Search Results for: Hobbies

Retired professor Andrew Basnett had been at a loose end since he’d finished writing his book, and a country visit with friends seemed just the diversion he needed.

But when seven friends gather to welcome him to their village, conviviality soon turns to crime as guests suddenly start dying – and Basnett finds himself seeking a clever killer who is sure to strike again.

‘Her fans will love it’ Kirkus Reviews

When a woodcutter and his scheming wife abandon Hansel and Gretel in the forest, all hope is lost until they come upon a cottage made of tasty sweets. But the owner is not the kindly old woman she pretends to be. Can Gretel save Hansel from the clutches of a hungry witch? Holly Hobbie’s masterful watercolors reach new heights in this spine-tingling rendition of the tale, faithful to the beloved classic.

Look carefully. There may be a gem in your garden. That is the lesson that a granddaughter teaches her grandmother – and that the grandmother then memorializes in the treasured keepsake of a picture book that she paints for the little girl.

For nearly four decades, watercolorist Holly Hobbie has drawn inspiration from the wonders of nature. During one especially hard winter, she found herself imagining the story of a determined toad’s spring journey. Her vivid depiction of this endearing creature’s glorious yet fragile world is a sparkling celebration of survival and renewal. From the muddy brown road outside a farmhouse to the sweet-smelling garden to the cool lily pads in the pond, readers will feel their senses rejuvenated by Holly Hobbie’s gemlike, detailed paintings in this nearly wordless work.

In the second Fanny adventure, Fanny writes her first picture book. Since Annabelle, her doll, was Fanny’s first creation, it’s fitting she should star in the story. Annabelle’s adventure ends up mirroring Fanny’s own life as they both manage to give the perfect birthday gift to a loved one. With Holly Hobbie’s heartwarming art mixed with Fanny’s own delightfully naïve drawings, Annabelle’s Adventure will remind you of why we fell in love with adorable, relatable Fanny.

It’s summertime, and Toot and Puddle’s little cousin, Opal, is visiting Woodcock Pocket when she discovers that she has a loose tooth. Opal carefully places it under her pillow and hopes the tooth fairy will bring her a shiny quarter.
Worried that the tooth fairy might get lost on the way, Puddle puts on a special costume so that Opal won’t be disappointed. But will the real tooth fairy show up after all?

Reminiscent of Dr Seuss and Hilary Knight, here is a clever read-aloud about a little girl who lives on a planet where everything is pink. Priscilla dreams of seeing the world in other colours and ends up teaching the Great Queen of Pink that diversity leads to true beauty.
Priscilla’s story is told in lyrical verse and young girls will enjoy reading her pink planet adventure aloud.

Reminiscent of Dr. Seuss and Hilary Knight, here is another clever read-aloud starring Priscilla, who is bored to tears as rain comes down in buckets for days on end. When our intrepid heroine ventures outdoors to perform a Rain-Stopping Dance, she meets Posy the Pixie Princess, who shows her around the magical Land of Primrose and teaches her to appreciate both rain and sunshine.

Priscilla’s story is told in lyrical verse and young girls will enjoy reading her pixie land adventure aloud.

Ricky is an ordinary ten-year-old boy, who dreams of being famous. And he has a secret that might just help him realise this dream. Because Ricky can fly. Truly. He can really fly. But there’s a hitch. He can only fly when absolutely no one is looking. If a person, or an animal, or a bird sees him while he’s flying, he will fall out of the sky and almost certainly die. Will he risk flying in public, just for a shot at being something more than ordinary?

Saving chickens from a flood, escaping a raging bushfire and impressing Samantha (again!) are just some of Ricky’s challenges in these two hilarious stories, told in words and cartoon pictures.

In her fresh imagining of Clement C. Moore’s timeless classic, acclaimed watercolorist Holly Hobbie introduces an entirely new character to capture the magic and heighten the wonder of this exciting, mysterious time. Her inimitable illustrations glow with warmth and feeling and will transport you to a place where anything can happen.

Monarchs are a favorite and familiar North American butterfly, and their incredible annual migration has captured the popular imagination for generations. As populations of monarchs decline dramatically due to habitat loss and climate change, interest in and enthusiasm for protecting these beloved pollinators has skyrocketed. With easy-to-read text and colorful, engaging illustrations, Monarch Butterflies presents young readers with rich, detailed information about the monarchs’ life cycle, anatomy, and the wonders of their signature migration, as well as how to raise monarchs at home and the cultural significance of monarchs in Day of the Dead celebrations. As the book considers how human behavior has harmed monarchs, it offers substantive ways kids can help make a positive difference. Children will learn how to turn lawns into native plant gardens, become involved in citizen science efforts such as tagging migrating monarchs and participating in population counts, and support organizations that work to conserve butterflies.

A fascinating hobby; a remunerative business; or a globetrotting career? Which type of beekeeper do you want to be? It is entirely up to you: beekeeping can provide it all.Beekeeping can provide anyone with an interesting and useful hobby or a lucrative and rewarding business. It is recognised as a vital agricultural industry and can therefore also offer you a globe trotting career. The whole subject is, however, often shrouded in mystery and loaded with jargon, leaving many people unaware of its true potential or how to start. This book strips away all the mystery and explains step by step how – from day one – you can start beekeeping as a hobby; how you can progress to running a beekeeping business; or how you can start a career as a beekeeper which can quite easily take you all over the world. No other guide explains in such detail the true potential and accessibility of beekeeping or of being a beekeeper.

“It might sound odd, but I can honestly say knitting has saved my life.”

When mental illness strikes, we need tools at our side to help make things better, that give meaning, relief and dare we say…happiness. From wild swimming and mindful running, to community singing and everyday yoga, the inspiring stories in this book reveal the power of activities and hobbies to distract, exorcise and calm, helping us to heal and recover from depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses.

From the team behind the bestselling The Recovery Letters, this honest, uplifting and motivational book will help you to discover the activity or hobby that will transform your life and make every day that much brighter.

This book offers those who may be thinking of building their own own shed practical constructional advice and use of materials; all of the sheds in the book have actually been built, and are not just ideas. It contains interesting stories about the shed owners and how they overcame problems or how they found unusual, cheap solutions (such as the use of old printing plates for roofing). Each shed, and its contents, gives an interesting insight into its owner’s character.

If you think you need a boarding pass to fly, you’re really missing out…

Today, drones are everywhere. From film studios to farms, they’re in the hands of photographers, commercial surveyors and racers alike.

This fully illustrated book explains how drones developed, where they’re going and which one you should choose.

It even includes complete instructions to build both a simple drone and a super-fast FPV racer yourself.

Whether you’re flying indoors or out, buying or building, this book covers everything:

¦ Understand the Jargon Flying has a lot of unfamiliar terminology, but this book will make it easy to master.

¦ Business or Pleasure Every type of multicopter you might want is introduced, including explanations of which is best suited for what role.

¦ Get the Best Pictures This edition includes an extended guide to the tech and composition tricks you can use to make your pictures stand out of the pack.

¦ Get the Best Video A new shot-guide shows you how to get the most engaging aerial video, whatever your drone.

¦ Be a Winning FPV Racer There are two complete step-by-step instructions for building your own drones inside: an FPV racer, or a surprisingly cheap wooden drone – both great projects.

Following the worldwide success of the first edition, which has been translated into numerous languages, this second edition is not only fully updated to keep pace with the laws and technology, but also extended to thoroughly cover the fast-growing new sport of FPV drone racing, while still including a comprehensive guide to learning to fly any drone.

Introduction by acclaimed LEGO artist, Nathan Sawaya

Discover the best LEGO builds ever created with this celebration of the most impressive models from around the world.

This book showcases LEGO art across a variety of themes, including super structures, entire towns and modes of transport. It takes a fresh look at past favourites as well as featuring the latest ‘super builds’ from creators all over the world. The LEGO models created by these master builders are carefully constructed using only standard LEGO pieces.

Packed with artwork and quirky trivia, this is the ultimate treat for LEGO fans of all ages.

• 60 epic super builds


• Never-before-seen large-scale models


• From the creators of the bestselling book Brick City

From ornate Mehndi patterns painted on Indian women’s feet to traditional sugar cane skulls to celebrate the Mexican Day of the Dead, the world is full of exotic and intricate patterns – when you look for them, they are everywhere. This book takes you on a trip through the continents, highlighting the beauty to be found along the way – on clothing, pottery, motifs and buildings – and the pages give you plenty of space to come up with your own designs as well. Historical facts are scattered throughout so you can learn a little as you colour; immerse yourself in a variety of fascinating cultures with a different pattern on each page. Each of the patterns can be pulled out for you to use as decorations, and you can be as creative as you like. Carefully chosen footnotes invite you to play with colour palettes, experiment with free-drawing and take patterns into new directions. This stunning and inventive adult art series has been designed to fire up your creativity. Come and play!

Here’s a charmingly kitschy kit for the creative minded. A real snow globe is packaged with “snow” crystals, 4 interchangeable pieces (snowman, leaf, flower, and beach ball) to represent different seasons, and a 32-page guide that explains why snow globes have become such hot collectibles, and how to customize this one.

Find yourself in a world of gentle creatures and peaceful forests teeming with natural beauty. Stickertopia The Forest is an interactive book that combines gorgeous backgrounds with jewel-like stickers of woodland animals, trees and plants that you can use to construct your own world of wonder, one tiny detail at a time. Unleash your creativity, and bring these magical forests to life.

This book is the perfect gift for anyone who aspires to take their artworks to a new level of exquisite detail.

Marsha Greenberg returns with even more stunningly original doll-size fashions, flawlessly crafted from vintage handkerchiefs and paired witty lifestyle advice, in this newly re-designed and revised edition of Hankie Couture.

Featuring a gallery of 125 unique outfits and accessories, with 60 new fashions and fresh Hankie Couture girl “philosophy,” Hankie Couture showcases an infinite variety of doll-sized styles for every occasion, from pyjamas to wedding gowns. The book also includes a how-to-guide with patterns and easy-to-follow sewing instruction to help you craft your very own unique outfits. Whether you’re a crafter or doll enthusiast, Hankie Couture is the perfect book to unleash your imagination in transforming treasured heirlooms or colourful flea-market finds into one-of-a-kind fashion ensembles.

Are you a knitter, crocheter, crafter, or none of the above?This clever book gives yarn lovers,both knitters and non-knitters alike,50 fun ways to use their stashes without taking out their knitting needles. The projects are easy and simple, but with a modern aesthetic that manages to be both sophisticated and inviting. Get your hot glue gun fired up, adhere some pompoms to an old office chair, and make the most ho-hum seat in your house into a cozy piece of pop art furniture. Or treat your neck to a stylish infinity scarf. All you need is some bulky yarn and the ability to braid. This book will strike a chord with DIYers who love yarn but don’t always want to take the time and effort to knit something from it. Projects also include a Sputnik lamp shade, a welcome mat, friendship bracelets, and even a rehabbed woven lawn chair. Put away your needles and crochet hooks and create fabulous projects, from accessories to home goods and more!

Hankie Couture creator Marsha Greenberg shares her extraordinary gift for transforming vintage fabric into one-of-a-kind doll fashions. Now you can make them too! Doll Couture is an exquisite collection of fashions for 18-inch dolls,everything from dresses to pants, jumpers, blouses, and shoes,meticulously crafted from vintage handkerchiefs, table cloths, tea towels, laces, linens, pillowcases, table runners, and much more. Doll Couture showcases more than 100 of Marsha’s unique fashions and accessories. It’s more than a beautiful photo album though the book includes 10 original patterns and sewing instructions so you can get started turning fabrics you already own into new and beautiful creations. Presented in stylish, sophisticated photographs modeled by a doll of Marsha’s own design, and accented by sensibility quotes that highlight the designer’s philosophy and aesthetics, Doll Couture sets the stage for a fabulous world of doll fashion. It’s time to get started transforming your own treasured heirlooms or colourful flea-market finds into unique fashion ensembles!

Although Ashley Johnston is comfortable with a needle and thread,and really enjoys making handmade items for her children and home,she could certainly understand that sewing machines can strike fear and dread into the hearts of many crafters. The complicated machinery with the fussy parts as well as confusing pattern directions send many people running from any craft that requires sewing. No-Sew Love is filled with ideas for the non-sewing crafter or for the more casual sewist who would rather not haul out the sewing machine for a quick project. Materials all easily found at craft and fabric stores,hem tape, fusible webbing, a variety of glues, and of course, fabric,are all you need to whip up the 50 no-sew wonders in the book. There are throw pillows, grommet curtain panels, cute kids’ clothing, holiday decorations, and even accessories for you! Projects are photographed at each step for crystal-clear directions, and sure-to-please results.

The Art of Beadwork is the definitive reference guide for everything beadwork, offering crafters a compendium oftechniques for creating exquisite pieces of jewellery and accessories using beads, as well as instruction on a multitude of inspirational projects. This lavishly illustrated book is a complete manual of techniques for on- and off-loom beadweaving and beadwork, from using cylinder beads to rocailles, and czech glass knitting and crocheting with beads and much more. The descriptions for each technique includes instruction, step-by-step photos, diagrams, and (in many cases) life-sized swatches for crafters to compare with their work in progress. The book includes a Stitch Dictionary” as well as definitions of the myriad types of beads their composition, sizes, shapes, finishes, and how to use them. Clear instruction and step-by-step photos guide the reader through the steps of jewellery construction. Throughout the book is a unique collection of projects by author Jane Lock and other artists from around the world, showcasing beading techniques while inspiring both aspiring and advanced crafters to test their skills.

Wise Craft is a guide to the homemade life, turning old things into special new objects that enhance the home. Based on the popular blog of the same name, this guide focuses on creating a homemade atmosphere that reflects your family, without spending a fortune. Instead of throwing away old shirts and boring dishes, or passing up thrift store finds that aren’t quite right, author Blair Stocker teaches how to remake, adding special touches to make them work for her home,and yours . The book is divided into four seasonal chapters, with designs that reflect different holidays and the changing seasons, allowing you to update your home according to the weather outside. Many projects are portable or perfect to do during a family movie night, making the Wise Craft lifestyle an easy one to attain. Sixty projects include May Day cones and recycled floral mirror frames,perfect for a teenager’s room,plus throw pillow updates, a picnic blanket made from a pile of men’s shirts, spooky Halloween dishes, advent calendars, and recycled gift jars. Beautiful photography and illustrations make each project a snap, no matter your crafting background.