Book review: Dottie Angel – The Peachy Crafty World of Tif Fussell

Way back in February I gave in to temptation and bought a book on a bit of a whim.  Dottie Angel is the alter-ego of artist/designer Tif Fussell…

dottie angel lives in a run down cottage over looking the sea. she has two airstream trailers in the yard, one is her studio and the other stores her vast collection of vintage notions… her eight children are home schooled and spend the day outside running barefoot and their evenings sitting by the fireplace, learning ancient crafting techniques. they never talk back to their mother and always smile… she has several chickens, seven rescued greyhounds and a bearded dragon named STIG… dottie spends most days dressed in an old vintage slip that belonged to her grandmother, that she customized. she thinks to herself, surely everyone dreams of living this life, or at least dressing like they do…

Now, I’m going to be a bit lazy here and quote the blurb which UPPERCASE (the publishers) have written about this book:

The Suitcase Series presents in glorious detail the lives of artists and designers. The books are image-based, full of artwork, beautiful photographs and artifacts from where the artists live and work. The books are small and intimate, like a diary or sketchbook with each including a special treasures. The book is a precious souvenir of a creative journey shared between the reader and the artist.

Dottie Angel is actually the second book in The Suitcase Series, and I’ve just bought the first one on the strength of this one, so look out for a review of that in due course!

So, what did I make of Dottie Angel?  The book is beautifully designed, chock full of photographs which help immerse you in the colourful and sometimes chaotic world of Tif Fussell.  The text takes you through the life of the artist and is interspersed with half a dozen or so how-to sections for little projects including crocheted jar covers and embroidered wall hangings.  The instructions are pretty basic, but in fairness so are the projects.

Would I recommend this book?  Yes and no: it’s a pretty, quirky glimpse into another person’s world.  Tif takes us on a journey through her life and whilst this isn’t a book designed to teach, I think that her frank honesty about her thoughts and work are quite inspiring.  She does the things she loves, she lives the life she crafts, and her passion is plain to see.  The only hesitation I have in recommending this book is the price… the book costs $35 (approx £23), and the shipping is $17 (£11), and $52, or £34, is an awful lot of money to spend on one book.  I’m sure I’ll dip into this book every now and then because the imagery is so pretty and I think it’s a good way to cheer up a rainy day (and boy aren’t we having a lot of those this summer?!), but as with any book which is mainly autobiographical in content I think people would be unlikely to read it from cover-to-cover more than once.

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Book review: The Art of Urban Sketching by Gabriel Campanario

This book popped up on Amazon as a recommendation after I’d been browsing some other art books.  I was intrigued and added it to my wishlist with the intention of going back in a few days and buying it… in the end it was a week before I went back to my wishlist, and to my astonishment the book was no longer available through Amazon, and secondhand copies in the marketplace were going for upwards of £50.  I hunted around online and it wasn’t in stock anywhere, what on earth was going on?  The book was first published in February, how could it possibly be out of print already?

I was intrigued because the book looked interesting, and I hadn’t found a single bad review of it, so I asked to be notified when it was available through Amazon again and eventually, at the beginning of June (a good two months after I’d first seen it on Amazon), I received an e-mail telling me it was in stock.  I didn’t dither, I went straight to the site and bought it.

It took just two days shy of a month to arrive, turning up the day before I was due to go on holiday, and to my woe it was too big and heavy to even consider taking with me.  I was more than a bit frustrated and wondered if this book was going to be worth all the effort of hunting it down.

The short answer is YES.

Looking through sketches done by other artists is like crack for me.  I love to see the different styles people have, the materials they use, and to immerse myself in their view of the world.  Being a city girl born and raised I especially love sketches of urban settings, so this book really is perfect for me.

If you’re looking for a ‘how to’ book then you should probably stop reading this review and find something else, because The Art of Urban Sketching is certainly not going to teach you how to draw.  It does have a little section entitled tools for your portable studio, but that’s just a rough guide and just shows you some examples of what various artists have in their sketch kit.  It’s always interesting to see what other people choose to use, but the lesson here is that every artist is different, and you should develop your own distinct style both in terms of your work and the tools you use to create it.

The layout of the book is good, and I like the style of it: the contents pages are quirky and although that may seem like a small detail I felt it set a good feeling for the rest of the book.

The book “transports you to more than 50 cities, from Seattle to Sydney, spanning every continent and 30 countries” and it really is a wonderful journey (although I’m suprised and disappointed that Prague isn’t in there!).  The sheer variety of styles is both breathtaking and inspiring, and although this is not a how-to type book the artists do provide little tips and insights into the way they draw.

About three quarters of the book is devoted to the journey from country to country, but the last part is full of suggested themes to help inspire you, including skylines, construction sites and seasons of the year.

Each theme is illustrated by the work of different artists and show how a different theme can be given a different feel depending on the style.

This is a cracking book and if you share my fascination with sketchbooks then you must get a copy.  I couldn’t put it down once I’d started it and I’m sure I’ll be dipping in and out of it for years to come.

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Book review: The Repurposed Library by Lisa Occhipinti

I have to ‘fess up and say that this book wasn’t actually at the top of my to-read pile, but the lovely Sally from Sow & Sew sent it to me as a birthday present and I couldn’t resist abandoning my current book for this one.

The Repurposed Library drew me in instantly as it is just up my street.  Projects that make use of books, what’s not to love?  The introduction was interesting as the author is definitely a kindred spirit and so much of what she wrote rang very true.  I particularly liked this

…repurposing a book is simply a different way of experiencing it and embracing its beauty.

It’s not uncommon for people to ask me how I can bear to cut up books (especially as I am an ardent lover of books, and won’t even crack the spines when I’m reading paperbacks), and although I often struggle to answer them coherently the quote above says it all.

Onto the main body of the book and the projects are varied and interesting.  Books like this are a great source of inspiration even if I never attempt the projects as-written.  The journal pictured above is a good example: I like the idea,  it’s simple and I think it would be attractive to customers as they can add their own pages… but the project instructions tell you to put all your pages in between the covers and then drill your holes through the whole lot.  I can see where this might be a time-saving exercise, but while using a regular hole punch to do batches of pages instead takes longer it’s just as easy (and safer for people who perhaps don’t often use a drill), and it also means that the holes are a standard distance apart – making it easier to add more pages in the future.

This idea for a quilted wall hanging is also a lovely one, but if I were to make one (which I’m sure I will at some point!) I’d stitch the pages onto fabric for added durability, whereas the instructions tell you to just stitch the pages to each other.  Hmm.

The book is really gorgeous, and full to the brim with interesting projects.  My particular favourites were the Hanging Mirror (above), the Book Ledge and the Best-Seller Bookshelf (below)…

…I think these will definitely be part of my redecorating future if/when we convert our loft.

Overall I’d recommend this book.  It’s packed full of projects which range from the very simple (requiring nothing more than a craft knife and some glue) to the more complex (needing specialist equipment such as a band saw).  The photography is beautiful, and the project instructions are pretty straightforward to follow; it also gives you good basic advice on repairing damaged book (and demystifies some of the terminology you might hear such as signatures and gutters).  My only criticism would be that the instructions use hand-drawn diagrams rather than photographs and not everyone will find these easy to relate to, using photographs would make the tutorials clearer for beginners.  That is a minor criticism though as the written instructions are very comprehensive and if you’re paying attention those should be all you need.

I’ll end this review with a photo of the project I’ll be trying out first from this book.  The Lettered Wreath is the perfect way to use up the plethora of random book pages I’ve got littering my studio…

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Book review: Everything Alice – the Wonderland Book of Makes

Everything Alice, by Hannah Read-Baldrey and Christine Leech.

I added this book to my Amazon wishlist after stumbling across it one day (and no, I can’t remember what I was looking for originally!), and was delighted to receive it as a Yule gift from my sister-in-sin.

The book starts off well, with a couple of lists of things which you’ll find useful.  Experienced crafters (and those who cook) will have these things anyway but everyone likes a good list, don’t they?

There’s a good range of projects, from simple sewing projects like the little lavender stuffed dormice pictured above to more complex things like the white rabbit pictured below.

I’m particularly tempted to make these gorgeous envelope cushions…

It’s not just sewing either.  There are papercraft projects too, including Mad Hatter cupcake boxes and this pretty tea time themed stationery

There are also edible treats in this book, cakes, confits, cookies and cordials…

… and if you want to make these beautiful cookies, don’t worry because there’s also a tutorial on how to make your own cookie cutters out of aluminium takeaway containers.  Brilliant!

As well as being packed to the brim with tutorials this book is also packed with gorgeous photography and imaginative illustrations.

I’d definitely recommend this book, even to those who aren’t especial fans of Alice in Wonderland.  It’s a great read, there’s lots of inspiration to be had and, unlike some, the writers don’t assume that you have access to unlimited funds and supplies.  Many of the projects are ideal for beginners, but the range of projects means that those who like to challenge themselves won’t be disappointed as there are more complex patterns to follow too.  There’s fun to be had with paint, glue, paper, fabric, beads and food – and the whimsical themes will appeal to children of all ages.

I’ve already tried my hand at one project (the Red King Slippers) and will no doubt be dipping back into this book very soon.

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Book review: Tips for Vintage Style by Cath Kidston

I’ve recently acquired a whole heap of craft related books so I thought I might as well review them as I went along.  First up is Tips for Vintage Style by Cath Kidston.

This is a small book and the introduction tells us that it’s simply a very condensed version of her previous book Vintage Style.  This made me wary from the start – if she’d already written a book containing the same material then what, precisely, was the point of this one?

I ploughed on though and got through the book very quickly (really, half an hour of browsing at most).  To say it was disappointing would be quite an understatement.

There are a few, very brief, ‘tutorials’ (and I use the term very loosely) such as this

 

Quite a lot of her tips aren’t really tips unless you happen to live in a house like, say, hers.  Take this bit from the bathroom section for instance:

An original fireplace in the bathroom can make a lovely focal point.  Not only can you relax in the bath but you – and other people – can also take time out in armchairs cosily positioned on each side of the fire.  Try covering bathroom chairs with towelling fabric – it’s practical and turns the chair into a great place for hair drying and relaxing.

If your bathroom is spacious enough, include a wardrobe, which is always useful for storing bulky towels.

An even better addition, if there’s space, is a freestanding coat stand, for hanging up dressing gowns and towels.

I’d like to live in Cath Kidston’s world, it’s clearly far different from the real world where it’s generally a luxury if you’ve got room for a heated towel rail, never mind a fireplace.

Most of the book is in a similar vein.  Either suggesting impractical things like fireplaces in bathrooms (which is not a tip by any stretch of the imagination), or stating the blindingly obvious like “…a window seat can be a great addition to any room” – well yes, but you’ve either got bay windows (and thus the room for a window seat) or you haven’t, it’s not as though you can pop one in as an afterthought to brighten up a room.  She doesn’t provide any tips on how to downscale ideas for smaller rooms/properties, which is a bit of a flaw unless you happen to live in a spacious, airy, period house…

This book is really neither one thing or the other.  It’s not got enough information in it to be a helpful craft book, and although it does contain some lovely photographs of rooms and accoutrements they’re not large enough to be enjoyed fully as simple lifestyle/homeware porn.  I like perusing magazines like Country Home and others of that ilk, just to pore over the pretty photographs – and there are books out there which have a similar feel.  Big, coffee table style books full to the brim of large photos that you can daydream over while enjoying a cuppa.  This book is tiny (not much bigger than a postcard), and therefore the photographs are quite small and don’t have the same effect they probably had in the original book.

So, if you’ve come across this review whilst wondering whether to buy the book, take my advice and don’t bother.  It’s alright, and if you spot a copy at a car boot sale or in a charity shop then it’s worth a quid, but don’t pay full price for it.  I’m now curious about the book this was condensed from and may try and find a copy of that to read as it can only be an improvement!

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