After a slow start, I finished two more books yesterday.
First, a pretty coffee table home design book called A Place Called Home. There wasn’t a lot of content, really, just a lot of really pretty photos from Australia.
Really pretty and pleasant to flip through, nice paper, nice big book. Just nice but nothing amazing, really.
A Place Called Home Read More »
Jenna tweeted me about Snowflakes, Sunbursts, and Stars so I had to reserve it at the library. What she doesn’t know is that I’m a horrible quiller and an almost equally bad origami and kirigami person. I love all of the papercrafts but I’m not meticulous enough for them and I get frustrated. I also have problems understanding written origami directions. TELL me which fold to make and I’m good — show me in diagrams and I’m probably going to screw it up 15 times.
This book is GORGEOUS. Every single star, sunburst and snowflake. I wanted them all and I loved the project ideas in the back. It was almost gorgeous enough to make me want to try a few projects. Thankfully a good night’s sleep was enough to knock that idea out of my head. However, I think Elly might be game to give a few a try so I’m going to try and find my papers and see if I can convince her to make me one for Christmas…
Wish me (her? us?) luck — we’re going to need it through no fault of the book, which is really really beautiful.
Snowflakes, Sunbursts, and Stars Read More »
I loved Creative Lettering so much that I read it twice and didn’t want to take it back to the library. Now if I only had time to play with lettering, myself.
Maybe in my next life. Sigh.
Creative Lettering Read More »
It always makes me smile when I see a book like Down Bohicket Road sitting on the shelf in the library. I can’t resist checking those out. Even though they make me homesick. Even though they make me question why I am adamantly opposed to moving back to Charleston when we leave here.
How about we compromise — someone buy me a Karen Whyte painting. Preferably one of Freda in a church hat…. but really, I’m not all that picky. Anything from Bohicket Road would do.
Sigh.
I particularly liked this book because not only were there paintings, there were stories. And the artist was honest about the racism she grew up with — and carried with her when she moved to Johns Island.
And, just for fun… you can “drive” down Bohicket Road, if you like…. it’s not the same as being there but…
Down Bohicket Road Read More »
Someone stop me from reserving/checking out more of these books. Sheesh. It’s like a sickness, I tell you!
I just happened to see Creating Decorative Paper on the shelf at the library today and grabbed it. It wasn’t the best book I’ve read but it wasn’t bad either. If I had unlimited monies and more room to do art, I’d probably enjoy it more for the unusual (and sometimes time-consuming) papers in the book.
These next three books, I’d kind of like to own. There’s so much good stuff in them that I see something new every time I open the books — even though I’ve read them all cover to cover.
Art at the Speed of Life has to go back to the library early next week, someone else has it on hold!, so I’m going to spend some time tonight/tomorrow, making notes of ideas for things I might like to try. Thankfully Artists Journals & Sketchbooks and alphabetica don’t have to go back for awhile. I can take my time with them. That’s a good thing, since I just glanced down at them and saw something on each cover that I want to try.
Someone remind me, later, to go in search of more work by Lynne Perrella…
Four More Art Journaling Books Read More »
I enjoyed Collage Playground but most there weren’t a lot of new techniques in this one, for me. That doesn’t make it a bad book. I’ve just watched a lot of videos, read a lot of books and done a lot of collages in my day. I think I’d probably recommend this book to someone who hasn’t had a lot of collage experience. The step by step instructions were excellent.
I was a little disappointed with the Collage Discovery Workshop, at first. I think I was expecting more — possibly because I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Hellmuth’s work in person and the collages were a little simplistic considering some of the pieces I’ve seen. After I slept on that, I decided I actually liked her book. Rather than it just being a showcase of her talent, she brought collage to a place where anyone would feel like they could do this.
Two Mixed Media/Collage Books Read More »
Yep, still all art journaling all the time around here. Or at least reading about art journaling and watching videos about art journaling. Not a lot of actual journaling going on, though. Not none, just not a lot.
The Art Journal Workshop was excellent. So excellent that I’m going to take a peek at the dvd that’s attached to the book. (I never do that.)
I’m also not much of a “prompt” kind of person but I really liked all of the exercises and prompts in this book. Of all the art journaling and mixed media books I’ve read recently, this is my favorite.
Painted Pages is not my favorite. It’s probably my least favorite. Not because it’s not a technique book but because the pages here just don’t work for me. Not a bad book, just not the book for me at all.
Two More Art Journaling Books Read More »
I ran into Raw Art Journaling while looking at another art journaling book and figured what the hell, I’m on an art journaling kick – might as well go with that for awhile.
This one was slightly different from the others I’ve read. More life coach-like. I liked it. It was nice to read a book that didn’t forget that words are a part of art journaling. Sometimes we get hung up on the color and the collage and the texture that we leave out the word portion of the journal.
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Acrylic Techniques in Mixed Media is all technique, all the time. Most are techniques I know or have seen but there were some new ideas. And, in a couple of cases techniques I might not have tried were made more appealing. I am going to hold onto this book for awhile and try some of these.
All Art Journals, All the Time Read More »
I’m seriously into the art journaling thing right now. Big change from the how many years I’ve had this unaltered altered book and the one year that I’ve had two tags of a JMP tag journal and … yea. Totally into it. I think it was the Doodle a Day in April that helped spur me into it.
I did the daily doodle in my altered book, which means I moved away from the idea of turning the book I hated into a book on the topic that I loved. Instead, it turned into art journal, junk journal, inspiration journal — just journal journal.
Giving myself “permission” to play with that book, that way — and keeping it on my desk every day so I’d remember to doodle, well, that did it. I’ve done some type of art journaling or doodling every day since April 1.
And it’s awesome.
I blogged about a review copy of The Pocket Scavenger over at BlogHer and I’ve watched about a zillion youtube videos of art journal techniques and flip throughs. I’m totally into this. My only problem is… my stuff is everywhere. I don’t have one good place to art journal (particularly if I want to keep my stuff safe from the darn dog.)
I’m almost tempted to let TW re-arrange the furniture in hopes of finding a space that allows me to paint a bunch of pages or gesso a bunch of pages or glue a bunch of pages all in one place — and be able to leave them alone to dry. Or be able to leave them out, open, with art materials out so I can walk past or get up and add something/change something whenever the mood strikes.
Blah. It’s such a production to do anything more than doodle with gel pens or markers (the only two mediums that are on my desk all of the time.)
OK enough griping, I’m off to gesso some tags or something.
Art Journaling, Altered Book, Tag Book, The Pocket Scavenger — Gah! Read More »
I’m having a lot of fun with art and craft books, right now. Even when I don’t absolutely love the books I’m reading and playing with, it’s fun.
Like Craft-a-Day: 365 Simple Handmade Projects. Nice cover. Nice, big book. Total impulse pick up from the library. Turns out it’s not so much 365 projects but a couple dozen projects done with 52 different themes. So, a little stuffed felt animal/item every week. Same method of creation, just a different template. Simple and pretty boring.
Most of the people on GoodReads panned this book, because it’s just the same thing over and over. That was my feeling as well. But… this wouldn’t be a bad book to have on your shelf, for simple templates or to hand to a bored child who wants to DO something.
A better book, in my opinion, is Zentangle untangled. I loved it. I want a Zentangle kit. I want the Zentangle workbook. I need a better pencil and a much better black pen!
Art and Craft or Art vs Craft Read More »