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Meg Russell

@marshmallowpearl

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Card designer, knitter, small-batch indie wool dyer. Color is my jam!
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This cheery ☀️ sock pattern is part of the NEW Hiding in My Shell set @stoneknits . This is a great time to check it out on Charlotte’s Ravelry or website - special intro discount this weekend!
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I loved adding some summery colors to this project, yes it’s my hand dyed wool (PSA: these are not REAL turtles, in case you didn’t know, I mean I know they look literally alive in their raspberry shells).
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The pattern really is just that, cheery. ☀️ It’s a 3-color colorwork per round, so it will be thicker inside by a bit (warmer, good!). And do you know how tough it is to make a colorwork knit motif NOT look “boxy” like a 1990s video game, yet Charlotte always does the amazing and her animals and motifs come to life with realistic angles.
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Tip from me - Don’t forget to add the tails. I did that a few times and needed to redo!
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Definitely a keeper pattern, and sure to make people giggle who see these socks on your feets.
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And the stripey stripes - luxury. Like a summer ice cream 🍦 I decided to run a simple stripe throughout into my background color (extra, not part of the pattern) because I wanted to tie the cuff and toe stripes together, buuuut this will mean FOUR colors you’re carrying per round, so only do this if you are ambitious and really want to give your brain a workout 😉
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It’s also easy to add a few rows at the toe if you need to elongate the pattern at all for your fit. Charlotte has even included in the pattern a small motif just for this effect if you decide to add it in!
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Enjoy this one!!! by @marshmallowpearl

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5 months ago

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An essential component in any design I make is…looove. I know, a lot of these design “tips” I’ve written so far seem pretty ethereal (give yourself and your design a breather, don’t start over, and now…love), but these really are underpinning principles of my design process.
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And by love, I don’t mean a general feeling of goodwill towards your creative thing, which is also really important. I rather mean, love as a literal ingredient in your design recipe that you speak out loud.
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What the what?? How to do this? Well…..I consciously say “now I add the love” into my design. I learned to do this as a girl, and so, that’s what I do. I tell my design out loud when something about it is cool. I tell my character how good she looks in her outfit I’ve just colored. I tell my design how pleased I am with how it’s turning out or when it surprises me unexpectedly. When I dye, I tell my wool how beautiful it is and all the things I can make with it. I think it’s all really important to do and affects my finished work.
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Hope this gives you a new way of interacting with your creations, too, and that you can feel a difference because of it. More looove designs coming from me this week, too!
💕 by @marshmallowpearl

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8 months ago

Are you new to using Copic markers or want to build your stash? Here’s a tried and true “recipe” I use for blonde hair. It’s great for gold in general, too. This combo would be one I’d buy early on in my marker journey if I did it again.
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Marker combo: YR27, YR24 or YR23, Y26, Y23 or Y21. Scroll through to see all the cuties!
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Lineup of suspects:
1 - Smile Couple TGF @thegreetingfarm
2 - Skunk Pajamas Marci LLLC @lalalandcrafts
3 - Baking Anya TGF
4 - Away in a Manger HB @hellobluebird.stamps
5 - Dog Dad Ian TGF
6 - Marci with Water Lily LLLC
7 - Aviator Marci LLLC
8 - Gardner Marci LLLC
9 - Warm Wishes TGF
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Happy Sunday and Welcome February! by @marshmallowpearl

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9 months ago

Today I’m putting the yarn I dyed earlier this month into color context, by sharing a comparison with some other yarn colors out in the wild, hopefully some that other makers will be familiar with 🤞🏻
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On left - my mauve-y yarns on light super bulky merino and sock fingering Merino wool bases.
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On right, Malabrigo Rasta in
🌷Cactus Flower
🌷Blueberries + Cream
🌷Valentina
🌷Almond Blossom
And on bottom
🌷 Baah Mammoth in Mauvelous by @marshmallowpearl

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9 months ago

Here’s my secret for the week about how I design….sshhh, don’t tell anyone 🤭
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 Long ago, I made a commitment to myself to not start over on my projects, but to keep going without throwing in the towel. So, I don’t start over. Ever.
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Are you surprised?

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 You might ask…even when your Copic marker is filled to the brim and it…blobbbbs itself all over? Yep, even then.
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 What about when you glue something down and later regret it?…I keep going.
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Even when the color choices just seem…off?? Yes even then.

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 These setbacks are my on-ramp moments for the project to take on a different life than what I first envisioned. Or to make the original vision better, different.
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 With the blobby part, you could put a nice word bubble right in that spot. Or a random heart. Or some other random thing, trust me it will work. Or you could just let that blob ride into the sunset as the star feature of your project. This IS possible.
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 With the glued-down part or something like it, I just work around that. Make it intentional. Design around it. Random can work to your advantage. And for the colors, well…I embrace their weirdness.
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 It’s all too easy to feel like when things aren’t perfect that you have to start over from scratch…again and again. How frustrating. Guess this is true about life too, but I am talking about card making.
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 I have found the magic in the making, in the imperfect, and when I stand back and look at a finished design, I always smile as I remember the process of how I got there.
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 Hope you do, too. by @marshmallowpearl

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9 months ago

Dyed up some new lovelies recently - on Super Bulky Lite and Fingering bases in Merino! Details coming soon about these beauties!
💕 by @marshmallowpearl

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9 months ago

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret to my design process…mixing up ink and cardstocks, all in a single project.

Here are 4 projects made from mixes to create a mauve look and feel. I’ve also given you 16 Stampin’ Up! ink colors that you can use to achieve that look. If you’re not a SU! user, it’s still good inspo!

Today is a bright and sunny day, where iridescent snow crystals sparkle at me in the frosty air. I’ve been sick going on 2 weeks…worse than in years. I’ve got a medical history I have worked hard to successfully overcome, so illness hits differently. I never know exactly where things are going in those moments, and I’m so grateful to God to be improving.

A couple things that are helping me focus on the beauty outside my window (and inside my heart) today:

(1) Remember…that I am creative by design. I don’t have to feel it, I just am. It’s a gift from God, and it isn’t going anywhere without me. If you’re also in a place where you don’t feel really creative - my idea, write out any sparks of inspiration you get in a little book - and trust me, I know you’re getting those ideas even if you aren’t aware of them where you’re at right now 😉

(2) Rest. As I rest, I re-center and find the world of color again. This gives the light a chance to fill my soul as I surrender my concerns to God, knowing that He cares for me. That He truly makes all things beautiful in their own time.

May the living colors and light of Heaven beam down on you and warm your soul this mid-winter day.

PS here is a listing of those inks in my carousel if you’d like it ❤️

Rococo Rose
Pretty in Pink
Strawberry Slush
Berry Burst
Fresh Fig
Rose Red
Blushing Bride
Pink Pirouette
Rich Razzleberry
Bubble Bath
Polished Pink
Petunia Pop
Perfect Plum
Fresh Freesia
Sweet Sugarplum
Blackberry Bliss
Purple Posy (not pictured) by @marshmallowpearl

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9 months ago

I’m often asked how I come up with my designs. The answer isn’t so easy for me to come by, nor is it a direct explanation. So, years ago, I began studying myself and my process.

I’ve decided this is the year to share a weekly tip on how I design, in the hope that it may also inspire you. These tips are really encouragements, and will be pretty varied in nature.

Connecting with God by allowing my mind to rest is important and where new thoughts abound. So this week…give your design a little time. No need to rush. I find that working a little each day (even if only 5 min!) is more life giving than requiring myself to have a finished product in one sitting. It’s ok to take your time, and to allow new thoughts and happiness to claim you as you slow down.

Enjoy! by @marshmallowpearl

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9 months ago

⭐️ COPIC COLOR COMBOS ⭐️ SCROLL THROUGH

3 very different combos to achieve MAUVE! Which is your pick? by @marshmallowpearl

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9 months ago

COLOR INSPO! 
I’ve officially got a color for January. Bet it’s pretty easy to spot, if not don’t worry it’ll get a lot more obvious 😂. Not my usual vibe, but I’m feeling the warmth and royalty of this one. 
⭐️ What colors are you drawn to as we start off the new year? ⭐️ by @marshmallowpearl

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Hey! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
 2025 went by in a whirlwind, didn’t it?! I ended up moving cross-country, lived in 4 different homes, embraced the process, donated most of my, well…everything…and struck out for new adventures.
 I let go of the life I had made for myself and dared to find a new one. A better one. The one I was created for. Surrendered to God’s process and promise that He would make All Things New and would never leave me. I didn’t know what parts of my life would stay, and what would go as I recalibrated and aligned with what’s next for me. 
Now that I’m a bit more settled, I’m happy to say that my art and design work is coming with me into the NEW ERA of my life.  
So, WELCOME 2026! Thanks for being here with me. I’m believing for LIGHT to flood your life this year, that you would dare to dream again, and that you would laugh as you see the good plans God has for you this year and beyond. 
Stay tuned for some good and inspiring content from me. You know me, I’m here for the colors and aaallllll the design-y details. Lots of NEW in the works!
 xo,
Meg by @marshmallowpearl

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