Hand Hewn is a fascinating and inspiring tribute to traditional timber framing by one of today's foremost expert architects and practitioners of the craft. In this highly visual book, internationally renowned builder Jack A. Sobon weaves his personal history of learning about the craft with its 2,000-year-long history. Sobon begins with the story of how he fell in love with what was then a little-known building technique and how he eventually became the "Sherlock Holmes" of timber framing. Through evocative text, stunning photography, and hand drawings, Sobon highlights the intimacy of timber framing: its connection to place and to the trees and forest, as well as the honesty and artfulness of the craft, the satisfaction of working with hand tools, and the thoughtful - even spiritual - nature of design. Ultimately, the book reveals how contemporary timber framing offers links to the past, to the natural world, and to the homes and structures that shape our lives.

In this beautifully illustrated book, Oivind Berg traces the use of fire as a heat source, a stove and a social gathering point - indoors and outdoors - right up to the present day. He reveals the types of fire, the art of kindling, the characteristics of different woods as fuel, and the secrets of Norwegian live-fire cooking. The perfect fireside companion, with this book you can chop wood, send sparks flying and plan a feast all from the comfort of your armchair. More than this, you will gain a newfound respect for the creative and destructive powers of fire and its ancient rituals.

This classic text in basket-making, now in paperback, shows how to transform fragrant pine needles into stunning coiled baskets and other decorative items. It's surprisingly easy, with all 40 projects based on wrapping needles around a center. From this simple technique, however, crafters can create limitless variety through the way they shape the coils, dye the needles, vary stitches, embellish with beads and seeds, and incorporate leather and wood. Special sections address gathering and storing materials, making lids and handles, and more.

Capture the beauty, fragrance, and power of herbs in these delightful crafts for home and garden. Why craft with herbs? They're easy to grow, beautiful, fragrant, full of health benefits, and are incredibly versatile! Herbs are best known for their medicinal and culinary uses, but there's so much more you can do with them. From spray disinfectants to wreaths and garlands, custom herb salts to homemade skincare products, there's something here for every room of your house-and everyone on your gift list! Learn how to make beautiful and useful items such as: Smudge Sticks Herb Sachets Hanging Herbal Swag Natural Confetti Herbal Cleaning Vinegars Herb salts (with recipes for different blends) Herbal Teas Compound Herb Butter Lavender Neck Wrap Simple Herbal Balm And much more! In addition to the crafts, learn how to grow, prune, harvest, dry, and store your favorite herbs. Woven throughout are helpful tidbits on the wellness properties and history of herbs. Create useful crafts that will beautify your home and make wonderful DIY gifts!

In this inspirational and practical guide to country life, passionate and hugely knowledgeable countryman Alan Titchmarsh explores the heritage of rural Britain, its landscapes and wildlife, its traditions, customs and crafts. The Lost Skills and Crafts Handbook will help you rediscover your love of the countryside, including: - a checklist of British butterflies and where to find them - how to keep chickens, ducks, goats and sheep - how to make soap, candles and your own herbal remedies - how to track animals and forage for food - essential knot tying - how to build a campfire without matches - how to create a kitchen garden - the origins of country superstitions And much more. With beautiful line art illustrations throughout, this compendium of the British countryside and its delights will be an essential read for any nature lover in your life.

Walter Murray was a young man tired of living in the city. Early in the 1920s, he persuaded a Sussex farmer to rent him a derelict cottage, which stood alone on a hill, with no running water or electricity. Most of the windows were broken, it was dirty, dark and ran with rats. He bought a brush and pail in the village, forced the rats to retreat, brought in rudimentary furniture. The local postman found him a dog, and with his new companion he began to explore his surroundings. In that year at Copsford he made a living from collecting, drying and selling the herbs he found locally: agrimony, meadow-sweet and yarrow. He became alert to the wildlife and plants around him. His life was hard - he supplemented his income with occasional journalism, but it was here he met his future wife, who he calls The Music Mistress, and with whom he would later found a school. Copsford is an extraordinary book. Bearing comparison to Thoreau's Walden, Murray's intense feeling for his place is evident on every page. It is, though, no simple story of a rural idyll - life at Copsford was hard, and Murray does not shy away from the occasional terrors of a house that had its hauntings. A publishing success when first published in the late 1940s, this new edition has an introduction by Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path.

Full-color expert advice for first-time seekers start new collections and veteran hunters who want to learn more-from California to Cape Cod, from the Gulf Coast to the Pacific Northwest, and around the world! As the owner of one of the world's most elaborate sea glass collections, Mary Beth Beuke gets to talk about these prized ocean gems on a daily basis. Unfortunately, with each passing day, sea glass becomes more and more difficult to find, making the hunt more of a challenge to the seeker-especially one with limited experience in sea glass hunting. There are several reasons why the hunt is so important to the sea glass seeker. Some find their Zen moments in the solitude and beauty of the hunt. Some collect to add color to their lives. The history, mystery, and discovery of sea glass are also strong forces that draw collectors to shorelines around the world, looking for these pieces of physically and chemically weathered frosted glass. Whatever your reason for wanting to learn about and start your own collection of sea glass, the window for doing so is closing as pieces are becoming more elusive due to a growth in sea glass popularity and a decrease in recent glass bottle production. Take this manual with you as you search for your own collection and make notes about what you find along the way.

Explore the art of basketry in this idea-filled book for weavers at all levels. Over 300 how-to photographs, guidance on using a fascinating selection of woven styles, and 15 original new patterns combine to offer much more than traditional, historical weaving. Learn the basics, materials, dyes, tools, and techniques; then practice, using all or parts of the book to create your own award-winning designs. Traditional baskets are updated with new techniques, while contemporary patterns employ flat, flat oval, and round reed in plaids, twills, spiral, braids, arrows, diamonds, twining, waling, handle wraps, rim borders, and more. A gallery section features the inspiring artwork of experts who are bringing unique ideas to twenty-first-century woven art. This book will serve as a practical guide and an essential reference for every basket weaver.

You know your diet should be rich in plants for optimal health. So shouldn't the products you apply to your skin, which are absorbed into your body, also be filled with plants? If you've ever looked at the back of your so-called "natural" facial moisturizer or body cream and seen a list of complicated additives you couldn't recognize or pronounce, then you know firsthand that mass-produced synthetic beauty products can be something of a mystery. With Plant-Powered Beauty: The Essential Guide to Using Natural Ingredients for Health, Wellness, and Personal Skincare (with 50-plus Recipes), harness the power of plant-based energy to maintain your natural beauty and let your skin glow like never before. Natural beauty experts Amy Galper and Christina Daigneault show readers how to deconstruct beauty labels, parse ingredients lists, make informed choices about the products they use-and, most important, better understand how their skin works. At the heart of Plant-Powered Beauty, you will find more than 50 easy-to-follow recipes to make your own plant-based skincare and beauty products, such as: * Almond Milk Facial Cleanser * Anti-aging Facial Scrub * Blemish Gel * Choc-o-Mint Lip Balm * Coconut Whip Makeup Remover * Vitamin-Rich Hair Health Serum * Quick and Fresh Cucumber-Thyme Body Scrub * Moisturizing Body Oil for Super-Dry Skin * Natural Mouthwash Plus, in this updated edition of Plant-Powered Beauty, meet the hottest wellness and beauty ingredient: cannabidiol, a very unique molecule within the Cannabis sativa plant. Research shows that CBD has a remarkable effect on the skin, including supporting tissue repair, evening skin tone, and promoting a youthful glow. New CBD recipes-for men and women!-include a salve to reduce pain, bath soak to address inflammation, facial serum for balancing, roll-on for stress relief, body butter, and more. Plant-Powered Beauty unlocks sought-after wisdom for all aspects of plant-based personal skincare and celebrates the shift in beauty trends, bringing us back to natural beauty and reconnecting us with plants and healthy choices.

Can their marriage be mended in time for Christmas?Lottie has always been thrifty. As a mother of three, it's even more important that she stretches the household budget as far as possible. Luckily, Lottie's penchant for taking broken items and upcycling them has worked wonders for living on a shoestring. Henry can't face telling Lottie he's been made redundant. Instead, he pretends to go to work as usual while frantically job hunting. The race is on to find another role before Lottie discovers he's another useless item for her collection - one that is beyond repair. Christmas is a time for giving, but will Lottie give Henry another chance if she learns about his lies? And can Henry give Lottie and their kids the life he so desperately wants them to have? A wonderfully warm and lighthearted married romance for fans of Holly Martin and Phillipa Ashley.

Wilderness Knits for the Home is Linka Neumann's second book, showcasing a stunning collection of homeware knits to make while embracing the Scandinavian spirit and cosying up next to a warm fire. After the success of Wilderness Knits, with its cosy jumpers and cardigans set against the backdrop of the Norwegian landscape, Linka brings us gorgeous wall hangings, cushions, blankets (including for your dog!) and more. Once again, set in the stunning Norwegian countryside, the book inspires you to knit these beautiful creations and embrace the aesthetic of the Scandinavian wilderness. As ever, Linka uses her environment to inspire her as well as animals from the snowy north - with dogs, orcas, polar bears and reindeers finding their way into her designs. If making jumpers and cardigans with Scandi-style yokes feels too complicated for you, these simpler shapes of squares and rectangles will give you the confidence to make your own creations with similar designs. Including 27 projects - all with knitting diagrams and inspirational photography - you will be knitting presents for all your friends and family as well as for your own home in no time.

"Morning altars" are colorful mandalas that combine nature, art, and meditation. Incorporating the natural world into the everyday encourages positive well- being, even with the simplest of the earth's gifts, such as leaves, flowers, berries, feathers, and stones. These stunning pieces of art are a peaceful and creative avenue to express gratitude for nature, to practice mindfulness, and to add meaning to daily life. In this book, Day Schildkret guides readers through the creation of morning altars, a seven- step process that includes wondering and wandering, place meditation, clearing space, creating, gifting, walking away, and sharing his art with others. Since his first morning altar, Schildkret has built hundreds more. His work has been warmly received on social media and he teaches workshops on altar building, all with the intention of sharing the positivity and beauty they have brought to his life.