Fun news! I'm on my first design team!

I've worked in the paper crafting industry for 11 years, but I've never been on a design team... until now! I'm delighted to be on the Queen & Co. team as a card maker and scrapbooker! Queen & Co. has such fun goodies. It's a treat to be a part of their group. Since I'm the new kid on the block, I decided to start with a house warming card.

I saw the Pretty Presents Kit and immediately thought 'windows,' and this card began to take shape.

A little framing...

Some roofing...

And, of course, some landscaping and decorative finishing touches...

And the card's complete!

Welcome to the 'hood! ;)

Card 2: I Got You Something

For my second card, I went with a vibrant birthday greeting. My sweet girl turns five this week, so I knew it was the perfect time to celebrate in color with a cute card for her!

For more detail on how these cards came together, include step-out photography, check out the Queen & Co. Instagram feed. I am in very good company over there, with many talented designers. You'll definitely want to see what they're up to.

Cheers!

Paper Collaging (as seen on TV)

I had lots of fun sharing paper collaged ideas today on Studio 5. Take a look! 

PROJECT 1: Paper Punching & Tearing

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Put those paper scraps to fun use on some wall art! By layering shapes, it creates interesting texture.

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The project comes together in a few simple steps.

Step 1: Come up with an idea and sketch it. 

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TIP: For a fun change of place, try digitally drawing your project first. I used my new birthday present--the Apple Pencil. L-O-V-E!--and the iPad Pro to doodle my design. A great activity while sick in bed. ;) 

Step 2: Outline your lettering using a fine point pen (mine was a .01 Micron), and punch and tear paper so you can begin filling in your blocks of color.

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TIP: Use a good quality eraser to remove the pencil lines. I use a white eraser from Faber Castell, which I picked up at Michaels. NOTE: It may remove some of your ink. If so, just go back over it with your pen when your project is complete.

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TIP: Use a decopauge glue, such as Mod Podge. It is easy to work with and holds well. 

TIP: After creating a few spaces, I realized it's easier to first fill each section of space with a solid piece of the paper you're going to use and then layer the punches. That way, if you have gaps in space, it's no biggie.

TIP: Watch out with the ink. If the Mod Podge touches it before it has had time to set, it will smear. :(  

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Uh oh! Watch out for Mod Podge smearing. You may want to fill in all of your paper spaces and then trace in ink to avoid this mistake. 

That's it! A three-step project you can do for or with your children. Or make more sophisticated looks for your living room, office, bedroom... the sky is the limit!

Because my daughter LOVES Trolls, I went with this line from her favorite song. That's the fun thing about creating your own art--you can customize to load it with meaningful touches! 

PROJECT 2: Paper Cutting

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You can also cut basic shapes and piece them together to create art. Nothing but a few triangles, and I have a sweet little mountain scene shadow box for my baby's nursery. 

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For added touches, I did add a touch of glitter glue in spaces for sparkle.

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The Wish Upon a Star is a chipboard sticker from Crate Paper. 

PROJECT 3: Mixed Media Piecing

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Now that we've mastered paper, try mixing in other finishes. For this card, I created the shamrock in the following steps:

1. I placed a shamrock-shaped cardstock piece on the plaid paper and sprayed the sheet with green spray ink.

2. I removed the shamrock mask and painted the outer dot layer by dipping a pencil eraser in acrylic paint. 

3. Next, I added a ring of watercolor paint.

4. A small row of clear glitter glue (Stickles by Ranger) came next. 

5. Time for alcohol ink. I used a Chameleon Pen in a grass green color to add the center color.

6. Finally, it was rhinestones in the center. I used small gems from Close To My Heart.  

Just like the paper collage, this mixed media collage creates cool texture and was a fun exercise in blending mediums and techniques to try something new. :)

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I stamped the sentiment using an alpha set and ink, also from Close To My Heart. Bringing in another medium, I then colored the sentiment using a green colored pencil. 

TEACHING A PLANNER CLASS ON MARCH 24

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I would love to have you join me at Paper Crush in Lehi, Utah, on March 24. I'm teaching another planner class. It was actually my students' idea. They had such fun at our Feb. class that they asked if I'd turn it into a monthly affair. Don't have to twist my arm. LOL 

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We'll learn new planner tricks with each class, and each class will come with a new and awesome class kit. If you've never attended, you can easily jump in at any time. That's the beauty of planners any more--there is no definite start and stop period. Just join when it's convenient for you!

SIGN UP FOR CLASS HERE

Thanks for stopping in. Enjoy your creative journey!

Cheers!

An Interactive Birthday Card

My friend had a milestone birthday this year, so I wanted to make her a special card. This one is a bit interactive, so I thought I'd share a bit about how it came together. 

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This printed transparency sheet in Crate Paper's Journey collection inspired the design. I loved the "happy" tag and wanted to work it into my "happy birthday" sentiment. So I set to cutting the tag out.

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With the tag in hand, I used it as a template to then cut a tag from patterned paper. I placed Hole Reinforcer Stickers from Simple Stories around the holes on each tag to give them a more finished feel. 

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I cut one more "tag" from a photo strip my friend and I had recently taken in a photo booth. I then tied the three tags together, creating a tag bundle. 

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There's room on the back of the paper tag for a little love note.

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The pocket on my card was die cut using a Sizzix die from Echo Park Paper die. Here are a few more I've cut from Crate Paper's Little You collection. Aren't they the cutest?

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I dressed up my card base with some decorative tape and stickers and then stitched the pocket to a card base. Next, I added stickers spelling "happy" to tag #2 (the paper tag), and inserted the full bundle into the pocket, leaving tag #1 (the transparency tag) on the outside of the pocket.

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A few enamel hearts from my These Are the Days collection by Webster's Pages and the card was complete.

It's so fun to see the "happy birthday" sentiment reveal itself as the tags are pulled from the pocket.

You can see a quick flick of the card in action on my Instagram account (MeganHoeppner).

I can't say enough good things about my friend and feel so blessed to have her in my life. She's my pisces sister, and the world became a brighter place when she was born. <3

Cheers! 

Essentials by Ellen June Pin-Sights Challenge

I'm always flattered when a craft-industry friend reaches out and asks if I'll participate in a guest blog post. I've known Ellen Hutson and Julie Ebersol since my early days at Paper Crafts magazine (some 9 years ago), so participating in this one for the Ellen Hutson store was an easy yes. 

What is the Pin-Sights Challenge? Once a month, the folks at Ellen Hutson create an inspiration board using images pulled from Pinterest, which crafters use it as a jumping off point to their creativity. This month's board is absolutely stunning! Check it out. 

I was sent the new and wonderful Mondo Magnolia Essentials by Ellen stamp set and die set, designed by one of the cutest card makers I know, Julie Ebersol. Don't you just love it?

So, with my stamps and dies in hand and my inspiration in place, I set to work. I was asked to do A CARD, but I couldn't help but do a bit more than that. I ended up creating two cards and a layout. 

The key to each of my projects was vellum, which I stamped, heat embossed (some of the pieces) and die cut. I love the soft look vellum adds, and this delicious assortment by Doodlebug Design worked perfectly with this inspiration board! 

For the cards, I also used my watercolor paints to add a soft background. The cards are made using watercolor paper. 

And a little machine stitching and sequins were added to complete my designs. 

YOUR TURN

Want to win a $50 gift card to the Ellen Hutson store? Enter by participating in this Pin-Sights Challenge on the Ellen CLASSroom blog. To be eligible, you must use an Essentials by Ellen product and this inspiration board. You'll find info on the Ellen CLASSroom blog about uploading your design. A random participant will be selected. Good luck!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope this pretty inspiration piece and my projects have you inspired to create something sorbet-y sweet this summer. Hope to see you in the CLASSroom soon. :)

Cheers!
Megan