McLion Design

Work It Out!

2014-08-05T20:48:00.002-07:00

Been hard at work the last couple of weeks now that I'm back at it! Below are some of the fun things I've been making!

Shadow box for a friend's new baby

Another new baby shadow box

Halloween party invitations

Examples for my upcoming paper pumpkin class at JoAnn Fabric

A friend watched Jack for me the other day so as a thank you, I made her cards with her kitties on them! :)

Work Day!

2013-01-28T23:44:00.002-08:00

My husband was on duty for the first time in a while so I took the opportunity to get some work done! Below are some of the highlights!

I made almost 20 cards and then gave up working and watched Downton Abbey. haha Hope everyone else is having a productive night!

Sneak Peek!

2013-01-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

Hello again!

I've been so busy recently, between visitors from home, my husband being here and away a few times, and the holidays- I think everyone can sympathize with that last one! So today, to make up for being so busy, I really put my nose to the grindstone and banged out a few designs for Lila's Scrapbooking and More. This is a quick sneak peek at what's coming to her store in the next couple weeks!

First up, Authentique's Renew line:

Next, more Authentique, this time their "Seasons: Spring"line!

And lastly, the brand new, just announced "Hope", also from Authentique!

Whew! Exhausting afternoon, but I got a lot done! Go in to Lila's to see the designs in person!

Tutorial Demand

2012-09-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Glad to hear that you all liked the leaf tutorial I posted yesterday! I've had a couple requests for tutorials and I will do my best to get them together this week. The first request was for a basics of layout creation tutorial, and the other for more about inking.

I don't profess to be an expert at layouts, (I don't really profess to be an expert at much, except chocolate chip cookies, maybe) but I'll make a video that gives you the highlights of how I create a layout and you can take what you like from it, and leave what you don't. It's always nice to have a little guidance, especially when you are first getting started! I'll also include a little bit about what items you should buy if you are thinking about getting into scrapbooking, grouping them by necessities and accessories so you can manage your initial investment into what can be a very expensive hobby.

If you guys have other suggestions, let me know! I'd be happy to make more tutorials or answer questions.

Have a great day and check back soon for another tutorial!

Fall Leaf Tutorial!

2012-09-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

I thought that since I had a little down time this afternoon between projects, I'd make a quick video tutorial on realistic-looking fall leaves for your fall projects. I LOVE fall (have I said that in every blog post since September started? If not, just a reminder, I LOVE FALL), so I love all the autumnal projects I get to make through the season. Check it out below and let me know what you think!

All You Need Is Love

2012-09-20T23:18:00.003-07:00

Making some cards for some upcoming meetings and I love this one so much, I want to keep it for myself. Not even keep it and then give it to a couple-- just keep it. Haha

I used some pretty corkscrew paper from Lila's and a lovely new stamp I just picked up. Pretty sweet little card in warm colors!

Branching Out!

2012-09-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone- how is this fall weather treating you? Here in western Washington, we are enjoying some very pretty weather, sunny and in the upper 60's during the day and nice and cool at night. Autumn is my favorite time of year!

I've been out pounding the pavement for McLion, working on getting local businesses to carry McLion Design products. So far, two shops in Mukilteo are/ will be carrying our items in store, Mukilteo Chocolate Company (where we've had cards for months now) and Red Cup Cafe, also in Mukilteo. I'll also be working part time with the Chocolate Company, making some holiday packaging and generally helping out. Jan, the owner, is a fellow Navy spouse and we have to stick together, you know. I have a couple meetings with wine shops/ wine bars here in the next couple of days, as well. Movin' on up, folks!

Also, and I just shared this on Facebook as well, but here is a Halloween-themed tag I made for a housewarming gift I recently gave away. Check it!

I think it turned our pretty cute!

Have a lovely week, everyone!

The Holidays Are Coming!

2012-09-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it is halfway through September already?! Jeeze! Where did it all go?

I don't know about where you all live, but here in the Pacific Northwest, it's already fall! (Forget today which has a freak high of almost 80-- it's been in the low 60's all week!) Autumn is my favorite season, and all this beautiful fall weather has me hungry for apple and pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING. I've also gotten to work on a couple fall themed items for the Etsy shop.

"Dem Bones" Halloween cards!

These cuties could easily be adapted to a party invitation.

"Autumn Memories" explosion box- neat little way of displaying some fun fall photos!

I've also caught the Christmas bug. I always here people griping about the Christmas decorations being put out too early-- and I'll admit, July is a bit early, guys!-- but I love the holidays so much that I don't mind seeing some lights and ornaments, or even catching a snippet of Christmas caroling as soon as the weather starts to turn. I'm also a CRAZY early Christmas gift shopper (about halfway done already). So with those two things in mind, I've also posted a ton of Christmas cards and a few home decor items. Check out this little Christmas photo display!

All of these items (and a bunch more!) can be found in my Etsy shop here.

What kind of holiday things are you guys up to?

Been so long gone!

2012-08-27T20:20:00.002-07:00

Welcome back, me!

It has been a very eventful and insanely busy few months, but back I am. Too long a story to explain it all, so instead, let's dive into some recent designs!

A Christmas tag using Authentique's Festive line

A layout using Authentique's Festive line

Another layout using Authentique's Festive line

A layout using Bo Bunny's Serenity line

A miniature shadow box using Authentique's Enchanted line

A layout using Authentique's Enchanted line

A shadow box I made for a baby shower I'm attending next week.

As you can see, I've been mad busy the last few weeks, catching up a bit. Next on the agenda are some Christmas cards and holiday party invitations. What have you all been working on?

Wednesday 365 Cards!

2012-03-28T07:55:00.003-07:00

It's been a little bit since I posted my card for the Wednesday design challenge over at 365 Cards. If you're new to McLion, I'm a design team member over at 365, and my cards are featured on Wednesdays. I encourage you to join in and complete some (or all!) of the challenges along with us!

This Wednesday, the challenge was to use a kite on your card. Here is my submission!

A kite-less version of this card is also for sale at my Etsy shop here.

If you make a kite card for the challenge, remember to link it over at 365 Cards for a chance to be a featured design!

Adoption/ Baby Shower Invitations

2012-03-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

Good Morning, everyone!

After the hoopla surrounding the new wedding invitation line, I thought I'd wait a little bit to introduce another series of invitations-- these being adoption celebration announcements and baby shower invitations!

These are now listed online at my Etsy shop here in packs of 10 for $30. HOWEVER, if you become a new fan of our Facebook page or share one of our statuses on your page, I will send you a coupon code for $5 off! Just send me a message on Facebook or comment here to let me know and I'll send it right out!

Check out a sampling below!

All colors are customizable, of course, and I'm happy to do custom orders!

Have a happy Monday, everyone : )

A quick note about the new McLion invitations lines

2012-03-25T00:35:00.003-07:00

Hey everyone!

I've just posted the new lines of wedding/ baby shower/ adoption invitations and already I am getting some questions about some of the example designs. Let me be clear for a moment:

My husband and I believe in the beauty and power of love. We shared our last names when we got married to represent our belief that in our relationship we are equal partners. We donate regularly to the Human Rights Campaign, are outspoken about our strong support for families of ALL kinds and makeups, and believe in the validity of love in its many forms.

To this end, I strive to make products that support and endorse equality. Almost all of my wedding invitation lines have one example of a heterosexual couple, and one of an LGBT couple. I have also tried to provide good non-heteronormative choices for families who are adopting or having children. I was hoping that this alone would make it clear how I feel about equality, but because I was asked if I had "accidentally" used two women's names on one invitation, I thought it was important that I be more direct.

I am very proud to support equality, even in this small way. If you feel similarly, know that your purchases from McLion Design supports my family's work for equality.

Thank you!

Wedding Invitation Line Debut!

2012-03-24T15:57:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud to announce that McLion Design is now creating and selling these lovely wedding invitations! You can see all the new lines at my Etsy shop, but below is a quick sampling. Each line is named after and inspired by a place that is special to my husband and I-- places we've lived, visited together, etc.

To purchase a custom sample for your special day, hop on over to the shop! With your order you'll receive one custom invitation and a matching RSVP card. If you choose to order a full order, your initial sample purchase price will be credited to your order cost. And of course, I can make tons of coordinating things like escort cards, table numbers, thank you cards, etc!

I'll be hosting a contest soon too where you could win up to 100 custom invitations and RSVP cards or 50 custom thank you cards when you order a sample invitation set!

Click here to visit the shop!

Check 'em out!

Hampstead line

Baltimore line

Jim Thorpe line

Lancaster line

Manheim line

Newport line

Philadelphia line

Pittsburgh line

Seattle line

Jackson line

All wedding invitations are now live at the shop so spread the word! If you're friends with me on Pinterest, please help me by re-pinning my work that I'll be pinning this afternoon. Thanks for your support, everyone, as McLion moves another step forward!

Woooo!

2012-03-15T21:06:00.002-07:00

First, sorry I've been so absent lately- it's been so crazy here!

First of all, let's rewind a week and a half to the winner of the Facebook liking contest- now that Connie has received her prize in the mail, I can post some pictures of it! I gave Connie the choice between an item from the shop, the set of three Tim Holtz inks, or a custom item of her choice. Being the wild child she is, she told me to make her a custom home decor item and to surprise her with its design! Here's what I came up with:

I'm really proud of it!

Speaking of things I want to brag about, a local shop just ordered some of my cards to display in their store! The store is the Mukilteo Chocolate Company near the Rosehill Community Center in Mukilteo. They make AMAZING chocolate truffles, fudge, and other such deliciousness. Jan, the fantastic and friendly owner, has also agreed to show some sample favor tags that I've mocked up when people come in to order wedding or other party favors. So exciting!

I also taught my first class at Lila's this week. I taught a bunch of techniques, including wet embossing and distressing. It was a pretty small class and I've had some requests to re-teach it tomorrow night.

you're nearby and want to take the class, call Lila's at 425-355-2500 and let her know! I'll also be selling some cards at Lila's, so if you're interested, come by and check 'em out!

And of course, I still have lots of cards up for sale on Etsy here!

There are some other new and exciting things on the horizon as well, but I don't want to spill all the beans at once! : )

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Hometown

2012-03-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

A non-paper post?! Shocking, I know. Well, technically there's a little bit at the end about crafting. You'll see!

I was just thinking how strange it is to move to a new place. My husband and I recently moved to Washington from Pennsylvania (2800 miles!). We love it here, but you'd be surprised how different the east and west coasts are! I'm from rolling farmlands, frenetic cities, fast paces. Now I live in what feels like the great northern wilderness- even though I'm only 20 minutes from Seattle.

Now I have always been very involved in whatever community I've lived in, usually through community service. Now that I have a new hometown, ( and a lot of free time with my husband in the Navy ), I wanted to dive right in! Today I took some time to wander around "downtown" and check out some of the shops and parks. I thought I'd include a couple pictures because my new hometown is just gorgeous!

Um, yeah. Those are the Cascades. As a backdrop for a PARKING LOT.

Local Cafe with a sculture of a man bursting through the ceiling to serve you coffee!

I loved poking through all the shops, meeting the owners, checking out the new community center, etc. This town has such a friendly, inclusive atmosphere. I am going back to the local chocolate store to show the owner a portfolio of my work to maybe sell some things! (See, papercrafting!)

Isn't it fun to explore your hometown?

365 Cards Wednesday Challenge!

2012-03-07T09:00:00.022-08:00

First of all, I am so excited to be working with 365 Cards! Today is my first featured card as a member of their design team and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out!

Today's challenge is a color challenge! The colors are below:

I'll be totally honest- I had a hard time trying to tell if that center color was an ivory/ cream kind of color, or a very pale green. I decided on ivory after looking at that swatch about a thousand times and my card is below!

I don't usually use these colors, using jewel tones or earth tones most of the time, so this card was a real challenge for me. I think it turned out really pretty, despite my agonizing over making sure that I had the right colors, haha. I embossed the darker purple on the sentiment and the birds (which is why I included the picture where the light is shining on them).

I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with for this challenge!

Keep It Simple

2012-03-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned last week, I was recently invited to join 365Cards as a Design Team member. I'll be the designer featured on Wednesdays and while I can't give you a sneak peek of my card for tomorrow, I thought I'd post my card from today's challenge.

The challenge was to "keep it simple" by using just one piece of patterned paper, one stamp, and 3 embellishments. Whenever I read scrapbooking or other paper craft magazines, it seems like the ones who get published are the ones who make cards or layouts where it looks like their embellishment storage threw up on the page! A lot of designers stick random bits, buttons, and baubles all over the place, whether it pulls the design together or not. It's a nice reminder to "keep it simple"!

Here's my design:

Pretty simple! And I LOVE that lace- I got it at Jo-Anns on super-mega sale and it's just so gorgeous I want to use it on everything.

Look forward to tomorrow morning when I post my first daily card design for 365Cards!

French Home

2012-03-02T15:59:00.001-08:00

Here's another peek at a sample I've made for Lila's! This collection is from Canvas Corp. and is very much my style! It's got beautiful kraft paper with prints like script, damask, bold lines, etc. Beautiful, beautiful stuff! I made a 2-page layout and 4 cards. Check 'em out!

Because this paper has such a high contrast with the black ink, I thought it would a little busy for a background so I stamped and embossed plain Bazzil cardstock to give it a little bit of a background image without overwhelming the other elements. This is something I'll cover in the class I'm teaching at Lila's in a couple weeks! Tuesday, March 13th, from 2-4pm and then again from 430-630pm. $20 and you'll make five cards and a cute little spring tag. Call Lila's to reserve your spot!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Mom's Kitchen

2012-03-01T16:52:00.002-08:00

Hey, everyone!

I hope your weeks are going just lovely-- I've been a busy bee so far! First, let me congratulate Connie Roberts-Huth for winning the Facebook contest! She's won a custom item which I'll be working on tomorrow all day and sending out next week-- I'm so excited!

Also, congratulations to Patti Fedula for being our 100th like! She's won a coupon code for 50% any shop item. Congrats, ladies!

On to business! So as you all know, I'm working for a couple design teams now and I just love it! I love being challenged, love working with new designs, and love being pushed out of my comfort zone! This week, I've been given two packs of paper with which to design for Lila's. The first of these is from Best Creation Inc., called Mom's Kitchen. This is such a fun and colorful collection with a little sparkle- not my usual style, but so adorable, I was thrilled to work with it!

Below you'll find my 2-page layout and 3 cards from the Mom's Kitchen collection. You'll be able to see these at Lila's within the next two weeks, as well as purchase all the papers! Check 'em out!

So cute, right?? I just adore this perky paper! I have to admit I have a pretty bad case of spring fever. It's been EXTREMELY cold here in Washington state-- it even snowed a little the last couple days! Now, I'm a Pennsylvania girl so snow is no big deal, but I am very ready for some nice hiking weather, for sure. This spring paper is just the thing to fuel my spring fever and get me ready for some sunshine!

Tomorrow I'll be posting some designs from Canvas Corp.'s new French Home collection, so look forward to that. Have a great day, everyone!

Another exciting welcome!

2012-02-29T21:55:00.000-08:00

I'll be starting next Wednesday as the Wednesday design team member at 365Cards! So exciting!

Check it out here!

And the Facebook page like contest is almost over-- just two more likes and it's done! Share one of our statuses or tag us in a status of your own and be entered to win any item in the shop for free OR a 3-pk of Tim Holtz inks! The 100th like-er also wins a prize! Go here to participate!

Competition and Design Team

2012-02-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone! How was everyone's weekends? Mine was bizzzzzzay! Saturday I went to a crop at Lila's in Everett and worked on some projects for the store. Lila will be receiving some new Authentique paper from the Genuine line next week and so I made up some examples of projects you could make with it. I made a two-page layout, a card, and a really neat mixed-media canvas. Check 'em out:

I'll post a picture of the canvas when I have a little better picture of it! You can see the real deals at Lila's starting next week- and purchase the paper and most of the embellishments/ inks!

Materials Used:

Authentique Genuine Paper

Authentique Genuine "Details" stickers

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks

Miscellaneous twine

Recollections rhinestones

Martha Stewart classic butterfly punch

Yesterday, after resting up from the crop, I worked on some cards I am making for a competition. Check 'em out!

Those first two I started at the crop and then finished at home, but I think they all turned out pretty nicely! Thanks to Elisa over at Perpetual Stew (another of Lila's designers) for the beautiful lace which she found for a steal at a thrift store : )

I also just listed two cards on Etsy:

You can see those here at my shop!

Don't forget that the McLion Design facebook contest is still rolling-- only 5 more likes until it ends! Like McLion here!

Have a great week!

A gift for Mom- plus, it's official!

2012-02-24T04:09:00.000-08:00

I think everybody loves their mom, but I am especially close with mine. Even though she's far away (try 2800+ miles), we still talk almost every day! When I saw this cute little Dachschund stamp this afternoon, I immediately thought of her! Her cute little (insane) dog Rosie is a Dachschund and I knew Mom would adore this stamp. I made up a set of cards that I'm sending out to her in the morning!

Materials Used:

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks

Martha Stewart Set-Your-Own Stamp Kit

Copic Ciao Marker

Twine

Ivory Cardstock

Printworks "Hot Dog" Stamp

These cards were especially fun to make since I used the inks and a waterbrush to watercolor the image and the area around it.

Also, check it out! I'm officially on the website for Lila's Scrapbooking as a design team member! Check me out here, and while you're there, check out the links for the other designers- they all do really great work!

Ooh la la!

2012-02-24T01:51:00.000-08:00

So the husband is out with the ship so I've been crafting up a storm! Tonight, I participated in the Purple Cows Color Challenge! The challenge was to create a card using the colors black, white, and purple. My typical style is a little more brown/ green /ivory, so it's always nice to challenge my usual look with a little shake-up!

Here's what I came up with:

Isn't it cute? I always seem to find that with Mr. McLion away, I am much more girly-- I do my nails, watch trashy TV (Kardashians, anyone?), and with this card, glitzed it up! There's Rock Candy Distress Stickles accents, Perfect Pearls sheen on the edging, shimmery ribbon, and rhinestones on the center sentiment. Sweet and sassy at the same time- I just love it!

What kinds of fun things do you do when you have some free time to yourself?

Design Team and Classes!

2012-02-22T22:57:00.000-08:00

So excited to announce that I've just been added to the design team at Lila's Scrapbooking in Everett! I just got my first design team pack to make some store examples from Authentique, AND, I just scheduled two classes that I'll be teaching!

First, I'll be teaching a class on embossing, resist, and stamping techniques on Tuesday, March 13th, first at 2-4pm, then again from 4:30-6:30pm. We'll make five (!) cards and a tag!

Then, on Tuesday, April 3rd, I'll be teaching a class on the basics of using alcohol inks, again from 2-4pm, and 4:30-6:30pm. We'll probably make a couple cards and maybe an altered object.

Below are two pictures of things from the March class:

I also made these cards for the shop!

These spring-y cards are for sale on Etsy here!

If you're nearby, join us at Lila's for the class- $20 for the two hour class-- plus, I'll have a prize with me!

Also, don't forget the McLion Facebook contest-- like McLion here, share our page with your friends or tag us in a status and get entered to win either an item from the shop or a three-pack of Tim Holtz Distress inks!

Super Bummer Update :(

2012-02-20T16:20:00.000-08:00

We had to take Lucas back to PAWS today. : ( While he fit in fine with Boss, was sweet, adorable, lovable, etc., he really struggled with the stairs up to/ down from our apartment. We live on the second floor of our building and with Lucas' hip arthritis, he would have to stop several times on the stairs, and even stumbled down the stairs a couple times when we would go to take him outside. We tried using a towel under his hips to help him up the stairs which seemed to help, but we couldn't keep him from practically falling down the stairs when we would go out. We decided that although we totally love him (and because we love him), Lucas deserves to live somewhere that is comfortable and safe for him. His hip arthritis will only get worse, making the stairs more and more difficult, so although we adore him, we want what is best for him first and foremost.

Super bummer, but I know that Lucas will find a wonderful home with someone who can keep him comfortable! My husband, knowing I am a huge soft touch with animals (and everything really), bought me a sundae from Dairy Queen to cheer me up, so that helped a bit. haha