Merry Chrismoose!

Happy Autumn! It is undeniably the best season of the year, for so many reasons. It's also the time we start prepping for the holidays! Yippee!

So Unity Stamp Co is going ALL OUT today with so so so SOOO many new releases! Lots of fresh new designs so there is certainly a stamp for anyone!

I love this silly moose. He was fun color with my Copics and super easy to fussy cut.  I paired it with some funky papers and sewed around the edges in gold.

Sales sales sales! Time to shop at Unity for some awesome sales and be sure to peek at ALL of the new releases!

— Link up your Unity projects through Friday night (linky closes at Midnight CST) —

There will be TWO PRIZES given away by random selection

1. to someone who submits a project by linking below

2. to someone who leaves a comment on the links below

— PRIZE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED MONDAY NIGHT —

Unity Tuesday!

Hello Tuesday! It's never too early to get started on those holiday cards, then you don't feel rushed when December actually rolls around.

I especially LOVE the September Kit of the Month from Unity. It's filled with some breath taking unique winter images that will fill up those holiday cards!

Isn't that image stunning?! The artistas knocked it out of the park with this kit. I did some VERY quick Copic coloring and die cut to a circle. I backed that onto some glitter paper and then created a pink circle card base. Quick and easy!

There's also a brand new Unity Be Inspired Challenge! I created my card based on the color challenge :)

Now OF COURSE there are sales and prizes! You can even link up your own project and hop along with the design team!

Woohoo! Another BOGO sale at Unity! Have fun shopping!

JOIN US and LINK UP below!

— Link up your Unity projects through Wednesday night (linky closes at Midnight CST) —

There will be TWO PRIZES given away by random selection

1. to someone who submits a project by linking below

2. to someone who leaves a comment on the links below

— PRIZE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED FRIDAY NIGHT —

Peek-a-boo Gnome

Anybody else been staying up LATE the past week watching every single US Open match? Just me? Right now we're watching Venus vs Serena, which is an awesome match by the way! So while I'm sitting here, I might as well share another card entry for the My Favorite Things Card Design Superstar challenge ;)

I have so much fun coloring these gnomies with Copics. I created a forest of mushrooms for this gnome to POP OUT from behind and shout 'HELLO!'. He totally got you :)

Some of the mushrooms are popped up with foam adhesive to give varying dimension. I also added Liquid Applique to puff up the dots on each shroomie.

Making this post short and sweet. I know nobody wants to read on a Tuesday night anyways ;)

Craft Room Update + Goodbye Summer Card

Last week was certainly a BUSY one! I'm so thankful to have this 3 day weekend to relax, get the house straightened out, and CRAFT with my lonely supplies. I think they're starting to feel neglected.. woops.

Before I get to my summer fun card, I wanted to share the latest picture of my craft room update.

These photos are straight from my Instagram feed, so be sure to follow @rwkrafts for even more house updates! I decided to torture myself all day yesterday by installing some wallpaper into the backs of the built in shelves. It was annoying, but it got finished around Midnight last night. But I LOVE the result! Completely worth the trouble!

When Ms. Susan Opel assigns a card challenge I am sure to be there!! I used my newest My Favorite Things stamp set 'BB Penguins in Paradise' to create this goodbye summer card...

My favorite part about this card is the penguin's sunburned belly :) I just had to give him some color on his skin as the sun set behind him!

The penguin and palm tree were colored with Prismacolor Pencils, then fussy cut with my detail scissors. I used an old MFT Wave die to make the sand, and a basic circle die for the focal point. The sunset was blended using Distress Inks "Squeezed Lemonade", "Picked Raspberry", and "Seedless Preserves". The sand was blended using "Scattered Straw" and "Brushed Corduroy", then flicked with water to pick up some color.

Finally, I heat embossed the sentiment in black and created a faux pop up banner. I kinda want to join him and get thoroughly sun burned.

Enjoy your Labor Day and stay safe! We're getting ready to grill some hamburgers yum yum yummmm

Unity Hop - with VIDEOS!

 *** Click Here for my September Mixed Media Monthly Project ***

Welcome back to another Unity Hop! This time around we are giving YOU a chance to hop, too! Make sure you visit the Unity Blog to get the full scoop on how you can link up and play in the fun.

There are some serrriously adorable Halloween stamps for sale right now, like each of these cuties is only $1! I simply colored them each with Prismacolor Pencils, die cut from a tag, and did some Distress inking around the edges. Following the same steps but just changing the pattern papers gave me 3 completely different tags!

There's a QUICK TIP video showing how I created the spider tag ...



Another must-have stamp set is 'Hoot Hoot Hooray'. The birdies are so perfect for birthday cards!

I even have a little QUICK TIP to show the Copic coloring...

Or, if you'd like the FULL version of the card process and a little slower coloring, you can watch this one!....

Link up your Unity projects to the Unity Blog through Wednesday night 

(linky closes at Midnight CST)

There will be TWO PRIZES given away by random selection

1. to someone who submits a project by linking below

2. to someone who leaves a comment on the links below

PRIZE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED FRIDAY NIGHT

MMMC #16 - COLORFUL Photo Inspiration

It's no secret that September is my absolute favorite month of the year! Leaves start to change, air turns crisp, the squirrels are busy, and most of all it's my birthday month!! So I had to help make this month's Mixed Media Monthly Challenge a little special... we're welcoming one of my favorite mixed media artists to guest design with us: Julie Balzer! Make sure to visit the Mixed Media Monthly post to see her amazing creation and how she was inspired by our photo inspiration!

Here is our photo inspiration challenge! I was inspired by the variety of colors and the circles throughout the photo.

I chose to tone down the colors and make them more pastel. I used a lot of Gelatos that I diluted with water to get a lighter color. The design of my art journal page was inspired by Dina Wakley and Julie Balzer.

The cool image is from Stampotique called "Minkygirl". I colored her with Faber Castell Pitt Pens using colors drawn from the photo.

In one of her classes, Julie Balzer taught a really neat handwriting/journaling technique. I gave it a shot on my page and I think it's warming up to me... you write whatever you want pretty sloppily and then you write your next line half on top of the line above it. What I ended up writing is pretty personal, but it's incredibly difficult to read so I like it that way ;)

Can't have a challenge without a PRIZE! There is a pretty awesome one up for grabs. Brave Girls' University is opening its doors September 1!! Angela Magnuson is the owner/creator of Unity Stamp Co and she's also a Brave Girls' Club contributor. She is giving away a one month membership to the BRAND NEW Brave Girls' University!! Make sure to check out this great new online course!

You have the entire month of September to enter your photo inspired mixed media projects! Check out what the rest of the team created (including Julie Balzer's project!) over at The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge!

EK Tools, Precision 5 Inch Scissors with Sheath

Ranger Heat It Craft Tool

Ranger Dylusions Creative Journal

Ranger Dina Wakley Media Gesso, White, 2 oz.

Gelatos Double Scoop, Raspberry

Gelatos Double Scoop, Blueberry

Gelatos Double Scoop, Metallic Mint

Faber-Castell Gelatos Designer Set, Macaroon

Ranger Dina Wakley Media Stiff Bristle Brush, 4 pk.

Pitt Big Brush Pen, Light Blue

Pitt Big Brush Pen, Pink Madder

Pitt Big Brush Pen, Yellow, Set of 3

Pitt Big Brush Pen, May Green

Faber-Castell Glaze

Faber-Castell Gel Medium

Ranger Fude Ball Pen, Black 1.5mm (003082)

Ranger Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black