HIMCR #78 - Freestyle Baby!

For our last challenge of 2012 you get to choose!  Lets see what you love and where your talents lie :) Its a freestyle challenge so use any supplies you want to create anything you want!

This week I finished a small mixed media canvas I've been planning for awhile.  It of course took on a life of its own when I actually got started.

To begin I used an old sewing pattern.  I tore a piece slightly larger than my canvas then glued it down letting it bunch and gather to create dimension.  After it dried (a few weeks later when I got back to it!) I painted the background a shade of blue and then looked at it some more and realized the pattern formed what looked like a tree trunk to me so off I went with it!

I sprayed the background with some shimmery mist made with the Create-a-Shade paint from Close to My Heart.  This stuff is fabulous!  You use the spray pen with a little water, a few drops of the paint and any re-inker ink to make your own glimmer mist.  I love it! (if  you'd like these fun tools for your very own click on the link for each and you can order them from my website!)

Once that all dried I used some craft white stamp ink from Stampin Up and a sponge to dab some white along the top and sides for 'clouds'. I used brown paint to define the tree branches and some green for grass.  I also used a grass stamp with two different shades of green ink to stamp over the paint when it dried.  Next I cut the leaves, ran them through my Xyron and then grouped them on the tree.  

I found this great sentiment in the Fall for You kit from Unity Stamp Co. It reads "laugh with your eyes hug with your soul and smile with your heart".  Using some more paint I painted the stamp and applied it to the canvas.  I really like how this came out and now I need to figure out where and how to display it!

Don't forget to head over to Hiding in My Craft Room to link us up with your creations!

Supplies used: Making Memories paints, create a shade paint from Close to My Heart, Cosmo Cricket butterfly stickers, Unity Stamp Co - sentiment, various green papers I had in my stash cut from the Plantin Schoolbook with my Cricut.

HIMCR #77 - Anything but Christmas!

Thanks for joining me this week!  This week's challenge at Hiding in My Craft Room is Anything but Christmas!  So link us up!

I picked some pictures I took on a recent trip to Maryland.  My cousins moved into the townhouse just a few up from the house I grew up in so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take some pictures!  I've been busy rearranging some things in my craft room and found several fun embellishments I just had to use!  I also pulled out my old Heidi Swapp idea book to be inspired.  This two pager is done 9x9 so it can go in a personal album I have been working ever so slowly on!

I have a ton of old Heidi Swapp embellies like flowers, journal spots and acetate stickers.  They matched this scrap of paper I also found and just had to use.  Throw in some Cosmo Cricket butterflies, washi tape, and some random stickers (letters and phrase) and voila!  I also finally procured a sewing machine so I can sew on layouts again.  Yay!

Thanks for looking and don't forget to head over to Hiding in my Craft Room to link us up.  We love to see what you create!

HIMCR #76 - Go Digital

It is time to try a new technique at Hiding in My Craft Room.  This week we are challenging you to go digital!!  I haven't done very much digi work and frankly it intimidates me!  We have a great sponsor at Template Dreams. She provided us with several different digital kits so make sure you check out all the great creations our design team has concocted!  Trish has also generously donated a $5 gift certificate to her store for one lucky crafter so make sure you link up your project on the HIMCR post to be entered to win!

What I've been working on

My daughter is getting married on Saturday!  Eeek!  I've been busy making various tags and things for the wedding - including some centerpieces that I will share when I get them done!  I thought I'd share a quick picture of the tags I just finished today.

I printed off the lemonade graphic from marryyoume.com but the other two graphics I created using various digital papers and elements I have found over the last year or so.  I cut the backgrounds out of kraft cardstock using the Cricut Artiste collection.  The cards tag will be going on the cool birdcage I found at Home Goods to use for cards and then to put up in my kitchen above the cabinets after the wedding!  I used the Cricut Artiste to cut all the elements.  You can't see it well but I also made up a mist with the CTMH create-a-shade pearl paint and some grey flannel ink in their spritzer.  It looks cool.  Eventually I'll add a ribbon and bow but that will be after I figure out how I'm attaching it to the cage.  I'll post pictures from the actual reception next week!

Please excuse the shadows.  The lighting in my office isn't great.

Basic Grey goodness!

Playing along over at Paper Issues with their Basic Grey challenge!  I dug deep into my stash of papers and pulled out one of the last remaining Basic Grey cardstock papers I have hidden ;)  I cut the card base out of Orange Cream in their Aged & Confused Sublime Collection using the Close to My Heart Artiste cartridge for my cricut.  I then added some grey washi tape and two die cuts from the Artiste cartridge.  I embossed the Mr&Mrs and made it sparkle.  I used a swirly stamp from Technique Tuesday on the couple and on the envelope (also cut from Artiste).  I really love this new Cricut cartridge!!  Thanks for looking!

HIMCR #75 - Super Scraps Saturday!

Welcome to Super Scraps Saturday at Hiding in my Craft Room!  The challenge is to dig into that scraps pile and use some up on a new creation!

One of the great things about moving is finding stuff you didn't remember you had!  This is true with my scraps too - except for the cardstock base my layout was created using scraps of paper I have had for ages!  They were in a plastic folder that I completely forgot about!

I received my Cricut Artiste bundle from Close to My Heart this week and had to use it right away!  I cut the heart, scalloped background and 'Love' from that cartridge.  I love it already!  I have to admit I bought it just to get the Eiffel Tower shape!

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to go link your creation at Hiding in My Craft Room!

Papers - American Crafts and Piggy Tales

Stamps - Oo la la - Close to My Heart; lines - Unity Stamps; Eiffel stamp - Typo

flowers - Prima

brad - Making Memories

jewels - Bo Bunny

Its Hiding in my Craft Room Saturday! - HIMCR #74

The challenge this week is to use blue and white.  Blue is one of my favorite colors and I love all the different shades!  I chose some paper from Close to My Heart - it looks a little more green in this picture but I promise its a light teal blue!

I used a card sketch from Page Maps - they are my go to source for great sketch inspiration!  I pulled out some flowers and a brad that I have had for-eh-ver and the paper came from my scraps basket.  The scallop punch on the edges is from Stampin Up and the sentiment came from who knows where!  I really need to use up some of this stuff around here!

Thanks for looking and be sure to leave your creation linked on the post over at Hiding in My Craft Room so you can be entered for this week's prize courtesy of