It's the only current, comprehensive guide to working with cabochons--a flat piece of rock or mineral--and it covers all the basics, along with a range of new creative techniques and hot trends. Find out which tools and materials to use, which beads work best, and how to wrap them round the stones. Craft turned, pointed, twisted, brick stitch, ruffled, or scalloped edges, or add decorative fringe. For something dramatic, combine more than one cabochon in a single piece. Or, instead of natural stone, use dichroic glass or other found objects. Make a glittering brooch, funky bracelets, a wearable art necklace, and other showstoppers.

    These pages are grounded in the wisdom and experience gleaned from a long and buzzing career as creative juggernaut Lilla Rogers shares her analysis of leveraging various working styles and ways to keep your art fresh. Artist interviews provide inside details about the best jobs, as well as tips on how to work smart and stay creative. You’ll also find annotated case studies of several successful art jobs, in addition to coloring book pages, hand-drawn charts, and lots of crazy fun.Acquire real-life, professional advice from an artist known for setting the trend with I Just Like to Make Things!

    guide to peace of mind, you'll find inspiring ideas for how to do exactly that through a wide range of creative exercises. In this book, author Maggie Oman Shannon explores crafts and creativity as a practice with enormous physical, mental, and spiritual benefits. By immersing ourselves in a craft with intention and mindfulness, we can quiet those voices around us and in us--we can enter sacred stillness. Through revealing interviews, personal stories, and forty suggested activities, the author shows how creative processes can become spiritual practices. Whether you're an aspiring artist, longtime craftsperson, or someone who has never set foot in a craft-store (yet!), you'll find something in Crafting Calm to inspire you.Crafts and how-to ideas include contemplation candles, visual journals, prayer shawls, collage mandalas, intention beads, finger labyrinths, personal prayer flags, spiritual toolkits, and tabletop altars.Features inspired craft ideas from luminaries such as Angeles Arrien, Mary Ann Radmcher, Shiloh Sophia McCloud, Sister Marianne Heib, May Ann Brussat, and many more.

    Hand colored in vivid combinations of painterly hues, Noro yarns are as striking to behold as they are easy to work with. This follow-up to Knit Noro features 32 small projects knitters can complete in a weekend, including Leg Warmers, Cabled Mittens, a Lace Flap Hat, and even an iPad cover.

    Readers will love the opportunity to practice the creative art of hand-lettering in a way that inspires them and helps them relax.As an example of what’s inside, Workshop 1 encourages readers to renew & recharge by writing, “It’s me time,” with the easiest technique for a scripted, calligraphy look. Workshop 2 builds on the theme as readers use their skills from Workshop 1 to write, “Practice makes progress,” and add a new skill of drawing laurels and wreaths that take their calligraphy to the next level. With each workshop, readers are inspired with a brief introduction reminding them to relax and cultivate joy, then learn step by step how to letter each word of an example lettered design and draw embellishments. With plenty of practice space and a page to draw their own final design, this interactive workbook meets readers’ every need. High-quality, thick watercolor paper with perforated edging allows readers to tear out their finished hand-lettered art to display. This book goes beyond basic hand-lettering books to calm and relax, and goes beyond adult coloring books to teach a usable creative skill. It’s the perfect gift for yourself or friends and family who love crafts and coloring.

    Even if you're starting out in a scary basement or in the tiny bathroom in your cramped apartment with a $40 budget, Print Liberation will show you everything you need to know to get started. And if you're already in a rented studio with a few bucks to spend, this book can help you turn screen printing into your personal art or business.Seriously, this is a completely comprehensive how-to guide. You'll start by learning the history of the craft accompanied by graphic illustrations. Then, step-by-step photographs walk you through the ins and outs of all the main screen-printing techniques, including printing on dimensional surfaces, such as walls and goats (although the latter is not recommended). You'll even find advice about how to turn screen printing into a money-making venture, either by selling your work through galleries or by offering your services locally to make posters, T-shirts and anything else people might need.You can do it. Your imagination is your only limitation.

    Transform your basics into designer fashions. Turn hardware store finds into statement necklaces or embellishments for a chic dress. Recreate red carpet-ready looks and add your personal touch. Filled with 30 step-by-step projects inspired by celebrities, designer runways, and classic styles, as well as tips from fashion insiders such as Rachel Roy, Olivia Palermo, and Rebecca Minkoff, I Spy DIY Style has everything you need for easy-to-make looks that will up your style quotient without sacrificing your budget.

    Presented with easy, step-by-step instructions, illustrations, and photos, these 23 projects include a bohemian coat sweater, a mohair hat, retro bed slippers, and an assortment of trendsetting bags. Projects are included for baskets, pillows, and a throw to add a stylish twist to a crocheter's home decor. In addition to introducing basic crochet techniques, this guide tackles more advanced projects using a variety of yarns, including mohair, merino, angora blends, and linen.

    Incorporating the finest elements of Scandinavian crafting traditions, inspiration is taken from a range of backgrounds including classic folk art, as well as more contemporary sources. These delightful designs, each with clear step-by-step instructions and beautiful photography, will have you itching to get stitching. Arranged into five chapters, the projects work with a wide variety of fabrics: there are adorable fleece and felt baby bootees finished with French knots, classic embroidered gingham napkins, and a striped machine-embroidered apron. A wide range of techniques are employed, including appliqué, cut work, patchwork, decorative machine stitching, shadow work, and ribbon work. Basic stitches such as herringbone, cross stitch, Danish knots, blanket stitch, and satin stitch are also used to great effect. Simplicity is always at the heart of Clare’s designs, and with step-by-step artworks and such clear instructions, anyone can have a go and will be surprised how quickly beautiful pieces can be made.

    The unique format features an envelope attached to the inside front cover that contains a small book called Choose Your Own Bookbinding Adventure so readers can select the perfect journal for their purpose. Imagine a reader wants a travel journal that is portable and has both lined pages and blank ones to paint on. The booklet directs him or her to the instructions in the main book that explain how to make that specific design. There are instructions and beautiful illustrations for 16 kinds of books and 10 cover styles. A removable foldout found on the inside back cover explains essential bookmaking basics. People who had personalized journals made for them by the author share their process and their pages, and beautiful photos and profiles of journal keepers inspire readers to make their own and start writing and drawing.

    * Easy to follow How To Crochet illustrations * Fun and simple projects to make * Learn a variety of crochet stitches and skills * Perfect for absolute beginners * Projects include hats, scarves, mittens, baby blankets, scented hearts, granny squares and more! This is the ONLY beginner's book you'll need to start to crochet today!!

    Author Joanne Sharpe shows you how to create exuberant and personalized writing styles for your artwork-whether it be a journal, canvas art, or other projects that use text.After an overview of Joanne's favorite tools and surfaces, take a peek into Joanne's personal lettering journal to discover how you too can collect inspiration, hone your lettering skills, and tap into your natural creativity. Joanne then demonstrates twenty art techniques for creating a variety of lettering styles using many different tools. She provides you with fifteen basic alphabets, ranging from simple pen-and-ink renditions to increasingly elaborated texts that reference calligraphy, vintage fonts, and doodle art, among other styles. Joanne also teaches you how to turn prosaic lettering into page art itself, merging text into illustration, or ornamenting words with decorative drawings.

    Thanks to Hollywood's newfound obsession and updated, stylish designs, a whole new generation has caught on to the art of knitting. For those just starting out or veteran knitters, expert Donna Kooler's newest, Encyclopedia of Knitting, will get those needles clicking. This comprehensive guide covers all the basics, from the history of knitting, tools, and materials, to how-to instructions for 164 stitches and stitch patterns, with tons of photos and diagrams to show the way. Includes instructions for both right-handed and left-handed knitters, with narrative directions and symbols to make learning easier. Contemporary projects by today's top knitting designers are suitable for a variety of experience levels and include a man's vest, a baby's dress, and decorative pillows. If the runaway success of her two previous Encyclopedia volumes is any indication (and we certainly think so ), this one has "bestseller" written all over it.

    Crocheting is fun. Crocheting is fast. Okay, got it? Great! Now forget everything else you ever knew about crocheting, because Cool Crochet takes the easy, fast fun of crochet and dumps the frumpy afghans, lumpy hats, and bumpy scarves of the past. With this book, top—selling author Melissa Leapman moves crochet light years ahead, into exciting designs, dazzling patterns, and sleek shapes that are sure to earn the approval of fashion police everywhere. Tanks, pullovers, cardigans, halters, a skirt, a dress, even a bikini—they're all just a hook and a dream away! And how about coordinating those new outfits with trendy purses, hats, and jewelry? Practical as well as good—looking, Cool Crochet includes valuable tips on assembling garments, plus an appendix of stitches and guidance on yarn and materials. Every fashionista will want to get her hooks into this book!

    From two of the most respected names in crochet, this indispensable resource provides excellent value. Find step-by-step instructions for more than 350 stitches, from easy to advanced, including shells, fans, clusters, bobbles, and more See a swatch for each stitch in a full-color, close-up photograph Locate quickly and conveniently any stitch you like; stitches are grouped by style for easy reference, and an alphabetical index is also included