"Love is for peasants," Eleanor said. "We make alliances. And I intend to make a very good one." Beautiful and brilliant, Eleanor is the daughter of the duke of Aquitaine, whose glittering court is the twelfth-century birthplace of courtly love. For all of the duke's boasts that Eleanor has the brains of a man and the soul of a warrior, everyone knows that a girl of fifteen cannot possibly hold the richest dukedom in France. Everyone, that is, except for her dying father, who insists on leaving Eleanor his most valuable provinces—and making her prey to the first baron who rides in to kidnap her. In order to safeguard her lands and her life, Eleanor devises a scheme to marry the heir to the throne of France. But she must learn to be careful what she wishes for. Eleanor's alliance to Louis VII may be a dazzling one, but her husband is a cautious man, originally intended for the priesthood, whose wit and courage do not always match Eleanor's own; and she ultimately finds herself seeking an even greater match with Henry II of England. Sweeping from the courts of Paris to the perils of the Crusades, Duchess of Aquitaine gloriously illuminates the life of one of the most powerful, resourceful, and fascinating women in all of history.

Beaders, quilters, and fiber artists will find this book invaluable for its solid technical information about how to apply beads to cloth, resulting in unique creations that will stand the test of time. This guide teaches about bead embroidery stitches; seed, bugle, novelty, and charm beads; woven, nonwoven, and knitted clothes; and Nymo, embroidery, and cotton sewing threads. The four foundation stitches as well as several variations on those stitches are illustrated. In addition, 10 beautiful projects, ranging from simple to complex, give beaders a chance to apply this new skill. Projects include an embellished small bag, an embellished jean jacket pocket, decorative pins, necklaces, and an embellished scarf.

A young woman becomes paralyzed and must become a brainship¾and find her Brawn, her human soul mate, so that she can discover a cure for her illness. Tia Cade is a headstrong, smart, and very normal girl until she contracts a terrible illness that leaves her with the bare semblance of life. Tia's only hope: to become the oldest person ever to train to be one of the legendary star travelers, the brainships. But now that Tia is free of her ravaged body, there still remains the task of finding the right partner to be her Brawn, the human element every brainship requires. And when the disease that debilitated Tia threatens thousands more, selecting a Brawn who is her true soul mate may allow Tia to find the origin of the terrible plague¾and perhaps even a cure. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Textile or fiber artisans can add sparkle and texture to their work with this complete handbook to embellishing with beads. Beginning with a comprehensive look at tools and materials--covering all types of fabrics, threads, needles, and beads--the guide teaches stitches, edging, and fringe, as well as the proper care of beaded fabrics. The focus on technique allows crafters to easily integrate beaded enhancements into any type of existing project, and the experienced instruction covers bead choice, color schemes, and finishing methods for a polished look. With its clear directions and a gallery of sample projects, this workshop-ready book will instruct and inspire.

With this gloriously photographed and illustrated manual at hand, beaders can create awe-inspiring jewelry. It's the only current, comprehensive guide to working with cabochons--a flat piece of rock or mineral--and it covers all the basics, along with a range of new creative techniques and hot trends. Find out which tools and materials to use, which beads work best, and how to wrap them round the stones. Craft turned, pointed, twisted, brick stitch, ruffled, or scalloped edges, or add decorative fringe. For something dramatic, combine more than one cabochon in a single piece. Or, instead of natural stone, use dichroic glass or other found objects. Make a glittering brooch, funky bracelets, a wearable art necklace, and other showstoppers.

Techniques to make simple fabric flowers for shoes, bags, clothes, hairclips and interiors.