Librocubicularist- June 2017

I really do apologize for being so late posting this. The last few weeks have been really busy. In addition to the never ending battle to keep our yard looking well groomed, my husband and I decided that it was time for us both to get checkups. So we scheduled doctors appointments for both of us, which of course lead to more doctors appointments. I also had some extra crafting for a gift exchange that I participated in that took up a bit of my spare time as well. But you know, there's always time to read, so here are a few things that I squeezed in this month.


Literary Yarns: Crochet Projects Inspired by Classic Books by Cindy Wang

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is super adorable! It has instructions to make your very own amigurumi style stuffies based on famous literary characters. There are enough details in the direction and variations for hair styles that it seems like it would be easy to create designs for your own characters based on these instructions. There are so many great things here it's hard to choose a favorite, although I think I'm going to go with Anne of Green Gables. There are several with great accessories that make me laugh, such as Captain Ahab with a toothpick peg leg and Julius Ceasar skewered with cocktail swords. There's even a Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde that uses a doll joint so you can turn his head from one face to the other.


Urban Watercolor Sketching: A Guide to Drawing, Painting, and Storytelling in Color by Felix Scheinberger

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book has a lot of basic information about watercolor paint works, how its made, and how it can be used. I also felt like it had good advice about composition and finding your own style.


Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Volume 1: Force Storm by John Ostrander

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This comic series is.... odd. I should say upfront that I've only read the first two so far. I have the third but haven't finished it. The blurb on the back of the book makes it sound like these are about the foundation of the Jedi. It was a little confusing to read at first because there was only a minimum of setup then launched into a story about a whole planet of people who are in balance with the force. There's a race of dark side wielding creatures preparing to attack. As you get further into the story it does begin to explain some things but I still feel confused. I think that a little more explanation up front would have made this series much more enjoyable.








DIY Temporary Tattoos: Draw It, Print It, Ink It by Pepper Baldwin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have never wanted to get a real tattoo, in part because I've never felt like I had an idea that I wanted to live with permanently. I really still don't but if I did this book would be a big help in working out exactly what I wanted to do. It covers a variety of topics related to tattoo design including subject matter, style, and location. While some of this information is specific to temporary tattoos (like which placements will crack or stretch) I feel like most of it would be relevant to creating actual tattoos. It would be a good way to test out a design before going permanent or just try a variety of things for temporary fun.