UPPERCASE magazine is deeply in love with print and paper—but that doesn't mean we don't also love the possibilities of digital media. Our friends at Creativebug offer subscription-based access to well-produced, informative and entertaining online videos on crafts and creative techniques. 

At the Makerie last year, I had the opportunity to watch the Creativebug team in action while they were filming videos at the retreat. More recently, I visited their office in San Francisco. Kelly Wilkinson, pictured above, is the editorial director and a co-founder of Creativebug and over a lovely outdoor lunch on a (rare) sunny January afternoon, we had the chance to share our content wish lists and compare notes. Not surprisingly, we are fans of quite a few of the same people and things—and we thought that our respective customers might be, too. 

These are affiliate links, so if you click through and decide to become a Creativebug member, UPPERCASE will get a small commission. Unlimited access to Creativebug classes is as low as $9.95 per month or you can browse and buy classes that suit you. (And just so you know, I have a paid membership on their site and I also paid for the Building a Creative Brand, a special course offered periodically.) Even if you aren't interested in a paid membership, their instructor profile videos are excellent to watch!  –Janine

Creativebug instructor Lisa Congdon is the author of A Collection A Day which was published by UPPERCASE a few years ago. We also featured Lisa's writings and sketchbook travels to Iceland in issue #19 of UPPERCASE magazine. Lisa is a generous instructor who shares her wisdom in a forthright and inspiring manner.

Below, ceramicist Molly Hatch (who created the artwork gracing the cover of issue #21) teaches you how to put your surface patterns onto ceramics. Maria Horner shows you how to create this stunning quilt (perfect for those inspired by the surface patterns and fabric designs we highlight in issue #21). Amy Butler, famed fabric designer, shows how to make a cute gumdrop pillow. I'd love to make one for the UPPERCASE studio so that I can put my feet up at work!

DESIGN ON CERAMICS
Molly Hatch

GUMDROP PILLOW
Amy Butler

Creativebug instructor Kaffe Fassett is a beloved fabric and knitwear designer who is not afraid of vibrant and brilliant clashes of colour and pattern. I had the pleasure of attending a lecture about colour by Kaffe last year in Calgary and he was a warm and engaging presenter.

In the projects below, Heather Bailey creates these darling cartwheel pillows that remind me of cushions my great mother used to have on her couch. Cal Patch demonstrates that the classic granny square deserves its popularity! (And I learned a few tricks from Cal's videos that will help me finish a granny square blanket I've been working on for four years.) And Rebecca Ringquist shows off a lovely layered embroidery technique; I love the idea of using an already-patterned fabric and adding even more to it.

LAYERED FLORAL EMBROIDERY
Rebecca Ringquist

Creativebug instructor Jesse Genet is the founder of Lumi and the maker of Inkodye, a light-sensitive dye for fabric. We had a mention of Inkodye back in issue 13, how weather and the elements (sunshine, in this case) inspires creativity. This is a great instructor profile video. (I learn a lot about videography and editing by watching Creativebug... actually, truth be told, I have watched many videos with my unlimited access subscription and haven't made any crafts—but the videos are enjoyable on their own, so no pressure to make anything as long as you're enjoying yourself!

Jesse Genet shows how to use Inkodye on printed pouches. Melanie Falick, a book publisher whose work I admire, has a fun project on using Kool-aid to dye yarn. And Courtney Cerruti, all round creative dynamo who I had the pleasure of meeting in San Francisco, shows us how to do image transfers.   

KOOL-AID DYED YARN
Melanie Falick

IMAGE TRANSFERS
Courtney Cerruti