Books about Tabletop from Amazon.com

Close-up photography is one of the most fascinating areas in photography This illustrated guide will take the reader on a journey into the wonderful world of small, smaller, and smallest objects and show him how he can capture their beauty with photographic images. Each step of the way will be carefully explained; how to choose the right equipment, how to use ambient light or create artificial lighting, and how to conceptualize and frame the perfect shot.

Whereas the nature photographer is exploring facets and structures in his environment, the "table top photographer" is trying to shoot a small object, a product, or a small treasure for display on the web (e.g., eBay) or in print. Here, the choice of the appropriate lighting and backdrop, and the creative use of the camera's features are key to a perfect image.

Cyrill Harnischmacher explains all aspects of close-up shooting for both inside the studio, as well as outdoors. This book is filled with beautifully illustrated examples and detailed instructions on how to set up a system and workflow for successful close-up photography..
Price: $13.98 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Use The Simple Art of Napkin Folding to duplicate those beautiful napkin folds you've admired at elegant restaurants and memorable events. It's easy with Linda Hetzer's detailed step-by-step directions and illustrations.  Using cloth or paper napkins, create standing triangular-shaped folds (the "Tavern") for dinner parties.  A few accordion pleats transforms a piece of cloth into the "Poinsettia." Need festive ideas for a children's birthday party?  Make "Sailboats" or "Paper Airplanes." Graduate to more intricate designs that combine napkins with silverware, flowers, and wineglasses.

Special features include

• A stain removal guide for heirloom linens and synthetic fabrics
• Easy-to-follow instructions for making napkin rings
• Graphs for embroidering initials on napkins
• Instructions for stenciling your own napkins

Filled with inspired ideas, The Simple Art of Napkin Folding turns any square of fabric into a work of art.

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Price: $5.55 [Notify me when price goes down.]

"Perfect Tables" showcases the artistry of acclaimed tabletop designer William Yeoward in setting a beautiful table. He begins with an essential section on Getting Started, so you have all the linen, china, and glass you need. Next, themed chapters from Celebrations to Informality showcase twenty-four stunning creations, covering occasions including Thanksgiving, a Summer Wedding, Halloween, and Valentine's Day, and informal settings such as a buffet supper, a girl's lunch, a child's birthday, or the perfect breakfast tray. Inspired by William's love of entertaining friends, "Perfect Tables" reveals the secrets behind his eye for detail and colour, and shows how you can find inspiration in a fabric or item you may already own. William's invaluable hints and tips include reassurance for the nervous hostess and even dealing with dining disasters! The book concludes with myriad ideas for tying napkins, arranging glasses, and laying cutlery..
Price: $11.52 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Tabletop Machining gives the reader not just the "hows" but also the "whys" of machining practices using the lathe and milling machine for metalworking Included are down-to-earth descriptions as well as detailed photos and drawings. In addition, a large selection of project photos illustrates the amazing work that has been produced by craftsmen using small but capable miniature machine tools. Though the tools used in the examples highlight the small end of the size scale in machining, the theories and practices can be applied to metal working on machines of any size.

Whether you're a newly graduated engineer or a beginning machinist, this book will help you gather some real, practical knowledge of how machines and machinists actually go about working with metal. This isn't theory, but rather it details "real world" practices and gives a good insight into the challenges faced by machinists. Too often, good craftsmen are stopped from venturing forth because the only information available shows just the technically perfect way to do things rather than the simple, practical methods everyone really uses. For those wishing to design and build their first metal parts, it is a perfect starting point, as it highlights the fun that comes from making small projects of precision and beauty..
Price: $36.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Setting a stunning table need not be confined to special occasions. As renowned author and designer Barbara Milo Ohrbach brilliantly demonstrates, any meal can be made special with the proper visual approach. The ingredients need not be fine china and matching silver; the real key is to develop a creative look for your table. Tabletops is filled with gorgeous color photos and thorough explanations on how to find inspiration, play with color, make and/or coordinate accessories, arrange flowers, and find and add the right decorative touches. .
Price: $10.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Indoor plants bring living warmth to any interior décor. Arrange them in beautiful containers, root them creatively in varied textural beds, and enjoy the stunning results. Author Rosemary McCreary has designed 40 dazzling tabletop gardens to inspire the indoor green thumb year-round — gardens that enhance the home with more drama than potted houseplants and greater durability than cut flowers.

McCreary’s innovative designs include stylish gardens under glass; floating plants whose roots, visible in clear water, are part of the allure; and miniature landscapes that grow in every type of beautiful tray, container, and basket imaginable. Among the projects are a collection of succulents springing out of a colorful gravel bed; a basket of savory Mediterranean herbs to perk up winter meals; cascading ivy, trained to frame a north-facing window; and a charming miniature tea rose in a jar.

To ensure success, each project includes step-by-step design and planting instructions, a complete checklist of required materials, ongoing care advice, and full-color photography of materials and the completed garden. Exotic orchids, soft grasses, easy-to-grow herbs, and colorful bulbs are among the dozens of popular plants McCreary encourages gardeners to work with in her designs.

For every dedicated gardener who has spent dull winter months longing for the scent of dirt, tabletop gardens are the answer. Their elegance and vitality connect the housebound grower to summer’s cycles of growth..
Price: $3.25 [Notify me when price goes down.]

TABLETOP GARDENS is a uniquely imaginative approach to gardening Written by seasoned garden writer Rosemary McCreary and sumptuously photographed by William Holt, TABLETOP GARDENS stands apart - with exquisitely beautiful photographs of miniature indoor gardens, each planted in simple containers and shot in natural light.

The 40 designs offer many ideas for choosing a personal style and getting started - plants under glass, in bowls and trays, and even in water environments. Earthy, rich-green mosses in a glass globe. A burst of forced bulbs for spring. The textured foliage of a fern garden in an antique glass case. A living sculpture of twisted stems. A garden mosaic of creeping mint. It's the pleasure of creating a small Eden and enjoying it no matter what the season - in a cozy corner of a room, or on a windowsill splashed with sunlight. Each project includes complete advice on the materials needed and step-by-step information on how to create the garden. Along with providing design advice, TABLETOP GARDENS gives information on the culture and maintenance of each garden, how to place it where it will prosper, and how to keep it thriving. Popular, easy-to-grow herbs, grasses, bulbs, water plants, vines, and miniature trees are naturals for tabletop gardening. Color photographs show projects in a variety of room settings, with ideas for suitable containers and advice on how to group and style plants for the best effect..
Price: $9.45 [Notify me when price goes down.]

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Price: $4.27 [Notify me when price goes down.]