The weather outside is frightful, but your yarn, thread and fabric are SO delightful – so delightful, in fact, that there really isn’t much point in leaving your house at all until the first signs of spring – and maybe not even after that. But lucky you ... you have a library card, and with that library card, you can access as many excellent crafting resources as you need to keep you delightfully indoors all winter long.
If you’re looking for crafting inspiration, it’s hard to go wrong with Creativebug. In fact, the only downside to Creativebug is that you might become too inspired! The course options for painting, drawing, sewing, knitting and crocheting, for example, are vast and seemingly endless, from classes to daily practice programs to patterns to download and more. There are classes explaining arts and crafts from the popular to the more obscure, and at every skill level; there literally is something for everyone with Creativebug!
Were you a printmaker when you were in college, but stopped because a lack of time and studio space halted you in your inky tracks? Creativebug can help you re-start your work with classes like “From Block to Print: A Printmaking Daily Challenge,” or “Carve and Print a Multi-Block Relief Portrait.” Perhaps your Nana taught you how to crochet, but now that she’s living her best life in Florida, she doesn’t have time to walk you through the Alternating Half Double Crochet Stitch – again. Creativebug has so many options for crochet and knitting projects and classes that you may finally run through your yarn stash. (Take that, Nana!) Maybe your life’s singular artistic goal is to draw one perfect image of an owl or a toadstool or a bird – Creativebug has programs to assist you with that very thing – all in easily digestible video chunks that make setting aside a portion of your day, every day, to make art that much more do-able.
And as if all of this wasn’t enough, one of the many wonderful things about Creativebug is that they are constantly adding new classes and content to their website, so running out of things to craft and create is virtually unthinkable and practically impossible.
Another excellent source of art and craft inspiration is the more than 380 crafting titles in Libby from all around the world, with self-explanatory titles like Simply Crochet and The Knitter, to more mysterious titles like The Simple Things or Spin Off. You can browse through individual issues, and checking out magazines through Libby doesn’t count against your borrowing limit – so you can indulge in as many magazines as you want with no worry. And if you really love a magazine title, you can subscribe to it through Libby, so that you’ll be notified as soon as a new issue is available.
Making things with your hands is good for your heart, your soul and your brain, but sometimes taking that first step towards a more creative life is a little scary. BCLS makes it easier for you to start your journey with excellent online resources like Creativebug and magazines through Libby that are free to use with your library card – the only thing that can stop you now is you! Be brave, get clicking and start creating.
