New ideas for working with nature to nurture creativity in felted and embroidered textile art.

Immerse yourself in nature and rewild your creative practice with inspiration from textile artist Jeanette Appleton. With a focus on the versatile medium of felt, she takes readers through a series of ideas for working with nature to boost creativity, inspire, and make us more sustainable as artists. The book covers:

• How to capture the nuances of nature through creating exciting felt surfaces – lines of sea, frosted puddles, hedge and grass – and how to translate them into subtleties of texture and stitch.

• Transforming recycled cloth by bonding memories, mixed-media and found objects into your work.

• Cutting and repairing techniques: making cuts and slits in the layers of fabric to reveal the secret strata of nature beneath, echoing the planet’s fragility.

• How to make the best use of sketchbooks, maps and mapping to record inspiration from time spent in nature.

• A variety of strategies for overcoming artist’s block, from revisiting past diaries and sketchbooks to interacting differently with your local environment. 

Throughout, the author constantly challenges the felt process, discovering a new creative working practice through connecting with the outside world.

Richly illustrated with exciting examples of the author’s beautiful and reflective work, this inspirational and practical guide will appeal to textile and felt artists of all levels.

A happy plant makes for a happy home and a happy life; find the right plant for each room.

Indoor plants have never been so important as we realise the power of their presence in making us feel calmer and more connected to nature. But dying plants around the house are negatives you could do without!

This unique guide from an indoor plant expert explains what plants you should keep in each room, and whereabouts. It contains:

• Easy-to-understand but horticulturally accurate information on what affects plants in each room – light, humidity and temperature.

• What typically makes each room different, which plants best suit which room, and how to care for them so that you and the plant are happy. 

• Working with individual microclimates within that room – for example, a plant that might work on a coffee table in the middle of a room might not work on a bookshelf next to a window.

• Invaluable information on how to arrange the plants to make stunning arrangements for your home interior. 

The first half of the book focuses on the five key rooms in any home, with ideas for the reader who wants to green up specific rooms, while the second half is a comprehensive directory of house plants. Each entry has information on light level requirements and tolerance, detailed information on care and colour inspiration for styling the plant. Each plant is also rated by difficulty. 

This is the most practical guide to building an indoor garden, room by room, to ensure happy plants, a happy home and happy humans. 

This beautifully illustrated guide to French Bulldogs is packed with tips and tricks to keep your furry friends happy and healthy.

A companion dog par excellence, the French Bulldog now ranks as the most popular breed in the USA and the second most popular in the UK. This immense popularity is hardly a surprise; Frenchies are incredibly loyal and form deep attachments to their owners, they don’t need a huge house or exhaustive exercise and are generally happy curled up in your arms. However, there are many things to consider when you bring a French Bulldog into your home:

• How often should I walk them?

• How much training will they need?

• Am I overfeeding them or are the frequent gaseous emissions quite normal?

• How do I manage separation anxiety?

This playful and informative book, written from the perspective of your dog, covers everything you need to know about this ultimate companion while celebrating their affectionate personalities that demand attention. The puppy months, diet and training are covered along with advice on grooming, maintaining good health and identifying illnesses. 

Richly illustrated by Meredith Jensen and packed with adorable photographs of beloved pets, dog lovers, owners and enthusiasts will adore this playful celebration of French Bulldogs.

Also available in this adorable series on dog breeds are Whippets and Labradors.

From the Ghostbusters HQ in New York to Nemo’s fish tank in Sydney, from the Phantom of the Opera’s Parisian lair to scenes from Grand Theft Auto in LA, this is an amazing atlas of imaginary locations in real-life cities around the world. Locations from film, TV, books, computer games and comics are ingeniously plotted on a series of beautiful vintage-looking maps.

Feauturing 14 of the world’s greatest cities, the maps show exactly where your favourite characters lived, loved, worked and played, and where iconic scenes took place. The locations have been painstakingly tracked down, mapped, annotated and wittily divulged by the authors, and an extensive index helps you find them all. Within the pages of this book, you’ll discover:

• Where in London super-spies James Bond and George Smiley are neighbours.

• The route of the exciting San Francisco car chase in Bullitt.

• The Tokyo homes of all the magical girls from the classic Sailor Moon anime.

And many more fascinating locations drawn from the world’s imagination.

Accompanying the maps are illuminating essays that explain how the authors came to their decisions, along with explorations of the key locations and fun timelines of imaginary events. Find out how to get to Sesame Street, where to join Starfleet and thousands of other places besides, in this indispensable guidebook to all those places you always wanted to visit – if only they were real. 

A beautifully illustrated collection of famous poems written about birds to read and cherish as a source of comfort and joy.

Poets have long looked to birds for inspiration and this anthology of 65 poems is an ode to the myriad of way that these creatures bring us joy and solace. The poets here represented are amongst the greatest who have ever lived, and their joint celebration of a common theme has resulted in an enchanting book.

Amongst the poets whose work is included are Blake, Shakespeare and Wordsworth; Tennyson, Keats and Shelley; twentieth-century writers, amongst them Yeats, Laurie Lee and Ted Hughes; and such American poets as Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost and Theodore Roethke.

Each poem is illustrated by iconic artworks by JJ Audubon, creating a beautiful book to cherish for years to come. 

A creative and beautiful book packed with inspiring ideas to help you capture likenesses and explore personalities in stitch, from a well-loved textile artist.

Anne Kelly’s evocative and nostalgic work often incorporates portraits – of friends, family, historical figures and even pets. Within these pages she shares her approach to textile portraiture, bringing in a wealth of different embroidery techniques, including hand and machine embroidery, quilting and appliqué, to render in cloth the nuances of facial expressions and the personalities of her subjects. The book covers:

• Selfies at Home: making the perfect self-portrait in cloth.

• Representation and Culture: how portraits have been used in textile art for cultural expression around the world.

• Stylized Imagery: going beyond the traditional portrait into abstraction.

• Place and Time: creating a sense of place with portraiture, sometimes incorporating photographs.

• Narratives: how to create a fuller story using deeply personal ephemera and related imagery.

• Pet Projects: immortalising your pets in your textile work.

Beautifully illustrated with stunning examples of her own work and that of intriguing textile artists who specialise in portraiture from around the world, this is the ideal book for embroiderers and textile artists who want to introduce this often tricky subject area into their work. 

Innovative techniques in painting woodlands from renowned artist Ann Blockley.

Watercolourist Ann Blockley is known for her striking and intriguing paintings of natural landscapes. In this beautiful guide she explores woodlands in a variety of interpretations, from tangled groves and ancient trees to fiery leaves and springtime orchards.

With simple instructions and easy-to-follow demonstrations throughout, the book draws inspiration from forest poetry, birdsong and folklore. There’s practical advice on working outside, experimenting with mixing colours (especially greens), playing with water effects, using salt and granulation, mark-making and spattering with found objects such as leaves and twigs, creating texture with gesso and working with collage. Other techniques include working with oak gall ink and charcoal, and how to incorporate words, text and photo transfer.

The book is illustrated throughout with stunning examples of Blockley’s colourful, expressive work, including a case study of her own woodland garden. Also showcased are works by fellow artists from The Arborealist group, the Royal Institute, and the Pastel Society to inspire you further.

Pushing the boundaries of watercolour and other mixed media, this delightful wander through the woods is the ideal companion for both beginners and the more experienced landscape painter who wishes to take their painting to the next level.

‘This book combines great works of art with great thoughts from the likes of Sophocles, Harriet Tubman and Charlie Chaplin….. Intended to be a "journey" to help you through any stage of life, this book will leave your soul feeling well and truly soothed.’ – Katharine Spurrier, Daily Mail

SHORTLISTED for best Wellbeing Book in the Health & Wellbeing Awards 2023.

Take a transformative journey to improve your mental wellbeing with this sumptuous collection of 80 paintings and uplifting quotes.

Ravenous Butterflies is the online brainchild of artist Lisa Azarmi and was designed to provide a safe sanctuary for emotional wellbeing. An Apothecary of Art is a soothing blend of 80 beautiful paintings and inspiring, comforting and uplifting quotes to lift the spirit, calm the mind and heal the soul. 

The contents page is artfully divided into 24 emotional journeys that suggest routes in which to navigate the book to explore different feelings along the way, and to provide comfort and solace in difficult times. Within these pages you will find both the works of world-renowned masters and the paintings of lesser-known talents paired with uplifting thoughts from great poets, writers and thinkers. A biographical section on the featured artists will provide context on your new favourite finds.

This inspiring debut collection from Ravenous Butterflies features 80 exquisite works of art from the likes of Modigliani, Hasui Kawase, and Thomas Cooper Gotch with accompanying quotes from inspirational voices including Sappho, Pablo Neruda and Harriet Tubman. This illumination of the power of art as a source of wellbeing is modern yet timelessly beautiful – the perfect book to dip into to lift your spirits.

A beautifully illustrated account of the letters and correspondence of Jane Austen.

It has been said that Jane Austen the woman and Jane Austen the author are all of a piece, and nowhere is this more evident to the lovers of her novels than in the pages of her letters. This handsome celebration of Austen’s letters is illustrated with portraits, facsimile letters, topographical engravings and fashion plates, all helping to bring to life the world Jane Austen inhabited.

The letters, with an accompanying commentary by Penelope Hughes-Hallett, are separated into six periods of Jane Austen’s life, between the years 1796, when she was twenty, and 1817, the year of her death. They celebrate Jane Austen’s talent for expressing exactly what she perceived, making this an illuminating companion to her novels. Although the book follows a broadly chronological scheme, the letters are arranged round visual themes, including the Hampshire countryside, social life in Bath and London, domestic pursuits, paying visits and travelling by carriage.

The author, who was born in Jane Austen’s Hampshire village of Steventon, lectured on English Literature for the Open University and the Oxford University Department of External Studies. 

Make your own beautiful mid-century wooden objects for the home.

With over 80 projects, from the simple to the advanced, this is the perfect book to progress your woodworking skills and create something beautiful for your home. These sought-after classic designs from the 1950s and 60s include a range of items for home and garden, simple display shelves, bookends and a tray to a chest of drawers and a desk. 

Every project includes a clear pattern and diagrams, detailed step-by-step instructions and  illustrations of the finished pieces. The projects are arranged by level of difficulty as you go through the book; some suit those fairly new to woodworking and some work best for more experienced hands. Packed with useful tips and hints, and featuring spotlights on individual techniques within every chapter, this book is perfect not just as a project book but as a way to build up your knowledge. No complicated equipment is needed and all projects can be made at home. 

So whether you want the iconic curves of a mid-century coffee table, the warmth of walnut wood in a cabinet or the clean lines in an easy chair, this book has it all.  

A fun and accessible guide to painting flowers in watercolour with step-by-step exercises.

World-renowned artist Trevor Waugh reveals the secrets of painting flowers in watercolour in this fun, easy-to-follow book. Focusing on the techniques that matter the most, you’ll be able to start producing better flower paintings in the space of an afternoon. 

The book includes expert guidance on all aspects of flower painting in watercolour, including the basic shapes and how to combine them, how to design the perfect composition and how to create subtle and evocative effects. The author shares tips on how to use colour to create realistic-looking flowers and foliage, his go-to basic palette and details on how to create beautiful, nuanced colour mixes. There is also a section on how to achieve real artistry in your work, using hard and soft edges, clever observation and different angles to perfect your work. 

Armed with this beautiful book, packed with breathtaking inspirational paintings and a selection of helpful step-by-step demonstration sequences, you’ll become an expert flower painting in no time at all.

A practical and inspirational guide to textile folk art from cultures all around the world, accompanied by step-by-step projects.

From samplers and quilts in Europe, to tribal and nomadic cloth further afield in Mongolia and China, folk and traditional designs have played a crucial part in the development of textile art and craft. In this book, Anne Kelly explores the traditional motifs used in textile folk art and shows you how contemporary textile artists use these in their work today. The beautifully illustrated guide is also packed with helpful step-by-step projects that demonstrate how to apply folk motifs to your own work.

Drawing inspiration from the Far East to Scandinavia, artists and designers have often used folk art to influence their work. Beginning with the chapter ‘Samplers in Stitch’, Anne looks into handmade momentoes and souvenirs created in the UK and USA. Samplers as statement pieces are also explored and are contextualised within the role of women and children recording their personal histories and lives. ‘Nordic Notes’ then looks at Scandinavian traditional textile art, and how modern screen printing and embroidery have been used by contemporary makers. ‘Silk Road’ looks at the influence of nomadic cultures and textiles, including yurts in Mongolia and Miao folklore in China. Projects on how to make felt, pouched and jewellery are also covered. Lastly, ‘Trees of Life’ looks the motif of the tree in a variety of cultures. Anne also looks at traditional techniques from South Asia and how to create your own ‘Family Tree’ using photo transfers and appliqué.

Featuring step-by-step projects as well as work from contemporary artists and makers throughout, this practical and beautiful guide shows how practitioners of all kinds can draw from folk art for making and inspiration.