"Fast, slick and acerbically funny: buckle up and enjoy the ride." Guardian
"It reads like a marvellous mash-up of Anita Brookner and Quentin Tarantino." The Times
STARRED REVIEW «Rosende smoothly combines dark humor and farce with moving depictions of the grimmer aspects of life. Elmore Leonard fans will look forward to the sequel.» Publishers Weekly
The story is set in Uruguay, it starts in a Montevideo prison where Diego waits for his lawyer, the slick Dr Antinucci, always raybanned, chain-smoking, never frisked by the prison guards. Diego, betrayed by his partner in crime, was arrested for kidnapping a businessman. But charges will not be pressed. The businessman and his wife have described Diego as duped by his partner, certainly no master criminal, so he will be let out. But Antonucci has plans for him, a favour must be returned for his surprising freedom, he must join forces with the psychopath El Roto and hold up an armoured truck in Montevideo. The mad and hilarious caper includes the robbery of course which degenerates into appalling violence, a few murders, and the general bungling of affairs by all the men involved. It is the belittled women, including Police Inspector Lima, who end up the true heroines of the story. This seemingly classic lowlife crime story has a powerful message: never, ever underestimate the women. All told with excoriating wit and humour from the Rio de la Plata.
Stitch for a greener future with this stunning collection of environment and nature focused designs from leading cross stitch designer Emma Congdon. Whether it’s a plea to save the bees, clean up the oceans, appreciate nature, or unplug from technology, this celebration of the green movement in thread will remind us of the need to come together to build a brighter future, one stitch at a time. Emma's iconic designs are universally loved by her fans who have bought over 40,000 of her patterns on Etsy, and who have set up a dedicated fan group on Facebook, where they share their work in progress and proud finishes. This collection features 20 exclusive designs, each with an easy-to-read full colour and symbol chart. Alongside the designs, Emma shares her thoughts and inspirations for each one, with a detailed materials list and instructions for stitching. Beginners to cross stitch will find a helpful guide to the stitches and techniques used – and the beauty of cross stitch is that if you can sew one cross you can sew all these designs! The designs range in size from mini hoops to larger scale samplers, so there are options to suit everyone – and they all share Emma's skill with colour, typography and design which have made her one of the world's best-loved cross stitch designers. Sentiments include: We don't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children Pardon the weeds, we're feeding the bees Leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time Live gently on the Earth Never underestimate the difference you make The Earth has music for those who listen All good things are wild and free Take care of the Earth and she will take care of you Between two pines is a doorway to a new world The world is full of magic Cross Stitch for the Earth is printed on FSC paper, is recyclable, and every purchase includes a donation to Friends of the Earth, an environmental campaigning community dedicated to the wellbeing and protection of the natural world.
The ultimate guide to journaling, packed with prompts and ideas to spark creativity. For many people who want to keep a journal, the fear of the blank page can be a very real stumbling block, but is definitely something that can be resolved. In this essential guide, journaling expert Helen Colebrook offers up all her knowledge, tips and tricks to ensure you get truly bitten by the journaling bug. Through 101 layout examples, Helen shows you how to approach the design of a myriad of different journal pages, from mood trackers to gratitude spreads, monthly cover pages, daily, weekly and monthly planners, lists, project planners and more. She also covers ideas for junk journaling, adding watercolour to your journal and other ways to develop the artistic side of your journaling. This is a book that will be a constant companion, that you can use for inspiration whenever you need some new ideas for a fresh layout. But it's not just about the aesthetics of your journal – alongside the layouts Helen gives helpful prompts that will make you think about what you are journaling as much as how. These include thoughtful prompts and exercises to get you started on self-reflection and help you make writing a daily habit, alongside creative prompts to get your creative juices flowing. There are no end of ways to get creative in your journal and it can become a hugely relaxing and rewarding part of the process. The beauty of journaling is that there is no right or wrong, but sometimes we all need a little help and inspiration to help us get the most of this fulfilling hobby. This beautiful book is the perfect companion to Helen's debut book, Journal with Purpose , and alongside her YouTube tutorials and blog, will ensure you have all the tools and ideas you need to make your journal a thing of beauty and personal truth. With 101 layout ideas and 500 journal prompts… there's nothing stopping you from journaling with purpose too!
From soft pencils to graphite powder, ballpoint to fibre-tip pens, conté sticks to watercolour pencils, this unique guide covers everything you need to know to begin mastering and combining different media in your drawing. This visual directory of drawing techniques beyond the pencil provides you with the skills to explore and experiment with all the different techniques and mediums. Use it as a handy reference for when you want to know how to use a particular tool, or as a catalogue of inspiration when seeking new ideas to try. A wealth of media and equipment is demonstrated, and each page features invaluable information for beginners and accomplished artists alike. As the techniques progress, you’ll explore the creative possibilities beyond one medium, and be encouraged to look at your work and style in a new light. Use the examples shown to aid expression and skill development and to look at the myriad possibilities of mixed media, which have all been selected because of their compatibility. Start with basic graphite pencils, sticks and powder to explore line and tone, shading, creating textures and erasing. Then move on to coloured pencils to cover techniques such as burnishing, lifting and sgraffito. There are various interesting methods to try with water-soluble coloured pencils too, including different ways of applying water, blending and overlaying colours. Explore the effects that you can create with charcoal or conté sticks on different coloured and textured papers, and discover how to use pastel pencils and chalks for expressive drawing. Then master blending, shading and scumbling with hard and soft pastels, and perfect your techniques with crayons, oil pastels and oil paint sticks. There are some really interesting ways to use ink pens for painting effects and instructions are included for cutting your own quill pen. Ballpoint pens, fibre-tips, marker pens and brush pens are also great tools for creating modern, graphic drawings – pick up some handy tips for mark making and blending. Finally, experiment with mixed media and combining various pencils, pastels, crayons, powder, sticks and pens for some stunning results. Be inspired by the huge range of drawings in this book to expand and develop your own skills.
Welcome to the wonderful world of painting with gouache, with the creative guidance of popular artist and illustrator Zoe Ingram . In this comprehensive beginner's guide, Zoe shares everything she possibly can about getting started with gouache painting. Why gouache? Because this exciting paint medium creates opaque effects making it more vibrant and graphic than traditional watercolours, meaning you can layer it, paint on dark backgrounds and much more. Gouache is one of the easiest of paint mediums to use. It’s very forgiving and fun to use and is also versatile. Gouache paint can mimic watercolour and can give the opacity of oil paint if used with less water. You can use it to paint large, smooth, flat blocks of background colour and the finest lines and details. Gouache paint also dries quickly too, which is a big bonus! Starting at the very start, Zoe takes you through the basics and explains what tools and materials you’ll need, then explores a wide range of techniques and finally, there are a host of fun and vibrant step-by-step projects that you can follow along with or use as a springboard for your own ideas. Zoe Ingram’s distinctive art makes this book a visual treat, as she shows you how she paints a variety of subjects, from birds and bugs, to flowers and foliage, to abstract collages, hand lettering and patterns. Along the way you’ll learn about colour theory, colour mixing, sketching, washes, mark making, line work, overlaying, working on dark backgrounds, how to get crisp edges, how to add details, different approaches to collage and even how to digitise your work so that you can create repeat patterns and custom prints. In the projects section you can follow along step-by-step as Zoe paints a very handsome pheasant, a funky beetle pattern, a trendy houseplant, colourful caterpillars, bright butterflies, jumbled geometric patterns, a striking owl, pretty florals, creative lettering, a curious cat and a free-flow abstract floral piece – after which there will be no stopping you! Beautifully illustrated, expertly explained and a riot of colour, this book will kickstart your love affair with gouache, so all that's left is deciding how to pronounce it… “gooash”…“gwash”…“goo-uhsh”?!
A complete resource for furniture upholstering, regardless of your abilities, with easy-to-follow, illustrated instructions explaining all the essential upholstery techniques, from covering buttons to stripping and upholstering entire chairs. Build your skills at your own pace, with advice on the basics such as choosing materials and tools for the job and estimating yardage, as well as more complex upholstering techniques. It features invaluable advice on what to look for when buying second hand furniture, teaching you what's fixable and what's not as well as how to avoid costly mistakes by choosing the right stitches, and techniques and textiles for the job.
Make incredible art with ink! • Discover the vibrant world of alcohol ink, the creative craze that's the hottest new art trend since paint pouring. • Learn everything you need to know about working with this expressive medium and how to create striking ink art. • Follow over 20 step-by-step tutorials and benefit from expert tips plus a wealth of colourful DIY inspiration. Alcohol inks have exploded onto the art scene with the rise of fluid art techniques such as paint pouring. These accessible inks can be used to create stunning abstract art, even if you're a total beginner. Through step-by-step tutorials and exercises, you'll learn everything you need to know to get started with alcohol ink and how to combine techniques into incredible, bold and colourful, abstract art. As well as paintings on paper, you'll discover inspiration and advice on using the techniques to decorate a wide range of surfaces, including ceramics, plastic, glass, wood and more to make fashion and home accessories and striking handmade gifts.
A collection of boro-inspired projects and techniques which celebrates this traditional Japanese textile and its relevance to the modern sewer and quilter. Learn about the history of boro and how it is being revived for a new audience using contemporary fabrics including denim, linen and shibori tie dye as well as sashiko and other embroidery stitches. The word boro comes from the Japanese boroboro meaning something tattered or repaired. It refers to textiles that have been mended or patched together for utilitarian, not decorative, purposes to make the fabric stronger and warmer, and to mend torn and threadbare areas. The techniques section includes a short stitch directory with traditional stitches (running stitch and applique) and contemporary stitches (herringbone stitch, blanket stitch, chain stitch and whipped running stitch). Other techniques include instructions on improvisational patchwork; applique: raw, turned edge and reverse; darning techniques and methods for distressing and ageing fabrics to achieve an authentic boro finish.
Rediscover the pleasure you got from childhood drawing, before you became too self-conscious and self-critical to enjoy it. Most children draw. Before we can write, even, we scribble and sketch and create. But somehow that gets lost as we get older. We learn that Being An Artist is hard and complicated, and that there are technical rules to choosing colour and perfecting your perspective. This book is here to remind you of the joy you once found in creating, scribbling, getting something down on paper – and that it’s really about the process and nothing to do with how technically brilliant the finished ‘artwork’ is. In this accessible guide, largely self-taught artist Jen Russell-Smith takes beginners by the hand and breaks down the barriers we face around sketching, and shows you how to begin with quick, loose sketches building your confidence and skills to draw spontaneously, with nothing more than the things around you for inspiration. With simple exercises that anyone can follow, Jen shows you how to sketch the things and the places around you from life, using simple watercolour techniques to add vibrancy to your work.
Crochet 15 iconic women who changed the world with this collection of amigurumi crochet patterns. Whether it's Greta, RBG or Malala, this collection of crochet patterns celebrates 15 women who have made an impact on the global stage whether in politics, sport, medicine or education. Learn more about each of the characters featured in this collection and make unique gifts to inspire and delight all generations. Marie Curie • Cleopatra • Queen Elizabeth II • Malala Yousafzai • Rosa Parks • Billie Holiday • Ruth Bader Ginsburg • Serena Williams • Greta Thunberg • Jane Goodall • Amelia Earhart • Jane Austen • Florence Nightingale • Audrey Hepburn • Emmeline Pankhurst