Ivory has been held in the highest esteem for millennia. This comprehensive and authoritative study of this beautiful and versatile material provides a global history of ivory - from the myths and beliefs held by prehistoric man, through its utilitarian uses in the Arctic and the beautiful carvings in medieval Europe, to its links with war, the slave trade, and religion. Covering in detail its composition and unique properties, its sources in the animal kingdom and their conservation status, the book demonstrates how ageing and the different types of ivory and its imitations can be tested for and identified with confidence. Ivory also explores how it has been worked by craftsmen and used over the years, from carving and marquetry to the manufacture of black paint, as well as the methods employed. Sound advice and useful tips are provided on caring for ivory and on how to deal with ivory that has been damaged, for example, by stains, scratches, cracks, or dirt. Lavishly illustrated throughout with colour photographs, Ivory is an invaluable guide for collectors, antique dealers, curators, gemmologists, conservationists and frequenters of flea markets, as well as those who simply love this attractive material.

An explanatory introduction on materials and tools, types of glass and safety, is followed by step-by-step techniques and tips for tracing, cutting, grinding, foiling, assembly, soldering, tinning and the application of patina. The wide range of projects includes lampshades, candleholders, mobiles, frames, wall clocks, mirrors and much more, in both traditional and contemporary styles. The initial projects are illustrated with detailed step-by-step photographs to lay the groundwork for further items where specific details are highlighted. From simple to more challenging, all the items included beautifully showcase the splendid range of glass available nowadays. Good use is also made of additions in the form of beads and glass mosaicing. With excellent colour photographs of all finished items, technical tips throughout, gallery shots with extended captions for additional inspiration, and templates for the projects, this book will be an asset on any crafters shelf.

By day Percy Monkman (1892 to 1986) worked in the same Bradford bank for 40 years, ending up as chief cashier. Everything else about Percy was totally unconventional. By night, at weekends, on holidays he transformed himself into an entertainer, actor, artist and cartoonist whose work was regularly acclaimed by the public and held in great respect by colleagues. Percy was highly creative, talented and energetic, a man who achieved high standards in all his artistic activities. The eldest of five boys, he was born into a humble working-class family and attended school until he was nearly 14. After a couple of office jobs, at 16 he passed a banking examination and started to work at Becketts Bank (later acquired by the Westminster Bank). Unexpectedly, the First World War gave Percy an opportunity for a new life that he grasped firmly with both hands. He spent much of the war as a comedian in an entertainment troupe that ran concert party shows for soldiers just behind the front line. Back in civilian life he continued his entertainment career with great success throughout the interwar years. In the Second World War he was back at entertaining the troops, this time groups of returning servicemen across Yorkshire. In 1935 Percy joined the Bradford Civic Playhouse and became a fixture in the cast for over 20 years. Here, in one of the best amateur theatres in the country, he played in many diverse productions, usually in comic roles. Alongside entertaining and acting, Percy developed his third creative passion of watercolour painting. He took advantage of every opportunity to paint, usually landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales. When he retired from the bank in 1952, he was able to devote all his time to this passion, which he described as 'fanatic, dedicated and impulsive'. Largely self-taught, he believed strongly in being part of a community of like-minded painters so that he could learn from them. The Bradford Arts Club gave him this network for all his adult life. He exhibited widely and sold most of his paintings. When the mood took him, he was also a talented cartoonist whose works were sometimes published. A committed family man, Percy also built a large number of life-long friends, who were a fascinating mixture of people from all walks of life, with similar passions for entertaining, acting and painting, often eccentrics and sometimes very well connected in Bradford society. His most significant friendship was with JB Priestley, his exact contemporary and England's most famous man of letters in the 20th century. Percy's extraordinary life of achievement is a unique record of social history, reflecting life in 20th century Bradford. Sadly, this is now largely a lost world. This affectionate and comprehensive biography by his grandson, illustrated with over 90 images, is both a visual delight and a joy to read, including high quality reproductions of some of Percy's most famous paintings.

By day Percy Monkman (1892 to 1986) worked in the same Bradford bank for 40 years, ending up as chief cashier. Everything else about Percy was totally unconventional. By night, at weekends, on holidays he transformed himself into an entertainer, actor, artist and cartoonist whose work was regularly acclaimed by the public and held in great respect by colleagues. Percy was highly creative, talented and energetic, a man who achieved high standards in all his artistic activities. The eldest of five boys, he was born into a humble working-class family and attended school until he was nearly 14. After a couple of office jobs, at 16 he passed a banking examination and started to work at Becketts Bank (later acquired by the Westminster Bank). Unexpectedly, the First World War gave Percy an opportunity for a new life that he grasped firmly with both hands. He spent much of the war as a comedian in an entertainment troupe that ran concert party shows for soldiers just behind the front line. Back in civilian life he continued his entertainment career with great success throughout the interwar years. In the Second World War he was back at entertaining the troops, this time groups of returning servicemen across Yorkshire. In 1935 Percy joined the Bradford Civic Playhouse and became a fixture in the cast for over 20 years. Here, in one of the best amateur theatres in the country, he played in many diverse productions, usually in comic roles. Alongside entertaining and acting, Percy developed his third creative passion of watercolour painting. He took advantage of every opportunity to paint, usually landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales. When he retired from the bank in 1952, he was able to devote all his time to this passion, which he described as 'fanatic, dedicated and impulsive'. Largely self-taught, he believed strongly in being part of a community of like-minded painters so that he could learn from them. The Bradford Arts Club gave him this network for all his adult life. He exhibited widely and sold most of his paintings. When the mood took him, he was also a talented cartoonist whose works were sometimes published. A committed family man, Percy also built a large number of life-long friends, who were a fascinating mixture of people from all walks of life, with similar passions for entertaining, acting and painting, often eccentrics and sometimes very well connected in Bradford society. His most significant friendship was with JB Priestley, his exact contemporary and England's most famous man of letters in the 20th century. Percy's extraordinary life of achievement is a unique record of social history, reflecting life in 20th century Bradford. Sadly, this is now largely a lost world. This affectionate and comprehensive biography by his grandson, illustrated with over 90 images, is both a visual delight and a joy to read, including high quality reproductions of some of Percy's most famous paintings.

"Charming book for creative types who find a blank page a little too overwhelming." - The Guardian "In her charming journal-cum sketchbook, Matilda Tristram inspires us to look at the everyday things in life in a new way. As well as encouraging us to explore the extraordinary in the ordinary, she also provides guidance, insights, tips and inspiration." - Flow Magazine "Whether you're on the train to work, in the park on your lunch break or people watching at your local coffee shop, Matilda's book will help you see the world through fresh eyes!" - The Big Draw. Explore the extraordinary in the simple and ordinary with with My Year in Small Drawings: a charming visual diary like no other! Learn to see everyday things in a new way by creating and collecting the small details around you. Build up dozens of dinky drawings, from tangles of cables, to window frames and tree buds, and notice the simple - and sometimes surprising - beauty of every day scenes and objects by drawing them. With 365 daily prompts and space to explore each, expert advice on how to simplify what you see; which pens and pencils to use; colour; and using perspective, plus suggestions for drawing every day of the year, this beautiful little book will help you embrace your creativity, and build up a unique and delightful collection of personal sketches for you to cherish, forever. Whether you're an experienced artist, someone looking to get back into sketching, or you can't draw at all, this book is for you! If you like this book, you might also be interested in I Can't Draw. . .

For Japan the existence of the 20th century was announced apocalyptically by the atomic bomb at Hiroshima. Whatever clothes the Emperor wore that day, they were useless to him now. And no sooner had the revelation of Western civilisation been so awesomely visited upon the Rising Sun than came the 21st century, gizmoid and insensible, surreal and plastic. In Reflex, 40 urban young artists and performers realise the manifestations of modern Japan through their own unique brand of self-portraiture. Superficially many of them seem simply weird - two gay Sumo wrestlers fighting in a bathhouse, for instance, thereby subverting the parameters of traditional, male-orientated Manga culture, or amateur photography of Geishas and phallic steam trains. But they are more than that. By identifying six distinct Japanese reflexes to the 21st century, namely the Kid Reflex, Naked Reflex, Manga Reflex, Group Reflex, Amateur Reflex and the Imaged Reflex, these artists have provided, in a myriad of self-representations, the concerns of young Japan, shocking to anyone ignorant of the pressures at work in their society. The amateur auteur seeking to explain; the group methodology seeking to conform; the liberated innocence of nakedness at odds with nudity; the mass-market phenomenon of a strictured teenage audience; the professional artist and above all, the powerful Manga culture - these are bewildering and fantastic concepts, illustrated by images both sublime and confusing. Reflex is a compilation by 40 contemporary Japanese artists, professional and amateur photographers, Manga illustrators and renegade artists in Japan. It is co-edited by Mark Sanders (Senior Editor for Another Magazine), KyoichiTsuzuki (artist and editor of the award-winning Roadside Japan), and Fumiya Sawa (consultant and co-curator on the Barbican Gallery's exhibition JAM: Tokyo - London).

Not only does it contain full place settings, flowers, centrepieces and everything else for tables for 25 different occasions, it also offers more than 50 mouth-watering recipes and shows you how to make table elements such as napkin rings, name tags, boxes for favours, place mats and other decorative accessories. Practical information on basic planning, from compiling a mood board and finding unusual under plates to selecting music and finding the perfect guest favour, is complemented by extended captions providing the know-how to replicate the settings. A separate section contains full recipes as well as instructions and templates for DIY ideas not detailed in captions. Hints and tips on presentation techniques, scheduling tasks to ensure that you can be relaxed and enjoy your guests and ways to add a personal touch abound.

In addition to stamping and stencilling, various relief methods of printmaking, including lino, texture plate and collagraph, the author has included four different types of screen printing and sun and cyanotype print projects as well as how to use rust and plant materials for 'eco' type printing. Transfer methods and altered art prints offer a different take on conventional approaches to this easily accessible art form. But by far the most exciting, and largest section of the book is devoted to monotype prints and monoprinting with the focus on gel printing. Angie Franke uses her gelatine based printing pads (you'll get the recipe) and the commercial Gelli Plate - as well as a fascinating venture into clay bed printing - to explore monoprint methods in many different ways, drawing on other processes in the book to build fascinating results of richly combined layers of colour with stamp, stencil, mask and texture plate tools. Easy to follow instructions with stylish photographs will inspire anyone to give printmaking a go!