Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I am very craft impaired. My sewing machine and I are ships sinking in the night. It is hardly portable and the kids grow faster than I can sew an outfit for them. Knitting takes too long and I'm not anal enough to count stitches. Needle point and its ilk, too tedious and lacks sarcastic messages that I'd rather impart than the usual spiritual/homey themes. I only need so many crocheted pot holders. And I have not, and will not give into the addiction that is Scrapbooking. ( let the kids rummage through shoe boxes filled with unmarked,unnamed pictures. It was good enough for me! Gah, what crack do they filter in those scrapbook stores, huh?) I had figured I would never find a little project to keep myself off the streets ( or off Ebay) when I spied this instruction book at the store I was cautiously optimistic. Frankly, until I found this book, I was pretty sure that I did not have the craft-gene inside of me, therefore making me feel exceptionally defective in the girly department. I fell in love instantly with the fairies and the little people, yet I remained hesitant because following directions ( unless complete with pictures) is problematic for a doofus like myself. I sat down in the store and read every thing first. Realized that I already posessed nearly all of the material needed to create a fairy in my own home: pipe cleaners, embroidery floss, needle, felt, glue, acrylic paint and silk flowers. All I needed were little wooden balls. (and an acorn to use as a hat, but that is minor.) All things left over from failed projects. Mocking me of my failure everytime I looked at them in their respective craft drawer. The start up cost to make a couple of fairies is probably under $10-15 if you don't have everything. Everything is very cheap. When you get more proficient in it, a better grade and selection of wool felt colors can be had through specialty places like Magic Cabin (dot) com. ( Lovely people there.) I bit the cost of the book and went home all giddy. Following the step by step instructions, in under an hour, I made my first fairy. I am making them as stocking stuffers and Xmas ornaments for the kid in my life and adults too. And I am contemplating making a Nativity Scene for Christmas. Its going to be a Very Fairy Christmas around these parts this year. The book is filled with gorgeous photography and easy to follow instructions and plenty of project ideas to kick start something of your own. My only beef with it, and it is minor, is there is no instruction on how to apply hair. Yes, it should be moron proof with : cut yarn to desired length, apply glue to wooden head, attach yarn, then put on acorn hat. But, there isn't. There is no suggested yarn type listed that works best for hair. Fortunately, I have Boucle yarn, which is rather hard to find and used in waldorf doll making. ( another project that I've failed at....I made the neck to thin and my dolls come out needed a neck brace. GAH!) Also, FYI, if you buy this book in the spring/summer, and need acorns, there are none left over from the previous fall. You will have to wait until October, when the acorns start dropping off the trees. I am making all my dolls now (july) and putting on their acorn caps when my 3 oak trees in my yard produce this fall. This book is pricey for an instruction book, but the low start up cost for trying a new project and all its sundry is worth it as it is something than can be completed in about an hour or so, be done while watching TV and is fairly portable makes it probably the equivalent or superior to another craft start up, as the pay off is much faster and it doesn't cause aggrevation like everything else I've tried. YMMV. I am very, very pleased with this book. (Can you tell?)