Free Fun for Nat'l Scrapbooking Day (and a giveaway)

Hat image from Creative Party Blog

Party hat? Check!
Streamers? Check!
Cake? Check!
Scrap Stash? Check!

Looks like we have everything we need to celebrate National Scrapbooking Day, so let's get this party started. Hop on over to the Big Picture Classes website and join me for a little scrapbooking fun. (Click here to register.) I've teamed up with 11 other amazing women to host an all-day scrapping extravaganza. There are free prizes, free downloads, free classes, and more! That's a whole lotta free.

The schedule is below. Look at all of the creative folks joining in this celebration. Wow! I hope you'll be by to say hi at 11:00 PDT, which is when I'll be sharing my ideas. I have a fun storage project, a challenge for you, and a giveaway that I'm super excited to tell you about. Looking forward to "seeing" you soon.
  

• 9am PDT: Claudine Hellmuth
• 10am PDT: Stacy Julian
• 11am PDT: Megan Hoeppner
• 12noon PDT: Cindy Tobey
• 1pm PDT: Kim Jackson
• 2pm PDT: Tami Morrison
• 3pm PDT: Suzy Plantamura 
• 4pm PDT: Deena Wuest
• 5pm PDT: Elisha Snow
• 6pm PDT: Lisa Day
• 7pm PDT: Mou Saha
• 8pm PDT: Katie Nelson

Win Stuff!
Leave a comment here for a chance to win a scrapbooking mystery box. After all, what would a party be without the favors? I'll randomly select a winner on Tuesday of next week, so you have until then to comment.

Happy Nat'l Scrapbooking Day!
Megan

Charity Boutique this Weekend

Hi there, friends! It's been a while. How have you been? I've been busy, busy, working on several projects. I'll share info on those projects here on my blog over the next week, starting with this post. Check out this pile of posies. My fingers are basically nubby stumps at this point, because I've been making so many bracelets.

These happy accessories will be available at a charity boutique this weekend. Proceeds from this event go to the Children's Miracle Network. If you're in the Salt Lake area, I'd love for you to stop by and visit. There are SO many amazing things for sale, whether you're looking for a Mother's Day gift or just some fun new spring treats. I hope I'll see you there. Here's the info:

Spring Boutique

Friday, May 6th 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 7th 11 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

13400 South  922 East  (Draper) 

(Take Fort Street to 13400 S.

Turn East,  2nd house on the Right) 

* Look for Pink & Yellow Balloons  

P.S. If you're not in Utah but you're interested in ordering a posie bracelet, e-mail me at M2E2G @ aol.com. I take custom orders and would be happy to make a bloom for you. Thanks! :)

My Portland Playground

Today I had the pleasure of spending my afternoon and evening on the streets of Portland, OR. I didn’t have a plan in place, so I typed “fabric shopping, Portland, OR” in Google. One of my search results caught my eye--Bolt Neighborhood Fabric Boutique. “Neighborhood,” “boutique,” AND “fabric” in one name? This store had to be good. So I hopped the hotel shuttle and headed the way of 2136 NE Alberta. 

At the risk of sounding dramatic, I’ll say that my journey lead me to so much more than a neighborhood fabric boutique. It lead me to some much needed rejuvenation. 

It was a plan-free day. I day with limitless possibilities. Just some time for me. No obligations. No deadline. No worries (beyond the usual). Just me time. What a blessing!

Here’s how my happy time was spent. 

Stop #1: Bolt Neighborhood Fabric Boutique

Highlights: Opening the door and breathing in the pure fabric joy. Meeting store owner, Gina, and her kind helper. Buying fabric, oilcloth, bindings, burlap, thimbles, patterns, and even chalkboard fabric!

Stop #2: Close Knit

Highlights: Being inspired by the shopkeeper to take knitting lessons as soon as I get home. Buying puffy yarn made from baby alpacas. Watching my yarn be wound into balls. (The shopkeeper said it was like yarn on a ferris wheel.) 

Stop #3: Tumbleweed Boutique

Highlights: Chatting with the gals running the store. Perusing the books in the shop. Buying a couple of those books. Discussing the joys of marriage and wonderful husbands with a fellow customer. Being inspired by display pieces (like the one above). 

Stop #4: Collage

Highlights: Chatting with fellow scrapbookers who are in town for CKC. Buying new stamps, a paint marker, burlap butterflies, and delightful set of bitty box drawers (for possible use in a future issue of CK). Being inspired by a banner made up of some of my crafting favorites (burlap, baker's twine, and washi tape)--yum!

Stop #5: Frock

Highlights: The store owner unlocking the door and inviting me in, even though it was clearly after their business hours. The quirky, comical, and clever merchandise. Finding a fun new sweater that’s very Portland. 

Stop #6: Screaming Sky Gallery

Highlights: The display of doughnut chotchkies that greeted me as soon as I stepped inside the door. The super sweet shopkeeper. A small gallery of art from local artists. The shelves of “blind boxes,” like the one below, which you open to discover what toy surprise is inside. 

This sprinkled doughnut came from my blind box. I chose to switch him for this jelly-filled chocolate doughnut--a nice surprise offered by the shopkeeper. 

Stop #7: Modern Domestic

Highlights: Seeing (and purchasing) adorable supplies from one of my favorite crafty ladies, Kata Golda. Taking time to enjoy the vintage store displays. Admiring the window display. 

Stop #8: End of the Road, 900 NW Alberta

Highlights: The stunning church on the street corner. The Alberta market where I was able to wet my whistle. The bus bench outside the market that kept me dry until the cab arrived. The nice cabbie who picked me up.

Notice a pattern in all this? Yes, I probably spent a little too much $, but that’s not it. Nope, the pattern is the people. From the shuttle driver who dropped me off at the beginning of my journey to the cabbie who picked me up at the end and everyone in between--the people in Portland are incredibly cool and kind. Such a relaxed and big-hearted population of creative people occupy this crafty, boutique-lined streets. 

What a great way to start my weekend. I simply can’t wait to meet more creative ladies and gents tomorrow and Saturday at the CKC scrapbooking convention. Hope I’ll see you there. 

Cheers!

Vintage Ribbon and Fabric Storage, and a Fabric Giveaway!

One of my favorite columns to write at work is “Stash It.” Or, as we like to call it around the office, Must Stash It...get it? Mustache It? LOL Good times!

Anyway, this column appears in every Scrapbooking Tips & Tricks special issue, and it’s all about scrapbook organization. The current issue, Scrapbooking Tips & Tricks: Texture, was extra fun to write, because it’s about organizing your textured treats (ribbon, fabric, floss, etc.). These are some of my favorite scrapbooking supplies, both to use and to organize. 

One of the ideas featured in my column was using vintage textile spools to organize your trims. I’ve picked these classic pieces up here and there at consignment and antique shops. They’re surprisingly easy to find. You can even search online at Esty.com and/or eBay.com and find several results. 

Take your trim stash from this...

To this!

Image used with prior consent from Creating Keepsakes magazine.

Simply wrap the trim around the spool and use a small straight pin to hold it in place. Once the spool is full, put it on display to enjoy. 

When it comes to how you approach your spool storage, you have options.

1. Wrap a bunch of various trims on one spool 
2. Wrap your spools by trim type, keeping like types together 
3. Wrap and divide the spools by trim color 

You can also take your fabric scraps from this...

To this, using the same method!

Image used with prior consent from Creating Keepsakes magazine.

For more on organizing your textured stash, including a cool fabric-covered suitcase, I hope you’ll tune into Studio 5 this morning at 11:00 on channel 5 (if you’re in Utah). For those of you out of state, I’ll post a link to the segment soon.

Also, I have a complete step-by-step tutorial for creating the train case on the Creating Keepsakes blog today. Check it out and, while you’re there, enter to win some stunning new Anna Griffin fabric! “Yum” is the best word I can find to describe the awesome assortment we’re giving away. 

I’ll leave you with a question. How do you organize and contain your fabric? I’m getting more and more into this beautiful crafting supply, and I’m always looking for storage solutions. Any ideas you have to share would be much appreciated. :)

Cheers!

Hungry for prizes? Let's talk winner winners!

Someone grab the napkins. I'm serving up a tasty chicken dinner-dinner to two winner-winners!

First, Congrats to my Bravissimo winner, Savannah. Or perhaps bravo is the more appropriate sentiment for this occasion. Savannah, your sweet comment has randomly been selected. Please expect the following brand spankin' new Making Memories goodies soon. :)

Next, in the spirit of giving, I thought I'd send out another Follower Freebie. This box o' creative happiness is going to Ashley.

Cute Ashley, please e-mail me with your full name and mailing address with "Follower Freebie" in the subject line, and I'll get your box sent out. Thanks so much!

Always fun to give a few thing away. Without much more to say today, I'll leave you with this tidbit:

Find joy in the little things today, my friends. Happiness is all around us, sometimes we just have to look a little harder to see it. Thanks for being part of my daily happiness.

Cheers!

The Twenties-Countdown Clock

Let the countdown begin. In one week I will officially be in my thirties. Eep! There are SO many things I thought I’d have done by age 30. And I’m proud to say that I’ve done many of those things. I’m married to the love of my life. I own a lovely (albeit dirty) home. I’ve established a career that I enjoy. I’ve traveled to many amazing places. I have a college degree... and the list goes on. 

BUT...

Yes, there’s naturally a but. There are things I haven’t accomplished.

While I started working on my Masters degree at age 24, a full-time job, a wedding I had to plan (my own), and a severe case of mono all got in the way of me ever finishing it. I had the best intentions that I’d go back to school after I was married. Has that happened? Nope. Can’t help but feel like a failure in this area.

More importantly, I always thought I’d be a mama by age thirty. As you may know, it almost happened (by accident) earlier this year, but that ended sadly last May. 

Now I’m left wondering if my priorities were out of whack. Instead of investing all of that time and energy into my career, a career I love, should I have put more into this goal. It’s one of those things. You know, the “there’s time for that someday” kinds of things. Well, someday is here and I’m left feeling incomplete. Inadequate. Unfulfilled.

Please don’t get me wrong. I KNOW I’M NOT OLD. I know there’s still time to be a mom. And I’m proud of where I am in life. I treasure my life with Cory. I think it’s really fun that I get to see my name published on a monthly basis. I get a kick out of the silly TV segments I do. I value my family and friends SO much. And I think I do an alright job dealing with the frustrations of having narcolepsy (somedays are better than others, of course). 

So, why is it that I still feel like I’ve done something wrong? There’s only one of me, after all. I can’t be all things to all people. Heck, I can’t even be all things to all me. I’ve done what I can with the life that I have. And I’m happy with the life that I have. Is it because I put these pre-established expectations on myself YEARS ago, before I was even old enough to know what life really is that these thoughts haunt me now? Perhaps. I just wish I could get past the self-set timeline and admire who I am as an almost-thirty-year-old woman without those “but you should have also done...” in the background. 

I know, this is a little on the deep side for my usually crafty blog. These are just the things bouncing around in my head as the clock continues to tick, and I thought sharing might help me sort them out. We’ll see if it works. In the meantime... 

Tick tock. Tick tock. Someone please silence that twenties countdown clock!

Cheers! 

Medallions and a Making Memories Giveaway! Mmmmm!

This is my 200th blog post! And it's Valentine's Day ta boot. Sounds like two very good reasons to host a giveaway to me. Do you agree? Good! Because I have an assortment of the brand new (and awesome) Bravissimo products from Making Memories to give to one lucky winner. Woot!

This giveaway is part of the Studio 5 segment I did today, which was all about medallions.

Like that? You can watch more of my segments on the Creating Keepsakes website. Thanks for your interest and support!

Now, here's how to make your own medallion base (the fluffy back part).

1. Cut a strip of flexible material (paper, fabric, crepe paper, burlap, felt, etc.) into a 1" x 12" strip.

2. Knot the end of a string several times, and run a basting strip along the bottom edge of the material.

3. Pull the fabric tight along the string to form the medallion shape.

4. With the medallion shape formed, stitch the two ends together and snip any excess thread. With that, you have your medallion base. Now it's just a matter of adding a delightful center.

Here are a few things you can make from a medallion base:

A medallion card

A medallion banner

A medallion gift bag.

A medallion gift bag (would also look cute on an Easter basket).

A medallion wreath, good for Valentine's Day or any other day of the year!

Medallion treats, made using my new cotton candy machine. Yum!

I hope these ideas get you in the medallion mood. For a chance to win the Bravissimo line from Making Memories, please leave a comment between now and this Friday, Sat 19. I'll randomly select a winner from the comments received.

Cheers!
Megan

A special card-making poem by my own dear mama!

I seriously have the cutest mom around. Not only is she my biggest fan, attending all of my local boutiques and classes (even when they’re repeats), but she’s also a talented poet. Last Valentine’s Day she sent me a handmade Valentine with this poem included. It’s the best poem I’ve ever read, and I've been waiting a year to share it with you. If this doesn’t get you in the mood to create love notes, I don’t know what will. Enjoy! :)

Dear Megan,

I’ve used my Stampin’ Write Markers, 

And squeezed my squeezin’ punch.

I employed fussy cuttin’,

And used brads by the bunch.

I peeled and adhered 3D foam squares, 

Pulled out “Click-n-Sticks” for a mile,

And sorted out perfect cardstock,

From a multi-colored pile. 

I spared no painstaking effort, 

Applying rub-ons and my stick of glue.

All of my supplies were “archival safe,”

And, of course, “acid free” too!

My stamps of hearts and flowers, 

Adorned with colors, rare. 

From clever, fold-up ink pads,

That I used with a great deal of care. 

Pretty ribbons and lovely self-adhesives,

Took their special place, 

So each had an eye-catching style,

Of flow, and flair, and grace. 

I was extremely proud and happy,

When my Valentine production was through.

I’d used techniques learned from an expert,

At the classes I took from you!

Love, 

Mom

Isn't she amazing? I sure think so! Love you, Schmom! 

Cheers!