Breast Cancer Campaign (Blogs for Boobies Auction)

"Breast cancer"--Two words that hit far too close to home for far too many. My mom is a breast cancer survivor, and witnessing her go through more than a year of care and treatments was one of the most difficult things I've experienced. I feel very blessed to be able to say "survivor" when telling her story. What I'd give to be able to say the same for a friend of mine. She lost her life to breast cancer earlier this year.

...She was a special person and is missed by many!

So when I was asked to participate in the Blogs 4 Boobies event with Skipping Stone Design again this year, I was happy to join in. I decided to make a card set that includes two cards, two envelopes, and a gift bag and tag.

I'm auctioning my cards off, which is kind of scary, but the goal is to bring in some money for the Susan G. Koman Foundation. 100% of the proceeds I raise will be donated! More on how to bid below.

How My Cards Came Together

To create the cards, I first painted the background using watercolor paint. I then added foil using the DecoFoil pen by Therm O web, which allowed me to hand-write "love" and the butterfly trail. Photographing foil is the pits. This is a shiny, pretty silver in real life. Wish it showed better. Sorry!

I used the Heartsong stamp set from Skipping Stones Design to stamp several butterflies.

I then cut out the butterflies and painted them a bit to better match my painted background.

I layered several butterflies together and sewed to create a popped up look. I purposefully left some of the thread to work as the antenna.

With a little wing fluffing, my cards were complete.

To top it all off, I made a little gift bag and thank-you tag to go with the set.

Free Stamps Included!

Here's a fun bonus! I'm going to include my stamp set with my cards. Yes, it was gently used to create these cards, but that's it. Otherwise, it's brand new (and so cute!). I thought it would be fun to give it to the winning bid so you can make more of this card style (if that's your kind of thang). But whether you win or not, you're going to want to do some shopping at Skipping Stones Designs. For every stamp set purchased between now and June 14, they're donating $2 to the Koman Foundation! Isn't that wonderful? You'll definitely want to check out their newest stamps, released today in honor of the celebration. They're amazing!

You'll definitely want to check out their newest stamps, released today in honor of the celebration. They're amazing! Here's a peek at one of the sets. So cute!

How to Bid on My Card Set (and stamp set)

I'd LOVE to send this set your way. If you feel so inclined to bid, this is a card auction (more on that below). I'll collect bids here. Skipping Stones Design is donating all money raised to the Susan G. Koman Foundation.

Hop On!

Here are the rest of the blogs participating in Part 1 of this fun hop today:

Connie Mercer

Ilina Crouse

Kelly Gettelfinger

Amy Sheffer

Deana Benson

Megan Hoeppner (so nice to have you here!)

Giovana Smith

Stephen Kropf

Jacquie Marie

Thanks, from my heart, for your support. Breast cancer, be gone!

Warmly,
Megan

TV Time: Paper Piecing

Here's a little behind-the-scenes look at how a Studio 5 TV segment comes together. I work primarily with Stephanie, who is one of the awesome producers over at the show. Sometimes segments come about my by pitching an idea. Other times, she sends suggestions my way. I like both approaches, but there's something extra fun about going with her ideas. Maybe it's the challenge of catching the vision of another. Maybe it's just that she has a cool eye for good ideas. Maybe I simply miss working in an office where I collaborate with others daily and love any chance I get to join forces. Whatever it may be, it's fun. And today's segment was one of those producer-provided times.

The idea: Paper Piecing

Yes, this look is back in the spotlight. It's certainly not a new concept, but there are ways to make it fresh and fun, which I talk about in detail on the show. Here are three of those approaches:

Piecing Play 1: Punched Shapes

Punching shapes and putting them together is a staple in the world of paper crafting. Here are a few ways you can breathe new life into this form of piecing.

1. Modern Motifs: Look for the icons and imagery that are currently on trend. I often look to children's clothing and decor for this task. That market is surprisingly trendy, and the motifs typically translate well to crafting. Especially piecing. And I'm often scrapbooking and crafting about children anyway, so it's an easy fit.

Some popular children's motifs at the moment: woodland creatures (bunnies, deer, foxes, owls, squirrels, and bears--oh my!), weather (clouds, lightening bolts, suns, rainbows, etc.), cats (YAY!), botanicals (flowers, cacti, succulents, palms, etc.), and superheros. Any of these would easily translate to pieced motifs.

2. Modern Patterns: To update your favorite piecing, look to modern prints and fresh paper patterns (foiled, geometrics, etc.)

3. Tone on Tone: Layer prints on themselves to give an unexpected look. The key is dimensional adhesive (foam squares, etc.), which offer some lift and make it easier to see the definition between the two items.

 

Piecing Play 2: Die Cut Shapes

Pre-made die cut shapes come in SO many shapes and sizes. They're awesome when it comes to piecing either or single motif or an entire scene.

I pieced a little scene at the bottom of this photo display. This entire look could easily translate to a scrapbook page, too. This is another reason piecing is a loved look in scrapbooking. It's relatively flat and will easily fit behind a page protector in an album. Nice!

I used the DIY Home set of die cut shapes from Pebbles to create this scene.

Piecing Play 3: Stamping

With the HUGE popularity of stamp/die combos, this look is all the rage. Stamp cute shapes and either hand cut or use a coordinating die to make the cutting quicker (depending on intricacy).

I used the Cupcake Collection stamp set from PaperTrey Ink to create this card.

Here are a couple more of my personal fav stamp/die combos.

* Bitty Butterflies from Papertrey Ink

* Happy Trails stamps and matching Lawn Cuts (dies)
 

Piecing Pieces

When it comes to piecing, you really only need three things: 1. paper (obviously), mirco-tipped scissors (great for bitty cuts), and dimensional adhesive (to offer some lift and depth).

What About You?

Have fun playing with your paper. If you share any combos online, I'd love it if you let me know (tag or leave a note here). I always enjoy seeing how ideas take new form. Which of these approaches is your favorite? Or maybe you have another much-loved piecing look? I'd love to learn about it!

Cheers!

DIY Paper Bunny Tutorial and Pocket Page Scrapbooking Fun (happy iNSD!)

I said a hip hop, the hippie, the hippie, to the hip, hip hop, you don't stop!

Happy (inter)National Scrapbook Day 2016!

If you've hopped on over here from the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog, odds are, it's a bunny tutorial you seek Today, I'm one of many hosting hourly posts there to celebrate our readers and the inspiring contributions they make to the pages of our magazine.

As part of my post, I said I'd share a quick tutorial for piecing together a paper bunny. Here's how you do it to it:

1. Punch two circles and a slightly larger scalloped oval.

2. Fold the edges of the scallops up.

3. Trim the circle down a bit if the scale feels off to you. (This is your bunny's head.)

4. Using the same circle punch you punched the circles from, punch one of the circles again to create an ear. Repeat to create a second ear.

5. Put the pieces together and add a tail. I used a rolled rosette I made from fabric, but an enamel dot or a pom pom would also work well.

6. Add Mr. Cottontail to a 2x3 paper (or whatever size works with your punch sizes). I wanted a pattern-on-pattern looks, so I used foam adhesive, which offers a little space between the patterns and helps define the rabbit.

7. For the whiskers, I took a 4" string and folded it in half. I then tied a knot at the folded end, trimmed the whiskers down, and tucked them beneath the bunny using the tip of my scissors.

I didn't add whiskers to Mrs. Cottontail. And her tail is a shiny pink enamel dot.

I'm finally getting some of our Easter memories scrapped (the ones I haven't already done on my phone), so these sweet buns are for an Easter scrapbook page, but you could just as easily put them on tags for baby gifts or in a frame for some cute (and simple!) nursery art!

For the rest of our Easter celebrating (we had much fun this year!), I did a little pocket scrapbooking to coordinate with my lead layout. I do this often when i have more photos that I don't want to exclude from our family albums but don't have the time to make layouts for all of them.

Mr. C hopped onto this page as well. I turned the tag into a flap for some hidden journaling. We lost our doggie shortly after this, so I wanted to touch on the significance of this being his last Easter with us and also Lulu's first. Hidden journaling was just the ticket.

I scored the tag across the top so it would easily flip up. I then added some Easter sequins (LOVE!) by Little Things from Lucy's Cards to the pocket and sewed the whole business shut using my sewing machine.

I love adding pocket companion pages to traditional layouts because I'm a story teller and often want more room for journaled details than my 12x12 pages allow. Pockets make it easy to drop a note in next to a photo for added info.

Here's the pair together, with the lead page being traditional and the following page (soon to be pageS) in pocket form.

And I made this one on my phone using the Project Life App. It's about our egg-dying adventures!

What is your favorite way to scrapbook? Maybe you don't scrapbook. That's okay. There's no time like iNSD to get started. ;) Happy day of celebrating and making, friends!

Cheers!

More About Sparkle Watercolor Gel Crayons (and card opinions needed)

I had a very last-minute surprise this weekend. Sadly, it wasn't without its disappointment. My childhood friend was supposed to be in town for the SNAP Conference. Unfortunately, she couldn't make it at the last minute. On a bright side, she gifted me her ticket. Wasn't that the nicest?!

With only a day's notice, I didn't have much time to prepare, so I printed the made the finest business cards (ghe-he-ta-o!) the morning of and brushed a stroke of watercolor paint across my name using my yummy watercolor gel crayons from Lulu's Boutique in Gardner Village.

Where to Buy

There was such interest in these at the show. At least half of those who saw my card asked about the paint because it has such a pretty shimmer. With that in mind, I thought I'd offer a link to where they can be purchased online if you aren't a Utah resident and able to shop at the adorable Lulu's Boutique (LOVE that store!). Using my new marketing skillz, I'm listing an affiliate link in case you want to make a purchase and support my small business as well. If not, no worries. <3

Watercolor Card Thoughts Needed

In similar news, I created a few cards over the weekend and would love your thoughts. They're encouragement cards for a few friends who could use a little love and light right now. Trying to decide which design I like the best. Do you have a favorite? I'd love your input and help!

Option 1: Sun with sky

Option 2: Sun without sky

Option 3: Sun with bitty hearts

Option 4: Heart and sun

Option 5: Sun with rainbow

Is there one style that stands out to you?

Speaking of help, thanks SO much for all of your kind words in response to my last post. I was absolutely overwhelmed by your comments, FB note and messages, emails, phone calls, and texts. I feel beyond loved and know that will make the blue rhythms easier. Thank you from my heart.

I painted bitty hearts on the inside.

Cheers!

rhythm & blues

I have Part 3 of my Trend series ready to rock (look at me all bloggy and business—what’s gotten into me?), but I couldn’t resist the urge to pause the regularly scheduled programming to get your thoughts on something. Or at least to voice mine. Sometimes talking it out, even when “talking” is typing in an empty house to a lifeless screen, can work wonders.

I’ve been blue. This past weekend, I was feeling quite low and quite unsupported in certain areas of my life. I told my sweet (and always supportive!) husband—or at least I tried to—and I got all teary. Certain things had lead up to these feelings, but they’re things I’ve encountered before, so I don’t know why they hit extra hard this particular weekend. Brings me to the title of the post.

Rhythm & Blues

Do you suppose it’s all just part of life’s rhythm? That these ups and downs, highs and lows, ebbs and flows, are simply cyclical? Natural? I ask, because I feel good today. Great, actually! In a 24-hour period, I was presented with three unique and very cool opportunities. Can’t argue with that kind of day.

But, digging down to a deeper level of self exploration (a sometimes spooky place to go, even with my flashlight), I wonder if I am always sad (chemically or something) and simply mask that by keeping myself busy and enjoying opportunities (jobs, social engagements, Dean Cain [more on that in a future post ;)], etc.). You know, riding those waves until they run out and the sad creeps back in. I hope not. I’ve never thought of myself as a particularly sad person, but things have been off, which leads me to think about patterns and wonder.

Am I only happy when I feel I’m succeeding and accepted outside of the family unit? And, if so, how ridiculously SAD and selfish is that? Life is about SO much more than the external. It’s about the internal first and foremost. I know I’m accepted and adored here. Even at my worst—and here is where I am my worst—I’m surrounded by the sweetest bunch of cheerleaders possible. THAT should be enough. That IS enough. But, somehow it also isn’t… sometimes.

In my Pity Party on Saturday, I asked Cor if he ever thought of me as being bipolar or something along those clinical lines. He said no but asked if I could be pregnant. He wasn't trying to dismiss my feelings or be a smartA (as my mom says). This is how I was during early pregnancy. Sad and weepy and emotional. So I guess it was a fair question. However, not entirely reassuring that he saw that in me now.

I’ve discussed this in a similar fashion on Facebook before (the responses always so nice), which leaves me wondering about the rhythm theory. If I’ve been in a similar situation before and now find myself here again, is it situational or behavioral? Or both?

Writing sometimes provides clarity. If I can get the thoughts out—clear some of the path—I can better differentiate and understand where the root of a problem is so I can make corrections. But I’m an extrovert. The dialogue helps. So I risk coming across as ungrateful/whiny/[insert other undesirable adjectives here] and make my writing public in the hopes of receiving such dialogue. The PR professional in me knows this probably isn’t my brightest move. But the need to feed the extrovert often wins out in that argument. (Anybody else now thinking about the episode of Seinfeld where different parts of Jerry’s anatomy are in a chess match against each other? It’s something like that, but it’s sound reasoning vs. emotion in my match. And my heart-on-my-sleeve mentality means reason often loses.)

Could my extroverted personality trait be part of the problem? I no longer get to “extrovert” nearly as much as I did for most of my life. I spend 90% of my time with a lovely couple of kids whom I love dearly. I choose to be home with them. I want to be home with them. But the daily conversations had using my best Goofy voice don’t really cut it when it comes to processing this kind of thing and clearing those tricky paths.

So, here I am. Worrying the bottom is about to fall out again. And wondering why it does. Is it simply cyclical (part of my unique rhythm) or do I need to do some serious soul searching and work to change my own path in areas where I continue to feel hurt? It seems ridiculous to stay in places or patterns that cause hurt (even when they also bring joy) and expect things to not hurt. It's the definition of insanity, right? Einstein or some fart smeller (as Cor would say) said that.

Life. It certainly has its rhythm. And I’ve certainly felt my blues. I don’t love that. I have too much to be thankful for and too much that genuinely makes my heart happy to have any reason to feel so unsupported and intentionally excluded. Especially since the areas where these feelings are triggered aren’t even that prominent, which leaves me all the more confused. I guess it’s a matter of the sad and the heavy being just that—HEAVY! They weigh more, so even when experienced in MUCH smaller doses by comparison, they still tip the scales from time to time. Does that make sense? And as selfish as this will likely sound, I try too hard and do too much to continue taking the tips. Nobody should knowingly keep themselves in positions of tip. Life is too short and we’re all too valuable for that.

Yeah… so… no natural or easy end here. But I will say that I also adore the rhythm for the highs itbrings. That’s one wonderful wave to ride and I think it all comes down to finding ways to shift my current so the undercurrent reaches me less often. Even if that means giving up things or people I value… But if you know me at all, you know I dislike change. It can be hard and uncomfortable. I need much strength to walk into those feelings knowingly. Sigh...

Thanks for reading. If you’ve made it this far, know that I sure appreciate it. And you. I’m not sure what this extreme extrovert would do without my screen friends. BTW, absolutely no need to actually answer my many questions. I’m asking myself more than anything. But if this happens to trigger something that you’ve experienced and you have some input, you bet I’d love to read it.

Love & Light!

Three Trends in Paper Crafting, Part 2 (Watercolor)

In my last post, I shared three trends that I discussed on the TV show Studio 5 this month (watch segment here). Those trends: watercolor, foil, and plaid. Such a fun bunch of looks on the scene right now!

On the set of Studio 5, just after sharing this bunch of trendy fun on TV. Why I decided to hunch over in this odd fashion, I do not know. ;)

Well, I'm back to share a couple of projects I created from the watercolor trend. I used the Just Add Watercolor line from Julie Comstock of Cosmo Cricket to create a home decor item.

Like the name of this product line suggests, all i had to do was add watercolor to get this cool effect. The sheet was already die cut in this pretty way, with the resist areas (embossed areas that won't take color) and foil already added. I used a combination of watercolor crayons from Lulu's Boutique in Gardner Village and the awesome Swatch Sticks, also from Cosmo Cricket, to color my piece. (More on both products below.)

I love quick gift ideas, and this Just Add Watercolor Paper Cuts Deck is just the ticket! Buy a few inexpensive frames (thanks, IKEA), and you've got gifts for friends, Mom, coworkers, and more ready to rock! Here are the cuts that come in the set. You also get gold foil sheets and white cardstock sheets included, so you can take your pick on how you want to back your colored piece.

Image Credit: Cosmo Cricket

I also had fun playing with the Resist Pen from the Just Add Watercolor Cosmo Cricket line. It's a clear ink that, when dry, resists the watercolor, making it an excellent masking/resist option when you want a DIY look.

Image Credit: Cosmo Cricket

Here are a couple of tags I designed with this pen.

Watercolor Tools

I am slightly obsessed with watercolor mediums. I have several different paint options, including a traditional set of paints, watercolor pencils from Stampin' Up!, watercolor crayons from various companies, and now, Swatch Sticks from Cosmo Cricket. Here's a little about what I like about each of my options:

Traditional Watercolor Paint

Pros
* Easy to blend colors
* Light weight and thin case
* Many color options

Cons
* A bit fragile--you wouldn't want to drop them or you risk cracking the paint
* Bigger (not as travel friendly, but the case is thin [as mentioned above], which helps

 

Watercolor Crayons

Pros
* Easy to lift color directly from crayon using water brush (I like the Aqua Painters from Stampin' Up!)
* Can also color directly on paper and then blend
* Pretty portable

Cons
* Can also be fragile, but the ones shown here are pretty durable with their hard plastic case
* Not as easy to blend
* Can create harsh lines when used directly on paper (vs. pulling color from crayon using brush)

These particular crayons create a glittered finish, which is so pretty. I wish my camera would have picked it up better. I purchased these at Lulu's Boutique in Gardner Village.

These crayons were a gift from the Easter Bunny, so I tried them out in my sketch book. I wish the shimmer showed up here. It's so sparkly and pretty IRL.

Watercolor Pencils

Pros
* Can draw defined, fine lines and then blend
* Great for detail work
* Nice when practicing lettering or when you want smaller letters

Cons
* Fragile (but you can always sharpen the tips if they break)
* Not as easy to blend


Swatch Sticks

Pros
* Small and very travel friendly (can you tell I like to craft on the go?)
* Dual tips, so each stick has two colors in one
* Easy to store
* Saturated color
* Easy to pull color directly from tip using water brush
* Can be applied directly to project for coloring
* Blend beautifully

Cons
* Lids sometimes come off (store them in a sandwich bag when traveling)
* Some of the darker colors didn't blend as well when applied directly to paper, but lifting the color from the stick worked like a charm

These are just a few of my go-tos. I also love the various pigment powders, like the Pixie Paints from Cosmo Cricket (bottle shown above) and the Color Bursts from Ken Oliver. (You can watch my Studio 5 segment showing the Color Bursts here.) And Gelatos pigment sticks by Faber Castell are always a fun choice.

What is your favorite way to watercolor? I always love hearing of new ideas or approaches. The ones I've listed here are my current faves, but there are so many fantastic options available. I'm all for hearing how you create this soft look.

Cheers!

Three Trends in Paper Crafting (as seen on TV) ;)

I just love visiting my friends at Studio 5. Today, my segment was all about trends in paper crafting/scrapbooking. I like to say these are the Three Ps--Paint (as in Watercolor), Platinum (as in foil), and Plaid (as in... well, plaid!). Let's take a look at these pretty Ps. 

Trend #1: Watercolor Paint

I just love this one and that it's still going strong. More and more products are being developed to help us get a grand watercolor finish, including these awesome Just Add Watercolor items from Cosmo Cricket and sweet Julie Comstock!

 

Want to stamp your watercolor look? Check out this lovely Watercolor Words stamp set from Stampin' Up!

My go-to when watercoloring is a water brush. For my segment today, I used the Aqua Painters from Stampin' Up! 

Trend #2: Fancy Foil

This is another that is still going strong, with new items being designed for it all the time. Here are a few of your many DecoFoil options from the fine folks at Therm O Web:

And isn't this vellum sheet from Crate Paper's Little You collection darling?

 

One more. You can get the look of foil in the form of cardstock. Look at this shining option from Stampin' Up!

 

Trend #3: Plaid

Are you mad for plaid? You aren't the only one. Lots of brands are embracing this pretty trend, including Bazzill Basics, Lawn Fawn, and My Favorite Things. 

I'm a big fan of the Fawn. This multi-color option from Lawn Fawn is so fresh and fun!

 

Plaid cardstock?! Get outta town, Bazzill Basics! This is divine!

Image credit: Starlit Studio

The paper I used for my banner is by My Favorite Things. Isn't it happy and fun?

See complete instructions for making my banner on the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog. 

 

Thanks for checking out these playful Ps with me today. What's your favorite paper trend at the moment?

Cheers!

Feeling Lucky?

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, which seems an ideal time to tell someone you feel lucky to know them, love them, work with them... whatever. Wanting to express such gratitude, I painted postcards and used them to send handwritten notes.

Here are the supplies I used. Nothing more than a water brush, watercolor paint, a paper towel, and, my favorite, watercolor postcards!

With my supplies ready to rock, I sat down and began doodling. Here are some of the ideas I came up with. 

We're meeting with friends to celebrate St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, so I also put together a few treats to show them how lucky we feel to have them in our lives. 

And I certainly feel lucky to have this opportunity to connect with you! Thank you for taking time to visit me today. I hope you find the pot o' gold at the end of your rainbow and that it's filled with many blessings, good health, and much happiness!

Speaking of lucky, I'll leave you with a little #TBT (throwback Thursday). Remember this gem? Awww... Takes me back to the good old days, watching TRL at home with my friends, Just kids, we were. lol Enjoy! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! *pinch pinch*