We Dare You by the "Dare Girls"

Reported by Emilie Ahern

Okay. Idea books in general don't tend to inspire me too terribly. The thing is....if you buy a book written by one person, even if you adore their work, you get project after project in the same style. And many idea book topics don't appeal to me.

But, at the last CHA, when I had an opportunity to get this book, I jumped all over it. Mainly because I had heard all of the praise about the challenge blog (http://www.efferdares.com/) on which this book is based. But also, I can admit it, because of all of the controversy surrounding one of the authors, CK's Hall of Fame fallen angel, Kristina Contes. Yeah...it's true.

The subtitle of this book is Scrapbook Challenges about Real Life. And this statement is completely true. It is a series of challenges split into differing categories. The categories are...

the Good
the Bad
the Ugly
the Silly, Wacky, Funny
the Random
the Best

Hoochie Hoops, my take based on the Dare titled Bling (pg. 18)

Within each category you will find multiple challenges based on that topic with accompanying layout by (at least) each of the four contributing authors, Kristina Contes, Meghan Heath Dymock, Genevieve Simmonds and Nisa Finn. What immediately appealed to me were the topics. One of the reasons I scrap is because I want to know myself inside and out. These dares cause you to really dig deep and scrap all of the parts of your life, not just the shiny-happy parts, but those are in there too. Some of the dares are titles, themes, scrapping techniques, etc. There is a wide variety to inspire you.

I also found the four designer's work to be very different from each other in many respects. This means that whatever your style, you will probably see something you identify with.

Dear Teenage Me, my take based on the Dare titled Little Me (pg. 64)

Many of the dares included in the book can be re-done over and over again. The topics inspired a myriad of creative possibilities to race through my mind...and, to me, that is the test of a truly great idea book.

With 127 pages, over 25 dares, over 100 project examples and endless possibilities, I found this book to be helpful, informative and inspiring. This book was published by Memory Makers and is available for sale at amazon.com, half.com and memorymakersmagazine.com. It retails for $22.99, but can be found for a more affordable price at the mentioned online stores. It was the cheapest on half.com.

Obsessed, my take based on the Dare titled Obsessed (pg. 14)

I also fell in love with Kristina's work in the process. Her layouts spoke to me every time. No matter what you think of the HOF situation, I think you may gain great insight into this woman's world by checking out this book.

Pros:

• Well thought out challenges which can be used to inspire multiple layouts from each dare.
• Many of the projects include new and innovative techniques that will appeal to the more advanced scrapper.
• Many different scrapping styles mean you will likely identify with a Dare Girl whose style matches yours.

Cons:

• Subject matter may not appeal to all scrappers. If you feel like you are just trying to race to document all of your children's birthdays before they leave for college, this is probably not for you.
• Some techniques in the example projects are for the intermediate-advanced skill level. Some scrappers may find them daunting.

I highly recommend this idea book. It is the best I have ever purchased. I would love to know what you think! Do you have this book and love it/hate it? Do you like scrapping challenges or would you rather just scrap chronilogically?

Paper Transformed by Julia Andrus

Reported by Heather Strenzwilk

Several months ago, I discovered Paper Transformed: A Handbook of Surface-Design Recipes and Creative Paper Projects at a chain bookstore. Written by hybrid artist Julia Andrus, this book is filled with techniques for paper based projects. Most of the projects require 3-6 ingredients and many have under 7 steps and can be completed in 20 minutes or less. I was attracted to the vibrant samples and the easy to follow instructions with supplies I had on hand.

The 176 page softbound book has 8 chapters. Each chapter with a sampler of finished techniques and each sub technique in a chapter gets a brief overview including an extensive tool discussion. More experienced artists might be more inclined to skim some of this background material if they are familiar with the technique. The chapters start with the most basic technique and build on it in subsequent samples.

Here is a list of chapter titles:
Old favorites and new variations: marbling, watercolors, paste paper and pastels
Original designer papers
Metal look-alikes
Special paper treatments: alcohol ink, beeswax, dry embossing
Stamping techniques: inks, embossing powder
Stippling, sponging, and stenciling
Paper finales: finishing, aging techniques, dyeing and staining

The last chapter in the book is called "Sparkling Paper Projects" and unlike the previous chapters which focus on specific techniques, this section highlights completed projects utilizing multiple recipes and techniques. These are very inspirational and offer some ideas for unique embellishments and 3-D items. For the sample below I combined the following techniques: stamped watercolor effects, painted tin and dry embossing (with glaze).



As a long time paper crafter, I can often "figure it out" if I look at a sample or see a supply list. I looked at this book as a springboard to add new twists to time honored techniques such as watercoloring or resist. Andrus offers many tips to help achieve the desired results- for example, a meat tenderizer can make great pitted surfaces. She also notes variations for many of the projects for a different look. When possible, she mentions substitutions that can be made for certain supplies. I found her advice to be sound and some suggestions for using ordinary objects as tools helpful.

Pros:

• The techniques feature readily available supplies such as Ranger products and many basic supplies that many artists already own. Many techniques can be completed in under 10 minutes.
• Many unique insider tips and ways to use common household objects as creative tools.
• Andrus incorporates a wide variety of styles (altered, grunge, collage, etc) and project types (cards, journals, boxes, vases, etc) to appeal to a wide audience.

Cons:

• The instructions are brief and while adequate for a more seasoned artist, less experienced artists might need additional instructions.
• Many of the techniques in the book have been around for years such as waxed paper resist, marbling, bleaching and polished stone. While there are some new and unique twists on the techniques, more experienced artists might not be as inspired.
• The book should be spiral bound so it will open and stay flat.

The suggested retail price of the book is $24.99 and is available at chain bookstores but is available online at Amazon and straight from her website.

We want to hear from our readers. Have you read "Paper Transformed"? Did you like it? Would you recommend it? Please share your thoughts with us.

In Stitches, by Amy Butler

Reported by Nancy Beyer

I love anything Amy Butler. I want to basically dress myself and my house in all her fabrics. She seriously has an almost William Morris like modern day interpretation of fabric that I love. I wish she would have more clothes patterns because if I had time, I would make every single one of them. However, I was a bit disappointed about her latest book, In Stitches. I bought my copy from Amazon for under $20.00 USD but it can also be found at Barnes and Noble and Chronicle Books.

Using this book, I created this kitty tunnel. Simple enough right? It should have taken me about an hour at tops. Instead of faux fur, I used fuzzy wuzzy flannel. See the picture of Mogaley the Cat ( above) modeling the result. It took me four hours due to the directions. At one point, in Step # 5, I really messed up and had to rip out the seams because I was testing to see how well the directions would work without looking at a diagram.

If you read the directions for Step # 5, "with the exterior tunnel wrong side facing out and the fur lining right side facing out....slip the exterior tunnel over the fur lining making ..." you would have not sewed the item correctly. However, if you were to look at the at the mini diagram for Step 5, it doesn't match the written word. The diagram above shows, "wrong side of the exterior and the wrong side of the the fur". This was the critical issue I saw throughout the entire book. Even though the writer would bold the words RIGHT side and WRONG side in an attempt to differentiate between the fabric's "sides", in my viewpoint, those descriptors didn’t make sense at all when reading the instructions. Yes, there is a right and wrong side to every fabric, but again, from a beginner’s standpoint, it would have behooved the author to explain what they really meant. Something as simple as, the "patterned side" of the fabric equates to the "right" side of the fabric, and the "wrong" side of the fabric equates to the "non patterned" side.

I wanted to make sure I was not being to harsh, so I brought it over to my neighbor who is a seasoned sewer. She read the directions about three times and agreed with me that yes, this is difficult - especially if you don't have the terminology ingrained in your head.

I will admit, I was a technical writer - so little picky inconsistencies like this drive me nuts. Will I still finish the rest of the book? Maybe. I am currently eying up an apron and bag pattern. I am sure a good cup of java and a speed dial call to my neighbor will help me through it! Also, I found that Amy Butler's site lists corrections to the book.

Pros -

• Patterns are clear and well drawn.
• The variety of projects is good but I would prefer a rating system on level of difficulty

Cons-

• This is not a beginners sewing book at all, something that shocked me.
• The directions are very hard to follow - in fact - almost hard to comprehend. I found myself rereading the directions, sometimes 4 times. That is what took the longest - reading the directions and than looking at the diagrams to see if they matched.
• Questions for beginners? One had to go to Page 172 to find out information. I prefer to have all information needed on the page that I am reading.
• The diagrams are extremely small and were also hard to follow. They needed to be a bit bigger, especially when one puts five diagrams on one 8 x8 page. For example:

However, if you truly are a newbie at sewing, this is not your book. I would recommend reading like "Bend -the- Rules Sewing" by Amy Karol of Angrychicken fame or "Sew, Sew Everything Workshop" by Dianna Rupp. I love those books and they are extremely helpful.

Tell us what you think! Have you used the book In Stiches?

Knitting for Baby

Reported by Katie Renz

The book I’m reviewing today is titled Knitting for Baby - 30 Heirloom projects with Complete How-to-Knit Instructions by Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas and photographs by Ross Whitaker. It is published by Stewart, Tabori, and Chang/New York. I happened upon this book several years ago while I was shopping in my local knitting store and fell in love with it and still love it to this day.

The book is well organized and covers a full gambit of stitches and techniques. This is a list of the chapters: Introduction, Getting Started, Garter Stitch, The Purl Stitch & A New World of Texture, Shaping, Discovering A New World of Color, Circular Knitting Cables & Ribs, Exploring the Possibilities, Yarn Sources, and Acknowledgments.

So, let’s begin with the meat of the book – projects for babies (newborn to age two). First of all, a handmade item especially a knitted one makes a beautiful gift and as the title states on the book – an heirloom. One might think that an 'heirloom' item would have to be extremely complicated and gorgeous beyond belief, but in reality an heirloom item is one that is made from the heart, is a classic, and yes indeed can be simple to make.

First of all, I would like to point out why I was drawn to this particular book. The photos are absolutely gorgeous and the book is filled with them. There are pictures of all the items that can be made, both independently and canvassed on those, oh so cute babies, and a couple of great Mom items too, such as a felted diaper bag and an elegant, yet roomy new mom sweater. There are also a couple of baby toys to knit too. Not only are the items beautifully shot, but they are mostly full page pictures! Along with actual photographs, there are wonderfully detailed, colored illustrations with step by step directions to help you with your projects.

The other reason that I love, yes LOVE this ,is the fact that I can pick it up after a year of not knitting and find a project that I can complete. Now mind you, I pick items that are time sensitive and in my mind easy to do which would be hats, blankets, and booties. I almost always have to refresh my memory regarding the correct stitches and some of the basics, but it’s so effortless to do because the information is easily accessible and easy to understand.

Which then leads me to my final reason I think this book is so great. I consider myself an intermediate knitter that only knits sporadically, yet I can pick up this book and pick out a simple, yet timeless pattern and create a beautiful 'heirloom' to give as a baby gift. But, when and if the extra time appears and I want to create a more intricate garment, there are plenty to choose from. Anything from a beautiful cabled sweater, a lacy topped little girl's dress, or more detailed color patterned sweaters.

Here is an item that I have made plenty of. I love that it is a hat (simple), yet this hat has a fun twist to it with the ear flaps. There is some sewing to this particular pattern (attaching the ear flaps to the main head piece), but really very simple. The suggested yarns in this book are wools, cashmeres, or mixes of natural fibers. If you have a local knitting store, they are sure to have a wide selection of luxurious fibers, but if you are on a budget, a visit to your local craft store will have plenty of choices that will work with these patterns. This particular hat was made with Lion Brand Yarn Wool-Ease in Avocado and took less than 1 skein which I purchased at my local Joanns store.


Pros:

• Gorgeous full size photographs of the items that can be made
• Easy to follow directions for a beginner knitter
• Lots of great baby and toddler projects

Cons:

• This really isn't the book for you if you are looking for contemporary baby gifts to knit
• Not necessarily for the advanced knitter, if you are looking for a huge challenge
• Limited baby blanket patterns

Knitting for Baby can most likely be found in your local knitting store, but here are some online sources:

• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble
• Powells Books

Retail Value for this book is $24.95, but can be found for a variety of prices.

In conclusion, I really had to pull at straws to think of any cons to this book. It really is for all levels of knitters and provides excellent projects for the new baby in your life. If you have this book, make sure to let us know what projects you have made or would like to make.

Bend the Rules Sewing

Reported by: Martha Bonneau

Are you new to sewing or have limited experience with sewing? Are looking for a book to help shed some light on all of your questions? Well, look no further than Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol. Many crafters may already be aware of Karol through her popular blog Angry Chicken. This book is written in a friendly, informative way that makes the reader instantly feel inspired to tackle the projects within. With it's easy to read text and hand drawn illustrations and patterns, it is very user friendly and less text-book like than many of the other sewing books I have tried to use in the past...this format immediately put me at ease.


This book is divided up into the following sections:

1. Learning to Sew 101
-Bending the rules in sewing
-Bending the rules in life
-Your attitude about mistakes

2. Let's Get Started!
-The sewing machine
-Basic sewing tools and notions
-Your sewing area

3. Start Your Machines!
-Sewing vocabulary 101
-Using the patterns in the book
-The Basics

Sections 4-6 are divided up into multiple projects ranging from tote bags, fashionable dog collars, curtains and pillows as well as cute items for children. Patterns and templates are also included.

The fun, colorful pictures of the finished projects in this book make you want to sit down and start sewing immediately! I have been wanting to make an apron for quite a while and was inspired by the Vintage Apron project to make this one:


I even felt confident enough with the instructions to add the optional pocket. This is my first attempt at an apron, so is it perfect? No. Is it pretty darn close to perfect? Yes! Karol lets you know that sewing is a process and that you should "throw caution to the wind", learn a few basics and find your favorite methods. If you finish a project and it looks homemade, well that's a good thing and not something to beat yourself up over. This is definitely a book for beginners. If you already know the basics and are looking for projects that will stretch you, this may not be the book for you. But if you need that first step to get your feet wet in the world of sewing it's definitely worth checking out.

Pros:

* Easy to read and understand
* Fun colorful pictures of finished projects
* Templates for projects are included
* Lots of helpful hints and tips...Sewing Vocabulary 101 is very helpful

Cons:

* Some of the templates and patterns are not to scale and must be enlarged
* Spiral bound would be nice as I found myself referring back to it several times during my project and losing my place

Where to buy:

I picked up my copy at Barnes & Noble, it can also be found at Amazon and Borders. It retails for $21.95 and in my opinion, was worth every penny! I would love to see Karol come out with another book with more advanced projects for those of us who want to build on our newly acquired sewing skills.

Easy Crocheted Accessories

Reported by Dana Vitek


I'm a beginner crocheter; I just started in January, and while I have moved passed the "what is THIS mess" stage, I'm still new to pattern reading and understanding. I chose Easy Crocheted Accessories by Carol Meldrum as one of my first reference books. It has tons of cute, easy projects to choose from, and is written in a clear, easy-to-read format.

The author included a fabulous "Materials, Tools & Techniques" section as the first chapter, great for newbies like me, but I suspect even a seasoned crocheter might learn a thing or two. She has terrific photos and diagrams of different stitches, which makes it easy to see what the finished swatch should look like. She also included an in-depth discussion on yarn types and how to go about making yarn substitutions. I really felt that this introduction added a lot to the book.

I picked three projects to make, and have spent the last few weeks crocheting furiously. I have an confession to make: I am a pattern maker's worst nightmare, because regardless how how much experience I (do not) have with a craft, I assume that if I can't understand the directions, something is wrong with THEM, not with ME. Thankfully, I had very few confusion episodes with these patterns.

I started with this super cute striped, felted bag.

It's the first project in the book, and as written, requires the crocheter to change yarns every four rows. I assume that is to help you practice changing colors and fastening off, skills that every new crocheter needs tons of work on. I changed the pattern up a little (see, I told you, nightmare), and switched yarns every eight rows (or so). This bag is simple, uses only single crochet, and according to the teen-aged girls I had around as I was making it, "totally CUTE! I would DEFINITELY carry that!"

Feeling pretty good about myself, I tackled project number 19, the Open-mesh shrug.

I have to tell you, I'm pleased as punch with the way this turned out; it fits just like it is supposed to, and is something I would not be embarrassed to wear to work over a tank top. I had a little bit of trouble with the armhole shaping on the first side, but it was easier on the second, once I knew what I was doing. The last couple rows of the pattern didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but by that time I was feeling confident enough to just wing it, and it turned out great.

Finally, I whipped up this adorable bracelet in a couple of hours, because if there's one thing I have languishing in my craft stash, it's beads!

The pattern was simple to follow, although I'm glad I have a background in jewelry design and construction, because the directions were not all that detailed on how to attach the clasp, and I imagine if you didn't know how, it might be confusing. I dare say that mine came out better than the author's (sorry Carol!), and I definitely see myself making this one (and variations of it) again and again.

Each pattern in the book has a side bar called "Before you start" which lists all of the particulars (materials, hook size, gauge, finished size, key techniques and abbreviations) for that project in one easy-to-find place. I loved that feature, as I was able to tell at a glance whether or not I already had all the right skills, and all the right stuff to do the project. I especially loved that she re-listed the abbreviations on each page, because standard crochet pattern instructions read like another language, and I hate flipping pages to decipher them. She also has "Tips" and "New Skills" boxes scattered throughout the book which I found to be quite helpful.

Speaking of at-a-glance details, here are mine for this book:

Pros:

• Great photos of finished projects as well as detail shots.

• Clear directions in standard American crochet terminology (the author is Scottish, but I never would have guessed).
• Includes a resource section on where to find specialty yarns in the U.S., as well as a project by project listing of each yarn used, a glossary, and an Internet resource list.

Cons:

• Some of the patterns were not to my taste, but many were. I'll get a lot of use out of this book.
• I wish this book was spiral-bound so it would lay flat while I'm working. I have this gripe about most books, though.
• I'm a lefty, and there was not a "special for lefties because you're so awesome" section. Again, I have this gripe about most crochet books, and if I really need special directions, I hold a mirror up to the diagrams and pretend I'm DaVinci.
  

Where to buy:
I got mine at Michael's, but you can also find it at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or directly from the publisher. If you have a local yarn shop, you could check with them too. It retails for $24.99, which makes it less than a buck a pattern, a great deal as far as I'm concerned. I give this book two overworked thumbs up!

Do you have this book? Do you love it, or would you change something about it? Leave us a comment and let us know!