Heartfelt + handmade = the perfect gift. In Simple Gifts, Jennifer Worick offers step-by-step instructions for creating easy and inspired handmade gifts that won’t break the bank. Learn how to stitch a wine bag for your favorite foodie, sew pajama pants for a tried-and-true friend, roast coffee beans for an office pal, or felt a ring for your sweetheart. Also included is Jennifer’s helpful, witty advice on choosing the right gift for anyone-man, woman, or child-and how to wrap up your present with style.

            From a sweet knitted apron to a hand-embroidered handkerchief, personalized note cards to soothing natural lip balm, a quilted baby blanket to a manly wooden toolbox, these heartfelt, handmade gifts are certain to wow and touch your loved ones.

Art Circus! takes the reader on a magical journey into the artistic world where they can discover their creative muse which is waiting to come out and play. It is at heart a technique book for altered artists, but is housed within a wonderful, spectacular fantasy land. The book will bring the reader, the daydreamer, the explorer, the artist, to a place have never been, where they can unleash their artistic dreams and explore hidden worlds through cutting-edge techniques, creative projects, and beautiful images.

The book will include easy tutorials on basic digital altering effects for new and vintage images, step by step instruction for projects, a gallery of inspirational projects from other artists, and clip art and vintage images for readers to use in their own projects. The book will cover digital and paper alteration, creating from found and household objects (jars and boxes), will feature playful illustration, vintage imagery, and use a myriad of other mixed-media materials ranging from glitter and wire to crinolin and coloring agents.

In this unique and beautiful book, beloved doll-designer Barbara Willis guides readers through various approaches to doll design and basic and advanced construction techniques. Through the creation of three complete step-by-step projects, readers will develop color boards, learn to use vintage images, create both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional cloth dolls, learn sophisticated costuming techniques, and gain knowledge of elaborate soft sculpting. A gallery shares the inspirational work of several well-known doll artists who have created their own versions of each project. Complete patterns and templates are included.

Since color is such a important part of graphic design, designers need the most up to date as well as the most fundamental, information on the subject to have the tools needed to use color effectively. From the meanings behind colors to working with color in presentations, this book provides readers with the vital information needed to apply color creatively and effectively to their design work. Readers also receive guidance on talking with clients about color and selling color ideas. The science behind color theory is also explained in easily understood language, and case studies are included to show the effects some color choices had on both their clients and consumers.

This book is simply the most compact and lucid handbook available outlining the basic principles of layout, typography, color usage, and space.

Being a creative designer is often about coming up with unique design solutions. Unfortunately, when the basic rules of design are ignored in an effort to be distinctive, design becomes useless. In language, a departure from the rules is only appreciated as great literature if recognition of the rules underlies the text. Graphic design is a "visual language," and brilliance is recognized in designers whose work seems to break all the rules, yet communicates its messages clearly.

This book is a fun and accessible handbook that presents the fundamentals of design in lists, tips, brief text, and examples. Chapters include Graphic Design: What It Is; What Are They and What Do They Do?; 20 Basic Rules of Good Design; Form and Space-The Basics; Color Fundamentals; Choosing and Using Type; The World of Imagery; Putting it All Together?Essential Layout Concepts; The Right Design Choices: 20 Reminders for Working Designers; and Breaking the Rules: When and Why to Challenge all the Rules of this Book.

Designers are used to working for clients, but there is nothing better than when the client is oneself. Graphic and product designers, who are skilled with the tools and masters aesthetics, are now in the forefront of this growing entrepreneur movement.

Whether personal or collective, drive is the common denominator of all entrepreneurial pursuit; of course, then comes the brilliant idea; and finally the fervent wherewithal to make and market the result. The Design Entrepreneur is the first book to survey this new field and showcase the innovators who are creating everything from books to furniture, clothes to magazines, plates to surfboards, and more.

Through case studies with designers like Dave Eggers, Maira Kalman, Charles Spencer Anderson, Seymour Chwast, Jet Mous, Nicholas Callaway, Jordi Duró, and over thirty more from the United States and Europe, this book explores the whys, hows, and wherefores of the conception and production processes. The design entrepreneur must take the leap away from the safety of the traditional designer role into the precarious territory where the public decides what works and what doesn’t. This is the book that shows how that is accomplished.

The design bar is at an all time high for those brave enough to participate in the industry. Today's designers must be clear on all the steps necessary to create work that stands out in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Unfortunately, most design books only focus on type, color, and layout issues. The Design Matters series takes a more in-depth approach, allowing designers to learn not only how to create work that is aesthetically appealing, but that is also strategy-driven and smart.

This book focuses on creating logos, while others in the series dissect brochures, packaging, publications, and letterhead systems. Each book offers all the essential information needed to execute strong designs in concert with beautiful and well-crafted examples, so readers can successfully hit the mark every time.