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The Complete Manual of Sewing

Marie Claire

Become a proficient sewist today Gather up thread, fabric, a needle, or a sewing machine, and you are ready to take your first steps in sewing! Designed for beginner sewists and those who already have the basics, this book offers you the essential knowledge for using those fabrics that have been waiting for the perfect project. Have doubts about a part of your sewing machine? Have questions about the quality of your fabric? Are you confused about the best seam to use? Refer to this manual and get started with confidence! - This visual guide will teach you how to sew by hand or machine with 120 comprehensive lessons - Provides the basics and beyond, from supplies and first steps to sewing collars, sleeves, pockets, and more- Includes tips and tricks to solve pesky sewing issues - Sew confidently with this thorough guide for beginner and advanced sewists alike!

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The Sustainable Homestead

Angela Ferraro-Fanning

Join the permaculture revolution! Author Angela Ferraro-Fanning (Axe & Root Homestead) shares techniques and tips for a homestead with synergy between soil, plants, animals, and trees.

If you’re like most homesteaders, the dream is to make the most of your land by working with it, not against it. From capturing water and building strong soil to helping your animals live their best lives, The Sustainable Homestead is about making your homestead stronger by achieving synergy between what can seem like different parts.

In this book, new and veteran homesteaders alike can find detailed information to put to use this year, this month, even this week! Angela—also the co-host of the HOMESTEADucation podcast and author of the Little Homesteader/Little Country Cottage series of children’s books—has spent more than a decade building and strengthening her small acreage homestead and shares the lessons chapter by chapter:
 

  • Site Selection: Evaluate the elements, water flow and management, wildlife considerations, effective layouts, land elevation, water access points, permaculture zones, considerations based on acreage, how to remedy site shortcomings
  • Soil: The importance of soil, symptoms of poor soil, synthetics, water and erosion, healthier crops and animals, how to regenerate soil, cover crops, no-till method, perennial plantings
  • Growing: Catching and storing water with swales, catchment ponds, and rain barrels; sunlight and garden design including mandala, terrace, and forest; plant choices; companion planting; holistic pest management including cultural, physical, and biological options
  • Pasture: Design considerations, cover cropping, grazing, animal compatibility, pasture rotation, closed-loop grazing systems, maintenance, solar fencing
  • Animals: Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and the sustainable coop; sheep, goats, pigs, and sustainable living quarters; horses, cows, donkeys, and sustainable stable; natural remedies; livestock guardian dogs and barn cats
  • Compost: What is compost?, hot vs. cold, decomposition and carbon to nitrogen ratios, creating a composting system, tier considerations, access and rotation, uses of compost, compost tea
  • Overstory: Nut trees and permaculture contributions, pollinator groups, fruiting trees, planting in guilds, pest management, tree health


Wherever you want to start first, follow along and make your homestead more resilient by making it more sustainable

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The Seven-Step Homestead

Leah M. Webb

When faced with financial uncertainty or a potential disruption to the food supply, more people turn to vegetable gardening — for the joy, satisfaction, and sense of security that comes from growing food. Today’s gardeners want a bit of everything — vegetables, fruit, medicinal herbs, flowers for pollinators, and even chickens for eggs. The dream is to build a diverse landscape that serves multiple functions but achieving that goal can be intimidating and overwhelming. Homesteader Leah Webb shares her strategy for implementing a homestead plan in seven stages, starting small and gradually add more features each year. The Seven-Step Homestead takes readers through the process with a series of doable steps, beginning with establishing one or two raised beds of the easiest vegetables to grow, and gradually building up to the addition of fruit trees and berry bushes on hugelkulture mounds, a coop full of chickens, and a winter’s worth of storage crops. Step-by-step photos from the author's own homestead, accompanied by her hard-earned advice and instruction, make this a one-of-a-kind guide for anyone who aspires to free themselves from reliance on the commercial food system but doesn't know where to start or how to make it happen in a realistic way.
 

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Safe and Sound

Mercury Stardust

#1 New York Times Bestseller

Don't panic--Mercury Stardust, AKA The Trans Handy Ma'am is here to help!

For too many people, the simple act of contacting a plumber or repair person can feel like a game of chance. As a transwoman and a professional maintenance technician, Mercury Stardust has discovered (the hard way) that we live in a world with much to fear. If you've ever felt panicked about opening your home to strangers in order to fix a maintenance issue, this book is for you.

Renting a home can be a complex process--from finding a safe and affordable space, to hiring help for moving in and out, and of course, managing any repairs that come up during your stay.

You deserve to feel empowered to take matters into your own hands--and it's not as hard as you might think. In this book, Mercury will show you how to tackle the projects that need improvement in your home--from how to properly fix a clog in your bathroom sink and safely hang things on your walls to patching small and medium drywall holes.

Safe and Sound includes:

  • Guidance for over 50 simple home maintenance projects, such as replacing your showerhead and troubleshooting a faulty garbage disposal.
  • Chapters covering basic and handy repairs for your plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and safety needs.
  • Advice tailored to renters to minimize permanent changes.
  • Helpful illustrations and QR code links to videos to help you on your journey.


Remember--a little bit of knowledge can go a long way toward making you feel more safe and in control of your own life.

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How Not to Kill Your Houseplant New Edition

Veronica Peerless

How to keep alive 119 gorgeous indoor plants, then help them bloom and thrive.

You've welcomed a plant into the home: Now what? Your first job is to keep it alive, then after that help it bloom and thrive. Learn all the tips and tricks you need to become a proud plant parent--of more than 100 different plants (if you're up for it)!

Yellowed leaves, drooping leaves, dried leaves, even though you've watered it: What's going on? How Not to Kill Your Houseplant will explain--and fix--your houseplant woes.

Learn to spot the danger signs and take the proper action to rescue your sick plant.

Follow quick tips to understand what your plant does and doesn't like: how much light, water, food, heat, and humidity.

Discover the perfect plant for your unique space and needs. Bathrooms, cold rooms, at a desk, on a windowsill, or in a gloomy corner or hot suntrap--there are plants for every location to create your own indoor oasis.

This is your guide to every stage of plant parenting for beginners, from identifying exactly what's in the pot to keeping it in check when it grows too well!

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How to Win at Chess

Levy Rozman

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Learn chess from International Master and YouTube’s top chess teacher Levy Rozman (aka GothamChess) in this refreshing and fun guide for beginner and intermediate players.

Clever and informative, How to Win at Chess teaches you everything you need to know about the game, including all the important moves and strategies to start off strong and keep you thinking several steps ahead.

Full of Levy Rozman's signature charm and humor that have made him beloved by millions of fans, the first half of this unique guide introduces rising players (0-800 Elo rating) to the four key areas to consider when playing chess—openings, endings, tactics, and strategy—and the second half builds upon these core skills for more experienced players (800-1300 Elo rating). Brimming with practical and easy-to-follow tips for improving your game, How to Win at Chess includes over 500 instructional gameplay illustrations to help you better visualize the board, as well as chapter-specific QR codes for exclusive bonus content on Chessly, Rozman’s teaching platform.

Whether you want to become a recreational chess player or are training to be a Grandmaster, How to Win at Chess is the perfect interactive introduction to the world of chess!

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Dominoes Game Night

Travis Newsome

In this comprehensive guide, a 3-time World Domino Champion breaks down the fascinating history and culture of one of the world's most popular pastimes--and shares how-to instructions for playing 65 different domino games.

Featuring step-by-step, illustrated instructions, Dominoes Game Night will teach readers how to play 65 different domino games, including popular variations like Matador, Muggins, Chicken Foot, and Mexican Train.

In addition to providing the rules of standard game play, Dominoes Game Night also delves into the 1,000+ year history and culture of the game across the world, and it looks at modern day domino tournaments that are played both in person and online. Also touching on more idiosyncratic domino uses like toppling, Dominoes Game Night introduces readers to the countless benefits of playing Dominoes--like improved memory retention and concentration--while also teaching discipline and bolstering social interactions. With a breakdown of Dominoes terms, rules, and turn-by-turn examples, this book explains the reasoning behind making specific plays, and it takes an in-depth look at the critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills that are required to master the game. Whether you're a novice who is just learning to play, or an experienced player looking to elevate your game, Dominoes Game Night offers all the tools you need to consistently win games at a higher level. Written by a 3-time World Domino Champion, Dominoes Game Night is sure to become the go-to companion for both casual players and Domino die-hards.

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Field Guide to Outside Style

Ryan McEnaney

Make your outdoor space as comfortable and personal as the inside of your home with garden design and planting guidance from Field Guide to Outside Style.

Maybe you’ve just purchased your first home or you have an existing outdoor space that’s overgrown and old-fashioned, and you want to turn it into a place that blends perfectly with your sense of style and your life. But where should you start? How can you be sure to create a space you can sustain? Field Guide to Outside Style leads the way. You’ll learn to personalize your outdoor living space with the right plants, furnishings, and other design elements to create a space that reflects YOU perfectly, even if you’ve never sunk a shovel into the soil before.

The word “gardening” can be intimidating if you aren’t used to digging in the dirt, yet you want a gorgeous outdoor living area you feel proud of. Author and outdoor living pro Ryan McEnaney helps you make it happen by meeting you where you are. He cuts out the intimidating stuff, doesn’t use scary terms, and supports you through the entire process.
 

  • Start with what you already love. Learn how to translate your choices in clothing, colors, furniture, and architecture into an understanding of how to design your outdoor areas.
  • Next, set parameters and expectations. Learn how to plan smartly so you don’t get in over your head. 
  • Then, select your aesthetic. Decide which of three primary outdoor design styles—the classic, the modernist, and the naturalist—suit you best and use easy-to-digest, mix-and-match design suggestions and recipes to create an outdoor living area of your dreams.
  • Plus, see your options in action. Through case studies accompanied by before-and-after illustrations of outdoor rehab projects, you’ll walk away with a clear understanding of the options for you and your space.


Close the book confident in your ability to select plants and design concepts that work in your region, fit within your abilities, and ultimately match the rest of your life perfectly. And to sweeten the deal, the long-term success of your new outdoor space is supported by information on seasonality, sticking to a budget, and creating a balanced space to ensure your newly discovered outside style shines for many years to come.

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Foolproof Sketching & Painting Techniques for Beginners

Tomoko Kuramae

An inspiring guide to sketching and painting the world around you!

Packed with practical tips and advice, this book shows you how to fill your sketchbook or watercolor pad with a variety of everyday items that catch your eye, such as:

  • Kitchen items like cups, teapots and silverware
  • Toys like Rubik's Cubes and model cars
  • Tea sandwiches and roll cakes
  • Colorful bottles and containers
  • Household items like umbrellas, bottles and candles
  • Clothing and acessories including shirts, hats and umbrellas
  • And so much more!

Author Tomoko Kuramae provides clear step-by-step instructions on the proportions and perspective of basic objects and clearly explains how to draw dozens of items based on cubes, cylinders and flat shapes from a variety of angles. She then shows you how to bring your finished sketches alive with the use of brilliant transparent watercolors.

 

 

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Embrace Your Space

Katie Holdefehr

Organize and style your home using home-decorating and organization expert Katie Holdefehr’s modern, chic, and simple-to-achieve design tips and tricks.

Whether giving a studio apartment a makeover to maximize every inch of space for storage, creating a functional and streamlined kitchen, or revamping a bedroom into a relaxing sanctuary, home design expert Katie Holdefehr will be your personal designer throughout each step in Embrace Your Space. As an editor for top magazines and websites such as Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living, Good Housekeeping, and Apartment Therapy, Katie Holdefehr honed her expertise in home design and organization writing hundreds of articles and styling dozens of tasteful, livable rooms that anyone on any budget can achieve.

Featuring real homes from across the country and accompanied by gorgeous photographs, Embrace Your Space shares Katie’s tools of the trade, as well as designer-insider tips and tricks, to give every living space a Wow! effect. Also included are simple and affordable design projects for creating unique and custom-looking décor details.

GORGEOUS PHOTOGRAPHY: More than 150 beautiful full-color photographs show designer tips and tricks in action

DESIGN PROJECTS: Simple, affordable, and easy-to-accomplish design projects are included in each chapter

HOME ORGANIZATIONAL HACKS: Dozens of home organization tips help keep areas clutter-free

DECLUTTERING TIPS: Learn easy-and-quick ways to declutter and streamline those common problem areas such as closets, kitchen cabinets, entryways, and more.

INSIDER TIPS AND TRICKS: Having worked as a magazine editor in the home decor space, Katie Holdefehr provides information for home design and organization

BEAUTIFUL GIFT: Whether you appreciate home design or are just looking to downsize your clutter, this books makes a gorgeous and helpful gift

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Oil Painting Landscapes

Sarah Mckendry

Capture the Splendor of the Outdoors with 12 Beginner-Friendly Oil Painting Projects

Your artistic ability to bring wondrous backdrops to life is just a brushstroke away with Sarah Mckendry’s Oil Painting Landscapes. Now you can create breathtaking scenery—even if you’ve never held a brush—with Sarah’s easy-to-follow instructions and guided photography that take you carefully through each step.

Sarah makes the process easier than ever by providing helpful tips for blending color and adjusting artistic blunders, as well as information on oil painting techniques and material recommendations. To lower the cost of art supplies, each project uses only a handful of colors and keeps the number of necessary tools to a minimum—reducing stress for the aspiring artist.

Inside you will find 12 stunning projects, all in Sarah’s unique, atmospheric style, including enchanting forests, tranquil sunsets, peaceful meadows and magnificent ocean waves. So pick up your brush and open your mind to a new creative journey: painting the world around you with soft, beautiful color.

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Tiny Felt Cuties & Creatures

Delilah Iris

Craft adorable, trendy felt miniatures with this book of step-by-step tutorials and projects, featuring beautiful photos that illustrate easy felting techniques.

From self-taught artist Delilah Iris, Sew Cute!: Tiny Felt Cuties & Creatures includes more than a dozen patterns for making tiny animals, dolls, dollhouses, props, adorable gifts, and miniature play sets. The projects can be created as stand-alone finished works, but they can also be used to complement each other in a complete set for use in a tiny miniature world!

If you have been looking for new crafting techniques to learn at home and don’t want to buy a lot of tools and materials, creating felt miniatures is the perfect choice. Felting does not require a sewing machine and can be done using simple hand stitches and embroidery, all of which are demonstrated in the book along with stylized photo tutorials. Also included are detailed doll patterns, suggestions for materials to have on hand, and much more.

Sew Cute!: Tiny Felt Cuties & Creatures will help you create your own tiny world of animals, dolls, fairy houses, and more.

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Simple Origami

Adeline Klam

With simple visual step-by-step instructions and hand-drawn illustrations, effortlessly create over 50 different paper creations, from sea lions to spinning tops, Christmas decorations and colorful flowers.

This is origami at its most simple and elegant. With a special focus on a very visual method of explanation, this collection brings together 50 traditional origami projects, accessible to experts and beginners alike. The folds are organized from the simplest to the most complex.

The projects range from sea lions to spinning tops, Christmas decorations and colorful flowers, to sailboats. Detailed illustrations show you exactly where to place your hands at every step of the process, and projects are given a difficulty rating for ease of reference. Simply follow the diagrams and watch origami creations of all kinds come to life at your fingertips.

Brought to you from the Parisian boutique of Adeline Klam, this book is full of beautiful designs, fun toys, useful tips and paper surprises of every shape and size.

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Watercolor Made Simple

Nicki Traikos

Learn to paint in watercolor—with joy and confidence—as you explore simple techniques, popular subjects, and simple papercrafting projects.

Watercolor is a wonderful medium to explore your creativity, unwind, and have fun. Whether you’re new to watercolor painting or looking to expand your skills, Watercolor Made Simple will guide you to connect more personally with your watercolor practice and build your painting skills in a relaxing, welcoming way. Nicki Traikos, who teaches popular watercolor classes through life i design, wants to help you avoid the struggles and frustrations she experienced when learning to paint with watercolors by providing encouraging instruction, easy tutorials, and beautifully illustrated step-by-step projects.
 
Consider this your invitation to the world of watercolor as you:
 

  • Get familiar with paints, brushes, and papers
  • Learn fundamental watercolor washes and brushstrokes
  • Explore simple color theory and color mixing
  • Use a sketchbook to gather inspiration
  • Paint more than 15 popular subjects, such as flowers, leaves, feathers, still lifes, and simple landscapes, step by step

 
You’ll also find:
 

  • QR codes that link to helpful video tutorials
  • Traceable line drawings that allow you to jump right into painting
  • Charming papercrafting projects to feature your watercolor paintings
  • Tips for storing and displaying your art—and even what to do with paintings you don’t love

 
With gentle encouragement and techniques she has honed through teaching tens of thousands of watercolor students, Nicki will soon have you painting your favorite subjects with ease and enjoyment.

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Soap Making for Beginners

Ayako Umehara

The all-in-one guide to making 100% natural beauty and bath soaps at home!

This book makes it easy to create your own soaps using ingredients that you know and trust. Author Ayako Umehara is a certified herbal therapist, aromatherapy and Ayurveda instructor, and she shows you how to make your own soaps using pure and simple natural ingredients like olive oil, shea butter, rose hips, avocado, manuka honey and almonds as well as many and novel aromatic ingredients like Yuzu Matcha Mint, Lemon Eucalyptus and Salt, Seaweed and Clay.

The chapters in the book present 45 all-natural recipes using 100% pure essential oils and botanicals in the following categories:

  • Soaps That Are Gentle on the Skin including Manuka Honey Soap, Plain Olive Oil Soap and Skim Milk Soap for Kids
  • Soaps That Nourish the Skin and Body such as Avocado and Sweet Almond Soap, Grape Seed Soap and Sesame Spice Scrub Soap
  • Soaps that Soothe for example Lavender Marble Soap, Rosemary Soap and Linden Flower and Honey Soap
  • Natural Soaps for Everyday Use like Tea Tree Hand Soap and Baking Soda Paste for Cleaning
  • Special Occasion and Seasonal Soaps such as Valentine's Sweet Soap and Christmas Ornament Soap


A special section introduces basic techniques for bar soaps using the Cold Process and Melt-and-Pour Process as well as liquid soaps and how to vary the type and quantity of plant oils used. An extensive reference section covers everything you need to know about natural and botanical additives: plant and essential oils, herbs, dried flowers and other natural ingredients.

For all your cleansing needs, Soapmaking for Beginners has got you covered--in suds!

 

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Artfully Transforming Bottles & Plates

Petra Knoblauch

"Say yes to reclaiming creativity--environmentally friendly, beautiful, and innovative! Here are 75 projects that upcycle and elevate your discards. Transform not only wine bottles and teacups, but your living spaces--indoors and out. Use a wide assortment of craft materials and techniques, from marbling to chalkboard paints to kintsugi, to upcycle the bottles in your recycling bin or the plates that were dropped on the way to the table. Make lovely decorative and useful items that may even become heirlooms. Bring new treasures to life from discards and feel great about your crafting as you reclaim and upcycle. The first projects focus on glass bottle use; learn how to make elegant olive bowls, cocktail glasses, cookie jars, gorgeous illumination for your outdoor dining, and much more. The second group of projects transforms your china, porcelain, and other ceramic tableware, whether it's showing signs of wear, is broken, or just doesn't match. Learn to make clocks, charming signs, neon-marbled chargers, wedding keepsakes, and much more." --publisher's website.

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The 30-Minute Gardener

Greg Loades

"There are lots of aspiring gardeners out there. But a large number of them-especially younger ones, with demanding jobs, growing families, and limited space-either don't have the time to garden traditionally, or are scared off from the very notion and have no idea where to start. Greg Loades comes to the rescue in this detailed, inspiring book. He shows the reader how much can actually be accomplished in no more than 30 minutes a day, from simple tasks such as renovating a rose bush or planting a layered bulb display to more complex ones like laying a patio or building a green roof. By laying out the details of the projects-which include both in-the-ground ornamental and vegetable gardening as well as container projects-he shows the reader exactly how to create a welcoming, rewarding haven that will quickly become an indispensable part of their family's lifestyle"--

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Macramé

Nghi Ho

Learn and Master the Art of Macramé

"A wonderful resource for beginning and advanced macramé artists." ―Elizabeth Majka, Library Journal

#1 New Release in Ribbons, Knots, Macrame & Rope Work

Learn the art of macramé and craft beautiful and practical creations such as wall hangings, plant hangers, jewelry, and much more.

Develop a new creative hobby or just improve your macramé skills. New to macramé or an accomplished macramé artist? Either way, with the expert guidance of author Nghi Ho, online macramé community star and founder of Miss Knottie Macramé supplies, you'll discover new macramé patterns and projects and a whole world of enjoyment and satisfaction.

Relax with macramé DIY crafts. Having a stressful day? Unwind with a macramé project that can be both gratifying and fun. If you are new to macramé, Nghi Ho will show you how to get started, explain the basic materials you'll need, and give you a good grounding in macramé knots.

Inside find:

  • Tutorials on starting your own macramé projects, macrame kits, and basic knots
  • Crafts to do at home and fun activities for the whole family
  • Macramé projects that are unique and personalized

 

If you have read books like Macramè For Beginners, Statement Macramé, or Modern Embroidery, you'll love Nghi Ho's Macramè The Power of Knots.

 

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Polymer Clay Jewelry

Rachael Skidmore

Learn to make fun, colorful, modern, on-trend earrings from polymer clay.

In Polymer Clay Jewelry, Author Rachael Skidmore—owner of the popular online shop and social-media channels Made by Maeberry—takes a fresh, contemporary approach to this classic craft. Through her easy-to-follow photographic steps and clear instructions, you can make your own contemporary earrings in a variety of colors and styles.

Among the topics covered in the book:
 

  • Tools and materials
  • Clay conditioning
  • Color mixing
  • How to choose a color palette
  • Clay curing and baking
  • Painting clay
  • How to add earring backs


Once you’re familiar with these important introductory topics, learn to make colorful abstract earrings, hoops of various sizes and styles, rainbows, shells, hammered “metal,statement jewelry, and much more—all from polymer clay! Also included in the book are beautiful photographs of all of the pieces, suggestions for customizing colors and styles, images of color palettes and alternative ideas, and so much more.

Polymer clay is lightweight, inexpensive, and infinitely customizable. Polymer Clay Jewelry is perfect for makers and jewelry enthusiasts of all skill levels!


The Art Makers series is designed for beginning artists and arts-and-crafts enthusiasts who are interested in experiencing fun hands-on mediums, including polymer clay and embroidery.

Also available from the series: Polymer Clay for Beginners, Papier Mache, Empowered Embroidery, and Make Cute Stuff with Polymer Clay.

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The Beginner's Guide to Decorating Pottery

Emily Reinhardt

Join ceramic artist Emily Reinhardt to learn how to decorate pottery surfaces with glazes, gold luster, patterns and marks, inlay designs, dimensional shapes, and much more.

With an emphasis on learning new skills, having fun, and embracing imperfection, The Beginner’s Guide to Decorating Potterysupports your creative process as you explore:
 

  • Basic information on working with clays as well as materials used for decorating.
  • Tutorials on color theory, combining form and function, and the importance of keeping a sketchbook.
  • Beginner-friendly projects that show how to apply surface-design techniques to simple pieces such as coasters, a cheeseboard, a wall hanging, plates, tumblers, vases, planters, and more.


Throughout the book, skill-building is front and center, with tips and tricks to help you crack the code and make pieces you’re proud of. Gallery work from some of today’s top ceramics artists is sure to inspire potters of all levels. What will you make first?

For beginners and those returning to ceramics, the Essential Ceramics Skills series from Quarry Books offer the fundamentals along with fresh, contemporary, and simple projects that build skills progressively.

Explore even more ceramics techniques with:The Beginner’s Guide to Wheel Throwing and The Beginner’s Guide to Hand Building.

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Making Wooden Toys

Studio Tac Creative, in partnership with Craft & Co., Ltd.

Learn to make fresh, fun, and whimsical wooden toys! Perfect for beginner to advanced scrollers, this must-have project guide will walk you through how to scroll saw 15 interactive wooden toys kids will love. Using minimal tools and food-safe finishes, the featured scroll saw projects have a contemporary aesthetic and are truly unique to engage children in new and exciting ways. Also included are helpful overviews on materials and tools, including how to use sandpaper, drills, a square, a plane, and more. With easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions and expert tips and tricks to assist you in accomplishing each exciting project, Making Wooden Toys is the ultimate guide to making one-of-a-kind interactive toys that are just as fun to make as they are to play with!

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A Sweet Floral Life

Natasja Sadi

Learn how to create exquisite, lifelike sugar flowers to pair with fresh blooms in the floral arrangements of your dreams—regardless of season or availability.

Rising Instagram star Natasja Sadi's floral arrangements have a sumptuous, old-world look straight out of a classical painting. But the secret is that they often contain a surprise twist: handmade sugar flowers (traditionally used in cake decorating) that are indistinguishable from real ones and last forever.

A former fashion designer, Sadi began making flowers out of sugar to honor her African and Indonesian ancestors who worked in the sugarcane fields of Suriname. In A Sweet Floral Life, Sadi provides steps for sculpting sugar flowers, a versatile medium with limitless possibilities—they can be used in fresh floral arrangements, displayed on their own, or used to adorn cakes for weddings, anniversaries, or parties. And whether it’s the middle of summer or the dead of winter, sugar flowers are always in season and always in perfect full bloom.

In addition, Sadi guides you through the creative process of fresh flower arranging and developing a personal style, along with tutorials for seasonal arrangements, living and entertaining with flowers, and how to photograph flowers. Capture the romance, set the mood, and be swept away by gorgeous and inspiring floral art with A Sweet Floral Life.

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Botanical Dyes

Babs Behan

Botanical Dyes features recipes and top tips on everything you need to know to make your own natural dyes.

The process of turning plants into print can help you reconnect with nature, find a creative outlet and develop a mindful sense of presence. It also promotes an awareness of sustainable practices and how to reduce our impact on the planet.

Extracting from and updating her book Botanical Inks, Babs talks the home crafter through everything from foraging for dyes, making mordants, creating an array of colors and then putting your new knowledge to the test through some simple projects.

With more than 10 dye recipes, clear step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting tips and explanations of what works and why, Botanical Dyes is the accessible handbook that modern makers everywhere have been waiting for.

  • By Hand is a new, how-to slow craft series that celebrates craft techniques
  • Explores an on-trend craft that's part of the 'slow-living' movement
  • Will appeal to people interested in foraging and sustainable practices
  • A comprehensive guide that covers making the dyes and application techniques

 

 

 

 

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Crochet Cute Forest Friends

Sarah Zimmerman

Stitch Up Your Newest Cuddle Companions

Crochet the cutest, cuddliest, coziest creatures of the forest with this beginner-friendly guide to amigurumi animals from Sarah Zimmerman, bestselling author of Crochet Cute Critters and creator of Repeat Crafter Me. These 26 simple patterns will transport you to a whimsical world of woodland animals begging to be snuggled and squeezed. Each endearing pattern requires only the simplest stitches, straightforward assembly and widely-accessible yarn so you can stitch up your squishiest new companion in record time.

From forest floor friends and treetop dwellers to riverside animals and nocturnal critters, there’s a pattern for every cherished creature of the woods. Sweeten your space with a smiling green Frog, or liven up your nest with a lovable Owl. Create a not-so-rascally Raccoon, a friendly Fox or a darling Deer to invite playful cheer into your everyday. Why not complete the whole collection by crocheting them all! Even if you’re new to crochet, these easiest-ever patterns are guaranteed to bring you boundless joy.

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The Beginner’s Guide to Urban Sketching

Taria Dawson

Taria Dawson, creator of Urban Sketching World, makes it easy to join the ever-growing community of urban sketchers--artists who draw on location to document loose, colorful impressions of where they live and travel. Her beginner's guide is packed with everything you need to know about urban sketching principles, drawing fundamentals and tips for creating captivating art with just a few basic supplies!

Each chapter breaks down a popular location into smaller subject lessons and practical exercises using the art form's most popular method: ink and watercolor. Learn to draw your morning breakfast at a local café, recreate the changing leaves at the neighborhood park, or report on the industrialization of your cityscape. Then practice putting these components together to tell a full visual story with Taria's "Sketching a Scene" walkthroughs featured at the end of every chapter. What's more, Taria shares different approaches such as beginning by blocking in shapes with watercolor vs starting with an ink outline, so you can really find a style that feels authentic to you.

Full of helpful techniques, detailed instructions, and plenty of visual examples, this book is the perfect guide to help you record your adventures no matter where you are (or where you go)!

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Made to Measure

Elisalex Jewell

Learn to draft and sew your own customized clothes that fit you perfectly and make you feel fantastic.

You no longer need to feel confined by the boundaries of a sewing pattern in order to make clothes that fit beautifully and represent your style in a way that store-bought clothes never can. Designer and founder of popular pattern brand By Hand London Elisalex Jewell is known for designing beautiful, fun garments that look fabulous on women of all sizes. In Made to Measure, she guides sewers to create stylish garments while empowering them to learn new skills, be creative, and feel confident. Following an overview of essential sewing tools, a primer on fabrics, and a guide to essential sewing techniques, you will learn how to:
 

  • Draft simple patterns based on your measurements
  • Take a pattern from an existing garment
  • Identify and fix common fit issues

 
The sixteen pattern-free projects for dresses, skirts, tops, a pantsuit, and more are a springboard for creating a versatile, personalized wardrobe. The designs include:
 

  • Sweet Shirred Top and Dress
  • Faux-Cute Jumpsuit
  • Paneled Wrap Skirt
  • Prairie Dress
  • Not Your Grandma's Quilted Circle Skirt
  • Siren Slip Dress
  • Refashioned Sweater Dress

 
In today’s world of “fast fashion,” sewing your own clothes is a wonderful way to slow down and create garments that are sustainable and unique. While most sewing books show you how to create garments from specific patterns, Made to Measure takes sewing clothes to the next level by allowing you to customize the designs to fit you.

Whether you’re new to sewing clothes or want to add to your garment-making skills, Made to Measure guides you to create a dream wardrobe that is tailored just for you.

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The Encyclopedia of Cut Flowers

Calvert Crary

From Calvert Crary and Bruce Littlefield, The Encyclopedia of Cut Flowers is a comprehensive, gorgeously visual guide that answers every question you've ever had (and a few you didn't know to ask!) about buying, caring for, and prolonging the lives of more than 140 different varieties of commonly available cut flowers.

The Encyclopedia of Cut Flowers dives deep into the world of fresh-cut flowers, featuring unique entries for 143 different varieties of commonly available cut flowers that readers can buy at their local grocery store or flower market. Each flower entry offers authoritative tips for conditioning methods (eg-cut flowers should never be put near fresh fruit because fruit produces ethylene gas which will shorten the flowers' life), as well as scientific and common names, best seasons for buying (eg-lilies in spring, dahlias in summer) and fascinating facts about each bloom. An introductory section offers basic tips for styling arrangements at home, and for keeping flowers hydrated and alive for as long as possible. By the time readers are done flipping through the pages of The Encyclopedia of Cut Flowers, which features more than 150 gorgeous colour photographs of flowers, they'll be experts in the field!

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The Garden Maker's Book of Wonder

Allison Vallin Kostovick

The joy and wonder of a garden-inspired lifestyle is captured in this colorfully photographed, through-the-seasons sourcebook filled with recipes, gardening wisdom, craft and wellness projects, and nature-based activities.

Each season in the garden brings new joy and fresh inspiration for connecting with the wonders of the natural world. In The Garden Maker's Book of Wonder, popular gardening lifestyle influencer Allison Vallin Kostovick (Finch + Folly) invites fans of cottagecore, gardening, and nature-based living to share her journey as she crafts, cooks, dreams, and creates. Drawing on decades of gardening experience, and illustrated with vibrant photography from her own home and garden, The Garden Maker's Book of Wonder offers sage advice on growing bountiful harvests of favorite vegetables, herbs, and flowers. All levels of gardeners, from dreamers to the experienced, will delight in the variety and creativity of Kostovick's projects, activities, and recipes for enjoying the magic and whimsy of the natural world--no matter what season. From planting a pollinator playground to building a rustic trellis from tree branches, cooking with freshly picked peas and mint to making a sweet viola tub soak, and growing a bird seed mix to crafting one-of-a-kind jewelry beads from the husks of the Job's Tears plant, the inventive ideas in this rich treasury are sure to make it a favorite to keep and to give to anyone who aspires to a more nature-connected lifestyle.

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Stitching through the Seasons

Yumiko Higuchi

Beautiful guided stitchwork for every season—featuring fall pumpkins and mushroom wreaths, winter skiers, spring blossoms, summer vegetables, and more!

​​With 56 unique embroidery pieces to reflect the seasons, this next book from beloved author Yumiko Higuchi takes creatives on a month-by-month exploration of colorful motifs that can be used on a variety of fabrics and surfaces. Each month starts with an emblem of the month number, such as a vibrant poppy wreath for May, a viny pumpkin for October, and sprigs of mistletoe and Christmas roses for December. Each emblem perfectly captures the spirit of the month, and the subsequent patterns for each month follow the seasonal theme.

​Each design in the book is accompanied by step-by-step instructions for recreating it, including stitch types, thread colors by number, and thread type. There is also a detailed section on how to perform certain stitches and knots to guide beginners.

Whether embroidering a new dress, a pillowcase, a bag, or even a jar cover for jam, Stitching through the Seasons has charming patterns that are sure to spark creativity and festivity for embroiderers both experienced and just starting out. ​

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Handmade Books at Home

Chanel Ly

Timeless Stitches & Beautiful Bindings to Craft Your Perfect Book

You don’t need to be an experienced bookbinder to create one-of-a-kind books. Chanel Ly, founder of Bitter Melon Bindery, is here to guide you through 12 practical projects that you can personalize to show off your creative side. All you need are a few basic tools and materials to get started.

Learn to craft a Minimal Journal that is not only sleek and stunning but sturdy enough to withstand everyday use. Looking for a Lay-Flat Sketchbook that feels as unique as your art? Make your own with a gorgeous exposed spine that is unlike anything you’ll buy off the shelves. Create an unforgettable gift for someone you love such as a wraparound Travel Diary bound in sentimental fabric or a custom-made Photo Album to hold treasured memories. And once you’ve mastered these projects, you’ll have the necessary skills to design your very own book or give new life to an old favorite.

Full of helpful tips, solutions to troubleshoot common mistakes and plenty of visual examples, this resource will fulfill all your bookish dreams for years to come!

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Tools

Theodore Gray

The international bestselling author of The Elements celebrates 118 individual categories of tools found in the home workshop--from crescent wrenches to miter saws, from levels to cordless drills--all exquisitely photographed in Nick Mann's inimitable style.

Includes a bonus poster of Theodore Gray's PERIODIC TABLE OF TOOLS!

Tools is arguably Theodore Gray's most personal book yet. Hand tools and power tools have been a central part of his life for as long as he can remember. Using them, collecting them, and appreciating them is as much a part of his DNA as his passion for the periodic table. This book is the story of those tools, from Gray's personal favorites that have stuck with him through to years, to new and exciting antiques and modern inventions that he's discovered along the way. Organized into 118 categories, (and cleverly arranged into a periodic table of tools where each tool in a column shares properties and builds from lightest to heaviest) each tool is featured in a great big beautiful photograph on the left-hand side of the spread. On the right side of the page, Theo regales us with history and personal stories and shows us multiple variations on the theme. Tools is an unprecedented collection featuring 500 stunning examples of the world's most wonderful workshop implements. It's the must-have book for every tool lover.

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52 Weeks of Easy Knits

Laine

52 Weeks of Easy Knits is a contemporary collection of 52 uncomplicated knitting patterns, ranging from beanies, mittens and scarves to sweaters, socks and cardigans, from Nordic knitting experts Laine.

For people who are picking up needles for the very first time, or for experienced knitters who are looking for an effortless comfort project, this gorgeous book contains a fun, cosy and modern knitting pattern for every week of the year - each one a pleasure to knit. The 52 projects have been contributed by leading knitwear designers from across the world. The book uses a 'super easy' label to mark the patterns that are perfect for your very first knitting adventure, and each project is accompanied by beautiful and helpful photography, and supported by extra material on the Laine website.

Following on from the bestselling 52 Weeks of Socks and 52 Weeks of Scarves, 52 Weeks of Easy Knits is a classic book to return to again and again, not just for weeks but for years to come. Knitting is more than just knit, knit, purl. It is a feeling.

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Smithsonian Makers Workshop

Smithsonian Institution

50 DIY crafts, cooking, decorating, and gardening projects from the experts at the Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution presents a uniquely curated collection of lively how-to projects and historical narratives of four realms of American domestic arts: cooking, crafts, decorating, and gardening. Perfect for hobbyists interested in the historical context of what they create for their homes, this beautifully illustrated book contains fifty DIY projects--from a uniquely American quilt pattern to on-trend crafts like terrarium making and pickling--that all offer satisfying ways to bring history and culture to life. For those craving more, features provide rare insights from Smithsonian experts on prominent figures, events, and trends. Readers can learn about influential Americans who've had an impact on each realm; look at visual timelines of significant events that pushed development forward; or stay in the present and see how American arts in contemporary life is being redefined, all while enjoying satisfying and unique projects.

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Modern Quilt Bible

Elizabeth Betts

Learn how to create stunning modern quilts with the Modern Quilt Bible: the ultimate reference guide to patchwork and quilting techniques. Author of Beginner's Guide to Quilting Liz Betts explains over 100 techniques used by designers to create eye-catching modern quilts.

Try your hand at improv piecing, free motion quilting, playing with scale, curved piecing and much more. There are featured quilts from the world's best modern quilt designers and ten unique quilted projects using a range of modern quilt techniques so you can practice your new-found skills.

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The Martha Manual

Martha Stewart

Essential life skills from America's most trusted lifestyle expert--together in one beautiful and practical handbook, with hundreds of ideas, instructions, and inspirations

Martha Stewart is America's go-to source for the best answers to nearly every question. As an authority on the many worlds upon which she's built her domestic empire, she can advise on everything from creating a cutting garden and setting the table to playing classic lawn games or building a campfire. Whether it's organizing, celebrating, cleaning, decorating, or any number of other life skills, these are the time-tested, Martha-approved strategies for frequent challenges and basic how-to knowledge that everyone should have at the ready. Also included are plenty of solutions for the not-so-common conundrums, such as how to transport a decorated cake, bathe a cat, or fold an American flag. With hundreds of expert tips and useful insights in an easy-to-follow format, this is the manual you need to learn how to do everything--the Martha way.

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How to Build Your Own Tiny House

Roger Marshall

Tiny homes are all the rage these days, especially among young people new to the housing market, for people wanting a small dwelling as a second home or as a studio, and among singles and empty nesters. As millions are experiencing the "magic" of tidying up and reducing the number of their possessions, many are also seeing the value of living with less space, while environmentalists are also valuing a smaller carbon footprint.

  • How to Build Your Own Tiny House is a comprehensive guide to the actual construction process, building codes, and regulations, not another pretty picture book about tiny houses.
  • Offers anyone with basic carpentry skills step-by-step instructions to successfully build a tiny house (250 to 1,000 square feet.)
  • The book covers everything from forming a bill of materials to the basics of frame construction; it details wiring and plumbing a tiny home, outlines construction codes for small buildings and gives pointers as to where local regulations may apply, and also includes a section on building appropriately sized furniture for a tiny home.
  • Includes a selection of tiny home designs, each of which can be expanded as needs change.
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Pop Manga Drawing

Camilla d'Errico

An easy-to-follow, step-by-step manga drawing instruction book from fan favorite manga artist and painter Camilla d'Errico, featuring 30 lessons on illustrating cute, cool, and quirky characters in the Pop Surrealist style with pencils.

With wildly popular appearances at Comic Cons and her paintings displayed in art galleries around the world, Camilla d'Errico has established herself as a go-to resource for manga-influenced art. Following in the footsteps of her past art instruction books Pop Manga and Pop Painting, Pop Manga Drawing provides the most direct and accessible lessons yet for rendering characters in her signature Pop Surrealist style. Written in the fun and encouraging voice that fans have come to expect, Pop Manga Drawing takes you step-by-step through lessons on drawing with graphite and mechanical pencils, along with insights on enhancing pieces with other mediums (including acrylics, markers, and colored pencils). It also provides tips and expert advice on drawing specific elements, including hair, eyes, and animals, that can take your manga art to the next level. Pop Manga Drawing grants one-of-a-kind access to the basic building blocks of artistic expression, giving you the tools you need to create your own pop manga masterpieces.

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Attainable Sustainable

Kris Bordessa

Packed with delicious recipes, natural remedies, gardening tips, crafts, and more, this indispensable lifestyle reference from the popular blogger makes earth-friendly living fun.

Whether you live in a city, suburb, or the country, this essential guide for the backyard homesteader will help you achieve a homespun life--from starting your own garden and pickling the food you grow to pressing wildflowers, baking sourdough loaves, quilting, raising chickens, and creating your own natural cleaning supplies. In these richly illustrated pages, sustainability-guru Kris Bordessa offers DIY lovers an indispensable home reference for sustainability in the 21st century, with tried-and-true advice, 50 enticing recipes, and step-by-step directions for creating easy, cost-efficient projects that will bring out your inner pioneer. Filled with 340 color photographs, this relatable, comprehensive book contains time honored-wisdom and modern know-how for getting back to basics in a beautiful, accessible package.

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Elemental Knits

Courtney Spainhower

Elemental Knits is for women who aspire to be ever stylish, more comfortable, and less wasteful. With knitwear designer Courtney Spainhower, you'll craft an appearance that truly reflects your spirit with a collection of 20 knitting patterns designed to enhance your wardrobe year-round.

   • Knit with intention, selecting patterns and fibers for their wearablity, versatility, and how they enhance your existing wardrobe.
   • 20 patterns explore a range of knitting techniques with features suited to each season--texture and cables for autumn, allover patterning for winter, garter and lace for spring, and colorful accents for summer.
   • Revel in gorgeous details that take these garments and accessories from functional to essential in a way that will have you wearing them year after year.
Enrich your hand-knit wardrobe with intentional projects that will act as wardrobe staples for years to come with Elemental Knits.

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Woodworking

DK

Get started on your woodwork practice with this ultimate guide to essential carpentry skills, techniques, tools, tips, and tricks.

Complete and easy directions for key skills, from simple joinery techniques to more involved woodworking projects, with clear helpful photographs. Key carpentry skills, from simple joinery techniques to fine woodworking projects, through clear, step-by-step instructions and photographs.

New carpenters will learn about the essential tools needed and the principles of basic design and practice crucial techniques like wood joints, finishing, woodturning, and furniture restoration.

Experienced crafters will enjoy enhancing their skills and learning something new. We’ll make sure you choose the right wood for the job and find more than 100 hard and softwoods, plus their properties, in our handy directory.

Put your skills into practice with 28 DIY woodworking projects. This carpentry book will show you how to create home accessories, furnishings, outdoor projects, workshop projects, and more. This reference book provides all the information you need to become a master carpenter and have a houseful of fine furnishings to show for the effort! 

Everything You Need to Know About Woodworking

Woodworking is a complete illustrated carpentry course with comprehensive and extensive photos to show you how to become a craftsman. You’ll have all the information you need to start your projects right away with simple step-by-step instructions. It also makes a fantastic gift for hobby carpenters.

Inside, you’ll discover:

• Tools: Understand how to use hand, power, and machine tools, and choose the right wood for every job.
• Techniques: Follow clear, step-by-step instructions to master all key woodworking techniques.
• Projects: Put your skills into practice to create well-crafted and practical objects, from a wine rack to a chest of drawers.

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One-Day DIY: Modern Farmhouse Furniture

JP Strate

Fast Weekend Projects for an Upscale, Rustic Home

In their debut book, JP Strate and Liz Spillman, creators of the popular DIY YouTube channel The Rehab Life, bring over 20 new beginner-friendly furniture projects to your home. Their distinctive style pairs clean, contemporary designs with natural wood and warm stains to give your space that urban farmhouse look. There’s no need for prior woodworking experience or a garage full of fancy tools. It’s easy to dive right in, with minimal materials, foolproof instructions and gorgeous results. Each project is so quick to complete, you won’t be able to stop until your entire home is transformed into a chic, cozy haven.

In just 24 hours, you could be sitting at your very own handmade Hairpin Leg Dining Table, waking up to your Dreamy Headboard or selecting a bottle from your classy Napa Valley Wine Rack. Unlock a whole new world of home decor possibilities, free from high-end price tags and cookie-cutter furnishings, while discovering a woodworking skill you didn’t know you had. You’ll be showing off your timeless custom furniture for years to come!

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Seasonal Flower Arranging

Ariella Chezar

This lavishly photographed book from renowned floral designer Ariella Chezar provides step-by-step instructions for 39 seasonal floral arrangements and projects that celebrate the splendor of flowers, the bounty of the changing seasons, and the wild beauty of nature in your home.

Just as fruits and vegetables taste best when they are harvested locally and seasonally, flowers that are picked close to home and at their peak reflect a true connection to time and place. Nature does not deliver its harvest all at once--each season has its stars and Ariella Chezar, author of The Flower Workshop, shows you how to make the most of them. Seasonal Flower Arranging follows Mother Nature's lead to create dazzling arrangements from the distinctive gifts of the changing seasons, from a charming spring bouquet for Mother's Day to a bold garland for a summer wedding, and from a bounteous Thanksgiving table to a wintery holiday wreath. There are arrangements for seasonal holidays, special occasions, or just everyday life featuring tulips, roses, peonies, dahlias, and other flowers that are easily found at farmers' markets, local shops, or grown in your own backyard. The book includes detailed instructions on how to re-create 39 floral designs, plus the inspiration and techniques to allow you to create your own original art out of nature.

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Small Garden Style

Isa Hendry Eaton

A stylishly photographed guide to creating lush, layered, dramatic little gardens no matter the size of your available space--an urban patio, a tiny backyard, or even just a pot by your door.

Petite gardens align with the movement to live smaller and create a life with less stuff and more room for living. But a more eco-friendly and efficient space doesn't have to sacrifice style. In Small Garden Style, garden designer Isa Hendry Eaton and lifestyle writer Jennifer Blaise Kramer show you how to use good design to create a joyful, elegant, and exciting yet compact outdoor living space for entertaining or relaxing.

A style quiz helps you focus in on your own personal garden style, be it traditional, modern, colorful, eclectic, minimalist, or globally inspired, then utilize every inch of your yard by considering the horizontal, vertical, and overhead spaces. You'll learn how to design stunning planters and container gardens using succulents, grasses, vibrant-colored pots, and more. Hendry Eaton and Blaise Kramer recommend their favorite plants and decor for small gardens, along with lawn alternatives and inspiration for making garden accents such as a fire pit, front door wreath, instant mini orchard, boulder birdbath, patterned vines, perfumed wall, and faux fountain with cascading plants.

However small your garden, Small Garden Style will transform it into a magical, modern outdoor oasis.

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Mixed Fiber Macramé

Chantel Conlon

Take Macramé to the Next Level with Simple Weaving Techniques and Colorful Fibers

Weave color and creativity into your macramé art with 24 fresh projects featuring on-trend techniques and fun fibers. Ribbons, raffia, roving and more bring an inspired twist to this ever-popular craft, and Chantel Conlon is your guide to this modern approach. She’ll teach you to macraweave eye-catching wall hangings, knot elegant plant hangers with pops of color and make your own stylish home décor, like pillows, rugs and more. You’ll be amazed at just how simple it is to create incredible macramé pieces no one else has seen before.

Packed with step-by-step instructions and photos, everything you need to make stunning creations is here in one place. New knotters will appreciate the detailed knot guide, beginner-friendly tutorials and information on how to set up your workspace. Meanwhile, experienced fiber artists will be excited to dive into advanced techniques and a seemingly endless variety of colors and fibers. With a vast array of captivating designs like the Zahra Chandelier, Triple Threat Plant Hanger, Might as Wool Macraweave and Under the Sea Wall Hanging, get ready to have your friends and family gushing over your trendy handwoven home décor.

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How to Whittle

Josh Nava

The age-old woodworking technique, whittling, is growing in popularity. How to Whittle presents 25 beautiful whittling projects to make and is paired with advice on selecting the best wood for your projects and details on finishes, making these simple projects ideal for beginners.

  • Full-color photography and step-by-step instructions guide whittling newbies through the process, from selecting and maintaining carving knives to mastering luxurious finishing techniques, ensuring success as they learn this craft.
  • Serious woodworkers will love the creative dimensions that whittling introduces to their projects.
  • Includes advice on selecting the best wood for your projects, selecting and maintaining carving knives to finishing techniques such as sanding, oiling, and curing surfaces.

Projects can be made using just a couple of knives and a piece of wood!

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Self-Sufficiency for the 21st Century

Dick and James Strawbridge

Find your route to a more sustainable lifestyle with Dick Strawbridge and his son, James.

We can all take steps to reduce our carbon footprint and be more self-sufficient. For some, that might mean heading to the countryside to live off the land. For the rest of us, the reality might involve smaller, but no less important, lifestyle changes: cutting back on plastic or food waste, growing vegetables, preserving meat and fish, preparing jams and chutneys, baking sourdough bread, making your own plant-based milk, or keeping a chicken or two.

Dick and James Strawbridge know what it's like to make these changes. Between them, they've lived on a smallholding, in a terraced house, and even a chateau. In this updated edition of Self-Sufficiency for the 21st Century, they share everything they've learned and give you the tools you need for a more rewarding and environmentally conscious life.

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Make, Sew and Mend

Bernadette Banner

Learn the Historically Proven Stitches Every Seamster Needs with Beloved Historical Fashion YouTuber Bernadette Banner

Whether you are just getting started with sustainable fashion and need to alter your new secondhand finds, or you want an introduction to sewing techniques for making your own clothes, Bernadette Banner’s signature voice will guide you through all the traditional stitches and techniques you need to extend the life of your favorite pieces and take fashion into
your own hands!

From tips and tricks on choosing your materials and preparing your fabric for sewing to more complex techniques like mending small holes, adding pockets to garments, making your own buttons and beyond—this book has everything you need. Complete with step-by-step photos and insight into what alterations each sewing technique is best suited for, Bernadette walks you through every step of your sewing journey. For added inspiration, this book also includes profiles on exciting voices in the historic sewing community and their perspectives on how taking fashion into their own hands has changed their lives for the better. Make, Sew and Mend is the perfect foundation for beginner sewers to start making their fashion their own.

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Good Housekeeping Home Skills

Good Housekeeping

A practical and attractive handbook with more than 850 essential life skills to get anything done faster and easier

The editors and scientists at Good Housekeeping and its lab, the Good Housekeeping Institute, share genius solutions and trusted, expert advice in this how-to guide to making life simpler. With chapters on the kitchen, organizing and cleaning, decorating, home maintenance, outdoor living, and entertaining and celebrating, this go-to resource offers step-by-step illustrated instructions, inspiring photos and sometimes surprising but always practical guidance to get things done. Plus, you'll save time and money and even have fun along the way.

The 850+ skills include how to:

  • Store and make your own spice mixes
  • Clean your house in 15 minutes
  • Seal a drafty window
  • Remove water rings from your tables
  • Perk up a grocery-store bouquet
  • Sew a button
  • Plant an outdoor herb garden (and keep herbs fresh after they are picked!)
  • Make the perfect boiled egg
  • Uncork champagne
  • Cure a hangover and so much more!

  • QR codes throughout the pages offer additional lessons and video instruction. Whatever home means to you, this book is brimming with invaluable know-how to keep your home in tip-top shape and to help you inject more fun and flair into your every day.

 

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The New Design Rules

Emily Henderson

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Styled, here is Emily Henderson's masterclass on interior design.
 
“An approachable guide for anyone who is looking for tools and resources to create a home that speaks to who they are and what they love.”—Joanna Gaines

Whether you’re embarking on a weekend refresh or complete renovation, interior designer Emily Henderson wants you to take risks with your home design without experiencing regret. In this visually driven decorating bible punctuated with photographs from real homes and colorful illustrations, she takes you through her entire process, including every single decision she makes when it comes to picking paint, arranging furniture, hanging window treatments, and deciding on lighting fixtures. You'll also learn when to hire a contractor versus an architect versus a handyperson, all the materials to consider (and why you might want to skip those marble countertops), proper measurements of the elements in each room, and so much more. By the end of the book, you'll feel more confident when it comes to visualizing the home of your dreams, and you'll finally know how to make it happen.

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Remodelista: The Low-Impact Home

Margot Guralnick

Learn how to make planet-friendly choices at home with the design experts behind Remodelista.com

There’s no reason to sacrifice beauty, because this hardworking visual guide reveals a personalized, future-minded approach to creating a sustainable—and stylish—home by emphasizing conscientious consumerism and climate-aware choices.
 
In this book, you’ll visit a remodeled apartment inspired by the Slow Food movement, a DIY tree-house cabin, a multigenerational courtyard compound, and a family home built from hemp. There are tips on practices that reduce your environmental impact room by room, like adopting a gentler laundry routine, as well as eco-conscious guidelines for choosing nontoxic paint, upgrading windows, and eliminating plastic.
 
Change begins in the home, and it’s inspiring to learn how such steps, no matter how small, contribute to the greater good.
 
Including:

  • Low-impact remodeling ideas and approaches for every room
  • Planet-friendly essentials: lightbulbs, paint, rugs, furniture, and more
  • The Vintage 75: favorite tried-and-true objects for everyday use
  • Plus the lowdown on composting, roofing, insulation, HVAC, and more
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Watercolor for Relaxation

Angelica Torres

Peaceful Projects Perfect for Artists of Any Level

Paint your way to tranquility with projects featuring soothing tones, simple methods and stress-free, step-by-step instructions from water- color teacher Angelica Torres. Her emphasis on enjoying the whole process, rather than agonizing over perfection, makes it easy to embrace relaxation. Lose yourself in repetitive strokes and the inherent calm of color flowing across paper; before you know it, you’ve completed a frame-worthy masterpiece.

Be transported to Serene Rainy Mountains or relax amidst Mellow Wildflowers. Paint adorable dragonflies, beautiful botanicals and magical moon phases. These projects provide the perfect opportunity to unwind. You’ll find comprehensive sections on tools and techniques, ensuring you feel confident creating even if you’ve never held a brush before, plus tips for making meditative watercolor a daily practice. These tutorials will leave you with a clear mind and countless watercolor treasures, ideal for wall-hangings, greeting cards, gifting to loved ones and more.

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Kicking Glass

Neile Cooper

Creative and practical, Kicking Glass is a step-by-step guide for those wanting to practice the popular craft of stained glass.

From simple suncatchers and boho lamps to exquisite 3D constructions and delicately-poised glass butterflies, experienced artist Neile Cooper guides you through the magical world of stained glass with a creative handbook for both the novice and more experienced crafter alike.

Beautifully illustrated with photographs of Neile's own work including her glorious glass cabin in the woods as well as pieces from some of today's most stylish designers, Kicking Glass is packed with ideas to guide and inspire.

This book provides comprehensive technical instruction in the copper foil method, covering everything from tools and supplies to exploratory techniques such as including foraged and found objects into your work. Skills are demonstrated through tutorials with photos, instructional drawings and 16 stunning patterns. Whether you're looking to decorate your windows, create lovely gifts for friends and family or design your own epic masterpiece, Kicking Glass is the essential modern guide to stained glass making.

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Satisfying Stitches

Hope Brasfield

Discover the creative satisfaction and stress-relieving benefits of embroidery while stitching fun, modern, vibrant designs such as flowers, plants, animals, landscapes, and celestial scenes.

Beginning a new creative pursuit can be intimidating, but Satisfying Stitches takes all the guesswork and fear out of getting started with techniques designed to boost confidence and provide relaxation. This easy-to-follow, photo-illustrated guide includes a review of the basic and inexpensive supplies needed to get started, foundational techniques, and step-by-step instructions for creating a variety of stitches. As your skills and confidence grow, you will find that stitches that may look advanced are quite simple, and you’ll be able to easily add dimension and texture to your designs.

The exclusive embroidery designs include a wide variety of motifs and patterns, such as houseplants, florals, mushrooms, butterflies, fish, landscapes, and sunsets, in a variety of color palettes. The projects are divided into three levels to match your confidence, skill level, and time.

While most beginner books don’t go beyond a couple of easy stitches, Satisfying Stitches takes the opposite approach, incorporating stitches that pack a big “wow” factor but are quite easy, such as fern stitch, wheatear stitch, thistle flowers, and woven wheel roses. Author Hope Brasfield offers tons of encouragement to beginners and beyond. You’ll learn to embrace imperfection, slow down, and enjoy the process.

You will also discover, as Hope did, that embroidery offers much more than a creative outlet. Focusing on something that requires imagination, handwork, and concentration can help reduce stress and promote relaxation.

Satisfying Stitches features:
 

  • A wide range of attractive embroidery stitches that can be used to create any embroidery designs
  • 18 original embroidery designs for popular motifs
  • Detailed step-by-step instructions with clear photographs
  • Troubleshooting tips and tricks throughout the book


So much more than pretty patterns, Satisfying Stitches offers an exciting opportunity to gain new skills, become a more confident creative, ditch the smart phone, and de-stress.

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The Embroidered Closet

Alexandra Stratkotter

Sustainability meets DIY in this instructive guide to garment embroidery from designer and fiber artist Alexandra Stratkotter

Combining comprehensive instruction with photography and illustrations, The Embroidered Closet guides novice and experienced stitchers through the process of adorning and upcycling garments. Now more than ever, we are all pitching in to help the planet: This book offers a fun and satisfying avenue to do just that by refreshing the wardrobe you have and making your clothes seem new again.

The Embroidered Closet presents the inexpensive craft of embroidery and uses it to show readers just how fun embellishing your own clothing can be. Expect to learn not just about tools, techniques, stitches, and project designs, but also how to pick fabrics that work best for you and your wardrobe, how to source and thrift your clothing, and how to mend and prevent wear and tear. Stratkotter will inspire you to expand your options and test out your own embroidered creations. Whether you're interested in personalizing your clothing, upgrading wardrobe staples, or seeking to enhance your skill set, Stratkotter's stylish and classic designs offer something for everyone.
 

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The Tunisian Crochet Handbook

Toni Lipsey

From fiber artist Toni Lipsey of TL Yarn Craft, an introduction to the craft of Tunisian crochet--a unique crochet style that looks more like knitting--with 20 projects for beginners

There are hundreds of books that explore traditional crochet, but there are few that reference the concept of Tunisian crochet or present it in a modern, approachable way. The Tunisian Crochet Handbook introduces this fascinating and rewarding technique with a wide array of stitches and design possibilities. The goal of this book is to guide crocheters step-by-step through Tunisian crochet, starting with tools and yarns, transitioning into how-to's and stitches, and finishing with easy but engaging patterns. The book includes instructional sections and patterns, complete with the necessary schematics and styled, chic photographs.

Every shawl, garment, and accessory featured takes makers beyond the basics, introducing new stitches to expand their skill sets. In this way, author Toni Lipsey is reintroducing crochet and encouraging makers to explore the craft further with each new design. Crochet continues to grow in popularity, and this guidebook offers a new take on the timeless classic, one that readers won't be able to find anywhere else.

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Painting Can Save Your Life

Sara Woster

Artist and founder of The Painting School Sara Woster invites readers into the vibrant world of painting as a creative practice powerful enough to transform our lives.

Sara Woster is a painter, teacher, and art evangelist. She believes in art as a form of mindfulness, a ritual for healing, and an outlet for self-expression. In Painting Can Save Your Life, Woster welcomes readers into this transformative art form, inviting them to pick up a brush and discover how painting can help you see the world in a whole new way.

Weaving soup-to-nuts instruction on how to paint—from choosing the right materials to painting the human body—with her own story of discovering a passion for painting, this book includes:

  • simple and easy techniques for painters of all skill levels
  • playful and challenging painting exercises
  • tips on how to build a creative community using art
  • insights on how to use painting to cultivate a sense of calm in a stressful world

  • Part how-to-paint, part sheer inspiration, Painting Can Save Your Life is a wise and inspiring guide to the power of painting.

 

 

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Classic Calligraphy for Beginners

Younghae Chung

Classic Calligraphy for Beginners introduces the fundamental techniques for mastering two classic calligraphic scripts, Copperplate and Spencerian, plus easy-to-follow exercises and fun, modern projects.

Guided by instructions and illustrations by noted calligraphy artist and teacher Younghae Chung, you will:

  • Get a detailed yet concise overview of tools, supplies, and terminology
  • Try out your materials with basic warm-ups and nib exercises
  • Learn the essential principles or strokes and create the lowercase and uppercase letters of the featured scripts
  • Take your letters to the next level and add flourishes with confidence
  • Explore brush pens and non-flexible writing tools to emulate the look of calligraphy on large-scale and unusual surfaces
  • Reinforce core skills by applying the scripts to a variety of simple, modern projects on paper, wood, glass, fabric, and other surfaces, and get inspiring tips on how to add beautiful details that lend a modern touch
  • Find sample guide sheets for Copperplate, Spencerian, and brush calligraphy

Discover the timeless beauty of calligraphy with Classic Calligraphy for Beginners.

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DIY Resin Crafting Projects

Teodora Petkova

"Learn how to create trendy botanical jewelry and keepsakes with resin! If you have something you want to keep forever, whether it's a four-leaf clover, a bird's feather, beautiful blooms from your prom corsage or wedding bouquet, or something your child found in nature for you, this complete guide to making resin crafts will help you preserve it! This beginner-friendly crafting book includes 18 fun projects that are perfect for anyone to make gorgeous resin jewelry, crafts, and keepsakes from memorable moments, places, events, walks, and hikes. From a ring dish and a photo frame to wood coasters, jewelry, wall art, home dâecor, and more, you'll learn everything you need to know to successfully work with and pour resin, as well as how to preserve flowers, bugs, feathers, shells, and other natural treasures. Whether you're new to clear resin crafting or have some experience, inside this book, you'll learn tried and true techniques to achieve 18 beautiful resin pieces. With step-by-step instructions, coordinating photography, lists of tools and materials, must-know do's and don'ts, helpful tips on how to prepare bugs, flowers, feathers, and other natural objects, and so much more, DIY Resin Crafting Projects is a unique and engaging source of inspiration to introduce you to the exciting world of epoxy resin art!" --Provided by publisher.

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The Art of Papercraft

Helen Hiebert

Paper artist and teacher Helen Hiebert compiles a one-of-kind collection of 40 unique projects, each using just one sheet of paper. Combining decorative paper techniques like marbling, stamping, and stenciling  with dimensional techniques like origami, cutting, folding, quilling, stretching, weaving, and pop-ups, The Art of Papercraft offers a rich variety of projects that will delight crafters, artists, and designers alike, including paper votive lights, pop-up cards, folded paper gift boxes and envelopes, woven paper wall hangings, miniature one-sheet books, and much more. Every project is beautifully photographed and accompanied by step-by-step visual instructions. Guidance on selecting tools, materials, and paper selection; in-depth technique instructions; and profiles of contributing paper artists make this a rich and practical celebration of papercraft.  

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The Crafty Chica Creates!

Kathy Cano Murillo

Join the Queen of Latina Style to make joyous, vibrant, sparkly Latin-inspired crafts that are stunning to look at yet surprisingly easy to make.

The Crafty Chica is back! In The Crafty Chica Creates!, a revised and expanded edition of The Crafty Chica Collection, Kathy Cano Murillo enthusiastically welcomes you into her world of making and affirmational thinking with colorful, Latin-style craft projects inspired by her Mexican heritage.

With 45 projects—26 completely new joining 19 previous favorites—get fun techniques for painting, sewing, mixed media, clay, and paper crafts using affordable and recycled materials. While some are more in-depth than others, the projects are ideal for all skill levels. The Crafty Chica welcomes you to infuse the projects with elements of your own cultural heritage to make them personal and unique.

Each project is presented with a materials list, clear step-by-step instructions, a large photo of the finished project, and the personal and cultural history behind it.

Organized by category—Clothing, Artful Affirmations, Home Accessories, Jewelry and Accessories, Garden Decorations, and Fiesta—the projects include:

  • Milagros (miracle charms) layered resin phone grip
  • Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) papier-mache dog sculpture
  • Stamped clay folk-art boxes and ring dish
  • A stunning poncho made from Mexican scarves
  • A picture frame upcycled with an embroidered blouse

 
As you embrace the Latino culture or let your cultural heritage shine with creative crafts, you’ll discover:

  • Innovative ways to work with a wide range of materials, including air-dry clay, resin, and fabric
  • How to fully embrace vivid color palettes
  • Ways of repurposing everyday supplies into gorgeous art pieces that make great gifts
  • Great techniques for sculpting, sewing, painting, and embellishing that will boost skills and confidence

 
Whether you are looking for dazzling things to make for group crafting, to decorate your casa or workplace, to release stress and lift your mood, or for gift giving, The Crafty Chica Creates! is your friendly, inspiring guide.

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Oil Pastel Masterpieces in 4 Easy Steps

Anna Koliadych

Breathtaking, Vibrant, Simple—Your Must-Have Guide to Everything Oil Pastels

Master the art of creating stunning oil pastel drawings under the guidance of Anna Koliadych, the creator of DearAnnArt and the bestselling author of 15-Minute Watercolor Masterpieces. Let her walk you through 50 gorgeous, four-step projects and teach you all the must-know oil pastel tips and techniques you need to create vivid landscapes, botanicals, cute animals and more.

Revel in dozens of beautiful projects that will spark your creativity. Try your hand at recreating the Aurora Borealis, or draw a breathtaking Magical Lightning landscape. Compose some Autumn Forest Mushrooms, a Blooming Sakura or even a Fluffy Sheep. And with only four steps, every project is assured to be a breeze. Each step is also accompanied by a photo, so you can effortlessly follow along! Anna’s experience as an art educator makes it easy for beginners to jump right in, and her expertise guarantees that even pros will find something new to learn.

With straightforward, no-fluff directions and dozens of projects to inspire you, you’ll work your way from novice to master in a matter of pages.

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Creative Drawing: Symbols and Sacred Geometry

Ana Victoria Calderon

Learn simple step-by-step techniques for drawing and embellishing the exciting, inspiring, and beautiful motifs of sacred geometry.

In Creative Drawing: Symbols and Sacred Geometry, artist, instructor, and author Ana Victoria Calderon takes you on an inner voyage of creative discovery.

  • Learn how sacred geometry has been practiced and celebrated by cultures all over the world and influenced artists throughout history, including Leonardo da Vinci
  • Start with the essentials—compass drawing with graphite pencils on paper—then explore the featured mediums for embellishing, including colored pencils, watercolor, inks, and other easy-to-use mediums
  • Take a step-by-step look at fundamental drawing techniques for a variety of universal motifs, starting with the simple circle and building to more complex motifs, including the Yin Yang symbol, the Tree of Life, the Torus, and the Vortex
  • Learn to paint a variety of stunning effects and find great project ideas for creating amazing images


The study and creation of sacred geometry inspires the imagination and provokes reflection. So grab your pencils and take a beautiful creative journey with drawing!

Perfect for creative beginners, the books in the Art for Modern Makers series take a fun, practical approach to learning about and working with paints and other art mediums to create beautiful DIY projects and crafts.

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The Beginner's Guide to Wheel Throwing

Julia Claire Weber

“An excellent guide for those aspiring to take up pottery making. […] While nothing can replace hands-on instruction, this book comes close.” ―Library Journal Starred Review

Ready, set, throw! If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at the pottery wheel, or if you have ever taken a class and walked away wishing you knew more, you’ve come to the right place.

Welcome to the wheel, from artist and instructor Julia Claire Weber. In The Beginner’s Guide to Wheel Throwing, you’ll find all you need to develop the skills (and patience) you need to make your first forms. You’ll start at the beginning of the process with a tour through a typical ceramics studio, a discussion of the best clays for throwing, as well as a variety of centering methods. Then unleash your creativity with the chapters that follow. You’ll find:

  • Starter projects like cups, bowls, and plates to hone your skills.
  • Tutorials on important topics like trimming and handles.
  • A unique decal workshop, unlocking the potential of image transfer.

Throughout the book, skill-building is front and center, with tips and tricks to help you crack the code and make pieces you’re proud of. Gallery work from some of today's top artists are sure to inspire potters of all levels. What will you make first?

For beginners and those returning to ceramics, the Essential Ceramics Skills series from Quarry Books offer the fundamentals along with fresh, contemporary, and simple projects that build skills progressively.

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Collage Your Life

Melanie Mowinski

Requiring minimal equipment--just scissors, glue, paper, and pens--collage is an accessible craft that offers limitless creative possibilities. Like meditation or journaling, making collage can be an avenue for self-reflection and artistic exploration. In Collage Your Life, artist and teacher Melanie Mowinski teaches a variety of core techniques including lettering, stamping, stenciling, transfers, and adhesive methods, and provides dozens of prompts to jumpstart the creative process and encourage crafters to explore the versatility of collage, such as: make a self-portrait; disrupt your routine instincts; incorporate text; assemble mementos from a trip; process anger or anxiety; collage with others; or try creating block-out poetry with pages from a magazine. Inspiring examples of the author's work along with that of other collage artists are featured throughout. Crafters, journaling fans, scrapbookers, and artists alike will find guidance and support for developing their own distinctive collage style, whether the goal is to create a visual record of daily experiences and special occasions or to expand a creative journaling practice.
 

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