Pysanky Promise

When a young girl learns that her grandmother's hands have grown too shaky to make pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs), she learns the art herself, hoping to heal her grandmother's heart. The book explains the method for making pysanky, as well as a bit about the history, symbolism and tradition behind the craft. At the end of the book there are two pages explaining the meanings of pysanky symbols in the borders of illustrations. There is also a page at the end with a pronunciation guide and several links to sites related to pysanky.

Lorrie Popow and Donna Wolfe have loved the art of pysanky since both of them have been children. This book is a step-by-step tutorial on how to create the beautiful egg art that originated in Ukraine a very long time ago. Text, illustrations, and full-color photos will guide you through selecting an egg, preparing dyes, writing with wax and a kistka, and varnishing a pysanka.

A gentle, nearsighted peasant girl rescues the legendary Baba Babochka and is rewarded with a magic babushka that enables her to create beautiful "pysanky," or decorated eggs.

In today's fast-paced world, creative people are as eager as ever to pursue their artistic passions, but many of them simply don't have enough time. Catering to this modern dilemma, we've concocted the perfect remedy for over-burdened artists. The Daily Book of Art includes a year's worth of brief daily readings and lessons about the visual arts that entertain as they inform. Ten exciting categories of discussion rotate throughout the course of a year, giving readers a well-rounded experience in the art world. From color psychology and aesthetic philosophy to the proverbial argument over whether elephants really can paint, art-starved readers will encounter a broad range of inspiring subjects. The ten categories of discussion include Art 101, Philosophy of Art, Art Through the Ages, Profiles in Art, A Picture’s Worth 200 Words, Art from the Inside Out, Art Around the World, Artistic Oddities, Unexpected Art Forms, and Step-by-Step Exercises.

Colleen Lutzak, a talented young Ukrainian musician from northern Alberta, struggles to maintain a sense of identity as her awareness of the world expands. Growing up in the small northern Alberta community of St. Paul, Colleen Lutzak has both positives and negatives to deal with – she has an abundance of musical talent, excellent grades in school, and a close extended family. On the other hand, she has a melodramatic mother, a nemesis named Carla Senko who somehow manages to screw up every triumph Colleen closes in on, and a cousin named Kalyna. Kalyna is Colleen’s alter ego – they have the same name in different languages – and Kalyna is a mystery. A grown woman who once had a family, Kalyna talks and acts like a child. She loves Colleen’s music more than anything in the world, and brings out every protective instinct her young cousin has. Colleen vigorously practices her youthful idealism as well as her talent. This mindset means life’s lessons will be particularly hard on her. Her beloved music teacher, who shared and supported her pride in her Ukrainian heritage, suddenly dies. Colleen fails miserably in her first attempt at university in Edmonton. She is so determined to get away from all the “disappointments” of home that she registers to attend the United World College campus in Swaziland for a year. Obviously, Swaziland is an utterly foreign experience. Colleen meets young women from truly dire political and social circumstances all over the world. She realizes how sheltered her life in Canada has been. Her sense of identity and self-worth is challenged by her foreign surroundings, her homesickness, the suicide of her closest friend. And the sudden death of Kalyna. This final tragedy forces Colleen to face adult decisions about the purpose to which she should devote her life and her talent.

“Endlessly surprising.… Like the egg itself, this book is a perfect, miraculous package.” —Mary Roach, best-selling author of Fuzz An unconventional history of the world’s largest cellular workhorse, from chickens to penguins, from art to crime, and more. The egg is a paradox—both alive and not alive—and a symbol as old as culture itself. In this wide-ranging and delightful journey through its natural and cultural history, Lizzie Stark explores the egg’s deep meanings, innumerable uses, and metabolic importance through a dozen dazzling specimens. From Mali to Finland, mythologies around the globe have invested the egg with powers of regeneration and fecundity, often ascribing the origin of the world to a cosmic egg. An oracle to Romans, fought over by Gold Rush gangs, used as the foundation of the Clown Egg Registry, and blasted into space, the egg has taken on larger proportions than, say, the ovum of an ostrich. It has starred in global dishes from the Korean comfort food ttukbaegi gyeranjjim to the less regaled yet iconic soft-boiled egg. Stark writes a biography of French-born chef Jacques Pépin through his egg creations, and weaves in her personal experiences, like attempting to make the perfect omelet or trying her hand at pysanky—the Ukrainian art of egg decoration. She also explores her fraught relationship to the eggs in her body due to a familial link to cancer, and shares her delight in becoming a mother. Filled with colorful characters and fascinating morsels, Egg is playful, informative, and guarantees that you’ll never take this delicate ovoid for granted again.

Start casting spells and holding rituals today with this enchanting boxed set featuring three titles in the Modern Witchcraft series introducing witchcraft for beginners, a full spell book, and your very own grimoire to chronicle your practice. The Modern Witchcraft Introductory Boxed Set is the perfect collection of books for new and novice witches. With an introductory guide, a spell book, and a grimoire, novice witches will have all the guidance and direction needed to get started. The boxed set includes: The Modern Guide to Witchcraft: This book carefully guides you through each step needed to start your witchcraft practice along with ways of personalizing them to your specific situation so you can make your practice your own. The Modern Witchcraft Spell Book: This book teaches you how to harness your inner magic through incantations, potions, and charms perfect for the modern-day witch to find love, build wealth, and shape your destiny. The Modern Witchcraft Grimoire: This book teaches you the importance and history of the witch’s grimoire. Then it goes step-by-step through the process of putting together your very own grimoire. These three titles come together to create a magickal guide as you start your witchcraft journey.