Pysanky in the 21st Century

Average customer rating:

Most Important and Inspiring Resource!

Beginners be cautious

Excellent resource

Visually astounding!!

Absolutely AWESOME!

Pysanky in the 21st Century
Helen Badulak
Manufacturer: Kutztown Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Decorating | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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The Art of Decorating Eggs

ASIN: 0911122109

Product Description

Pysanky, Ukrainian Easter Eggs are decorated by the batik method of wax and dyes. Helen Badulak, Nina Badulak-McDaniel, and Kristina Schaeffer offer: unique advanced design ideas, tools and tips used, Choosing your egg canvas, 16 step by step stages, Library of designs and the authors biography.

Customer Reviews:

Most Important and Inspiring Resource!.......2007-07-10

Once you've reached a level of proficiency in pysanky making, it is difficult to find resources to take your art to the next level -- and to me, this book was an answer to wishes I didn't even know I had!

When I first got Pysanky in the 21st Century from Amazon, I carried it around with me everywhere for a month to show friends and family -- I couldn't stop looking at it and marveling at the artistry and expertise. And I was overjoyed to find practical tips and tricks that immediately had an effect on the quality of my own pysanky art. I noticed at the back of the book that the author offered advanced lessons, so I "filed that information" for later, not really expecting to follow up.

Then I had the fortune to meet Helen Badulak and her daughter Nina at a local egg artistry show -- and as beautiful and inspiring as the photos of the eggs are in this book, they are absolutely mind-boggling in person. Because of purchasing this book and subsequently taking lessons from Helen, my family and friends have been astounded by the leaps and bounds I made, even after just one session with the master. As she does in the book, Helen offers an incredible generosity of knowledge, "secrets," and spirit.

I heartily recommend this book as a visual treat and an important resource, and I encourage pysanky artists considering taking advanced lessons from Helen to contact her. To be sure, you can use the book alone to increase your proficiency, as I did, but the experience of using the book was greatly enhanced by individual sessions with the master.

Beginners be cautious.......2007-06-07

This book is *NOT* for the beginner. The many beautiful eggs are photographed very poorly, and almost all pictures have issues with focus and glare. Also, the text is extremely self-indulgent (from the author's perspective) and unrealistically dogmatic. For the experienced pysanky artist and collector, however, this book is almost a "must-have" (even at its high price) because it can definitely expand your vision of where the medium can go beyond the traditional. Badulak's craftmanship is truly remarkable.

Excellent resource.......2007-01-22

I received this book for Christmas and, although have been doing pysanky for 7-8 years, it taught me a lot. It was VERY informative and easy to read. I love how Helen Badulak asks us to go ahead and make the designs she provides. She encourages you to practice and work toward perfecting the art. She is a wonderful author and amazing artist. Kudos to her for sharing her experience and ideas with us. Judi

Visually astounding!!.......2005-11-13

This book breaks down all aspects of the art of pysanky. But the real treasure is all the wonderful photos of Helen's beautiful pysanky. There are literally hundreds of pysanky pictured in beautiful full page color photos. There are such a wealth of designs that one could never do them all.

This book is even enjoyable for those who do not practice the art of pysanky. This is truly a must have book if there ever was one!

Absolutely AWESOME!.......2005-05-14

This book is magnificent. The price only seemed steep until I saw it; in reality, it is a bargain. The pictures are breathtakingly beautiful, and the explicit step-by-step instructions from a master of the art are priceless. Whether you want to learn pysanky or just admire it at its best, this book is truly indispensable.

Average customer rating:

good patterns, but you'll need more than this

Ukrainian Design Book I
Natalie and Luba Perchyshyn; Ann Kmit; Loretta Luciow
Manufacturer: Ukrainian Gift Shop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0960250220

Product Description

This is the first book of a series of previously unpublished patterns for the reader to recreate and enjoy. By breaking down the design to its simplest form, you will discover that you can create very complicated and magnificent patterns. As we describe each egg from beginning pencil lines to the final dye bath, the symbolism and color meanings will also be explained.

Customer Reviews:

good patterns, but you'll need more than this.......2004-02-22

If you are a beginner to the art of pysanky, as I am, this book will not be enough to get you started. It gives brief directions and gets straight to the patterns, which are after all the point of this book. The cover has color photos of all the egg designs presented in the book, the inside cover has black-and-white pictures of the sides of the eggs; the pages of the book contain only black and white line drawings of the patterns. The patterns are given step-by-step with a line drawing for each step, but as a beginner I still find some of them a bit confusing. However, they are lovely designs and for more experienced decorators (which I hope to be very soon) I'm sure the patterns and instructions are adequate. Throughout the book, where a certain pattern is used, its symbolism is briefly explained. So, if you are a beginner, get a good starter book - I am finding Jane Pollak's Decorating Eggs to be an excellent learning and inspiration resource.

Easy-To-Do Holiday Crafts From Everyday Household Items!: Including Crafts for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, and Every Day of the Year!

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Great for the pre-schooler and grade-schooler in your home!
Great Crafts for Every Holiday!
Great craft book for kids

Easy-To-Do Holiday Crafts From Everyday Household Items!: Including Crafts for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, and Every Day of the Year!

Manufacturer: Boyds Mills Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

Crafts & Hobbies | Arts & Music | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1590783166

Customer Reviews:

Great for the pre-schooler and grade-schooler in your home!.......2007-08-15

I bought this for seasonal crafts a young child could do. I have another book which is similar but for everyday crafts, Household Items by Kathy Ross. If you're into recycling, this book is ideal for you. It would be rough trying to assemble the required items if you have a large group without cooperation from others or time. The other items required are the basics like construction paper, glitter, scissors, glue and then things like dried beans, colored pipe cleaners, and straw. I didn't see any copyable patterns so it looks like an adult would have to do those sorts of things.

As I bought the book for Halloween section and I have only glanced at the other sections...here goes.

This section is full of easy ideas from the preschooler to the older child. They could easily be supervised by a responsible teen. They look easy to do, but would be impressive to the child as well as the adult when completed.

There are decorated pumpkins without cutting, lots of cats and ghosts to make, and basic no-sew costumes to wear from adult or older children's clothing.

Great Crafts for Every Holiday!.......2007-01-20

This is a fantastic book for parents,teachers, or anyone who likes to make crafts. Moms and teachers especially are always looking for ways to make crafts that don't cost much. This book shows you how to make really cute and original projects out of things we would recycle (or throw away!). I recommend it highly!

Great craft book for kids.......2005-03-14

I got this book for my 5 year old daughter and 5 year old niece. They both love to make things and loved the items in this book. My daughter wanted to make so many things for each holiday, we didn't come close to making all of them. There are some items that are a bit lame, but the others make the book worth it. I only had to buy a few low cost craft items like felt squares, pipe cleaners, ribbon, and the like to make the items in the book. Everything else we had in the house (egg cartons, construction paper, material scraps, ...).
If you have "crafty kids" this is a good idea book for them. It would also be good for preschools, elementary schools, and churches.

The Family Easter Book/Stories, Features, Crafts and Activities for All the Family

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The Family Easter Book/Stories, Features, Crafts and Activities for All the Family
Alan MacDonald
Manufacturer: Lion Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Ukrainian Egg Decoration: A Holiday Tradition (Crafts of the World (New York, N.Y.).)

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very disappointing
A Wonderful Blend of Tradition and Art

Ukrainian Egg Decoration: A Holiday Tradition (Crafts of the World (New York, N.Y.).)
Ann Stalcup
Manufacturer: PowerKids Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0823953351

Customer Reviews:

very disappointing.......2006-02-01

I didn't realize that this book was written for children.....I was so disappointed when it arrived. There is a bit of information about the history of Pysanka but other than that and a few nice pictures, it is of very little use for an adult crafter. I'm sure kids would get something out of it.

A Wonderful Blend of Tradition and Art.......2001-01-31

As an elementary educator, I find that this book is very well-accepted, enjoyed, and useful in the classroom. It should fare just as well at home. Not only does it have some lovely photos of completed eggs, it has a simple step-by-step egg project for children to do. But above and beyond this, it explains the tradition and folklore behind pysanky and krashanky eggs. I enjoyed this book as much as the kids did!

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Glitter Easter Stickers
Nina Barbaresi
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486438392

Book Description

Twelve adorable images of furry and feathery creatures filling baskets, decorating eggs, and modeling Easter bonnets.

175 Easy-To-Do-Easter Crafts: Easy-To-Do Crafts, Easy-To-Find Things (Easy-to-Do Crafts Easy-to-Find Things)

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175 Easy-To-Do-Easter Crafts: Easy-To-Do Crafts, Easy-To-Find Things (Easy-to-Do Crafts Easy-to-Find Things)

Manufacturer: Boyds Mills Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1563973162

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Easter Fun Activity Book
Stamper
Manufacturer: Troll Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0816729131

Book Description

Ready for some holiday fun? This delightful book is full of stories, puzzles, games, and more to help you have the best Easter ever! Illustrated in full color throughout.

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Crafts For Easter
Kathy Ross
Manufacturer: Millbrook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1562942689

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Hello, Rainbow! (Peeps)
Lauren Forte , and S. I. International
Manufacturer: Simon Scribbles
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1416933735

Book Description

Hello, Rainbow! shows just how sweet the Peeps can be with 224 pages of coloring & activity excitement! Peeps Chick and Peeps Bunny get up to all kinds of amazing Springtime adventures.

Amazon.com

Because this is Valerie Steele's second book on the topic of fetishistic clothing, her opening statements that she is an outsider to the paraphilias and perversions that she discusses seems a bit hollow. When she says that she is only "a cultural historian specializing in fashion" there's no need to fear: while the book is rigorously researched and loaded with valuable bibliographic references to previous researchers in the area, it's apparent that underneath her cool prose Steele really gets a kick out of her subject, if only on an intellectual level. Dividing her book into sections based on the various fetishes (corsets, shoes, second-skin fabrics, underwear), Steele shows a remarkable facility with the history and trivia of each item of clothing. This produces some amusing juxtapositions, such as when she reveals little-known information about the Chinese practice of footbinding, and a page later presents a Tom of Finland picture of a nude man surrounded by motorcycle-booted feet. There are plenty of drawings and photographs here, ostensibly to supplement the reading. Photos range from 19th-century Viennese ultra-high-heeled shoes to contemporary neo- gothic hipster chicks in corsets and leather. This is obviously not a book for children, but it's also far more than a collection of erotica in that it presents an informative and well-researched history of fetishism and the theories that have been put forward to explain it.

Book Description

Kinky boots, corsets, underwear as outerwear, second-skin garments of rubber and leather, uniforms, body piercing.... Today everything from a fetishist's dream appears on the fashion runways. Although some people regard fetish fashion as exploitative and misogynistic, others interpret it as a positive Amazonian statement--couture Catwoman. But the connection between fashion and fetishism goes far beyond a few couture collections. For the past thirty years, the iconography of sexual fetishism has been increasingly assimilated into popular culture. Before Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman, there was Mrs. Peel, heroine of the 1960s television show "The Avengers," who wore a black leather catsuit modeled on a real fetish costume. Street styles like punk and the gay "leatherman" look also testify to the influence of fetishism. The concept of fetishism has recently assumed a growing importance in critical thinking about the cultural construction of sexuality. Yet until now no scholar with an in-depth knowledge of fashion history has studied the actual clothing fetishes themselves. Nor has there been a serious exploration of the historical relationship between fashion and fetishism, although erotic styles have changed significantly and "sexual chic" has become increasingly conspicuous. Cultural historian Valerie Steele has devoted much of her career to the study of the relationship between clothing and sexuality, and is uniquely qualified to write this book. Marshalling a dazzling array of evidence from pornography, psychology, and history, as well as interviews with individuals involved in sexual fetishism, sadomasochism, and cross-dressing, Steele illuminates the complex relationship between appearance and identity. Based on years of research, her book Fetish: Fashion, Sex and Power explains how a paradigm shift in attitudes toward sex and gender has given rise to the phenomenon of fetish fashion. "Steele is to fetish dressing what Anne Rice is to vampires," writes Christa Worthington of Elle magazine, "the intellectual interpreter of...wishes beyond our ken." According to Steele, fetishism shows how human sexuality is never just a matter of doing what comes naturally; fantasy always plays an important role. Steele provides provocative answers to such questions as: Why is black regarded as the sexiest color? Is fetishizing the norm for males? Does fetish fashion reflect a fear of AIDS? And why do so many people love shoes?

Customer Reviews:

A must for your collection.......2003-01-03

overall this book is very good, however it leaves out some important elements of fetishism and fetish culture. It pin points important elements of fetish and fashion, while skimming over the importance of emotions, trust, childhood,sex, power. When Steele addresses sex and power she uses a freudian approach. this is simply because steele's educational backround is limited to maintinly fasion history.

The book is complete with fetish photos, and describes the history and evoltion of the fetish well. Steele, describes one fetish party that she has attended and makes assumptions about fetishes, however i find it difficult to fully accept her conclusions due to her limited exposure. She does not accuratly address the role of fetishism in the gay and lesbian and bisexual community, but rather sticks to trannies and crossdressers. Futhermore, much of the evidence that she uses to explain fetishes is based on biological sex and gender roles. Both of which i would argue are downplayed among those who are open minded enough to participate in fetish culture.

This book is very well written and hard to put down. The book is well edited and well sectioned to keep you entertained and statisfied. It great book for someone who wants a brief and PG 13 explaination of fetishism-- for someone who knows little about the history of fetishims--or for your slightly kinky friend. Please keep in mind that Steele looks at fetishes from a fashion perspective--if you are looking for a more indept explaination of fetish culture you wil left, without it

veiled neutrality.......1999-08-20

Steele's book is thoroughly researched and does an excellent job of placing fetish fashion in a historical context. What the author fails to do, however, is make a clear argument. When she states that she cannot claim to be for or against a particular piece of clothing (in this case, the corset), her well-crafted "neutral" stance weakens the very course of her history. As Steele demonstrates, each article of clothing featured in her book has a complex cultural and intellectual history imbedded with meaning. By refusing to go beyond, "feminists believe..." or "Freud argued...," the purpose of Steele's glossy work remains obscured. Moreover, the author's overuse of quotations further confuses the argument. I was lost between Steele's words and those of her sources and find that her failure to truly engage with her research rings of a forced objectivity.

My second objection is perhaps not a new criticism. I tend to cringe when I hear that the combination of being sexy and powerful rescues woman from the bad old days of obligatory femininity. Steele implies this by refusing to take a stance. The strong, yet sexy, woman remains a male fantasy. After all, the corset-clad, high-heel wearing dominatrix acts out the role to please her slave. She is there to help him live out his fantasies. Her pleasure (and this is generally the case whether the woman is dominant or submissive) tends to remain secondary. Steele's modern fetish woman gains pleasure from being pleasing to men and power from being sexually desirable. I would have liked the author to examine this issue further and even to deconstruct it.

fetish fun.......1999-08-06

this book was boring because it demeans fetishes. fetishes can be healthy outpourings of one's soul, not something that needs to be hidden away in the proverbial closet. i have a foot fetish, and this book gave me the impression that fetishes are to be spurned: i disagree and disagree strongly. my fetish is something integral to my being; i live for feet.

a dominating opinion.......1999-02-19

A very well-written and -researched essay whose clarity and wit is all the more remarkable for its breadth of subject matter (fetish and fashion, along with all the psychology, sociology, sexuality, feminism, etc. that they entail) and the high degree of subjectivity authors usually bring to that subject matter. Steele's writing is observant, engaging, stylish and piercingly critical--she gains much credibility in my mind by debunking the corset myth, for example. One flaw is that the wide implications of the subject matter often lead her off on tangents. It often takes her some time--in some cases, the entire book--to fully elucidate her points. You have to trust her to explain everything in the end--a trust which is largely well-placed.

Oddly, the largest overarching theory about the connection between obscure fetish gear and high fashion is left implicit in a "perhaps. . ." phrase at the end. That theory is that most behaviors and interests previously thought perverse are being accepted into the mainstream as our society becomes ever more leisure-oriented and pleasure-based. Also unresolved is why fetishism seems to be largely Western and modern--is this a function of social organization, the definition of "fetishism", new sex research, sexual liberation, mass-media communication, all of these? There's an interesting correlation here with the equally culture-specific and modern outbursts of schizophrenia and serial killing (killers who are of course sexually motivated, highly perverse and often fetishistic). This is a query of high social concern, and I'm now more convinced of the role of the mass media--fetishism requires visual stimulation, Steele says, and there's more of that in a wider variety of subject matter than ever before. Not to simply psychology, but it's an interesting factor.

The notion that males rather than females are prone to fetishism is almost borne out by this book itself, as though it took a woman to write sensibly and objectively about fetish/fantasy issues. Conversely, she trips up in fashion, her academic field, which she's too close to for that degree of objectivity. In dicussing whether fetish-inspired fashions empower or degrade women (a discussion wisely complicated with reader-response and intentionalist critiques), she doesn't realize the question she's begging: Why are fetish fashions almost exclusively produced for and worn by women? You could argue that fetishism is almost exclusively male activity projected onto female items. But many fetishists are just as satisfied wearing the fetish items themselves. And as Steele distinguishes, fashion is about "normal" fetishizing, not fetishism, and works by far looser rules. All she really says to this question is that men's fashions are "slower to develop" and suggests a psychoanalytic theory (interesting, though far from convincing) about why women like dressing up more than men do. I think the obvious answer she misses is that whether women feel empowered or degraded, the very reason they're allowed (or required) to dress up at all is because they have a subservient social position to men. When men are required to dress up, it's a relatively simple and standardized uniforming, whereas women are required to puff up a la a court jester or similar colorful figure of subservient/entertainment social standing. Whatever a women chooses to wear, there's no choice about dressing up, and that's where real power lies.

These lacunae aside, it's an honest, thoughtful and meaningful examination of the unspoken--and often misunderstood--meanings lurking within our clothes, and a timely, necessary study of what's going on in the 20th century sexual mind.

Also wanted to add that today's radical forms of bodybuilding should be considered as body modification in the corseting/tattooing/piercing vein. It's been a rapid movement from Schwarzenegger's Greco-Roman classical perfection to today's insanely bulging, wildly exaggerated look.--J.Ruch

Boring.......1998-12-13

You would not think that a book concerning Fetish trends etc would put you to sleep but this book will. You may nod awake for the photos but the text is a mish-mosh of psycho-drivel, unrelated and uninteresting facts and sketchy history.

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Fetish, Fashion, Sex & Power
Steele Valerie
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NDKZR2

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Fetish- Fashion, Sex and Power

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GPUQB2

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Fetish: Fashion, Sex & Power
Valerie Steele
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OK6P8M

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Fetish: Fashion, Sex, and Power
Valerie Steele
Manufacturer: Oxford Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KXRPHI

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Fetish: Fashion,Sex and Power
Valerie Steele
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKNGJI

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