From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague, Picasso's blue period to the charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux, acid yellow to kelly green, and from scarlet women to imperial purple, these surprising stories run like a bright thread throughout history.In this book, Kassia St. Clair has turned her lifelong obsession with colors and where they come from (whether Van Gogh's chrome yellow sunflowers or punk's fluorescent pink) into a unique study of human civilization. Across fashion and politics, art and war, the secret lives of color tell the vivid story of our culture.

    No previous crafting experience or pricey materials are necessary--just a love of all things small!

    As a creativity-coaching pioneer, Jill knows that many people feel distracted, blocked, and overwhelmed.The Muse Is In: An Owner's Manual to Your Creativity outlines how to power up one's genius, take it for a test drive, troubleshoot problems along the way, and offers tips for proper care and maintenance. With her dazzling illustrations and quirky humor, Jill Badonsky delivers the operating instructions for helping her fans spark their creative passion.

    It has never been easier to start a craft business. But how do you sell your art or craft products in the age of Amazon? How do you use the Internet to find and serve high-quality customers?In Craft Business Power the founders of Liberty Jane Clothing share their journey to build a profitable online craft business. They've sold over a million dollars of products online and they outline a 15 day plan for launching a profitable craft business that is easy to follow, filled with practical advice, and proven to work.If you want to start or expand a craft business buy Craft Business Power today!

    Now in The Zentangle Untangled Workbook, you'll get enough Zentangle instruction and inspiration to last all year long. Filled with dozens of new tiles and four never-before seen tangles designed especially for this book, you'll be using Zentangle in ways you never dreamed. Create shapes, letterforms, borders, even Zendalas as you master each new tangle, all while reducing stress through the intentional act of creating repetitive patterns. Perfect for artists of all levels, this workbook will immerse you in a daily meditation of Zentangle. Insides you'll find: Seven step-by-step demonstrations to help you get started. Inspiration and guidance on how to use those tangles to create unique and beautiful tiles throughout the year. More than 400 blank or partially started tiles so you can practice all year inside this book and without the fear of the blank page. It's time to tangle!

    These are smart concepts you'll grasp in a single glance and brief caption: shortcuts and quick pick-me-ups, artful displays, visual tricks that create a sense of space, “sneaky” storage to clear the clutter, and simple DIY projects (like crafting a bed canopy with ready-made curtains). All the suggestions are practical, pretty, and easy to implement.

    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.

    You dream and plan and make stuff – all the time. And whether that “stuff” is a book, a startup, or abstract crayon art on the bathroom wall, you have a nagging feeling that you could take your work further. Do it better. Become more successful. In The Good Creative, I outline the 18 habits of the world’s most respected artists. It’s a concise, invigorating manifesto for creative pursuits of every kind. Unlike the get-rich-while-you-meditate programs and e-courses that seem to multiply by the day, there offers no guarantees here. None. These 18 principles might not fund your early retirement, but when applied consistently with a healthy dose of hard work, they will help you to make better, more meaningful art. Now that’s a promise you can take to the bank (or at least to Twitter). You’ll learn how to: Promote yourself without feeling like a used car salesman Hug your critics, embrace failure and reinvent your work Launch small and build a larger, more engaged audience Share your process and break the rules You will NOT learn how to: Take over the world from your bathtub Win the Sundance Grand Jury prize Earn six figures, yesterday Make an age-defying green smoothie (but you might learn how to attract more fans and readers for your recipe books)

    Food is instant, ready-made, and processed with unhealthy additives. Dry cleaners press shirts, delivery guys bring pizza, gardeners tend flowers, and, yes, tailors sew on those pesky buttons. But life can be much simpler, sweeter, and richer–and a lot more fun, too! As your grandmother might say, now is not the time to be careless with your money, and it actually pays to learn how to do things yourself!Practical and empowering, How to Sew a Button collects the treasured wisdom of nanas, bubbies, and grandmas from all across the country–as well as modern-day experts–and shares more than one hundred step-by-step essential tips for cooking, cleaning, gardening, and entertaining, including how to• polish your image by shining your own shoes• grow your own vegetables (and stash your bounty for the winter)• sweeten your day by making your own jam• use baking soda and vinegar to clean your house without toxic chemicals• feel beautiful by perfecting your posture• roll your own piecrust and find a slice of heaven• fold a fitted sheet to crisp perfection• waltz without stepping on any toesComplete with helpful illustrations and brimming with nostalgic charm, How to Sew a Button provides calm and comfort in uncertain times. By doing things yourself, with care and attention, you and your loved ones will feel the pleasing rewards of a job well done.

    With Emmy award-winning, longtime PBS host Mark Kistler as your guide, you'll learn the secrets of sophisticated three-dimensional renderings, and have fun along the way -- in just twenty minutes a day for a month. Inside you'll find:Quick and easy step-by-step instructions for drawing everything from simple spheres to apples, trees, buildings, and the human hand and faceMore than 500 line drawings, illustrating each stepTime-tested tips, techniques, and tutorials for drawing in 3-DThe 9 Fundamental Laws of Drawing to create the illusion of depth in any drawing75 student examples to encourage you in the process

    A perfect resource for practical projects and encouraging words, 'The Crafter's Companion' is for everyone who loves the world of hand-crafts and anybody who's ever wondered what exactly there is to love about it.

    The section on people gives simple tricks for showing emotion (angry, surprised) and action (skipping, doing a handstand). There's also a section on clothing that shows how to draw coats and jackets, shoes and boots, bell-bottoms and skinny jeans. From tricycles to tanker trucks, the book gives tips on drawing all kinds of moving vehicles.At then end of each chapter, author and artist Chika Miyata challenges you to synthesize what you've learned and create a scene. At the end of the chapter on animals, the challenge is to draw a zoo. At the end of the chapter on food, the challenge is to keep an illustrated food journal.Each entry is broken down with step-by-step illustrations, making this book perfect for beginners or experienced artists in need of a quick refresher and a great resource for those who want to express themselves through illustration or cartooning. Each book in the Almost Everything series offers readers a fun, comprehensive, and charmingly illustrated visual directory of ideas to inspire skill building in their creative endeavors.

    . . This clever, cute step-by-step guide will show you practical ways to get the most out of your creativity and live the life you want. There are also 10 original crafty projects to make and do.

    Doris Chan, the author of Amazing Crochet Lace, presents 25 patterns for fresh and fashion-forward attire, this time with a variety of customizable options.With basic crochet skills, you can crochet tops, dresses, jackets, layering pieces, and accessories—a wardrobe of versatile garments that can be mixed, matched, and layered with the clothes women already have in the closet.Also included are techniques for shaping stitches in pattern and a special focus on shells of all kinds. Using a variety of closed and open stitches, yarns, and colorways, you can make wearable ensembles for any season and any mood. Many patterns offer simple fitting tips and options for adjusting length, sleeve, and neckline, as well as sizing for ample figures up to 3XL—52” bust or 54” hip—to help achieve a signature look.Whether you’re a crochet newbie seeking inspiration or an old pro looking for a new take on this fun craft, Everyday Crochet is packed full of innovative designs for stylish, up-to-the-minute crochet clothing and accessories.

    For serious amateur photographers who alraedy shoot perfectly focused, accurately exposed images but want to be more creative with a camera, here's the book to consult.