The Complete Guide to Decorative Stamping: Decorate Your Home Simply and Beautifully With Your Own Easy-To-Make Stamp Designs (Watson-Guptill Crafts)

Rating:
Summary: You can't go wrong with Grace Taormina's books
Review: This a book that puts you in control of the look you want with decorating projects. Whether you are working on placemats or living room walls, there are ideas for making your own stamps out of everything from polymer clay to foam to natural objects.

Looks range from cute country to modern and mica flecked. Photos are very clear and the processes in the projects are described in detail. A source directory is included.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome sophisticated looking projects,inspirational
Review: This is a terrific book on using rubber stamp techniques to decorate your home. It shows how practical and creative stamping can be for things other than just making cards. The projects are artistic have a sophisticated look and for the most part they are not too cutesy. Though sophisticated looking, with a little time and patience all the projects are fairly easy to create.

The book starts out with stamping basics such as masking, embossing, purchasing supplies and even making your own simple stamps. Principles of color and design follow. Stamping on various surfaces such as paper, wood, fabric, pottery, glass, clay, metal and leather are next. Then it is all put together in decorating your rooms. There is great information on assessing your room, making samples and working with patterns as well as creating borders, wreaths, and painted floors.

Over 15 projects follow including chest of drawers with elegant swirls, butterfly embossed velvet throw, lemon wall vine, paper mache bowl with leaves, orchard mini-chest and leather portfolio. My favorite project was the gorgeous Africa theme mica collage table. There are excellent step-by-step instructions accompanied by clear demonstrating photos for all the projects. A large photo the finished pieces as well as a complete materials list is also included.

A few patterns and a resource directory are located in the back. This book is a great source of inspiration and ideas for decorating and makes the perfect house-warming gift for the stamper in your life.