Apr 28, 2020

My Top 10, Ok 15, Current Favorite YouTube Channels

Happy Monday Tuesday! (Do you have to remind yourself what day it is? I do...)

I've always enjoyed watching youtube videos, but especially now. In case you looking to broaden your viewing, here my current favorites (mostly cardmaking). I know I'm leaving out a ton of fantastic cardmakers and a million fun channels, but these are the ones that I'm currently enjoying all the time. You may already be watching many of these folks, but just in case....

1. Laura Bassen -- Laura's techniques and colorful cards are fantastic, and her breezy, funny, commentary is a joy. (I basically stalk her channel.) Now that she is living in Germany, her stories are even more fun. Laura is also featured on several companies' youtube channels, so keep an eye out for those videos as well. 

2. Julie Ebersole -- I so look forward to videos from Julie! She always explains how and why she places things on her card (something I struggle with) and her (almost always white) backgrounds with a pop of bright color appeal to me muchly! Julie's voice and commentary are delightful. I could listen to her chuckle all day!

3. Koren Wiskman -- My friend Francie recommended Koren to me and I am so glad she did. Go for the cards, stay for the fun. Her cards are crisp and clean and beautifully made. Plus, her hair! 

4. Cathy Zielske designs fantastic products for Simon Says Stamp and has a million other projects going. Recently, she started a series on card design and it is the best!! Ten minutes on different design elements. Cathy does a terrific job of explaining why her cards "work." Addicted.

5. Penny Black Stamps -- Their products are fabulous, but their cards are even better! Jill Foster is so talented and is behind most of the videos. Her coloring, layouts, and her voice are all just beautiful. And the other artists on the channel are also amazing. I watch every video and learn something every time.

6. Natasha Valkovskaya  -- Natasha is fairly new to youtube, but you may know her as Craft Away With Me on Instagram. She's got a "simple" style that I love and her videos are great. I learn a lot. BTW, she is now featuring on Instagram a lot of hand drawn sketches that she watercolors and they are amazing!!!

7. Yana Smakula -- Yana is just plain wonderful -- all of her cards and videos teach me something. Plus, I have to admit I love her Ukranian accent (my mom spoke Ukranian as a child and, while she didn't have an accent, Yana's voice is reminding me of something!).

8. Mary Polanco -- I tend to scan the offerings looking for her product reviews. Sometimes Mary comes across some new to me things that are cheaper than what I might have bought. I like that!

9. Amy Schulke -- Amy runs Vanilla Arts and specializes in teaching Copic coloring. Her approach differs from many cardmakers and she is quick to criticize a lot of what we have been taught. YIKES. She posts free videos on youtube and they will definitely make you think twice about the way you color an image!

10. Gina K Designs -- Gina is a gem. I adore her. Honest, kind, and super hardworking. Her warm personality and classic cards are so soothing! She does a beautiful job explaining each step. Plus her products rock!

11. Jenny Can Cook -- A former comedian, her recipes are simple and there's always some subtle snark. Love me some snark. Haven't actually tried any of the recipes yet -- watching youtube is better than actually cooking.

12. The Toe Bro -- Didn't see that one coming, did you? Mike thinks I'm insane. You are either going to love this or be totally repulsed and never read my blog again. If you turn on the sound, you'll hear a very caring fun doc. He is so kind to these folks. But, DON'T CLICK ON THE LINK UNLESS YOU LIKE GROSS PICTURES OF TOE NAIL REMOVALS.

13. The Stay at Home Chef  -- Great set of cooking videos! Most of them are pretty simple. I've tried several and there's been some hits and a few misses. I really like this woman. She's got Addison's Disease and is often quite sick (you can read about that on her blog or IG account) but she keeps on rolling. So popular, she turned down an offer from Food Network for her own show.

14. CreationsCeecee -- Oh, these are some awesome videos on loose watercoloring and doodling. Warning: she makes it look easier than it is!! I know, I've tried.

And last, but not least ....

15. The Makeover Guy -- quick before and after photos of people getting makeovers from Christopher Hopkins. So fun and sometimes touching stories. Feel free to fast forward to the after pics if you don't want to hear the backstories.

Do YOU have any favorites? I'd love to check them out.


5 comments:

Natalia V said...

So humbled and honoured to be among all these amazing crafters I admire! Thank you much, Joan, for your support and kind comnents! It really means a lot! ❤️

Anonymous said...

I recommend Nerdecrafter. She's a Canadian teacher who makes polymer clay creations and reviews craft kits with her sister.

Carol Cel said...

You may have seen this one --it's not crafting -- but rather a fun set of videos from a dog named Pluto to help us get through coronavirus
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pluto+living

Andrew and Bertha Pilgrim said...

I do have some favourites, many that you have listed there, but I must add two more:

Sandy Allnock - great artist who uses all kinds of colouring mediums. Master of backgrounds and scene creation. She loves her dogs and has a funny sense of humour.

Therese Calvird aka lostinpaper on YouTube - great Aussie card maker, original cards and with a funny sense of humour.

Christi said...

the only crafter whose videos I always watch is Laura Bassen
she is concise, creative and funny
I just don’t have the patience to watch videos.
I definitely prefer blogs. ;)