Welcome to my website and blog!
Hello, and thank you for visiting. My name is Monica Morgan, I am a freelance graphic artist, illustrator, and paper crafter with a passion for card making. I’m also the webmaster for three clients.
I prefer print design over website design. I prefer paper crafting over print design. So paper crafting wins. There’s something about getting away from the computer and feeling the medium in your hands while creating a card that brings me joy.
I’ve published 4 books with Amazon’s Create Space (it’s now Kindle Direct Publishing) and I’m working on another one. Two of them are “Sobriety Garden Coloring Books, 1 and 2”.
For my third book; “Sobriety Garden WordSearch”, I found a great website and used it to generate the placements of my word list. I then took that and put it into InDesign, created the layout and style and all the technical challenges. I then used Create Space to launch my book on Amazon!
After that, I put the questions and answers that I had written for my board game; “The Game of Steps” (which I was never able to get off the ground) into an A.A. Trivia Book with correlating journal prompts. I titled it 100 Days of A. A. Trivia.
All of those books are now continuous income, not much but now that the work is done, I feel like it’s “free money”. 🙂
And, for the last 3 or 4 years, I’ve been selling my handmade cards at Sobriety Related Events where I could set up a little table. That inspired me to open up an online store to sell sobriety gifts. Visit my Etsy Shop here.
Most recently, I’ve launched a new YouTube Channel and will be posting at least once a week. Please check out my latest video and subscribe to my channel!
See you later alligator.
Monica
10 Cards 1 Kit Spellbinders card kit of the month for February 2019.
10 Cards 1 Kit Spellbinders card kit of the month for February 2019.
This video shows you how I assemble 10 cards from 1 kit! I narrate the video with a few tips on techniques I used and I share personal opinions about my sobriety cards.
If you would like to purchase any of the cards you see here please visit my Etsy shop.
If you would like me to make something custom for you, just give me a call. I can replicate most of the cards in this video, but to be clear; they are fairly close and may have similar but not exact pieces.
Spellbinders Feb. 2019 card kit open and swan card with one of Monica’s sobriety card inserts.
Spellbinders Feb. 2019 card kit open and swan card with one of Monica’s sobriety card inserts.
Hi there! Join me as I open the February 2019, card kit from Spellbinders. After the opening, I walk you through the process of making a beautiful card featuring the swan along with a narrative that goes down memory lane. No one has paid me to make this video, I’m just having fun.
Handmade Card with distress inks and mirror stamping technique!
Handmade Card with distress inks and mirror stamping technique!
Little by little this card came together beautifully for me. I started off in one direction and ended up in a completely different design than I had started with.
Using Tim Holtz Distress Inks, I blended the sentiment, the inner mask and the cover which is where I started changing it up.
In less than 4 minutes, I show you from start to finish, how it’s done.
Thanks for watching and please help my channel grow by sharing, thumbs-upping, commenting, and subscribing.
Bye for now!
Monica
Monica’s Sobriety Cards on YouTube
Monica’s Sobriety Cards on YouTube
Join me as I walk you through all of the AA themed cards that I sell to people in recovery. Please note Alcoholics Anonymous is not affiliated with this video or me in any way.
If you would like to order any of the cards in this video I’ve made a listing on Etsy where you can purchase 10 cards for 20.00! Well, technically 19.95. Just note down which one you want, and include that with your order and I’ll put together a package for you. Please call if you want something custom.
Enjoy!
Elizabeth Craft Designs – Picnic Bears Valentine Card
Elizabeth Craft Designs – Picnic Bears Valentine Card
I put together a cute little Valentine’s Day card for you today with one of the stamp sets from Elizabeth Craft Designs. (See it on YouTube)
After I stamped the cutest little bear ever, I heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. My heat tool melts the embossing powder that I have over the black ink so it makes it a little bit raised. It’s embossed. If you touch it you can feel it.
It’s the coolest thing ever!
So that’s gonna help me with my coloring. I used Artist’s Loft alcohol markers and they’re brand new and I’m brand new to alcohol marker coloring so but I have good news… today I actually ordered a set full 72 piece set of Copic Sketch markers!
This is some of the
I am going to be doing a video series on my Copic journey so hopefully, you’ll subscribe and learn with me.
Now I want to cover up that present that’s part of the stamp I want her to have a white belly. I did this with an embossing pen from Ranger and it writes clear sticky ink so that the embossing powder can stick to it and sometimes when you want to cover a surface like that it’s best to do it two, maybe even three times. It almost gives it like a raised texture
I decided that she’s gonna need some red glitter shoes like Dorothy. “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.”
I don’t know what it is about embossing but I just love it. I gave her little red ruby slippers it just came out so cool, the shading and everything!
Now I’m gonna have her hold a little heart and in order to do that I’ve got to cut her arms open so she can carry something. I got this little punch for about $2 from Joanne’s. I am a thrifty kind of gal. I’m gonna fussy cut which means you cut out the image by hand. I used a red glitter gel pen for her nose to match her heart and her shoes.
I used new brushes to blend and create my own background paper that I bought from Amazon for only $14.99!
Now I am adhering my lid to my card base and I’m going to pop up my little teddy bear with some foam squares. I get these from the dollar store and then they come in a roll and I just trim them how much I need them. I decided not to do anything else because I thought it was sweet and simple as it was and I really think sometimes less is more.
I’m so happy with you her! I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial and I will be bringing lots more! I have so much to bring please give me a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel!
Thanks for watching bye-bye
AFFILIATE LINKS AND DISCLOSURE: I participate in affiliate programs when possible. This means when you purchase a product from a link I provided I am compensated for this. This is at no extra cost to you and works for everyone involved! All of the products I used in this video were purchased by myself. I am also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program.
SUPPLIES USED:
Listed below are products used in this video. If the product was not available, a similar product is shown.
Red Glitter Embossed Simon Says Penguin Stamp
Red Glitter Embossed Simon Says Penguin Stamp
I added the 4th video to my new YouTube Channel! It’s a cute little design featuring Simon Says Card Kit for January 2019.
I used quite a lot of emojis and fun video transitions and effects perhaps maybe a little bit too much! I hope you enjoy watching it and if you can please give me a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel so that I can keep bringing you more of them thanks so much for visiting my blog and leave a comment if you want! Bye for now.
Recommended products perfect for card making.
I’ll be using the Elizabeth Crafts Teddy Bear Picnic stamps in an upcoming video on my YouTube Channel.
My Published Books
My personality is quite entrepreneurial by nature, so when I discovered that I could publish my own books using CreateSpace I went to town! I figured I could use what is near and dear to my heart for content and so as a recovered alcoholic, I authored and illustrated 2 adult coloring books with sobriety slogans and sayings as the themes. I also authored one wordsearch book using the 12 steps and traditions of A.A. and a combination trivia/journal book that serves as a journal with prompts that are coordinated with the trivia question of the day. It really does make you think. To those who are offended by me breaking my own anonymity, I say this: “You just never know when someone reading this will be inspired to get sober.”
The links below are affiliate links and that means that if you click on it and buy from that link, I will get a small portion. This helps even if you buy something else!
Sobriety Garden Coloring Book #1
Sobriety Garden Coloring Book #2
Sobriety Garden Word Search
100 Days of A.A. Trivia
Disclaimer/Disclosures:
If you want to case (copy and steal everything) one of my cards or projects for your own project I only ask that you say something like "Inspired by Monica Morgan Designs" with a link to my website. I participate in affiliate programs when possible. This means when you purchase a product from a link I provided I am compensated for this. This is at no extra cost to you and works for everyone involved! Most of the products I use are purchased by myself and if not, I'll let you know. If I receive products from companies in the future, I will do my best to make an honest review and opinion on my YouTube Channel, but remember it's just an opinion. I am also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program.
