Pop-Up Design and Paper Mechanics

Hi I got this book a month or so ago and went through the whole thing and made nearly everything. The first section is set out like a text book and you make foundation shapes and learn about the structures. This section is just for learning so you will have bald paper mechanisms which you can then turn into a useful pop up reference book. Then comes the fun bit where you make the actual cards from templates. They all look great and everyone who I have given one of the cards has really smiled. This is an excellent book for card makers or scrap bookers or anyone crafty. Not suitable for very young children as a book to follow by themselves but great to do with slightly older kids. I had a real problem with making one of the cards. I tried and tried but just wasn't getting it. In desperation I emailed Duncan not really expecting a reply and he emailed me back with the solution.! What a nice guy. He does workshops in the uk and europe and has a website [...]. If you are interested in pop up get along to a workshop. I have now got a number of books on pop up- this is the best by far because it covers a lot of ground in a clear way. There is plenty of inspiration to take it a step further and make your own designs too. Don't hesitate to buy this book because it is not a 'sit on the shelf' book. You will get inspired to make some great cards.

This is a complete book of all the various mechanisms from which all designs are based. Easy to read with very clear illustrations of each stage. No specialised equipment is required to make these, and I have tried out several of these designs using just some old birthday cards and the card flyers that come with the mail. Suitable for all ages and skill levels, it teaches in a playful way. The range is huge and I believe everyone can get enjoyment out of this book. An all inclusive manual; tools, paper type and weight, the standard basic mechanisms, the maths to go with it (if you want to experiment), variations on the theme and other development ideas are all given. There are templates in the back, which you will need to hand copy, scan or photocopy to use, to make 14 projects. A practical book, you can get making straight away using the examples given, and let your imagination take over thereafter. Very stimulating for the mind, and in conjunction with 'Mark Hiner's, Up-Pops: Paper Engineering with Elastic Bands', you have all you will ever need to be an advanced paper engineer.

Used in conjunction with Utube visual instructions it is a very good introduction to pop up paper engineering and is probably the best of the four books that I have.

This is an EXCELLENT book for making pop ups, from easy to quite masterful it's got everything in there for you to really get your teeth into. I've bought several instructional pop up books, which were great in their own right - including ones with die-cut pops for you to assemble as you learn. However, I think this book is The One in regards to really learning how to do it on your own. Highly suggest this book to anyone wishing to get into pop ups. I never leave reviews on here and in fact I think this is my first one, therefore that should indicate how good this book is as I was so compelled to do so :D

I got a few books on making pop up cards and books (including the dummies' one - not great by the way). very impressed with the layout, the clear explanations and fantastic illustrations. fantastic for beginners. Once you have mastered all that this book teaches you, I would recommend this one as a follow up: Folding Techniques for Designers: From Sheet to Form (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1856697215/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i02) Have fun with making pop ups and pop outs!

A great book. I consider myself a paper engineer of sorts, so buying this book was a done deal. Great ideas, a nice layout and easy to follow instructions (as long as you know the different folding techniques.) I will refer to this many times, along with my other favourite 'Up pops' . Up-pops: Paper Engineering with Elastic Bands .

Wow! Just received this book and it is amazing. The instruction are really, really clear; even to a person who usually struggles with anything 3-dimensional. The instructions give you the foundations, which you an easily adapt to add whatever you want to pop-up. In about 10 minutes, I have made an impressive pop-up Viking longboat, which is so simple that I will be doing it with my Year 6 class next week. Absolutely brilliant!

Read all the reviews before buying this for a creative young teenager as a present. When it arrived, it took only a glance to realise that said teenager would not be making any of the pop-ups without considerable assistance from a very patient adult, so had to buy something else instead and keep this book for myself. I'll have a go at some of them one day, but it won't be very soon.