Crafts

"Charming . . . A fine starting point for fledgling artists and a handy reference for more experienced illustrators seeking a fresh jolt of creativity."?ForeWord ReviewsDraw your bicycle. Draw your favorite food. Draw your garden. Step-by-step projects, prompts, and creative inspiration make it fun and easy to draw one hundred everyday items. Whether it's a pet, the local café, or the contents of the kitchen cabinet, Draw Every Little Thing demonstrates just how easy it is to render the world around you with little more than a pencil, paper, and paint.This aesthetically pleasing book familiarizes you with a range of drawing tools and materials, including graphite pencil, pen and ink, colored pencil, and gouache, before offering a quick overview of basic color theory. Each subsequent chapter is then devoted to a specific theme--kitchenalia, hobbies, neighborhood haunts, and much more--and packed with simple step-by-step drawing projects.Encouraging you to jump around so you can draw what immediately inspires you, the book shows you how to develop your own personal style, as well as add color to your drawings using gouache and colored pencil. Crafty projects round things out, allowing you to use your newfound skills. Filled to the brim with whimsical artwork and loads of creative ideas, Draw Every Little Thing encourages artists of all skill levels to draw any time inspiration strikes.

"Learn to crochet from a book? Yes, if it happens to be this one . . . the book thoroughly prepares readers to pursue the craft" --with online tutorials! (Booklist)Written with the absolute beginner in mind, this engaging book teaches all the basics for learning to crochet with step-by-step instructions and photographs. Crocheting skills are learned by working on projects, beginning with something very easy and getting progressively more difficult as the reader works through the book. New skills are explored in depth as they are introduced. The introductory section covers all the basics of crochet-selecting yarn, hook types and sizes, other tools and accessories, crochet gauge, chaining, forming the basic stitches, reading patterns-making this the most comprehensive beginner's book available. The online video tutorials created to supplement this book are an additional learning tool demonstrating the essential techniques used in crochet.

"Orenstein is such a breezy, funny writer, it's easy to forget she's an important thinker too."--People In this lively, funny memoir, Peggy Orenstein sets out to make a sweater from scratch--shearing, spinning, dyeing wool--and in the process discovers how we find our deepest selves through craft. Orenstein spins a yarn that will appeal to everyone. The COVID pandemic propelled many people to change their lives in ways large and small. Some adopted puppies. Others stress-baked. Peggy Orenstein, a lifelong knitter, went just a little further. To keep herself engaged and cope with a series of seismic shifts in family life, she set out to make a garment from the ground up: learning to shear sheep, spin and dye yarn, then knitting herself a sweater. Orenstein hoped the project would help her process not just wool but her grief over the recent death of her mother and the decline of her dad, the impending departure of her college-bound daughter, and other thorny issues of aging as a woman in a culture that by turns ignores and disdains them. What she didn't expect was a journey into some of the major issues of our time: climate anxiety, racial justice, women's rights, the impact of technology, sustainability, and, ultimately, the meaning of home. With her wry voice, sharp intelligence, and exuberant honesty, Orenstein shares her year-long journey as daughter, wife, mother, writer, and maker--and teaches us all something about creativity and connection. 

Learn how to draw cool creatures, awesome wildlife, and all your favorite animals with step-by-step instructions and helpful tips on the best drawing tools to try out. Follow along with your sketchbook, pens, and pencils as this easy-to-follow instructional book teaches you how to illustrate your favorite animals. With more than 150 step-by-step illustrations, Drawing Animals is the perfect guide for aspiring artists. Each chapter starts off simple, with how to draw basic animal body shapes. You will then learn how to adapt these bodies to create various species as you go along, including: Dolphins Horses Insects Birds Cats And even Dinosaurs! In addition to creating life-like animal illustrations, you'll also develop your technical drawing skills by learning which drawing tools will produce thin and thick lines, different levels of shading, and softer edges. Then you'll be able to use this knowledge to create the perfect finishing details for your animals, from scales to feathers to shaggy fur.