Popular Lapidary Books

Shaping Stone Volume Two: Advanced Techniques of Soapstone Carving by Stephen C. Norton

Volume Two picks up where Volume One ended, guiding you easily and seamlessly into the more advanced tools and techniques of soapstone carving. I would like to thank all of the people who bought the first book, as your comments and questions assisted in developing the contents of this book. In the first book I took a single project, from rough stone to finished piece. In t Volume Two picks up where Volume One ended, guiding you easily and seamlessly into the more advanced tools and techniques of soapstone carving. I would like to thank all of the people who bought the first book, as your comments and questions assisted in developing the contents of this book. In the first book I took a single project, from rough stone to finished piece. In this book, I will do several different projects, each highlighting the use of a new tool or technique. This means you'll get exposure to a much wider variety of techniques and styles that can be applied to soapstone. As with the first book, I will guide you through the techniques, and processes in easy-to-follow steps. There is nothing difficult or hard to learn about carving a finished piece. I do suggest reading through the entire book before you start working on your stone, so you get a feel for the new techniques. Hopefully you will find tools and techniques here to inspire you to new creations. I’ve included photos of a variety of the finished pieces including those done specifically for this book, so you can get an idea of the range of images and techniques that are possible. You can do everything in this book with only a few tools, so the investment is not onerous. The basic tools can be purchased for thirty to forty dollars. The more advanced tools are also reasonably priced. The stone is reasonably easy to acquire and relatively inexpensive, usually no more than two to three dollars per pound. If there’s no rock shop in your town, good quality stone can be ordered on-line via the Internet. I’ve chosen to make this book more pictorial than wordy. I’m a firm believer that a picture speaks a thousand words, so I’ve tried to show, and only talked enough to lead you into what the picture depicts. I’ve also chosen the size of the book so I can fit in lots of pictures, while keeping the pictures big enough that you can see the detail shown without needing a magnifying glass. At several points through-out the book, I point you to on-line videos so you can see the process in motion. Lastly, I’ve focused on showing you advanced techniques and carving methods, based on the assumption that you've had some experience with carving soapstone. Thank you for buying my book. I hope you find it helpful on your continuing journey into soapstone carving. Sound interesting? Well, if you haven’t already done so, buy the book. Pick up a few tools if you don’t already have them at home. Buy a chunk or two of soapstone, follow along with the book and let’s start carving.

Shaping Stone: The Art of Carving Soapstone by Stephen C. Norton

A step by step guide to the techniques, tricks and tips on how to carve soapstone. Includes sections on how to select stone, what tools are required and recommended, how to use the tools, safety guidelines, how to finish and display soapstone carvings. Each step is clearly explained via both text and photographs. Included in the book are links to on-line videos of the vari A step by step guide to the techniques, tricks and tips on how to carve soapstone. Includes sections on how to select stone, what tools are required and recommended, how to use the tools, safety guidelines, how to finish and display soapstone carvings. Each step is clearly explained via both text and photographs. Included in the book are links to on-line videos of the various techniques and...

Introduction to Soapstone Sculpting by Lynn A. Bartlett , Tasha Unninayar (Photographer)

Learn the art of sculpting soapstone. The softness of the material makes it easy to work with using basic, simple tools. Soapstone also produces beautiful colorful results when polished. Carve a rabbit or a snail. Sculpt a flower, a heart, or a butterfly. Make a bowl. With 737 color images, patterns to guide you, and step-by-step directions, sculptors of any age and skill Learn the art of sculpting soapstone. The softness of the material makes it easy to work with using basic, simple tools. Soapstone also produces beautiful colorful results when polished. Carve a rabbit or a snail. Sculpt a flower, a heart, or a butterfly. Make a bowl. With 737 color images, patterns to guide you, and step-by-step directions, sculptors of any age and skill level can easily accomplish these 11 fun projects. Chapters include sculpting techniques, how to select the right piece of soapstone, and tips on how to handle bruising and chipping of the stone. Artists of all trades, especially woodworkers, will be enamored with this artform once they see how easy it is.

Direct Stone Sculpture by Milt Liebson

The ancient and wonderful art of direct stone sculpture is brought to life in this comprehensive new book by the noted sculptor, Milt Liebson. After a brief, informative historical overview of stone sculpture, he leads the reader through the hands-on experience of sculpting in stone. This is an invaluable book for artists and would-be artists in stone. The types of stone u The ancient and wonderful art of direct stone sculpture is brought to life in this comprehensive new book by the noted sculptor, Milt Liebson. After a brief, informative historical overview of stone sculpture, he leads the reader through the hands-on experience of sculpting in stone. This is an invaluable book for artists and would-be artists in stone. The types of stone used in sculpture are covered, as well as the basic tools for hand sculpting and the techniques for their use. For the advanced sculptor there is detailed information on power tools and their use, the methods of lamination and repair, the business side of stone sculpture, and other helpful information gleaned from years of experience. Detailed photographs take readers from rough stone to the polished and mounted piece. Already a standard reference, **Direct Stone Sculpture now includes 47 new pictures, updated stone-working techniques, and a gallery of students' work.

Crafts and hobbies by Daniel Weiss , Reader's Digest Association , Susan Chace

An exceptional instruction book of over 40 crafts explained in detail -- leatherworking, candlemaking, basketry, stained glass, origami, quiltmaking, woodworking, winemaking, book-binding, and much more. Also includes specific projects for most of the crafts.

Gems & Mines Of Mogok, Special Limited Illustrated Edition by Ted Themelis

Ruby & Sapphire by Richard W. Hughes

La taille des pierres de couleur - un art - un plaisir - une passion by Eddy Vleeschdrager

La taille des pierres de couleur pour débutants by Robert A. Geuljans

The Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Writings by Oscar Wilde , Richard Ellmann (Introduction)

Flamboyant and controversial, Oscar Wilde was a dazzling personality, a master of wit, and a dramatic genius whose sparkling comedies contain some of the most brilliant dialogue ever written for the English stage. Here in one volume are his immensely popular novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray; his last literary work, “The Ballad of Reading Gaol,” a product of his own prison Flamboyant and controversial, Oscar Wilde was a dazzling personality, a master of wit, and a dramatic genius whose sparkling comedies contain some of the most brilliant dialogue ever written for the English stage. Here in one volume are his immensely popular novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray; his last literary work, “The Ballad of Reading Gaol,” a product of his own prison experience; and four complete plays: Lady Windermere’s Fan, his first dramatic success, An Ideal Husband, which pokes fun at conventional morality, The Importance of Being Earnest, his finest comedy, and Salomé, a portrait of uncontrollable love originally written in French and faithfully translated by Richard Ellmann. Every selection appears in its entirety–a marvelous collection of outstanding works by the incomparable Oscar Wilde, who’s been aptly called “a lord of language” by Max Beerbohm.

Gem and Lapidary Materials: For Cutters, Collectors, and Jewelers by June Culp Zeitner

A complete handbook of common materials used in the lapidary arts throughout history and up to the present. Lavishly illustrated with full-color photographs.

Thuggin In Miami (The Family Is Made : Part 1) by R.A. Robinson

After the death of his father, Rich Kid takes his destructive, malicious, and loyal team of hustlers, known amongst them-selves as The Family, to the next level of thuggin. Using his relationships within the drug distribution realm, Richard catapults his growing empire, taking down anyone who stands in his way. Rich Kid’s Family soon becomes a force to reckon with; one tha After the death of his father, Rich Kid takes his destructive, malicious, and loyal team of hustlers, known amongst them-selves as The Family, to the next level of thuggin. Using his relationships within the drug distribution realm, Richard catapults his growing empire, taking down anyone who stands in his way. Rich Kid’s Family soon becomes a force to reckon with; one that evokes fear in the hearts of all those who dare to cross them. The bloodshed, and bodies through the inner streets of Miami are the only remnants of this ghost crew; leaving detectives within all agencies baffled and astonished with the gruesomeness of the local murders. While hot on the trail, of what seems to be a small-time local drug dealer, the Drug Enforcement Agency investigates the street dealer named Richard Gary. The closer the D.E.A gets to Richard Gary, the more they find out about his alias, Rich Kid, who is well-known within South Miami, but the D.E.A. acts too soon. With nothing to hold him on, they hand Richard over to the federal government for tax evasion charges. With their leader behind bars, The Family must now learn how to operate without him. Will the mistakes they make rip them apart at the seams or will Richard find a way to avenge his crew from behind bars?