When the forest animals find a gold leaf, they fight about who gets to have it.

For over thirty years, Stephen Braude has studied the paranormal in everyday life, from extrasensory perception and psychokinesis to mediumship and materialization. The Gold Leaf Lady and Other Parapsychological Investigations is a highly readable and often amusing account of his most memorable encounters with such phenomena. Here Braude recounts in fascinating detail five particular cases—some that challenge our most fundamental scientific beliefs and others that expose our own credulousness. Braude begins with a south Florida woman who can make thin gold-colored foil appear spontaneously on her skin. He then travels to New York and California to test psychokinetic superstars—and frauds—like Joe Nuzum, who claim to move objects using only their minds. Along the way, Braude also investigates the startling allegations of K.R., a policeman in Annapolis who believes he can transfer images from photographs onto other objects—including his own body—and Ted Serios, a deceased Chicago elevator operator who could make a variety of different images appear on Polaroid film. Ultimately, Braude considers his wife’s surprisingly fruitful experiments with astrology, which she has used to guide professional soccer teams to the top of their leagues, as well as his own personal experiences with synchronicity—a phenomenon, he argues, that may need to be explained in terms of a refined, extensive, and dramatic form of psychokinesis. Heady, provocative, and brimming with eye-opening details and suggestions, The Gold Leaf Lady and Other Parapsychological Investigations will intrigue both adherents and detractors of its controversial subject matter alike.

This pioneering book is the first publication in English to devote itself to the methods, techniques and history of reverse painting and gilding on glass, often known as 'verre eglomise'. Since the Renaissance the practice has passed in and out of fashion but today it is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Discerning designers commission decorated glass for wall and ceiling panelling and for furniture inserts, while artists are increasingly exploring the medium, pushing at its boundaries. This book is written for students, artists, conservators, curators, interested amateurs, teachers and designers, many of whom will have been patiently waiting to learn more on this topic. The history of unfired decoration on glass is recounted in depth, illustrated with hitherto unpublished pictures. In the practical section clear step-by-step projects, suitable for a beginner as well as for a more experienced artist, serve as a singular introduction to an elegant, sophisticated art. Book Review 1: This is probably the most condensed (and refreshingly so), yet comprehensive book to date on gilded and painted glass. Concise and easy to read it mainly covers the most widely used cold process of gold and painted decoration on glass. Frances wastes no time in pointing out and clearing up the true meaning of the term verre eglomise, now commonly used as a general title for any type of decoration applied to glass, but let's not give too much away. This is all covered, including both cold and hot methods, in the opening paragraphs and under the Terminology section. There are many old books from medieval manuscripts to un-translated documentation, so this book is very welcomed. There has been a long gap in the market for gilded glass, but now the art of glass decoration is enjoying such a revival, and with so many new and varied designs, this couldn't really be better timed. The book moves from techniques (ancient to modern day) to origins and the development of glass decoration throughout the world. Fabulous examples of historic and important pieces are illustrated, each with a brief description of techniques and materials used. Some of these examples show a real diversity in design and methods used. The step by step approach for the entire gilding process is also explained and shown in great detail, covering initial design process for geometric and free hand patterns, the process of laying the leaf, engraving and colouring. Recipes, materials & tools, suppliers and useful references to websites make it easy for even a complete beginner or an amateur who has never laid a single leaf, but may wish to try their hand. Even for the professional there is nothing comparable to this book. It is up to date, an excellent concise reference manual with a wealth of useful information, in essence it is a book that can teach even the most experienced restorer or gilder something new. -- Dominic Schuster for The BAFRA, British Antique Furniture Restorers Association. Book Review 2: ...This book... brings together the results of years of research by the author... time-tested arcane formulae have been thoroughly modernized; intricate order-sensitive processes are thoroughly explained. Anyone practicing today has to get many things 'right' if they expect their work to last really long-term: that is why this book is so very important. -- William Gudenrath, Resident Advisor at The Studio of The Corning Museum of Glass, NY, USA. Book Review 3: I started reading your book and I think that it is great - it contains amazing amounts of information and yet it doesn't beat about the bush. -- Nina Binnington, mirror specialist, Germany. Book Review 4: Have now read four times, ever more slowly and with increasing understanding of the variables. Your experience and comments about what can be laid on top of what have in particular been very handy indeed for working out some potential snags ....I do so agree about repeating basic instructions in each separate context - from the reader's point of view, this is a blessing. Not to have to dash back and forth to re-establish an idea from a previous chapter, keeping a thumb in the page, is genuinely sensible.... I have put pencil marks all over the pages to remind me of small important details in the text. For me, that is clear proof that this is a book... genuinely useful workaday... to learn from and work with, not just to gawp at... -- Richard Byrne, UK. Book Review 5: It's a work of gilded art! This book will encourage and teach students for years to come. -- David Smith, ornamental glass artist, UK. Book Review 6: ...I want to say how much I am enjoying the book! Its such a fantastic resource and so inspiring - a real gift to the glass world. -- Lucy Batt, glass artist, UK. Book Review 7: ... after so much time, research and careful thought, it is truly an inspiration. I am very keen to explore this use of gold and colour in what I hope eventually will be my own personal expression. -- Christopher Ainslie, glass engraver, UK. Book Review 8: ...I just got the book in the post. It's lovely! Really well done, so easy to follow and beautifully illustrated. -- Lynne Rutter, decorative artist, San Francisco, USA. Book Review 9: ...Such a handsome book, and so filled with fascinating photos and text. It is beautifully organized, and will provide many worthwhile hours for readers of all levels. Congratulations, and thank you from all of us in the gilding community. -- Ina and Allen Marx, conservators and decorative artists, USA.

Gold leaf gilder and restoration artist Ellen Becker brings her years of experience to readers through over 300 full color photos and step-by-step instructions for various gold leafing and restoration techniques through a series of projects.This is the most comprehensive instructional book for gold leafing on the market today.

Each project in this book combines bookbinding with a specific craft such as quilting, jewelry making, or polymer clay, and offer levels of expertise: basic, novice, and expert. Illustrated step-by-step instructions and photographs demonstrate how to construct the cover pages, and a unique binding technique, easy enough for a beginner to master. Each project also features two other versions with the same binding geared to those with more or less experience. The novice version is for those who have no knowledge of the craft and want shortcuts, but love the look. For the quilter's book, for example, vintage quilt pieces become the covers so all that's needing in the binding. Or if you're interested in wool felting use an old sweater. This offers great opportunities for upcycling. The expert version is for those who have a great deal of knowledge and proficiency of a certain craft - the master art quilter, for example. For this version, an expert guest artist has created the cover and the author has created the binding. This offers yet another creative opportunity - the collaborative project. Since crafters often get involved with round-robins and other shared endeavors, this will show them yet another way to combine their skills. No other craft book offers the possibilities and challenges that Adventures in Bookbinding does. Readers will return to it again and again to find inspiration and ideas.