JeannieZelos.com:I mentioned this book at my art group to recieve huge interest. I hadn't realised it was so popular. One of the ladies works in stained glass and is very interested but in fact it has ideas suitable for almost any crafts. The first section in the book gives a brief history of Celt origins, and ideas of how to use these designs, showing some embroidered book covers, metal embossed cards and beautiful glass and ceramic works. Then follows a wonderful reference of designs to trace or copy or use a a base for own designs. Its an A4 soft back book and the designs are of a sensible size so they can be seen and copied clearly, simple strong black lines on a white background. . For anyone interested in Celtic design - whether for painting, lettering, embroidery or carving this book is a must. It has over 300 borders, motifs and patterns and when flicking through you can't help but be inspired to get started. Myshelf.com:Celtic art has a timeless and unisex appeal with its fabulous beasts, intricate writhing knotwork and mysterious symbolism. If you love this style, this book will appeal to you because here are over 300 borders, motifs and patterns to inspire you to create masterpieces in your chosen art or craft mediums. This is a simple book to use, and features larger patterns than many other books packed with inspiring designs, which is a good thing. At the front are some inspiring colored large photographs showing work by a variety of artists and craftspeople in a wide array of media. Ceramics, metal embossing, painting on wood, embroidery and glass paint put these designs through their paces and show what can be done. The rest of the book is the patterns themselves, featuring lots of circular motifs (great for icing cakes), squares, borders, crosses, zoomorphic fantasies, frames and an alphabet. Their large size makes them easy to increase for some really big projects (tree skirt, circular tablecloth King Arthur would have loved etc) but alternatively some of the smaller ones would be great for cards, or made smaller yet for pins and other jewelry. It takes the hard work out of drawing these intricate designs, and lets you get on with the part you enjoy and are good at. As with many other Search Press sourcebooks you can use up to 15 illustrations for a project without permission although it would be nice to mention the publishers because they deserve it for bringing us crafters so many wonderful books.Sewing World:These bumper collections each contaion over 300 borders, motifs, patterns and alphabets that are ideal for use in all types of crafts including embroidery, fabric painting, beading and card making. Presented as black line illustrations, they are perfect for scanning, tracing or photocopying and can be scaled up or down, combined or edited as desired. Up to 15 designs can be used in any single craft project without seeking permission from the publishers making them ideal for those seeking professional quality artwork as the basis for new creations.The 'Art Nouveau' title contains a lovely section of stylised flowers, fruits, birds, butterflies, figures and faces, with a distinctive style that sill looks incredibly modern more than a century after the movement originated. 'Celtic' decoration dates back many thousands of years and this super collection pays homage to the intricate styles of interlacing patterns, spirals, knot-work, figures and symbolic patterns that are instantly recognisable today. Both titles contain a stunning gallery of items incorporating the designs across a wide range of crafts to inspire and encourage the reader. Karenplatt.co.uk: This book is subtitled A source book for craftspeople and artists plus a gallery of inspirational finished pieces. The ideas come form Judy Balchin and Jenny Rolfe. Together they present twelve design projects using the Celtic theme from cards, mugs and book covers to bookmarks and a dragon plaque. Each finished project is shown as a full colour photograph. Want some inspiration along a Celtic theme? After you have studied the projects, take a look at over 300 borders, motifs and patterns on the timeless Celtic theme that are presented in this book. Fantastic line drawings represent all Celtic themes and symbols and can be used as they are or enlarged if need be. They are drawn to a good sized scale, so many can be used without having to later them first. This is a fabulous directory for anyone needing inspiration. The book starts by wetting your appetite with the types of things you could create using the large quantity of designs in the book. Full colour images show glass painting, cards, a ceramic mug and even a book cover. The descriptions of the finished items give an idea of some of the techniques used to create them. There is a wide range of Celtic knotwork, animals and some letters to choose from to create your own crafts. The designs are done with strong black lines on a white background which make them easy to trace and adapt for your own use. I'm sure that anyone looking through this book will be able to find many images to use and maybe even make one of the items which is shown at the start.-Pentacle