"Shell Chic" brings the design and imagination of today's shell enthusiasts and artisans to the home. This is a book to be savored for its eccentric decorative flair, its lavish sense of fun, and its practical instructions for shell projects and design ideas that will work in any home decor. Frames, chandeliers, unusual boxes, mirrors, a child-size claw-foot tub - all are fabulous possibilities for shell encrustation. Memories of peaceful beach vacations become ravishing decorative items when glued to lampshades and screens.

In all, 14 step-by-step illustrated projects and 20 design ideas cover everything readers need to know to create richly marvelous objects. To lend inspiration, there are profiles of contemporary shell artists photographed with their creations. One profile features Marian McEvoy, editor of "House Beautiful," who has embellished her Manhattan apartment with an estimated 15,000 shells. While most shell enthusiasts will not be working on quite this scale, there are ideas, photographs, profiles, and inspiration for all

Home settings as diverse as a windswept farmhouse, a cabin by a lake, or an urban brownstone can all be made more beautiful with the addition of decorative pieces crafted from found bits of the woodland landscape. Magazines such as "Architectural Digest" and "Country Living" have featured organic elements in every kind of interior setting, and it's virtually impossible to pick up a catalogue without seeing an example of 'the organic landscape of modern homes.' Artist and author Marlene Hurley Marshall is inspired and excited by nature every day. Using easily found materials, responsibly collected from casual walks in the woods or fields, she creates stylish decorations that delight the senses with their natural colours, textures, and aromas. In "The Woodland Style", Marshall presents dozens of creative designs for natural home decor from a variety of artists and crafters, along with step- by-step how-to for recreating many of her own projects. From the simple beauty of a dried-leaf collage to the eye-catching surprise of a bark-covered armoire, readers will find inspiration and instruction in these colourful pages. In addition to highlighting lovely ways to bring nature indoors, Marshall also includes projects that use natural elements in outdoor decorating. Garden pots, window boxes, fences, and birdhouses all appear here in woodland- embellished versions that complement any home outdoor setting.