David & Charles

A comprehensive and accessible guide to designing – and helping the reader stick to – a budget.

Aimed very much at the ordinary person, this budgeting journal is for everyone who wants to feel more in control of their spending and will help the reader to unpack their habits surrounding money in a non-judgemental and encouraging way.

The journal begins with 20 pages of content that helps readers to understand how being more in control of their money will be beneficial for them, why they might have found it difficult so far, and by looking at how we spend money in the era of contactless and online payments. It then helps readers to identify what their goals surrounding money may be, and how to reach them with.

Written in a calm, warm, tone, it is the perfect starting point for anyone wanting to take their money more seriously. It is a breath of fresh air in a space that often feels crowded with aggressive advice for how to make MORE money – as opposed to managing and enjoying the money you already have.

It is the essential tool for anyone wanting to have a little more oversight on their own spending and keep track of their habits around money. Attractively designed, and easy to follow, it is non-threatening, clear, and very reassuring.

Make your own luxury handmade gifts without the price tag with the queen of Couture Craft!

In this inspirational yet practical craft book you will have access to a plethora of wonderful gifting and wrapping ideas that won't break the bank. With a luxury modern feel, and lots of insider stylist hints and tips, this book features darling projects that are simple to make and versatile enough for a range of occasions, from birthdays to weddings, anniversaries to Christmas.

Created by British crafting expert Hannah Read-Baldrey, who knows a thing or two about gifting from running her business MakeBox & Co, this bible of making is a book you will treasure for a lifetime and refer to year after year for craft ideas.

Hannah shares easy-to-make yet impressive ideas for timeless gifts that can be hand crafted, from luxury soy wax candle making to handmade paper flowers, personalised house portraits to a delicious bunch of roses cookies - all fun and creative projects that you will want to refer to time and time again.

The book is broken down into easy-to-digest chapters, ranging from personalisation - to make your gifts truly unique; beautiful batches - for the prepared gift giver; handmade cards and wrapping; luxury gifts; and quick gifts - that only take around 15 minutes to create. Plus some fun etiquette features in between. So whether you want to spend lots of time on a gift or need to make one pronto Hannah has got you covered!

With beautiful styled photography and tonnes of practical step-by-step advice, this book will give you everything you need to create beautiful handmade gifts that will be treasured by your loved ones for a lifetime.

Ever wondered if there's any truth behind planting by the moon? Or why wassailing is still a common folk practice in some parts of the world? In Gardener's Folklore, the record of these practices is unveiled, with plenty of tips and tricks to try in your own 21st century garden for blooming bushes and plentiful potatoes.

First published in 1976, Gardener's Folklore collects the little bits of magic and myth to be found in the gardens of Britain and North America. Compiled from letters sent by gardeners to the author Margaret Baker, it unravels and documents the mysterious sayings and scraps of knowledge that are passed down through generations, while exploring the science of the time that backed up - or in some cases, didn't - the claims that were made.

This delightfully written book shows just what people have believed and still believe will help their plants to grow. The observance of lunar and astrological conditions when planting, ways of encouraging fruit-bearing and discouraging pests, beliefs about the effects of climate and calendar, spells, the influence for good and bad of certain plants, the links between owners and trees - these are only a few of the aspects of gardening lore that are discussed.

Gleaned from the people who grew up with them, they have much to say about our rural origins as well as having, here and there, implications for our future. Capturing the knowledge that old-time gardeners used to have remarkable successes, the ancient secrets of a happy healthy garden are shared for a new generation of green-fingered plant-lovers.

If you, like many gardeners, have a fascination for plant names and their derivations, but stop short of wanting to study botanical nomenclature in great depth, this book is for you!

Precise naming is essential to be able to identify plants accurately and most gardeners have at least some knowledge of ‘botanical Latin’. But a plant’s full botanical name does much more than give it a unique label. The name can often tell you where the plant originated, who discovered it, what shape it is, and much else besides. What’s more, the name can be used and understood anywhere in the world.

This is a book to have with you at the garden centre, and one to keep beside your bed for an entertaining read. Plant Names Explained is an indispensable guide and makes the subject accessible, enjoyable and fun. It shows not only how plant names work, but also how you can make use of them in entertaining as well as practical ways.

A selective alphabetical listing of botanical names and their explanations is accompanied by features exploring cultivar names, with translations of foreign terms and lists of plants you can link with special occasions and celebrations, or with personal names. Other features highlight the places, people and plant characteristics that lie behind the names: gardens and nurseries, countries and cities, plant hunters and gardeners, colours, characteristics and habitats.

Plant Names Explained is an essential and fascinating guide to the subject. What may at first seem a dry but necessary convention is revealed to be a way of opening up the intriguing world of plants.

The exquisite Alice's Wonderland Quilt combines a variety of quilting techniques in one stunning sampler quilt which features 100 blocks. Using a variety of machine and hand-sewn techniques, this quilt will improve your sewing skills.

Gorgeous patchwork designs such as square-in-a-square, checkerboard, log cabin and Ohio Star combine with beautiful English paper-pieced blocks and raw edge applique animals, flowers, butterflies, hearts and stars.

Starting with the simplest patchwork techniques and building from there, you will learn one or two basic techniques across ten different blocks, each one creating completely different patterns simply by using new arrangements and placements. Full sized EPP and applique templates, including Alice's hand-drawn designs, are provided. Each block forms a 6-inch square which then joins together at the end with the other blocks to make the finished quilt comprising of 100 beautiful blocks.

After you have made your main blocks, the stunning rainbow border of the quilt is added. It includes a double rainbow border, an ivory border, and a further square-in-a-square rainbow border using prints from the main quilt to tie the whole colour scheme together.

Featuring step-by-step illustrations for all the techniques and full-size templates, this stunning sampler quilt will build your skills and leave you with a treasured heirloom to pass on down the generations.

Learn how to understand the skies with this comprehensive pocket guide to cloudspotting.

Clouds have been the object of fascination throughout history, their fleeting magnificence and endless variability providing food for thought for scientists and daydreamers alike.

Clouds may have many individual shapes, but there are a few basic forms. In this definitive guide to the clouds and the skies, Richard Hamblyn introduces you to all the different cloud species. The Pocket Cloud Book will enable you to identify individual clouds, skies and phenomena. You will also be able to track their likely changes over time and predict the implications they have for the weather you may experience.

This brand new pocket-size edition includes the 12 new cloud types only recently officially recognised by the World Meteorological Organization. Many of these previously only had informal names, but their new Latin classification brings them into the fold of officially adopted global meteorological terms. It also includes a new foreword from the Met Office's Chief Meteorologist and an updated section on climate change and the role that clouds might play in shaping future conditions on Earth.

Produced in association with the Met Office - the world's premier weather forecasting bureau - all things to do with the origin and development of a cloud are here. Whether you are looking at a giant cumulonimbus or a tiny shred of stratus factus, an everyday occurrence or a fleeting rarity, your cloudspotting will be expertly informed and much more satisfying with this handy reference guide. This book will enable you to not only identify individual clouds and skies as they might appear at any given moment, but also to track their likely changes over time, and thus predict weather patterns.

Illustrated with stunning images from around the globe, this pocket edition is the perfect size to take with you on walks and have it handy in the garden so that you can enjoy sky-gazing every day. This is the only guide to cloud classification that you will ever need, in handy and practical pocket-friendly size.

Based on the popular course from the Anti-Burnout Club, Overcoming Overwhelm takes the lessons from the course and expands them, giving readers a tool they can turn to again and again to combat feelings of overwhelm and regain control of their life and feelings when times are just a little bit tough.

Spread over 12 weeks, the Overcoming Overwhelm Journal guides users through the tools and techniques that can elevate your mind and allow you to tackle the world without being overwhelmed by everything around you - which is especially important in these trying times!

Featuring tips and tricks to getting you started, and teaching you new tools to have in
your arsenal when feelings of overwhelm appear - such as breathwork and tapping - the Overcoming Overwhelm Journal is the perfect place to start in getting you on the right track for a fulfilling and productive life!

Transform your life with the positive power of kindness!

We can all agree that the world could always do with more kindness. But this doesn't have to mean grand gestures or expensive gifts - often it's the small, everyday interactions that matter the most.

Over 52 weeks, this undated journal guides you through the process of recognising the moments of kindness in your life, and helps you to spread that kindness to every person you meet. Combining the mindfulness of a gratitude journal with the practicality of a workbook, the role of kindness in modern life is fully explored with thought-provoking insights and exercises guiding you every step of the way.

With a focus on the small things that brighten up your life, the power of spreading kindness, and keeping it in the forefront of your mind as you go about your days is laid out in attractive spreads with plenty of exercises to help you make being kind a defining feature of your personality.

Spread throughout the journal are suggestions for over 100 simple acts of kindness that you can perform, and 30 pages exploring the role of kindness in modern life from author Jacqueline Snowden. Particular focus is given to the importance of showing kindness to yourself and how that is the starting point from which kindness can flow, and on how it is possible - necessary, sometimes - to specifically choose to be kind. The lessons and exercises, tips and tricks are all reasonable and accessible, and help the reader explore ideas such as paying it forward and developing empathy. The tone is inspiring and encouraging, making prioritizing kindness seem like the easiest thing in a sometimes very unkind world!

Thanks to the undated format, the journal can be started at any point in the year, meaning readers can turn to it whenever they feel the need to really build the kindness habit into their everyday life.

The Simple Acts of Kindness Journal is the perfect companion to living a life filled with kindness and joy, for everybody who wants to spread a little joy in the world.

Find your Soul Path seamlessly blends spirituality with self-help as it seeks to give the reader the tools to begin to live in a more conscious way. Author and eclectic witch Emma Griffin shows the reader how to discover their soul-purpose and move through the world in a way that starts from a place of purpose and authenticity and allows that to radiate out. Starting in the home, all areas of life are explored, with mindfulness, intuition, and empowerment leading the way. A fantastic introduction to developing a spiritual practice, Find your Soul Path is a gentle exploration of the most easily accessible aspects of witchcraft presented - alongside genuinely helpful life advice - in a way that will appeal to those interested in new age spirituality and the role it can play in modern life.

Written with the busy modern woman in mind, ideas and tips for practical ways to find moments of peace and connection are included that are easy to fit into everyday life, such as creating a morning ritual, a bath ritual and journaling prompts. Author Emma Griffin shares her wisdom and sage advice, gained over a lifetime of seeking deep connection with nature and the soul, for moving through the challenges of the modern world in an empowered way that celebrates the divine feminine.

With a focus on connecting to the true self, Find Your Soul Path presents the ancient wisdom of womanhood to a new generation of witches and the spiritually curious, with easily followed rituals for celebrating the sabbats of the Wheel of the Year and practical journaling exercises that help the reader to dive deep on their quest for personal peace and enlightenment.

A beginner's guide, this is a book for the open-minded reader who is interested in getting in touch with their more spiritual side, and exploring how they can use their intuition to lead a life that feels more authentic and full of intention.

The ultimate reference to growing plants from seed.
Seeds are magical. Every little one has the potential to become a new plant and give you more seeds - connecting us to the circle of life and nature's endless ability to surprise and delight. The act of planting seeds and watching them grow into seedlings and then on into productive plants is enormously therapeutic. Even when things don't go to plan, the gardener is constantly learning, growing and deepening their connection to nature. It's an incredibly grounding and humbling experience that feeds the soul of the gardener.
This beautifully illustrated guide will show readers how and when to harvest the seeds of 100 different garden plants and flowers, with advice on when and how to sow them, and where and when to plant them out. Alongside this hands-on guidance, the reader will be engaged with snippets of folklore and traditions that further enhance their appreciation of nature and help them discover the inherent magic of seeds.
Whether the reader is a practising green witch, or simply an amateur gardener with a spiritual affinity with nature, this book will give them everything they need to successfully make a garden from seed and unlock the wonders of nature.

Make cakes that sparkle with this comprehensive guide to metallic cakes from leading wedding cake designer Faye Cahill.

Faye begins by exploring all the different materials available to the modern cake decorator:

• From gold leaf to edible paint,
• Food-grade sprays
• Edible glitters and lustre dusts
• Edible sequins and more

Feather your nest with this avian collection of easy sewing patterns for beautiful bird designs, all made using simple hand-sewing techniques.

Featuring the most popular and distinctive species – including garden birds, exotic birds, birds of prey, water birds, flightless birds and more – each pattern wings its way to you with step-by-step instructions and full-size templates, making them perfect for all abilities. 

The finished little birdies would make cute brooches, bag charms and home accessories, or can even be scaled up to make bigger plushes, all of which will make your friends into avid twitchers!

Author Alison J Reid has spent months brooding away in her studio, researching all different kinds of birds, both common and rare. She has checked out their shapes, plumage and markings, and spent so much time trying to perfect their colourful, beautiful wings. It became an obsession! It was only by researching the various details that make each breed so distinctive, that Alison has been able to capture each of their unique qualities and differences. 

Pattern, colour and shape are key, so capturing these details in felt was important. Luckily, there are so many different colours of felt available! Felt's non-fraying, double sided, robust qualities make it easy to create all the little details that make each bird design so unique and instantly recognisable.

Each bird pattern can be traced straight from the page (or enlarged if you want to sew a larger plush), and simple instructions mean that even beginners can get started. And because all the birds are sewn by hand, you don't need a sewing machine and can sit out in the garden with the birds while you sew. 

Whether you choose to sew just your own favourites, or make gifts for the other bird-lovers in your life, this book will provide hours of fun and inspiration.

Slow down and embroider your way through the changing seasons with the beautiful debut book from embroidery artist and rising star Emillie Ferris. 

Needlepainting, also known as thread painting or silk shading, is a form of embroidery that creates a realistic, lifelike effect using a single strand of thread and one simple stitch – the 'long and short' stitch. You can create gorgeous colour gradients, magical details and flowing stitch directions that are perfect if you want to embroider flora and fauna. 

In this richly illustrated step-by-step guide, self-taught embroidery artist Emillie Ferris shows you how to pick up a needle and thread in the same way as a paintbrush to create strokes of colour and bring images to life on fabric.

Inspired by nature and the changing seasons, Emillie has created five new and exclusive patterns for the book, four that reflect each season in turn and one special design that brings the natural year together into one showstopper embroidery. 

This book is the culmination of all of Emillie’s skills and years of experience in this wonderful, meditative art form. Each design has around 60 detailed step-by-step photos, showing every stage of the process, so that even complete beginners can follow along and create beautiful embroideries. If you have been considering learning the art of needlepainting but are unsure where to start, then this book is for you!

Not only are the embroideries sublime, but the book itself is a thing of beauty, with incredible attention to detail – from the exquisite photography to the lavish hardback binding, making it a real treasure for the book lover. Plus, high quality iron-on transfers at the back of the book allow you to transfer the designs directly onto fabric to get started straight away.

In this book Emillie generously shares her tried and tested tips and techniques, including advice on materials, transferring designs onto fabric, and fully illustrated explanations of the stitches and skills needed. The five in-depth projects draw on Emillie’s love of nature, including motifs that she is best known for such as flowers, foliage, bees and fungi. 

This beautiful book will become an indispensable and treasured guide allowing you to paint with thread the Emillie Ferris way.