Use a sketchbook as your muse to gather captivating imagery that ignites your imagination. Rebecca Ringquist of Dropcloth Samplers, celebrated for her embroidery and intricate stitched drawings, empowers you to explore your unique artistic style through fearless experimentation, free from the constraints of perfection or productivity. Over the course of a month, embark on an expressive journey dedicated to spontaneous mark-making and playful collaging in the first half, then respond to those textures and images in the second, culminating in exquisitely layered, visually intricate pages. When you're done, you'll have a place to begin.

For more of Rebecca's sketchbook work, check out her other class, Magpie Sketchbook: Collecting a Resource of Imagery.

This class will be available to view July 10, 2024.
Elevate the art of paper maché with Corrie Beth Hogg, multi-media maker and Brooklyn-based author. In this class, Corrie demonstrates how to make an impressive paper mache vase inspired by ornamented Italian earthenware from the 16th Century. The most amazing thing about working with paper maché is it's accessibility - all you really need is cardboard, masking tape, newspaper, and glue.  Corrie has designed and provided a template that turns a flat piece of cardboard into a three-dimensional vessel, allowing for a glass cylinder insert if you wish to use it for fresh flowers. Learn how to build the vase form piece by piece, then add paper maché. Finish by exploring several decorating options to make your vase truly your own and be amazed by what you're able to create with paper.

This class will be available to view July 24, 2024.
The Woven Star is a gorgeous pattern that seemingly radiates right off your quilt top. It's intricate enough to provide visual interest but also simple enough to have fun with finding favorite color and pattern combinations. Award-winning quilter and designer Sarah Bond teaches you how to sew the Woven Star with precision straight piecing and basic paper piecing. She will also share a round version of the Woven Star that incorporates a little bit of curved piecing. The class PDF includes patterns for these blocks in different sizes so you can play with scale and use different sizes of blocks on the same quilt top. Throw them all together in a mini quilt, full sized quilt, or whatever you have a mind to create. The result is truly celestial.

CbMixtapes are playlists made of specific bits taken from different classes and grouped together by a common theme. It's a fun way to learn how one topic is approached by a variety of artists with different techniques, all rounded up in one curated mixtape.​

Admire the beauty of a butterfly while practicing these five techniques. From card making to stamp carving to painting, these gorgeous pollinators inspire artists of all kinds.

Inspired to keep creating? You can watch the full Daily Practice classes with each artists here:
Oil Painting Daily Challenge with Erika Lee Sears
Carve a Rubber Stamp Kit with Lisa Solomon
A Card a Day with Hero Arts
31 Things to Draw with Pam Garrison
31 Creative Prompts from Modern and Contemporary Artists with Dawline-Jane Oni-Eseleh

​PDF reference photos can be found on the full class pages.

Capture the vibrance of spring and summer flowers and make a lush, felted floral crown. Melissa of Hex House Crowns is a fiber artist and handwork teacher with a love of all things handmade. Soft and fluffy natural wool is one of her favorite materials, and she shows you how to create beautiful flowers with wet felting, then how to add details with needle felting. Learn how to assemble your floral crown by attaching felted wool flowers to a crown base, blanket stitching your crown structure together, as well as two ways to fasten your crown using either flowy ribbon ties or a stretchy elastic band. This class is a fabulous introduction to the world of felting, and you'll have a gorgeous accessory to wear for any special occasion.

A circle is the shape of everything from atoms to stars, enduring the test of time. Skilled quilt artist Heidi Parkes incorporates many hand-sewn fabric circles into her quilts. In this class, she imparts her expertise in appliquéing circles of varying sizes using three distinct stitching techniques. She demonstrates options for using or not using a hoop and an iron, allowing you to select the most suitable method for your project.

Creative Director Katrina Wheeler, skilled artist and paper maché enthusiast, transforms ordinary household paper into charming rabbit, bear, and fox masks. Discover the art of paper maché with Katrina's expert tips, including her go-to paste recipe and techniques for adding details with paper folding and acrylic paint. These whimsical masks are versatile and cost-effective and be adapted to various shapes and sizes, making them perfect for unique home decor or heartfelt tributes to beloved pets. Dive into the world of paper crafting and bring a personal touch to your space with these delightful creations.

You may be surprised to learn that you likely have an extensive supply of book-making materials right in your own home. Everyday paper products like business reply envelopes, cardboard, and printer paper can be fashioned into a wide variety of charming structures with the expert guidance of artist Bel Mills of Scrap Paper Circus. In this class, Bel shows you how to employ upcycled envelopes and book-making techniques to create a unique paper wallet. With pockets, fun vintage mail-inspired decoration, and an eyelet closure, this wallet is both eye-catching and functional.

Engage in the creative and imaginative practice of upcycling. Rather than beginning with a book idea and then purchasing the materials, Bel Mills of Scrap Paper Circus reverses the process and instead finds inspiration in her recycling bin. Utilizing a discarded soap box as a book cover, she transforms what might become garbage into a lively, kinetic book with accordion-folded pages and a button closure. Bel offers several design options and makes this unique book structure as simple to construct as it is to source the materials. 

Book artist, mail artist, and educator Bel Mills takes great care when making even the smallest object. In this class she demonstrates just how much can be packed into a tiny book that features even tinier paper ephemera. As an avid upcycler, Bel loves to create art books using ordinary and cast-off paper products such as security envelopes and canceled stamps. This delicious visual snack, just a hair larger than a postage stamp, begins by folding an accordion book and then attaching a miniature cover. Along the way, make thoughtful design choices that lead the viewer on an adventure because every book is a journey, no matter how small.   

Celebrating pollinators and the magic of nature, Portland artist Rebecca Ringquist’s floral themed embroidery sampler bursts with vibrant hues and is adorned with beautiful butterflies. She works hers up using just a handful of stitches but in an array of colors that create a highly detailed and stunning bouquet. Once your embroidery is complete, Rebecca shares how to finish using a self-binding edge so that your completed project resembles a miniature quilt. Let your imagination soar as you bring nature's beauty to life, one stitch at a time.

CbMixtapes are playlists made of specific bits taken from different classes and grouped together by a common theme. It's a fun way to learn how one topic is approached by a variety of artists with different techniques, all rounded up in one curated mixtape.​

It's time for tea! Lisa Congdon loves tea so much that she makes a page of teacups each with two different mediums - watercolor and pen. Brew up a contour teapot drawing with Molly Hatch, a painted tea set with Carolyn Gavin, and round off teatime with a sweet treat painted by Jen Orkin Lewis.

Inspired to keep creating? You can watch the full Daily Practice classes with each artist here:
Daily Painting Challenge: 31 Painted Patterns with Lisa Congdon
Daily Drawing Challenge: 29 Things to Draw with Molly Hatch and Heather Ross
Daily Painting Challenge: Flowers, Fruits and the Natural World with Carolyn Gavin
Daily Drawing Challenge with Lisa Congdon
Daily Painting Challenge: 30 Things to Paint with August Wren​

​PDF reference photos can be found on the full class pages

Join Courtney Cerruti and Twinkie Chan in celebrating Creativebug's 12th birthday. Courtney and Twinkie make faux celebration cakes full of fun colors, "frosted" bows, rosettes, and topped with faux fruit and sprinkles. These fun cakes can be made for any occasion and will last for many years to come. This event was originally recorded live May 15, 2024.

Join designer, technical editor, and author Tian Connaughton and crochet The Reignbow Vest, a versatile, fast-to-crochet, and playful project. Begin by creating a swatch to determine correct gauge and fit, then work the vest in corner-to-corner (C2C) crochet while following a chart. The combination of C2C and alternating yarn colors creates a vibrant and dynamic pattern, and the vest is constructed simply with two identical panels seamed together. Easily add a keyhole detail in the back for an extra fun design element. If you're familiar with crocheting stripes, you might assume you’d be dealing with many loose yarn ends, but Tian shows you her wink-wink secret for weaving in ends, along with some fun modifications in the pattern for a variety of looks

From ancient Egypt to Buddhism and Hinduism, the lotus flower represents the cycle of life, rebirth, peace, and love. In this class, you'll learn how to make a beautiful folded paper version of the legendary lotus. It looks extremely intricate, but the folds are actually quite simple. Mia Semingson is an artist, book binder, and owner of Two Hands Paperie in Boulder, Colorado, and she is always looking for creative ways to use paper. With basic origami techniques, Mia will guide you through constructing a four-layered lotus blossom. You can use it as a gift wrap embellishment, ornament, or even include it as part of your own rituals and celebrations by writing messages inside the folds, like wishes for friends or thoughtful intentions.

The allure of traditional watercolor painting is undeniable but sometimes you need a creative change or simply cannot wait for paint to dry. This is where the digital watercolor painting process becomes invaluable. Sanae Ishida, an artist of many talents, has seamlessly integrated Procreate into her repertoire and developed a deep fondness for its capabilities. With her expert guidance, delve into the world of digital watercolor art, moving/resizing/erasing, employing clipping masks for precise painting within boundaries, and harnessing the power of layers to bypass the drying time. Additionally, she has designed a collection of distinctive brushes and templates for this Daily Practice, meticulously crafted to authentically replicate the watercolor aesthetic. 

Few things are more rewarding to sketch than botanicals. Fine artist and art coach David Tenorio emphasizes the importance of observing and respecting your reference material, and also encourages leaving some aspects of the work in process. In this class, learn essential elements of sketching plants, including lending 3D quality to leaf and flower shapes, creating varied line quality, and exploring a range of botanical images to add interest to your work. This class starts with simple sketches before moving onto more detailed drawings and is designed to build confidence in your core drawing skills, increase your set of techniques, and encourage a relaxed time to create. David inspires a conversation between drawing and painting, adding richness to the work, always remembering that, as Emily Dickenson said, "Beauty is not caused, it is.

Use a macrame-type braid to construct a sturdy, eco-friendly dog toy. Crafter Faith Hale demonstrates this simple-yet-satisfying technique, and you can use purchased T-shirt yarn or yarn that you’ve made out of a T-shirt that has outlived its use as a garment. The toy shown is excellent for small-to-medium sized dogs but Faith instructs how to make simple swaps for a custom size

You have just entered a storybook land filled with colorful flowers, fairytale toadstools, sweet forest mice, and happy snails - all made with fluffy felt. Melissa of Hex House Crowns is a fiber artist and hand-work teacher, and she loves working with wool felt because it's soft and fuzzy and easy to transform into whatever you wish. In this class, learn how to make a felted woodland celebration crown. You'll get to know your needle felting tools by starting with a landscape for your woodland scene: wispy clouds in the sky and soft grass on the ground. Then Melissa shows how to create more three-dimensional shapes as you needle felt an amanita mushroom and a cute mouse. You can use these skills to add flowers, trees and any other friends that you can dream up. While assembling the crown, decide whether to make ribbon ties or a fabric-covered elastic band for your closure. Whoever wears this crown will look like forest royalty, friend to all animals, and you will feel like a maker of magic.

There's no need to visit a museum or fancy gallery to find beautiful art when there's a whole world of inspiring illustrations to be found inside children's picture books. This daily practice from artist, educator, and children's book illustrator Constance Moore pulls from these different facets of her life to bring you a unique art class for all ages. Each day, Constance shares a children's book, including a few she has illustrated herself, with a creative prompt inspired by the art in each book. Explore the elements of line, shape, and color while focusing on using accessible tools and materials found in most classrooms. Try playing with watercolor, tempera paint, oil pastels, or whatever materials inspire you. This class includes drawing, painting, collage, and even a three-dimensional piece. With years of experience teaching art to children, Constance embraces the joy of getting back to the basics, allowing you to discover and free your own creative spirit.

Introducing CbMixtapes: playlists made of specific bits from different classes and grouped together by a common theme.

Maker extraordinaire and Creativebug's Editor-in-Chief Courtney Cerruti considers the library a sacred space essential to her creative practice. In her hugely popular class, Living a More Creative Life, she details 30 different methods designed to enhance your perspective and engage with the beauty around you. Naturally, several of these days involve a trek to a library.

If these mini lessons inspire you to dig deeper, check out her full Daily Practice Living a More Creative Life: 30 Ways in 30 Days with Courtney Cerruti.

CbMixtapes are playlists made of specific bits taken from different classes and grouped together by a common theme. It's a fun way to learn how one topic is approached by a variety of artists with different techniques, all rounded up in one curated mixtape.​

Embark on a lunar-inspured adventure in this moon-themed mixtape. Across five chapters, each taught by a different artist, discover diverse techniques in painting, printing, and drawing in moons. Engage in short, accessible lessons tailored for all skill levels and ignite your creativity as you explore the celestial beauty of moons thorugh various artistic mediums and let your creativity shine.

Inspired to keep creating? You can watch the full classes with each artists here:
Artober: 31 Days of Inky Monoprints with Courtney Cerruti
Artober: 31 Days of Spooky Monoprints with Courtney Cerruti
Oil Painting Daily Challenge with Erika Lee Sears
Color Meditation Daily Practice with Lisa Solomon
Astro Origami with Faith Hale

​PDF reference photos can be found on the full class pages.

Garden historian Mac Griswold poetically states that “Gardening is the slowest of the performing arts,” but this art moves swiftly once the growing season is underway. In this class, led by lifelong gardener and artist Lorene Edwards Forkner, learn how to make the most of every season by developing a personal garden journal that provides space for exploring garden dreams, stashing pertinent plant tags and seed packets, and diagraming planting ideas. Included is a practical garden log sheet: a place to record seasonal weather and keep track of bloom time and harvests, along with garden wins, losses, and discoveries. A well-used garden journal is a valuable reference when plotting for the future but you need not limit yourself to the realities of your growing region or resources; simply choose any plant that appeals to you and have some fun!

A pattern a day keeps boredom away! Join Austin, Texas based marbling artist Mercedez Rex and immerse yourself in the captivating world of marbling, mastering techniques that adorn paper with mesmerizing patterns. Throughout your month-long journey, delve into four distinct pattern categories: Stone, Gel-Git, Nonpareil, and Chevron. Embrace the interplay of colors, gradually advancing to more intricate designs. Grow your creativity through marbling and experience the enchanting art of swirling colors, unveiling breathtaking designs that will ignite your imagination.
Need an introduction to marbling? Check out Mercedez' first class, Creativity Through Marbling: An Introduction

To share your work on social media use the hashtag #MZRXdailyPractice.

Quilters of all experience levels learn something new in this class that emphasizes how to determine color value and how to artfully apply it to your quilts. Blair Stocker of Wise Craft Handmade is an author and modern quilter from Santa Fe. In a former life, she worked in the fashion industry and has a deep love for textiles and knowledge of design. Using a simple three-strip Roman Stripe quilt block, she shows you how to utilize many different fabrics from your stash as well as your favorite scraps to create what she calls "quilt sparkle," a dynamic effect that leads the eye all over the quilt by working with light and dark color values. She invented the Ruby Ruler as a helpful tool to quickly determine color value while at the fabric store, looking through your fabric piles, cutting your fabric, or putting your design together. Learn how to sew your blocks, arrange them into a gorgeous quilt top, hand tie a quilt, and bind a quilt with mitered corners. This is a start-to-finish project in which you'll learn quilting basics as well as how to develop your artistic eye.

Knit a timeless cabled sweater with designer, technical editor, and author Tian Connaughton. The beautiful Freeport Cardigan is worked from the bottom up, which is one of Tian's favorite sweater constructions because there is very little seaming. Begin knitting with the back piece, split for the front pieces, and then pick up stitches for the sleeves. Tian teaches you how to knit cables with a cable needle and without, as well as other essential techniques including a three-needle bind off, a twisted rib stitch, how to knit buttonholes, and how to work in short rows for shaping. You will love the Freeport's gorgeous textures along with its elongated collar that drapes behind you like a cozy capelet. 

Author, illustrator, and sewist Sanae Ishida is a maker of many things. In this class, she guides you through sewing a cozy heating pad with rice filling. This project is based on the heating pad from Sanae's book Sewing Happiness, and she designed this larger version to be able to wrap around your neck, shoulders, abdomen, and wherever you need some soothing warmth.  This is a quick and easy project - no pattern necessary. Learn how to measure and cut your fabric, sew straight lines with a sewing machine, create channels in the heating pad to ensure the filling remains evenly distributed, and finish the project with hand-sewing. Bear in mind that due to the amount of rice filling, this neck warmer is fairly weighty. It’s a comforting weightiness, though, and with a few drops of soothing essential oils and a minute or two in the microwave, you’ll create your own spa experience. Finished measurements are approximately 36" x 6".

Slumber is serious business when it comes to health and maximizing your beauty sleep. Artist, illustrator, and maker Sanae Ishida shows you how to whip up an easy and luxurious sleep mask. Learn how to use a template to cut your fabric pieces, work with fusible fleece, and sew the curves of your sleep mask with a sewing machine. A simple strip of foldover elastic provides a comfortable fit around your head. The best part of knowing how to DIY a sleep mask is how easy it is to tweak the shape to your liking, and you'll have so much fun making more in a variety of colors and fabrics, whether they're for special gifts or all for you.

This fun and flirty Love Note Zine begins with a single sheet of beautifully marbled paper made using shaving cream and food coloring. Bel Mills, the artist behind Scrap Paper Circus, walks you through the process and shows you how a few simple folds turns a single sheet of paper into a pretty booklet ready to fill with a heartfelt message. Open to book artists of all skill levels, this project is a wonderful way share creativity with loved ones.  

Cherry blossom season is fast and fleeting; the peak bloom period, when the blossoms are open, lasts only a few days. Capture that springtime wonder by making ever-blooming paper cherry blossoms with Mia Semingson. Mia is an artist, book binder, and owner of Two Hands Paperie in Boulder Colorado. In this class she teaches you how to use basic origami folds, simple cutting techniques, and a fun dip dye process to transform paper into beautiful flowers. How each one turns out is a mystery until you unfold them, and the surprise is part of the magic. You can use your cherry blossoms to adorn the tops of gifts and Mia also shows you how to attach them to a branch for a beautiful decor piece.

Embrace the magic of make believe and bring your own mythical creature to life with Creativebug's Creative Director, Katrina Wheeler. She guides you through a fantastical adventure of transforming everyday materials like cereal boxes and packing paper into a majestic dragon head. Dive into a sticky river of paper maché paste and emerge in a vibrant land where creativity knows no bounds. 

Author, illustrator, and maker Sanae Ishida designs useful items brimming with personality. She crafted this adorable bear stopper to prevent that chilly winter air from seeping under your door and not only is this project a fantastic scrap buster, but it's beginner-friendly and a fun introduction to very easy patchwork, basic hand-embroidery, and appliqué with a sewing machine. For a more streamlined look, simply omit the bear elements. This is a super fast and satisfying project that makes a wonderful cold-weather gift. Approximately 36” wide x 5” high.

Modular in design, the Harrison Sweater is an ideal on-the-go crochet project. A basketweave stitch creates the coziest texture and is an easy stitch pattern to memorize. Designer, author, and technical editor Tian Connaughton guides you through crocheting your own comfy sweater from start to finish. You'll begin with vertical ribbing, then work in front and back post stitches with the basketweave, crochet front and back cardigan pieces plus sleeves, and seam everything together. Finish your sweater with a ribbed collar and also button and buttonhole bands. This class is packed with many techniques that you'll be able to use for future cardigan projects.

Introducing CbMixtapes: playlists made of specific bits from different classes and grouped together by a common theme. It's a fun way to learn how one topic is approached by a variety of artists with different techniques, all rounded up in one curated mixtape.​

Start your practice with with "opening stats" from Get Messy's Art Journaling Daily Practice. 
Learn your go-to doodle shapes and begin to add ink and pencil with Dawn D. Sokol from her Art Journaling series. 
Create a word map with e bond from her Personal Mapmaking class. 
Appreciate the kindness of strangers Mou Saha's Gratitude Journaling Daily Practice.
Work with e bond again in a word progression writing exercise from her Words Inform Images class. 
An example of a family journal from Amy Karol's Journal of Family Life.

 

Whether you call it a puff quilt or a biscuit quilt, this particular patchwork method provides maximum coziness and charm. Artist and quilter Faith Hale has explored the myriad methods of piecing, stuffing, quilting and binding this vintage-inspired quilt, and she walks you through her favorite methods, along with a few variations. First learn how to sew the puffs and assemble them together into a top, then decide whether you want to use bar tacks, machine-sewn lines, or hand ties to quilt it all together. In this class Faith demonstrates how to make a 14" square that can easily be enlarged to make lap or even bed-sized quilts right out of a story book.