It's time for another UDesign lesson, and this week I'm showing you how to create these gnomes dressed for the 4th of July's festivities!
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This is our second UDesign tutorial inside Inkscape; if you missed the first, be sure to catch up here.​

This video is for everyone to enjoy, but there are extra perks for our A-Stars! 🌟

Here’s what you will learn in today's new video for designing in Inkscape:

• How to create custom shapes from existing shapes like circles and squares.
• Introduction on how to freehand draw with the pencil tool, even if you are not an artist.
• How to use the intersect tool for clipping paths

Americana Charm UDesign Kit

As mentioned, A-Stars, your kit is ready inside the Craft Vault along with hundreds of other ready-to-make projects.

👉 Watch the Gnome UDesign Lesson Here​

👉 Get the July UDesign Kit Here​

These UDesign lessons are created for individuals with some basic knowledge of Inkscape or graphic design—think advanced beginners or beyond.
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​Total newbie? Don’t worry! You can get up to speed on Inkscape basics in just a few days with my free 3-part workshop, so that you can join the creative play too!

Coming Up on Abbi Kirsten Collections

Here is what is coming down the project pipeline for the next 30 days!

🍋🍓 Summer Fruit Pop-Up Cards featuring strawberries, lemons, apples, and peaches

🐚 Shellebrate Good Times: Mermaid theme party decor collection with seven projects and two free gifts.
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🌵 The California Flower Collection: Featuring four west coast blossoms, plus a new gift and a live workshop!

🌺 Tropic Like It's Hot UDesign Kit: Featuring how to design your own wedding invitations.
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Which ones are you most excited for?!
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All my best,
Abbi

✨ Thoughts Unmuted: Waiting for Confidence? Try This Instead.

Notion #8

I was scrolling through some comments the other day, and one sweet crafter said something that really stuck with me:

Whew. I felt that. We all start there, thinking we have to wait until we’re “good enough” before we dive in. But here’s the thing:

Confidence doesn’t come first. Action does.​
The only way to improve is to start—even if you fumble, even if it’s messy. You build skills (and courage!) by showing up, trying, and learning as you go.

Want to be the person who can whip up handmade gifts on the fly?
Decorate your home like a DIY queen?
Craft for life’s everyday magic and big celebrations?

That version of you is built one imperfect project at a time.
And guess what? You don’t have to figure it all out alone.

That’s why this community exists—to help catch you when you trip, answer your questions, and cheer you on through it all.

So today, I just want to say:
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​Start before you’re ready. Confidence is formed in the doing.

👉 Tell me—what’s something you tried before you felt totally prepared?
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Did it go sideways, succeed, or land somewhere in between?
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Either way, you learned. And that means you won. 💖