Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #2 - Around the House

Welcome to the July Mixed Media Monthly Challenge! This month we are getting artsy with items from Around the House. We want you to think outside the box... or hey, use that cardboard to stamp or texture. This is a great challenge to visit all of the designers' blogs to see other great ideas for household items.

Here is a step by step collage that I shared in detail on the MMMC post. I received a quarterly journal in the mail and the artwork was amazing. I used that to inspire the colors and theme of the canvas.

My household items used were bubble wrap, paper tube, kitchen string, cardboard, and tin foil.

Let's talk PRIZES! There are TWO big prize packs this month that you will not want to miss. Our fabulous sponsor this month is DCWV. On my canvas I also used DCWV burlap paper and DCWV corrugate paper.

Make sure to stop at the Mixed Media Monthly post to see photos of that amazing prize, meet our great guest designer, and of course see what the design team came up with! You have until July 31st to enter!

<3 Rachel

TRIPLE THREAT Blog Hop! DCWV, May Arts, Tombow - PRIZES!

Welcome to the DCWV/May Arts/Tombow Triple Threat Blog Hop! All this week, designers from these three great companies are sharing projects they created by teaming up some fun paper from DCWV’s Honey Chic stack, with a variety of adhesives from Tombow and some beautiful ribbon from May Arts. 

If you have come here from Karen Hanson's blog then you're on track! If not, you can go back to any of the company websites and start the hop from there!   

I combined my favorite papers from the DCWV Honey Chic stack, the prettiest ribbons from May Arts, and the perfect adhesives from Tombow, to create an extreme mini album. I mean MINI mini album. It fits inside this little match box...

I covered a basic kraft box with the Honey Chic papers and wrapped the border with May Arts green polka dot ribbon. The twine and that gorgeous rhinestone chain is from May Arts too! I love it. 

The mini book measures 2" x 2.5" and was created with one sheet of paper folded accordion style. The Tombow Permanent tape runner worked perfectly for sealing all those folds...

PRIZES!! Leave comments throughout the hop for your chance to win one of THREE prizes! The TRIPLE THREAT prize including a stack from DCWV, a spool of ribbon from May Arts and Xtreme Adhesive, Power Tabs, Removable Adhesive and Fastener Tabs from Tombow. Winners will be chosen from comments throughout the week, so make sure you check back daily to increase your chances of winning!  

Also, please make sure you have popped on over to Facebook and “liked” each of the company pages (DCWV / May Arts / Tombow), because really, what’s not to like?!

I should be the last stop on today's hop! They must have saved the best for last ;) Here is the complete list unless you missed someone along the way...

Jen Shears

Jenifer Cowles

Melissa Cash

Karen Hanson

Rachel Kleinman (me!)

 

Independence Day Hop!

Welcome to the Independence Day Blog Hop! We're The Inspiration Crew, a group of crafty blog friends making projects we like, using products we like, just for fun and inspiration!! Be sure to check out all the blogs on this hop for tons of crafty Independence Day Inspiration!

You should have come here from Donna Bowman's blog, the beginning of our hop!

I have a very patriotic card featuring stars and stripes and red, white, and blue! You can't go wrong with that :) 

This card is also made for the current Lawnscaping "Stars and Stripes" challenge. This United States stamp from Lawn Fawn's "Wish You Were Here" immediately came to mind. I paper pieced the red stripes and the blue portion for the flag. The sentiment was stamped using "Clark's ABC's" and the stars are from "Sky's the Limit"

 Now go check out the talented Angi's blog.

Donna Bowman

Rachel Kleinman (me!)

Angi Barrs

Annette Allen

Jennifer Cuthbertson

Ceal Pritchett

Lynn Kopas

#UnityStamp Thursday Hop

Hello again for Unity Thursday blog hop! There is a brand new #hashtagkit releasing today that you will all NEED! You'll be seeing a lot of #UnityStamp hashtags along the way.

I'm still smitten from last week's Susan Weckesser releases. This gorgeous "Sail Away" image really caught my attention. I colored the image with my cheap little watercolors. The card is made for someone who just loves the ocean and the sand, and is a creative blog friend.

There are always prizes to be won at Unity!! Make sure to leave a comment on the blogs throughout the hop for your chance to win these great sets...

Your next stop is the always fabulous SHILO

Happy Fur Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful daddies in the world! My fur babies and I made a special little card for their fur daddy...

Oh my babies are just so cute! The card uses Lawn Fawn stamps "Life is Good", "Critters from the Past", and "Riley's ABCs". I colored all images with Copic Markers and fussy cut them to build my little scene. I just love how the baby dinosaur looks lounging in the hammock :)

 I sent my own special dad this card that I shared at the Unity blog last month. Papers are from October Afternoon "Travel Girl" and stamp is Unity Stamp Co "Father's Day Ties".

Have a wonderful Father's Day!

<3 Rachel

Trifecta

I am not a superstitious person, but there are a few things that I do believe in... the negative powers of Mercury in Retrograde (sorry matty!), full moon, and Friday the 13th. Meaning, I'm not leaving my house today. So it's a good rainy day to stay inside and get inky!

I made three tags today for three challenges. I'll be entering them in Virginia's View Challenge: Tags, Unity's Friends with Flair Friday post, and the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge: Spray Inks!

My Love in a Jar tag uses stamps from Unity's Kit of the Month June 2014 and Kit of the Month May 2014. I first gessoed the entire tag and let it dry. Then I stamped the jars and created a mask for each one with post it notes. Apply the masks, then use circle pattern stencils and spray with inks (I used Color Shine sprays). With the masks still on, I applied modeling paste over yet another mini circle stencil and let it dry. Remove the post it masks and color with PITT pens india ink and stamp the flowers in the corner.

For my Light Up My Life tag, I challenged myself to make it all one layer. I sprayed the background first with Dylusions inks, then stamped the light bulb and again created a mask to cover it up. Then I stamped the circle rays around the light bulb, the subtle arrows on the bottom, and the red flowers. I used white India Ink to smear around the light bulb to help it pop more. I then removed the masks and colored the bulb with Prismacolor Pencils. This tag uses Unity KOTM June 2014, SMAK May 2014, and Insightful Meadows.

Things got a little messy with my Mug tag! In the end it has many layers of spray ink, gelatos, washi, background stamps, gesso, and then finally the mug stamp. I colored in the mugs with PITT pens India ink. This tag uses KOTM June 2014, SMAK May 2014, and KOTM May 2014.

You have until June 30th to enter your spray ink creations at the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge! Can't wait to see what you all create!

ETA: I am also entering these tags into the Simon Says Stamp 'Stencil It' challenge and the Simon Says Stamp 'Paint' challenge!

<3 Rachel

Relax. Life. Is. Good.

Happy Monday! I had a fun filled Lawn Fawny weekend and made a lot of cards. On Saturday, I visited the Papercraft Clubhouse in Connecticut and took two classes with Jen Shurkus where we made 11 Lawn Fawn cards. We got to play with all the brand new stamps and I also spent too much money on new goodies :)

I took a slightly different take on the Lawnscaping Challenge: Embossing. I used an embossed piece of chipboard that I had hoarded from my Gelatos Kit. I gessoed it and then spray it with a variety of blue and white spray inks.

I used the new Lawn Fawn set "Life is Good" and colored the images with Copic markers.

I love how the spray inks blended in the embossed waves, and of course the added Stickles look fab!

Wishing you a relaxing Monday and rest of the work week!

<3 Rachel

Pie Chart Layout

Hello June! Where has 2014 gone?! It seems like just yesterday my car was frozen locked shut and I had to walk to work.... not complaining about the spring weather, though :)

There are some AMAZING June sketches for the DCWV Stackaholic Challenge! They will definitely make you think outside the box and start thinking inside the circle ;)

This sketch was a challenge, but a fun challenge. I love how the layout ended up and it's not like anything else in my album!

I had the fun opportunity to go to a Loft Art Retreat hosted by the lovely Jenn Shurkus. We made tons of Lawn Fawn cards! I also had the chance to meet the fabulous Lynn Kopas, who is on our Mixed Media Monthly Challenge design team!

I used a lot of mini stamps in this layout. The 'stitching' along the pie chart is actually the grass stamp from Lawn Fawn's "Gnome Sweet Gnome" set. The other stamps are from Heidi Swapp "Best Day Ever" set.

I also created a companion page, loosely following the same sketch and same papers...

I hope you join in the DCWV challenges! There are ALWAYS amazing prizes and a chance to be featured on the DCWV blog :). My layout uses papers from DCWV "Sweet Tangerine" stack.

<3 Rachel