Posts Tagged ‘books’

Friday Crafty Recap | Issue 9

// January 4th, 2013 // Comments Off // Friday Recap

Happy New Year!

 

 

 Since we have been away,

here is what we have coming for 2013!

 

Tuesday Schmoozeday resumes with all new demos, January 8th!

This is where you can come to look for the latest goings on at the site. Here are just a few things we have planned.

We will be starting a series of classes called Artcations, where you can learn projects from start to finish and for only $10.00. Such a deal! Stay tuned for those we will be starting them in January.

The design team will be working on a collaborative art journal and we will be making a book out of it.

We have a bunch of new classes in the works.

New swaps to sign up for.

New Tues Shmoozeday demos each week.

New digital goodies

Linky parties

Thursday Pin-it-to-Win-it

and so much more…

 

More merriment next week, see you then,

Martiel~

 

Click here to become a member of our community today!

IT’S FREE and you’ll get access to all the great information, discussions, live demos and more!

Book Review – ‘How to Make Books’ by Esther K Smith

// November 26th, 2012 // Comments Off // Art Jewelry, Beads, & Glass, Blog, Book Reviews, Mixed Media, Journals & Papercraft

For anyone wanting to give making handmade books a go, I really recommend ‘How to Make Books’ by Esther K. Smith.

How to Make Books by Esther K Smith

For someone like me who loves paper crafts, handmade books can be a great way to show off your skills, or keep all your paper treasures in one place. They also make lovely gifts and keepsakes.

I discovered ‘How to Make Books’ whilst at university and have used many of the projects inside. I now regularly revisit this book when looking for inspiration for gifts for family and friends, or on a rainy day.

This book guides you from the very basic instant book for a beginner, up to much more complex projects making some rather exquisite handmade books. It teaches various binding and folding techniques, along with inspiration for how each book may be decorated or used.  The instructions are extremely easy to follow, with step by step illustrations and lovely images of the author’s own examples.

Here’s my own example of the Accordion Postcard Album (found on page 42) that I created as a final outcome for my final major project, whilst studying BA Graphic Design. I made these three books as a series to store and record postcard size images of altered books I had made as part of the same project, (my tutors loved them!)

My own postcard books.

Personally, I think this book is a brilliant investment for anyone wanting to try their hand at making books. Find it online, along with some other fun and inspiring books by the same author. (I also follow Esther K Smith on her Facebook page, she posts some really lovely, crafty things!)

Book Review: Knitted Beaded Jewelry: How to Make 16 Stylish Projects by Ruth Herring

// February 8th, 2012 // 3 Comments » // Art Jewelry, Beads, & Glass, Book Reviews, Knitting

 

Click the book to purchase this title from the publisher.

First I have to say that it is with some trepidation that I approached this book as I am not a knitter. In fact, my experience with knitting began and ended in the seventh grade with a horror of a home economics teacher that told my mother at the end of the year that it was her first year teaching and that it would be her last because of me.

Yeah.

Not a good experience for either of us, lol. Between my refusal to hold knitting needles properly (I’m left-handed although they tried to fix that) and my use of butter knives to weigh down patterns when cutting them out ( which I still do and totally had to laugh when someone came out with commercial weights for the same purpose) we didn’t see eye to eye.

38 years later I was giving the size 3 knitting needles the fish-eye in my kitchen but no one grows without getting past their prejudices so I plunged in.

The instructions in the book are clear and I actually found that with the little fragments of what I recalled I was able to cast on and get going fairly quickly. I did have to refer to some video tutorials on you tube because, as I’ve said, I’m left-handed. There are some wonderful free video tuts for getting started with left-handed knitting and I was stitching away in no time.

However, understanding the basics and applying them are two different things. I stitched merrily away and soon ended up with what looked like bad fishnets because I was dropping stitches all over the place. I need practice.

Since I am what I consider a knitting newbie I would say that you could learn to knit with the instructions in this book. I have, although I’ve switched over to sock yarn. I am still using the size three needles. I like little tools.

So, although the sterling silver cuff bracelet pictured is based on the patterns in this book I have to admit I cheated – it’s crocheted.

 

The wire is 28 gauge sterling silver and the beads are Magatama beads by Miyuki in three different colorways. Magatamas are wonderful. Think tiny raindrop shaped beads with wonderful shine. The clasp is a slider and is also sterling silver that I found several years ago at my local bead shop and was perfect for this project. See? You really do use the stuff from your stash. :)

There are four patterns in the book that utilize yarn and the rest are wire based. While I used 28 gauge and am happy with the results the recommended gauge for this pattern was 32. I do plan to experiment with some color wire and even C-lon and waxed irish linen as time permits. I’m a fiber junkie and this is a fun departure from micro macrame, weaving, and stringing.

The book starts out with sections dedicated to descriptions of various bead types, tools, and materials. From there it moves into a section with excellent step by step pictures on how to cast on, knit, purl, finish off and various basic stitch patterns. The properties of certain patterns (i.e. – stockinettes tendency to roll and exploiting this property in jewelry design) are discussed. There are numerous patterns for bracelets, necklaces, and earrings and for the more advanced a sweet little bag made with Aran cotton yarn.

I have enjoyed working with this book and I think you will too. Especially if you are a knitter you really should experiment with wire and jewelry making. I think an accomplished knitter well versed in the variety of patterns out there could get the basics of working with wire from this book and create some exquisite pieces. The possibilities are endless!

 

Until next time, happy crafting!

Astrid

Let's go shopping!

 

 

Book Review: Not Your Mama’s Beading by Kate Shoup Welsh

// January 10th, 2012 // Comments Off // Art Jewelry, Beads, & Glass, Book Reviews

You can purchase this book from the publisher here.
Hi everyone!
I know I have been MIA since Thanksgiving.
Sometimes life just gets insane around here.  :) 
Things are finally settling down though and it's good to be back to a routine finally.

I wanted to review a book for you:  'Not Your Mama's Beading' by Kate Shoup Welsh.

I've been beading several years but there is such a wealth of information packed into
this book that I found several projects I want to make.  What I did make were these
adorable sterling silver earrings with moonstone briolettes from the project titled
'The Girl with the Curl Earring'.  They aren't hard to make at all, work up fast,
and are wonderfully light and sparkly.
From the project 'Girl with a Curl Earring'

Curl Earrings

 The book is well laid out and easy to read.  My only complaint is that I would like to
see more color photography.

If you aren't really a beader (yet!) and would like to find a simple reasonably priced
book that would let you figure out if this type of craft is for you then this book is an
excellent place to start.

If you are a more experienced beader there is still useful information here but you will
probably have covered much of the same ground previously so be aware of that.

There are chapters on the history of beading, what to shop for supply and tool-wise,
and five chapters of creativity with over 30 projects.

I am happy to include this book in my library and would recommend this without
reservation to anyone who wants to test the water and see if beading is for them.
Until next time, have a happy and creatively productive January!

Astrid

My Etsy Shop

 

 

 

 

Knitted Monsters book review!

// November 17th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Blog, Book Reviews, Knitting

Love knitting cute monsters? Rebecca Danger’s Big Book of Knitted Monsters has been on the wish-list of every monster-knitter I know! And for good reason: it’s packed full of adorable monster patterns. This book isn’t for every knitter out there, so you’ll want to skip down to reading my review to see if it’s for you. But first, I want to show off the cutie I knitted from the book!

Hugo the Couch Monster

I couldn’t wait to break into the book and make a monster of my own! I chose Hugo the Couch Monster… he’s a real cutie! Since all of the patterns in the book are ‘any size, any yarn’ patterns… I was pleased to use up some of my stash! Hooray!

The book recommends using magic loop, but I’m a two-circulars sort-of-girl, and that technique worked out just fine!

And I’m very happy with my resulting cutie!

What do you think?

The Review

If you’re familiar with Rebecca Danger and her adorable monster patterns, then you know what this book is about! Big Book of Knitted Monsters contains 20 patterns for cuddly monsters that you can customize to be any size you’d like.

Besides the cuteness of the monsters, one of the big strengths of this book is the variety of yarns that are used to make the samples. Rebecca says in the introduction that the monsters can be knitted with any thickness yarn (and the appropriate sized needle), and she demonstrates the flexibility of her patterns throughout the book. Every monster in the book is knitted in at least two yarns: often a bulky yarn and a worsted weight yarn. It’s really great that you’re able to see how the pattern works up in different yarn choices… gets your creativity flowing!

One of the weaknesses of this book is the lack of detailed introductory and finishing information. I know why there isn’t: Martingale (the publisher) imposes an 80 page limit on its books. So of course, if you have a book with 20 different patterns, there isn’t much room for details. There are very helpful photographs sprinkled throughout the book, which I appreciate… but there are a few spots where you’re left to fill in the gaps. You’ll be instructed to ‘sew the arms on using a whipstitch’, but the exact positioning of the arms is up to you to sort out from the photograph (or maybe, your own creativity!).

Pros

  • The writing in the book is whimsical, playful and enjoyable to read.
  • The monsters are adorable.
  • Each pattern can be knitted in a variety of yarn thicknesses and colorways, so there’s lots of options!
  • Tricky knitting techniques are demonstrated through photographs: which are much clearer than an illustration.
  • If you can knit on double points (or two circulars, or magic loop), you can do almost any of the patterns in this book. Most of the monsters are fairly simple to knit.

Cons

  • The introduction is sparse. It contains information about how to do the magic loop technique, but you’ll need to look at an outside resource if you need help with other knitting techniques.
  • Other reviews I’ve read have been disappointed in the similarity between the various monsters in the book. I, personally, am not too bothered by this… they’re knitted in Rebecca’s signature style, and each one demonstrates a different shape/feature. However, each monster has a glued-on mouth, and I would have liked to have seen one that doesn’t- since glued-on mouths aren’t safe for small children to play with. She mentions in the introduction that the monster would be just as cute with an embroidered mouth, but we don’t ever see one knitted up.

So, if you like monsters and are comfortable with basic knitting techniques (or, at least, feel confident looking for outside help if you need it), then this book is for you! Happy monster knitting!

Book Review: Tapestry Bead Crochet by Ann Benson and FREE miser bag drawing!

// November 15th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Blog, Book Reviews, Crochet

You can purchase this book from the publisher:  http://www.larkcrafts.com/bookstore/?isbn=9781600593376

I admit defeat.

I really wanted to do this.  Really.  I was lusting after this little coin purse which is one of the early projects in the book:

And lest you think I am some sort of thread crochet slouch (and to give you an idea of difficulty level) I do know my way around thread crochet.  Here is a down and dirty picture of a filet crochet miser purse I just finished.

 

FREE!  If you will leave a comment on this post and make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you I will send you this miser purse (after it’s been blocked of course)!

Drawing will be held on this Saturday, September 19, 2011.  Winner will be announced here and via email.

It hasn’t been blocked yet so it’s not perfect but as you can see from the two pictures below the strings leading up to the bone ring interlock with the two sides of the crochet and through the flap so that when you pull on the bone ring the cords pull the closure tightly shut and no coins, etc., can escape.  It’s a victorian era crochet design as is tapestry bead crochet.  So yeah, I know my way around  a crochet needle and victorian patterns.  I entered into this with my usual tenacious “No problem, I can do anything” mentality.  I was saying on a lampworking forum where I hang out today that my best quality is tenacity, that I’m like a dog with a bone.  It’s rare for me to throw in the towel but I really had no choice here.

For your giggling enjoyment, here is my sample of tapestry bead crochet, LOL:

The author says in the instructions that the initial crochet chain will curl and should be ironed so that when you join to make your circle you won’t have to fight with the thread.  I ironed.  I say even IF you iron as soon as you start to crochet it begins to curl again (as you can see) and boy, does it curl.  I took the photo after I uncurled it.  Then there is the fact that you have to string the beads on (you can see that on the left side of the photo) in sections of five or so rows at a time in the order they will be crocheted to form the pattern AND you must string on both sides of the project so really you are stringing on 10 rows at a time.  Each row has 142 beads x 5 = 710 beads to string on.

But wait, there’s more.

As hard as this is to get started you will have at least 5 sections like this (restart 5 times, ugh!) to complete and then you have to sew them together to form the carryall.

My hats off to Ann Benson and all the victorian ladies back in the day because I have to say IMHO this is crazymaking.

I restarted 5 times and finally gave up last night in disgust, mostly with myself because I could not only not master this, I couldn’t even get a good running start.

So what’s the problem?

I think, for me at least, it’s the thread.  These projects call for #12 crochet thread, not the easiest animal on the planet to locate in the first place and certainly not something I will ever crochet with again because of the curly factor.  OTOH, I love to embroider and I think this thread would be lovely for that.  Waste not, want not.

I may, at some future point, revisit the concepts here with size 10 (bedspread weight) crochet cotton which understands me and is my friend. :)

The book itself with the accompanying DVD are wonderfully made, the photos are clear and beautiful, the instructions are concise and well laid out.  If you don’t understand how to proceed you can view the DVD and it will become immediately clear.

So….

Excellent publication with excellent instruction, graphs, layout, and video assistance.  It’s not that I don’t understand how to do bead tapestry crochet, I just can’t.

You mileage certainly may and probably will vary.

Until next time!

Astrid

Book Review: Digital Art Wonderland by Angi Sullins & Silas Toball and ROYALTY FREE images

// November 9th, 2011 // Comments Off // Book Reviews, Mixed Media, Journals & Papercraft

You can purchase this book from the from Amazon or from the authors here:

Purchase on Amazon

http://www.duirwaigh.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=793&Itemid=111

So you have photoshop.

If you have photoshop then you probably have a huge technical tome of some sort that you intend to read so that you can really use photoshop.

Someday.  When you have time.

That’s why I have to say I’ve really enjoyed Digital Art Wonderland.  This is a book that gives you the keys to the castle without having to drag all the bits there stone by stone.  Does it explain every technical detail behind the tools it encourages you to play with?

No, and isn’t that a relief?  :)

To work best with the techniques described here the authors recommend that you have Adobe Photoshop CS5 but they also note that CS3 will work.  I have CS4 and haven’t struggled at all.

This has opened so many creative doors for me and I plan to do much more exploration because now that I don’t have that huge technical manual staring me in the face I feel like playing and play is the main focus of this book.  Learn to let go, click around, and see what happens.

There are excellent explanations of layers which in particular have frustrated me for a long time.  Armed with a bit of understanding whole new vistas of exploration open up.  There are also suggestions and instructions on using scanning, paper ephemera, your own hand drawn art, and vintage stock images to create artwork that is truly yours.

Below you will find a few papers that I came up with when I was playing around with the instructions.  They are not elaborate at all but I thought some of you would have fun printing them out and cutting them up for collages, journal pages, or whatever you can think of.  These are free to use, share, and enjoy.  If you do make something wonderful I would love to see what you’ve done!  I want to do some more keyholes myself and then do a collage on a wooden box, I have a fascination with the idea of stepping through to unexplored places.

Here is the PDF file:

Digital Art Papers PDF file

If you like to do digital art but want to dispense with a good amount of techy stuff and just play then Digital Art Wonderland is a great jumping off place.

 

 

 

Book Review: Embellished Beadweaving by Laura McCabe

// October 21st, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Art Jewelry, Beads, & Glass, Blog, Book Reviews

Today we are going to look at  ’Embellished Beadweaving – jewelry lavished with fringe, fronds, lacework, and more’ by Laura McCabe.  This book is part of Lark book’s beadweaving master class.

Laura McCabe's 'Embellished Beadweaving'I have truly enjoyed reading and using this book.  The one point I would bring to a potential buyer’s attention would be that this is a book to further your beadweaving skills and therefore should not be a first book for someone just starting out.  You should be comfortable with thread control, bead types, and the tools involved in beadweaving.  Background in peyote and fringework is helpful.  That said, if you have a few projects under your belt then this book is not only a logical but I would consider a necessary next step in your beadweaving evolution.

There are six chapters that divide the book not including the introduction and the gallery sections.  Those sections are:

  • Beads Through History – I found this an interesting historical review and there was information I had not come across previously in spite of my copious amounts of reading associated with the history of beads.
  • Basic Beading Kit – A review of the necessary tools as well as good descriptions of bead types and other materials.
  • Basic Stitches and Techniques – Reviews of even, odd, and tubular peyote, basic spiral rope, ndebele or herringbone, lacy stitch, and some basic forms including rings and bars useful for creating toggle clasps.
  • A Comprehensive Guide to Embellishments – Much more than the included projects, in my opinion, this is the heart of the book.  There is so much information here and so many forms, most floral and/or organic in origin that I have ideas and inspiration for many more projects not only based in beadweaving but for my lampwork as well.
  • Approaching Color and Design – A brief chapter that discusses possible areas to look to for color and design inspiration.
  • The Projects – Here you will find enough earrings, bracelets, and necklaces to keep you busy for a long time.  Laura does encourage you to take what you learn from the book and use it not just to do the projects here but to inspire you to create your own original visions.

I chose to do a project in this book called ‘Lilac Earrings’.  The photo below is a scan of the actual earrings from this book:

I loved the cluster design but I did not care for the configuration of the leaves as I felt they were not naturalistic enough to compliment the design.  I crafted some lampwork leaves on copper wire and wireworked stems for my earrings.  My daughter says they look like giant grape clusters more than lilacs and I tend to agree with her but I do love how they turned out.  They are substantial but not as weighty as you would think.  Total working time for this pattern was 18 hours (not including lampworking the leaves).

Just the minor leaf change did affect the entire look of the earrings.

I do hope if you love to beadweave that you will give this book a try.  You can purchase it at this link  http://www.larkcrafts.com/bookstore/?isbn=9781600595141

Until next time have fun creating!

Astrid