For anyone who has ever been tempted to add the fun of tole painting to their basic painting skills, this is the perfect guidebook. Thorough instructions, brushstroke practice sheets, full-size patterns, and excellent photos make the learning experience truly rewarding. Judy Diephouse and Lynne Deptula tell you everything you need to know--choosing and maintaining your tools and brushes, preparing the surface to paint, how to perform the basic techniques--even how to finish your project! 6 designs on 7 projects: Rosemaling Box, Strokework Brush Box, Strokework Clock, Strokework Basket, Fall Strokework Plate, and two Early American Strokework Trays

Simple instructions and inspiring ideas make it easy to get the handpainted look you love-- in next to no time!

Practice makes perfect, and this informative guide for beginning painters even offers 20 simple projects to get you started on developing your skills in this rewarding craft. Projects include a vase, baskets, boxes, frames, plates, a tray, and many more.

Offering a modern approach to traditional fabric design, this charming instructional illustrates how to create sophisticated patchwork projects by combining linen and print fabrics using simple quilting procedures. Presenting a diverse collection of projects--many inspired by the Japanese zakka aesthetic--such as a travel sewing kit, sewing machine cover, table runner, apron, eco bag, towels, calendar, lap quilt, tote bag, pillowcase, and shoulder bag, all designs are fun, functional, and easy to master. Combining sewing, applique, quilting, and patchwork techniques with thoughtful advice on how to select, work with, and care for linen, this colorful handbook is brimming with sophisticated and innovative projects to challenge and inspire both beginning and intermediate sewers and quilters.

Bestselling authors Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz bring us a romantic retelling of Little Women starring Jo March and her best friend, the boy next door, Theodore "Laurie" Laurence—now available in paperback! 1869, Concord, Massachusetts: After the publication of her first novel, Jo March is shocked to discover her book of scribbles has become a bestseller, and her publisher and fans demand a sequel. While pressured into coming up with a story, she goes to New York with her dear friend Laurie for a week of inspiration—museums, operas, and even a once-in-a-lifetime reading by Charles Dickens himself! But Laurie has romance on his mind, and despite her growing feelings, Jo's desire to remain independent leads her to turn down his heartfelt marriage proposal and sends the poor boy off to college heartbroken. When Laurie returns to Concord with a sophisticated new girlfriend, will Jo finally communicate her true heart's desire or lose the love of her life forever?

An artist's unique voice is their calling card. It's what makes each of their works vital and particular. But developing such singular artistry requires effort and persistence. Bestselling author, artist, and illustrator Lisa Congdon brings her expertise to this guide to the process of artistic self-discovery. Featuring advice from Congdon herself and interviews with a roster of established artists, illustrators, and creatives, this one-of-a-kind book will show readers how to identify and nurture their own visual identity, navigate the influence of artists they admire, push through fear and insecurity, and appreciate the value of their personal journey.