This expertly presented volume covers all aspects of the art of 'beautiful writing', setting out the essential tools needed, teaching all the basic strokes to form letters, and providing a rich variety of templates to work from. A dozen alphabets are illustrated, showing pen angles, strokes and common group structures, along with a section on using a computer to create digital calligraphy. The projects offer practical ideas for using calligraphy in all kinds of ways, explaining techniques such as embossing, gilding and bookbinding. With an inspirational gallery of examples and clear step-by-step guidance, this manual is perfect for both beginners and experienced calligraphers.

Take your beadweaving designs to the next level! Explore an inspired approach to weaving beaded jewelry with Beadweaving Beyond the Basics. Experiment with color and shape with these 24 gorgeous designs from beadweaving teacher and Beadwork contributor Kassie Shaw. In addition to showcasing classic stitches, including Herringbone, Peyote and St. Petersburg, these designs incorporate Kassie's innovative variations on Right Angle Weave--Double Diamond Right Angle Weave, Faux Right Angle Weave and Layered Right Angle Weave. In-depth primers on these new approaches will get you started right away, and the tips for left-handed beaders makes sure everyone can try these designs with ease! Inside, you'll discover a full range of bead shapes such as seed beads, two-hole beads, bicone crystals, bugle beads and lentils, to get the shapes and effects you want, then try them in multiple colorways to create head-turning creations. With your new beadweaving skills, the possibilities are endless! Beadweaving Beyond the Basics is a whole new world of artistic expression!

Calligraphic Drawing, written and illustrated by artist Schin Loong, is a step-by-step guide to the pictorial side of calligraphy. Learn how to make calligraphic flourishes, then apply the technique to draw 15 different flourished animals. You'll also find instructions for embellishing letters and drawing ornamental cartouches. In the past, masters of penmanship advertised their copperplate skills by shaping their calligraphy and flourishes into elaborate pictorial designs. Now the art of the flourish is back! With her fresh approach to this age-old art form, Schin will take you confidently through each step, from choosing your pen, nib, and ink, to creating calligraphic animals that express your own imagination and artistry. The basic steps for the strokes are simple, but as you learn each new pattern and stroke, you'll watch your drawings develop into ever more complex and beautiful compositions. By following the step-by-step instructions, you can create stunning drawings of a pigeon, swan, crane, rooster, jellyfish, goldfish, peacock, parrot, owl, raccoon, elephant, puppy, rabbit, fox, and zebra. Each exercise includes a photo of the animal, followed by an illustration and written guidance for each numbered step. You'll find helpful tips and encouragement throughout. At the back, a gallery showcase provides examples of Schin's own artwork to inspire you in your own flourishing pursuits. Whether you're a designer, calligrapher, doodler, or just picked up a pen, this guide to drawing with flourishes will enlighten and inspire.

Founded in Idar-Oberstein in 1847, the company Constantin Wild has left its mark on the world of gemstones like barely any other enterprise. For its 175th anniversary, Constantin Wild, great-grandson of the company's founder, has been out on the trail of history. He now takes us back to the beginnings of the Wild family, which looks back on a tradition of 400 years of artistic stonecutting and also in the trading of one-of-a-kind gemstones. Travel with him around the globe on the quest for the most beautiful and rarest stones. Discover sublime items of jewellery - a selection of the very best, the zenith of international haute joaillerie. Their beauty begins with the stone, and often enough this begins chez Constantin Wild: without that fine cut, by adept craftsmen and artists, the expressive colour of the gemstone fails to come into its own. Only once it has been subjected to these processes can the gemstone unfold its true character, to reach its final fiery, vivacious brilliance. In this publication, Constantin Wild presents a selection of exceptional gemstones in short vignettes. The opulently designed publication Gems, Colours & Wild Stories is an homage to and an affirmation of love for the irrepressible diversity of these extremely valuable gemstones.

An authoritative and insightful study, surveying the life and work of "the greatest of the English artist-craftsmen" This study of the renowned designer-maker Ernest Gimson (1864-1919) combines biography with analysis of his work as an architect and designer of furniture, metalwork, plaster decoration, embroidery, and more. It also examines Gimson's significance within the Arts and Crafts Movement, tracing the full arc of his creative career, ideas, and legacy. Gimson worked in London in the 1880s, joining the circle around William Morris at the Art Workers' Guild and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. He later moved to the Cotswolds, where he opened workshops and established a reputation for distinctive style and superb quality. Gimson's work influences designers today and speaks directly to ongoing debates about the role of craft in the modern world; this book will be the standard reference for years to come.

In line with the works on decorators of the 1940s, '50s, '60s, and '70s, this book plunges us into the world of '80s and '90s. These have witnessed unprecedented experiments in the world of design and architecture. Composed of a rich introduction which gives a synoptic vision and 38 monographs that describe its many faces, this book makes and exceptionally creative period intelligible, and reveals through an abundant iconography, often unpublished, its formidable aesthetic richness. A new generation of designers stands out; among them Shiro Kuramata, Philippe Starck, Ron Arad, Bob Wilson, Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti. All regenerate creation by refusing the elitism of their predecessors and by favouring the use of new materials. Some turn to recovery, such as the Creative Salvage group, and offer inventive and provocative furniture thanks to welding and assembly. Others, gathered in Italy around Ettore Sottsass and Memphis, combine unexpected colours and patterns to the playful use of plastic laminate. Sliding until the end of the '90s, the achievements presented in this book mark the desire for a dialogue between artistic references with a new relationship to the industrial aspect, at the dawn of the 21st century and its technological innovations. Text in English and French.

Resin experts Rozen Martel and Nadia Jullien share 37 different customizable projects to accessorize any outfit. Create necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, and more and build confidence with the techniques taught to put your own creative spin on custom jewellery.

With his informative commentary and over one hundred meticulous illustrations, Aldren A. Watson offers an introduction to the tradition of country woodworking in Country Furniture. Sample workshop designs, practical advice on tools and equipment, and an overview of reliable woodworking methods all lend to our understanding of a fascinating, time-tested craft. From the sawmill to the workbench, Watson carefully illustrates the step-by-step process of furniture design, carefully delineating the fine details and instructing us on how best to accommodate our desired designs. In addition to his detailed practical information, Watson offers insight into the captivating history of country furniture and provides us with interesting anecdotes about the furniture makers themselves. Part how-to, part history, part reference (an excellent visual glossary is included), Country Furniture offers a unique explanation of sought-after, time-tested woodworking techniques from perfecting a dovetail joint to carving, finishing, and assembling a Windsor chair."

The art of handcrafted metal clay jewellery is a fun and accessible way to create a range of stunning pieces from the comfort of your home. In this comprehensive guide, there are 30 main projects, each with extra projects to complete a set or to complement the main design, plus there is a wealth of advice on tools, materials and techniques, making it the perfect book for beginners. Step-by-step instructions, clear step photography and handy tips throughout will ensure confidence grows until you're happy to make alterations to suit, or to design your own masterpiece from scratch!

Trimmings are often overlooked as mere details of a furnished interior but in the past they were seen as vital and costly elements in the decoration of a room. They were used not only on curtains and beds but also on wall hangings, upholstered seat furniture and cushions, providing a visual feast for the eye with their colour and intricate detail. Sometimes more expensive than the rich fabrics they enhanced, trimmings are often the only surviving evidence of a lost decorative scheme, reapplied to replacement textiles or found as fragments in the attic. This book, the first of its kind, traces their history in Britain and Ireland from 1320 to 1970, examining the design and usage of tassels, fringe, braid (woven lace), gimp and cord and their dependence on French fashion. Lavishly illustrated with new photography, the substantial text links surviving items in historic houses and museums to written evidence, paintings, drawings and other primary sources to provide a firm framework for dating pieces of less-certain provenance. The importance of the 'laceman', the maker of these trimmings, is also examined within an economic and social context, together with the relationship to the upholsterer and interior decorator in the creation of a fashionable room.

Wire jewelry has never been more popular--but you've never seen projects like this before! In Fine Art Wire Weaving, award-winning author Sarah Thompson shares her secrets to creating wire jewelry that's nothing short of spectacular. Using super-fine wires to create 20 delicate, sophisticated pieces, you'll achieve that "wow" factor, all under the guidance of an expert jewelry teacher. You'll learn how to work with these fine wires successfully, as well as what to do when one of your projects goes awry. Using techniques in layering, symmetry, and dimensional shaping, you'll come away with a strong foundation in wire working so you can create your own one-of-a-kind pieces. Paired with beautiful, 4-color photographs, Thompson gives you step-by-step instructions to creating jewelry to pretty to keep for yourself-but that you won't want to give away!

Blacksmithing is one of the traditional "lost arts" deserving re-discovery by anyone interested in do-it-yourself building and crafting. Creating one's own apparatus from metal enhances wood-working, stonework, building, and restoration work. Traditional builder and historic preservation consultant Charles McRaven shows how practical, simple, and rewarding the forging of hand tools can be. Having discovered blacksmithing himself when he moved "back to the land" in the 1970s, Charles McRaven tells readers all they need to know to set up their own smithies and begin blacksmithing. Over the years, McRaven claims he has made almost every mistake that can be made while perfecting his skills, and he shares this hard-won knowledge with readers in a readable and humorous style. The simple and clear instructions supplemented by the step-by- step photography, show how to build a forge, how to make and/or acquire tools, and how to use those tools to create utilitarian items of lasting beauty and durability.

Since ancient times, fashion jewellery in Italy has been, and still is, an important component of clothing. The history of fashion cannot be written without mentioning its jewels. This book presents 200 Italian fashion jewels that, spanning from the era of La Dolce Vita to the Pret a Porter of the Eighties, from '90s Minimalism to the Neo Baroque of the new millennium, define the aesthetic mirror of society and show the transformation of styles and customs, ambitions and conquests of women, the evolution of shapes and innovations of materials and new technologies. DIVA! Italian Glamor in Fashion Jewellery tells about fashion jewellery in its creative intersections with Italian excellence: craftsmanship, design and fashion. It is a typically Italian story based on the ability to combine creativity, manufacturing and industry, art and technology, beauty and innovation. The masters of costume jewellery enter a dialogue with the great stylists and the talents of design, three heterogeneous visions with a single great protagonist: the Italian fashion jewel. Text in English and Italian.

Italic and copperplate are easily the most popular styles among today's calligraphers. Well-illustrated, step-by-step instructions by an expert calligrapher explain every detail of mastering the two hands, from the basics of posture and practice to tips on texture, colour and commercial calligraphy.

Re-energize your crafting space with innovative ideas for organization and accessibility! Packed with over 150 photos of studios, storage, and ideas to help keep creativity flowing.

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.

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.

With his interiors and furniture design regularly gracing the pages of Architectural Digest, T Magazine, Elle Decor, Wallpaper*, and more, French interior-architect Pierre Yovanovitch has cemented his status as one of his generation s most in-demand talents. The designer s highly anticipated first book explores his refined yet subtle style and signature haute couture aesthetic through an array of extraordinary interiors. Specially commissioned photographs take readers on a journey across the globe to discover Yovanovitch s unique style rooted in pared-back refinement. Stunning private residences in New York, Paris, London, Tel Aviv, and the Swiss Alps underscore Yovanovitch s mastery of volume tempered by strict lines, as well as his use of authentic materials including wood, stone, and metal. Known for his ability to reenvision centuries-old spaces into modernized demeures, Yovanovitch s expertise shines through in a seventeenth-century chateau in Provence, as well as a renovation of the Patinoire Royale in Brussels, a skating rink converted into a private contemporary-art museum. This ode to Yovanovitch s work is a necessary addition to design libraries of industry masters and aficionados alike.

A major new look at the work of one of America's foremost self-taught artists Bill Traylor (ca. 1853-1949) came to art-making on his own and found his creative voice without guidance; today he is remembered as a renowned American artist. Traylor was born into slavery on an Alabama plantation, and his experiences spanned multiple worlds-black and white, rural and urban, old and new-as well as the crucibles that indelibly shaped America-the Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Great Migration. Between Worlds presents an unparalleled look at the work of this enigmatic and dazzling artist, who blended common imagery with arcane symbolism, narration with abstraction, and personal vision with the beliefs and folkways of his time. Traylor was about twelve when the Civil War ended. After six more decades of farm labor, he moved, aging and alone, into segregated Montgomery. In the last years of his life, he drew and painted works depicting plantation memories and the rising world of African American culture. Upon his death he left behind over a thousand pieces of art. Between Worlds convenes 205 of his most powerful creations, including a number that have been previously unpublished. This beautiful and carefully researched book assesses Traylor's biography and stylistic development, and for the first time interprets his scenes as ongoing narratives, conveying enduring, interrelated themes. Between Worlds reveals one man's visual record of African American life as a window into the overarching story of his nation. Published in association with the Smithsonian American Art Museum

La Bijouterie Francaise au XIX "e" Siecle by Henri Vever is an indispensable survey of the jewelry produced in Paris from the Empire to the Art Nouveau period. Since it was first published in three volumes nearly one hundred years ago, it has become the definitive source of information for the jewelry profession as well as for those who simply revel in the intricate beauty of fabulous jewels. Now, for the first time, the entire text is available in English in a single volume.

Vever, himself a highly accomplished jeweler, compiled a study that charts the histories of both the humblest and the most famous of his colleagues, including Bapst, Boucheron, Falize, Fontenay, Pouquet, Froment-Meurice, Gaillard, Lalique, Mellerio, and Wiese. This vivid contemporary account is full of data gathered directly from the jewelers themselves or from their descendants. It contains fascinating anecdotes concerning Imperial and Royal commissions together with entertaining tales of workshop practices. In crediting the designers, chasers, engravers, and enamelers who collaborated with the famous jewelry houses, Vever acknowledged the talents of technicians who often worked anonymously. In identifying unrecorded craftsmen, he made his book a unique document.

Political, economic, and industrial developments are discussed, as are their repercussions on society and fashion. With his intimate knowledge of techniques, Vever was able to analyze changes that were continually taking place in manufacturing processes. He also recorded the changing styles in jewelry and their sources of inspiration, ranging from the Antique to the Orient.

A unique feature of this English-language edition is the inclusion for thefirst time of over 130 color illustrations of pieces, many from Vever's collection, which appeared only in black and white in the original.

A vivid company biography of leading furniture manufacturer Walter Knoll based on its formative figures Wilhelm, Hans, and Walter Knoll, and most recently, Markus Benz. Walter Knoll, the book, charts the one-and-a-half-century-old history of this remarkable furniture dynasty, tracing the evolution of its designs in relation to key cultural and historical developments. When the Thomas Mann House in Los Angeles was recently bought by the Federal Republic of Germany and transformed into a representative "transatlantic meeting place," it was Walter Knoll furnishings that defined its interior design and showcased German creativity and performance in arts and business. Based in Herrenberg, near Stuttgart, the 150-year-old furniture business is one of the most successful furniture companies of the modern era and a global leader in high-end furnishing manufacturing. Walter Knoll's impressively long history dates back to Wilhelm Knoll, the founding father of the Knoll dynasty, who first set up a leather shop in Stuttgart in 1865. Knoll rose from being a cobbler to the court purveyor to the House of Wurttemberg. When his sons, Willy and Walter, took over the company in 1907, they began producing chairs - introducing the first club armchair to Germany and becoming the industry's first exporter. Their advances marked a revolution in upholstered furniture. After founding his own company in the 1920s, Walter Knoll was a breakout sensation in the avant-garde interior design world with a landmark exhibition at the Weissenhof Estate in Stuttgart, under the direction of the Mies van der Rohe, in 1927. His son, Hans Knoll, went to the U.S. in the 1930s and himself founded his own company, Knoll Inc., and with it, re-wrote design history. In 1993, Markus Benz, the son of Rolf Benz, joined the Knoll ranks, continuing the successful cooperation with internationally-renowned architects and designers. This fascinating company story shows how the Stuttgart area, one of the strongest economic regions in the world, was also a wellspring of modern design and culture.

The power of Christmas derives from the appeal of its repeated rituals, the presumed antiquity of its traditions, and its ability to adapt to changing cultural conditions. Christmas cards seemed inevitable and ubiquitous, but in recent years the genre has been visibly in decline. It is now evident that the Christmas card was a culturally specific artifact, a distinctive way in which a fundamental human gesture could be expressed within a commercial, materialistic, and rapidly changing society. This stylish book explores the imagery, graphic forms, subject matter, and significance of Christmas cards in their chronological timeframe to reveal an important area of American material culture. There is much to surprise and delight. Distributed for the Bard Graduate Center Exhibition Schedule: Bard Graduate Center (09/28/11-12/30/11)

Natural fibers, knots, and beads make beautiful jewelry! Step-by-step instructions teach you how to make the basic macrame knots and how to add beads. You'll learn the types of cords and threads available, and how to combine the knots to create unique styles of bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and more-30 projects total-each with complete illustrated instructions. Elegant and pretty, these jewelry pieces can be worn every day. Make bolder statement pieces, or delicate bracelets to stack. Add your own favorite beads or inclusions to personalize for yourself or as gifts. Once you learn the basic macrame techniques, the possibilities are endless!