Myshelf.com: If you think that dolls are just for children, you haven't seen any art dolls. Express yourself any way you wish with these creations, made from just about anything you can think of and many you can't and fill your home with conversation pieces worth talking about. This book takes inspiration from some of the earliest art of all, with mother goddess figures, abstract shapes, mermaids, jumping jacks, peg dolls and more. I think you really need to see this book to understand what it is all about, but a lot of it is about celebrating individuality and showing how far you can get from the basic human form in some projects and still create something "human". Pegs, tin cans, buttons, ready-made doll forms, beads, wire, wood and paper are a few of the surprising materials pressed into service and made into these amazing creations. Create an African doll out of wire, string buttons onto thread to make a person, adorn an artist's model and create an almost amoebic figure out of glass beads, with a glass heart. This being a Twenty to Make book each of the twenty projects has another idea for a variation on the basic theme. This is as much about letting your imagination run riot as following formal instructions, and is all rather liberating. The craft book to buy for anybody who wants to have a go at something a bit different. What are these? They are, as said by Sarah, "artistic interpretations of the human form, and can be made using any media including fabric, paper, card, wire, wood and metal". These aren't dolls for children, nor are they the 'display' type dolls you can find in many shops. These can be spiritual, creative and explorative creations. All 20 projects within this small book are there as guides, free to be altered and changed according to your inspiration. The 'Tattooed Woman' gives inspiration on how to work with one of the wooden artists models which you can place in a variety of positions. You could buy the small metal moon faces and attach it to the head, stick hair on it, or paint it, this is an interesting starting point. The other one that I found personally interesting was the fabric shaped doll. The attaching of flowers and other items could inspire to create something seasonal. One of the great things about these would be that they would certainly help those on a budget.-Maria Malo, Pentacle

Sarah Lawrence spent ten years teaching art and textiles in secondary schools in Yorkshire before leaving to start a family. Sarah studied for the City & Guilds in Creative Embroidery, gaining distinctions for both Parts I and II. She has continued to develop her own work, exhibiting widely; giving talks, demonstrations and workshops; undertaking commissions and organising exhibitions.