Did you remember your goggles? There used to be a time when pretty much every high school offered Shop class, where students learned to use a circular saw or rewire a busted lamp- all while discovering the satisfaction of being self-reliant and doing it yourself. Shop Class for Everyone now offers anyone who might have missed this vital class a crash course in these practical life skills. Packed with illustrated step by step instructions, plus relevant charts, lists, and handy graphics, here's how to plaster a wall, build a bookcase from scratch, unclog a drain, and change a flat tire (on your car or bike). It's all made clear in plain, nontechnical language for any level of DIYer, and it comes with a guarantee: No matter how simple the task, doing it with your own two hands provides a feeling of accomplishment that no app or device will ever give you.

Muthanna, also known as mirror writing, is a compelling style of Islamic calligraphy composed of a source text and its mirror image placed symmetrically on a horizontal or vertical axis. This style elaborates on various scripts such as Kufic, naskh, and muhaqqaq through compositional arrangements, including doubling, superimposing, and stacking. Muthanna is found in diverse media, ranging from architecture, textiles, and tiles to paper, metalwork, and woodwork. Yet despite its centuries-old history and popularity in countries from Iran to Spain, scholarship on the form has remained limited and flawed. Muthanna / Mirror Writing in Islamic Calligraphy provides a comprehensive study of the text and its forms, beginning with an explanation of the visual principles and techniques used in its creation. Author Esra Akin-Kivanc explores muthanna's relationship to similar forms of writing in Judaic and Christian contexts, as well as the specifically Islamic contexts within which symmetrically mirrored compositions reached full fruition, were assigned new meanings, and transformed into more complex visual forms. Throughout, Akin-Kivanc imaginatively plays on the implicit relationship between subject and object in muthanna by examining the point of view of the artist, the viewer, and the work of art. In doing so, this study elaborates on the vital links between outward form and inner meaning in Islamic calligraphy.

Learn to create stunning hand lettered art with projects that showcase the range of modern calligraphy. With a guide to getting started, tips on avoiding common mistakes and fully illustrated step-by-step instructions, artist Marcella Astore makes it easier than ever to achieve professional-quality effects in your lettering. Master the skill of blending to create smooth gradient effects between colours or add a soft watercolour look inside your letters. Discover the secrets of layering to make realistic ocean waves or add bold patterns like plaid and shimmering scales from a mermaid tail. In addition, Marcella's pro tips for effectively adding shadows and highlights will make your work pop off the page. Whether you're still a beginner or a lettering artist looking for new tips and fresh inspiration, Marcella's creative designs and whimsical messages will guide you in achieving your lettering dreams.

Knitting with beads is a technique that has been used since the early nineteenth century, but has become increasingly popular in recent years. Now, with new methods offering exciting ways to experiment with materials and equipment, there is no better time to improve your skills. Knitting with Beads is a contemporary guide to a traditional technique covering a variety of different techniques, with beads threaded onto the yarn, as well as beads applied as you go along. these methods are developed further in a chapter on experimenting with year, beads and different stitch patterns, which offers readers the opportunity to develop their own ideas for using beads in their knitting. The projects section at the end of the book includes a wide range of items that allows readers to put these techniques into practice.

A great finish can make even a simple project look terrific. A bad finish can ruin the most well-built, sophisticated piece of furniture. Finishing can be a daunting and mystifying task to many woodworkers and DIYers who fear wrecking their projects at this late stage in the process. This collection of articles from Fine Woodworking brings together the best information on a rich variety of finishing techniques. Nowadays, finishing wood doesn't just embrace fine clear finishes like shellac and French polishing, but also bright pigmented lacquers, dyes and stains, milk paint, and crackled paint. Finishing Wood features a whole section on the hot new trend of coloring wood. Also included is timeless information on preparing a surface before you apply a finish (a critical first step) as well as tried-and-true methods for applying all the traditional finishes, whether by brush or by spraying.

This updated and extended edition of our best-selling book on sustainable jewelry includes new case studies and revised, up-to-date texts and brand profiles. Sustainable Jewellery contains all there is to know in order to start down the path towards sustainability in the jewelry business, from the traceability of gems and metals to responsible production, the impact of the purification, smelting and polishing processes, and the greenest ways to work with certified raw materials. In the jewelry industry and beyond, consumers are demanding products that are ethical, hand-crafted, personal, and created with respect for the environment. This implies a sustainability strategy that takes into account the entire supply and sales chain, from the extraction of metals to the materials used as packaging. Updated texts and chapters include the latest developments in sustainable jewelry, with new case studies and fresh interviews with international designers and firms who are already creating ethical, responsible jewelry. With an introduction written by jeweler and activist Greg Valerio, this book is a unique and essential guide for all designers who want to ensure their products are ethical, sustainable and respectful of the environment.

This volume addresses the question of the relation between sculpture and coins--or large statuary and miniature art--in the private and public domain. It originates in the Harvard Art Museums 2011 Ilse and Leo Mildenberg interdisciplinary symposium celebrating the acquisition of Margarete Bieber's coin collection. The papers examine the function of Greek and Roman portraiture and the importance of coins for its identification and interpretation. The authors are scholars from different backgrounds and present case studies from their individual fields of expertise: sculpture, public monuments, coins, and literary sources. Sculpture and Coins also pays homage to the art historian Margarete Bieber (1879-1978) whose work on ancient theater and Hellenistic sculpture remains seminal. She was the first woman to receive the prestigious travel fellowship from the German Archaeological Institute and the first female professor at the University of Giessen. Dismissed by the Nazis, she came to the United States and taught at Columbia. This publication cannot answer all the questions: its merit is to reopen and broaden a conversation on a topic seldom tackled by numismatists and archaeologists together since the time of Bernard Ashmole, Phyllis Lehmann and Leon Lacroix.

Most of one's life is not always memorable. I spent a fair amount of my past just chasing the wind, however, I can recall certain events, some of which I will share. I'll stick to glimpses. This is what could be described as a fragmented autobiography; a story told through noteworthy events that have occurred during a colourful life. Some are mystical, some inexplicable. Short stories that involve humour, but most of all love, like threads of gold that run through a lifetime.

The Shang dynasty of north-central China (c. 1500-1000 BCE) was a flourishing Bronze Age civilization that maintained control over much of north China for nearly six hundred years. It also produced spectacular bronze ritual vessels that are among the greatest cultural and technological achievements of any ancient civilization. Ancient Chinese Bronzes offers readers the unique opportunity to see Daniel Shapiro's astonishing collection of ancient Chinese Shang dynasty bronze ritual vessels. The mystery and beauty of these bronzes is captured in dramatic large-format illustrations both in color and in black and white.

The brief Russian presence in California yielded some of the earliest ethnography of Native Californians and some of the best collections of their material culture. Unstudied by western scholars because of their being housed in Russian museums, they are presented here for the first time in an English language volume. Descriptions of early nineteenth-century travelers such as von Wrangel and Voznesenskii are followed by a catalog of objects ranging from hunting weapons to household objects to ritual dress to musical instruments, games, and gift objects. This catalog of objects includes over 150 images, many in full color. An essential volume for those interested in the ethnology, archaeology, art, and cultures of Native Californians.

At the turn of the 20th century, Vienna became an epicentre for new thought. A multi-disciplinary environment emerged where music, writing and intellectual thought all flourished, often brought together in the capital's famous coffee houses. This was the time of Freud and Wittgenstein, of Mahler and Schoenberg, and of the Secession (1897-1905), the modern movement led by Klimt, Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser that aimed to bring different arts together in a `Gesamtkunstwerk', a total work of art; of Jugendstil, Vienna's Art Nouveau; and of the Wiener Werkstatte, the workshop founded in 1903 by Moser and Hoffmann that revolutionized the decorative and graphic arts. There have been many exhibitions and publications devoted to this efflorescence, and even more monographs devoted to its key players. None, however, brings together a selection of visual material from across the different artistic disciplines as significant as this current volume, curated and authored by three leading scholars of the period. The book covers all areas of production: painting and drawing; decorative arts and crafts; applied art and book design; fashion, photography and architecture. In each section the illustrations take the lead, creating an invaluable visual reference point for all those eager to identify a given category of the arts within this period, particularly in the field of the decorative arts, from ceramics to glass, silverwork, furniture, jewelry; and graphic arts, from book design to posters and postcards. There are also many less familiar works in the field of fashion and photography, and a particular focus is given to the role of women in all disciplines of the time.

Everyone has different needs when it comes to coping with life's stressors, and children are no different. Some need quiet and soothing activities to calm them down, whereas others require more physical activity or intense sensory input to relax their minds and bodies. This resource comprises a collection of fun, flexible, tried-and-tested activities and make-it-yourself workbooks for parents and professionals to help a child in need of extra emotional support find the coping skills that fit them best. Each activity lists the materials required and includes clear directions for how to do it. There is something for every child: whether they are dynamic and creative or more cerebral and literal. Projects include making wish fairies, dream catchers, and mandalas; managing unstructured time with activities such as creating comics, dioramas and tongue twisters; and simple ideas for instant soothing, such as taking deep breaths, blowing bubbles, making silly faces, and playing music. Creative Coping Skills for Children also includes specific interventions for anxious or grieving children such as making worry dolls and memory shrines. This book is full of fun, easy, creative project ideas for parents of children aged 3-12, teachers, counselors, play therapists, social workers, and all professionals working with children.

A beautifully illustrated retrospective of Art Nouveau architect and designer Hector Guimard, positioning him at the forefront of the modernist movement The aesthetic of architect Hector Guimard (1867-1942) has long characterized French Art Nouveau in the popular imagination. This groundbreaking book showcases all aspects of his artistry and recognizes the fundamental modernity of his work. Known for, among other things, the decorative entrances to the Paris Metro and the associated lettering, he often looked to nature for inspiration, and combined materials such as stone and cast iron in unique ways to create designs composed of curves and waves that evoked movement. Guimard broke away from his classical Beaux-Arts training to advocate a modern, abstract style; he also pioneered the use of standardized models for his design objects and experimented with prefabricated designs in his social housing commissions, advancing the technology of the time. With copious, beautifully reproduced illustrations of his architectural drawings as well as his furniture, jewelry, and textile designs, this volume explores Guimard's full oeuvre and elucidates the significance of his work to the history of modern art. Essays by an international group of scholars present Guimard as a visionary architect, a shrewd entrepreneur, an industrialist, and a social activist. Published in association with the Richard H. Driehaus Museum Exhibition Schedule: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York (November 17, 2022-May 21, 2023) The Richard H. Driehaus Museum, Chicago (June 22, 2023-January 7, 2024)

The traditional ornamental art of "flourishing." Complete instructions and examples help you create your own magnificent swirls, delicately shaded curves, harmoniously crisscrossing lines, from which birds, rabbits, deer, ribbons and other objects gracefully emerge. Over 150 copyright-free illustrations may also be applied to a multitude of graphic-arts and design purposes. Preface. Instructions.

With this book you will learn how to write the beautiful calligraphy that we associate with Celtic culture, and be taught how to develop scripts that are based on original medieval manuscripts into lovely projects to treasure. Starting with the materials you need and basic calligraphy techniques, the book will move on to the development and improvement of skills with design elements, exercises, clear instruction on lettering, using colour, knotwork illustration and illumination, with inspirational examples of Celtic art and lettering. Beginners will find much to help them in this practical guide and more experienced calligraphers will learn much about Celtic influences and the way lettering can be enhanced with stylised knotwork illustration and illumination.
Traditional letterforms can be transformed into unique works of art with an intertwining of colour, art and design. Stylised letterforms are ornament in themselves, but enhanced with knotwork, Celtic swirls and patterns, illumination, colour and design, Celtic calligraphy becomes an exciting art form based in fascinating ancient traditions. This can be taken into the realms of fantasy art, book illustration, crafting, written work -- and into tattoo design.

The glorious Manifattura Lenci of Turin is the protagonist of this volume, which presents one hundred and fifty works belonging to the Ferrero Collection. Small plastics and decorative sculptures have made the fortune of this historical manufacture, first active in the field of cloths and dolls, for 'toys in general, furniture, furnishings and children's clothing', and subsequently, since 1927, in the ceramic sector. The Lenci production was inspired by the fashion magazines of its time, between customs and bon ton, reflecting the taste of an era and a society, which had identified in its products the bourgeois status symbol. Lenci was characterised over the years by the creative contribution of important artists such as Sandro Vacchetti, Elena Konig Scavini, Marcello Dudovich, Gigi Chessa, Mario Sturani, and Abele Jacopi, who made the ceramic production unique and inimitable. In 1934 Sandro Vacchetti, former artistic director of Lenci manufactory, founded the successful Essevi ceramics, which follows in the footsteps of Lenci and constitutes a continuation of their style.

Beautiful photographs capture this artist's original approach to floral design Surrounded by flowers from a very young age, the decision to become a floral designer was anoabvious one for Hideyuki Niwa. To keep on challenging himself, Niwa often takes part in competitions and tries creating and photographing a new design every day to get a thorough understanding of the characteristics of flowers and their possibilities. His classic, linear style and minimalist expression with careful placement of plant materials, quintessential characteristics of the Japanese aesthetic concent wabi sabi , rightfully won him a Bronze Leaf in the 2010/2011 edition and the Gold Leaf in the 2012/2013 edition of Stichting Kunstboek's prestigious International Floral Art.

A beginner's step-by-step guide to creating beautiful silver jewellery. Silver Jewellery Making is a practical beginners' guide to making silver jewellery. Seven step-by-step projects guide you through the core skills and techniques that will enable you to progress to making your own beautiful jewellery. The tried-and-tested projects have been developed by Machi and Janet, who have over 40 years of industry experience teaching others this amazing craft. The emphasis is on teaching good practice and acquiring the basic techniques and skills to give the reader a solid basis for developing their jewellery-making capabilities. Tools are introduced for each individual project, and their uses and correct handling explained. Troubleshooting tips explain how to overcome common problems that may arise. At the end of each project, there are examples of how the skills gained can be used to make other items. The book is perfect for those who wish to start jewellery making either on their own or as a supplement to beginners' classes.

Cutting-edge stamping techniques and designs! Since the publication of Lisa Niven Kelly's first book on metal stamping, the craft has undergone a revolution, with more design stamps available than ever before. This hotly-anticipated followup, authored together with Taryn McCabe, gives you even more new ways to create personalized stamped jewelry. Inside you will learn fresh techniques such as mandala stamping, and find patterns for more than 20 projects: a trendy chevron necklace, chandelier earrings, garden-themed cuff, and more. Easy-to-follow, full color step-by-step photos accompany all basic techniques, as well as the jewelry projects, to guide your way. Discover the unique looks you can achieve working with a variety of metals--silver, copper and brass--while advancing your metalsmithing skills. Whether you're new to metal stamping or your hammer is in need of fresh inspiration, New Stamped Metal Jewelry has the instruction and inspiration you're looking for.

The Pennsylvania Dutch are noted for the beautifully designed and hand-lettered documents known as fraktur. These include birth and marriage certificates, family trees, bookplates, awards, and house blessings. Leading fraktur artist Ruthanne Hartung adapts the craft to modern tastes and needs in this practical how-to book, with information on tools, step-by-step instructions, ideas for design, lettering and coloring techniques, and a variety of projects. An assortment of traditional patterns to apply to personal frakturs are included.

In recent years, collectors have come to recognize the beauty and value of Roycroft items, particularly the art metal which is the most available, affordable, and varied of all Roycroft collectibles. Influenced by the English movement that was spearheaded by William Morris, Elbert Hubbard began a new industry dedicated to quality of design and manufacture, from its factories near Buffalo, New York. With 179 full color illustrations, this newly revised & expanded identification and price guide offers Arts and Crafts collectors and dealers an in-depth look at the many objects that were made. Included are bowls, vases, jewelry, desk items, bookends, candlesticks and other items of interest. The text provides the history and background of the company, as well as information about each of the products illustrated. There is also a good selection of original advertising and promotional material.

Simple, illustrated and step-by-step techniques for creating jewellery from recycled materials. This handbook considers the importance of using recycled and reused materials to minimise the environmental impact of your craft and increase its sustainability potential. Through treatment and presentation, and whilst balancing creativity and necessity versus choice, you can find ideas for making common objects valuable and precious. The variety of projects included teach you how to make a necklace from tin, pendants from keys, use fabric for a cuff, and to use plastic, cardboard, cork and foam to make bangles, necklaces, earrings and brooches. There is also a handy and extensive list of scrapstores and suppliers of recycled materials as well as guidance to find free or cheap materials from other sustainable sources.

Inspiring Ikebana is the sequel to Exploring Ikebana, the first book by world famous ikebana artist Ilse Beunen. Throughout her career she has been inspired by many different things and as all artists do, she is continually looking for inspiration to create something new and innovative. Having written a comprehensive introduction to the ancient Japanese art of flower arrangement, she reveals in this new book several sources of inspiration: nature, the four seasons, festivals, vases and containers, artificial material, art and emotions. More than 40 stunning ikebana creations, both in traditional and modern styles, are lavishly illustrated with detailed step by step photographs of the creative process, making it easy to follow and achieve a great result.