Guest Post from Megan at Little Life on the Prairie

Hello, friends and congratulations to Michelle! My name is Megan (although lately I've been answering to "Mommy - its mine! MIIIIINE") and I write over at Little Life on the Prairie. I am so excited to be guest blogging here at So Wonderful, So Marvelous today: first, because it means Baby Girl has arrived and, second, because I felt it was an honor to be asked.

When Michelle first approached me, I had no idea what I would present to you, but my daughter needs some wall art and I'm cheap so the idea for a tutorial was obvious. Along with that is some simply breath-taking photographs by yours truly and a list of lessons learned along the way. (I'm a "fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants" type of crafter, so I learn a lot of lessons.)

You will need:

• (2) 8x11 sheets of cardstock
• 2 pieces of patterned fabric or paper (I used fabric.)
• a pencil
• a pen (I used a Pigma Micron 01 with a .25mm line width.)
• an Exacto knife
• Glue (I used Modge Podge) or, if you're using paper, adhesive photo squares
• Q-tips, art sponges, or something of the sort
• a frame matted to hold an 8x10 picture

First, and this is a must, on a sheet of copy paper practice your lay out and scripting. Even if you have The World's Best Erasure Ever, don't try winging it on the real deal if you plan on hanging this on your wall. Remember, practice makes perfect. Also, try to keep your practice sheet away from your artistic two-year old or its not very useful for reference later. (If you don't feel like scripting everything out yourself, you can do this step on a computer; this would be especially nice for the border.)

Once you have everything just the way you like it (with a side of candied pecans for me, thanks), pencil it lightly onto one of the sheets of cardstock. You want it just dark enough that you can see it, but light enough that it will erase easily. Remember to either double-line or bold the words you will be cutting out, as well as the border.

Using your Exacto knife - or in my case, Exacto-knife-wanna-be - cut out your words, reserving the inner parts of any loopy letters, and border. For me, those letters were the capital "L" and lower-case "o" and "e". Don't loose these or your letters will look kind of funky. Unless your going for a funky look, then loose them with great abandon.

If you're doing a border, you will have 2 large pieces plus the innards. Do a double check on the innards. Got 'em? Good.

Now its time to make sure your script is absolutely perfect. Whip out your pen and go over it. Should you, like me, be going for a super-sketched look, go over and over and over it, not caring if it follows the exact line or path you drew previously. This is my favorite type of scripting because if you make a mistake, no one has to know.

If you printed yours, cheater, you can skip this step.

Next, use your glue to adhere the piece of paper or fabric you would like to use as your border to the second 8x11 piece of cardstock. Don't worry too much about getting the edges lined up perfectly if you'll be framing it. If the paper begins to wrinkle and curl, place it on a flat surface and stick a heavy book on top of it for a while. Or, if you're a scrapbooker with mad skills (hi, Aunt Mary!), use one of those nifty acrylic roller things. I used to have one, but I lost it.

When that is mostly dry and definitely flat, figure out where your second piece of fabric/paper needs to go (this one highlights your word) and place that one. Repeat the bit that makes it lie flat if you need to. This is a prime time to get some laundry done, or explain to your son why Thomas the Train doesn't like playing in the mud puddle created by the garden hose.

This is the most challenging part. Of course, that doesn't mean a whole lot - this is a pretty easy project, but whatever. Place and adhere the outer piece of your border to the fabric, followed by the inner piece. It took me three tries before I got it just right.

When those two pieces are in place, glue down your innards. Take a break to admire your handy-work and then put up to dry in a place not easily reached by your two-year old monkey...um...child. Two-year old child.

Finally! Pop that sucker in a frame, put it on your wall and wait for your friends to comment on it. Then, and this is important, preen a bit and nonchalantly say, "Well, it only took an hour or so, but it is pretty nice, isn't it?"

Ok, now back to reality. Its time for "Lessons Learned".

1. Before you start, measure and mark 8x10. I did not, which is why mine doesn't have a top border: its hiding under the matte. If you don't, under no circumstances admit to your partner that it wasn't on purpose.

2. Do not use Q-tips to apply your glue. It takes way, way to long and your paper will start to curl. Also, the cotton will start to detach from the stick and you'll have a wierd, gross cotton trail. Ick.

3. If using fabric, apply the glue to the fabric and not to the paper. This will prevent curling. (I hate curling! Hate it, I say!)

Thank you again to Michelle, for including me; I hope you are getting plenty of rest and enjoying your little one. And to everyone else, cheers!

 

Megan blogs about her life, craftiness, motherhood, and awesome {not that I am jealous or anything, but just LOOK at the chocolate ceiling and those are BEFORE pics!} new house over at Little Life on the Prairie.  You can follow her on Flickr.  Or on Pinterest.