Creative Sketches for Scrapbooking


Becky Higgins - 2003
    The 52 sketches, instantly recognizable as Becky's clean, classic style, give you a new design to sample each week of the year! This must-have book is divided into sections according to how many photos you have to scrap—saving you time! If you have six photos, flip to the six photos layout section and glean inspiration from layouts crafted by Becky and readers. 162 pagesYou'll get: 52 sketches in Becky's signature style. Tips on becoming a "sketch" artist from Becky. A recipe for perfect pages every time!

Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together


Larissa Brown - 2008
    Yesterday’s wartime Red Cross sock drives have evolved into today’s meet-ups at locales as diverse as cafes, state fairs, and major league ballparks, as well as international online gatherings; in fact, at any given time tens of thousands of people worldwide are involved in knitalongs, organized around a particular yarn, a favorite social cause, an intriguing project, a special event, or myriad other themes.Authors Larissa Brown and Martin John Brown present an inspiring look at centuries of people knitting together, and why knitters find the interaction so meaningful and worthwhile. Along the way, they offer 20 projects especially suited for different types of knitalongs. The Barn Raising Quilt and the Traveling Scarf, for instance, call on individual knitters to collaborate on a single project; while the Pinwheel Blanket and the Meathead Hat encourage a community of knitters to improvise on the same pattern to come up with a variety of results. Also included is essential information about finding, joining, and starting knitalongs.Hundreds of knitters participated in the knitalongs hosted by the authors as part of their research, and this book will inspire thousands more to get involved in the knitalong movement. The only book that celebrates this tradition of community and purpose, Knitalong is sure to have a powerful impact.

First Steps to Free-Motion Quilting: 24 Projects for Fearless Stitching


Christina Cameli - 2013
    With a refreshingly new approach to free-motion stitching, First Steps to Free-Motion Quilting encourages you to make something beautiful while improving your free-motion quilting skills. You'll find 24 projects and quilts that are light on assembly so you can spend most of your time stitching. A handy troubleshooting guide ensures success every step of the way.

2-at-a-Time Socks: Revealed Inside. . . The Secret of Knitting Two at Once on One Circular Needle; Works for any Sock Pattern!


Melissa Morgan-Oakes - 2006
    Step-by-step photographs illustrate how to cast on and knit two socks together on one long circular needle, whatever the pattern or shape. Lonely, abandoned single socks are now a thing of the past!

Sewing 101: A Beginner's Guide to Sewing


Creative Publishing International - 2002
    This book is geared toward the absolute novice and assumes you know little or nothing about the craft. Filled with lots of step-by-step photos, useful sewing tip sidebars, and a painstakingly detailed glossary, Sewing 101 teaches you how to sew successfully. You will learn terminology used regularly in sewing, as well as all the basic skills that are the building blocks of the art. From threading the machine to sewing a straight stitch, to more complicated procedures such as installing zippers and following patterns, everything is covered. Chapters include such topics as: the sewing machine and its accessories, sewing supplies and how to use them, how to shop for, prepare, measure and cut fabric, and more. Each new technique is taught via the creation of an actual project, such as a pillow, window treatment, t-shirt, or baby blanket, thereby allowing you to learn a new skill and create an item to wear, display or use in your home. Dust off that machine and begin sewing for fun and function!'

Hand Lettering for Relaxation: An Inspirational Workbook for Creating Beautiful Lettered Art


Amy Latta - 2017
    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.

Crochet Me


Kim Piper Werker - 2007
    Projects include jewelry, thigh-high stockings, retro bags, scarves, sweaters, shrugs, camis, and home décor objects, exploring color, texture, design, embellishment, and how to customize patterns to fit personal style. Basic crochet techniques are covered along with tutorials on sizing, design, and special techniques. Up-and-coming designers are profiled throughout the book to give an entertaining and inspiring insight into this new generation of crocheters, what inspires them, how they find community with other crocheters, and creative ideas for breaking the rules and representing their individual crochet style.

The First Year: IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome): An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed


Heather Van Vorous - 2001
    First, it is written by a patient-expert, Heather Van Vorous, who has managed her IBS for more than fifteen years and knows firsthand what’s required to manage her condition. Second, it guides readers through their first seven days following diagnosis, then the next three weeks of the first month, and finally the next eleven months of their first year, offering answers and advice to guide those with IBS into their new lifestyle. Starting with the day of diagnosis, Van Vorous provides detailed information about trigger foods, safe foods, soluble versus insoluble fiber, tips for eating and cooking, traveling, eating out, exercise, and much more. The First Year—IBS will inspire and educate those with IBS as no other guide does.

This Is a Book About the Kids in the Hall


John Semley - 2016
    John Semley’s thoroughly researched book is rich with interviews with Dave Foley, Mark McKinney, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, and Scott Thompson, as well as Lorne Michaels and comedians speaking to the Kids’ legacy: Janeane Garofalo, Tim Heidecker, Nathan Fielder, and others. It also turns a critic’s eye on that legacy, making a strong case for the massive influence the Kids have exerted, both on alternative comedy and on pop culture more broadly.The Kids in the Hall were like a band: a group of weirdoes brought together, united by a common sensibility. And, much like a band, they’re always better when they’re together. This is a book about friendship, collaboration, and comedy — and about clashing egos, lost opportunities, and one-upmanship. This is a book about the head-crushing, cross-dressing, inimitable Kids in the Hall.

A Craftsman’s Legacy: Why Working with Our Hands Gives Us Meaning


Eric Gorges - 2019
    That’s why the handmade object, created with care and detail, embodying a history and a tradition, is enormously powerful. It can cut through so much and speak in ways that we don’t often hear, or that we’ve forgotten." —Eric Gorges, from A Craftsman’s Legacy In this joyful celebration of skilled craftsmen, Eric Gorges, a corporate-refugee-turned-metal-shaper, taps into a growing hunger to get back to what’s real. Through visits with fellow artisans—calligraphers, potters, stone carvers, glassblowers, engravers, woodworkers, and more—many of whom he’s profiled for his popular television program, Gorges identifies values that are useful for all of us: taking time to slow down and enjoy the process, embracing failure, knowing when to stop and when to push through, and accepting that perfection is an illusion. Most of all, A Craftsman’s Legacy shows how all of us can embrace a more creative and authentic life and learn to focus on doing what we love.

Artist's Journal Workshop: Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures


Cathy Johnson - 2011
    Artist's Journal Workshop provides all the guidance, structure and inspiration you need to create a meaningful art-journaling practice. Starting with the question, What do you want from your journal? you'll build a sound journaling concept that will serve your unique creative needs and give you the freedom to practice, play and develop as an artist. Featuring rich visual examples on every page, you'll receive continual guidance and inspiration from:- 27 international artists who share pages and advice from their own art journals - More than 25 hands-on exercises to help you personalize your journal while developing new ideas and techniques - Journal pages featuring travel sketching, nature studies and celebrations of daily life - Prompts for visually commemorating life events and milestones - Support for working through creative doubts and blocks - A range of artistic styles and perspectives to study and admire - Instruction for trying your hand at new methods and materialsThis is the perfect opportunity for you to begin realizing your artistic potential--one page at a time. Begin the journey today!

The Art of Fermentation: An in-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World


Sandor Ellix Katz - 2012
    Sandor Katz presents the concepts and processes behind fermentation in ways that are simple enough to guide a reader through their first experience making sauerkraut or yogurt, and in-depth enough to provide greater understanding and insight for experienced practitioners.While Katz expertly contextualizes fermentation in terms of biological and cultural evolution, health and nutrition, and even economics, this is primarily a compendium of practical information--how the processes work; parameters for safety; techniques for effective preservation; troubleshooting; and more.With two-color illustrations and extended resources, this book provides essential wisdom for cooks, homesteaders, farmers, gleaners, foragers, and food lovers of any kind who want to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for arguably the oldest form of food preservation, and part of the roots of culture itself.Readers will find detailed information on fermenting vegetables; sugars into alcohol (meads, wines, and ciders); sour tonic beverages; milk; grains and starchy tubers; beers (and other grain-based alcoholic beverages); beans; seeds; nuts; fish; meat; and eggs, as well as growing mold cultures, using fermentation in agriculture, art, and energy production, and considerations for commercial enterprises. Sandor Katz has introduced what will undoubtedly remain a classic in food literature, and is the first--and only--of its kind.

Creative Collage Techniques


Nita Leland - 1994
    This book can help you bring all of these together in one beautiful creation.Here you'll see magnificent collages by leading artists who show you--in step-by-step demonstrations--how to begin, how to design, how to apply collage techniques in exciting ways.Plus you'll get your chance to use those techniques with nearly fifty projects that challenge you to do your most creative work.

The Knitter's Stash


Barbara Albright - 2001
    The patterns range from designer sweaters and knits for kids to small take-along projects. More than a pattern book, this delightful collection is like a trip to the yarn shop, a private session with the best knitters around, and a friendly chat with the country’s most passionate knitters all rolled into one.

Handmade to Sell: Hello Craft's Guide to Owning, Running, and Growing Your Crafty Biz


Kelly Rand - 2012
    Written by the directors of Hello Craft, Handmade to Sell is the most complete, up-to-date, and authoritative guide for DIYers seeking to learn every aspect of selling, marketing, and branding. Based on the Summit of Awesome, Hello Craft’s annual business conference, this book covers topics including:• Developing successful product lines• Copyrights and trademarks• Taking perfect product shots• Using analytics to boost your online sales• Selling at fairs, shows, and other retail outlets• Diversifying income through licensing and teaching• Hiring and outsourcing   Throughout, you’ll find expert tips and invaluable strategies and advice from some of the most successful indie crafters and artisans. Whether you’ve only contemplated selling your crafts or want to grow an existing handmade business, Handmade to Sell offers essential guidance for anyone who has ever dreamed of making a living from what they create.