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UPPERCASE { Janine Vangool }

My magazine and books celebrate the process of making, the commitment to craft and the art of living creatively. As a one-woman company, I wear all the hats: publisher, editor, designer and customer service, too.

Weekly updates

All About YOU

Hello Reader, The next UPPERCASE (#68, Jan-Feb-Mar) is this close to being sent to the printer. Just another round or two of text proofing to go... Cover reveal's coming next week! Please subscribe, renew or update your subscriber address—the next issue will be mailed in early December. Use the code 'keepgoing' for CA$10 off a subscription or renewal. Glue is available in my shop! (Purchase 3 or more Encyclopedias and get 20% off the cover prices.) Connect with kindred spirits. UPPERCASE...
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A flower ✿

Dear Reader, I give to you a photo of a geranium. I've been nurturing my geraniums indoors since September—I made a cutting off the mother plant, but I wanted to preserve the beauty of this flower stem. Maybe it will inspire your creativity in some way? Design of the next issue of UPPERCASE is just days away from completion! It's issue #68, Jan-Feb-March 2026, but it goes to the printer next week so that it can be printed and mailed in early December. The hope* is that it will get into the...
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Scribbling at work

Dear Reader, Between designing the next issue (nearly 60 pages done!) and my daily tasks, I'm playing with oil pastels and scissors. It may or may not turn into the next UPPERCASE cover... It's just a spark of an idea at this point! Subscribe to UPPERCASE magazine The discount 'keepgoing' gives CA$10 off a print subscription/renewal. This week's updates I'm looking for some subscriber studios to publish in the next issue! Share your workspace, studio or corner of the dining room... wherever...
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UPPERCASE Open Calls close tomorrow, October 27!

Dear Reader, Making Zen starts tomorrow! It's a free online event where you'll be introduced to new artists and do some mindful stitching. Each day, a new batch of videos is released and available for free for 24 hours. (If you want to watch at your own pace, you can purchase a VIP ticket for lifetime access to the presentations plus some bonuses from the speakers.) UPPERCASE is a promotional sponsor and affiliate. It's a working weekend for me—design for issue 68 is underway! If you have...
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On my desk, in my mind

Dear Reader, Books and magazines, magazines and books! This is what is on my physical desk right now... and the next issue of UPPERCASE magazine (#68) is on my desktop computer. The next issue is in the very early stages of design, where the content I have commissioned and gathered is splattered on its designated pages. Nothing seems to make sense yet! Do I have enough content? Too much? Is the theme coming through? What's missing? This is a very necessary stage: doubt, worry, rethinking,...
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Inspiration & Instructions

Dear Reader, I wanted to share a bit more about the Illustration & the Elements of Creativity open call. First, with this outstanding submission by Lori Langille: illustration by Lori Langille Lori writes, "I have a real affinity for surrealist art, and I strive to bring the same sense of mystery and beauty to my illustrations, rather than just doing a literal interpretation of the text. And though I work these days on a computer as a digital collage illustrator, I still start every...
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Stencil 'kraft'

Dear Reader, Using the vintage stencils featured on the cover of issue #67, I recreated this alphabet that subscribers can print out onto the kraft mailer: cut out the letters and use them as a second-generation stencil! You'll find an array of UPPERCASE "krafts" that reuse and upcycle the kraft mailer in creative ways over here on my website. If you don't have a kraft mailer from an UPPERCASE subscription or single-copy purchase of the magazine from my website, you can use a cereal box....
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Thankful for YOU

Hello Reader, Here's a shot of the Glue book on my desk at the end of the day, with some creative clutter and my computer in the background... And the resulting product shot, below. Nothing glamorous about my photography setup, that's for sure! My logistical to-do list for the Glue book is ✅, meaning all copies are en route to everyone who has ordered it so far. New orders will be dispatched next week, after the Thanksgiving holiday Monday here in Canada. Thank you to everyone who preordered...
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Glue / Illustration / Elements

Dear Reader, Today, I posted a video of what's inside Glue. With 448 pages, it takes 6 minutes! (Here's the quick version.) Many of the participants have received their couriered copies; soon, they'll arrive in other places. The reviews are great so far: "I love it!" "It's fabulous!" "It's absolutely brilliant." "I'm over the moon!" 🥰 See below for more shipping news. Open Calls – update! I've extended the deadline for the open calls for issue #68 to October 20th. I've also slightly rewritten...
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