Adventures in Bookbinding by Jeannine Stein, softback published by Quarry. ISBN 978-1-59253-687-0, price 24.99 US dollars or 16.99 in the UK available from www.quarrybooks.com

This book brings together traditional book binding techniques and mixed media to create fun projects. The getting started section is quite brief giving parts of a book, materials needed, sewing signatures and ideas on designing in just nine pages. Each projects gives materials needed, techniques and instructions that are easy to follow. More binding details are given for each project. This book contains a variety of covers incorporating different mixed media techniques such as needle felting, jewellery, weaving, sewing, collage, polymer clay, quilting, decoupage, lino printing and crochet. At the end of each project there is a gallery of ideas and notes from the maker. This book should inspire anyone interested in hand crafting books.

Markal Painstiks, stencils and more from Artemio. Various prices available from www.artemio.be

The Markal Painstiks, known as Shiva in the USA, are an absolute must for any artist wishing to explore a new medium. The sticks come in a gorgeous array of colours and can also be blended. I think I like the shimmering iridescent colours best of all, but they are all good. These versatile oil sticks have so many uses. You can use them on wood, terracotta, paper and many other surfaces – se the range of wooden boxes and more from Artemio. I use the Markal Painstiks primarily on fabric – they can be used direct or with stencils to achieve a number of effects. Markal Painstiks are really one of the best ways of colouring fabric and making it unique. You can use them direct onto the fabric, with a blending stick, brush or blend them with your finger. On fabric, they need heat to fix. Your fabric will remain flexible. To use with a stencil, Artemio have a great selection, place the stencil beneath your fabric and use the paintstiks over the top. They are not messy and dry quite quickly. There is no waste as the sticks form a skin after use. I love experimenting with Markal Painstiks and I know you will too. They have to be one of the best new products available to artists.

Artemio is full of such wonderful craft  materials. They produce a magazine and a catalogue full of contemporary ideas. Lots of free ideas are featured on their wonderful websites. Artemio is one of my top websites for crafters. To shop select Royaume Uni for the UK. and you will see all the shops that stock Artemio goods in the UK.

Dr. PH. Martins Bombay Ink available from www.docmartins.eu

These India inks are so colourful, not just black. Each colour is clear and intense and can be diluted for paler colours. I found these lightfast craft inks very useful. You can paint watercolours with them, use them for Zen paintings or simple ink blot paintings and so many more uses. They are easy to use and to control. Paint with a brush or use a dropper. I have yet to try the inks for airbrushing and rubber stamping but I know they are also used for these purposes.
If you are looking for excellent, vibrant colour or easy-to-use watercolour, Dr. Ph Martins inks are the perfect solution. Dr. Ph Martins produce inks in fifty-six concentrated colours. They come in small bottles, but a little goes a long way. The Bombay inks I used come in two sets of 12 at a recommended retail price of around 25.00 per pack including a useful dropper. These are an excellent product and good value for money.

Sulky Secrets to Successful Applique by Joyce Drexler, softback published by Sulky. ISBN 27072-90014, price 19.95 US dollars from www.sulky.com

Find out about the great threads Sulky produce for use in applique. This 164 page book contains over forty applique projects. Follow the step-by-step instructions and use the full-size patterns to create unique quilts and clothes and home accessories. Techniques include satin and blanket stitch, free-form and cutwork, trapunto, invisible machining and so much more. This is an excellent guide to applique and the many ways in which to use it.

Daylight Lamp available, price 115 pounds from www.daylightcompany.com 

I have a  Daylight TM Floorstanding Lamp. It’s one of those products, that once you have it, you wondered how you ever managed without it. I value my lamp for making my arts and crafts projects so much easier to do – I can now see without squinting, I don’t have to give up work for lack of light.

The daylight TM Floorstanding Lamp, comes in a compact box. It is easy to put together – yes, I did it all on my own! The sturdy base is quite heavy and has three castors attached, making it super easy to move around. The pole is easy to fit together and the whole thing slots into the base with a swivel action. I assembled mine in a couple of minutes. Plug it in and it’s ready to go.

Then there was light and a magnifying glass. You know when you reach that age where your eyesight is not as clear as it was and you struggle with your crafts – I’d got to that stage, but this lamp has really helped me. It’s doubly easy to move – not only is the base is on castors but the lamp is flexible too, so you can angle it right on to your work. I have used it for knitting, tapestry and embroidery and for painting too. The light is natural. The magnifying glass is a real bonus too, I’ve used this for reading. All in all, I wish I had had this years ago.

The lamp comes with a 12 month guarantee. It is sturdy, well-built and durable. There are other related products on the website, for the floor standing lamp click on products for the home  (product code 23030-01).