Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Awesome!
This book is full of fun stuff to do with your kids. And the instructions are clear,the pictures are bright and well thought out! My daughter has already chosen her yearly Christmas craft to make for each member of the family. A wonderful product.

Kids craft book
My four year old enjoys doing art from this craft book - it has simple to understand directions and great photos. The art is interesting for kids, but doesn't require too much shopping for craft items not on hand. The best craft book for kids that we own. ... Read more

Product Description
Take a trip through your leftover scraps of fabric and discover what you can make. Here are over 70 pretty and practical projects to make with scraps of fabric less than a yard long. Would you believe gems like these are possible--beautiful handbags, necklace and matching earrings, table mats, baby pillow, and other fabulous items. Never throw another scrap away. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

projects hold up almost a decade later...
If you are looking for unusual fabric scrap projects that are timeless and quirky then this is a book you may enjoy. Especially unique are the fabric bowls, hat, jewelry and "artsy" blanket ideas. The projects are easy to follow for the advanced beginner and up. If your looking for a good "cheap" craft book here it is:)

5 stars ... Read more

Product Description
Japan has a long tradition of superb craft work in many media, including ceramics, textiles, laquerwork, metal, wood, glass, and bamboo. The worldwide appreciation and respect for Japanese crafts is embedded in Japanese social mores and culture. Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan presents some of the finest examples of art-craft created in Japan in the past fifty years, submitted to the Japan Art Craft Association annual exhibition, an open and competitive showcase inaugurated in 1954.

A number of the artists included are considered "Living National Treasures," holders of special craft skills recognized by the Japanese government. While much of their work is traditional in form and function, it also reflects the needs of contemporary society through the improvement of techniques and the use of new materials.

Fine porcelains with exquisite designs, fabulous kimonos, lacquer boxes with mother-of-pearl inlay, a hammered-silver vase, a box made from striped ebony wood, delicate dolls, and crystal glass are but a few of the exceptional pieces illustrated.

Published to accompany an exhibition at the British Museum, this sumptuous book will appeal to artists and collectors of Japanese art and craft as well as to students of art, design, and fashion. ... Read more

Product Description
This history of Navajo weaving is a revised, expanded,and updated version of Marian Rodee's 1981 classic Old Navajo Rugs:Their Development from 1900 to 1940. Designed for the general reader,museum goer, or collector, it offers a guide to identifying and datingrugs by means of weaving materials. Wool quality, the author explains,is the single most important clue to the date of a rug'smanufacture. Rodee also provides historical background on the greatNavajo weavers and especially on the traders who bought rugs from theNavajo—Cotton, Moore, Hubbell, Bloomfield, McSparron, andothers—all of whom had some influence on the development of thecraft and patterns of Navajo weaving.

Since the first edition of this book, more information about morecollections of rugs has become available, and this new editionincludes a greatly expanded section of color plates in addition tosixty-four black-and-white photographs. Rodee has also added a map ofthe Navajo Nation showing the location of trading posts and outletstores.

For anyone who enjoys looking at Navajo rugs, and especially for thoseconsidering buying them, this book is an indispensable and informativeguide. ... Read more

Product Description
Debbie Bliss, leading knitwear designer and former designer for Baby Gap, is the best–selling author of more than a dozen books, including Baby Knits for Beginners, The Baby Knits Book, Debbie Bliss Knitting Workbook, How to Knit, Classic Knits for Kids, and Junior Knits. New Revised EditionAmazon.com Review
With beautiful color photographs and well-presentedinstructions, Great Knits for Kids moves away from cute tykeclothing to stylish tunics, cardigans, jackets, sweaters, andhats. The first half of the book features lovely full-color photos ofthe knitwear in action (worn by kids at the seashore or in thepark). Clear charts and specifications support the easy-to-readdirections. Pattern sizes range from infants to 10-year-olds, withmost projects giving a wide range of size options. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Very Pleased
I am absolutely pleased with this book.
Anyone that loves Debbie Bliss knits for kids should
definitely have this one in their stash.
All the designs are wonderful.
The condition and speed with which it was shipped left
me very pleased for future purchases.
Highly Recommended!

Bliss for grandmas
I love all the books by Debbie Bliss.Lots of patterns and Ideas.If you love her yarn you will love the books too.

Plenty of Projects!
There are plenty of projects within this book to knit for the kiddos.The only drawback as some people see it is the sizing, but the finished garment measurements are provided for all patterns, so measure your little sweetie, and pick how much ease you want!I plan to knit at least 5 things from this book.

Inspiring, but watch the sizes
This book is inspiring, and the sweaters are adorable in the photos-- but why don't they fit the models?Most sweaters are two or three sizes too big for the child wearing them.There's a boy pictured in a sweater thatlooks like it would fit his father.I'm all for making clothes a bit bigto allow for growth, but this is ridiculous.

If you want to make one ofthese sweaters, check the garment measurements carefully to make sureyou'll be rewarded for your efforts.

Great sweaters, size variance limited, some ins. unclear
The Debbie Bliss styles are wonderful -- however, some are too bulky - especially those for infants.I would have preferred that the patterns included a range of sizes -- only a few do.I have made five sweaters togauge-- in each case some of the instructions were unclear and I had toanticipate what the author's intentions were.In one particular case, amatching beret was huge -- I knit one and so did a fellow knitter,following the same instructions and using same needle size as the matchingsweater.The hats were too large for me -- this hat was supposed to fit athree-year old!My advise to fellow knitters -- really pay attention!Andtry your gauge over the cable patterns AND whatever stitch the instructionsrecommend! ... Read more

Product Description
With specially commissioned photography, this book presents more than 60 luxurious and practical ideas to enhance your home. Step-by-step instructions show how to make: bath products; dried flower arrangements; sewing projects; fragrant candles. ... Read more

Product Description
There are no short-cuts to becoming a Witch. Traditionally, students take a year and a day to prepare for their initiation into the Craft. Based on this age-old custom, Wicca: A Year and a Day is a one-of-a-kind daily guide that introduces Witchcraft over a 366-day cycle.

Ideal for solitary students, this intensive study course teaches the core content of Wiccan practice: the tides of time, the wonders of the seasons, the ways of herbs and magic, the mysticism of the Old Ones, and the inner disciplines of seers and sages. Daily lessons include exercises, Wiccan theology and lore, and discussions relating to circle work, magical correspondences, holidays, deities, tools, healing, and divination.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Decent but nothing new or special.
I would say the only useful information as such are the writing assignments. There is little to no explanation of the how and why you do things such as the sigils you carve, the reason to use certain incense or herbs, and the choices in substitutions are limited if there at all. This is compiled of a number of pricey 'shopping lists' that remind me of when you read a magazine written by a supplement company that then lists all their supplements. This is not a book for the sort who like to think for themselves, and instead is less for a solitary witch trying to fill in the gap of formal instruction then a number of lessons which get so wrapped up and contradictory in themselves as to make someone set the book aside entirely.

There are good self reflection exercises, but they can be found in every other Wicca 101 book. Overall I would pass on this book, perhaps get it at the local library so you can see if it appeals to you. Otherwise you'll spend a fortune in supplies that you would rarely use or may not find are too your liking.

Great Book for Beginners and Teachers
I found this book at a bookstore on a vacation trip. I fell in love with it. I like structure and lessons. Might be why I want to be a teacher one day. Anyways, the set up is great. It takes you day by day through the traditional Wiccan/Pagan Year and a Day of study. This study is required to become a full fledged Wiccan/Pagan aka 1st Degree Wiccan. When I started learning Wicca, I was lost and had to train through books. I wish this book had been available to me back then. So instead, I now use it to teach others their year and a day lessons as is my job as a 2nd Degree Wiccan aka Priestess. One of the reasons I use it is that aside for daily lessons it also has exercises to practice and rituals to do. I still enjoy doing the exercises in the book as they are still helpful. In short, I highly recommend this book to beginners, teachers, and everyone else. It's a great book.

surprised
I was very surprised at what a good writer he is. I wasn't expecting his level in a book about wicca. As for facts,.. who knows? its wicca right?...it seemed very solid anyway. He takes you through a year and a day training in a very systematical, satisfying way. A month ahead he gives a list of materials you'll need. I believe its easily one of the very best, if not the best book out there on the subject. I know it's the best I've read, by far.

VERY helpful
This book is great. It breaks everything down into small easy to digest steps. I work alllll the time so having something to easily provide me nuggets of information is the best thing I could have. The one major problem with this book though is that I expected once I had it, I could do most of the rituals and things without much problem, but some of the things needed cost... well, alot, and aren't easy to come by. Its still enough to track them down, though with the P.O system in Alaska it may take a little more than a year and a day for me to finish this book.

A book every new Wiccan should own!!
I can't say how much I love this book! I'm on day 230, and I'm working through this book on my own. This book teaches you so many things and covers so much important material. It sneaks up on you how much you learn. You get to KNOW the Goddess and God in all of their aspects, learn about the elements, learn so much about all of the Sabbats, meditiation, divination, and so much more. Yes, you will need to purchase some simple supplies to make incenses and oils and some of the workings in this book. Guess what? They are relativily inexpensive, and the finished products are totally worth it. I live in the middle of South Dakota, and we have ZERO new age stores in this state. Guess what? I've been able to order everything I need through ebay and at a great store in Colorado that has a website as well as a brick and motar store, plus they take paypal. If you can't afford the ingrediants to make a certain incense, he does suggest simple ones. I'm getting so much out of this book, and I'll be kepping it on my shelf for reference when I'm done with it. ... Read more

Product Description

Japan's output of manga is massive, accounting for a staggering forty percent of everything published each year in the country.Outside Japan, there has been a global boom in sales, with the manga aesthetic spreading from comics into all areas of Western youth culture through film, computer games, advertising, and design.

Customer Reviews (8)

Excellent Introduction to Manga
As a first introduction to manga as art and product, this book is fantastic. I started reading having only been exposed to a few manga titles and knowing almost nothing about manga in general, besides the stereotypes that exist in the American imagination. The author, Paul Gravett, dispels all of the popular misconceptions about manga and the Japanese people's relationship with it and provides a concise history of the medium, from its roots in Tokugawa-era prints to the revolution of artists like Osamu Tezuka, and finally to the modern adaptations of many manga into films and television series.

Gravett's writing is easy to follow, and he seems to be extremely thorough in his research. He includes chapters on underground manga, erotic and pornographic manga, as well as the more well-known boys' (shonen) and girls' (shojo) manga that Americans are so familiar with. Since the book is large in size, the pages and pages of manga excerpts are easy to read and provide excellent examples of pretty much every genre of manga that exist.

I recommend this book to anyone who is just beginning to venture into manga, or anyone interested in the modern Japanese psyche. Gravett's history of manga is also a study of modern Japanese people and the way they look at the world around them.

You'll love it if you're interested in Japanese manga
I'm a huge Manga fan and this book is great to help any reader understand the history of Japanese manga.

Concerning this book and it's controversy
In terms of English language academic works on the subject of Japanese manga, this book is easily in the top five titles in quality, exceeded only by Frederick Schodt's Manga! Manga!Few comprehensive references on manga have ever been produced, and this is something of an update to Schodt's work, which dates from the early 1980s.It is an excellent academic and artistic source--however, this academic nature is what has given the book some of its controversy.

In the United States, the prevalent judgement by parents and many people outside of comic and manga fandom communities is that comics of all kinds are predominantly targeted to young children.In Japan, however, manga is targeted for a diverse audience, from young children, to adults, with genres driven towards female readers of diverse age ranges, which is relatively rare in the US.There are categories of manga directed towards sophisticated adult readers, as well as categories delivering explicitly pornographic or challenging sexual content, or stories written for gay and lesbian interests. Though Japan is somewhat more socially liberal on allowing some access by younger kids to sexual content, these categories are distinctly targeted to different age groups, genders and interests.

Of course, to ignore any single aspect of manga is to sacrifice the broad scope that the art form has manifested itself.Gravett casts a wide observation over as many different categories and examples of manga as he could deliver in a reasonably sized format.Examining the book shows that it is clearly targeted for at least a late-teenage readership if not higher, as Gravett presents historical and business information as a backdrop to the artistic content of the Japanese manga industry.Even despite the sexual content, this is far from a children's oriented book in text content and reading level alone.

As far as the sexual content goes, there are less than twenty pages with sexually explicit content on them, which is only about eight percent of the overall 176 page book.Some readers would naturally find the content objectionable, but the amount and contexts are hardly excessive--and in some cases, such as the work of Maruo Suehiro, the work is of very fine quality of value to students of Japanese comic art.The work may not be to everyone's taste, but it is far from artistically irrelevant.

(Besides which--having seen some wide examples of even harsher sexual material--Gravett's selections are far from the worst ones available).

As a result of the sexual content in this book, it was removed from the libraries of San Bernadino (California) County's Public Library system.Both sides make compelling and passionate arguments, but this has given the book an unfortunate notoriety apart from the excellent academic content.Many of the press remarks (which are available on the author's website) seem to refer to the book as excessively pornographic or x-rated, when much of it is compartmentalized in the two or three chapters dealing with adult-oriented manga in the latter half of the book. Obviously, interested readers would be encouraged to examine the book for themselves before drawing their own conclusions as to whether the book exceeds their own personal tastes or not, but they should also be aware that much of the press coverage seems to have overemphasized the book's sexual content.

It is important to know that for readers interested in an objective, comprehensive source on Japanese manga done with high academic standards, this book is a must.Unfortunately, there do not seem to be many books targeted towards a young readershipthat are a general reference on Japanese manga, but much of the published content in manga is oriented towards a pre-teen readership, including most of the "how to draw" manga books, Shonen Jump, Shojo Beat and Newtype magazines, and much of the publishing lines of Viz, Tokyopop, ADV and others.There is a wealth of manga content available for kids outside of material which parents would find sexually objectionable.

In short, this book is in no way targeted for children, though of course as a comprehensive examination of manga it includes some content which, on its own, is accessible to a children's audience.With any luck, this book will continue to recieve attention for the quality academic work it offers instead of controversy.

Not for Children
This is a great book about Japanese animation. I ordered it for my twelve year old daughter as a Christmas present since she loves anime. You should be aware that there are many graphic sexual drawings that leave nothing to the imagination. It is borderline pornographic. Expect to tear out lots of pages if this is for children.

Manga Mania Made Sense
It's been six long years since Frederik L Schodt updated his seminal 1983 study, Manga! Manga! World of Japanese Comics. Since then manga's unstoppable rampage across the West has become inescapable. So it's appropriate that someone took stock of this comic 'sub-genre' and updated and re-examined what has become the world's most prevalent comic art form. Paul Gravett manages not only to cover the history of manga, but in doing so explores the social and cultural evolution of Japan from its post-war reinvention to its modem-day literary imperialism. Gravett's book excels not only in discussing such, but also by displaying hundreds of examples of artwork in glorious detail. Everything is here from the crassly commercial Dragon Ball Z and Yu-Gi-Oh! to the grotesque Grand Guignol artwork of Hideshi Hino. It even made this jaded cynic get excited about Nipponese comics once more. No mean feat. Authoritatively written and exquisitely designed, this book demands space on your shelf.
... Read more

Product Description
The firstaccurate and comprehensive cataloguing of the subject. Beautiful photography captures the subject matter perfectly. ... Read more

Product Description
Written with the needs of teachers of children in the 11-13 age group in mind, the book offers sound practical help to those establishing a craft and design course in a secondary school. ... Read more

Product Description
Over 150 creative craft and art activities for children ages three to nine years old. Laurie Carlson has captured the joy of creating while introducing the basics of working with paper and paste, clay and dough, printmaking, sculpture, and various other techniques. Includes time guides and degree of difficulty levels. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great beginners projects
This book was good for holding the attention of both my 3 year old daughter and 10 year old son, I especially liked the clay projects and have incorporated my own spin on them for crafty ideas for decorations around the home from learning. Great if you are just starting out with your children doing arts & crafts.

great reference!
This is an excellent book to have as a reference regardless of your children's ages.It has wonderful recipes for doughs/paints/etc & lots of useful general info about crafting with kids.It also has lots of ideas for classic crafts- the kinds you did in school or VBS when you were a child before everything came in a kit from Oriental Express.

ART BOOK
I am a preschool teacher and purchased this book to look for new and exciting projects to teach my class. I was VERY pleased to all the creative ideas this book contained.

More than a kids' "busybook"
The craft instructions in this book are indeed easy, fun, cheap to do (etc) for kids. But the best part was the discussion in the back of the book on appropriate levels of creative projects for kids of different ages. It clearly outlined what attention span and dexterity level you should expect from kids of different ages. And it had useful advice for adults on how to make the project fun for kids; not just push the child to produce an "aesthetically ideal" finished project. That unanticipated inclusion in the book made it really stand out for me.

Awonderful anthology of craft ideas for kids of all ages!
Kids Create! is an excellent collection that uses various mediums and can apply to children with varied artistic ability.I am a 6th grade art teacher, and I purchased the book after borrowing it from the library. There are too many wonderful ideas to let it slip away!My studentsespecially love Carlson's collection of sculpting projects. ... Read more

Product Description
Ed Rossbach is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of contemporary fibre art. This book illustrates the variety and quality of his work over the last four decades. It also discusses his life, his gifts as an educator and his innovations in the use of textile materials. ... Read more

Product Description
Wreaths is the all-in-one guide to enjoying the new vogue in wreaths by creating one's own arrangements. Handsomely designed and lavishly illustrated in full color, it covers virtually everything one could want to know about the craft of fashioning wreaths. 110 full-color photos. ... Read more