraits. Ostensibly a catalogue of the Yale collection, it also gives a great history of miniatures in their cultural context, a discussion of miniature painters and processes, and a synopsis of the tradition of mourning items. Very well researched and well written. Beautiful pictures of miniatures, most at actual size, and many enlarged to reveal tiny details. This book is accessible to both scholars and the interested public.

Worth the Wait
I began my interest in miniature paintings several years ago, but found that long searches on the internet rarely produced any new information on this topic.Owning about 4 "worthwhile" books in my collection on the subject, I anxiously awaited Robin Jaffee Frank's book (which I became aware was "in the works" about 6 months before publication). I hoped that this book would be the frosting on the cake of knowledge I possessed on miniatures.I was delighted to find it is the cake itself.Miniature itself in size, it contains a whopping 358 pages packed with information and insights, along with plenty of full-size illustrations.It's presented in a format that can be easily followed, with many paintings also shown magnfied to enhance the concept being presented. You will want to take your time in reading and relishing this book, there's alot of information here.Well worth the wait. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    5. Connecticut    6. Exhibition Catalogs    7. Exhibitions    8. Miniature painting    9. Miniature painting, American    10. Miniatures    11. New Haven    12. Portrait miniatures, American    13. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    14. Art / History / American    15. History of art & design styles: c 1600 to c 1800    16. History of art & design styles: c 1800 to c 1900    17. Painting & paintings    18. Portraits in art    19. USA    20. c 1700 to c 1800    21. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (3)

A Beautifully Photographed and Designed Book
I've used this book as a reference on how to make clay tiles for roofing and flooring.It has other good tips on designing rooms, and information on making the furniture in the rooms.The furniture is way beyond my ability to make, but it's still a lovely book.

A superb book that will sweep you into the world of minis
Venus and Martin Dodge have produced (what I feel) are the most beautiful books on the skills of making miniature scenes, dolls and accessories. My first project was the kitchen in this book. It turned out beautifully. Icannot stress enough how realistic their roomboxes are. Have a great timecreating!

A great source of ideas for beginners and experts
To start a dollhouse may seem discouraging for many people when you think about the time it takes to finish such a project. Here are the ideas how to do just one room box, but still create the atmosphere that you want in aminiature. This may inspire the beginner to really start with a project totry his/her new hobby, but it is also a great source for the advancedhobbyist to try for a real masterpiece. I can only highly recommend thisbook to everybody who is into 1/12 scale. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Doll furniture    3. Dollhouses    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Miniature craft    6. Miniatures    7. Toymaking    8. Toymaking - General    9. Models & model-making    10. Toys, teddy bears & dolls