Starbursts Mini Stained Glass Coloring Book (Dover Little Activity Books: Art & Desig)

Is this a repeat of another review? In bits it is but I've edited it for this book.I knew that I was ordering a small sized book. It was exactly what I wanted to color and give away to people I live with in the nursing home to enjoy in their offices or give to the joy of 5 year olds. I've done them with pencils, gel pens, and hi-lighters...I've even mixed the media. It's great fun to see the enjoyment of something I've created.I was going to do some of the tricks I did on some of the other geometric books but they tried to trick me! Where the other books were all even things so I could do odd even things. Bunches of these were not! When you get trough reading, check them out!Here's what I've discovered:One rule on every page of every stained glass coloring book, always put a blank piece of pager behind the one you are working on or my eyes crossed...remember, the areas you are working on as SEE THROUGH! Be nice to yourself and your eyes. Working this way also helps you see where you missed spots that you want to go over...all yellows especially!Colored pencils (I use Arlana's Vivid Colors because they are the smoothest without any scratchy bits inbeded) work well if I were going to use them as package decorations or looking at them close up. On a window, they just don't pop the way I want. Though I must say, parents of the 5 year olds who received them, just love them! (I must admit, I really more enjoy bright intense colors! That's me. You might favor them more...it's all a matter of personal preference.)Gel pens (I use Gel Pens 60 Pack with Case...the ones incased in a case almost as long as I'm tall) because I like the glittery ones' effects on things like stars. The gel pens sometimes flow well which means I don't have to keep going over and over them to show up as much as I want. I did some area with colored pencils where I couldn't find the right gel pen to give me my right color. I do like the pens for some of the tiny fiddly bits.OOPS! 'sorry, I forgot a WARNING! There is no way I could fill in the unicorn manes and tails and stay between the lines! DON'T PANIC if you have a similar problem! It will only show up close! On the window, the light only shows through the positive bits (the area you color)! You won't see it on the window! PROMISE!!In the set I got, there were 2 glitter pens that looked like they would fit my mental outcome for the mane and tail. One was silver, the other almost looked like it might be a glittery black. One the velum, it comes out more a glittery grey that sits on the paper better (ethically for me) and looked great on outer edges, I just don't like the silver in the stained glass. Flat white with pencil and gel pen just didn't do it for me many time. Again, play and see what you like. There are NO RULES IN COLORING...if there are, YOU ARE THE RULER!Oh, lines vs circles...I've used both and enjoyed the effects as typically the glass used in real windows is often imperfect. In tiny areas I liked the overlapping little circles best as they seemed to cover the areas faster and better. Again, try it and see what you like.Hi-lighters (yellow, green, pink) that I always have with me in ball point pens and pencils. Go over them twice to see something really pop! Pretty up close and far away! I've since had a friend pick up a purple and a blue pen. I'm so ready to play with them. I'm ordering more little geometric books like this because I doubt I would do another the same way. Thinking about using the hi-lighters on another, I wonder what effect I'd get if I used the hi-lighter blue on one side and yellow on the other...would the effect be green? See what I mean...the more you think about and try ideas that pop into your mind, the more you learn.I dearly love these little books because for a couple of dollars, you can get hours of fun. When I find a new coloring book, I always read the reviews. I find some great ideas from other people. Some have posted their completed pictures...love them! Some have backed the completed pictures to create a card to send to someone or put on a package. One of the aids suggest creating a mobile of them. If I wasn't intent on giving them away, I'd think about that idea.I'm ordering some water color pen/brushes to to see how they might add to my color time. I'm also ordering a colorless blender as I've heard they will work on colored pencils, pens, and water color as well. I want to revisit the pictures to see if I can improve them. I like these little books because I can get quick gratification! And a fast lesson when I experiment.

I have a 5/6 yo who is passionate about coloring. These little books have been such fun to collect for her. I keep them in the car for trips or in our school room when I need her to work on something independent. They have gone in her stocking or birthday cards.I love that they are tiny and easily transported, yet they are a great quality. We love looking at the finished product held up against a window to let the light shine in.

I had purchased another one of mini Dover Stained Glass coloring books and absolutely loved it, so I purchased 2 more (this book being one of the two). My review of this book is similar to my review of the previous book I had purchased,It's small about 3" by 5" and is only 8 pages (other reviewers have complained about the size being much to small and not as expected but the dimensions and number of pages is stated in the product description). Each design is printed on a transparent paper (similar to, if not vellum paper) so when you color in the designs you will see the color through the back of the picture as well creating the stained glass effect. Because of the texture of the paper, I feel colored pencils work the best for coloring (crayons may be too waxy) so I recommend using them for this book. The designs in the book are very relaxing and soothing to color. I feel this book is better suited for teens and adults since I feel the patterns and designs may not appeal to small children.Adorable little book, perfect size for travel.

I should have paid attention to the measurements in the description...these are really tiny. However, after coloring a few pictures, I'm not entirely unhappy with that. They're just detailed enough to be fun. The full-sized versions are too much to do in one sitting (at least for me), but this size is good for a short coloring session. The subtraction of a star is because after you color them (I use markers), the pages curl up. Also, you need an index card or something to stick between the pages while you color--the pages are semi-transparent. Once you color them, they become fully transparent - you could actually hang them in a window and the light would shine through. The pages are a decent thickness - the feel is similar to the rough side of waxed paper or parchment paper. I'll probably buy a few more when I finish with this batch.

I really was pleasantly surprised with the patterns in this little book. With such small dimensions I thougt that the patterns could be overly simple and potentially uninteresting, but am very happy to say that they are just right in their complexity. A person can easily finish one as he/she waits for a doctor appointment or for a child to finsih a piano lesson. I like using markers and coloring both sides of each pattern to get the most intense color possible, but colored pencils work well, too. Makes sure you put a piece of scratch paper in-between the pages when you do this to keep the next pattern clean. You could leave the colored patterns in the book, but I feel that if you are going to put your effort into coloring them, you should enjoy them, so I suggest tearing them out and hanging them in your windows to enjoy. The only change I would make to this book is to have more pages of patterns, but then that is the greedy kid in me. :oD

these "stained glass" coloring books are nice, easy designs, and beautiful on a window. it claim that if you use different colors on each side, you get a different color effect. I don't see that. it looks the same to me. I have used markers on the pages and it is very nice, but after about 1/2 way through, the pages tend to curl up, as from water damage. when dry, they do not lay flat. but taped on a window they look nice and add a bright spot to your view.

Excellent little book. Lots of fun to color.

Love this one!

Très bien pour les élèves.

Awesome little books

Great little colouring book, I like the end result, little stain glass for your windows.