I hadn't knitted for more years than I'd like to enumerate here, when a friend invited me to a knitting circle a couple of months ago. This is a fun group of ladies so I decided I would at least attempt to knit again. Before going over to my friend's house, I checked what the library had on shelf that day and I came across . . . more »

The Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition will be held in Santa Clara on April 26, 27, 28th. The theme this year is Steampunks in Space! http://steampunkexhibition.com/ Need costume inspiration? Like to make gadgets and do-hickeys? Check out this steampunk inspired booklist to help you along in your endeavors. . . . . more »

I recently had one of those experiences akin to the mouse in the children's book who, upon receiving a cookie, asks for milk, and it goes on and on from there...I bought a blazer at a thrift store that I loved except for the too-short sleeves. One day in the library, I happened upon this book, Sewing Bits & Pieces: 25 Projects Using Fabric Scraps . . . more »

The San Jose Fantasy Faire is this weekend April 13 and 14th at the Guadalupe River Park in San Jose. Fairies, ogres, princesses, pirates, and more! http://www.sjfantasy.com/ If you would like to dress up there are many last minute ways to create a costume! You can browse our library catalog for costumes, makeup or masks. http://sccl.bibliocommons.com/ Or there are many resources on the internet to . . . more »

An American Collection: Works from the Amon Carter Museum A delayed flight from Dallas turned into a lovely day of museum exploration in Fort Worth, Texas. Within easy walking distance, you will find the exceptional Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the venerable Kimbell Art Museum (open but undergoing renovation), and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth with a cafe overlooking the sculpture gardens, . . . more »

Here are three new craft books with an indie feel. They contain an assortment of crafts of all kinds. You are Awesome by Abbey Hendrickson This book has the tagline "crafts to make you happy." It is full of bright colors and whimsical crafts like the bird tree. There are projects you could do with your kids and there are projects that may take a . . . more »

I Spy DIY Style by Jenni Radosevich. This book is an empowering funfest of fashion. Packed with pictures of various celeb and runway clothing, jewelry and accessories, it provides step by step instructions on how to achieve these looks. Despite the glam factor, many of these projects are pretty easy and cheap to do. I especially liked the elegant fabric petal necklace on p. . . . more »

You can certainly find rubber stamps and any local craft store, but creating your own unique stamps is also an option. All you need are some basic tools and plenty of inspiration, which can be found in our library! These two books have already served as inspiration for me in my rubber stamp creation, and I'm sure they will do the same for you. Making . . . more »

I am definately a DIY kind of gal. So when V-Day rolls around, I like to look for ideas that give my love missives a personal touch. This year, I was inspired by some of the cards in this book: 175 Fresh Card Ideas by Kimber McGray. Filled with do-able projects ranging from elegant to whisical to zany, this book gives clear instructions and inspires . . . more »

This picture was taken on my last trip to Belgium and the Netherlands. My very favorite museum is the The Mauritshuis in The Hague, where the collection lines the walls of a magnificent palace fit to display this impeccable collection of Flemish and Dutch art. With only 36 known paintings by Vermeer in the world, seeing the famous Girl with a Pearl Earring was a . . . more »

The Silicon Web Costumers' Guild is a non-profit virtual community interested in costumes and costuming. They are a chapter of the International Costumers Guild. They put together an online costuming magazine called Virtual Costumer which comes out four times a year. The back issues are available and free to view and save as a pdf. Current issues are available to members only. The magazine covers . . . more »

Welcome Everyone to the new Arts and Crafts Blog! We have assembled a team of talented people to write articles about the latest books, cool new ideas, programming and more going on at your library! We hope to write articles that interest you, ranging from local artists, photography, ecocrafts, steampunk gagetry, and much, much more. If there is something you are interested in, please let . . . more »