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Find your focus - wherever you're working - with Joy at Work. Marie Kondo's first book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, sparked a new genre of publishing and became an international bestseller. Now, for the first time, you will be guided through the process of tidying up your work life. Whether you are unexpectedly working at home or if you have a dedicated work space or office, if you properly simplify and organize your work life once, you'll never have to do it again. In Joy at Work, KonMari method pioneer Marie Kondo and organizational psychologist Scott Sonenshein will help you to refocus your mind on what's important at work, and as their examples show, the results can be truly life-changing. With advice on how to improve the way you work, the book features advice on problem areas including fundamentals like how to organize your desk, finally get through your emails and find balance by ditching distractions and focusing on what sparks joy. Like how the key to successful tidying in the home is by tackling clutter in the correct order, Joy at Work adapts the inspirational KonMari Method for your professional life, taking you step-by-step through your working day so that you can identify the most joyful way to work for you. Once you've found order in your work, you can feel empowered to find confidence, energy and motivation to create the career you want and move on from negative working practices. ISBN9781529005370 -
Some of the world's greatest architects, including Walter Gropius, Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, have used their talents to create groundbreaking innovations in American residential architecture over the past 120 years. Though wide-ranging in style, these houses share a remarkable sensitivity to site and context; appreciation of local materials; experimentation with form, materials, and technology; and understanding of clients' needs. Spanning the length and breadth of the United States, The Iconic American House features fifty of the most important, timeless, and recognizable houses designed since 1900. With pithy text and fresh, vibrant illustrations, this book presents a lavish array of architectural masterpieces designed by architects such as Philip Johnson, Richard Neutra, Peter Eisenman and Thomas Gluck. Specially commissioned and stunning photographs, floor plans, drawings and architect biographies ensure that it is perfect for students, professionals, design aficionados and anyone who dreams of building a house of their own. ISBN 9780500022955 -
Clever, easy-to-follow tips for a fun and sustainable ChristmasIn the run-up to Christmas, it is all too easy to get overwhelmed by the rush to buy last-minute presents or feel pressurised into buying far more food than you can ever eat. At the same time, you know that tonnes of plastic will be making their way into landfill as a result of unwanted gifts or broken baubles. Not to mention the miles and miles of wrapping paper. If you're ready for a change this December, then Green Christmas is here to help you bring the focus back to happiness and togetherness. So, slow down, take a breath and approach the season as you should: merrily. Every chapter in this book is brimming with tips to help you seek out sustainable but beautiful alternatives for the things you no longer feel you need, and come up with fun things to do with the people you care about. Once you start the journey of creating your own advent calendar, upcycling a novelty jumper or learning the art of furoshiki gift-wrapping, you'll be beaming like a child at, well ... Christmas. It's all about little changes that will bring you joy, year after year. ISBN 9781526628343 -
This contemporary craft book is packed with easy, affordable projects to help you make unique baby gifts with a French-chic twist. From simple cotton bibs, shorts and soft toys, to a basic cushion and straightforward knitted blanket, the projects are clearly explained and easy-to-follow. Other crafty step-by-steps include a hanging mobile, finger puppets, soft rattles and sensory toys. Whether you're expecting a baby and want to add a personal touch to their bedroom, or you'd like to make something special for your grandchild or friends' babies, Make, Stitch & Knit for Baby is the go-to book for creating handmade, stylish baby items. Each project is set out with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions and range from curious beginner, to providing inspiration for the more experienced crafter. ISBN 9781781577608 -
How to Cross Stitch is the perfect starting point for all those wanting to learn this rewarding and accessible craft. This simple-to-follow project-based book takes you through the basic techniques of how to cross stitch. Each technique is clearly explained and accompanied by a stylish project to make, with clear step-by-step instructions. The straightforward explanations combined with desirable projects means that no matter how little cross- stitch experience you have to start with, you'll soon be impressing friends and family with your new-found practical skills. ISBN 9781784945688 -
An introduction to the wide world of knitting by way of making your own hat Knitting is an excellent handcraft and something people love the world over. But for the crafting faint of heart, knitting can appear daunting; you need needles (but what size?), yarn (but what weight?), and a pattern (but what kind?). Very quickly, knitting becomes another language that's tricky to navigate and even trickier to master. Knit a Hat teaches you everything you need to know about the previously scary craft: the needles you'll need, the yarn to use, and tried-and-true techniques to get you started, keep you going, and help you wrap everything up. Alanna Okun is an expert knitter and offers very accessible instructions: Her idea of starting with a hat rather than a long scarf is sure to make this book easy for even the wariest of beginners. Building on our crafting how-to series, Alanna welcomes readers into the knitting community and invites them to knit a hat with confidence. ISBN 9781419740657 -
Mati Ventrillon's inspiration comes from the technique of creating patterns with multiple colours that was first used by the women of Fair Isle, one of the Shetland Islands, more than two centuries ago. Her designs, which have featured on the Chanel catwalk, are inspired by tradition but use her own modern interpretation of colour and pattern arrangement. The book includes fisherman jumpers with high, crew and slash necks, a poncho, neck warmer, cowl and long scarf, fingerless gloves and hand and wrist warmers, as well as the traditional fisherman's hats known as keps. The patterns demonstrate how to experiment with colour and play with backgrounds. They are accompanied by expert tips on yarns and finishing. ISBN 9780857837486 -
This book teaches the aspiring crafter everything you would need to know about knitting in step-by-step projects. By the end of the book, you will have learned all the knitting stitches to follow patterns and make your own creations. Knitter extraordinaire Louise Walker's mantra is 'If you can knit, purl, increase and decrease, then you can make anything.' In this book, she teaches you all the basic techniques you need to know to make the most exciting and achievable knits. Assuming that you've never held a needle before, the book introduces you the basics and teaches you new techniques as and when you need them, without overloading you with information. The best thing is that most of the projects use chunky and super chunky yarn, which means that the wool is easy to handle, you can see your stitches more easily and your project will grow quickly!Unlike other knitting books, First Time Knits has links to accessible online video tutorials. As you go through the book, there are also Louise's knitters who work on the same project as you. They tell you their knitting stories and compare their finished knits with you, helping you identify the common mistakes made, why they've made them and how to fix them. This knitting book is perfect for crafters who want to make something beautiful quickly, but are intimidated by most knitting patterns. Projects include: Animal phone cosy, bear cup warmer, tiger scarf, whale bottle carrier, turtle coaster, faux taxidermy, bobble hat, hot dog toy, rainbow raglan jumper. ISBN 9781911163626 -
In this collection of techniques and tutorials, all aimed at the novice artist, the reader can explore the many different avenues of creative art available. From the relaxing and enjoyable pastime of drawing, to the versatile, vibrant medium of oil painting, each discipline is clearly explained through a series of tutorials that build in complexity. In addition to the tutorials, there is advice on tools, materials and techniques, plus plenty of tips throughout. ISBN 9781784945862 -
The only instructional book on watercolour you will ever need. Trying your hand at watercolour painting? Or looking to advance your range of artistic skills? Watercolour Techniques for Artists and Illustrators is for you. Beginning with the basics - such as honing your observational skills, choosing a subject, and learning about composition - the book then takes a comprehensive, in-depth look at techniques to expand your repertoire. With expert advice from artists and illustrators working in a range of styles - from classic to cutting-edge contemporary -this book will equip you with the skills and confidence to develop your own style and grow as an artist. ISBN 9780241413319 -
In today's climate of increasingly hot summers and dry winters, gardeners need guidance on plants that will thrive in dry conditions. In Beth Chatto's classic book, she uses plants that need very little attention and are naturally adapted to flourish in dry conditions to provide a year-round display of beautiful foliage and flowers. Drawing from her own immense experience, she provides valuable guidance on types of soil and on basic principles of design. She discusses the plants and plantings suited to dry conditions and includes a detailed list of plants, with notes and advice on their characteristics. ISBN 9781474610964 -
RHS Do Bees Need Weeds is packed with more than 100 practical questions and answers to help you become a more eco-friendly gardener, and show you how to adopt a more sustainable way of gardening. The book includes simple, low-cost ideas, from fun projects such as how to build a wormery or a homemade water butt to advice on which plants suit bees best and how to achieve a zero-waste garden. In these pages you will find dozens of solutions to common garden problems as well as inspiring innovations that reduce your gardening consumption, tackle waste and help the environment. Filled with fascinating facts and ideas that will help you make a real difference to the green credentials of your garden, this book is both informative and entertaining, with plenty of I-never-knew-that mini-features. This is a book you and your family need, and one that you'll all enjoy, too. Includes questions such as:- Which features will make my garden greener?- Are my garden lights harmful?- How can a lawn be wildlife-friendly?- Is it ever OK to have a bonfire?- Are there alternatives to plastic?- Can I grow year-round crops?- Is it OK to buy compost? ISBN 9781784727147 -
Beautifully illustrated, Modern Calligraphy is a step-by-step workbook for those wanting to learn this super trendy form of lettering. Written by Lucy Edmonds, the founder of Quill London, the book will guide readers through the first steps of pointed pen calligraphy, encouraging you to spend an hour a week developing and practicing the new skill. Designed for complete beginners, the book offers tips, tricks and techniques on the materials required and how to use them properly, how to approach the modern calligraphy letterforms, and most importantly explores ways to develop our own modern calligraphy style. You'll learn about inks and how to make your own, brush calligraphy, and what you can do with your new skill - from envelope addressing and event stationery to beautiful dinner party menus and gift tags. ISBN 9781409172550 -
The folds are strong with this one! Star Wars Origami, the original, is a blockbuster of an origami book with 783,000 copies in print. Now comes the long-awaited sequel, featuring 34 all-new projects from a galaxy far, far away--that of the five newest Star Wars movies. Created by the original origami master and Star Wars maven Chris Alexander, who travels around the country to fold at Star Wars conventions and convocations, Star Wars Origami 2 is a mix of characters, ships, droids, and weapons. Here's Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke, BB-8 and porg, Lando Calrissian and Zorii Bliss, a Jedi starfighter, Poe Dameron's X-wing, lightsabers, and more. The book begins with an introduction to origami definitions, symbols, and basic folds, and then it's off to the ingenious origami projects (all of which come with completely illustrated step-by-step directions). Bound in the back: 72 specially designed folding sheets, printed on special origami paper. These sheets are meticulously illustrated to help each Star Wars origami project come alive. Great for Ages 6-9. ISBN 9781523508730 -
Any garden belongs to everyone who sees it - it is like a book and everybody who visits it will find different things. Marc Hamer has designed and nurtured 12 acres of garden for over two decades. It is rarely visited so he is the only person who fully knows its secrets; but it is not his own. His relationship with the garden's owner is both distant and curiously intimate, steeped in the mysterious connection which exists between two people who inhabit the same space in very different ways. In this life-enhancing book Marc takes us month-by-month through his experiences both working in the garden and outside it, as the seasons' changes bring new plants and wildlife to the fore and lead him to reflect on his past and future. Through his peaceful and meditative prose we learn about gardening folklore and wisdom, the joys of manual labour, his path from solitary homelessness to family contentment and the cycle of growth and decay that runs through both the garden's life and our own. Beautifully illustrated, Seed to Dust is a moving and restorative account of a life lived in harmony with nature. You've seen gates like that at the side of the road, you've wondered what's behind them. They really are the entrance to the wonders you imagined. ISBN 9781529112498 -
'He was the best informed, liveliest and most innovative gardening writer of our times' GUARDIAN. 'Infuriating, irascible ... a brilliant gardener and a brilliant writer' Monty Don, Observer. Christo Lloyd was recognised as one of the foremost gardeners and garden writers of the 20th century. Here, for the first time, is the definitive collection of his best, most informative, and so often amusing, garden writing. Christo on gardening: Ours, in its humble way, is an art as well as a craft. At the same time it keeps us in touch with the earth, the seasons, and with that complex of interrelated forces both animate and inanimate which we call nature. It is a humanizing occupation. On weeding: Many gardeners will agree that hand-weeding is not the terrible drudgery that it is often made out to be. Some people find in it a kind of soothing monotony. It leaves their minds free to develop the plot for their next novel or to perfect the brilliant repartee with which they should have encountered a relative's latest example of unreasonableness. ISBN 9781474619851 -
Approaching organic gardening can sometimes feel overwhelming. It can be hard enough to keep on top of the weeding without having to worry about using less plastic, avoiding pesticides and using too much water. Grow Green is a practical guide and tackles a topic close to Jen Chillingsworth's heart - growing sustainably. Packed with easy tips and advice, this little book reveals how to adjust your outdoor space and create a wildlife haven, while reducing your impact on the environment as you grow your own cut flowers, fruit and veg. Drawing on her wealth of knowledge, Jen will hold your hand as she takes you through all the gardening essentials, teaching you how to get started - no matter how small or big your space might be. From making your own fertiliser with leftovers, planting in pots, reducing energy consumption and conserving water, to dealing with pests and diseases, Jen removes the stress and simply shows you how to garden green. Whether you are a first-time gardener or have seasoned green fingers - discover how to get the most out of your space with Grow Green by gardening with intention. Live simply. Grow Green. ISBN 9781787135727 -
A plant by plant pruning guide for perfect results With detailed advice on how to prune 180 trees, shrubs, and climbers plus 20 popular fruit crops, RHS Pruning Plant by Plant is the only pruning guide in this handy size to tell and show you exactly what you need to do plant by plant. The A-Z organisation helps you find the plant you're looking for fast, while step-by-step instructions and diagrams make pruning fruit trees, shrubs, and climbing plants a simple and achievable process. RHS Pruning Plant by Plant is essential pruning advice for novices and experienced gardeners alike and its handy, compact format make it ideal for putting in your pocket when you're heading to your garden or allotment. ISBN 9781405391726