I've received a number of questions about a recent scrapbook layout I made for the Heidi Swapp Media Team...this is the layout:


And this is what I've gotten questions on...


This embroidered frame/word...

So, today I'm going to share just how I did it! All you need is your Silhouette software, your Silhouette machine and your imagination (oh, and some embroidery floss & a needle!) and you can embroider any design you like onto paper...fun, huh?

STEP 1:

Open your Silhouette software and choose your files (I used digital files available from Heidi Swapp...to learn how to change .png files into .studio files, click here)


STEP 2:


STEP 3:


STEP 4:



STEP 5:


STEP 6:


That's it! Easy peasy...

Now, if you don't want to add the frame to your word...you want to simply cut a word (or other shape) to embroider, skip steps 3 & 6. Play around with this - you can really do so many cool things with your Silhouette!

So, by now, we all pretty much have smartphones, right?

And we are all using them all of them time, right?

For talking, texting, surfing the web, etc...everything...right???

One of the things I use my phone most often for is taking photos...yep...taking photos. Everywhere...and of everything. You, too? Good.

Think you're using your phone and all of it's photography apps to their fullest? Wanna learn more? Yeah...me, too.

Well, we're in luck!

Heidi Swapp & Jessica Sprague, two of the biggest names in scrapbooking & digital design, have teamed-up to offer an amazing online class just for those of us who want to do more with our camera phones...

link

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I couldn't be more excited that it's autumn...I adore this time of year. The cool weather, the gorgeous leaves, the warm sweaters, the smell of cinnamon & pumpkin...oh, I get so happy just thinking about it all! And with the change of seasons comes, you guessed it, HALLOWEEN! Yay! I love Halloween...and the older I get, the more I love it.

This year we were in need of a fun new way to hold all of the goodies we'll be passing out on the 31st (our old bowl took a header off the table and got stepped on last year)...so I decided to make one.


This box can be decorated in any way you like and doesn't have to be used specifically for Halloween. Here's what I started with...


Yep. Just a plain old Tyson Chicken box. I usually just toss these in the recycling bin, but no more! I will be re-using them for a whole bunch of projects!


I modified the original box by removing the side flaps...so that when the box closes, the top simply rests on the rest of the box and the front flap folds over...does that make sense??? Then I added velcro to the front flap and the corresponding place on the box so that the lid stays closed.

Here's all I did...I spraypainted the box black, designed some graphics in Photoshop, printed them out and glued them to the box. Then I inked the edges and roughed up the box a bit with sandpaper to give it an antique-y feel...



Then I simply filled the box with treats...(which I'm sure will have to be replenished looooong before Halloween).




Here's the velcro...

You can also use the box just as a decoration...here I've tied some old sheet music and string around it to make it look even more authentic...



So there you have it!

Fun, huh???

I love love love Daily Deal sites...truly...I can't get enough of them. It's like a surprise every day...and I love surprises...(well, I love good surprises).

A brand new Daily Deal site is launching TODAY and I'm so so excited to introduce you to it!

Today on the Heidi Swapp blog, I'm sharing a couple of projects I've made with Heidi's new Color Shine. Have you heard of it? Well, it's amazing. It's a spray mist that you can use to color just about anything...here, take a look...

With a lot of my projects, I start with one idea in mind and end up with something entirely different.

My Color Shine project was no different.

I started a number of different things and, as time went by, I scrapped them all. I did know that I wanted to make sure I included a number of different things...I wanted to show you how versatile Color Shine is...you do not have to be a paper crafter/scrapbooker/card-maker to love it. I also wanted to show you how amazing the color is. And I wanted to show you how easy it is to use. So I combined my love for Instagram, my love for fabric, my love for photography and my love for Color Shine and this is what I came up with.


I started with some grey duck cloth (like a heavy canvas) and cut 3 pieces to fit a frame I got on clearance from Target. Then I cut some adhesive vinyl Vintage Instaframes from Heidi's Digital Files, adhered the negative cuts to the fabric and sprayed my Black Velvet Color Shine (my ABSOLUTE favorite) over the open spaces. Just like that. One layer of spray was all that was needed.


Then I simply added some of my Instagram photos to the middle of the "frames" with washi tape (another favorite of mine). The photos are easily interchangeable for the season (or my mood) and I can even add journaling or other photos under the frames if I choose to.

 
For a project like this, I would normally use acrylic paint. But, if you've ever worked with acrylics and fabric, you know that the paint hardens and makes the fabric less flexible. Not to mention, it's hard to get even coverage.

The Color Shine is completely different. The mist becomes part of the fabric instead of just sitting on top of it, so the fabric stays flexible and not "crusty" looking. And the Color Shine has this gorgeous iridescence that really adds to the depth of the color. You have to see it to believe it.

I'm so excited to try my other Color Shine colors on more fabric projects...I'm thinking monogrammed library bags for each of my kids...OH! And wouldn't some personalized canvas wrapping paper look fantastic around Christmas or birthday presents? Maybe even Color Shine'd pillow shams or curtains!

 **One tip...because of the consistency of Color Shine, I don't recommend using it on loosely woven fabric like light or sheer cotton. I think it would end up spreading through the fiber threads too quickly, and your designs wouldn't stay crisp. However, if that's the look you're going for, something more fluid and shapeless, it would be beautiful.**

Now, as I was working on this project, I was inspired by my fellow Media Team member, Jamie Pate, to create some paper flowers. So I grabbed my Black Velvet and my Mint Green and got to work on some flowers...I think I'm going to add these to our Christmas tree this year.

 
I misted a 6"x12" piece of Color Magic paper with the Mint Green, cut it into 1/2" strips, folded the strips back on themselves, and glued them to a round piece of chipboard. Then I simply cut a piece of Vintage Chic Beautiful Songs paper, adhered it to another chipboard circle and glued it to the middle of the flower. Easy peasy.


Here's one I did with the Black Velvet mist...

 
Oh my gosh, I love how this turned out...that Black Velvet is just phenomenal.

 
Here's another fun thing about Color Shine. You can use it in a bunch of different ways and get a bunch of different results. The traditional, and obviously, the intended way to use it is to spray it on your projects. This gives you fantastic color, and quick results. BUT, you can also sponge it on for a deeper, more saturated color. Let me show you an example...

 
The top two photos are of a piece of Color Magic paper that I simply misted with my Black Velvet. Gorgeous black, right? Now the bottom two photos are of paper that I sponged the Black Velvet on to. Is that amazing? Yes. Yes, it is. The color is so completely saturated and bold.

All I do is take a regular old kitchen sponge, get it a bit damp (damp enough so that it is flexible), add a little bit of Color Shine by dabbing the bottle on the sponge and rub it over my paper. The Shine goes a looong way and the color can be applied in layers without making your paper too wet. I usually wait until the Color Shine is dry on my paper and then I simply rub the extra off the resist parts of the paper, or spray a paper towel with some Windex and lightly rub those areas. This way of applying your Color Shine does take a little extra time, but there is a little less mess and a little waste this way.

Try using your Shine both ways on different projects...you will love the variety of looks you can get!

Check out Heidi's blog all this week and next for different ways to use Color Shine!     

Halloween is just around the corner! Woo hoo!

This year I haven't made tons of time for Halloween projects, so I wanted to share just a couple of my favorites from last year...

This is a snack I made for a kids' Halloween party - it went over like gangbusters! Not only are these little guys adorable, but they are also extremely economical & tasty!

Here are my little Mummy Pretzels...


Cute, huh?

If you saw these last year, and you made them, I'd love to know...

Here's all you need to make them...


I got the little eyes in the craft department at Wal-Mart...near all of the baking supplies...and you know what the almond bark is, right? I got mine at, again, Wal-Mart, by the cake mixes, etc...they have chocolate, too...it melts really quickly and is really easy to work with. I think they sell the candy eyes all over now, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding them.


How is your Halloween decorating going? Have you finished? Have you started? Are you already thinking about Thanksgiving & Christmas? (Please say "no" to that last question...;))

Last year I spent $100 on Halloween costumes. Yes. $100. And my kids wore them for 2 hours. Oh my gosh, even just thinking about it makes my tummy hurt.

I vowed to myself that I would NOT do that again this year.

So when I asked the kids what they wanted to be for Halloween, I was dreading their responses. I was pleasantly surprised, though, to hear that...

Kinsley's Katniss Everdeen Halloween costume 

This was my first idea for her...I ended up not getting the brown pants, the Guess shirt or the boots...

Gray's Zombie Halloween Costume 

This will need some roughing up, but I think it will be perfect...

Ty's Vampire Halloween Costume 

This will work just perfectly...except for the tie and handkerchief...we'll put those aside for another time.

I placed my order and received the clothing in just a few days...and I couldn't have been more happy. 

3 "costumes" for under $60? Oh yeah...that's my kind of Halloween. Especially if the kids will be able to reuse these items. 

OH! One more thing...Cookie's Kids has $5 shipping ALL THE TIME! And there are always coupons available to help you save even more! Just sign up for their emails, and you will get them delivered right to your inbox...

Now for the fun part. Kinsley was really excited to try her "costume" on, and because there wasn't too much "extra" stuff that needed to be added to hers, she got dressed right away.

Here's how her Katniss costume turned out...

OK...I seriously love this. She ended up wearing her own boots, which was great for me, and I picked up an archery set in Target's Halloween section. Just perfect. AND she loves the top and pants, so I know she will wear them again...woo hoo! One down, two to go...

Unfortunately, Grayson, my middle son came down with a bug just before I was going to get his photos done...and I just didn't have the heart to make him dress up...but I know he will look awesome. He loves the clothes he got for his "costume" and he can hardly wait to try out his whole zombie look.

Now, Tyler, my 5-year-old is a stubborn little child. Absolutely adorable, but incredibly stubborn. So when I asked him to get dressed in his costume he informed me that he was NOT going to put on makeup and he did NOT want me to do his hair...sooooo...you pick your battles I guess.

But here he is as a vampire...

Hmmm...did I mention he's stubborn? No smiles for me...

Don't his clothes look great, though??? And if he wants to capeless, he can still pull off the whole vampire thing...(as long as he lets me do his hair and makeup on Halloween...).

There's a little smile...yay. Success.

So, what do you think? I'm thinking this will NOT be the last time I find "real" clothes to use for costumes and it will NOT be the last time I shop at Cookie's Kids.

Find Cookie's Kids online or, if you are from the New York City area, check out their stores in Bronx, Brooklyn & Jamaica.

You can also keep up with Cookie's Kids on Facebook and Twitter...

AND GUESS WHAT??? Cookie's Kids is offering Midwestern Girl readers 10% off on ANY purchases made between now and November 30! No minimum purchase required! Woo hoo!!! Just use the code: midwesternsewinggirl at checkout. Isn't that awesome???

***Free Shipping on all orders. Excludes Furniture, Gear and Toys. Contiguous U.S. Only. Expires 11/30/12***

And here are just some really fun facts about the origin of Cookie's Kids...

In 1972, a young man named Cookie and his brother Marvin went into business together. They rented a 1600 square foot store in Jamaica, Queens, fixed it up, bought inventory and Summer and Fall, and opened a day after Thanksgiving with a full stock of holiday toys. The toys were a success and they put the extra money toward buying children's clothing for the next season. When that did well, they bought more clothing. The business was on it's way.
As the brothers Cookie, Marvin and Sonny, who had come in as a third partner in the business, began to open new stores in new locations, inventory expanded. Besides the latest fashions, our customers wanted shoes, toys, backpacks and accessories and we were prepared to deliver.
By the late 1990's there were six superstores throughout the NYC area, and though they previously had different names, by that time they were all named Cookie's Kids. Also in the late '90s came an important addition to Cookie's Kids' inventory: school uniforms. It was the steady success in uniform sales that paved the way for founding CookiesKids.com in 2007, which originally sold uniforms and soon after the entire Cookie's Kids Inventory.

DISCLOSURE: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and CookiesKids.com #CBias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own.