Often imitated, never duplicated                     Mixed Media - artwork using more than one medium.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Meet Our Final Design Team Member - Melanie Douthit

This week we are introducing our 6th and final Design Team Member Melanie Douthit!! Her Web site is http://douthitgallery.blogspot.com Be sure to go visit her site and check out some of her gorgeous and inspiring creations.



Hello. I’m Melanie and I’m happy to be a part of The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge. I have been an artist (the kind with paint and brushes) since my teens, but I started scrapbooking in 2003 after I had my daughter. I fell in love with combining my photos with paper creations, and cardmaking. It was only natural to start combining my new love for paper with my painting, so I have been exploring the world of mixed media for the last few years. I love color, texture and the unexpected! I live in West Monroe, Louisiana with my husband, two children and my silly dachshund. I belong to two local art galleries and am active in our local arts alliance where we have art walks six times a year.


Please leave some love in the comments to welcome Melanie! She is an amazing professional artist and her creations are always inspiring!

Be sure to come back here tomorrow, June 1 to check out our first challenge!!!!

Friday, May 30, 2014

HUGE Mixed Media Prize Package!!

Hello again to what is now our Fifth Friday in May giveaway! The prizes just keep on comin'!  If you need a bit of a catch-up about who we are, visit our introduction post here

Click HERE to see our FIRST CHALLENGE!!


Now we have our Fifth GIVEAWAY

Welcome to our HUGE Mixed Media Giveaway


This is an amazing pack of items you can use in your Mixed Media projects. 

Prize includes: (1) Dylusions 9x12 Stencil Flower Medley (1) Dylusions Spray ink in Vibrant Turquoise (3) Tim Holtz Distress Inks {Iced Spruce, Evergreen Bough, Festive Berries} (2) Packs of Stampin' Up Bakers Twine in Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso (3) Zva Creative Embellishments (1) Craft Scrubbie (14) assorted ribbon trims (1) Pebbles Cardstock Stickers (1) Recollections Ticket Embellishments (1) Recollections Purple Lace on a Roll (1) Recollections Floral Fabric Embellishments (1) Recollections Round Brads (1) American Crafts Elements Black Brads (1) Basic Grey Number Brads 

A retail value of over $70!!!

How to enter:
Leave a comment for each of the following. There are up to 6 chances to enter!

1) Leave us a comment! Tell us what mixed media surface you like best: cards, canvases, tags, layouts, art journals...!
2) Follow this blog with blogger, feedly, or bloglovin (then comment again!)
3) Go on over to Facebook and 'Like' the MMMC (and comment again!)
4) Follow @MixedMediaMC on Twitter (then leave another comment)
5) Follow MixedMediaMC on Instagram (and then comment!)
6) Follow us on Pinterest (then comment)

Come back Saturday for our sixth design team member introduction and then check back on Sunday, June 1 to see our 1st Challenge!!! The winner for this giveaway will be announced June 6th.



TIME FOR OUR WINNER!



Congratulations Joy! Please contact Rachel at rwkrafts{at}gmail.com to claim your prize!

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Meet Our Next Design Team Member - Lynn Kopas

This week we are introducing our 5th Design Team Member Lynn Kopas!! Her Web site is http://lynnkopas.blogspot.com Be sure to go visit her site and check out some of her amazing creations.


Hi I’m Lynn Kopas and I live in southern Massachusetts. I have been crafting since 2006. It started with a simple scrapbook album to celebrate my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary and I haven’t looked back since. Recently I discovered Mixed Media and I am in LOVE! I enjoy learning about amazing mixed media products and how they work, or don’t work together! I love finding ordinary objects and incorporating them onto a canvas, tag or art journal page. I have taught several mixed media classes and have met 
some wonderful people who share this passion. My style is still evolving but I lean towards shabby, distressed, textured and vintage. I am beyond excited to be a part of the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Team and I hope we can inspire you to get creative mixed media style! 


Please leave some love in the comments to welcome Lynn! She is an amazing artist and her creations are always inspiring!

Be sure to join us back her next Saturday, May 31 when we will introduce our 6th and final Design Team Member. And, then check back on June 1 when we will start our first challenge!!!!

Friday, May 23, 2014

Awesome Mixed Media Giveaway and a Winner

Hello again to what is now our Fourth Friday in May giveaway! The prizes just keep on comin'! We are only ONE week away from our first Mixed Media challenge (starts June 1). If you need a bit of a catch-up about who we are, visit our introduction post here


Now we have our Fourth GIVEAWAY

Welcome to our Awesome Mixed Media Giveaway


This is an super pack of items you can use in your Mixed Media projects. 

Prize includes: DCWV 6x6 stencil template, May Arts 2.5 inches Sheer Frayed Flowers Ribbon, May Arts 5/8 inch Eyelet Trim, Art Anthology Colorations Spray in Timeless, Art Anthology Gelate Dimesional Gel Paint, and Stampendous Taupe Color fragments

How to enter:
Leave a comment for each of the following. There are up to 6 chances to enter!

1) Leave us a comment! Tell us what coloring medium is your favorite!
2) Follow this blog with blogger, feedly, or bloglovin (then comment again!)
3) Go on over to Facebook and 'Like' the MMMC (and comment again!)
4) Follow @MixedMediaMC on Twitter (then leave another comment)
5) Follow MixedMediaMC on Instagram (and then comment!)
6) Follow us on Pinterest (then comment)

Come back Saturday for our fifth design team member introduction! The winner for this giveaway will be announced May 30 (and then our fifth and final prize will be announced!)



TIME FOR OUR WINNER


Congrats to TARA! Please email Rachel at rwkrafts{at}gmail.com to claim your awesome stencil prize pack!

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Meet Our New Design Team Members - Lalo and Lynn

We have two awesome designers to introduce this week. First up is Lalo Ik from http://naniwale.blogspot.com/

Hi world! My name is Lalo and I live in Hawaii with my husband and our three awesome boys and one pretty punky princess. If I had to describe my crafting style I would say I'm "clear with a lil' bit of funk". I try to put a twist into any project I do, but still like to keep it clear and focused. I'm a maker of everything and anything. From cards and layouts, to DIYs and 3D projects. I love mix media because of the freedom you have when creating. There's no rules or criteria, just creativity.


Our next designer is Lynn Adams from http://artsylynn.blogspot.com/

Hi, I’m Lynn, and I am addicted to all things crafty and messy. I have been scrapbooking for several years now, but my style had really evolved over time. I started out with a more traditional style, but soon discovered mixed media and fell in love.  I love that if I make a mistake, I can always add a layer of gesso over top and start over.  I mostly do art journaling and altered canvases, but I am always willing to try something new and I absolutely love getting inspiration from others. Besides my creative endeavors, I also enjoy spending time with my husband, and my two black cats. We are big nerds and love all things fantasy and board gaming!



Please leave some love in the comments to welcome Lalo and Lynn! They have so much talent in their little fingers. I am always in awe by what they can create! 

Friday, May 16, 2014

Big Stencil Giveaway AND Winners!

Hello again to what is now our THIRD Friday in May giveaway! The prizes just keep on comin'! We are only two weeks away from our first Mixed Media challenge (starts June 1). If you need a bit of a catch-up about who we are, visit our introduction post here

Now we have our THIRD GIVEAWAY


Our fabulous sponsor this week is DCWV! This great company brings all of us quality and timeless products at a price we can afford. As you'll see in the prize photo, they now have a variety of textured papers and STENCILS!

Welcome to the HUGE STENCIL GIVEAWAY


There are so many stencils here, they couldn't even fit in one photo! (hint: these DCWV stencils are very hard to find in stores)

Prize includes: (3) 12x12 stencil templates, (7) 4x6 stencil templates, (1) corrugate neutrals 6x6 pad, (1) burlap 6x6 pad - prize pack has a retail value of $48!

How to enter:
Leave a comment for each of the following. There are up to 7 chances to enter!

1) Leave us a comment! Tell us what coloring medium is your favorite!
2) Follow this blog with blogger, feedly, or bloglovin (then comment again!)
3) Go on over to Facebook and 'Like' the MMMC (and comment again!)
4) Follow @MixedMediaMC on Twitter (then leave another comment)
5) Follow MixedMediaMC on Instagram (and then comment!)
6) Follow us on Pinterest (then comment)
7) BONUS ENTRY: Like DCWV on Facebook (and tell us in the comments!)

Come back Saturday for our third and fourth design team member introduction! The winner for this giveaway will be announced May 23 (and then another prize announced!)

TIME FOR WINNERS

Winner #1 of the Unity Background Stamps... Crystal!


Winner #2 of the Unity Fashionista Stamps... Lagene!


Congratulations, ladies! Email Rachel at rwkrafts(at)gmail.com to claim your prize!

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Meet Our Second Design Team Member - Rachel Kleinman

Hello! My name is Rachel Kleinman from www.rwkrafts.com. I am a wife and fur baby mommy to two dogs and one guinea pig, living in the lovely state of Connecticut. My first crafting love was scrapbooking which merged into card making and now I love playing in my art journals and painting canvases. Mixed Media is such a great way to try new techniques and styles without worrying about a perfect end result. There is no right or wrong with mixed media, and it is perfectly imperfect!


I am thrilled to see this challenge blog finally come to life. Donna and I have been brainstorming about this for so many months and now it's here! I became hooked on art journaling a couple years ago, when I was addicted to watching videos from Donna Downey and Christy Tomlinson. I was fortunate enough to take a class with Donna Downey at my local scrapbook store, and I knew at that point there was no turning back! My art journal love was here to stay.

Don't miss out on our big Unity Stamp giveaway here! Thanks for joining us!


Friday, May 9, 2014

New Friday Giveaways and Winner

Welcome back to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge! Our Friday giveaways in May are going strong! If you need a bit of a catch-up about who we are, visit our introduction post here


The response to this new challenge has been overwhelming! Thank you for all your great feedback and sharing our excitement!

OUR SECOND GIVEAWAY!

We have an amazing sponsor for this week's prizes. The generous Unity Stamp Company is giving away some of their high quality red rubber cling mounted stamps! 


Prize #1
The first prize is this set of 3 Unity Christy Tomlinson background stamps. Set includes "Stitched Daffodils", "Butterfly Collage", and "Whimsy Borders". Prize pack has a retail value of $42!

GIVEAWAY #1 FROM UNITY
Prize #2
The second prize is a set of 4 Unity Fashionista girls! How great would these girls be on an art journal page? Set includes "Roxanne", "Jess", "Bianca", and "Anastasia". Prize #2 has a retail value of $64!


 How to enter:
Leave a comment for each of the following. There are up to 7 chances to enter!

1) Leave us a comment! Tell us what is your favorite thing about Mixed Media!
2) Follow this blog with blogger, feedly, or bloglovin (then comment again!)
3) Go on over to Facebook and 'Like' the MMMC (and comment again!)
4) Follow @MixedMediaMC on Twitter (then leave another comment)
5) Follow MixedMediaMC on Instagram (and then comment!)
6) Follow us on Pinterest (then comment)
7) BONUS ENTRY: Like Unity Stamps on Facebook (and tell us in the comments!)

Come back Saturday for our second design team member introduction! The winner for this giveaway will be announced May 16 (and then another prize announced!)

WINNER! We have a winner of our first mixed media prize pack! 



Congrats Deborah! Please contact Rachel at rwkrafts{at}gmail{dot}com to receive your awesome prize pack!


Saturday, May 3, 2014

Meet Our First Design Team Member - Donna Bowman



Hi there!! I'm middle school teacher in Irmo, SC. I teach Computer Applications and I really love to teach to Photoshop and Web Page Design. I live with my two geriatric dogs Daisy, a 15 year old Border Collie Mix and Dusty, a spry 14 year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi. I've recently moved into a new home that I was lucky enough to help design. Building the house meant that I was not as active in the crafty blog world as I had been for the previous three years. But, now that I'm all settled in, I'm loving my amazing new craft room and enjoying getting back into being crafty on a regular basis.

When I started my blog I was mainly making cards. And I really love to make cards. But, I really love all things crafty. In the last two years, I've taken an interest in working with different products and mediums and currently my new passion is for mixed media. I love watching mixed media tutorials and experimenting with so many fun products and techniques. You can check out my blog at www.donnascraftyplace.com

I love how Tim Holtz always says to "Embrace Your Imperfections." I think that is precisely why I like mixed media. You can do almost anything you like on your canvas, altered item, or any projects and nothing is wrong. If something happens you don't love you can embrace it or just put another product on top of it. I find making mixed media projects to be freeing and fun. They frequently take me days and some even weeks to finish. I love adding lots of layers at my own pace. I may not know what to do with it the first day, but if I leave it alone for a few days or weeks I always come up with something I want to try or experiment with.

My crafty BFF Rachel Kleinman of www.rwkrafts.com and I have been talking about starting a challenge blog for the past six months but we weren't sure how to do something different that our crafty friends and community would like to participate in. Then, one day I was watching a mixed media video by the amazingly talented Limor Webber on You Tube when I was working out at the gym early and the idea for the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge just came to me. I texted Rachel right then and for some reason she was awake and we had a long texting session about my idea while I was on the AMT machine and that's how this challenge was born. We know what we like in a challenge and we have tried to incorporate these things into the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge.

We have worked so hard to find a super creative and talented Design Team whose projects will inspire our participants to try new things and branch out of their regular crafty comfort zone. We've also worked hard to find the best companies in the craft world to sponsor our blog each month and offer prizes that we are sure any of our players would love to win. We're having random prize winners so all participants are eligible for our amazing prizes. But, we'll still pick winners and honorable mentions based on our design team picks. Every month a different design team member will "host" the challenge and choose the "theme." And, most months, we will have an amazingly talented Guest Designer who will also bring their own mixed media point of view to our challenge.

We want to inspire you to create. We want you to think outside your normal box and try new things. We want you to encourage each other whether you are a beginner or seasoned crafty veteran. We want you to embrace your imperfections and feel free to create without boundaries. And, most of all, we want you to have fun.

I can't wait to share our first challenge with you on June 1. I'll be hosting and we have a sensational guest designer and super prize sponsor. And, ALL the participants in the first month will get a little "gift" from our generous sponsor.

Be sure to follow this blog, add our badge to your blog and follow any of our social media sites that you are active in. And, share our challenge with your crafty friends. We appreciate the amazing response we have gotten in the few days since our initial announcement. It makes us even more excited to get started in June. We welcome you and hope you will join us in our exciting new adventure.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Welcome to The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge!

The day is finally here! Welcome to the brand new Mixed Media Monthly Challenge!


What: The new Mixed Media Monthly Challenge is open to anyone and everyone who wants to share their mixed media projects. Cards, layouts, journal pages, canvases, altered pieces... whatever you create following the monthly theme is welcome!

When: A brand new theme will be announced on the 1st of each month. Our first challenge will begin on June 1. The challenge is open throughout the whole month, so you will have plenty of time to work on your project and link it up.

Who: We have an amazingly talented design team lined up, but you will have to check back every Saturday in May to see the announcement! The Mixed Media Monthly also has some fantastic guest designers in store for added inspiration!

PRIZES: Each month brings new sponsors and new giveaways. We are so thankful to the companies that have jumped on board this new Challenge with us! We know you'll love them, too.

OUR FIRST GIVEAWAY!

The month of May will be filled with introductions and giveaways! We're so excited to have you join this new venture with us and we know you'll have fun along the way!


Prize includes: Faber Castell Gesso, Chalkboard Paint, Whipped Spackle, Paper Crafter Crayons, 2 PITT brush pens, and one DCWV 6x6 stencil (Retail value of $51!)

How to enter:
Leave a comment for each of the following. There are up to 6 chances to enter!

1) Leave us a comment and say Hello!
2) Follow this blog with blogger, feedly, or bloglovin (then comment again!)
3) Go on over to Facebook and 'Like' the MMMC (and comment again!)
4) Follow @MixedMediaMC on Twitter (then leave another comment)
5) Follow MixedMediaMC on Instagram (and then comment!)
6) Follow us on Pinterest (then comment)

Come back Saturday for our first design team member introduction! The winner for this giveaway will be announced May 9 (and then another prize announced!)

Welcome to Mixed Media Monthly!