Explore the life and art of legendary Navajo silversmith Fred Peshlakai, and see how his masterful art began and evolved. Beginning with the history of the Navajo people, it follows world events impacting the American Southwest and the Navajo culture precipitating in the development of their unique expressions of art rendered with silver and stone. Nineteenth-century evolution of the art form is reviewed, shining a particular light on certain ambiguities regarding important interrelationships between its most famous figures. Fred Peshlakai hailed from one of the most recognized artistic bloodlines of his noble people. This book is the beginning catalogue of his beautiful silver artwork with hundreds of images and their individual technical and artistic expressions discussed. No longer mythical, Fred Peshlakai is shown to be one of the most, if not the most, influential Navajo artisan to impact the creation of Navajo Silver Art and his art the world-class art treasures that they truly are.

A master scroll sawyer presents this easy-to-understand step-by-step guide for creating cutout pictures, flat or in relief. Learn how to cut out a pair of wolves under a moonlit, mountainous landscape from a drawing and discover many other traceable cutout options in the Patterns section. With these designs and two or more colors of wood, you can create a work of art to hang up in your home or give as a gift. Intended for advanced scrollers, the reader can find all he or she needs to know about this wonderful craft, including details about taping, cutting, and swapping the cutouts to make the colors stand out. For every project you get two works of art! Color photographs demonstrate the tools needed and illustrate each step, and a section of cutout patterns gives the reader plenty of scroll saw ideas. This revised and expanded second edition contains 16 new patterns.

The pulse of today's jewelry art is captured in 400 beautiful color photos demonstrating today's top levels of mastery. Created by more than 70 contemporary international jewelry artists, these pieces of body-adorning sculpture-rings, collars, brooches, headpieces, and other adornments-are varied, surprising, and as multifaceted as today's art world. The makers' own explanations of the methods and inspirations that guide their work offer further ideas. Everyone who works in the jewelry field or who enjoys admiring or wearing jewelry will find this an invaluable reference and a sourcebook for future creativity.

Gourds offer great surfaces to decorate, and this step-by-step book reveals the design boost you can give your gourd projects by using crayons as an economical source of wax. With over 340 detailed photos, in her popular how-to style Miriam Joy explains the inexpensive materials needed and the basic steps of the low-cost, high-impact wax design technique. Next are step-by-step instructions for four examples of creative wax-technique designs on gourds, plus four stunning rim treatments. By using these as your starting point, you can create unlimited gourd artworks of your own-all featuring low-cost, high-impact wax design technique. Projects range from the "Midnight Fern" gourd with a crocheted beaded ruffle, to the colorful "Flowers in the Jungle" gourd with a simple shell rim, to the "Blue Horizons" gourd featuring a unique coiled Arrowhead Points rim. Plus, using wax, learn how to make faux stones to decorate any project.

This book brings together cutting-edge research from leading international scholars to explore the geographies of making and craft. It traces the geographies of making practices from the body, to the workshop and studio, to the wider socio-cultural, economic, political, institutional and historical contexts. In doing so it considers how these geographies of making are in and of themselves part of the making of geographies. As such, contributions examine how making bodies and their intersections with matter come to shape subjects, create communities, evolve knowledge and make worlds. This book offers a forum to consider future directions for the field of geographies of making, craft and creativity. It will be of great interest to creative and cultural geographers, as well as those studying the arts, culture and sociology.

Learn how to curate, create, and gift one-of-a-kind napkin ring sets made from vintage brooches and costume jewelry, preferably from your very own jewelry box. TV personality Lisa Guerrero shares the story of how she created this original craft to honor her family's heritage and upcycle treasures found in her community. She shows how to "frame" these art pieces with the right napkins and tie the collection together with china so that the table sparkles in the candlelight. The photographs will inspire you to shop your closet and develop your own design aesthetic. You'll learn not only how to elegantly present these projects as gifts, but also how to pass this craft technique along to others in your life. It's the perfect family projectfor to share with the next generation.

Design, DIY, and computer-controlled fabrication are a powerful combination for making high-quality customized things. Written by the founders of the architecture, design, and research firm Filson and Rohrbacher, this book takes you through the basics of CNC fabrication, the design process, production, and construction of your own furniture designs. Through their AtFAB series of projects, accompanied by an overview of digital techniques and design thinking, this book introduces the knowledge and skills that you'll find widely applicable across all kinds of CNC projects. Not only will you learn how to design, fabricate, and assemble a wide range of projects, you'll have some great furniture to show for it! While 3D printing has been grabbing headlines, high school, college, library, and other public makerspaces have been making things with CNC machines. With a CNC router, you can cut parts from strong, tactile, durable materials like wood. Once you have your design and material, you can set up your job and let it run. When it's done, you can put the project together for an heirloom of your own. While 3D printing can make exciting things with complex designs, CNCs are the digital workhorses that produce large-scale, long-lasting objects.

The definitive guide to stonesetting by renowned designer and teacher, Melissa Hunt. From ready-made snap settings to handmade mounts for unique pieces, Stonesetting for Jewellery Makers is an all-encompassing examination of the many and varied techniques, treatments and innovations used in jewellery design. Whether learning how to make settings from scratch or choosing and working with ready-made mountings, this book arms the reader with techniques that can be applied to a range of pieces. Throughout the book, beautifully illustrated step-by-step tutorials are accompanied by practical tips and advice, while inspirational galleries present stunning examples of the ways in which contemporary jewellers experiment with settings, materials and stones.

Designed to be a companion to our classic title 1000 Chairs, this edition contains an awesome selection of over 1000 lights. Presented chronologically by decade are the 20th century's most interesting electric lights, from Tiffany's beautiful leaded-glass shades to completely outrageous designs from the late 1960s and 1970s to the latest high-tech LED lamps. All major styles are represented here-Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modern Movement, De Stijl, Postwar, Pop, Radical, Postmodern, and Contemporary-in 640 pages of truly illuminated works. This definitive reference work is a must-have for collectors and design fans. About the series Bibliotheca Universalis - Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe!

Engraving by hand is the oldest art of mankind and one that still flourishes today. With a simple message the precious metal engraver can give a unique personality to an otherwise commonplace cigarette box, goblet or compact. Despite the singular character of the craft very few practical books have been written on engraving precious and other materials employed by the jeweller; in fact none have been published in the United Kingdom for many years. Engraving on Precious Metals is for professionals and others who wish to learn hand engraving as a hobby or trade, and reveals many previously undisclosed practices of the commercial engraver which help to make his skill quite astonishing. All aspects of the craft are covered exhaustively, including the relatively modern innovation of the high-class machine engraver. This machine is particularly useful for repeat monograms and designs which are afterwards filled, because the template that guides the machine can be cut by hand. Illustrated throughout with over 250 drawings, the book gives practical hints for use in the workshop, while artistic matters are covered extensively in chapters on lettering design and layout, monograms, nameplates and ornamentation. A basic knowledge of ancillary crafts can be found in the sections on piercing, polishing, soldering and inlaying, and the use of unusual materials such as ivory, wood or plastic is also discussed. The final chapter contains a wide selection of different styles of lettering which are numbered for easy reference, and can be used by the retailer to indicate styles to customers and engravers.

Fast, fresh and fun shrink plastic jewellery! Best-selling craft author Kathy Sheldon teaches you to draw, colour, stamp and even print designs and photos onto the plastic, cut or punch it into various shapes and then shrink it in an oven, toaster oven, or with a heat gun. You can add some basic findings, such as jump rings or ear wires, to make your own stylish jewellery. Sixteen leading jewellery designers and crafters present instructions for more than 30 gorgeous and inspiring projects - from fantastic necklaces and bracelets to stylish brooches and rings - so you can take shrink plastic to a whole new level! It comes with bonus doodles from Aimee Ray and 15 pages filled with graphics to trace or print right onto your shrink plastic!

In the collector's world, plastics are exploding! From household items to beautiful jewelry the infinite variety of designs and the rainbow of colors has captured the contemporary fancy. Once looked down upon as a "cheap" alternative, now it is being seen for what it really is, a medium that gives limitless possibilities for the designer's creativity. In this new book Jan Lindenberger turns her attention to the wonderful world of plastic jewelry. An easy to use handbook and price guide, it is designed to be taken into the field. It will be an invaluable aid at flea markets, yard sales, co-ops, and antique stores. Use it to evaluate new treasures and their values. Over 440 color photographs will guide the way, and prices will help you discover the best deals.

Bursting with innovative inspiration, Creative Lettering Masterclass will have you illustrating beautiful letters, words and phrases in no time at all! Created in collaboration with professional hand-letterers, this instructional guide includes hand-lettering alphabets, exercises, and fun projects for beginners and experienced letterers alike.

The 64-page instructional book introduces you to all the hand-lettering essentials, including tools, techniques and terminology. Master a range of medieval, vintage and retro alphabets and discover fun lettering projects with step-by-step instructions and practice grids, as well as handy insider tips and tricks. Then, take your lettering to the next level with advanced design and composition ideas!

What's Included:

• 64-page instructional book
• 32-page sketchpad
• 6 dual-tipped lettering pens
• mechanical pencil
• eraser shield
• eraser

Step-by-step instructions for carving an amusing golfing figure from wood, painting it, and displaying it. Full of original personality and a spark of wit, the design will delight all who encounter it. Other patterns make up a foursome, with a color gallery illustrating all.

This book introduces the reader to 32 self-taught artists in the Southeastern United States. Some have already come to the attention of collectors and scholars. Many others have been unrecognized outside of their immediate neighborhoods. What they all have in common is an unquenchable desire to make art. Often defying the expectations of family and friends, they have pursued this inspiration. In many cases, these artists began to create in response to a personal crisis. Others harbored an interest in art for many years but only had the time to create following retirement. Most were initially unaware of the academic art world, either because they were unable to afford an art education or because their families considered such an aspiration impractical. These stories of perseverance, struggle and triumph illustrate the strength of the creative impulse, which is a part of us all.

Maximizing reader insights into the principles of designing furniture as wooden structures, this book discusses issues related to the history of furniture structures, their classification and characteristics, ergonomic approaches to anthropometric requirements and safety of use. It presents key methods and highlights common errors in designing the characteristics of the materials, components, joints and structures, as well as looking at the challenges regarding developing associated design documentation. Including analysis of how designers may go about calculating the stiffness and endurance of parts, joints and whole structures, the book analyzes questions regarding the loss of furniture stability and the resulting threats to health of the user, putting forward a concept of furniture design as an engineering processes. Creating an attractive, functional, ergonomic and safe piece of furniture is not only the fruit of the work of individual architects and artists, but requires an effort of many people working in interdisciplinary teams, this book is designed to add important knowledge to the literature for engineer approaches in furniture design.

Tom Heller and Ron Clarkson share their techniques and expertise with the reader, going step by step through the process of making a carved Queen Anne foot stool. While complete instructions are given, the emphasis is on the beautiful carving that added such elegance to period furniture. The readers will learn which carving tools to use and how to apply them to this project. They will be able to follow the measured drawings of the project, and will be aided by the full-sized detailed drawings and the ample photography. Tom and Ron have covered every aspect so the readers can execute their own "works of art." From cutting out the stock to applying the finish, no process has been left out. After finishing the project, the reader will be able to apply the knowledge gained here to other furniture. A gallery in the back shows some of those applications. This is truly a book to be owned and enjoyed by anyone who enjoys working with wood and creating beautiful pieces of furniture.

Create bright and cheerful designs for the holidays, using a box of crayons and a few simple tools! With step-by-step instructions and over 400 images, you can turn inexpensive and everyday items into family treasures. Start with the basics using simple shapes, freehand designs, leaves, and flowers. Decorate tile magnets, ornaments, and other mediums. Find out how to use wax with paper, wood, glass, metals, boxes, eggs, and felt. Discover twice-melted wax and add color to your designs. Learn the methods to use color washes, base coating, and floating color to create a stunning, eye-catching project. From colorful Christmas ornaments, jewelry, and snowflakes to Easter eggs, necklaces, and pumpkins, Miriam Joy will show you how to add a little color to a basket sitting in the corner, make a wonderful Christmas heirloom out of an antique sled, and turn that old saw into a harvest piece to set above the fireplace.

This rich treasury of Art Nouveau designs will inspire and enrich your decorative arts projects. The images were originally presented in the 1890s for use in home interiors, ceramics, textiles, stationary, stained glass, and ironwork. Now, even easier to use, they are in both print and digital forms, referenced by page numbers. 775 graphics, 500 in color, are at your fingertips. Specifically created more than a century ago to appeal to an emerging aesthetic called Art Nouveau, or New Art (derived from La Maison de l'Art Nouveau, a gallery for interior design that opened in Paris in 1896), this style became an international fad by the early 20th-century. Art Nouveau is characterized by organic foliate forms, sinuous lines, and non-geometric, whiplash curves that are highly appealing again today. With this wealth of beautiful designs, you can add an authentic antique touch to today's graphics with modern technology.

Making beautiful porcelain bead jewelry has never been simpler. Using over 100 color photos and straightforward instructions, readers are guided through all the steps necessary to create magnificent layered beads, beads with inclusions, millefiori beads, bead necklaces, earrings, and buttons. Techniques are provided for mixing colored porcelain slips, handcrafting beads and buttons, glazing and firing the completed projects, smoothing fired items with a rock tumbler, and assembling fired pieces into eye-catching jewelry. A useful list of necessary equipment and suppliers is also provided. This book is an essential reference and inspiration for all who work with clay.

Many basic questions confronting antique lamp buyers, from "Where do I look for a manufacturer's signature?" to "How do I distinguish reproductions from originals?" are answered here. Using color photographs and catalogue illustrations, a wealth of information is presented including buying or selling old lighting, restoration issues like rewiring, practical uses for fixtures originally made for gas or oil, and restoring and protecting metal finishes.

Improve your handwriting skills and calm your mind with this lovely, inviting companion workbook to The Lost Art of Handwriting. Practice your penmanship to perfection with this helpful handbook to mastering beautiful handwriting. Brenna Jordan of Calligraphy by Brenna and author of The Lost Art of Handwriting presents you with pages of wonderfully crafted letters, sayings, and quotes that you can use to practice your handwriting. The Zen-like repetition of cursive and printed letters will calm you and provide a sense of well-being as you make your way towards more legible, pleasing, and impressive handwriting that you can apply to correspondence, cards, artwork, and more. The Lost Art of Handwriting Workbook has everything you need to master calligraphy and provides a wonderful way to practice your handwriting every day.

In Modern Calligraphy, internationally acclaimed designer Molly Suber Thorpe teaches you how to create your own contemporary pointed pen calligraphy, breaking down the process into simple steps with the help of over 250 colour photographs and illustrations for easy guidance. With step-by-step instructions and simple tips, Modern Calligraphy includes: - 20 inspirational projects for weddings, entertainment and personal stationery - Guidance on use of pen and ink, watercolour and gouache - How to digitise your calligraphy - Special instructions for left-handed calligraphers With stunning ideas, careful guided practice and Molly's helpful tips, Modern Calligraphy can help anyone create their own gorgeous calligraphy pieces.

Jewellers and crafters can create unique and beautiful jewellery that can be worn with pride with this stunning new book. It features 20 projects split into four main sections: knitting, French knitting, crochet and twisting. This UK author has created projects that have easy-to-follow instructions and require only basic skills - many can be completed in an evening. "Wired Jewelry" is the perfect introduction for anyone keen on creating their own jewellery using wire, beads and basic knitting, crochet and twisting techniques. Using these simple skills, readers can quickly learn to make necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Each project is illustrated with clear step-by-step pictures to guide readers through the process. All basic knitting, crochet and jewellery techniques needed are clearly explained in an approachable way meaning readers can get started straight away. Novice knitters need not worry as only the very easiest of techniques are used - with stunning results.

Spirited history, comprehensive instruction manual covers 13 important writing styles (ca. 4th century thru 15th). Fascinating facts about Roman Rustic, Uncial, Carolingian Minuscule, Early Gothic, eight other styles; all examples beautifully photographed. Detailed directions for duplicating medieval techniques with modern tools. 232 illustrations.