Crafty Book Bargains

As promised in my last post, I’m back to tell you about the books I bought while we were visiting my folks in England.  I thought I’d tell you a bit about each one (like mini-reviews) and show you my favourite projects from them.  So, here I go.....

I bought ‘Weekend Sewing’ (by Heather Ross) from a super-cheap book shop in Lichfield.  Sorry – I can’t remember the name of the shop.  The book cost £5. 

Most of the projects seem fairly achievable, and the introduction to the book states that all of them can be done in a weekend (or a day, or just an hour or so).  The ‘look’ of the book is bright and fresh, there are lots of diagrams to show you exactly what to do, and the photography is gorgeous!  There’s a huge range of projects (over 40), including:  bags and pouches, table linens and other kitchen stuff, slippers, gloves, dresses, skirts, PJs, and babies’ and kids’ clothes.  I especially like the clothes in the book, as I think craft books with an equal balance of ‘garments’ and ‘other stuff’ are a rarity.  Since buying the book, I’ve read some pretty negative reviews of it on Amazon (yes, I know it’s normal to read reviews first, THEN buy).  These reviews say that there are errors in a few of the patterns/instructions.  I was really disappointed to read this, as I LOVE this book, and was really excited to get going on some of the garment projects.  Of course, some of the reviewers were going crazy about this, while others wrote that the errors didn't really bother them and weren't a big deal.  So, I guess I just need to try the projects for myself and see how they work for me.  Even with a few errors, though, I think the book was great value for money (at the price I paid for it).  I’m not sure, though, that I’d be willing to pay the RRP of £14.99 knowing that there are problems with some of the projects.

These are the projects closest to the top of my ‘to do’ list (I’m hoping that none of them are the ‘problem-projects’):

I bought ‘Sewing Green’ (by Betz White) from the same bargain bookshop.  This one cost £6.

The book contains 25 projects, all of which are made with organic or repurposed materials.  There are also lots of hints, tips and resources to encourage environmentally-conscious sewing.  Like ‘Weekend Sewing’, this book has a fresh, modern look and some lovely photos.  There are also some really beautiful projects (pretty skirts, gorgeous cushions and blankets, super-cute kids’ stuff, and the AMAZING scarf on the front cover, for example).  As I was picking out my favourites to show you, I realised that they're all felted thingamabobs.  So, I guess that's what I feel the book does really well.  But, I have to say that I’m not so keen on other repurposing projects - I’m not particularly taken with projects that blatantly ‘look’ repurposed.  And this book has four or five that I’d put into that category (for example, an apron made out of an old shirt, a bag made out of old jeans, and a sunshade made from used Capri Sun cartons).  For some people, though, as I’ve read in other reviews, these are the projects that are most appealing.  Each to their own, of course!  I’ll definitely be trying out some of the makes in this book, and I’m pleased I picked it up. 

These are a few of my favourite projects:

The third book I wanted to share with you wasn’t a bargain book shop special.  I got it from Simon for Easter (don’t worry – I had plenty of eggs too).  This one’s called ‘The Crafter’s Guide to Taking Great Photos’ (by Heidi Adnum).  At the moment, the Amazon price is £8.44. 

I LOVE this book!!!  I thought I was on to a winner by putting it at the top of my Amazon wish list, as the 6 reviews there are of it on Amazon at the moment are ALL 5*.  And I wasn’t disappointed one little bit!!!  I took night classes in photography many moons ago (when I first went to uni).  The classes were great (especially the ones where we got to mess around in a darkroom), but I’ve forgotten most of what I was taught, and digital cameras weren’t around then (or at least we didn't learn about them).  This book starts from the most basic of basics (which really helped to refresh my memory), and goes on to explain things in finer detail (covering how to get the best results when photographing different types of craft products, how to edit and store your photos, and how to use your images to promote your crafty business).  There are also pages dedicated to sharing practical photography hints and tips from well-known crafters.  And, best of all, the book is a treasure trove of amazing photos of all kinds of crafty products!!!  I’ve read the whole book through, from start to finish.  It explains everything (camera settings, lighting, composition, etc) in easy-to-understand terms, and the author’s writing style is friendly and informal.  I can see myself dipping back into this book (for advice AND inspiration) time and time again.  I’d definitely recommend it!!!

Oooh – this has turned into a super-long post.  Sorry!!!

If you’ve read any of these books, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them.....

Happy Sunday to you!

Carly

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Kirstie Allsopp's 'Craft' Book Review

As my last crafty book review (on ‘Everything Alice’) prompted such a lot of feedback and discussion (thank you, LOVELY blogging friends ♥), I thought I’d write you another one – this time on Kirstie Allsopp’s ‘Craft’.

You might already have picked up on the fact that I’m a HUGE Kirstie fan.  In fact – I’ll let you in on a little secret here – if they ever made a ‘Kirstie’s BFF’ TV show (like the Paris Hilton one, where crazy girls battled it out to have the have the chance to become her new best friend), I’d be first in line with my application form!  Well, wouldn’t you???  Oh, the crafty fun we’d have together!!! 

Anyway, I was sure I’d love the book, just from looking at the charming basket of crafty bits and bobs in the photo on the front cover.  And – yippeeee – I was NOT disappointed!!!  I LOVE this book!!!

I love the fact that the book is a hardback, and the fact that the pages are thick and lovely to touch, and..... well, it even SMELLS good!  Does anyone else like the smell of certain books, by the way?  Or should I have kept that statement to myself? 

The book contains 47 projects, and these are split into seven sections – needlecrafts, textile crafts, paper crafts, food crafts, garden crafts, flower crafts, and gift crafts.  Each section has its own super-cute little symbol (a cotton reel for ‘Needlecrafts’, for example, and a watering can for ‘Garden Crafts’).  I love extra little details like that!  

Each section has a few introductory pages, in which Kirstie talks about her experiences with that type of crafting, offers a bit of crafting history, and gives some tips on sourcing materials and getting started with related crafts.  These parts of the book make it a lovely book to have just for the ‘reading’ experience.  

The ‘looking’ experience, though, is (for me at least) the best thing about this book.  The photography is stunning, and the diagrams are clear and visually appealing.  There’s a good mixture/balance of completed project photos, in-progress photos, instructional diagrams, and photos of Kirstie enjoying herself (making things and attending county shows).  Even the TEXT in this book looks good.  For each project, the heading, subheadings, stage numbering and tips are printed in coloured fonts, which ‘go’ beautifully with the colours in the project photos and diagrams.  Everything matches!  The style of the photos and diagrams, as well as the pretty fonts and regular lay-out of the pages, tie the eclectic assortment of projects together beautifully.   

The ‘crafting’ experiences that the book offers are fabulous, too!  There’s a great mix of easier and more challenging projects, quick projects and ones that would involve weeks (or months) of work.  There are projects that you could do with kids, projects that you could do with friends, projects for the home, and projects that would make lovely presents (for all occasions).  As the section titles suggest, the book offers an enormous variety of projects.  

As I did in my last book review, I’ll give you a potted list of ALL the projects..... vintage bunting; appliqué cushion; embroidered handkerchief; table runner; coasters; stack & whack quilt; cross-stitch cushion; devoré silk scarf; needlefelt bird; felt heart decorations; natural dying; paper sculpture bird; paper bead necklace (which I’ve made already); paper dolly chain; piñata; paper baubles; greeting cards; handmade paper; family scrapbook; fruit cake; ice-cream balls; marzipan penguins; banana cake; sugar flowers; scones; damson jam; garden pickles; carved window box; elderflower cordial; mosaic chair; birdseed cakes; scarecrow; willow nesting box; petite flower exhibit; flower table centre; garden wreath; corsage; floral line design; seedhead mirror; ribbon roses; perfume; lavender bath creamers; lavender bath bombes; silver button necklace; silver leaf pendant; AND decorated candles!  Have a little look at some of them.....

If you’re looking to perfect a certain skill, this book’s probably not for you.  But, if you’re looking for fantastic ‘general’ craft book, and fancy dabbling in a wide range of different crafts, you need look no further! 

Although I wouldn’t want try out ALL the projects in the book (anything involving power tools or acidic chemicals would, for me, be a no-no), I would be interested in having a go at most of them.  So far, I’ve only made the paper bead necklace.  The instructions were clear and easy to follow, and the diagrams and photographs were very helpful.  I also really appreciated how the intro to the project, and the ‘top tips’ box, offered ideas on how the project could altered and experimented with, to yield something slightly different.       

So, in summary, I’d definitely add this book to my ‘need’ list again.  I’d by it as a gift for creative friends.  And I’d recommend it to anyone remotely crafty!!!

I’d love to hear from you if you have this book already – let me know what you think of it, and which projects you’ve tried out.....

Until next time......

Carly

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'Everything Alice' Book Review

Thank you SO much to all of you who commented on my last post, asking for reviews of the books I got for Christmas!  I decided to review ‘Everything Alice’ (by Hannah Read-Baldrey and Christine Leech) first, as lots of you said you were interested in it. 

The problem is..... I think it’s the hardest one for me to review!  I was SO excited when I unwrapped this pressie on Christmas morning.  BUT, I’m not sure that I’m going to be making many projects from it.  I included it on my ‘need’ list because I’m a total sucker for anything (let alone ‘everything’) Alice-related, and because the front cover (the colours and style of the illustration) really appealed to me.  And I thought that the inside of the book (and the projects) would have a similar ‘look’.  So, I was a little bit disappointed to find out that this was not the case.

It has to be said that there is a HUGE (and very eclectic) range of projects in the book!  Maybe a list would be helpful if you’re considering buying the book.  There’s.....  jewellery; a toy rabbit; a letter holder/pin board; photocopiable paper dolls; lavender dormice; embroidery samplers; a cushion; two different bags; masks; a nutty snack mix; cordials; a Humpty Dumpty doorstop; cat hand warmers; cake and hat-shaped boxes; a wonderland mobile; a decorated (Humpty) egg; rose fairy lights; shadow puppets; teacup candles; fabric-covered teapots and furniture; cakes and biscuits; felt slippers; aprons; various stationary items; a cake stand (make from old plates and upturned glasses); cake/sandwich toppers; jams; a tea cosy; teas; napkin rings; paper playing card bunting; AND hats!!! 

A few of the projects would be suitable for children to make, and some of them would make nice gifts for Alice fans.  For me, though, the BEST thing about the projects is that lots of them could be incorporated into a little girl’s Alice-themed birthday party.  OR, indeed, a big girl’s afternoon tea party!!!  I'm planning mine already.....

[how about this for a table centre?]

Aside from that, these are the projects that appealed the most to me:

[I know I'm a little old for this one, so shhh]

[I like the idea of cushions that look like envelopes...]

[... and shoes with curled-up toes!!!]

[these would make cute pressies for friends...]

[... and these would make cute pressies for ME!]

One thing that really stuck me about the book is that projects vary massively in their aesthetic, and in the quality of their finish.  Some (like many of the baking and millinery projects) look VERY impressive and – to be honest – pretty unattainable (for me, at least):

Other projects, though, look (dare I say it.....) a little makeshift and unfinished (the ‘shabby chic’ look, perhaps?):

Some may see this mix as a good thing, in that there’s something for all levels of crafter.  And they's be right, I guess!  But these projects just didn't really inspire me.  My favourite crafty books are the ones with some kind of overall aesthetic or style, and this isn’t one of those books.

Even though I have to say that I was a bit disenchanted by the projects in the book, I do LOVE the drawings and quotations from the original story, the Alice 'facts', and the beautiful paper cut illustrations that pop up now and again throughout the book.  I think that, for me, this will be more of a coffee table book to flick through and read snippets from, rather than a crafty project book.

I feel like the odd-one-out here, as most of the other reviews of ‘Everything Alice’ I’ve read have been 100% positive.  I think that whether you’d like it or not depends very much on your taste and expectations.  If you like crafty books with an eclectic mix of projects (or if you’re after ideas for an Alice-themed party), I say visit Amazon and buy it right now – you’ll love it!  If you prefer books that are based around a particular ‘look’, though, you may end up (like me) a wee bit disappointed.

If you have this book already, I’d love to hear what you think of it!  Do you agree with any of my waffle, or do you think I’m just too picky?  Have you tried out any of the projects yet and, if so, what did they turn out like?

See you soon.....

Carly

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Crafty Christmas Pressies

Now that I've shown you some of the things I made for my friends and family for Christmas, I’d like to do a little ‘show-and-tell' of some of the super-duper pressies THEY gave ME.  I must have been a VERY good girl this year, as Santa was exceedingly good to me!  Although I got all sorts of wonderful gifts, I’m just going to post photos of the crafty ones here..... 

[I can't get enough Christmas crafting books!!!]

[my cute CK knitting bag]

[I LOVE Alice!!!]

[some more CK goodies]

[possibly THE prettiest Tilda book yet]

[yarn inside, strap on wrist, off you go - INGENIOUS - from madebyloumms]

[I can't get enough Scandinavian crafting books!!!]

[gorgeous vintage ribbons and CK badges]

[a bit of Kirstie]

[someone dropping hints that I should spend more time in the kitchen, perhaps???]

[a colourful crochet book]

[some shiny little birdie embroidery scissors]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, my fantastic family and fabulous friends!!!  You (clearly) know me VERY well!!!  With SO MANY new toys, I don’t know which one to play with next.....  

    

After I’ve had a bit more time to look through the books, I’m planning to do a few reviews to post on the blog.  If you’re interested in any of the books I mentioned (if you’ve been thinking about buying any of them or putting them on your ‘wish list’), let me know and I’ll try to review those first.  Likewise, if you have any of these books already and have tried any projects from them, I’d love to see some photos and/or hear about how it went!

Until next time.....

Carly

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Celebrating National Cupcake Week

I have to confess that I am probably THE world’s worst cook!!!  Luckily for me, I have an amazing husband who’s a great cook – and who actually enjoys being in the kitchen.  

For me, the kitchen is a scary place, where dangers lurk in every drawer and cupboard!  The last time I attempted to make dinner, for example, I plugged in the blender without realising that the button was switched to ‘on’.  Ooooops!!!!!  My husband heard the blender start up at the same time as my scream of shock and came running in, thinking I’d blended myself.  Luckily, I’d only blended all the blender attachments and lid (that we keep inside the blender when we’re not using it)!

So.....  I tend to avoid the kitchen as much as possible!  But, loving all things pretty, I bought myself the ‘Bake-a-Boo Bakery Cookbook’ (by Zoe Berkeley) a few months ago.  My husband nearly died of shock when he saw what I’d picked up! 

When I realised that this week has been National Cupcake Week (check out www.nationalcuocakeweek.co.uk for some mouth-watering recipes and photos), I thought I’d get out my scrumptious little book and venture back into the kitchen.  This time, thank goodness, there were no disasters!  I decided to use the basic fairy cake recipe (starting off my baking career as simply as possible), and put pink butter cream on top.  This photo from the book was my initial inspiration for icing.....  

..... but I thought I’d give the sugar craft flowers a miss and use hundreds & thousands (along with some cute cocktail sticks I found in the drawer) to decorate my cakes.

Here are all my ingredients, laid out nicely.

And here they are again, all mixed up and ready to go into the oven.  Of course, there was a tiny bit of mixture left in the bowl for me!

While the cakes were in the oven, I mixed up the butter cream.  Mmmmm!!!  I had to fight off the temptation to just stick my head into the bowl and lick away!

And.....  TADA!!!  Here are my finished cupcakes! 

I know they’re absolutely no match for the ones in the book, but they look girly and pretty – and they taste okay!  If I made them again, there are a few things I’d try to change.  The icing could have been thicker and more creamy.  And I think I left the cakes in the oven for a few minutes longer than I should have.  Next time, I might try the recipe for ‘dainty lemon cakes’, though.  They sound (and look) yummy!  But, until National Cupcake Week 2012, that’s it from the Crafted by Carly kitchen.....

Now I’m off to have another cake.....

Carly

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