Book Release - ta-daaa!

Hooray!  After an almost craft-free year of toddler-rearing, I am excited to announce some actual crafty news.

Readers with a very good memory might remember me mentioning that I took on a small job with Dorling Kindersley last year to author the soapmaking chapter of their new all-round Craft Book.

Fast-forward by 12 months... and ta-daaa!  The book has just been released in time for Christmas 2012.

As you can see, they have gone for the same 'vintage-style' cover design as the partner book entitled Dressmaking.

It was such a lovely surprise when my copy landed with a heavy thunk from the postman last week.  Now that I've had time to take a good look through it, I'd say it's looking like an ideal book for multi-crafters and anyone who likes to try their hand at different things.  The crafts include a very wide range of pursuits, including furniture-painting, wirework, sillk and glass-painting, metal-clay moulding, patchwork and lots more.

Each chapter starts with a clear step-by-step how-to guide on the craft in question, followed by a series of specific projects to make at home.

Does anyone fancy a sneak preview of my soapmaking chapter?  Here are snapshots of a few of the pages...

In case anyone out there is inspired enough to want to buy the book...

• UK readers can buy it from Amazon here 
• US readers can buy it under this slightly different name:  Craft (Dk Crafts)

Enjoy!

And now for something completely different

Well hello there!  I've been living in a crafty vacuum since Microboy was born, but I might have developed a very slight Pottery Cafe habit of late.  Today I picked up these two bowls that I painted last week.

No idea what I will do with them.  Apparently they are 'baby bowls' but - really?   Who on earth gives ceramic bowls to babies?  I suppose they might make a brief but appealing sight as they go frisbeeing past my head.  Personally I think they are more realistic as cereal bowls.  Not that I need any new bowls at all.  Oh well.  I might find a use for them somewhere.

In more exciting news, this week I received the sample layouts for my soapmaking chapter in the new craft book.  The photography looks really nice.  I'm still not sure when the book will come into the shops, but I'll be sure to post an update when it does.