1. Recognize the texture of the bisque doll head. Bisque dolls are made of unglazed porcelain. When touching the bisque, it feels smooth. They are breakable and heavy as well.
2. Look at how the eyebrows and eyelashes are painted. Bisque dolls have eyebrows that are feathered, while the upper and lower eyelashes are individually painted.
3. Notice the eyes of bisque dolls. Most of the dolls have glassy, expressive eyes. They are colorful and realistic. Few eyes are painted on.
4. Check the cheeks and lips of bisque dolls. The cheeks are rosy, adding color to a soft white-colored head. The mouth is typically opened and the lips are finely painted a similar color as the cheeks.
5. Analyze the body of a bisque doll. Look at what the dolls are made of. Bisque dolls are made up of cloth, leather, paper mache or composition. Composition is made up of glue mixed with sawdust. Older bisque doll bodies were made up completely of bisque (unglazed porcelain), but they were eventually changed to lighter and less breakable material.
6. Measure the size of the bisque doll. If the doll is made completely of bisque, it will be a half-inch tall. All of the other bisque dolls can be as tall as 5 feet.

by Laura Hageman
Source: eHow.com

A bisque doll or porcelain doll is a doll made partially or wholly out of bisque porcelain. Bisque dolls are characterized by their realistic, skin-like matte finish. They had their peak of popularity between 1860 and 1900 with French and German dolls. Bisque dolls are collectible, and antique dolls can be worth several thousand US dollars. Antique German and French bisque dolls from the 1800s were often made as children’s playthings, but contemporary bisque dolls are predominantly made directly for the collectors market.

Colloquially the terms porcelain doll, bisque doll and china doll are sometimes used interchangeably. But collectors, when referring to antique dolls, make a distinction between china dolls, made of glazed porcelain, and bisque dolls, made of unglazed porcelain. When referring to contemporary dolls the terms porcelain and bisque are sometimes used interchangeably.

Most bisque dolls have a head made of bisque porcelain and a body made of another material. It is usually tinted or painted a realistic skin color. The bisque head is attached to a body made of cloth or leather, or a jointed body made of wood, papier-mâché or composition, a mix of pulp, sawdust, glue and similar materials. Doll bodies are only rarely made entirely of bisque because of its fragility and weight. Bisque dolls usually have eyes made of glass. They vary widely in size, from lifesize down to half an inch.

History

The earliest European porcelain dolls were china dolls, made predominantly in Germany between 1840 and 1880. China dolls were made of white glazed porcelain, giving them a characteristic glossy appearance, and their hair was painted on. Parian dolls were made in Germany of white unglazed porcelain from the 1850s onwards.

French and German bisque dolls began taking over the market after 1860, and their production continued until after World War I. These dolls wore wigs, typically made from mohair or human hair. Between approximately 1860 and 1890 most bisque dolls were fashion dolls, made to represent grown up women. They were intended for children of affluent families to play with and dress in contemporary fashions. These dolls came from French companies like Jumeau, Bru, Gaultier, Rohmer, Simone and Huret, though their heads were often manufactured in Germany. In the Passage Choiseul area of Paris an industry grew around making clothing and accessories for the dolls.

Up until the mid-1800s, most dolls were made to represent grown-ups, and when child-like dolls first appeared it was a big shift. By the late 1800s child-like dolls overtook the market. Foremost among these were the French Bébés from doll makers like Jumeau, Bru, Steiner and Rohmer, which grew in popularity between the 1860s and 1880s. These were high quality dolls made with great skill. Like the earlier fashion dolls, they were made for children and dressed in contemporary children’s clothing. In the 1890s German doll makers began taking over the market with less expensive dolls. In response, the French doll makers began making dolls as a consortium under the name Société Française de Fabrication de Bébés et Jouets (S.F.B.J.) but these later French Bébés were often of lesser quality.

German child-like dolls were predominantly produced between 1890 and 1930. The earliest ones are often referred to as dolly-faced dolls and were made by companies like Armand Marseille, Simon and Halbig, K*R, and Kestner. Many came from the Thuringia region, which has significant deposits of kaolin, which is needed for the manufacturer of porcelain. In the early 1900s companies like Kämmer and Reinhardt, Heubach and Kestner began making more realistic and expressive child-like dolls, often called character-faced dolls.

Small lower-priced all-bisque dolls known as penny dolls were common from the late 1800s to the 1930s. They were unarticulated and made of a single piece of bisque. A few German manufacturers like Kestner also made more detailed dolls entirely of bisque with articulated necks. Bisque was the most common material for doll heads until the turn of the century, when composite material took over. In the early 1900s the bisque doll production began moving to the United States. American Kewpie dolls from the early 1900s were made of bisque, before celluloid became more common.

In the 1980s bisque dolls had a revival with the growth of the collectors market and towards the end of the 20th century production began to move to China.

Collecting

Antique bisque dolls are collectible and can be quite valuable. The most expensive bisque doll ever sold went for US$200 000. But prices vary widely depending on the quality and condition of the doll. The bisque should be slightly translucent without spots or holes and have well painted detailed features. More articulated bodies that allow for a wider range of posing, like jointed wood or composition bodies, are valued higher than stiffer papier-mâché or leather bodies.

French 1860-1890 fashion dolls are commonly worth over US$2000, and dolls from well-known doll makers like Jumeau, Bru and Huret can be worth over US$20,000. Among the French Bébés early dolls from Jumeau and Bru generally go for several thousand dollars, while later S.F.B.J dolls may be worth only a few hundred. Among German dolls, the character-faced dolls are the most collectible, with rarer dolls fetching several thousand dollars. At the lower end of the price range are dolls that can be found for a few hundred dollars, like dolls from Armand Marseille and common types of dolls from Kestner. Unmarked dolls that can’t be identified as coming from a specific manufacturer also fetch lower prices. Small all-bisque penny dolls can be found at low prices as well.
Source: Wikipedia

Text & Photos by Denise Van Patten
Source: About.com

Part one of this series covered early dolls–from the Queen Anne wood dolls through papier mache and wax dolls. Now, we turn to some of the jewels of antique doll collecting–Chinas, Parians, French and German fashion dolls, and the French and German child dolls. Although this is mostly a historical series, general price ranges have been included for many types of dolls.

China Dolls and Parians

The first first type of antique doll that is widely-known among non-doll collectors is the, the china doll, and her close cousin, the rarer parian. The china doll had her heyday between 1840 and 1880, before bisque dolls became preferred by children, although china dolls were still mass-produced as late as the 1920s. China dolls have heads of glazed porcelain, and parians have heads of unglazed porcelain, and the majority were produced in Germany from 1850 on. China dolls are often identified by their hairstyles–be it a covered wagon style (hair flat on top with sausage curls around the head, 1840s), an Alice in Wonderland (molded head band, 1850s) or the Dolly Madison (curls all over and a molded ribbon)–whatever was fashionable at a certain time. Most china dolls represented ladies, and were fashionably dressed in up-to-date fashions. After about 1880, china heads were often sold separately, leaving the doll owner to make her own doll body and costume. The more elaborate the hairstyle and decoration on a china or parian doll, generally the higher the value–from about $300 for a common 1860s Highland Mary, to several thousand for a rare, elaborately decorated parian with a swivel-head and glass eyes.

German and French Fashion Dolls

Finally, we come to the best known group of antique dolls–the German and French bisque dolls. These dolls were produced from the 1840s until after World War I, with the amount of production and number of manufacturers increasing significantly around 1860. The years from 1860 through 1890 were dominated by fashion dolls. These dolls were made to represent ladies, and they were dressed in exquisite, elaborate reproductions of current fashions. Most were made in France (frequently from heads produced in Germany, although Jumeau and Bru produced their own heads) with inset glass eyes and woman-shaped kid bodies, by companies such as Jumeau, Bru, Gaultier, Rohmer and Huret. Fashion dolls, despite their elaborateness, were definitely playthings. Little girls (usually affluent since these dolls were quite expensive) would perfect their sewing skills by sewing wardrobes for their dolls, as they learned about the importance and substance of fashion for mid 19^th century women. Often these dolls would come with entire trunks of clothes and accessories! In fact, an entire industry existed to costume and accessorize these dolls, in the Passage Choiseul area of Paris. These businesses included seamstresses, milliners, shoemakers, jewelers, and shoemakers! Magazines instructed girls on the proper fashions, and also provided patterns for making clothing. Today, fashion dolls are very expensive to collect, varying in price from around $2,000 for unmarked or later dolls, up to $20,000 or more for Hurets and rare examples in original outfits.

French Bébés

Bébés, or dolls made to represent children, were quite revolutionary for their time (starting about 1850), since most dolls up until that time were made to represent adults. Eventually, Bébés would overtake fashion dolls in popularity, and would lead to their demise. French Bébés, made by the master doll makers Jumeau, Bru, Steiner, Rohmer and others would have their ascendancy from the 1860s to the 1880s, followed by the German doll makers, who basically took over the industry with their quality, but lower priced products in the 1890s.

French Bébés were the pinnacle of the dollmaking industry. These dolls, with their kid or composition bodies, fine bisque heads, and beautiful expressions, were again expensive toys made for upper-class children. Bébés were usually sold exquisitely dressed, in doll-sized fashions worn by children of that era. Today, prices for French Bébés vary widely, depending on quality. Expect to pay several thousand at minimum for Jumeau or Brus. Later French Bébés, by the S.F.B.J (which was formed by French doll makers in 1899 in response to the threat from the German manufacturers) are not as fine quality, with more heavily tinted faces, and lesser clothing, can be had for several hundred dollars, especially for post-WWI examples.

German Dolly-Faced Dolls

BébésThe German “dolly-faced” child dolls are the ubiquitous antique bisque dolls that collectors today are most likely to find, produced from 1890 to about 1930, from such manufacturers as Armand Marseille, Simon and Halbig and Kestner. Most of these dolls came from the Thuringia region, which had rich clay deposits used to make the porcelain. Many of the German dolly-faced dolls are unmarked as to manufacturer, and there are many manufacturers that had their names and other details literally obliterated by the World Wars. The most sought-after of the German dolls of the early 20^th century are the character-faced dolls, produced in response to consumer demands for more realistic-looking children dolls. Kämmer and Reinhardt, Heubach and Kestner produced many high-quality expressive character dolls which are eagerly sought by collectors today. Also eagerly sought by collectors are all-bisque dolls (head, torso and limbs all made of bisque) from manufacturers such as Kestner, Heubach, and Simon and Halbig.

For German bisque dolls, as with all antique dolls, remember that quality varies widely even within one manufacturer’s products–dolls with finely detailed features (such as feathered brows and individual upper and lower eyelashes) and pale bisque are always preferred over dolls with single-stroke or other simplified features and darkly tinted bisque. Also, today’s collectors prefer closed-mouth bisque dolls, since many fewer of them were produced than open-mouth dolls. Common German bisque dolls of average quality which are unmarked or from Armand Marseille can be found for as little as $200 or $300, with prices for sought-after German characters soaring into the thousands.
Portions of this series first printed in County Lines Magazine March, 1999

Text and Photos by Denise Van Patten
Source: About.com

There is so much to learn about antique dolls and their costuming–their history, the history of their creators, manufacturers and seamstresses, how children played with them–research turns up more information about all of this each year, as prices and collector interest continues to rise on all but the most common antique dolls.

All dolls created before approximately 1930 are considered antique. This is a somewhat arbitrary division, but in general, most pre-1930 bisque, china, papier mâché, wood, and wax dolls are considered antique by collectors. For years, all-composition dolls were considered modern, but that is slowly changing, and many of the pre-1930 composition dolls are now considered antique. One reason for this division is that many of the German manufacturers of bisque dolls made them from the 1890s through about 1930, and it is often hard to tell exactly what decade the doll was produced if it is not in original clothing. Most dolls you find today are, unfortunately, not found with original clothing, wigs, shoes and undergarments. Although this is mostly a historical series, general price ranges have been included for many types of dolls.

Early Dolls

The majority of antique dolls found today were manufactured from 1850 on, although dolls representing adults from the 17^th and 18^th century are rarely found. Most of the very early dolls were made in England by individual craftsmen who carved the dolls of wood,painted their features, and also costumed the dolls. Collectors call the wood dolls from England from the 18^th and early 19^th centuries “Queen Anne” dolls, which is somewhat confusing, since Queen Anne’s reign ended in 1714! These dolls, in good to excellent condition, are extremely rare, and cost from about $1,500 for an early 19^th century doll, to well over $20,000 for dolls made in the late 17^th century (very few have survived–less than 30 by some reports).

Papier Mache

Next oldest, and easier to find are the papier mâché dolls made from the beginning of the 19^th century through the early 20^th century. These dolls were mass-produced in Germany, France, and the United States, and proved a cheaper alternative to wood dolls, since molds could be used. The beginning of production of these dolls marked the beginning of the powerhouse German dollmaking industry, which would dominate the doll industry (except for the heyday of the French Bébé) until World War I. The first well-known American doll maker, Ludwig Greiner of Philadelphia, made papier mâché dolls from 1840 to 1874, and then his sons until 1883. Most papier mâché dolls have molded hair painted black, wooden limbs with a kid body, and painted eyes. A few choice dolls have glass eyes. The value of papier mâché dolls has started to rise because of the difficulty of finding them in excellent condition, as well as the out-of-sight prices of the sought-after early French and German bisque dolls. Prices range from about $500 for a small, marked post-1872 Greiner up to $2,000+ for exceptional German “milliners” models, and French examples from the early to mid 1800s.

Wax Dolls

The wax doll is generally a contemporary of the papier mâché doll. The earliest wax dolls found by collectors tend to be the poured wax dolls made in England (after the demise of the wooden doll industry) from 1840 through the remainder of the 19^th century, although pressed wax dolls were made before this time for the very wealthy. The poured wax dolls were made by pouring liquid into warm molds, and then, the hair, and glass eyes were set in the head. Poured wax dolls were mostly made in home-based businesses, and making wax dolls was very hazardous–if a doll maker wasn’t seriously burned by the hot wax, he could have his lungs harmed by the sawdust used to stuff bodies, or, he could be poisoned by the lead used to color the wax!

Bodies of wax dolls were generally made of stuffed cloth, with wax limbs (as you can see, the genre that dolls fall into is determined by the material that their heads are made of–NOT from the materials used for the bodies). Wax dolls can have beautifully realistic heads, because wax can mimic skin much better than either wood or papier mâché. Poured wax dolls from mid-19^th century England are mostly valued between $1000 to $2000; earlier dolls much higher. Some later wax dolls are stamped by the maker on the torso; such identification greatly enhances the value. Wax dolls were also made with plaster or papier mâché reinforcement in both England and Germany, and later examples are less costly to today’s collectors, often only a few hundred dollars.

In Part II of this series, we will turn our attention to China and Parian Dolls, French and German fashion dolls, French Bebes and the German Dolly-faced dolls.

Portions of this series first appeared in County Lines Magazine, March 1999.

While not as popular as some other collectibles, there is a plethora of penguin-themed items available for the enthusiast. Many animal collectibles center around more familiar animals, often ones that are beloved pets like cats and dogs. Most people have never seen a penguin outside a zoo; still, there are many who find them appealing, and companies have responded by turning out a large number of really cute penguin collectibles, including:

• Toys
• Stuffed Animals
• Figurines
• Mugs
• Clocks
• Calendars
• Clothing & Hats
• Backpacks, Totes, and Purses
• Magnets & Keychains
• Umbrellas
• Christmas Ornaments
• Salt & Pepper Shakers

The largest collection of penguins belongs to Birgit Berends of Germany, with 5,098 different items, as of 12 March 2008, which she has been collecting since 1990. Birgit started her collection at the age of 18 because of the animated series “Pingu”, although her very first penguin dates back to her days in elementary school. Her favourite penguin is a real living penguin named Alfred whom she has adopted in the Cuxhaven Kurpark in Germany.

How many collectors have started this collection we all love yet not understand the process behind collecting? These might be some of your questions:
What should I buy first? Should I start a series? Am I able to get the retired pieces to a series? Should I try to find Carolers that have been retired? If so, how do I go about it? Do they all appreciate in value?

From my experience of selling the carolers since 1983, I will attempt to share with you my insights into collecting.

Traditional or Victorian? – First decide if you prefer Traditional or Victorian style or if you like them mixed. Remember Traditional Carolers are dressed in plaids, felts, wool, or cotton material. The Victorians are clad in velvet, lace and moiré. They usually are very easy to recognize.

The majority of collectors tend to purchase either all Victorian or all Traditional. I believe mixing the styles looks the best. Some collectors like to choose all the same color tones but I feel it’s more important to mix the colors.

Family – Most collectors begin their collection by designing them after their family. Such as, if your husband has a mustache you would choose a Caroler with a moustache and similar hair color. For yourself you would choose a lady you feel resembles you, matching your hair color as well. If you have two boys and a girl in your family then you would purchase two boys and a girl. You can either choose Traditional or Victorian Carolers or one that holds an item that is reminiscent of your child. Such as does he skate, or ski? Did she work in a candy store (Kids with Treats)? I personalized two of mine with old toys. My daughter collects Donald Duck so I found a small Donald for a girl Caroler to hold. I had a very old matchbox from one of my sons so I placed it in the hands of a boy Caroler.

Have fun and take your time building your family. You can then add Grandparents, a favorite aunt or uncle or whomever.

Cry of London – Choose a series you like such as, The Cry of London. It may be difficult to acquire all the retired pieces but it is such a great series you’ll enjoy trying. On occasion we do have some of the retired pieces in our secondary market from our collectors. Joyce also designs pieces to accompany the Cry of London series. This is a great street scene for you to create.

Dickens Collection – This collection includes Scrooge, Mrs. Cratchit, Mr. & Mrs. Fezziwig, Marley’s Ghost, Spirit of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, Bob Cratchit & Tiny Tim, and Happy Scrooge. These all were introduced as first and second editions. The only pieces left in this series in current production are Scrooge, Mrs. Crotchet, and Bob Cratchit & tiny Tim second editions. However Byers’ Choice is re-introducing Mr. & Mrs. Fezziwig in the year 2000 for a short period of time. I feel certain they will re-introduce all the other pieces not currently available at later dates so if you do want to start this collection this would be a good time to do so as you will possibly be able to acquire all the pieces.

More recent collections or series are:

Christmas Traditions – Christmas Traditions was introduced in 1999 with the Pickle Children. They were extremely popular and have been discontinued. And difficult to find. In the year 2000 Joyce has designed the next pieces in this series: The Children with Stockings, available only in the year 2000.The Williamsburg Collection – The Williamsburg Family of Four introduced in 1998 are now retired. There will be a new family of four available in the year 2000. The Colonial Man with Fife and the Colonial Man with Drum was introduced in 1999 and are still available. In addition there are two more pieces being added to this collection for the year 2000: The Inn Keeper and the Serving Woman (Bar Maid).

Pilgrims – The Americana series as we at Wayside call it pieces in the series are as follows: The original Pilgrims (now retired), The Pilgrim Boy and Girl, The Indian Boy and Girl (retired) and the Plimoth Plantation Man and Lady (retired from open stock). In the year 2000 the Original Pilgrims are being re-introduced but will be carrying different props from the first version.

The Nutcracker Ballet – The entire Nutcracker Ballet is now retired so this would not be a good series to start. Even though the pieces in the edition have not increased much in value some of them may be difficult to obtain.

Appreciate – Not all Carolers appreciate in value. The limited editions, privately made pieces, and pieces made for one year only are more likely to appreciate over the years.

I always advise customers to purchase the pieces they truly like rather than feeling they need to purchase them all. Chances are most collectors will never sell them anyway so why purchase a piece if you are not crazy about it.

Secondary Market – To purchase Carolers that are discontinued you will have to buy them from a secondary market source. Be prepared to pay more than the issue price. The prices fluctuate quite a bit so be sure that once you purchase a secondary market piece from anyone, you are satisfied with the price. We have a secondary market case in our store, which is supplied by our club members.

by Joan of Wayside Country Store

by Tom Carrier
Source: Worthpoint

If you’re one of those folks who wears a sweatshirt in December that says “Let It Snow,” then you should be talking to Bob Eckstein. He has had such a fascination with the snowman that he not only has a unique collection of snowman memorabilia, he has written a book about them.

Eckstein first amassed a personal collection of about 1,200 antique paper and historical objects—probably the world’s largest known collection of snowmen. Many are advertising memorabilia, such as Snowman brand ‘Can’d Ice’ that “cools everything,” and magazine covers featuring the snowman for its winter editions. There are also postcards from the turn of the 20th century featuring the snowman to sell ice or to illustrate children at play in the winter. There are plastic snowmen on skis, Christmas ornaments, some made of paper mache, others used for holiday decorations.

“The book began about six years when I decided I wanted to solve a big mystery: Who made the first snowman,” Eckstein says. “I’ve talked to top professors and leading historians on the subject and I’ve learned that the snowman has this amazing history. I started initially that the snowman would originate at the turn of the century or with the movies or with TV.”

Instead, he says, he discovered that the snowman can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The colored images of early depictions of snowmen show them as part of the illuminated manuscripts of the era, drawn to illustrate an aphorism or to define a part of the written story. Over time, the snowman is depicted as benign or wicked in children stories, too.

However, by the early 20th century, the snowman, particularly in postcards, has been depicted as a drunkard or a womanizer, and used increasingly in advertising something cold, like beer. “This is known as the ‘Dean Martin Years,’” Eckstein says. A plastic snowman he has holds up a plastic bottle of Oertel’s Lager Beer, circa 1950, for example.

But with the environmental issue of global warming and the disappearance of ice from the world’s glaciers, the fate of the snowman may be meeting its inevitable end. All we will have left, like the life of dinosaurs, are books that show the evolution of a once common feature of everyday life, like “The History of the Snowman.” Perhaps, in time, there will be a museum of the snowman, too, right next to the museum of the tree. Not any time soon, I hope.

So, it’s true that whatever you collect, whether it is fine art, classic cars, or snowmen, it all has to start somewhere. Eckstein’s book “The History of the Snowman,” with its warm side as well as its cool side, makes me want to find snow and relive its ancient history by building a snowman, right next to the snow angel. And I’m cool with that.

By the way, the world’s largest snowman was created in Bethel, Maine, in 2008. Technically, it’s not a snowman, but a snowwoman, as “she” stood 122 feet, 1 inch tall and was named in honor of Olympia Snowe, the senior senator from Maine. Global warming isn’t winning yet.

A Collection of Rhubarb Recipes

Cookbook Delights Series

Rhubarb is an all-time favorite vegetable that once was used for medicinal purposes, but has always tasted delicious in Mom’s homemade pie.  In this cookbook, you’ll find more than just pie recipes to spark your imagination in cooking with rhubarb.

Delicious rhubarb is versatile, nutritious, and always adds a special flair to many dishes, whether used in cakes, pies and breads, in preserves, as a salad ingredient, in wines or brandies, or any number of other imaginative ways.  In Rhubarb Delights Cookbook, author Karen Jean Matsko Hood presents her collection of more than 250 exciting rhubarb recipes that will be sure to please everyone.  Inside, you will also find some fascinating reading regarding this old-time favorite’s history, folklore, cultivation, and much more.  With recipes using readily available ingredients, Rhubarb Delights Cookbook will be a valued addition to any chef’s bookshelf.

Please visit our websites at www.whisperingpinepressbookstore.com, www.whisperingpinepress.com, and www.rhubarbdelights.com.  6 x 9, 320 pp., featuring a durable, full-color cover in a variety of bindings.  Whispering Pine Press International, Inc., Your Northwest Book and Gift Company © 2011.

Inside You Will Find:

• Delicious Rhubarb Recipes
• Facts about Rhubarb
• Types of Rhubarb
• Measurement Conversion Chart
• Fascinating Rhubarb Folklore
• Rhubarb-Themed Poetry
• Nutritional Information
• Helpful Index and Glossary
• Rhubarb Cultivation

LCCN: 2011900696   BISAC 1 CKB000000   BISAC 2 CKB101000

BISAC 3 CKB085000   BISAC AUD 01

About the Author: Karen Jean Matsko Hood is the author of numerous cookbooks, children’s books, poetry, and more. A woman of wide interests, she, her husband, sixteen children, and foster children make their home in Greenacres, Washington. Ms. Hood is currently working to complete her Ph.D. in Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University. Websites: www.karenjeanmatskohood.com, www.karensblog.net, and www.karensbookblog.com.

Author’s Availability: Washington State and nationwide by arrangement.

Contact: Marketing and Sales Department

Phone: (509) 928-8700 or Fax: (509) 922-9949

Email: sales@whisperingpinepress.com

Websites: www.whisperingpinepress.com, www.whisperingpinepressbookstore.com

Blog: www.whisperingpinepressblog.com

Whispering Pine Press International, Inc., 507 N. Sullivan Road Suite LL-5

Spokane Valley, WA 99037-8576 USA

A Collection of Chocolate Recipes

Cookbook Delights Series

Chocolate is a worldwide favorite in all of its forms and flavors, from bitter to extra sweet and light to dark; everyone enjoys the decadent flavor of chocolate.  Recent studies have proven the health benefits of chocolate, especially dark, and the flavor is delicious in all types of recipes.  In Chocolate Delights Cookbook, Volume I, author Karen Jean Matsko Hood presents her collection of more than 250 exciting recipes that will be sure to please everyone.  Inside, you will also find some fascinating reading regarding  history, folklore, cultivation, and much more.  With recipes using readily available ingredients, this cookbook will be a valued addition to any chef’s bookshelf.  This book is a perfect gift when paired with Volume II.

Please visit our websites at www.whisperingpinepressbookstore.com, www.whisperingpinepress.com, and www.chocolatedelights.us.  6 x 9, 320 pp., featuring a durable, full-color cover in a variety of bindings.  Whispering Pine Press International, Inc., Your Northwest Book and Gift Company © 2011.

Inside You Will Find:

• Delicious Chocolate Recipes
• Facts about Chocolate
• Types of Chocolate
• Measurement Conversion Chart
• Fascinating Chocolate Folklore
• Chocolate-Themed Poetry
• Nutritional Information
• Helpful Index and Glossary
• Chocolate Festivals

LCCN: 2011900695   BISAC 1 CKB018000   BISAC 2 CKB105000

BISAC 3 CKB004000   BISAC AUD 01

About the Author: Karen Jean Matsko Hood is the author of numerous cookbooks, children’s books, poetry, and more.  A woman of wide interests, she, her husband, sixteen children, and foster children make their home in Greenacres, Washington.  Ms. Hood is currently working to complete her Ph.D. in Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University. Websites: www.karenjeanmatskohood.com, www.karensblog.net, and www.karensbookblog.com.

Author’s Availability: Washington State and nationwide by arrangement.

Contact: Marketing and Sales Department

Phone: (509) 928-8700 or Fax: (509) 922-9949

Email: sales@whisperingpinepress.com

Websites: www.whisperingpinepress.com, www.whisperingpinepressbookstore.com

Blog: www.whisperingpinepressblog.com

Whispering Pine Press International, Inc., 507 N. Sullivan Road Suite LL-5

Spokane Valley, WA 99037-8576 USA

A Collection of Poetry

Karen Jean Matsko Hood’s writing is bold and honest. She communicates in a simple, direct way that is sure to captivate readers.  If you are not yet familiar with her work, you are in for a treat with Frost of Spring Green!

This volume of poetry can be read for pure enjoyment or as an insightful examination of our busy world.  You may read one of her poems, enjoy its breezy wittiness, and then revisit it months later to discover something altogether fresh and new.  This is what ultimately makes her poems lasting treasures: they reveal depth over time.  Each reading promises something new, an additional layer of meaning that will enrich your daily life.

Drawing from many of her poems already accepted for publication in international journals, Hood, as an emerging American poet and author, brings together unique verses in this, her first book of poetry.  Hood’s poems remind us to value our link with nature and the environment in daily living.  Her poetry voices outrage toward current social injustices, offers a voice for the downtrodden, and brings hope to the most hopeless of situations.  She is optimistic in her quest for dignity for all life, and brings visual impact to her themes of nature.  Frost of Spring Green will also be available in international bilingual editions.  A collection of poetry ideal for reading time and again, this book makes a great gift for friends and family members.

Please visit our websites at www.frostofspringgreen.com, www.whisperingpinepress.com, and www.whisperingpinepressbookstore.com.  6 x 9 inches, 228 pp., featuring a durable, full-color cover in a variety of bindings.  Whispering Pine Press International, Inc., Your Northwest Book and Gift Company © 2010.

LCCN: 2010901374   BISAC 1   POE005010   BISAC 2   POE000000

BISAC 3   SEL019000   BISAC AUD 01

About the Author and Poet: Karen Jean Matsko Hood is the author of numerous cookbooks, children’s books, poetry, and more. A woman of wide interests, she, her husband, sixteen children, and foster children make their home in Greenacres, Washington. Ms. Hood is currently working to complete her Ph.D. in Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University. Websites: www.karenjeanmatskohood.com, www.karensblog.net, and www.karensbookblog.com.

Author’s Availability: Washington State and nationwide by arrangement.

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