Kranky Krab Personalized Children's Art {Review & Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, ReggieMann!}

When it comes to artwork, I wouldn't call myself an expert by any means. Oftentimes I see a completed piece that is being renowned as stunning and amazing and one-of-a-kind... and I can't help but think it resembles something that Big Sister E made with her crayons and markers.

Instead, I have always just followed my own personal taste and decorated our home with items that meet my qualification: I like it when I see it. Simple enough, right?

Well, sort of. There are so many different types and styles of children's art that when it comes to my daughters' bedrooms or playroom, I find myself cringing at the flowery cuteness or garish designs that are supposed to be appealing but that I find gaudy. Why is it hard to find something that mixes bright colors, handmade uniqueness, and a classic sweetness that appeals to kids as well as adults?

Actually, it's not. One visit to Kranky Krab and I was hooked on the hand-drawn illustrations and options for personalization that have the ability to fit with any decor and always bring a smile.

Incorporating her love for animals in with her love of children's art, artist Tracy Hopkins draws each illustration by hand before it is scanned, digitally colored and textured. Her prints are then done with archival inks to high quality fine art stock or directly to canvas and can be purchased as magnets, unframed or in frames that her husband makes himself.

And the results that come from this talented couple are just adorably gorgeous. The characters are friendly, the colors are inviting, and Tracy's clean, crisp style is somehow both classic and modern.

I couldn't wait to see these pieces up close and in person, but the decision-making process wasn't easy when there were so many wonderful choices. After finally selecting the Personalized Prints, I found that the three steps it took to customize them exactly as I wanted were quick and easy... plus they made it fun to browse even more cute animals!

Being able to see an exact preview of the frame (white, black or unframed) with your animal of choice and your child's name right underneath makes it easy to give one click and switch to a new option. In the end, there is no doubt that you are getting exactly what you want.

I ended up going the traditional route and matching up Big Sister E's name with an animal that begins with E and, likewise, Little Sister B's with a B... but that was mainly because it narrowed down the options. Otherwise there were just far too many that I loved!

When the prints arrived only days later, I couldn't wait to see how they had turned out.
Both frames were well-wrapped to prevent any sort of possible damage and I pulled the bubble wrap off right away to inspect the quality and utter cuteness inside.

I would never have guessed that the frames were handmade, as they are just as high quality as those that come from a machine. The textured black paint gives added interest to the eye and the fun and whimsical animals are just as great hung up on our playroom wall as they were online.

I purposely hung these where they can be seen from quite a distance in our house because they are just so cheerful to look at from across the room. I find myself glancing over at them and smiling all the time!

From animals to fairies to sea creatures to monsters, Kranky Krab has an option for every taste and decor. This artwork is perfect for nurseries, bedrooms, playrooms and more and any of the delightful prints or magnets would make wonderful birthday, holiday or baby shower gift. We were lucky to receive a single Love Monster Print along with our artwork and he is just as great as the animals!

Within seconds Big Sister E had claimed this happy monster for her own!

But as much as I was blown-away impressed by the cuteness found at Kranky Krab, I couldn't believe the affordable prices. This fun 5 x 7" monster and all of his friends? Only $7. These sweet Personalized Prints are available unframed for only $15 - with free shipping! I recommend adding the finishing touch of the frame to really complete the look, which is only $10 more.

For $25 you get a unique, personalized gift that is sure to be ooohed and aaahed over for years to come - you can't beat that! I'm keeping these in mind for future birthday gifts as well as end-of-the-year presents for Big Sister E's preschool teachers. I love the thought of surprising them with such a fun thing to hang in the classroom!

Thanks to Tracy's generosity, one person will have to make some tough decisions picking their own favorite items from Kranky Krab as well, because...

One lucky person will win a $25 gift certificate to Kranky Krab!

To enter to win: Visit Kranky Krab and tell me the name of one of the adorable items there that you might purchase if you win.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Kranky Krab on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

WIN a $25 gift certificate from @KrankyKrab for adorable children's art and gifts! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/kHxjwh #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me publicly with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email or become a fan on Facebook.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
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Giveaway will end on May 27th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only.

A big thank you to Kranky Krab for providing two prints and frames for me to review as well as a $25 gift certificate for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.