DESIGN Archives

Illustrator Eyedropper Tool Tutorial

Learn to be a Designer, Tutorials, Video / carina

Check out today’s free design video!

Want to learn more? To join my VIP group for free, go here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY. I regularly RESEND files so be sure to sign up so that you are getting all my free tutorials!

Need some Free or Low Cost Ways to learn more about design?
Free Introduction to Illustrator Mini Course: https://www.carinagardnercourses.com/introsavemyspot

Free Make Money Doing Something Creative Webinar: https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/design-suite

Current Bootcamp: https://carina-gardner-32e8.mykajabi.com/all-courses-f5862aa8-f009-42ff-8b39-513e3d4a3510

Illustrator Eyedropper Tool Tutorial Read More »

Illustrator Color Picker Tutorial

Classes, COURSES, Learn to be a Designer / Carina Gardner

Check out today’s free design video! Want to learn more? To join my VIP group for free, go here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY.

Here are some free or low cost ways to get started:

Free Introduction to Illustrator Mini Course:
https://www.carinagardnercourses.com/introsavemyspot

Free Make Money Doing Something Creative Webinar:
https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/design-suite

Current Bootcamp: https://carina-gardner-32e8.mykajabi.com/all-courses-f5862aa8-f009-42ff-8b39-513e3d4a3510

Want to be one of my Course VIPs for free? Join here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY

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Upcoming Design Bootcamp…What You Need to Know!

DESIGN / Carina Gardner

I’m so excited for my the next upcoming bootcamp! It is less than a month away and if you have been thinking about learning how to design, this is the jumpstart you will need to get started!

So what is Design Bootcamp? It’s my 5 day live event that will help you learn the strategies that I have used to become a financially lucrative designer. There are plenty of designers out there who have not utilized the strategies I go over in bootcamp and it will be the best $17 you have ever spent to learn to design. (Yes, it’s only $17 to actually know the strategies I have used to make money over the years!)

To learn more about the upcoming bootcamp, click below!

https://www.carinagardnercourses.com/design-bootcamp

Want to see some of the behind the scenes at my last bootcamp? Check out these:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Carina Gardner (@carinagardnerdesigns)

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Illustrator Flag Tutorial

Classes, COURSES, Learn to be a Designer / Carina Gardner

Want to learn more? To join my VIP group for free, go here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY.

Here are some free or low cost ways to get started:

Free Introduction to Illustrator Mini Course:
https://www.carinagardnercourses.com/introsavemyspot

Free Make Money Doing Something Creative Webinar:
https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/design-suite
Current Bootcamp: https://carina-gardner-32e8.mykajabi.com/all-courses-f5862aa8-f009-42ff-8b39-513e3d4a3510

Want to be one of my Course VIPs for free? Join here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY

Illustrator Flag Tutorial Read More »

Illustrator Eraser Tool Tutorial

Classes, COURSES, Learn to be a Designer / Carina Gardner

Check out today’s free design video! Want to learn more? To join my VIP group for free, go here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY.

Here are some free or low cost ways to get started:

Free Introduction to Illustrator Mini Course:
https://www.carinagardnercourses.com/introsavemyspot

Free Make Money Doing Something Creative Webinar:
https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/design-suite

Current Bootcamp: https://carina-gardner-32e8.mykajabi.com/all-courses-f5862aa8-f009-42ff-8b39-513e3d4a3510

Want to be one of my Course VIPs for free? Join here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY

Illustrator Eraser Tool Tutorial Read More »

Illustrator Swatch Library Tutorial

Classes, COURSES, Learn to be a Designer / Carina Gardner

Check out today’s free design video!

Want to learn more? To join my VIP group for free, go here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY. I regularly RESEND files so be sure to sign up so that you are getting all my free tutorials!

Need some Free or Low Cost Ways to learn more about design?
Free Introduction to Illustrator Mini Course: https://www.carinagardnercourses.com/introsavemyspot

Free Make Money Doing Something Creative Webinar: https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/design-suite

Current Bootcamp: https://carina-gardner-32e8.mykajabi.com/all-courses-f5862aa8-f009-42ff-8b39-513e3d4a3510

Illustrator Swatch Library Tutorial Read More »

Learn How to Be A Designer: Smart Designers Pivot

Classes, COURSES, Learn to be a Designer / carina

Are you a smart designer or learning to be one? Here’s a little listen on what I think on this!

If you want a free course, I have one for you here: https://www.carinagardnercourses.com/introtoillustrator

To see all of my current available courses, go here: https://www.carinagardnercourses.com/

I send out links to my new tutorials and free pdfs to my Courses VIP Group! To join my VIP group for free, go here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY. I regularly RESEND files so be sure to sign up so that you are getting all my free tutorials!

Want to join my new Design Bootcamp? For only $17 start learning how to design and what you need to do to make money!

https://carina-gardner-32e8.mykajabi.com/design-bootcamp

Learn How to Be A Designer: Smart Designers Pivot Read More »

Learn to Be A Designer: Illustrator Pathfinder Explained Tutorial

COURSES, DESIGN / carina

TUTORIAL/LIVE VIDEO SCHEDULE

Tuesdays Silhouette Projects 10am MST
instagram @carinagardnerpapercrafts
facebook https://www.facebook.com/carina.gardner.designs/

Tuesdays MiniLou 10:30am MST
instagram @miniloukids
facebook https://www.facebook.com/miniloukids/

Wednesdays Learn to Design Videos
Youtube only

Thursdays Fabric Projects 10am MST
instagram @carinagardner
facebook https://www.facebook.com/carina.gardner.designs/

Learn to Be A Designer: Illustrator Pathfinder Explained Tutorial Read More »

Make a Christmas Stenciled Mat With Your Silhouette Machine

Design Team Projects, Holiday Projects, Silhouette, SVG, Tutorials / carina

Christmas decorating is in full force at my house and while it’s easy to decorate the inside of the house, I knew I need to add some holiday flair outside. The front door is a great opportunity and space to welcome guests into our home so I made a customized holiday door mat to wish them a Merry Christmas!

The core doormat comes blank and was purchased from Target. To create the buffalo plaid pattern, I used painter’s tape to section off 2” strips horizontally and vertically. Next, I cut out a large round circle and secured it to the middle of the doormat with pins.

The stripe painting process took a while because the horizonal stripes had to dry before I could tape down and paint the vertical stripes. It’s important to use outdoor acrylic paint versus regular acrylic paint as it is waterproof and to remove the painter’s tape while the paint is drying. Also, I highly recommend using a round bristle paint brush and painting in an up and down dabbing motion so that the paint goes straight down into the mat versus side to side that could lead to bleeding under the painter’s tape.

Next, I used my Silhouette Cameo and my 12in x 24in cutting mat to cut out the “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” design using freezer paper. Securing the cut out to the doormat was the longest part of this project since there are tons of flourishes and inner loose pieces. Patience is key here! I again used the pins to help lay out the design and once I liked how it looked, I gently ironed the design onto the doormat. The shiny side of the freezer paper adheres to the doormat when ironed.

The last step was to use red acrylic paint and a smaller round bristle paint brush for the stencil. After a couple coats, I peeled off the freezer paper stencil and my festive door mat was done!

Find the file for this in Carina’s shop here: We Wish You a Merry Christmas – Link: https://www.silhouettedesignstore.com/view-shape/229816

Hello from Southern California! I’m Christine, the gal behind Studio Xtine, where I share fun project tutorials, free printables, and a tiny glimpse of my favorite things like donuts, tacos, and more donuts. Ingrained in me is a deep desire and joy to create, which is why I love my Silhouette machines! When I’m not crafting, you can find me, my hubby, and my two munchkins hiking, devouring poke bowls, and strapping on a GoPro for our adventures.

Blog – http://studioxtine.com/
Instagram – www.instagram.com/studio_xtine/
Pinterest – www.pinterest.com/queenstine/

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Customized Christmas Address Stamp

Design Team Projects, Holiday Projects, Silhouette, SVG, Tutorials / carina

It’s that time of year again when I prepare sending Christmas photo cards to loved ones. This year, I have created a custom Christmas-themed address stamp with my Silhouette Mint custom stamp maker. The Silhouette Mint offers a variety of sizes and I find the 45mm x 45mm stamp size is the perfect size for round-shaped address stamps.

For my stamp, I used the letter “H” dingbat from Carina Gardner’s CG Christmas Quotes Dingbats collection and made it the focal piece. Next, I added my family name and address and nestled them within two concentric circles. I was able to create this design pretty easily all within the Mint Studio software. Many of the functions in Mint Studio is similar to Silhouette Studio’s such as making text curve.

The one thing to note is that a Mint stamp is different from standard rubber stamps. Mint stamps use special ink that is absorbed into the stamp material. After applying ink onto the stamp, let it sit for about 10 minutes. On scratch paper, stamp out excess ink until your stamp design becomes clear and clean.

You could even take this project up a notch by using different Mint inks. For example, I could use green ink for the Merry Christmas design in the middle and use black ink for the rest of the design. Again, there are a lot of possibilities for this project! Do you have the Silhouette Mint custom stamp maker? What do you make with it?

You can find the artwork in Carina’s shop here: CG Christmas Quotes Dingbats – Link: https://www.silhouettedesignstore.com/view-shape/229744

Blog – http://studioxtine.com/
Instagram – www.instagram.com/studio_xtine/
Pinterest – www.pinterest.com/queenstine/

Customized Christmas Address Stamp Read More »

Christmas Animal Ornaments

Design Team Projects, Holiday Projects, Silhouette, SVG / carina

I love making Christmas decorations that can be used year after year, adding to our collection of family heirloom decor. These finger puppet files are intended to be made from paper, but with the simple addition of an offset, and omission of the finger holes, each cute creature can be cut from felt and flock heat transfer vinyl to make lasting tree ornaments. The fox, bear and racoon have been decorated with Christmas accessories taken from the dingbat file shown (letters e,x and z) and cut from fuzzy textured heat transfer. Once the decorations have been fused and the figures padded with a little wadding, they have been sewn by hand to make them perfect for decorating our holiday tree.

There is the opportunity for adding personalisation too. I’ve added ‘Xmas’ and the year to these in the Silent Hight font, but I’ll be adding the names of the junior family members for our family set.

All the cut files used are by Carina Garner and Mini Lou from the Silhouette Design Store:

Christmas Animals Ornaments– intend to double them up, add offset, remove the holes, cut from felt and add accessories.

Finger Puppet Fox #257687 https://www.silhouettedesignstore.com/view-shape/257687

Finger Puppet Bear #257693 https://www.silhouettedesignstore.com/view-shape/257693

Finger Puppet Raccoon #257726 https://www.silhouettedesignstore.com/view-shape/257726

Christmas Animals Dingbats #230262 (for hats and accessories)

https://www.silhouettedesignstore.com/view-shape/230262

CG Silent Night Font #236542 https://www.silhouettedesignstore.com/view-shape/236542

My name is Janet Packer, a passionate papercrafter from Aberdeen, Scotland. My background is in education and technical instruction and I love to share crafting techniques, new products, and design sources. My craft blog, Crafting Quine, is brimming with ideas for card making, paper craft and home decor, many using the Silhouette Cameo. You’ll find hints and tips galore, as well as step-by-step project instructions, and crafting inspiration with a thrifty bias. For updates and pretty crafting pics follow me on Instagram.

BLOG http://craftingquine.blogspot.co.uk

INSTA https://www.instagram.com/craftingquine/

FB PAGE https://www.facebook.com/CraftingQuine/

Christmas Animal Ornaments Read More »

Joy Marquee Wall Art

1 Comment / Design Team Projects, Silhouette, SVG, Tutorials / carina

I love, love, LOVE making my own Christmas decorations. This joy marquee letter project makes the perfect holiday centrepiece – I shall be giving it pride of place in my entryway this year!

The marquee letters are made from paper and cardstock. I like to make these letters with thick cardstock for the center parts, and a thinner, more flexible paper for the outer part; here I’ve used glitter wallpaper! The wreath has been reduced in size from the original and the delicate cuts on the leaves are cut from metallic vinyl – great for fine details. The bow and berries are cut from metallic cardstock with metallic embroidery thread wrapped around the bow knot to give additional texture. The berries are made more rounded using some clear dimensional glaze. The faux light bulbs are actually glass tree bauble decorations, spray painted with metallic spray paint. They fit perfectly in the holes provided for fairy lights, but the holes could be reduced or enlarged if the base of the bulbs used differ in size. The letters are joined together with some wedges of card. Mine are made with cardstock scraps from around the letter centres and are hidden by the wreath’s leaves. The entire piece is light enough to be wall mounted with temporary hook and loop hangers.

All the cut files used are by Carina Garner and Mini Lou and are available from the Silhouette Design Store:

Marquee Letter J #126101

Marquee Letter O #124889

Marquee Letter Y #125948

Golf Leaf Wreath #150728

Filled Girl Basket Tulips #87770 (for the bow)

BLOG http://craftingquine.blogspot.co.uk

INSTA https://www.instagram.com/craftingquine/

FB PAGE https://www.facebook.com/CraftingQuine/

Joy Marquee Wall Art Read More »

Thankful Gift Bag with Drink Mat Gifts

Design Team Projects, Silhouette, SVG, Tutorials / carina

It is great to be able to make useful homemade gifts and to present them in lovely gift packaging. This Thanksgiving gift of practical cork drink mats in a cute presentation bag makes a perfect family or hostess gift.

The cork mats are decorated with heat transfer materials in warm metallic copper, set off against smooth white vinyl offset outlines. All the shapes come from a selection of designs from two sets of Dingbat fonts. The striped gift bag is a lovely way of gifting them, being cut from wood textured white cardstock with copper cardstock and metallic vinyl accents (I highly recommend cutting tiny details, such as wording and flourishes, in adhesive sign vinyl). The foiled decorative accents come from a further set of dingbats. It’s such fun to be able to mix and match the tags, sentiments, and leafy sprig designs – there are so many variations to choose from in the dingbat fonts .

All the cut files used are by Carina Garner and Mini Lou from the Silhouette Design Store:

CG Thankful Quotes #228924

ML Thankful Dingbats Font #222675

ML Autumn Dingbats #230280

Striped Gift Bag #62156

BLOG http://craftingquine.blogspot.co.uk

INSTA https://www.instagram.com/craftingquine/

FB PAGE https://www.facebook.com/CraftingQuine/

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Halloween Spider Scallop Decor

Design Team Projects, Sewing, Silhouette, Stuff I Love, SVG / carina

As soon as summer ends, I get right into fall decorating mode because Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year! First on my decorating to-do is our dining room tablescape and I’m so thrilled how well this DIY placemat project turned out!

Now I’ll just need to make a whole set! Making the fabric placemat was the hardest part but that’s because I am a sewing newbie. My favorite part of this project was adding glow-in-the-dark heat transfer vinyl for the dots and spiders! Anything glow-in-the-dark screams Halloween, right?

Blog – http://studioxtine.com/
Instagram – www.instagram.com/studio_xtine/
Pinterest – www.pinterest.com/queenstine/

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Carina Gardner’s Best Little Album for Silhouette and SnapClickSuppy.com

2 Comments / Digital Scrapbooking, Silhouette, SVG, Tutorials / carina

This week I’m leaving for long anticipated trip. It’s been a tough week with a lot of sickness and big news so the timing of this trip couldn’t be better. If you want to see what I am doing, I’ll be posting to all three of my feeds depending on where I am: @carinagardner @carinagardnerpapercrafts @miniloukids.

I always make myself a travel book for a trip like this ( think my Hong Kong trip for MiniLou) and this time wasn’t any different. This time, I wanted everything to be tabbed and easy to get to, so I used my Silhouette machine to cut out this book. I did however, get this SPIRAL BOUND instead of using the holes I made for my cutting files. Why? Because I like pre-made holes for regular album making. But for a trip, I think you need a sturdy spiral bound so you can really use the book. Printables are available on Silhouette OR you can also wait until I release them the first week in March for Digital Scrapbooking.

IMG_7102_1web

I call this the “Best Little Album” because I’ve gone out of my way to make it SO simple that it would work for your trip to Florida as well as a trip to Europe. You can pick and choose from the 12 printables that correlate with the 6 tab system (so you cut out 12 tabs in all). You can also pick from printable or cut-able covers I’ve provided as well as pockets and accessories. The point is that every piece should work seamlessly so you can mix and match to your hearts content. I know I did.

IMG_7106_1web

For the tabs, the printable is in a separate “tab” file so you can cut tabs out on mutli-colored paper. I’m sure I’ll do that in future travel books but for this one, I decided to go all kraft paper.

IMG_7065_1web

I also “laminated” the tabs with moving tape. Sturdiness is important! There’s nothing worse than having a tab break off midway through a trip or even later when your kids are handling them to look at it photos.

IMG_7066_1web

My travel albums are always dual purpose. They contain everything we are going to do, addresses, directions, places to eat, flight information, as well as a journal and a place for photos. That way I don’t have to come home from a trip and “scrapbook it.” It’s done. I staple in tickets to events, museums, and instax photos. I’ll come home and print a few and glue them into the remaining pages. Done and done.

IMG_7074_1web

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Maybe you can guess where I’m going from the activities I wrote here (wink, wink).

IMG_7097_1web

Search “BEST LITTLE ALBUM” under my Silhouette Artist name to find the entire collection of these! I promise you’ll use this one again and again!

XOXO, Carina

Carina Gardner’s Best Little Album for Silhouette and SnapClickSuppy.com Read More »

Offset Tool Tutorial in Illustrator

1 Comment / Classes, Illustrator, Tutorials / carina

I LOVE the Off Set Tool in Illustrator. It’s fast and easy to use. Best of all, it has so many applications for use. I like it when I am creating dielines for stickers or diecuts. I also adore it for anything that needs a bleed. It works like a charm for nested objects. Take a look and hopefully it will be useful to you as well!

Mini Episode 3: Offset Tool in Illustrator

Offset Tool Tutorial in Illustrator Read More »

Pen Pal Letters—Silhouette and Digital Scrapbooking Tutorial

6 Comments / Digital Scrapbooking, Silhouette, Tutorials / carina

I was recently introduced to these amazing letters that you place in Artist Trading Card Page Protectors. The idea was introduced by Janette Lane, and I have been so inspired by what she is doing. Creating these little works of art means quite a bit of scrapbooking paper, washi tape, ephemera, and other little bits and goodies. I have been wanting to make some of these letters for my girls (letters to them when they are older), and created a number of silhouette and digital scrapbooking files so that I can make them. Links for all the current products I have that relate to these kinds of letters are below (in both my silhouette and digital scrapbooking shop).

Be sure you check out Janette and what she is doing because it is truly inspiring!

The image above and to the left I did for my daughter Siri who is a harpist. You’ll notice the envelope at the bottom that I plan on putting her letter in. I’ll also write a few things I love about her on the “I love” card from the starter set. I’ll add a few stories about her growing up on the tabbed set.

I think I’ll hide it away for her 18th birthday. It will be a treat for both of us!

IMG_7117_web

The one below I made for Felicity for her 18th birthday. The envelope is in the left hand corner and I am loving this little fold over scalloped tab I am using in the center top to write a little story about her now. I’m hoping she loves the silly ipod in the bottom left hand corner and the tabbed pieces in the right hand corner (I might throw a few fun pictures in there for her).

IMG_7138_1web

My take on the Pen Pal Letters is simply another way to document bits of our lives for my kids. I love the way Janette is using them to build a fun community and create something beautiful!

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Happy pen pal-ing!

Carina

Please note: some products not released yet and links are not available.

DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING PRODUCTS:

CarinaGardner_penpal_bakingbeachprev copy CarinaGardner_penpal_birthdaygamesprev copy CarinaGardner_penpal_fullprev CarinaGardner_penpal_hellostarterprev copy CarinaGardner_penpal_musicdaysprev copy CarinaGardner_penpal_tabbedprev copy

__________________________________________________________________________________________

SILHOUETTE PRODUCTS:

(link to all the silhouette Pen Pal Letters here)

penpal2.5x3.5letters_verticalenvelopes penpal2.5x3.5letters_horizontalenvelopes penpal2.5x3.5letters_starterpack1 penpal2.5x3.5letters_bakingpack1

penpal2.5x3.5letters_beach1 penpal2.5x3.5letters_beach2 penpal2.5x3.5letters_beach3 penpal2.5x3.5letters_birthday1 penpal2.5x3.5letters_birthday2 penpal2.5x3.5letters_days1 penpal2.5x3.5letters_tabbed_h 01penpal2.5x3.5letters_hellopack2

Pen Pal Letters—Silhouette and Digital Scrapbooking Tutorial Read More »

Digital Scrapbooking, St. George, and Stuff

1 Comment / Digital Scrapbooking, Family / carina

I’m going to admit something right off the bat and that this is a procrastination post. I just looked at my list (a mile long) and really all I want to do is snuggle up in front of the TV and start a new show (like Call of the Midwife or Death Comes to Pemberley…anyone seen either of those?). There is a time and place for everything and tonight, well, tonight the work comes first.

Before you feel too sad for me, I just got back today from a short weekend getaway with my family in St. George. I loved seeing Charlie romp, climb, and dig in the slot canyon, the sand dunes, and the park. The girls swam and swam and swam (did I mention the water was cold?—oh to be young again).

While I was gone, I got some awesome photos from my amazing machine quilter Michelle Jensen (@mixiheart on instagram), and I’m so excited to share the pattern soon. It will be free along with an awesome collaboration with pattern jam (more on this to come).

Annndd, while I wish I could say I didn’t work at all while I was gone, I was happy to spend one night getting my digital scrapbooking done for this week. Two weeks ago I came out with a Spring Sunshine Paper Pack and this week I’ll have tags for them. I even managed to put together a couple of layouts. Making the layouts reminded me of all the things I needed while digi scrapping. I see a big collection in my future:).

(Layout above: Papers and Tags from Spring Sunshine, Ribbon from Bella Bella 2 Thick Ribbons)

(Layout above: Papers and Tags from Spring Sunshine, Tape from Bella Bella 2, and Stamp from Journaling Stamps).

Hope you are having a fun spring break (or at least spring) as well. Back to the list.

Carina

Digital Scrapbooking, St. George, and Stuff Read More »

Introduction to Diecut Design Class Now Available!

1 Comment / Carina Gardner Online Shop, Classes, Illustrator, Silhouette / carina

I’m so excited to let you know about the release of a new class! It’s been a few months since I had time to create a class and this one is close to my heart. The name of the class is Introduction to Diecut Design and I teach you how to create a tag, envelope, shallow square box, and pillowbox with a flower. I walk you through how to create basic svgs so that you can then use your creativity to expand upon the designs I make with you.

There are four lessons, pdf notes, and you also get the svg files to help you compare against the ones you create. If you have a diecutting machine, this is a great way to get creative with your own designs.

I suggest Illustrator Basics 1 as a prerequisite for this course since all the svgs we create are in Illustrator.

You can check out the syllabus and course description here: Introduction to Diecut Design

AND this class went on sale for the rest of the week for 20% off! It will go off sale with the rest of the classes on February 1, 2015 so be sure to stock up now!

Introduction to Diecut Design Class Now Available! Read More »

New Card Classes

Classes, Design Lessons, Illustrator / carina

I am so excited to offer two new classes in the shop! These are part of a new Design As You Go Class series, where I try to spend time with students actually making projects that they can use! The best part is that these classes are cheap ($25) and contain tons of new techniques and new approaches in Illustrator.

In Invitation Design, we make three cards: a birthday invite, baby shower invite, and spring party invitation. The best part about these invites is that they are customizable to your style and needs. I’ll be reworking the birthday party invite for Charlie’s upcoming birthday in August.

In Holiday Card Design, you can get a jump start on Christmas, Halloween, and Easter. Don’t pay for card designs! Instead make one that is uniquely yours! There is a bonus print lesson in this class, as I show you the website I use to upload my card designs.

Of course, there is a Release Sale on both of these classes! They are 20% off through Friday ($20). Take advantage while you can!

Happy Learning!

Carina

New Card Classes Read More »

Back Home Again

Carina Gardner Online Shop, Carta Bella Paper, Digital Diecuts, FABRIC & QUILTING, Riley Blake, Silhouette / carina

After a month and a half of travel, I’m finally back home in Salt Lake. I’m glad to be back home although there hasn’t been much time for a break. Lots of things have happened over the last month. Other than finishing press checks in China, going to a wedding in Tennessee, heading to St. George to enjoy the Tuacahn, and accompanying Siri at harp camp in Logan, some of my new paper and fabric lines have been released.

Over at Carta Bella, check out my newest collections Boy Oh Boy and Spooky as well as Alisha Gordon’s Moment’s & Memories. If you are going to the Summer show, be sure and check them out!

I’m also thrilled to announce my newest fabric line is on pre-sale to quilt shops! For a sneak peek at Primrose Garden, click on this link over at Riley Blake. Scroll down to the bottom to catch a glimpse of my first 18 inch doll panel! I’m so excited for this addition to this fabric line! More pretties on this line coming soon.

At my silhouette shop, I’ve been stocking with a lot of great basics that I have been interested in using for myself. Tons of swirls, overlays, gift bags, and cards to name a few.

And of course, I’ve been working on MiniLou. I’ve been planning out our tradeshows and trying to get everything “just so” for our upcoming fall release and the introduction of our spring release. It’s been a work-in-progress and I’m so proud of what we have accomplished so far. So many more exciting things to come!

As far as getting back on track, I’ve been working on some new home decor items for Deseret Book which should be out this fall/winter. I’ve also been working hard on our end of year releases for Carta Bella. Oh, and I’m hoping to have available two new design classes in the shop later this week.

Thankfully, this summer has not been all work-work, and I’ve been able to enjoy time alone with both of my girls on their respective trips as well as getting in a couple of vacas as a family. But summer is slipping by so very fast…I’m going to squeeze in as much fun as I possibly can!

Happy Summer!
Carina

(PS. Photo is from my Little Bitties Bookmarks for MiniLou).

Back Home Again Read More »

Upcoming

1 Comment / DESIGN, DIE CUT PROJECTS (SILHOUETTE & CRICUT), Digital Diecuts, Digital Scrapbooking / carina

The glamper tour has ended. The extra weekends off has given me time to finish up a few projects. Today I managed to push out one of my 2015 fabric lines and tape a new mini class. I can hear my inner voice pushing me right now. I suspect because of the upcoming trip to China to do press checks for my new company.

That’s right. You heard me. I’ve been letting out little hints about it on instagram and the facebook page with no official announcement. You’ll have to wait for June 1st for that.

Two of my girlfriends were very spontaneous and decided to tag along. We’ll be in Vancouver, Hong Kong, Dongguan City, and Beijing. All planned out in the little travel books (left) that I made for us. I’ve been filling mine out with packing lists, places I want to see, and more. Books were made from my Travel Stories collection.

For the best possible front seat on all the action, follow my instagram feed @carinagardner. I’ll be posting all my doings from the trip and @miniloukids will be posting all the giveaways and peeks at all our new creative kids products.

carinagardner_kidsout For now, I’m kicked into high gear to finish out the last few remaining items that need to be taken care of. You’ll notice my extra emphasis on instax photos in my silhouette store these last couple of weeks. That’s because I’m planning on using my instax alot on this upcoming trip, and I’m going to need all those accessories I have been making.

Other things that I should make note of:
1. My Boy Oh Boy Paper Collection for Carta Bella ships June 1st!
2. Little Ark is now available in stores.
3. Full reveal of my October fabric line Primrose Garden should be available this summer. It comes with (*gasp*) an 18 inch doll panel!!!!
4. The 30% Fabric Sale will be ending on May 31st. So will the mega discounted price on my newly released Digital Design class.

More soon,

Carina

PS The photo to the left is of my three children with Josh up in Bell’s Canyon. I couldn’t resist posting.

Upcoming Read More »

Some Big Changes

1 Comment / Classes, Illustrator / carina

It’s been a busy holiday season this year. I’ve been determined to get all my Christmas decor up with time to enjoy it, find time to share some special things with my kids (i.e. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), and make them some things as well (I’ll show soon). In the midst of this, somehow my website decided it was revolting against the holidays. So for the last two weeks, I have been working with my programmers to wrangle anything that has gone awry.

The good news is that it helped me make some very important decisions. First is that all of the classes will be going SELF-PACED as of January 1, 2014. Yes! That means you will be able to get Fabric Design, Digital Design, and Paper Design anytime you want. Neat, huh?

To help the self-paced classes, a new forum is available to all self-paced class members. That way you have access to each other and to me. If you already have purchased a class, you already have access to this forum. Feel free to go in and take a look.

Illustrator Basics 2 will be no exception. It went up for registration today, but the class will be available self-paced on January 1, 2014. Be sure you go and check out the syllabus and take advantage of the 20% off on it for the END OF YEAR SALE while you can.

The final cool thing happening to the classes over the next two weeks is a transition of all of our videos to a new system that will be easier for your viewing pleasure. The new streaming video from the site will allow you to watch easily on your mobile devices as well as from your computer. I am hopeful this will resolve any problems we have had in the past trying to troubleshoot the classes and allows students more freedom. This platform will allow you to sneak in a 5 minute video on your phone while you are waiting to pick up kids from school, sitting in an airport, or even if you want to watch the videos on your mobile device as you work on Illustrator on your computer. The possibilities!

Hope you like all the upgrades around here!

Carina

Some Big Changes Read More »

The Crafting Chicks Strike Again!

CRAFTS, Holiday Projects, Wallpaper / carina

I met the Crafting Chicks just this last month at Fabric Fest. Talk about a darling group of ladies! I loved the camaraderie they had with each other and the energy they have for new projects! I wouldn’t mind capturing a bit of that energy and bottling it for a deadline (wink, wink…).

If you’ve been on their site recently, you’ll notice a myriad of awesome projects. That includes a darling printable, some easy Halloween decor, and a shout out from Becky who did my Halloween Advent class. Click on the photo to the right (image from craftingchicks.com) to see Becky’s take on the project.

While you are over there, be sure and also check out Nikkala’s Halloween Ice Cream Cups. That background wallpaper sure does look familiar…

I have all sorts of plans of getting my own house spookarific (and I’m sure I will be using some of the Crafting Chicks cute ideas). Unfortunately, things have been a little hectic between the new Deseret Book deadlines, the Carta Bella Winter Show lineup, and all the renovating we are doing on the glamper. I do have an update for you on the glamper, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.

Tonight I need to finish out my spring release of dishware at DB. Which reminds me…I have a lot of lovely announcements about new products from me from DB coming up here in the next three weeks. If you get your catalog in the mail, be sure and check out the bracelets, canvas art, and new Christmas dishware. More on that soon…

Carina

The Crafting Chicks Strike Again! Read More »

Create and Make Class in the Carina Gardner Shop!

Carina Gardner Online Shop, Classes / carina

It’s up! My new Create & Make Class! This is a Self-Paced class that will be available on August 4, 2013. It is currently on pre-sale.

I’ve been thinking about doing a class like this some time now. It’s hands on, for everyone, and includes your kids. For me, when I can include my kids in my creative process, it feels so much more fulfilling. I loved the quality time I was able to spend with Siri just making these videos! Create and Make: Creating with Kids is exactly what it sounds like—an opportunity to sit down and do. We had a great time filming this class and made sure to make it user-friendly. That means step-by-step instructions, materials lists, and kid-friendly. Watch it with your kids and pause at each step as you work on projects with me!

There are Early Bird (before July 5th — $24.50) and Before the Bell (before August 4—$29.75) prices for this class. The normal price for this class is just $35. This is the first time we have offered Early Bird and Before the Bell pricing on a class because it is also the first time we have a coordinating kit available.

Kits include $120 worth of crafting supplies including scrapbooking kits, fabric, twine, lace and more! Kits are normally $84 but there is also Early Bird ($69.60) and Before the Bell ($74.40) pricing available too. There are a limited number of kits and

they will be mailed on a first-come, first-serve basis. We only ship these kits to the continential USA, but feel free to email us at customerservice@carinagardner.com, and we would love to get you a quote on an international shipping address.

You can also purchase each of the classes separately in the shop (check that out here). We also have extra sets of containers available for purchase outside of the kit. We have limited quantities on these as well. My favorite is the little set of containers we use for the Halloween Advent. We sell it in sets of 31 so you can use it for any month (think Christmas, Easter, or spring). They can be used for any “count-down” craft. We also wanted them to be available in case you wanted an extra set for a gift or for multiple projects.

Want to see more of what we are doing?

Watch the intro video:

Create and Make Class in the Carina Gardner Shop! Read More »

Fabric Design Begins Next Week!

1 Comment / Classes, Fabric, Illustrator, Interviews / carina

I’ve been working day and night to finish this new class. I even just updated the syllabus to give you even more details on what we are doing in this class. It is 20% off for this session (because of the Grand Opening sale), and I hope you take advantage so I can see you in class! I’m going to show you how I print fabric from home, create repeats for production, get sketches and painting vectorized, and a whole lot more. I just finished editing the videos with Creative Director Jina Barney, designer Amanda Herring, designer Shari Butler, and designer Deena Rutter. Believe me, it’s going to be fun!!!

I know in future sessions I plan on interviewing more designers. Those who take this first session will also get any interviews I do forever after since I plan on just adding them into the class as we do new sessions.

The best is that the Fabric Design class comes on the heels of Quilt Market. I’m heading out tomorrow and trying to wrap up my schoolhouse and make and takes. We are also taking all the audio and camera equipment to do a CGTV episode! Yes, I know it has been a long time, but whewww! It’s been busy!

Instagramming for QM begins NOW!

Cheers!

Carina

Fabric Design Begins Next Week! Read More »

Template Design Class Begins Next Monday!

Classes, Illustrator / carina

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. Thankfully, all the sewing patterns were sent to production last week, and I’m well on my way with finishing Carta Bella’s summer releases. By the way, did you see our beach line Beach Boardwalk and our new Giddy Up lines? Serious awesomeness, if I do say so myself.

The sewing patterns you will see in the shop around May 15th. We should have information for retailers and distributors on the site this coming week. Thank you to those that have already emailed and called in for these new patterns! If you are a retailer and need access to the wholesaler site, please email Susan at susan@carinagardner.com. I am so excited by the response and hyped to show them at Quilt Market! We will have five new patterns—3 doll patterns and 2 beginner sewer patterns. I plan on incorporating the beginner sewing patterns in the Mom and Me Crafting Co. Class that Siri (my nine-year old) and I are teaching this summer. It’s going to be so fun!

Speaking of classes, it’s the last week to register for Template Design! I’m thrilled to be teaching a class like this since it incorporates a number of different techniques that I have never taught online before. I’m especially excited to be showing you how I create interesting shapes like banners and brackets. It’s so useful whether you are just making invited for your kids or making a logo. (FYI, image to the right from my instagram feed this last weekend.)

Will pop in soon with some sneaky peekys!

Carina

Template Design Class Begins Next Monday! Read More »

My First Class!

Illustrator, Quilt Market / carina

My first class on my new site starts today—Illustrator Basics CS6 Course 1. It’s a foundation course for all the design courses I plan on teaching. I’m so excited to have everyone in class! We are going to have a good time and I hope everyone learns a lot of Illustrator!

I myself have been working in Illustrator pretty intensively the last month. I am finishing up our five sewing patterns in the hopes of getting them to print by Wednesday so we get them for Quilt Market. If you follow the instagram feed, you’ve had a sneak peek into what I have been up to. Full reveal to come in a couple of weeks.

I’m also trying to finalize our June line for Carta Bella as well as finish our August and Christmas lines. A lot going on around here.

I also just preordered Evening Blooms for our shop. I was thrilled to design Riley Blake’s black and white line. I’m more thrilled to sew with it.

For now I’m enjoying all the sewing projects I have with Remember.

See you in class!

Carina

My First Class! Read More »

Digital Die Cutting Files

Digital Scrapbooking / carina

Heads up! Digital diecutting files are now available in the shop! At 75 cents a pop (or even less if you buy a bundle), these little goodies are easy to use and great for cards, scrapbooking, home decor or more! I include seven types of files to download: svg, ai, dxf, pdf, png, jpg, and studio. Use the file that works best with your machine for an fabulous paper or fabric shape!

Right now we are frame heavy in the shop, but we plan on having several freebies coming to the shop soon along with A LOT more designs. We are working through my more than 500 products to pull the best shapes !

I think you’ll love how intricate these shapes are! I made mine smaller on my Silhouette machine while testing them and they turned out beautifully! I plan on using these with some of my scrapbooking layouts in future.

Hope you get a chance to play with them!

Carina

Digital Die Cutting Files Read More »

Last Day to Enter the Wallpaper Giveaway!

Giveaways, Wallpaper / carina

It’s the last day! Make sure you get entered for over $300 worth of wallpaper. Enter by creating an account at carinagardnershop.com. I love this wallpaper as an accent to a room or to makeover a closet! Choose from any of the new collections in the shop! Here’s what one lucky person will get:

+4 ROLLS OF PRE-PASTED PVC FREE WALLPAPER (Covers 8 ft W x 8 ft 3in L)
+2 SAMPLES
+ SHIPPING

Good luck! We’ll post the winner on facebook at 5pm MST!

Last Day to Enter the Wallpaper Giveaway! Read More »

Photoshoot Recap

Wallpaper / carina

Here’s a little recap on some of the things I have been working on the last three months. Mostly, I have been concentrating on the shop, but there has been a lot of other good stuff too.

(Photo to the left—My cute model is wearing an outfit I bought from Ruche—a new favorite).

(Photo below—My new Oval Dot Wallpaper…I love in both wallpaper and in fabric (coming April 2013).

* Winter CHA (which basically took up the first half of January).
* We released Beach Boardwalk at Carta Bella.
* I finished up strike offs for my new dishware line. I still can’t completely spill about this, but I’ll be on in a couple of weeks when they are released.
* For the first time EVER, my indoor shoots were done in the new office. Hence, it marked the first time I didn’t tear apart my house for a shoot. Instead I just tore apart my new office:).
* We bought inventory for the shop.
* I recorded and wrote classes. I planned for the rest of 2013s classes. (Schedule to come soon).
*I started work on the sewing patterns. We are in the middle of testing and hope to get these to print by 3rd week in April.
* I am currently scrambling to work out Summer CHA. There is simply not enough time between the two tradeshows:).
* I had to pull myself from behind the camera to be in front of it.

Of course, that was just my “work” stuff. We had some big accomplishments around the house too.

* Josh quit his job to help run CGInc.
* Charlie started to roll, sit, and now army crawls! He also started to sleep 7 hours at a time (This is probably the best on the list!)
* Siri turned 9. How? What? WHY? I can’t believe I have a 9 year old.
* Felicity lost her first tooth. Then a second. And is wiggling a third and a fourth. There’s not going to be anything left soon!
* I was in charge of the class projects for Siri and Felicity’s classes for Arts Night. We made a quilt with Felicity’s class and embroidered with Siri’s class.

Hoping you get a chance to register in the shop and get entered into our huge wallpaper giveaway!

That’s the way to start a year!

Carina

Photoshoot Recap Read More »

Grand Opening and Wallpaper Giveaway!

2 Comments / Giveaways, Wallpaper / carina

It’s finally here! After several delays, I am finally opening my online shop! It’s been a lot of late nights, stocking inventory, and video taping classes, but I’m so excited to offer some of my products all in one place.

I’m probably most excited for the release of my new Wallpaper Collections! I created a lookbook to make it easy to glance through our offerings of wallpaper. We plan on having a quarterly release of new wallpapers so be sure to check back often to see this home decor candy!

I would love to know what your favorites are and what types of wallpapers you are interested in seeing in the future. No promises…but I am curious!

We also have an awesome color customization service available with our wallpapers. So if you don’t see the right color or if you want a color match, we can do a color match to Pantons for $15 per color. Read a little more about it in our FAQ.

Of course, since it is a Grand Opening, we had to make it grand, right? So here is the grand sale going on in the shop for the first month!

* 75% off Illustrator Basics CS6 Course 1
* 20% off my 2012 Fabrics
* 20% off my Sewing Patterns
* 20% off my NEW Digital DieCutting Files **Please note the diecuts will not be available for a few more days so we can fine tune the download process.
*20% off Template Design and Fabric Design Classes
and
* 20% off my NEW Wallpaper Collections!

The sale goes on until April 30th, 2013! And to top it off, we are doing some AMAZING giveaways over the next month as well.

We are kicking it off by giving away 4 ROLLS OF PRE-PASTED PVC FREE WALLPAPER + 2 SAMPLES + SHIPPING. This giveaway is worth $331.00! This wallpaper will cover an 8′ x 8’3″ wall.

In order to be entered into this giveaway, you need to create an account/register in our new shop. That’s it! We’ll draw a name from everyone who has registered and the winner will be announced on facebook on April 2, 2013!

Throughout the month, we have some fabulous giveaways on Instagram, Facebook, the Blog, and on the Shop site. Some from us and some from our favorite folks! You’ll have to check back to see what we are doing because it’s going to be a good month.

Make sure you enter the wallpaper giveaway!

Cheerio!

Carina

Grand Opening and Wallpaper Giveaway! Read More »

Shop Opening Postponed to March 25th!

Carina Gardner Online Shop / carina

Shop opening has been postponed to Monday, March 25th due to technical difficulties!

Shop Opening Postponed to March 25th! Read More »

Carina Gardner Shop Opening—March 22, 2013!

1 Comment / Carina Gardner Online Shop, Illustrator, Sewing Patterns, Wallpaper / carina

I’m in the final stages of finishing our new online shop! We are so excited to be able to offer a number of my products all in one location! That includes my fabrics, sewing patterns, classes, and two new things: digital die cutting files and wallpaper! Yippee!

There is going to be an awesome sale during the first month of this shop along with some really great prizes, freebies, and giveaways. Stay tuned! Be sure and check back here on FRIDAY!

Carina

Carina Gardner Shop Opening—March 22, 2013! Read More »

Photoshoot Sneak Peek

6 Comments / Classes, Wallpaper / carina

It has been a crazy week. I’m still busy getting ready for the online shop opening. Thankfully, we finished all of the photoshoots for the new products (for now). The photo above is one of my favorite wallpapers coming out. You might recognize it from my Carta Bella Beautiful Moments line and my Remember Fabric line coming out this spring for Riley Blake. Felicity decided to try out the lipstick for our model and show her how to pose (photo above).

She also happily posed for her own shoot (left). Believe me, she is not always this willing.

Right now we are on track for opening shop in two weeks. Once it is confirmed, I will make sure and post a tentative course calendar so that you can plan to attend!

Speaking of classes, Art of Digital Design 2 ended today. It’s a little bittersweet. It’s my last class at JessicaSprague.com, but the start of something so exciting on my own site. I had such a great time with the students in this class. They worked so hard, and it really showed through in their forum critiques yesterday.

Other than the shop, I’ve started work on new patterns for Spring Quilt Market. Last year, I had so many plans for the sewing patterns that I never got to. Between the opening of Carta Bella Paper and having Mr. Charlie, I didn’t have time for much else. This year, I plan on releasing a whole lotta product mostly because I love it so much (dropping the x-acto knife and dusting off the sewing machine NOW). Seriously, I miss sewing, and I’m hopeful I’ll get to do a lot more of that in 2013.

(photo above: Can I admit that I hate being the subject of a photoshoot rather than the person putting it together? Silly moments happen.)

Other than the stuff happening in the office, Josh’s dad came home from a major heart surgery last week. He’s had an LVAD placed in his heart and will need 24/7 care for next 6-8 weeks. Much of the family has received training on how to help take care of him. It means a lot of overnights for Josh and other family members. It also means a lot of playing the single parent for the spouses. It’s been hard, but I’ll admit there have been some perks. There has been a lot of cousin time and even a couple of nights of straight-through sleep for me (when Josh has taken Charlie with him for an overnight to take care of his dad). Tangent: It’s been so long since my two girls were babies that I can’t remember when they started sleeping through the night. Charlie will be 6 months old next week, and I keep thinking he’s going to skip a nightime feeding…but so far no luck. Any advice on this?

(photo above: This is between photo shoots—A little snuggle with my babies before I get ready for the next set up!)

Happy Friday!

Carina

Photoshoot Sneak Peek Read More »

Shop Opening Postponed

1 Comment / Illustrator / carina

Through the many inquiries and emails I have received about classes and products on the new Carina Gardner shop site, I’ve let people know that we were due to open this coming weekend. Sadly, we are pushing that back. We have run into some technical difficulties with the site and we want to make sure it is just right before we open.

I already have three classes set up for this new venture and these will all be pushed back as well. The moment we have a firm opening date, I will let you know the dates on these new classes:

+ Illustrator Basics CS61
+ Template Design
+ Fabric Design

I can’t tell you how excited I am about these new classes! I’ve been working hard to make sure you will get a customized syllabus (depending on what session you take), pdf notes, and more! We have a full schedule of classes due for 2013 and I’m rearing to go!

Other than classes, we will be debuting a number of other fantastic things…more sneaks to come!

In the meantime, I’m going to snuggle my honey and my three little bumpkins for Valentine’s! Hope you do the same!

XOXO, Carina

Shop Opening Postponed Read More »

Retirement Sale at JessicaSprague.com—50% off Illustrator Classes

1 Comment / Classes, COURSES, Illustrator / carina

That’s right! I’m having a Big Ol’ Sale! Several of my classes are on sale for 50% off until Dec 31st, 2013. These classes are being retired to make way for a brand new curriculum I’ve developed for 2013. It’s going to include design and Illustrator driven courses. Just like any designer/instructor, I learn things all the time that make my life easier and I want to share them in these new courses. I’ll have more on this to come! For now, check out these self-paced classes that are 50% off:
Illustrator 101
Illustrator 102
Illustrator 201
Tips for Rockin’ Illustrator
ABC Inspiration

See all 50% off classes>

These classes will be only be available for purchase until Dec 31st, 2012.

I’m also teaching my last session of Art of Digital Design 2. It starts January 21st, 2013. These will not be an individual critique portion of the class taught…instead we will be participating in forum critiques along the way. Syllabi will be available for download on January 1st in preparation for the class. It’s 20% off since I will not be doing the individual critiques.

Retirement Sale at JessicaSprague.com—50% off Illustrator Classes Read More »

Carina Gardner TV Channel—Episode 2 Paris Girl

4 Comments / Carta Bella Paper, CRAFTS, DESIGN, DIE CUT PROJECTS (SILHOUETTE & CRICUT), Scrapbooking / carina

I just finished editing Episode 2 for the new CG TV Channel. Today’s episode features guest Lindsay Moore, who is the Director of Sales at Carta Bella Paper. I hope you’ll check out because we show off the Paris Girl Collection for Carta Bella Paper Company and making this darling card (see left).

Watching this video, you’ll see why I love working with Lindsay. He keeps me on my toes and has me laughing through the entire thing (and BTW, So You Think You Can Dance IS better than America Idol…just saying, Lindsay).

We also continue our Hot-Off-The-Press Giveaway. Check it out and see what you have to do to be entered!

As promised, here are the dimensions of the card for your scrapbooking pleasure!

* Main Envelope—5 inch x 12 inch (fold)
* Contrasting Paper—4 inch x 5 inch
* Insert—4 inch x 5 1/2 inch
* Ribbon—3 inches of a satin or grosgrain

Enjoy! —Carina

Carina Gardner TV Channel—Episode 2 Paris Girl Read More »

Carina Gardner TV Channel—Free Download and Giveaway

7 Comments / Carta Bella Paper, CRAFTS, DESIGN, DIE CUT PROJECTS (SILHOUETTE & CRICUT), Free Digital Downloads-Freebies-Free Digital Printables, Giveaways, Scrapbooking / carina

I’m excited to introduce to you a series of videos straight from my studio! Introducing CG TV! I originally got the idea for doing the videos because I wanted to show tutorials on my sewing patterns. The idea eventually was expanded to include all the things I do here in the studio—paper, fabric, digital, hybrid, classes, sewing patterns, as well as projects, interviews, giveaways, and introduction into new designs.

So here it is—Episode 1! I’m excited that my first video introduces the Beautiful Moments™ Collection for Carta Bella Paper. You get a sneak peek into my studio where I film the videos and get to see me grow around the middle every month to boot!

As a kick off to the new videos, there is an awesome new giveaway in this video—so be sure to check it out! The winner will be announced on the Carta Bella Facebook Page on Monday, June 4, 2012.

As promised, here is the free download of the album bracket and flowers I show in the video. I’ve included the following in this zip:

ALBUM BRACKET AI FILE
ALBUM BRACKET DXF FILE (FOR SILHOUETTE CAMEO)
ALBUM BRACKET JPG FILE
BASIC FLOWER PATTERN AI FILE
BASIC FLOWER PATTERN DXF FILE (FOR SILHOUETTE CAMEO)
BASIC FLOWER PATTERN JPG FILE

Sadly, this project download DOES NOT include instructions for making the album shown here. It simply includes all the fun templates for you to create an album like this one.

Enjoy!

Carina

Carina Gardner TV Channel—Free Download and Giveaway Read More »

Tips for Rockin’ Illustrator—New Class Series

2 Comments / Classes, COURSES, DESIGN, Illustrator / carina

Today registration for my newest Illustrator class series opened up—Tips for Rockin’ Illustrator! I’m so excited for this course format because it is more technique-base, and I get to share many of the best and most useful ways for using Illustrator. Most of the techniques shown are new to the Illustrator series (as in NOT shown in Illustrator 101(beginning), 102(drawing), or 201(patterns)).

The brilliance of this series is that even people who have never touched Illustrator before will be able to do the lessons BUT advanced users of the program will STILL find the techniques helpful (and hopefully help create a faster workflow!)

The subscription price for all 20 episodes is $50 and the individual episodes will be just $2.99! It’s a steal-of-a-deal! And if you have any interest in Illustrator, you are going to want the entire series!

Check out the episode list:

1. Building dot and scallop brushes
2. Designing patterns using the Distort and Transform
3. Illustrating a bird silhouette using shapes
4. Designing a film strip photo frame
5. Using shapes and type to build a simple card
6. Creating a chore chart
7. Moving work between Illustrator and Photoshop
8. Manipulating type
9. Creating a calendar mask/template
10. Creating symbols
11. Using the scissors tool
12. Creating brushes from lines
13. Designing banner templates
14. Creating a perfectly spaced photo montage
15. Designing simple flowers from the pattern brush
16. Warping and twirling
17. Grouping vs. uniting objects
18. Illustrating a simple ladybug
19. Using clipping masks in Illustrator
20. Using the glyph tool

Each episode video is between 6 to 12 minutes long with detailed pdf notes. The hope is that you will be able to master the technique or project in less than an hour.

Also at JessicaSprague.com, my Designer’s One-on-One Workshop began today. This is basically a a mentoring program to help those who are venturing into the digital, paper, fabric, and marketing world clean up their portfolio and get some insights into what an art director wants to see in their work. It’s basically set up as two sessions—the first is a verbal critique and the second is a phone call.

I love personal interaction with my students and it’s one of the things I miss from university life…seeing people’s work and getting excited about all the bubbling creativity! It was nice to get a splash of that at Designer Workshop this year!

I hope you are having a fabulous Monday (despite it being Monday)!

XOXO-Carina

Tips for Rockin’ Illustrator—New Class Series Read More »

Well Traveled Mini Travel Album

DIE CUT PROJECTS (SILHOUETTE & CRICUT), Digital Scrapbooking, Tutorials / carina

More fun to inspire you today! Check out Creative Team member Laurel Flechtner’s tutorial for creating a Mini Travel Album!

Enjoy! Carina

Mini Travel Album

NAME Laurel Flechtner

FROM Norfolk, Virginia, USA

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE THIS PROJECT OR WHO DID YOU MAKE IT FOR? We took a trip to NJ & NYC to see family and I always make mini-albums of each of our trips.

MATERIALS

Carina Gardner Well Traveled Paper Set 1

Carina Gardner Well Traveled Paper Set 2

Carina Gardner Well Traveled Paper Set 3

Carina Gardner Well Traveled Paper Set 4

7 Gypsies black binder ring

Cricut & Sure Cuts A Lot 2 for cutting album pages

Adobe Photoshop CS5

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut and adhere a front and back paper for each page of the album.

2. Select, print and adhere photos

3. Add embellishments and journaling

Well Traveled Mini Travel Album Read More »

Well Traveled Scrap-o-Dex

DIE CUT PROJECTS (SILHOUETTE & CRICUT), Digital Scrapbooking / carina

My amazing creative team has been working on hard on creating some lovely Hybrid Projects to inspire you using the Well-Traveled Line now at JessicaSprague.com. The line will continue to be released during the month of February, so keep your eyes open! In the meantime, check out this eye candy!

XOXO-Carina

Well Traveled Scrap-o-Dex

Name Joyce McCall

Hometown Oklahoma City

Inspiration for the project... I am inspired by inspiration! I like having altered art and dimensional memory keepers around me so I’ll see them even when I’m not pulling out an album to look through.

Digital Supplies:

*Carina Gardner Well Traveled papers and elements

Other Supplies:

*Claudine Hellmuth sticky back canvas

*Matte presentation paper

*Adhesive and embellishments

*Tiny alphabet stickers (Making Memories)

*Tim Holtz ornate plate with brads

INSTRUCTIONS

1.Print desired patterned papers onto sticky-back canvas. Use software to size your pieces to 4X6

vertically/portrait orientation. You’ll need 4 total. Adhere to the base unit of the scrap-o-dex.

2. For the cover card print patterned paper at 4X6 horizontal/landscape orientation. Add stamped

title and attach ornate plate to frame it. I also added a travel path to the map with a marker, and I

added glossy accents over the compass on the patterned paper. Cover the back of the card also!

3. Select patterned papers for the chipboard cards. Embellish with digi elements before printing, or

with physical elements after printed, or do a little of both! 4X6 horizontally was the right size for

mine. On the tabbed cards, add a small strip of patterned paper to the tab before adhering the main

piece. Use a craft knife to trim out the bottom notch. Sand outer edges if you have paper that

overhangs. Use alphabet stickers to add titles to the tabbed cards. (tip:cover fronts, sand edges,

carve out notches, THEN work on the back sides.)

4. Assemble your finished chipboard cards back into the scrap-o-dex!

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