Megan Humphrey

I attribute my desire for making greeting cards to Captain Kangaroo. His was one of the few shows I was allowed to watch on TV when I was a child. I can still hear the sound of scissors through construction paper as Captain Kangaroo would cut out shapes for an art project from his shoebox filled with supplies. I LOVED that sound---it meant that another creation would be unfolding before my eyes.

Megan Humphrey originally began to make cards for family and friends based on vintage Valentines that date to the 1890's. Back then, cards were designed with layers of doilies, images, bits of ribbon, and embellishments. For many years, Megan made each card by hand with those precious Valentines in mind. Limitations of that process became apparent: each card took too long based on retail pricing; she couldn't add a lovely button or bauble if she didn't want to part with it quite yet, and letters are no longer hand-cancelled so pieces could be ruined in postal equipment.

These days, Megan sets up a collage with a vintage postcard or image as the centerpiece and then takes a photo. She makes a color copy of the card and adds a final touch of ribbon. Megan strives to maintain the three-dimensional look of those vintage Valentines. Her collage-like greeting cards include most of the major holidays and life's celebrations. In addition, Megan continues to expand her photography and linoleum-print cards.

Megan has been a Frog Hollow artisan for 25 years. She appreciates the longevity of such a wonderful organization that showcases and encourages a community of artisans for the world to see.