It's a doodle book. It's a notebook. Actually, it's both. Great for ages 10 to 110, this doodle notebook is anything but the usual cute and quaint kind. It's subversive, irreverent, and most of all FUN! That's why every kid (and many adults too!) will want this fool-the-teacher notebook that offers oodles of doodle possibilities when the brain needs a break. On the surface, it looks exactly like one of those innocuous black-and-white marble composition books. But inside it has cartoons to imitate, unfinished doodles to complete, and games to play. Plus, it includes the scoop on what really happens in the teacher's lounge. Spark up a boring moment by competing in a caption contest, designing your own logo, making temporary tattoos, and mastering the art of note-passing and creating secret codes. Of course, since the teacher just might come walking by at any moment, there are even actual class notes to turn to.

Everyone knows the feeling: you're trapped in an endless meeting or held hostage on the phone by a droning client. Or maybe the minutes are just ticking by very slowly. What can you do? Doodle, of course! Susan McBride--who put some fun in kids' schooldays with The Don't Get Caught Doodle Notebook and The I'm So Bored Doodle Notebook--now comes to the aid of adults who need a break from the daily grind. Though this humorous interactive book looks like an everyday planner--complete with charts and graphs to confuse anyone who sneaks a peek--it's really a little bit of subversive escapism. That's because inside are dozens of creative ways to doodle, including warm-ups to unleash your inner artist. Vent pent-up aggressions with voodoodling. Illustrate what your co-workers--from the lunch stealer to the obnoxiously perky intern--look like through your keen eyes. Explore the "Lame Excuses Hall of Fame." There's even a little "doodling analysis" provided--so you can find out what your art really means.

Features doodles to complete, multiple-choice questions to answer and comic caricatures lampooning adults in general.

Tiny cards...BIG impact! This little collection is chock-full of fresh ideas created by a pool of talented designers. Not only does it include greeting cards (plus envelopes) for special occasions and holidays, but also clever gift and memento objects. No card exceeds 31/2 by 5 inches, and they’re made beautiful with popular crafting techniques such as altering, stamping, painting, and stitching. On display, too, are the hottest design trends, featuring windows, pockets, fold-outs, and fabric. Among the small treasures: a diminutive banner with embellished cards that spell out "happy birthday” and a palm-sized accordion-style book to document a celebration or trip. Every pint size statement really packs a punch!

Crafters know: special memories deserve an equally special showcase, and sometimes commercially available blank books won’t do. That’s why they’ll turn to these 25 inventive projects for new and expressive ways to preserve treasured moments and mementoes. Create a quirky album from bound-together record covers decorated with personal photos; slip precious keepsakes inside the sleeves. Transform a house-shaped board book into a visual gallery of all the places you’ve called home. Remember good food times--in a little volume made from recipe cards and vintage thrift-store cookbooks. Each one is as unique as the life it celebrates!

Big names in the craft field have offered up their creative secrets for this collection of 60 new and highly creative approaches to card making. Full-page, full-colour photographs of each project offer inspiration while instructions are simple and clear.

Altered art is the fastest growing craft trend today--but its practitioners can’t live by books alone: they long to expand their horizons and explore new directions. And this follow-up to the hugely successful Altered Art will fulfill their creative desires. It moves into uncharted territory, focusing not on books, but on transforming the surfaces of a multitude of everyday objects into artistic canvases. The 25 projects clearly prove that the possibilities are limited only by one’s own imagination. For example, in the hands of five different crafters, those ubiquitous mint tins become a small shrine, necklace, photo book, and doll. Profusely illustrated profiles showcase ten contemporary artists doing their work; all provide invaluable insights into the creative process.

A glimpse into the rich history of paper dolls is accompanied by many charming manufactured and handmade examples.

Harness your mind’s innate tendency to wander, stall, rest, and unfocus and become more productive—in the boardroom, living room, or classroom. Named one of Coastal Living’s Best Books for the Beach This Summer To finish tasks and achieve goals, most people believe that more focus is the solution. We rely on to-do lists, calendar reminders, noise-blocking headphones, and sometimes medication to help us concentrate—even though these tactics often fail to substantially improve productivity. Drawing on the latest brain research, compelling stories from his psychological practice, and colorful examples of counterintuitive success from sports, business, education, and the arts, neuroscientist Srini Pillay, M.D., challenges traditional ideas about productivity, revealing the lasting, positive benefits of adding deliberate and regular unfocus to your repertoire. A fascinating tour through brain wavelengths and rhythm, mindsets, and mental relaxation, Tinker Dabble Doodle Try demonstrates how specific kinds of planned unfocus stimulate cognitive calmness, jumpstart productivity, enhance innovation, inspire creativity, improve long-term memory, and, of course, help you stay on target. Tinkering with ideas and with things releases your mind to wander from a state of stuckness into a possibility frame of mind, triggering neural connections and new insights. Dabbling in a new endeavor—whether a hobby or fantasy—disrupts your habitual and reactive thinking, helping you find new solutions to old problems. Doodling can help you tap into another brain frequency to remove obstacles and create opportunities and inspiration. With techniques for training the brain to unfocus, concepts for scheduling busy lives, and ideas for controlling this new cognitive-toggling capability, Tinker Dabble Doodle Try will change how you think about daydreaming, relaxing, leaving work unfinished, and even multitasking. What you’ll discover is a greater freedom, a deeper intelligence, and a more profound joy in your life. Praise for Tinker Dabble Doodle Try “Pillay’s effortless writing style, combined with an excellent balance of popular psychology and self-help, makes this a helpful read for those who enjoy a light dive into psychology with practical applications.”—Library Journal “Pillay cites an intriguing range of brain studies to support his argument, and his case studies of individuals with whom he has worked provide useful insights.”—Kirkus Reviews “Dr. Srini Pillay offers a brilliant, deeply researched, and even more deeply imagined blueprint for using one’s full mental armamentarium, conscious, unconscious, and all the undiscovered rest! A fantastic book!”—Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., co-author of Delivered from Distraction “Dr. Pillay’s new book will help you create a new, fun, more playful destiny and unlock your brain’s inner potential.”—Daniel G. Amen, M.D., co-author of The Brain Warrior’s Way “This book not only gives you license to step off the hamster wheel of focus, focus, focus, but it will show you how to strategically and productively do so.”—JJ Virgin, author of JJ Virgin’s Sugar Impact Diet “This brilliant book shows how to manipulate your brain to alternate between intense concentration and deliberate mind-wandering.”—Mark Robert Waldman, co-author of How God Changes Your Brain