This is a really cute book about whittling. There is a lot of information for the beginner, but I highly suggest that they watch some YouTube videos first, because you can't convey a lot of the movements that need to be made in a picture.

I bought a carving knife and glove last year but haven't used them, so I thought this book would be the perfect introduction. I was mistaken. To do any projects you need a number of tools. You also need to know carving basics, as they are not explained (like how to make a stop cut -- you are instructed to use one with no explanation). The carvings are very cute and would be great for an advanced beginner or intermediate carver with access to a variety of tools.

I have just learnt how to do some stone carving and was fascinated how much I enjoyed it, when this book was available I jumped at it.
Wood carving seems a little easier to do, the fact that more detail can be added to wood is a bonus. The information on starting the book is very useful and informative. The projects that follow are ranged from beginners and get a little harder as one progresses through the book, the designs are fun and would make great gifts for children or ornaments in the garden or elsewhere. There is a rainbow unicorn, raccoons, elves, a cute dragon, a woodman, mushrooms, gnomes and many more. Beautifully explained with photos of each step and tips and things to watch out for.
An excellent book to learn the art of woodcarving.

This was a nice little intro to carving. The steps were explained well and the pictures were really nice, specifically the progress pictures. As an experienced carver, I even learned a few things!

What a joy to page through this delightful book on wood carving! With projects for beginners through more experienced carvers, the whimsical designs Sara shares are photographed to show the details of her technique from drafting the design on the wood to painting the finished carving.

Such a cute book! Learn to Carve Gnomes, Trolls and Mythical Creatures is a wonderfully organized introduction to woodworking. The projects are divided by skill level, making it easy for beginners to find something perfect for their current level. The pieces would be perfect in a garden or children's bedroom.

After downloading this book and reading it I have immediately sent off for some carving tools and some wood. I am desperate to try out these projects and the author makes them look so easy and fun. The tiny gnomes and the mushrooms are just adorable and the instructions look so easy.
I really can't wait to try them out for myself.

Learn to Carve Gnomes, Trolls, and Mythical Creatures is a whimsically wonderful tutorial guide by Sara Barraclough for woodcarving. Due out 1st Dec 2020 from Fox Chapel, it's 104 pages and will be available in paperback format.

This is such an appealing book. The characters are all fantasy and nature inspired, with a gnome, troll, dragon, wizard, and more, and several woodland creatures such as a toad, owl, squirrel, and others.

The layout is logical and easy to understand. The introduction covers tools, materials, and supplies, a very abbreviated safety section (carving gloves, leather strop, safety goggles, and dust masks are absolutely necessary and the author gives some suggestions). It includes some primer tutorials covering tools and how to use them as well as painting and finishing. The following chapters contain the project tutorials arranged by difficulty: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Each tutorial contains an introduction, tools and supplies listed bullet style, and step by step instructions. All of the tutorials include clear color photos of the steps as well as a color photo of the finished painted project.

Full size templates (measurements are in American standard measures - no metric conversions) are included for each of the projects (they're gathered into the same section in the back of the book). It's worth noting that this book does not employ any power tools. All the carving is done manually.

Really appealing projects. This would make a superlative selection for a makers' group, home workshop library, gift (with carving tools and some wood?), or similar. This would also appeal to handcrafters looking to learn new skills in the weird lockdown limbo we all find ourselves in these days.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Learn to Carve Gnomes, Trolls and Mythical Creatures
15 Simple Step-by-Step Projects
by Sara Barraclough
This is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary.
What an enjoyable book! Very informative and well planned. Lots of step-by-step projects with great pictures to follow the steps. My dad was always making little works of art for a hobby. I always wanted to try but knew I would cut something off that I might need someday!
This book tells you how to avoid that with what you need, patterns, how to be safe, and more! Explains how to paint your project too! The projects are arranged from beginners, intermediate, then advanced. All super cute! Loved it! Made me wish I had this book 40 years ago!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.

Sara Barraclough has created an excellent book for wood carvers to create some fantastic projects. She gives all the basic information that is needed to get started, and she provides patterns and instructions for several projects at different skill levels. The projects themselves are very creative and whimsical.

This was a well-written and well-illustrated wood carving guide that I will love to add to my collection.

So much fun! My first 2 finished products look very little like the photos, but I had a great time carving them. I picked up sticks from my yard; I’m ready to start another figure.

I had better results when I carved with my non-dominant hand, probably because I had to concentrate more. Cut proof gloves are a must when carving.

I’ll happily be giving copies of this book as gifts this year!

Thank you to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm in love with this darling book of magical wood carving projects. My 17 y/o son was telling me he was feeling down the other night and I showed him the cover. He's 6 feet tall and I'm pretty sure he literally squealed at some of the projects. LOL They're darling, and it's just the sort of thing we needed during this endless at-home time.

The author is a mother of a little girl who collects her carvings, and she's a wonderfully likeable and talented carver. While nobody in our family has done this level of woodcarving before, the book made it seem pretty doable. I love that she says you don't need expensive tools and makes it accessible for people new to the craft. There's a mushroom house, unicorn, hedgehog, gnome and lots more. Step by step photos show up close how to do the carvings, and even the paints she uses are affordable and easy to locate. It's just utterly darling and fun. I see woodcarving in our future.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

I've been learning to whittle/carve and I enjoyed perusing through this tutorial book. The instructions are fairly clear and complete with pictures. I loved the whimsy of the carved subjects. It's very fairy tale woodland. The only thing that could have been better is a quick guide at the beginning on how to make the different cuts used in the tutorials. As a beginner, it's nice to find that info listed as a reminder.

This book has made me want to learn to carve. I enjoyed reading the author's thoughts. His dedication is adorable, and so are the projects. I love that the author is making projects for their daughter. The instructions seem do-able, and there are lots of pictures to help explain things, which is good. I cant want to try this new hobby out.

Cute book with lots of do it yourself projects for the winter or when you have nothing to do. Very creative and lots of fun. I really liked watching all these mythical creatures come to life. It looks so simple!

This was Simply the most unusual book I ever picked up. I was very curious on how it would be explained. But I think it was very well done. The examples given were pretty good and instructions were clear. Very good book for any level of difficulty