Craft-A-Doodle: 75 Creative Exercises from 18 Artists

"It's about picking up a pen or pencil and making a dot, a line, a squiggle, or any other shape onto a piece of paper," writes Doh in introducing the fun of doodling. An artist and book packager, Doh has collected simple project ideas from nearly 20 graphic artists and designers, all of which begin with doodles. Experienced crafters and blog-readers will recognize the distinctive flowers and flourishes of Aimee Ray and quirky animals from Flora Chang, both of whom present several projects. Other artists might not be as well-known, but Dinara Mirtalipova will win over artists with her graphic flowers, as will Stephanie Kubo with her simple, repetitive organized shapes. Mixed media ideas also pop up, from Jessie Oleson Moore's use of milk to create secret writing to Cynthia Shaffer's suggestions for creating with black scratch boards. Ray even suggests embroidering her designs. Clear instructions are provided for all of the projects, but most look instinctive and easy. Presenting crafts that are fun, engaging and cheap, this could be a big hit. Full-color photos and illustrations. (Aug.)