Book Review of A Year of Creativity: A Craft Date Planner to Meet, Share, and Create by Petra Hoeksema, Lidy Nooij, Miriam Catshoek, Bregje Konings

 Title: A Year of Creativity: A Craft Date Planner to Meet, Share, and Create 

Authors: Petra Hoeksema,  Lidy Nooij, Miriam Catshoek, Bregje Konings

Source: Netgalley

Genre: Craft 

Rating: 4 

Do something creative every day! In A Year of Creativity, learn how to throw the perfect creative party with your friends—with organizing tips, 25 project ideas, and even recipes for snacks.

A "craft date" is a fun get-together with a handful of creative friends in which you surprise each other with craft and DIY projects using cool materials, inspire each other, and make beautiful things together. At each date, a group of participants share a self-made project to be re-created by the other attendees. Materials are individualized for each participant and given as a unique personal gift along with the instructions for the project. A craft date is different than a workshop since you get to choose the lovely people that you invite, and as the organizer, you get to participate in all the projects. Invitees can put their own spin on the project by using their favorite colors, materials, or techniques. This way you end up with a range of different interpretations and results, leading to new inspiration and ideas.

A Year of Creativity is a book for everyone with a basic knowledge of crocheting, knitting, and sewing. It does not teach you how to crochet or explain how a sewing machine works. There are plenty of other books for that. What it does do is inspire crafting enthusiasts to make something together, learn from each other, and have fun doing it. You'll find within:
An introduction to craft dates and how they work
Tips on planning your craft date events
Plenty of project ideas (short, long, and cooperative)
Plus recipes for party dishes that keep the creative juices flowing
You will share ideas, discover new inspiration, and find new friends while creating uniquely beautiful aprons, knit garlands, infinity scarves, haberdashery bags, cards, pencil cases, and more.Have you had a great craft date or are you working on a neat project and want to show it off? There’s a place for this in the craft dates community. On Instagram, for example, you can tag your photos with, or search for the hashtag #craftdates. You can have a look at each other’s work, drum up inspiration for your own dates, invite your Insta-friends, or organize a "blind date" with creative people from your town or city that you don’t know yet. A whole world will open up. A very creative world is waiting for you in A Year of Creativity.

I don’t know what happened when this book downloaded for me but for some reason my copy was totally messed up, I couldn’t see the majority of the images, list of supplies or the steps, but from what I did get to see I can say this book is great to inspire you and some friends to get together and either pick a project from this book or find a new project and craft together. 

Each project you’ll find a supply list along with, step by step instructions with images and has images. There is also a section about the authors and how all of the began and how they went about doing it.

You get several craft projects and a few recipes, most of which are for every skill level of crafter, but there are a few projects for very experienced crafters.

Craft book review Bead Jewelry 101: Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily Through Step-by-Step Instruction by Karen Mitchell, Ann Mitchell

 Title: Bead Jewelry 101: Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily Through Step-by-Step Instruction 

Authors: Karen Mitchell and Ann Mitchell

Source: Netgalley 

Genre: craft

Rating: 5

Bead Jewelry 101, now in paperback, is a complete entry-level course for creating beaded jewelry taught through 30 step-by-step projects that demonstrate fundamental methods for stringing and wirework.

Have you always wanted to try jewelry making but aren’t sure where to begin? Bead Jewelry 101 teaches you everything you need to know to create beautiful jewelry with beads.

The Basics walks you through all the tools, materials, and basic construction techniques you’ll use for the projects.

The Projects are organized by various findings, or jewelry elements, so you’ll learn new techniques and build new skills with every piece you make. Beautiful variations will inspire you to create your own designs.
Beginners will also find the accompanying online videos that capture the techniques in action an invaluable resource.

Written specifically for beginners, the books in the 101 series are complete illustrated guides to the basics of a craft that use projects presented with full-color, step-by-step instructions and photos to teach essential techniques.

Great book for anyone wanting to learn how to make jewelry, plenty of projects and very easy steps for anyone to be able to learn, heck I wished I would have found this book when I started making beaded jewelry a few years back.

I would strongly recommend this for anyone that would like to test the water of jewelry making, this book is simple and full of information on materials and tools, but I have to admit it would benefit an advance jewelry maker that is in need of inspiration because after reading though the book I found some inspiration with a few of these projects to twist to my own.

DIY Book Review of She Sheds Style: Make Your Space Your Own by Erika Kotite

Title: She Sheds Style: Make Your Space Your Own 

Author: Erika Kotite 

Genre: Craft Hobbies

Source: NetGalley

Reviewed by: Laurie 

Rating: 4  

With She Sheds Style, you'll browse ideas, step-by-step projects, and decorating tips from a variety of creative “she shed” owners—then add your personal style to your own shed!

It's no secret that the she shed revolution is underway and gaining steam. What is a she shed? It's simply any outbuilding that has been renovated, outfitted, redesigned, or otherwise reassigned into service as a refuge from the intense pace of modern life.

Consider it a woman's response to the “man cave” craze. Whether you already have that sought-after shed or are still in the dreaming phase, author Erika Kotite (She Sheds: A Room of Your Own, Cool Springs Press, 2016) will help you on your journey. You'll start by browsing the sheds and shed interiors, which range from modern and eclectic to rustic and shabby chic. Learn what architectural details play into a shed's look and consider how these elements work with your preferred decor.

Once you're charged with inspiration, explore loads of DIY projects and ideas from some of the most creative she shed owners around the world. A variety of front entrance ideas provide inspiration for welcoming guests to your space. Ideas for re-purposing furniture abound, such as transforming an old door into a drop-down potting bench. You can even extend your shed's impact beyond the walls with garden features like stepping stones and string lights. Most projects are shown with detailed, step-by-step photos so you can see exactly how the work is done.

So get started and create your own she shed style! 

This book is great if you have a shed and are looking to spruce it up with a style to be all your own.

I bought a medium size shed a few years back with plans that it would be my garden shed all to only become a place to house my holiday junk and my daughters one day but never happening moving out junk for the past few years and I needed some inspiration so I could work on cleaning it out and creating my garden shed. So, when I noticed this book on Netgalley you know I had to give it a try and it had worked with all of the different styles, colors and simple projects I know this spring I will have my garden shed.

No matter if you looking for craft space, office space, writing space, garden space, or just a place to read your books, this book will help you want to change your shed into something you’ll enjoy for years to come all with the authors simple tips and step by step projects to get you on your way to designing that perfect space.