Arts & Skills Books

25 Kites That Fly - $6.00
Leslie Hunt. Full, easy-to-follow instructions for novel kites made from inexpensive materials. 70 illustrations. This is a reprint of a book first published in 1906. 110pp. Pb.

Antique Playing Cards - $29.00
Henry Rene d'Allemagne. Over 900 intriguing images from rare decks of playing cards used between the 14th and 20th centuries: Bacchus, death, dancing dogs, players cheating at cards, royal coats of arms, stylized versions of king, queen and other face cards, hunting scenes, much more. Immediately usable graphics for illustrators and a treasury of diverting subjects for those interested in the history of printing. Pb.

Art Nouveau Glass Painting Made Easy - $8.00
Alan D Gear & Barry L Freestone. Recreate the unmistakable style of Art Nouveau with 20 stunning glass painting projects inspired by celebrated artists such as William Morris, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, William De Morgan, Klimt, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Walter Crane, Charles Annesley Voyse and Clarice Cliff. All the basic tools and materials to complete the projects are explained in detail, while the basic techniques are comprehensively covered, demonstrated through illustrated, step-by-step instructions. Pb.

Authentic Turkish Designs - $12.00
Azade Akar. Plant and animal motifs, chain patterns, geometrical and symbolic motifs, architectural forms, stylized suns and moons, rosettes and borders, calligraphic lettering and Turkish adaptations of rococo — all derived from authentic sources — are among the many types of design illustrated in clear, easily reproducible images. 264 black-and-white illustrations. 48pp. Pb.

Beasts: Factual and Fantastic - $67.00
Elizabeth Morrison. This book features vivid and charming details from the wealth of manuscripts in the collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum and the British Library, along with a lively text; together both word and image provide an accessible and delightful introduction to the imagination of the medieval world. Hb.

The Blacksmith's Craft - $27.00
Charles McRaven. A Primer of tools and methods. A guide throught the process of building a simple forge from recycled materials, acquiring or crafting the basic tools, and learning the techniques to get you started in blacksmithing. Simple methods in easy-to-follow photos are throughout this book. 247pp. Pb.

Bookbinding: Its Background and Techniques - $39.00
Edith Diehl. This mammoth book by one of the world's foremost practitioners is two of her previous volumes bound as one. It is both an historical survey emphasizing decorated bindings, and an eminently practical guide to hand bookbinding. 93 plates, 242 figures. 748pp. Pb.

Celtic Carved Love Spoons - $35.00
Sharon Littley & Clive Griffin. Centuries ago, ardent young Welshmen began the tradition of creating beautiful wooden spoons, carved with appropriate romantic symbols, to give to the girl of their dreams. Lovespoons are still presented as tokens of affection and goodluck today. In this book two leading practitioners explain the background of their craft, reveal the techniques involved in creating these highly-prized objects, and show absolute beginners how to design and fashion love spoons of their own. 152pp. Pb.

Celtic Design Coloring Book - $9.00
Ed Sibbett Jr. Children and adults alike will enjoy adding their own hues to an array of interesting interlacings, geometric-animal combinations, decorative initials, and much more. Each design has been culled from authentic Celtic sources including Book of Kells. Captions accompany each illustration. 37 illustrations. 48pp. Pb.

Chainmail Jewelry - $36.00
Terry Taylor & Dylon White. Once used to create protective garments, chain mail techniques and patterns have now been adapted for jewelry making. This requires very few tools yet you'll be able to achieve impressive results. From an Inlaid Chain Mail Pendant to a Japanese Hexagonal Mail Collar, the 30 extraordinary projects will introduce you to a variety of exciting techniques for all skill levels. 144pp. Hb.

Chintz: Indian Textiles for the West - $67.00
Rosemary Crill. The word chintz has derived from the word “chint” meaning to sprinkle or spray. Painted textiles have been made in this technique for centuries for the domestic market and for trading. First exported to Europe in the 1600s Indian chintz textiles quickly captivated the western market and put chintz at the center of a revolution for dress and furnishing. Chintz has become to mean any cotton or linen printed furnishing fabric. This book focuses on beautiful early chintzes, presenting for the first time in color, the Victoria and Albert Museum’s world class collection of Indian chintz textiles made for the western market. All the pieces in the book are from south east India. Large hangings, bedcovers, and garments are shown in full and stunning up close color in splendid plates. Rosemary Crill explains both the complex process of making chintz, the rapid rise in its popularity and the considerable impact of these textiles both aesthetically and politically. 144pp. Hb.

The Complete Woodcuts of Albrecht Durer - $26.00
Albrecht Durer, Dr W Kurth. Old Testament, St. Jerome, Passion, Life of Virgin, Apocalypse; 346 in all. Introduction by Campbell Dodgson. It was in woodcut design that the creative genius of Dürer reached its highest expression. This is the only available source for many of these works. 285pp. Pb.

The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - $18.00
Edith Holden. Author Edith Holden was born in Kings Norton, Worcester, England in 1871. But it was in the small village of Olton in Warwickshire that she wrote and illustrated her famous diary in 1906. Reflected in her exquisite paintings, Edith Holden's love and perception of nature is obvious. It is a wonderful record of the diversity of the English countryside in the early 20th century, through her eyes. The exquisite beauty of her paintings touches your soul, with wonderfully blended colour and minute attention to detail. Her favourite poems are included, to enhance the theme or mood of the illustrations. Her diary entries are fascinating insights into the changing delights of nature brought forth by each season. Handwritten in Edith's beautiful copperplate handwriting, the text adds to the authentic feel of this book and the era in which it was penned. 192pp. Hb.

Crafter's Design Library: Celtic - $19.00
Chris Down. Choose from over 350 striking Celtic motifs, patterns and pictures and apply them to all your favourite crafts. There is an extensive user friendly library of designs providing a valuable asset for any craft worker. This includes a wealth of very clear and large-sized black and white motifs and patterns with a step-by-step guide to applying them to a range of craft media. Many of the designs in the book are derived from ancient sources and have been adapted to make them suitable for use in projects and craftwork today. 128pp. Pb.

Creating Handmade Books - $27.00
Alisa Golden. Take one piece of paper, a pair of scissors, and you have the tools to make a book! Add just a few other basic materials - glue, a needle and thread, a brush - and the possibilities become nearly endless. Cut and folded books, simple sewn structures, hanging scrolls, pocket books, and one based on a Jacob's Ladders! 160pp. Pb.

The English Dancing Master - $29.00
Or "Plaine and easie Rules for the Dancing of Country Dances, with the Tune to each Dance". John Playford. This classic book was first published in 1651 as a dance instruction manual. The tune accompanying each dance has been edited and put into modern notation. 104pp. Pb.

Fragrant Candles - $11.00
Rhondda Cleary. A practical guide to making candles for the home and garden. Pb.

Heraldic Crests: A Pictorial Archive of 4,424 Designs for Artists and Craftspeople - $41.00
James Fairbairn. This is a rich selection of royalty-free motifs from famous British references. They are striking, varied designs suitable for any number of graphic projects. Images include lions, tigers, wreaths, falcons, rosettes, human figures, mythical creatures, crowns, and much more. 320pp. Pb.

Heraldic Designs - $19.00
Hubert Allcock. Rich sourcebook of approximately 500 royalty-free, black-and-white designs traces history and meaning of the shield, symbols, crests, helmets, and blazonry, with special emphasis on such devices as beasts, monsters, human and part-human figures. American, British, French, and Russian costs of arms are displayed, as are insignias of the Pope and clergy, state seals, and emblems of modern institutions. 96pp. Pb.

Heraldry: A Pictorial Archive for Artists and Designers - $32.00
Arthur Charles Fox-Davies. A royalty-free treasury of 393 full-color, and 654 black-and-white illustrations. Authentic heraldic arms, lions, eagles, dragons, shields, crests, windows, etc. Also included are the arms of cities and towns, the arms of Edward the Black Prince, Milton, Maximilian I, and others. 160pp. Pb.

The History Of Furniture: Ancient to 19th Century - $49.00
Michael Huntley. A collection of articles featured in Furniture and Cabinetmaking magazine describing furniture from the Dark Ages to 1900AD. Lavishly illustrated with colour photographs supplied from the Sotheby's archive, along with hand-drawn illustrations. Michael was formerly head of Sothebys's furniture restoration workshops. 224pp. Pb.

The Holkham Bible Picture Book: A Facsimile - $125.00
Michelle P Brown. This celebrated medieval picture-book tells the Biblical story, with the help of illustrations of everyday 14th-century England. It is only loosely based on the Bible and includes plenty of apocryphal episodes, for example Christ 'surfing' on sunbeams as a child. The costumes, tools, weapons and buildings in the pictures give us a near documentary-style representation of many occupations in the age of Chaucer, such as dyer, smith, carpenter and midwife. This distinctive manuscript has now been carefully photographed and reproduced on special paper designed to replicate the look and feel of the original vellum. The facsimile includes Michelle's Brown's full transcript and translation of the text, and a commentary based on her unrivalled knowledge of the period. Hb.

The Illuminated Alphabet - $12.00
Theodore Menten. 50 great initials of the Middle Ages, all with remarkable, ready-to-color illuminations built into them: Biblical scenes, knights, martyrdoms, grotesque animals, geometrical ornament, scenes of war and play, musicians and much else from the treasury of medieval manuscripts. 48pp. Pb.

In The Unicorn's Garden: Recreating the Mystery and Magic of Medieval Gardens - $68.00
Judyth A McLeod. This unique, multilayered book recreates the mystery and magic of medieval gardens and provides the tools for designing these inspiring gardens for yourself. Each chapter features a garden design based on a theme of significance in the medieval world. Chapters begin with an historical overview and a discussion of society, culture, religion and mythology in relation to each theme. Each design is illustrated with original watercolours and they are all suitable for an average suburban garden plot. 288pp. Hb.

Leather & Leatherworking in Anglo-Scandinavian and Medieval York - $75.00
Quita Mould. This volume provides a general outline of the methods of shoemaking, sheath and scabbard making and the decorative techniques employed, as well as detailed descriptions of the leather items themselves. Also included is a summary of the Anglo-Scandinavian shoe and sheath assemblages in the British Isles. It gives an impression of the leatherworking industry, including tanning, tools, and peripheral industries revolving around leather. 200pp. Pb.

Living in Celtic Homes - $20.00
Phillipa Fox. Celtic farming and fishing families once made everything they needed at home by hand, from natural materials. They fashioned kitchenware and furniture from moss and straw, pine resin and whalebone or driftwood and seashells. Whether creating a song or a whisky cup there was a sense of pleasure in getting it right, and an instinct for beauty - this life was full of art. Accompanied by over 30 original illustrations from the Hebridean Islands to the mountains of Donegal, here is a story of lives spent in the open air and by the fireside, weaving, spinning, mending nets, or singing, dancing and storytelling. 120pp. Pb.

Making Glass Beads - $24.00
Cindy Jenkins. Discover the art of glass beadmaking and learn many of the secrets that were guarded for centuries by Venetian glassmakers. Begin with basic methods for making and decorating beads, and go on to dozens of techniques described in step-by-step detail. Lavishly illustrated. 112pp. Pb.

Medieval Jewellery in Europe 1100-1500 - $51.00
Marian Campbell. This book draws on the important collection at the V&A to focus on the heart of the medieval period from 1050 to 1500. The jewellery worn in medieval Europe was important as an indicator of the wearer's social status and wealth, faith and superstition, allegiances and literacy. Royalty and the nobility wore gold, silver or precious gems, the costliest jewellery, while humbler ranks wore base metals, copper or pewter, sometimes set with coloured glass, in imitation of gems. This richly illustrated book looks at the jewels themselves and contemporary portraits and sculpture to place the jewellery in its cultural context. 112pp. Hb.

Medieval Woodcut Illustrations - $18.00
Carol Grafton. Comparable to the Gutenberg Bible in its magnificent craftsmanship, The Nuremberg Chronicle, a 1493 history of the world, contains some of the most beautiful woodcuts ever designed. This splendid selection depicts 91 locales—Athens, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Jerusalem, Venice, Prague, Munich, Nuremberg, Florence, and many others, plus 143 illustrations of figures and decorative objects. Designed by a team of artists headed by Pleydenwurff and Wolgemut that included apprentice Albrecht Dürer. 194 royalty-free black-and-white illus. 96pp. Pb.

Printing by Hand - $42.00
Lena Corwin. A Guide to Printing with Handmade Stamps, Stencils, and Silk Screens. Learn the three primary methods for creating printing tools then printing by hand: stenciling, stamping, and screen printing. Step- by-step instructions and detailed how-to photographs make each imaginative project easy to execute with either Corwin’s original artwork or one’s own design. Projects range from stationary and clothing to furniture and wall embellishments. 144pp. Hb.

Shire Publications: Agricultural Hand Tools - $13.00
Roy Brigden. A range of tools, once familiar to the farmworker, gradually became obsolete during the twentieth century. This album describes these tools and the farming processes they performed in the period before the general dominance of the tractor and combine harvester.A range of tools, once familiar to the farmworker, gradually became obsolete during the twentieth century. This album describes these tools and the farming processes they performed in the period before the general dominance of the tractor and combine harvester.32pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Bellfounding - $13.00
Trevor S Jennings. The age-old craft of bellfounding involves specialised techniques and equipment that have been passed down through generations and are still used today. For centuries, the large bells in churches, clocks and public buildings throughout Britain have been cast, hung, and tuned by bellfounders and this book surveys the history of bell production and the development of moulding and casting techniques. To achieve the correct pitch each bell would be hand corrected with a hammer and chisel, an extremely noisy process which continued until the nineteenth century when the mechanised lathe was introduced. This book describes the intricate tuning process and the role of the bellfounder and specially prepared photographs illustrate the production process of some of the most famous foundries in Britain, such as those at Whitechapel and Loughborough. 32pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Charcoal and Charcoal Burning - $13.00
D W Kelley. This book describes the rapid growth of the charcoal industry up to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and how the emphasis of development changed to the production and refining of charcoal's by-products - acetic acid, tar and wood spirit - for the textile industry and the rapidly growing chemical industries. 32pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Cidermaking - $13.00
Michael B Quinion. Cider has been made in pastoral areas of Britain and north-western Europe since ancient times and the techniques of rural cider makers are still in use today. This book explains the methods and traditions of the rustic orchardist and farm cider maker and describes the procedures of the travelling Victorian with his portable cider mill and press. The author also discusses modern, factory-based cider production, influenced by the time-honoured customs of the past, yet adapted to producing large quantities of cider for the mass consumer markets of the twentieth century. 32pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Clay and Cob Buildings - $16.00
John McCann. This book describes the various processes of building with earth, examines the regional patterns and illustrates standing buildings of clay and cob in many parts of Britain. 64pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Coopers and Coopering - $16.00
Kenneth Kilby. This book seeks to preserve the memory of the coopers skills, tracing the history of the craft and describing and illustrating how a barrel was made. 56pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Dry Stone Walls - $13.00
Lawrence Garner. This book explains the reasons for building dry stone walls, the story of their development, technical details of their construction, regional styles and the state of the craft today. 40pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Early Anglo-Saxon Coins - $18.00
Gareth Williams. Coins are among the most important sources of information for the Anglo-Saxon period. In addition to what they tell us about the Anglo-Saxon economy, the combination of inscriptions and images provide evidence about kingship, religion and cultural identity. Written by one of the foremost experts on Anglo-Saxon coins, this book provides an overview of Anglo-Saxon coins in their historical context, drawing on recent finds as well as famous treasures to provide an authoritative account of current interpretations. It covers the period from the Anglo-Saxon settlements of the fifth century, through the emergence of the great kingdoms of Kent, East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria and Wessex, to the Viking invasions of the mid-ninth century and the conquest of all the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms apart from the Wessex of Alfred the Great. 64pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Early Firearms 1300-1800 - $16.00
Michael Spencer. This book provides a general summary of the history of European firearms, from the earliest designs which appeared during the Middle Ages through to the mechanised weapon production of the Industrial Revolution. Covering the dual inventions of gunpowder and the gun, the development of reliable firing mechanisms, improvements in accuracy and rate of fire and the revolutionary changes brought about by the application of scientific and industrial processes, Michael Spencer explains the technical evolution of the firearm and analyses what drove these changes.Built around an accurate dating framework, this is an invaluable resource for both military historians and firearms collectors, and includes an array of illustrations of rare firearms, difficult to find elsewhere in print. 48pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Falconry - $16.00
Emma Ford. The relationship established between man and bird is central to the ancient sport of falconry; to earn the trust of the bird, the falconer must show a great deal of patience, skill and intuition. This volume traces the history of falconry, providing a detailed guide as to how it is practised today. Emma Ford, a falconer since the age of six, describes the equipment required for the sport and, using photographs of the popular species, explains the characteristics that make them ideal hunting birds. With an emphasis on the contribution falconers make to the conservation of wild birds, this book is a complete guide to a sport that has remained largely unchanged for centuries. 48pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Flax and Linen - $13.00
Patricia Baines. Flax has been cultivated for thousands of years to produce the fibre to make linen. This book gives an account of the processes and tools involved in the production of linen from flax. The traditional methods, when the work was done by hand, are described, as well as some of the improvements and machines that have been developed. 32pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Medieval Roads and Tracks - $18.00
Paul Hindle. The medieval economy was centred on a phenomenal growth in trade of all kinds of goods, yet few have studied the actual network of roads that was so vital to medieval trading. Starting with the basic concept of a ‘road’ in medieval times, and discussing the increasing need to travel, this book explores the evidence from documents and maps that provide clues as to where the roads of medieval Britain led, connecting the study of individual roads together to paint an image of the broader road network. The author also uses findings from archaeological surveys and bird’s-eye-view photographs to trace the centuries-old routes and illustrate the winding tracks that once carried goods to market. 64pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Ploughs and Ploughing - $13.00
Roy Brigden. One of the most basic of agricultural operations, ploughing enriches and aerates the soil, producing a fertile seed bed ideal for the germination and growth of a new crop. The technology of ploughs has progressed a long way from the primitive prehistoric ard to the tractor-mounted power-controlled multi-furrow reversible plough of today but the process of ploughing remains essentially the same. This book examines the development of ploughs and their motive power (including oxen, horses, steam engines and tractors) from earliest times and shows how ploughing has evolved as man’s understanding of the scientific processes has increased. 32pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Real Tennis - $13.00
Kathryn McNicoll. This book gives an overview of the game, looking particularly at its history, other related ball games, its equipment and rules, its heroes, villains and victims. 40pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Shoemaking - $13.00
June Swann. Before the 1920s everyone knew the local cobbler, a worthy representative of the ‘gentle craft’, who repaired shoes and made them look like new for a few pence. This book tells the story of shoemaking from the days of the isolated shoemaker, who made a shoe right through, to the groups of men who worked with apprentices in larger towns and served the customer direct. It shows the growth of mass production in the seventeenth century. Finally the book shows the late development of mechanisation in the 1850s and the rigidity it imposed. 32pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Spinning and Spinning Wheels - $13.00
Eliza Leadbeater. Spinning and Spinning Wheels traces the evolution of the ancient skill of spinning, from the early spindle, through the introduction of the wool and the flax wheel, to the numerous variations of the wheel in Europe and North America. The author surveys these different models and explains the principles of spinning that have essentially remained the same for generations. Providing insight into the mechanics of the U-flyer and the tools and accessories used in the craft, this volume is a timeless and valuable source of information to craftsmen, collectors and historians. 32pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Sundials - $16.00
Christopher St J. H. Daniel. Sundials have played an important role in regulating the daily life of mankind throughout Europe and the British Isles. This text describes and illustrates each particular class of sundial likely to be found on buildings, in churchyards, public squares, and remote countryside locations. 48pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Textiles in Archaeology - $18.00
John Peter Wild. Growing enthusiasm for handspinning and weaving as studio crafts and increasing awareness of the value of organic materials have led to wider interest in archaeological textiles. Although textiles are not common finds, textile implements are, and this book shows how both contribute to our appreciation of a universal ancient craft. Geographically this book is concerned with Britain and Europe and in time ranges from the neolithic to the medieval period. The processes of spinning and weaving are explained and illustrated and the reader is taken through early textile manufacture. Unusual textile terms are explained and illustrated in a glossary. 72pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Thatch and Thatching - $16.00
Jacqueline Fearn. Thatching is a craft most people know nothing about and which is commonly thought to be dying out. This book outlines the history of thatching in Britain from its use as the commonest form of roofing and explains how the thatcher works with his traditional materials. 64pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Walled Kitchen Gardens - $15.00
Susan Campbell. Walled kitchen gardens were found in the grounds of most large country houses in Britain and Ireland. They were designed to provide a continual supply of fruit, flowers and vegetables. The remains of these gardens can still be seen, some converted to other uses, some simply abandoned. This book examines the history of these old kitchen gardens. 56pp. Pb.

Shire Publications: Wattle and Daub - $13.00
Paula Sunshine. Sticks (wattle) and clay or earth (daub) has been used to fill gaps in wooden framework buildings. This book explains the technique and mysteries surrounding this building method. 40pp. Pb.

Tan Your Hide - $18.00
Phyllis Hobson. Here is explained just what you need to tan your own leather and fur, and all the steps involved in doing it right. The end result is a handsome and durable homemade article that will last for many years. And once you have tanned your furs and leathers, the second half of the book tells you how to make basic fur and leather products, with patterns you can follow for certain success. 135pp. Pb.

Treasures From the Earth - $9.00
Kathy Lamancusa. A harvest of 75 innovative ideas inspired by nature's bounty! Design techniques. step-by-step instructions and a comprehensive botanical glossary. Projects include : wreaths, potpourri of herbs, fruit and flowers, shell ideas, and garden ideas. 160pp. Pb.

Wheat Weaving & Straw Craft: From Simple Plaits to Exquisite Designs - $15.00
Morgyn G Owens-Celli. This ancient folk art begins with basic plaits and progresses to knots and spirals. In fact, the author spent 6,000 hours over a 5-year period designing and constructing a spiral castle which is photographed in the book in its finished glory. Nonetheless, the book was written for all levels and the chapters are filled with designs rated for various skill levels. You start off by learning the 6 hand positions and how to make basic plaits. Purses, hats, and decorations are a few of the possibilities. In all, 34 projects are shown with clear directions, concise text, and closeup photos. 143pp. Pb.

Women's Institute Book of Country Crafts - $15.00
A collection of traditional skills. A practical guide to the basic techniques, equipment and materials for making corn dollies, spinning, dyeing, weaving and basketry. 192pp. Hb.