DIE CUT PROJECTS (SILHOUETTE & CRICUT)

Filled Basket Silhouette Tutorial

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I probably redesigned this basket a half a dozen times but I think it was worth it! The end result just makes me smile!

These little baskets are 3D and take a bit of time (and creativity) to put together. Stick a little gift card in it for a friend or use it for home decor! These baskets DO NOT fold flat (they have a full bottom on them).

I hope you get a chance to make one of these darling little baskets! You can fill them as “full” as you want with the addition of little “bits” that can be glued in the front or back. You also have the option of making this front and back (by gluing the accessories —like flowers or strawberries) to the front and back of each piece).

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Here’s how to put these together:

1. Cut out the svg files.

2. Glue the accent pieces to the main box. This includes the side squares and the “lid” accent pieces.IMG_6380_web

2. Next glue down all the embellishments (like the strawberries or flowers) to the inside pieces (shown below in kraft paper). You can pop dot them but because mine was full, I chose to simply glue them down. Add any embellishments (like diamonds to the centers of the flowers) at this point. Note: You can finger press anything at this point to add dimension. You’ll see that with the flowers, I chose to only glue the centers and finger press the petals to give the flowers more depth.

3. Next, you’ll need to glue in the tabs. You can see I got a little picture crazy with this because it’s a little hard to explain. I like gluing in the center piece (with the handle) first. I fold one tab forward and one tab backwards. You can see in the photo below, I glue that handle piece to the center of one of the sides of my box.

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I then glue the front piece on (as shown below). I glue the flap going forward like the handle piece.

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I then glue the back piece on. You’ll notice that I try to evenly space them.

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Fold up the box and see how you are doing on your spacing. This will also help you gauge where to glue the opposite side flaps on.

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4. Glue the inside pieces to the opposite side of the box. I like to just glue one of the flaps first. I started with the first inside piece (you can see in the photo below). I placed hot glue on it (you can use any kind of adhesive you want) and then positioned it to the opposite side of the box.IMG_6392_web

It should look like the photo below.

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I finish gluing the other two flaps onto the opposite side of the box.

5. Once I have all the middle pieces positioned, I then glue the rest of the box together.

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From the top, it will look like this (see photo below).

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6. There may be several accent pieces in the file you have. For example, there are “strawberries on a stick” in the strawberry basket file as well as some greenery. I placed the strawberries randomly in the box and glued them to the front of the box and behind the inside pieces. I glued the greenery to the front of the box. For the flowers, I simply added some flowers to parts of the box to give it a more “full” look.

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The point is to add some depth to the boxes contents.

Hope you have fun making one!

Carina

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Layered Cake Tutorial for Silhouette

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There are lots of weddings happening around me, and I was inspired to make some cake! Some Silhouette Cake of course!

These layered cakes are all put together about the same way (with some slight deviations based on design). You can mix and match the designs (like using the butterflies with the scallop shapes of the flowers) because all of the cakes are made exactly the same size.

The crazy thing is that these are even cuter in real life! I think we might have to leave these out in the office for a while to enjoy them!

Check the bottom of the post for links to specific designs you can find in my Silhouette Shop!

Here’s how you put these sweet treats together:

DS-15.6W-CG-butterflylayeredweddingcake1. Cut out all the svg files.

2. Layer with adhesive (or pop dots as shown in my picture) the bottom mats with the small one on top of the larger one.

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3. Put together the main form of the “cake” by gluing the boxes together. Put adhesive on the glue flaps to form the sides of the box.

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4. Place the matching “top” to the box and glue down the sides.

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You should have three (or more) boxes finished.

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5. Glue the boxes to the mats in order of largest to smallest.

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6. Finally, embellish the cake the the decorative items that come with the cake. I like a diagonal design but you can place them any way you want! For the topper, I try to use the biggest item (like the cut out butterfly) or gather together several of the same items (like 4 flowers all together). I used embellishments (like little diamonds or pearls to help accessorize).

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And that’s it! You’ve made a darling layered cake! Hope you had fun making it!

Carina

(Links available as the product becomes available)

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Mobile Tutorial for Silhouette

teddybearmobileThis week among my Silhouette releases are mobiles. They do take some time to put together but they are really cute and make the cutest party and home decor items!

I use a lot of solid papers for this project and was loving my hot glue gun because it made putting it altogether quick. The “umbrella” piece at the top can be used for more than just the mobile (size down for umbrella drinks or other party items).

Here’s how to put this together:

1. Cut out the pieces as shown in the file.

2. Glue all the accent pieces to the top of the “umbrella”. (Note you can do this between Steps 4 and 5 as I show in the photos as well.)

3. Fold on the scorelines of the “umbrella” and place a ribbon with a knot on the end of it in the center hole. If you want to place hanging icons from the center ribbon, leave a long tail.

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4. Glue the flap of the “umbrella” together with the ribbon in the center.

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5. Put together the “object” you will be placing on the mobile. For example, if you have the teddy bears, assemble each teddy bear individually. If you have the floral mobile, you can finger press the petals and make each flower individually. For my mobiles, I had 4 ribbons—the center ribbon, and three shorter ribbons. On each of the short ribbons, I hung two objects each. For the center, I hung 3 objects. So that is a total of  9 objects, right? But you have to DOUBLE that number, because you will want to make each object DOUBLE-SIDED since they will be floating. So I cut out 18 objects in total for each of my mobiles. Feel free to change up the number and size of your objects. (e.g. the scallop frame mobile only uses 3 frames so I only cut out 6 pieces in total).

If you left a long tail for the center ribbon, you can add you objects directly to that center ribbon. If you did not, you can always easily knot another piece of ribbon to the center knot. Place two or three objects on this center ribbon and space carefully. Glue one side of the object onto the ribbon first, then sandwich the ribbon by adding a second object.

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6. Add the other ribbons with either tape or hot glue. Be sure to space them into thirds if you are using three more ribbons. Add objects to these ribbons as well.

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And that’s it! It’s a lot of cutting and gluing but makes for an awesome project! Hope you have fun making these!

 

***NEW: Tutorial for putting together the airplane in the Airplane Mobile

I added this little tutorial because putting together the airplane (while not complicated) is a little hard to see in the photos. So here is how you put these together.

1. After cutting out all the pieces, you will want to add all the accent pieces as MIRROR IMAGES. Then fold the tail wings out. You can see that the tails on both cut out pieces are folded out to opposite sides. You need to put everything on as a mirror image so that you have accent pieces on BOTH sides of the airplane.

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2. To place the planes on the ribbon, you will sandwich the ribbon between the two planes. Glue together the sides without the accent pieces.

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3. You can add the wings at this point (with the ribbon sandwiched between the two planes) or you can do this before you add the plane to the ribbon.

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Here’s a final look at the airplane from the top view.

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Hopefully this helps you put together the airplane mobile!

Carina

PS. Other goings on at CGInc and ML : MiniLou Kickstarter Video, MiniLou Online Shop Opening, Release of my CartaBella line Circus Party

Links to my mobiles in the Silhouette Store

teddybearmobile sunstarmoonmobile scallopframemobile floralmobileairplanemobile_1

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MiniLou Kickstarter Campaign

The video below has been my life the last week! Seriously. Armed with my amateur video software and a style vision, I video taped, animated, and coaxed children into speaking into my hilariously big microphone. Totally worth it! Check out this 1 minute of cuteness!

Somehow it seems fitting that this campaign goes live on Mother’s Day since MiniLou was inspired by my children. Feel free to read my story on the Kickstarter page here.

So what is this all about? Ever since starting MiniLou seven months ago, I knew that we were going to need additional funding to bring in more products. So far, MiniLou is 100% funded by me. Kickstarter is a platform where you can become a member of my campaign and receive certain benefits for being a part of the MiniLou community.

The money funded by the project will go towards making three new pocket paper pals (Hansel and Gretel by Carla Chaves, Zombie Apocalypse by Emily Taylor, and Family Farm by Katie Jarman) and one new coloring book (Preston the Pirate by Deena Rutter).

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In return, we have some amazing rewards for our backers. In addition to rewards where we send you MiniLou products, most of the levels have an awesome printable (or multiple printables) so that those out of our mailing range will get something as well. The downloads will be exclusive for Kickstarter members only. Check out the rewards on the sidebar here:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1022554917/miniloucreative-play-for-kids.

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Want to help me spread the word about our Kickstarter Campaign (or just show the video to your friends and kids)? Here is the link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1022554917/miniloucreative-play-for-kids.

I really can’t thank you enough for your help on this! Starting a new business (and maintaining your current one) is draining, time-consuming, and stressful. But it has been soooo worth it. Bringing a little more beauty, a sweet new memory, or a new avenue for imagination makes what I do rewarding. I am grateful for your support for CGInc and MiniLou!!!!!

Thank you again for being a part of my two little companies!
Carina

The MiniLou Kickstarter Campaign
On instagram: @miniloukids
On facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miniloukids

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Vellum Top Boxes for Silhouette

vellumtopcircleopeningboxThis week I made a bunch of these darling little vellum topped boxes. They make the cutest favor boxes and gift items. You can purchase them from the Silhouette Shop here.

All the boxes that work with this tutorial (and links!) are down at the bottom of this post.

Here’s how to put together these boxes:

 

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1. Cut out on Silhouette files. The main body of the box is shown in kraft paper. I used plain velum to go underneath the circle cut out on top, and a patterned blue paper for the accent panels.

2. Fold scored lines on the box. This creates a visual image of where your accent panels should be placed.

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3. Glue vellum or transparent paper to the INSIDE of your folds into the opening on the top to create a “peek-a-boo” window.

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4. Glue accent papers into place using adhesive. I used a glue gun to put it together quickly. A glue stick or glue dots would also work great.

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5. Finally, put glue on the flaps and attach the sides of the box to finish the box.

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And that’s it! It’s the best little party, wedding, or birthday favor box or treat box!

Happy crafting!
Carina

vellumtopbirdbox vellumtopbutterflybox vellumtopcircleopeningbox vellumtopdewbox vellumtopdinosaurbox vellumtopfloralopeningbox vellumtopscallopbox vellumtopsinglebracketbox vellumtoptulipbox vellumtopvinebox

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Folding Flap Sliding Box Tutorial for Silhouette

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I know so many of my posts these days are Silhouette tutorials. I hope that they are so helpful for those of you that are “making” with your machines.

This cute little box is created with an “envelope” folding flap. Here’s how to put it together.

1. Cut out the silhouette files.  The main body of the box I cut out in white and the flap in kraft paper. The accent papers are in pink.

2.This box is double enforced—that is, I created it so that the sides of the box are stronger by doubling up the paper. So you have to fold all the score lines on the box and then glue down the extra flaps. Do this to all four flaps.

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3. Then put glue on the glue flaps and attach the sides of the box together to finish the box.

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4. To create the flap, glue down the accent pieces to the main flap. Be sure to match up the small, half circle notches on the accent paper and the flap.

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5. Fold the flap around the box and attach using the notch. You can use a clear sticker or use the notch to hold the flap together.

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And that’s it! There so many uses for this cute box from favor boxes, small gifts, or even as a card.

Happy creating!

Carina

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Star Decor Instructions for Silhouette

IMG_5921_webI’ve had a lot of questions about my Metal Star Accents and in particular if I was going to make a base for this. So here they are! I have a 5 pointed star and a 6 pointed star made completely from paper! You can use the accents on them but will need to resize them to fit your star (The metal star accents were created to be used with a METAL CRAFT STAR that you can purchase from your local craft or scrapbooking store. They will need to be resized to fit on these paper stars.) If you are looking for links to all of these products, I have put them at the end of this post. You can also check out my Silhouette shop for more products like this.

Putting together these paper stars is pretty easy. You can, of course, sized down your star. The photo to the left shows you how large the star is if you cut it at it’s original size in the file. It requires a Cameo (12 x 12 papers) but if you size it down you could make a smaller star on your Portrait.

Here’s how to put it together:

1. Cut out five pieces of the same sized triangle shape on your machine for the 5 pointed star and six pieces of the 6 pointed star.

2. Fold at all the score lines. (Use the photo here as as guide).

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3. Glue the flap of the star and connect it to another point of the star.

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4. Continue adding points to the star until you come to the first point.

Note: If you plan on adding the metal star accents, I would do this at the 2nd step while the star is flat. You can use modge podge for a glossy look or simply use a hot glue gun, pop dots, or a glue stick to put on the metal star accents.

Hope you have fun making these!
Carina

5metalstardecorbottom_NEW 6metalstardecorbottom butterflymetalstardecor flowermetalstardecor happybirthdaymetalstardecor polkadotmetalstardecor rosemetalstardecor starmetalstardecor stripemetalstardecor  swirlmetalstardecor

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Travel Stories Album for Silhouette

Watch the Travel Stories Album video for an introduction into my Carta Bella Paper line and how to put together the album using SVG files from my Silhouette Shop! The final size of this album is about 5.5 inches x 11 inches (with a few things pocking out like tabs and pages).

I am so excited about this album especially because I love some of the little add ons. In particular, I adore the filmstrips that go in this collection and plan on using them not just for the album but for lots of other projects.

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IMG_5764_1_webI hope you get a chance to play about with this paper line and/or the silhouette files! I also hope you have a GREAT excuse to make an album (aka, an amazing summer adventure perhaps?).

Happy Crafting!

Carina

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TravelStoriesDeepPocketAlbum   TravelStoriesHalfPocketwithLayeredBracketNotes TravelStoriesHotAirBalloonLayoutAlbum TravelStoriesPhotoFilmStrips TravelStoriesSidePocketAlbum TravelStoriesTabbedAlbum

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3D Intricate Cutout Boxes for Silhouette

3dlatticebirdboxThese little intricately cut out boxes are one of my favorite projects right now! I can imagine them hanging in some overhead branches for a party or as little electric candle holders on a table. Any way you decide to use these, you will love the effect!

Here is the quick tutorial (and tips) for putting these intricate cutout boxes together.

1. Cut out the silhouette file.  The main body of the box is about 2 inches deep, wide and tall. It fits on an 8.5 inch x 11 inch paper.

2. Fold all the score lines and glue all the flaps to create the main body of the box.

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3. Fold up all the “circle” pieces at the top of the box. For dimension, you can finger press the triangle piece at the top to give it some curvature. You can also create a straight box by folding all the triangle pieces flat and putting a ribbon through all the pieces at once. However, if you want the box to have dimension, “sew” the ribbon through each of the holes individually. Hint, fold UP the circles at the top. There will be slight gaps between the triangles once the ribbon is tied on.

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Other notes: This box can be scaled larger or smaller. Cut at a slower speed on your machine for to catch all the fine details. A sticker mat will also help the cutting process on these!

Hope you have fun making these!
Carina
(for all my silhouette designs, visit my silhouette store at http://www.silhouettedesignstore.com/?page=view-artist&artist_id=252689).

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Wiltshire Daisy Around the World Quilt Pattern—Free Pattern Download

IMG_5413_1_web_blogThe Wiltshire Daisy™ Around the World Quilt has been my Sunday sewing for quite a few weeks now. This is one of those quilts that it didn’t seem to matter how I photographed it, it still looked better in person than through the lens of my camera.

And I am SUPER excited to share with you a really great contest that I’m teaming up with Emily Taylor and Riley Blake for you to do!

First of all, everyone WINS because each of us has a free quilt tutorial for you to download. Mine is the Wiltshire Daisy Around the World Quilt and Block (scroll down to the bottom of the post). Riley Blake’s Tulip Chain Quilt and Emily’s Florabella Fancy Quilt are so adorable! To make it easy for you guys, for a short period of time, you can just go to the PatternJam site (click here) and download all three patterns at once.

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Second, we are throwing an amazing contest so that you can win the FABRIC TO MAKE YOUR QUILT AND $100 VISA GIFT CARD. I know, right?

Here’s what you get to do:

Go to PatternJam.com and customize the Floribella Fancy Quilt, Around the World Quilt, and/or Tulip Chain Quilt using the Emily’s Florabella, my Wiltshire Daisy, and/or Riley Blake’s Solids. It’s seriously so fun to do!  There you will see instructions for making the quilt using the Pattern Jam software  and you can pin it to the contest Pinterest board. The most pins wins the contest so make sure and spread the word and get people to pin your quilt!

Here are a few steps to help you if you want to enter:

1. Be a part of the Pinterest Board—http://love.patternjam.com/design-contest/
2. Go to PatternJam.com and register: https://patternjam.com/ by clicking on GET STARTED NOW.
3. Click on DESIGNER PATTERNS> Choose Either Around the World, Tulip Chain, or Fancy Florabella.
4. Once you have chosen a quilt, then choose FABRICS and choose either the Riley Blake Solids, Wiltshire Daisy, or Florabella fabric (or a mix of them).
5. Once you have designed a quilt, save it to your library. Click on MY ACCOUNT and you can see your library and PIN it from there.
6. Join the contest board here.

If you just want to download my Wiltshire Daisy Around the World Quilt, you can do that below:

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The Pinterest Contest goes until April 24th! So go and make some fabulous quilts!
Carina

Silhouette Design Store JOANN Stores

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Wiltshire Daisy Fabric Collection

wiltshiretitlepage_webIt has only taken me a month to finally post about my newest collection Wiltshire Daisy for Riley Blake. I’ve already seen so many amazing projects and even have a couple of my own to share soon. If you haven’t seen the collection, I’m posting my digi magazine of it here for you to enjoy. It may take a minute to load on your computer so if you see a blank space below, give it a second:).

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I debut my second 18″ doll panel in this collection. It includes a blouse, capris, headband, and handbag. There are photo instructions on the Riley Blake blog here if you want to see them (the capris are done a little differently then my instructions, but are still so very cute!). AND I have illustrated instructions now available here.

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Hope this makes you sew happy!
Carina

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Pocket Albums, Window Album, and Flower Ornament Instructions for Silhouette

squarephotopocketalbumYou’re getting a little bit of everything from my releases this week so scroll on down to the tutorial that applies to you! It’s been a busy spring break, and I’ve been wanting to make some albums since coming back from Park City and St. George. I hope you have fun with these!

4 INCH SQUARE PHOTO POCKET ALBUM
LINK TO THIS ALBUM >>>
These albums are built for a 4 inch photo. Specifically, I like instagram photos for these pockets but it could even be 4 inch x 6 inch photos you have cut down. You can put a photo or write in a title on the front bracket emblem on the cover page. It’s completely up to you!

1. Cut out all the pieces in the svg file. I used kraft paper for all the main pieces and colored paper for the accent pieces. I cut out two cover pages and several pocket pages.

2. Fold along the score lines. Fold over the pieces with the bracket shape to create the pocket. Use glue (I like hot glue or a photo-friendly adhesive) on each of the glue flaps and create the pocket. There are two flaps that need to be glued (see photo below).

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3. Glue the accent paper to the front of the pocket and add a journaling card (available with the svg file) or a photo.

4. Create the cover by layering the 4 inch square (the same one used for the pocket inserts), then the bracket without the window, then finally the bracket shape with the window. Place a photo or title between the two bracket pieces if you want. I used pop dots but you can also simply glue everything into place.

5. Use ribbon, O-ring, or twine to put the album together.

4 INCH  x 6 INCH HORIZONTAL PHOTO POCKET ALBUM AND WINDOW ALBUM
LINK TO 4×6 HORIZONTAL PHOTO POCKET ALBUM >>>
LINK TO 4×6 WINDOW PHOTO POCKET ALBUM >>>
4x6horizontalphotopocketalbum 4x6windowphotopocketalbumThese two albums are meant to fit your 4 x 6 photos and are quick to put together. Because most of us are generally working with 12 inch x 12 inch paper, it was necessary to have a separate pocket piece that you attached to a cover piece to create a “page.” Note that the pockets for the Window Album can be a bit flimsy and I suggest either using heavy stock or cut a piece of transparency or other clear paper to create the window and hold in the photos. I also recommend setting this album under a stack of books once it is glued to make sure the thin areas that create the “window” are study and straight.

These two albums also work together if you wanted some window pockets and some horizontal pockets. So mix and match away!

1. Cut out all the pieces in the svg file. I used kraft paper for all the main pieces and colored paper for the accent pieces. You will need to cut out two cover pages and for each “pocket page” you will need one cover page and one pocket piece.

2.  Fold the score lines of the pocket piece. Use glue (hot glue or a photo-friendly adhesive) on each of the glue flaps and create the pocket. There are three flaps that need to be glued (see photos below).

3. Glue the accent paper to the front of the pocket for the Horizontal Album. Add a journaling card (available with the svg file) or a photo.

4. Create the cover by layering the cut outs as shown in the two images.

5. Use ribbon, O-ring, or twine to put the album together.

4X6 Horizontal Album (Glue Flaps)IMG_5555_1_web IMG_5565_1_web

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4X6 Window Album (Glue Flaps)

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DaffodilOrnamentDAFFODIL FLOWER PHOTO ORNAMENT
LINK TO THIS PROJECT >>>
If you are looking for a cute, quick project, these flower ornaments are so fun. I can see using them for kids projects or fun home decor.

1. Cut out all the pieces in the svg file. This file is only three pieces but if you wanted to layer up the petals more you could.

2. Attach the center of the flower (orange) to the yellow petals WITHOUT the ribbon hole, but gluing the tabs to the back of the hole. (See photos below). Two of the “scallops” will overlap once the center is completely done. (See photo below.)

3. Attach a photo between the two yellow petal pieces. Glue the yellow pieces together.

4. Add ribbon or twine to hang.

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SpringtimeFlowerOrnamentSPRINGTIME FLOWER PHOTO ORNAMENT
LINK TO THIS PROJECT >>>
This one is really basic to put together. It also cuts quick on your machine.

1. Cut out all the pieces in the svg file. This file is only four pieces but if you wanted to layer up the petals more you could.

2. Attach a photo to the back flower piece (with the hole for hanging the ornament). Layer and finger press all the petals. Glue them down.

3. Add the short center cut out (shown in white) last.

4. Add ribbon or twine to hang.

 

Hope you have fun creating these!
—Carina

Silhouette Design Store JOANN Stores

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Cute Animal Nesting Boxes for Silhouette

IMG_5153_1_web I know it’s been a lot of Silhouette posts on the blog lately so I promise to have some fabric and scrapbooking posts soon! This week’s releases for Silhouette are these darling little animal nesting boxes and layered gift card tags. Below is the tutorial for putting together these boxes. I create a lot of nesting boxes for my Silhouette Shop and generally they are all put together like the tutorial below.

Each svg files set comes with two boxes that nest together (the smaller one fits into the bigger one).

These make darling gifts, easter items, or fun spring decor (filled with candy!) for your home. When I finished making mine, my kids spent quite a bit of time just playing with them and stacking them.

To make these boxes, all you need is kraft paper, solid scrapbooking paper, pop dots (optional), glue (I use a hot glue gun and glue stick), and your cutting machine.

1. Cut out all your pieces on your machine.IMG_5099_1_web

2. Fold all the score lines on the boxes and lids. Put glue on the glue flaps (I used a hot glue gun for this) to put together each box and lid.

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3. Assemble the faces of the animals. Place black squares behind the eyes (all in the svg file), pink behind the cheeks, white behind the whiskers. Use a glue stick for this part. For the frog or any other animal that requires a separate “background”, glue the animal to the background with hot glue. Note: The chick’s feet are placed ON TOP of the face not as the eyes and cheeks are.

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4. Glue the ears or feathers to the top of the lid. Once these are glued on, glue the small strips of paper to the lid to cover the ears and other portions of the lid. Glue the assembled face piece and other accent papers to the box.

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5. Add the tail or any other accessories with pop dots or glue.

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And that’s it! Assembly does take some time but the end result is really darling. Charlie calls each set the ‘baby’ and ‘mommy.’ The animals ‘nest’ together so if you wanted to put a baby bunny in the mommy chick you could. The ears or feather simply fold down (there are score lines) when you place the baby in the mommy.

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I haven’t included instructions for the layered tags here because there are basic instructions for them in the description (they are simply cut out and adhered together with pop dots or glue).

Hope you are having wonderful spring weather! Craft on!
Carina

(Links will be provided when they become available in the silhouette store on March 30).

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Nesting Animal Boxes

nestingbunnyboxesnestingkittyboxes nestingchickboxes nestingfrogboxesnestinglambboxes nestingpandaboxes nestingpiggyboxes

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Layered Gift Card Tags

bunnygiftcardtag butterflygiftcardtag gamecontrollergiftcardtag happybirthdaygiftcardtag ringsgiftcardtag tulipgiftcardtag

 

 

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Pop Dot Shadow Box Sliding Card for Silhouette

IMG_5037_1_webI’ve been loving the last few weeks of projects I have made for my Silhouette Store. I managed to finally finish Gilmore Girls  for the second time and catch up on Community while making this last batch of cards.

This week I’ve added more Shadow Box cards to the shop but these are (drum roll) sliding cards! (If you are looking for the folded cards tutorial, see the blogpost below).

These fabulous cards allow you to slide off the shadow box part of the card. You can write a message directly on the shadow box or a secret message on the sliding card behind the shadow box. They are easy to put together and SOOOO cute!

Here’s a little 19 second video so you can see how these little cards come together.

Here’s the tutorial:

1. Cut out all the pieces in your svg file.

2. (See below) Fold the sleeve piece that has a glue flap. Glue the flap to the opposite side of the sleeve together to create a place for the card to slip through.

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IMG_5014_1_web2. Once the sleeve is glued together, use it as the base of your shadow box. Glue down any “colored” objects first to the layers. For example, center and glue the clouds on top of the cloud shapes. You can use pop dots for these as well. You can see in the elephant and giraffe example above I used pop dots on the animals but glued the clouds flat.

3. Use pop dots to layer the pieces so that the card piece with the thinnest outside layer is on top and the thickest at the bottom. Place pop dots on corners and middles to keep the card stable. (See photo in previous blogpost to see how I place the pop dots.)

4. Once the shadow box is finished, slide in the “card.” (See photo to the left.)

5. Glue the accent pieces to the outside of the card. (see below.)

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Helpful Tips:
+ For small or intricate cuts, I put my speed at 9 on my Silhouette Cameo instead of the typical 3. This is especially useful for the “baby” wording on the onesie card.

+ The bow on the cake card is not complicated. All you have to do is use the two score lines nearest the ends of the bow and pull them in to match to the middle score line. Use the tiny, thin piece to  wrap the center of the bow. I used hot glue to make sure everything dried quickly and held together nicely. I also placed the bow on the second tier of the shadow box.

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+ You can use any color cardstock for these shadowbox cards. I’ve used kraft paper in all my examples but white, black, gray, and any solid color would work wonderfully for a unique take on these cards.

+ These cards are sized for a gift card. You will need to tape in the gift card or hot glue the sliding card portion to create a pocket.

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Hope you have fun making these and have someone special to send them to!

Happy Cutting!—Carina

(Links will be available on March 23, 2015)

cakeshadowslidingcard camerashadowslidingcard dolphinshadowslidingcard mrandmrsshadowslidingcard elephantgiraffeshadowslidingcardmustacheshadowslidingcard onebannershadowslidingcard sharkshadowslidingcard unicornshadowslidingcardweddingtoppershadowslidingcard

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Pop Dot Shadow Box Folded Card for Silhouette

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The new shadow box cards I have in my silhouette shop are amazingly simple to put together. Instead of glue flaps, the shadow is simply created by pop dots. Pop dots can be found at your local craft store for about $2.99-$3.99. The effect you get with this little guys is fantastic!

All of the cards are meant to fit into an A2 envelope with the finished size being about 4 inches x 5.5 inches. It is a little smaller than the traditional A2 sized card (4.25 inches x 5.5 inches) but it is to compensate for the size of the shadow box and helps get it into the envelope.

All of my cards are FOLDED, which means you can place a message on the inside of the card. Of course, you can also forgo the pop dots and glue all of the layers down for a cute layered effect without the shadow.

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So here are the simple instructions:

1. Cut out all the pieces in your svg file.

2. Glue down any “colored” objects first. For example, center and glue the bunny to the piece with the bunny shape. You can use pop dots for these as well. In my examples, I glued them flat (without shadow).

3. Use pop dots (see image below) to layer the pieces so that the card piece with the thinnest outside layer is on top and the thickest at the bottom. Place pop dots on corners and middles to keep the card stable.

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And that’s it! Simple but elegant! Look for more of these designs this coming week!

babyshadowcard bannershadowcard bunnyshadowcard butterflyshadowcard springflowershadowcardbirdflourishshadowcard gardenshadowcard

 

rocketshadowcardkittenshadowcardmultilayeredbutterflyshadowcard birthdaycupcakeshadowcard dinosaurshadowcard dragonshadowcard graduationshadowcard mymothershadowcard_1 onsieshadowcard pregnancyshadowcard sewingmachineshadowcard tulipshadowcardtrainshadowcardsailboatshadowcardsurfershadowcardwhaleshadowcardiloveyoudadshadowcard

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Accordion Number Album Instructions for Silhouette

AccordianFolderNumberAlbumToday I released several new silhouette designs in my shop. Here are the instructions for the Accordion Number Album. I love this album because you can mix and match it so many ways and it makes an amazing gift. It is fairly simple to put together.

1. Cut out all the pieces in the file. You will want to cut out three of the folded pieces with the glue flap and one of the cover.  If you want to place a “color” (in my case white) behind the number, use scrap pieces of paper and simply place behind the bracket numbers.

2. Glue the number brackets to each of the “pages.” Glue a plain bracket to the front cover. Each page will hold two numbers (1 + 2, 3 + 4, 5 + 6). If you plan on putting a photo between numbers, cut out six of the template instead and only place one number on each page.

3. Fold at all the crease lines of the cover and pages.

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4. Place glue on the flaps of each of the pages and attach the pages to each other so that the numbers are in order.

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5. Finally glue the flap attached to the number “1” page to the cover.The flap will fit perfecting in the center of the cover.

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And that’s it! Add photos or journaling for a simple and elegant album!

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Happy cutting!
Carina

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Introduction to Diecut Design Class Now Available!

class_diecutting1_webI’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!

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Words of Love Banner and Video

carinagardner_wordsoflovebannerIt’s been since before Christmas since I posted. The first of the year is always so crazy. This year I was headed to Atlanta for my new company MiniLou. It was my first year of missing CHA in long time.

Soooo, to introduce my first line to come out this year, I put together a little video. Words of Love is my Valentine’s line and it should be hitting your local scrapbooking store this month. It’s a classic red and black line with a bit of pink and gray.

I hope you enjoy the video! I am having issues with my video uploading to YouTube blurry so I am working on getting an HD version of this video up soon.

If you want the free download banner template, you can download it here:

BANNER TEMPLATE FREE DOWNLOAD

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Open When Envelopes—Last Minute Meaningful Homemade Gifts

IMG_3661_1_webLast week I came out with a brand new series of envelopes called OPEN WHEN. It’s a wonderful meaningful gift, and I am making a set of envelopes with box for Josh for Christmas. If you want to see the instructions and everything in the series, go here: https://carinagardner.com/silhouette/carinas-open-when-series/. If you want to look at the current printables for this series, go here: http://www.carinagardnershop.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=56&Itemid=2

(Photo to the left is one of the printables from the Open When: You Are Bored. You just staple onto the card a piece of bubble wrap.)

This post is just to show you a few examples of what I am doing (although to be honest, I’m not done yet). I love that you can make a set of envelopes for someone and put A LOT into the envelope or just a note. Really, the most important part (in my opinion) is the hand written note. Every single one of the envelopes I’m making for Josh includes a note and a photo. I also included some of the printables, a treat, and anything else I think will be fun for him to open.

IMG_3653_1_webYou’ll notice that I have included label printables in the shop. That’s because I know that not all of you have a diecutting machine. To be honest, the labels are a lot easier (and quicker) to use if you are throwing together this project (last minute, right?). The labels can be put on any A2 sized envelope and you can just fill them. It’s the perfect last minute solution!

(Photo to the right is from the Open When: You Are Happy printable set. The svg file from for the envelope can be found here.)

The Open When projects I’ve seen usually are given in sets of 10. But I think you should be able to include as little or as many envelopes as you want. You could even coordinate them and give more envelopes out during the year (for example, Christmas 5 envelopes, Valentine’s 5 envelopes, and your anniversary 5 envelopes).

For Josh, I selected 10 envelopes and am using my basic 10 envelope box. I love the prompts in the printables I’m hoping they will help me think of things that are special to just the two of us (and by the way, each of the descriptions in the printables have suggestions for other things you can put in your envelope).

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Every “Open Now” gift should have an “Open Now” Envelope. Truthfully, I designed the printables (shown below) so that I could use all of the cards in any of the envelopes. It’s sort of “basic pack.” I’m planning on throwing some funny photos of the two of us from 2014 into this envelope—kind of as a way to celebrate the year. The “pie chart” card I’m going to write all of the things we did in 2014.

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I’m so in love with my printable set for “Open When: You Can’t Fall Asleep.” One card allows you to staple a piece of dried lavendar to it (or any other scent you want). The silly cutouts are more of a joke then something the person has to do, but I like adding the popcycle sticks in the envelope just in case they do end up cutting out the animals.

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The “Open When: You Want to Reminisce” is going to be the most fun to put together for Josh. I’m using all the printables as prompts but spending most of my time gathering up photos and things that we did together for the last 14 years.

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You’ll notice that I’m slowly adding printables to the shop as I make them for myself. If you decide to do this project (for Christmas, a birthday, Valentine’s, and Anniversary, or whenever!), make sure and check my Silhouette instruction page because it has updated links to all the envelopes, boxes, and printables that go to this collection to see what is new!

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Hope you are being creative and having a great time doing it this holiday season! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Carina

 

 

 

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Family Ornament Silhouette Instructions

5photofamilyornamentToday I have a series of 3-D cut out ornaments coming out in my Silhouette Store. I love a great homemade gift, and these are perfect for that! They are so simple to put together and I love that you can customize the ornaments (or choose one) that fits your family size (The Photo Family Ornaments come in 3 sides, 4 sides, 5 sides, and 6 sides). Here are some of the instructions and helpful hints for putting together these ornaments.

Several Sided Photo Family Ornament Instructions
(Silhouette Store links: 3 Photo Family Ornament, 4 Photo Family Ornament, 5 Photo Family Ornament, 6 Photo Family Ornament)
1. Cut out the shape and then print/cut photos that are a little bigger than the windows in the ornament. Tape photos to the wrong-side of the ornament windows.
2. Crease/fold along all the dotted lines.
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3. Place glue on the tab and adhere it to the opposite side of the ornament.

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4. Use twine or ribbon to “sew” up the bottom and top of the ornaments. I like starting by placing the ribbon through the front hole of the ornament, then “whip stitching” by coming through the back of the hole and then placing the ribbon through the FRONT of the next flap/hole. Once you have gone through every hole with your twine, pull tight and tie a knot. You can leave one string long to hang the ornament or cut both strings short.

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3photofamilyornament 4photofamilyornament 5photofamilyornament 6photofamilyornament

Block Ornament Instructions
(Silhouette Store links: 4 Photo Block Family Ornament, Christmas Tree Block Ornament, Star Blog Ornament)
1. Cut out the shape and then print/cut photos that are a little bigger than the windows in the ornament. If you are making the photo ornament, tape photos to the wrong-side of the ornament windows. Add embellishments in layers to the ornament. (Pop dots are also a fun accessory.)
2. Crease/fold along all the dotted lines.
3. Place glue on the tab and adhere it to the opposite side of the ornament.
4. Place a piece of ribbon through the bottom and top of the box in the hols provided. Tie a knot at the bottom to keep the ribbon in place.

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christmastreeblockornament 4photoblockfamilyornament starblockornament

nativity4sidedornamentNativity Ornament Instructions
(Silhouette Store link: Nativity 4 Sided Ornament)
1. Cut out the shape and then print/cut photos that are a little bigger than the windows in the ornament.
2. Crease/fold along all the dotted lines.
3. Place glue on the tab and adhere it to the opposite side of the ornament.
4. Fold up the bottom of the ornament, placing glue on each flap to adhere the bottom of the box together.
5. Use twine or ribbon to “sew” up the top of the ornaments. I like starting by placing the ribbon through the front hole of the ornament, then “whip stitching” by coming through the back of the hole and then placing the ribbon through the FRONT of the next flap/hole (see photo above). Once you have gone through every hole with your twine, pull tight and tie a knot. Leave one string long to hang the ornament.

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Holiday Mocktail Party

IMG_7779_1A couple of years ago I threw a fauxtail party, and this year I decided to revisit the idea for our holiday party with a few changes (If you want to see the original fauxtail party, go here).

Everyone came in “snooty” attire (which meant a lot of fur and bow ties). We also opened up the glamper as an extra room for the party.

I only did three drinks for this party and instead of playing bartender the whole time, I put them into closed pitchers so everyone could poor their own drinks and choose their own garnish. I put three examples out along with what was in the drinks (on chalkboard to the left).

IMG_7763_webHere are the Mocktail recipes:

Crandandy Cooler
2 cups cranberry juice
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
A squeeze of lemon
1 cup gingerale
maraschino cherry to garnish

Mango Bellini
2 cups mango juice
2 cups white grape juice
1 cup sprite
blueberries to garnish

Nojitos
1 bottle of mojito mix
2 cups of club soda
1/4 cup of lime juice
lime and mint to garnish
(serve “on the rocks” with ice)

I have the little folded tags (as seen in picture below) for you to download should you decide you want to do a party like this here: DOWNLOAD FOLDED MOCKTAIL CARDS

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Hope you are celebrating this holiday season too!
Carina

 

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My Life Calendar Series—Silhouette Project

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, November, and December released November 24, 2014.
August, September, October, Cover Pages, and Photo Pages release December 1, 2014.

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I love a great calendar! The My Life Calendar set is my newest silhouette project that you can use for your own organizational purposes or even give as a homemade gift. This series is easy to put together and you can change up how it is up together and cut out. Here are a few pointers on the calendar pages…

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1. Each My Life Calendar Page comes with a background paper and a top layer. It also comes with several pieces to cut out for the header (with month and embellishments) and at least 6 icons to place on the month. You can mix and match the page backgrounds or use only one for your entire calendar (psst, I love December’s cut out because there is a place to hand write in the days of the month).

2. You can put this calendar together and add momentos, icons, and journaling as you go (aka actually use it as a real calendar) OR you can use is as a monthly scrap canvas like I did with the April layout below.

3. The holes that come with the silhouette cutouts fit a regular binder. You can also move boxes/windows down and have the month/letter cutouts be at the bottom of the page (so that your calendar faces out instead of in like mine below). You can also choose to remove the holes altogether and have the calendar spiral bound (in which case I recommend the photo pages!)

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4. Use the photo pages, extra icons, and calendar cover pages to help add to your project. I designed the photo pages to be placed behind each calendar (so they are facing the next calendar page), but they can be used however you want.

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Hope your project turns out amazing!

Carina

PS. The Silhouette shop has a sale during the month of December. Stock up now!

 

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25 Days of December Silhouette Album

IMG_2934_1_webEvery Christmas I try to tell myself that THIS year it’s going to be more about family, love, and giving. But like all the rest of you, I find myself completely caught up with the busyness that consumes my time during the month of December.  December happens to be a crazy time for designers ON TOP OF the usual craziness that happens during the holidays. For me, work revolves around CHA, new releases for first quarter, and the Atlanta GiftShow (for MiniLou). Despite all of this, I’m going to try (once again) to slow down during the month of December. And with you as my witness (See! I’m holding myself accountable to you!), I’ve decided to get on top of things THIS month to make December a little more cherry and bright.

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First off, I already ordered my Christmas Cards (I think a sigh of relief escaped as I wrote that). They arrive December 2nd, and I plan on getting all my labels done this coming week. Yes, it is a relief to already have them printed, and no, I am NEVER this early. Second, I’m going to get all my holiday shopping done in November. Yes, you heard me. And no, I don’t have a plan for this yet. Any tips would be helpful!!! (Leave comments below.) And FINALLY, I went ahead and designed myself an entire 25 Days of December Album (that you can purchase in my silhouette shop), that I have already cut out and put together.

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IMG_2939_1_webI have never done an album like this before, but have ALWAYS wanted to. I designed all of the albums and accessories to be super easy to cut out and use.

This year, I’m doing the 5 x 7 Album, but I also have available the 5 x5 Album and the 5 x 7 Horizontal Album. The 5 x 7’s are meant to fit a 4 x 6 photo per day. The 5 x5 Album is meant for instagram photos and fits a 4 x 4 photo beautifully (I love to use Persnickety Prints for my 4 x 4 photos).

Each album also comes with some different accessories. I plan on using the extra pocket pieces and fun shapes to add journaling and some of our holiday photos (and to stash my Christmas Card).

So if you are making this album, it’s pretty easy to put together, but here are a few hints to help you out:

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1. You will need to cut 5 of each tabbed piece. That will give you 25 pages—one for each day. Cut one or two of the cover piece (no tab). I only cut one and used a pocket accessory for my back page.

2. Add as many accessory pages as you like. You can see in mine that I elected to put a few in the front and back of the album. Because I’m making this a “stress-free, expectation-free” album, I didn’t want to throw in pages that I then felt obligated to fill. However, I do think it would be pretty to throw in an extra shape or pocket page between each tab so that it goes to a specific day.

3. If you are looking to have this album “pre-made” in time for Christmas or you are making it for someone else, I recommend only adding “scraps” to the left-side of the page and leaving the tabbed side for the photo. (Like the second photo at the very top.)

4. Have fun or go simple with your paper choices. On mye tabbed sheets I elected to use kraft paper just because it was easy. I cut each tabbed sheet on an 8.5 inch x 11 inch piece of paper (one fits per sheet). I inked the edges a little bit to give it some dimension. (FYI, I use my newest Carta Bella collection Christmas Time for this book).

3. Glue is good. A stapler is better. ESPECIALLY on the pocket pages. The folds are pretty self-explanatory on the pocket pages. Once you fold them all in, I like to take a stapler to it. It adds some “scrappiness” to the album and helps secure the pocket in place. I’ve also used hot glue and a glue stick. They work great as well. Note: For the Mini Pockets, you may want to add a couple of extra staples right to the MIDDLE of the page to separate out the two pockets.

4. Use ribbon, twine, or O-rings to keep it together. If your album gets REALLY thick, you may want to consider O-rings (you can usually find these at an office supply shop). I wanted to keep my album “unprecious” and added different little bits of ribbon and twine. I want the kids to feel like they can handle and play with this album all through the season and beyond. Which brings me to my next point…

5. Have a plan. Especially when it comes to the photo part. Are you going to print at home or send out your photos? Are you going to print daily or weekly? Are you going to journal (or will it stress you out?). My plan this year is to print everyday at the end of the day. So I have a pack of 4 x 6 photo papers ready for December. As for journaling, this year the album is the “family” album. That means, I plan on having the kids write things they are thankful for or are doing for Christmas. Josh and I will add notes too. If you are doing a personal, reflective album, yours will be so different from mine.

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And that’s it! I hope you have fun making your book and you get to spend some time really showing off how wonderful the holiday season really is! If you are on instagram, you can follow me at @carinagardner. Make sure and hashtag #25dod (25 Days of December) so that we can all share in your journey in December!

Happy scrapping!
Carina

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RBD Post Quilt Market Designer Blog Tour: Carina Gardner

IMG_2977_1_webI’m excited to be the next stop on the Riley Blake Design Blog Tour! I’m suppose to be introducing Primrose Garden, but for those of you who follow my blog, you know that I’ve been posting about this line for the last couple of months. It just barely hit stores so I’m excited to share the inspiration behind this line.

First of all, I designed this line at the same time that I purchased an old 1968 Jet Airway. The stove was original and turquoise (I may have purchased it simply for the stove…heehee). I started thinking about colors and patterns I would want in the trailer, if I were to, um, glamp it up:). I started thinking about making the glamper red, blue, and black (and I did furnish it with a lot of laminates from my Evening Blooms collection). I wanted something that felt fresh, clean, but had a traditional appeal. And that’s how Primrose Garden came into being! You can see that I created wallpaper for the glampGLAMPER_carinagardner_1_web copyer kitchen from the red master colorway from Primrose Garden (see link to Glamper pics below).

This is my first collection with an 18 inch doll panel! You’ll see more of these from me in future lines.

Because I don’t want to bore you with things I’ve already posted, here are some other links that will help you should you be thinking about sewing with Primrose Garden:

Primrose Garden LookBook (all the fabrics and doll panels!)
18 inch Doll Panel Fully Illustrated Instructions (Free Tutorial)
18 inch Doll Panel Quilt and Pillow (Free Download and Tutorial)
Carina Gardner Aurifil Thread (matches Primrose Garden!)

And if you are curious about my Glamper Renovation, you can see all the posts here. If you just want to go straight to the final photos of the glamper, you can see them here.

Thanks for visiting my blog! For more updates on fabric, quilts, and giveaways, be sure to check out my Facebook page and instagram feed!~Carina

<<<See the previous stop on this tour with Lila Tueller
See the next post with Lori Holt>>>>
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Visit the entire Blog Tour!

11/6 – The Quilted Fish
11/7 – Bella Blvd.
11/8 – Deena Rutter
11/10 – Lila Tueller
11/11 – Carina Gardner
11/13 –Bee In My Bonnet
11/14 – Fancy Pants Designs
11/15 – My Mind’s Eye
11/17 – Zoe Pearn
11/18 – Sue Daley
11/20 – Kelly Panacci
11/21 – Marin Sutton
11/22 – Lori Whitlock
11/24 – Melissa Mortenson
11/25 – Melly & Me
11/28 – Scott Jarrard
11/29 – Elea Lutz

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Primrose 18 Inch Doll Panel Instructions

Screen Shot 2014-11-06 at 12.08.33 AMThank you for purchasing the Primrose Garden 18 inch doll panel! While there are instructions on the panel itself, I find that illustrations always help me see how to put something together. Sooooo, I’ve put together some illustrations that coordinate with these doll panels for you! Feel free to download and use as you put together these dresses!

If you are looking for this panel, please check with your local quilt shop first. There are also several online retailers carrying this line

DOWNLOAD THE PRIMROSE GARDEN DOLL PANEL INSTRUCTIONS

If you are feeling extra sewerly today, you can also download the matching quilt and pillow instructions for this line. Or get the matching Auriful Threads.

Happy Sewing!
Carina

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Primrose Garden 18 inch Doll Quilt and Pillow Pattern—Free Download

PrintMy new fabric line Primrose Garden will be hitting your local quilt shop this month! To celebrate my first ever 18 inch doll panels, I have a free 18 inch doll quilt and pillow pattern for you!

This is such a simple, easy project! It doesn’t take a lot of fabric and is such a fun gift for your 18 inch doll lovers (there are three in my house).

DOWNLOAD  THE PRIMROSE GARDEN 18 INCH DOLL QUILT PATTERN HERE.

If the above link doesn’t work for you, please download it via dropbox here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bk9xgra9pllbxxw/AAAxk525S_vXVoT14QECRwQja?dl=1

If you get the Riley Blake Newsletter, you may have also noticed a red quilt that I put together. It’s design was based on one of the free patterns available at Riley Blake called Whimsy. I changed a few of my dimensions to make it fit my office wall but it’s basically the same design.

Sneak peek at the quilt below if you don’t get the newsletter:). So many more projects coming with this line!

Happy sewing to me:).
Carina

primrosegardenquilt_carinagardner_web

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Feeling Blessed

IMG_1223_web1I always love September. With fall on the way and the kids in school, it feels like a time of renewal. This year has been no different especially with the official launch of my new company MiniLou. I just got back from our very first tradeshow. It’s been a whirlwind, but I’m excited for everything that we are trying to accomplish.

Of course, my two little companies are experiencing growing pains, but that’s part of it, right? I’m always trying to learn how to better prioritize, get organized, and balance family with work. It’s such a struggle. One of the things I struggle with is updating this blog. That means that my priority is to update you with new releases and designs—which means I hardly get a chance to tell you about my joys and struggles. Maybe some of you love that. Maybe some of you wished I would share more.

Either way, I hope you know how much I appreciate all the support you have given me. Whether it is through the emails sent to me, classroom forums, or the little tidbits I hear at a meeting (my assistant Susan just told me this morning that through our fabric sale someone was able to buy fabrics for a project for cancer patients…my heart was so filled with joy!), I feel so blessed to be able to do this for a living.

Hoping you are having a wonderful September too and that your life is filled with joy and love!

Carina

 

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Silhouette Inspiration!

Right now in our Silhouette Shop at Silhouette Online many of our fabric die cuts are on sale for .69 cents! Deborah from Craftin’ Chaos has taken the Monster Pencil Case and done her own twist with it that you will love. She has also included a tutorial below on how to create this fun Felt Ipad Cover & Earbud Holder! ~Susan

I love to make felt projects but let me be clear I am NOT by any means great with a sewing machine. I am a newbie with sewing. But hopefully the one thing you will get from this post is that you shouldn’t be scared. I actually wanted a sewing machine to sew on my paper projects. Then I started seeing a lot of cute felt plushies and another craft was born. I had my sewing machine 2 years before I was brave and took out of the box! I was very proud of myself that I actually followed instructions and was able to get it set up pretty quickly. So step one is to not be intimidated. I know Carina is a an expert with sewing and I could let that scare me from posting on her blog a sewing project but I am hoping you all will get the courage to try it! My project is far from perfect and sewing felt (some spots 4 layers) is not easy as it seems because it moves a lot but the beauty of felt is that it is ok for it to not be perfect. You can do a lot of trimming, exposed seams are ok.

So I started sewing it up and left the top open. I sewed (ok that word just doesn’t look right) the divided sections on the two pencil pocket area’s but sewed them at various widths for notepad and some miscellaneous items. I created a button clip with one of the elements from Carina’s Monster Life Digital Collection. You can also use the Silhouette svg Monster Life Collection 1 for this last step.

On to the ear buds I figured the size I wanted to go with and using the Monster Pencil Case svg file just adjusted it to the size I needed (approx 3.5″ H x 2″ wide). Cut it out on my silhouette and then used as a pattern again. I handstitched around two pieces with a “Blanket stitch” and I sandwiched a piece of cardboard in between them to make it stiff to use to wrap the cords around from the earbuds. The ears and yellow pieces were quite small so I used felt glue for them. I did sew a little strip on the back to feed the cord through just to help hold on to the holder better.

I hope you enjoyed this project. I loved how it turned out. I am giving this away as well to a little guy in our family. I think he will love it!

 

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Back Home Again

miniloujune20 copy 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).

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Going to the Zoo…Summer Diecut Inspiration!

The amazing Deborah at CRAFTIN CHAOS gets me so inspired to use my Silhouette machine! With just a few products she was able to create this fabulous album to document a fun day at the zoo. I love the way she has used the pockets to tuck extra pictures inside and her writing and cute embellishments on the journaling cards! We are always so excited to see what she will come up with next. ~Susan

To create an album like this head over to CARINA’S SHOP AT SILHOUETTE  or visit our DIECUT SHOP here on the site:
SET OF 3 NEGATIVE FRAMES
CARINA’S ESSENTIALS 4X6 VERTICAL BRACKET ALBUM
SWEET SHAPE ALPHABET A-E
SWEET SHAPE ALPHABET F-J
SWEET SHAPE ALPHABET U-Z
SWIRLY THE
MY LIFE DOUBLE POCKET ALBUM

 

 

 

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Diecut Inspiration!

Carina is still having fun in China so we are going to have some fun continuing our 30% off all Diecuts sale in the shop!

Deborah from Craftin Chaos worked up another awesome project using the Lace Cake Stand Embellishment and Garden Picks 2 (set of 5)!

It’s the perfect display for all of your summer birthday parties and outdoor parties.

Here is Deborah to tell us more about her project:

Cupcakes you say?! Why yes….yes I will and thank you very much! This gave me a great reason to make cupcakes. I know I didn’t need them but no one NEEDS them but we can sure want them! I made red velvet which is becoming my favorite cupcake. I made a quick cream cheese icing for the cupcakes. I wish I could have tried out some fancy tips I have had in my stash for a long time to make the icing pretty but there wasn’t enough time to do that for fear my husband would eat the cupcakes before I could get it done. Again, I used those cute garden picks to create little messages for my cupcakes. I pop dotted them to give lots of dimension. I cut the bottom of them off and just glued tooth picks to the back since it was going to go into the cupcake. I also decorated the base of the cake stand with the Lace Cake Stand Embellishment .

 

 

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Diecuts 30% off the month of June!

Carina is off on her adventure to China to do press checks on the products for her new company Mini Lou
You can follow her adventures on her Instagram (carinagardner). In the meantime I am taking over the blog while she is away so let’s have some fun!!
Today kicks off our HUGE 30% off diecut sale in the shop. The shop is fully stocked with wonderful goodies. Make sure to hit the NEW DIECUTS section where we have all of Carina’s most current releases from her Silhouette Store.
We are so excited to have Deborah from Craftin Chaos working with us now on our Design Team!  In honor of the big sale Deborah has worked up some fabulous eye candy to get you inspired for the diecut sale!
Here is Deborah to tell you more about her projects:
“My projects were super quick, that being said I am hoping it still will inspire you to create some awesome projects of your own with Carina’s diecut files. I used papers from Carta Bella’s Alphabet Junction for several cards and one I used a digital paper from Carina’s Soaring Summer Paper Set as well as some of Carina’s elements  which are available in her shop at Snap Click Supply.
This first project was super quick to do.  If you have a busy schedule…and who doesn’t, these albums are perfect for capturing the moments you spent with family and friends without devoting the time it takes to create a scrapbook album layout. I love that you can get so many configurations from the pockets giving you so many options.
I used the We R Memory Keepers pockets for mine. The cards are Carina’s My Life 4X6 Travel Card Diecuts and I am loving Carina’s  Garden Picks Set of 5 Diecuts very versatile as you will see two ways I used them.  And you know I made some custom buttons! I used the die cuts from the cards to create a print and cut for the buttons in my silhouette studio

 

Can you tell where I want to be from my luggage tag?

 

 

This  project is one of my favorites. I just love anything with cameras on them or camera related. Instagram is something I just started using recently and I am hooked! I wanted this to be very bold and I love these two colors together. That pop of fuchsia on the front against the bright yellow is just my favorite. I used the Instant Photo Camera Album I added the Flag Shape 17 Diecut  for the sentiment.  I cut a smaller circle for the center to add a fun sentiment to the album.

 

A nice feature is the slots the file cuts for you to just pop in a cute photo for perfect placement. I added more sentiments to give a little more love to it.

Thanks to Deborah for those awesome projects! We will be featuring more of her creations over the weeks to inspire you.
~Susan

 

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Upcoming

carinagardner-hkThe 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_kidsoutFor 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.

 

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A New Year

christmascard_gardner2013_webThe holiday season flew by. I wrapped, cooked, designed, and cleaned…and somehow it is now mid-January. I’m never quite sure how that happens.

Just like everyone else, I’m eager to see what 2014 has in store. For me, I got to start the new year off with a bang at CHA. At Carta Bella, we showed 4 new lines: It’s a Celebration by Alisha Gordon, my Sew Lovely Collection, my Baby Mine Collection (Boy and Girl), and Summer by Samantha Walker (not on the website yet). Echo Park also had a stellar line up that you can see here. I usually do a show wrap up with pictures but I’m going to have to refer you to my instagram feed to get the scoop.

What else does the year have in store for me? You’ll see two new fabric lines from me (Baby Ark this spring and Primrose Garden this fall), lots of new digital scrapbooking stuff at Jessica’s site, loads of new Silhouette stuff, a couple of new classes, and some new dishware at Deseret Book to name a few. Oh ya, and then there’s that whole thing with the glamper. Next week the wallpaper goes up, and we will be taking the final photos to give you the full reveal. I can’t wait!

The full schedule with the glamper tour will also be revealed in the coming weeks. We’ll be visiting shops in Utah and Nevada. After that, the glamper is going to be fully occupied with my family. There are so many things I want to do this summer with the kids! I’m hoping to work from the road alot and have an adventure.

2014, here we come! Happy New Year from my family to yours!

Carina

 

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Happy Thanksgiving

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I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! My little family will be having an intimate family Thanksgiving today and go to my in-laws tomorrow. My turkey went into a homemade brine yesterday for a 24 hour bath. Usually I like to use the William and Sonoma Turkey Brine but I never got around to picking it up so this year so I improvised. Fingers crossed my salt-allspice-brownsugar-peppercorn-sage-thyme mixture works!

In our family we don’t have any set Thanksgiving traditions unless you count getting a tree the day after Thanksgiving. This year we invited the cousins over for a glamper movie night so the grownups could play games. I also made these little turkey take out boxes for Siri and Felicity to give to their cousins.

 

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Hope you have a spectacular Turkey Day! Are you doing anything special or sticking to your family traditions this year?

Carina

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So This Is Christmas Cards & Albums

SKcard2
SKcard1I’m pretty horrible about posting all the wonderful things happening at Carta Bella. I guess I just assume that you check into our amazing blog to see what the designers have been creating. I hope you had a chance to check out our October release Wildflower, which is ever so modern and fresh! This month we released my Homemade with Love which is a nostalgic baking/cooking/in-the-kitchen collection. And as always, we are in the midst of preparation for the Winter Show. I think you will love!

In honor of Christmas (just around the bend), the lovely Smitha Katti of Smiling Colors blog put together some gorgeous projects using my So This is Christmas Collection that I’ve been dying to show you.

Enjoy the eye candy here and just because I can’t help but be completely out of order (wink, wink), I’ll show you what I projects I’ve been putting together for Thanksgiving tomorrow!

All holiday-jumbled-up,

Carina

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SK10page3deets

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Evening Blooms Quilt Tutorial with Andy Knowlton

photo 1Today I have a special treat for you! Andy Knowlton of
A Bright Corner created this beautiful quilt using my Evening Blooms fabric collection. To top it off, she has agreed to give you all a tutorial on how she made it. There is even a pdf download at the end (scroll to the bottom to download).

So without further ado, here is Andy:

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I love the timeless look of classic black and white and these fabrics don’t disappoint! This quilt is made entirely from half square triangles (HSTs) but don’t let that deter you! I have a fast and easy way to make a ton of HSTs in no time at all.
First I’ll show you how to make your HSTs then I’ll show you how to assemble one block. I’ll add a quilt layout diagram at the end and you’ll be on your way to finishing your own Evening Blooms quilt!
First of all, here’s what you’ll need:
photo 2
1/4 yard of 7 various dark prints
1/4 yard of 5 various light prints
2 yards of white/background fabric
1/2 yard binding
3-1/2 yards backing fabric
photo 3
From each of the prints (7 dark and 5 light) cut 3 squares that measure 8″. You’ll need 36 total.
From the white/background fabric cut 8 strips that are 8″ x width of fabric.
Subcut those strips into 36 @ 8″ squares
photo 4
To create your half square triangles, pair up each print square with one white square. Match edges, keeping right sides together.
photo 5
Sew around all four outer edges using a consistent 1/4″ seam.
photo 6
Using your rotary cutter, cut diagonally through each block twice as shown in the photo.
photo 7
Being careful not to stretch it, press each HST. I prefer to press the seam allowance toward the print. Trim the little tails off of each HST.
If you are consistent with your seam allowances and careful to not stretch the HSTs you should not need to square them up. If you find your HSTs to be varying in size, then square them each up to the same size (either 5.25″ or 5″ each).
Create all of your HSTs and then move on to the block layout.
photo 8
Layout all of the HSTs you need for one block. Notice in the quilt layout diagram that not all blocks are the same. The dark and light prints are alternated for the main part of each block and the corner HSTs are different depending on where in the quilt the block will be located.
photo 9
Sew together into rows using a 1/4″ seam.
Sew rows together, matching seams.
photo 10
Your block is done!
Now use the layout diagram to make the next 8 blocks.
In the layout diagram I used just two prints – one dark and one light so you can clearly see the placement of each HST.
Evening Blooms layout diagram
You can find a printable version of this tutorial here Evening Blooms Quilt Tutorial

 

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This and That

10802341133_c210cdb071_zNovember is zipping by and I’m considering putting up my Christmas stuff this coming week. I know, I know. It’s a little early but I like to enjoy the season as long as I can! I’m also considering cutting out a bunch of these for all my nieces and nephews for Thanksgiving and letting Siri and Flissa pass them out.

If you have been watching my instagram feed then you know I have been working on my glamper all week. The polka dots were their own special kind of purgatory but the final result was worth it. I’ll take photos today and post the finished outside in the next couple of days. (Note I say finished outside...).

Today I am sewing curtains and cleaning windows on the glamper. That will have to count as my exercise (hee hee!) because I’m also trying to finish out my February collection for Carta Bella a little later today. Did I mention I finished my next fabric line this morning? It’s been a productive day.

While I am thinking of it, I wanted to make sure and give you a “things-you-should-check-out” list. It’s short and sweet:).

* The Rini Doll on the Pleasant Home—Jodi sewed up this darling doll and is giving away a pattern!

* Thankful Leaves Free Download—It’s a fun way to remember to be thankful! This year, I’m cutting out the leaves in advance and taking it to Thanksgiving dinner so we can fill it out as a family.

* Christmas Advent Calendar—This is one Christmas goody that I would recommend getting a head start on. Our Advent calendar comes out the same day as our Elf-on-the-Shelf does. This year I’m considering writing a note to each of my kids in some of the envelopes telling them some of my favorite things they did this year. Then we’ll staple them into their smash books. Journaling and advent calendar in one…done and done!

Off to sew some curtains!

Carina

 

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New in the Silhouette Shop—Clothing diecuts for your 18″ Dolls and more!

IMG_7335 I’m back from a lovely sisters trip in St Louis (see my instagram feed) and happy to be home. The last two months I have been on the road a lot, and I’m ready to start thinking about the holidays. I spent the day decluttering my house in anticipation of holiday decorations. I’m planning on getting out my Thankful Leaves (feel free to download it for free too!) and letting my family take advantage of November to remember why things are so good in our lives.

With the holidays in mind, I’ve been trying to create digital scrapbooking and diecutting projects that will help me celebrate creatively. If you have been checking out my new Silhouette shop you’ll see that I have introduced several fabric projects, Thanksgiving goodies, and new this week are my Essentials Album Collection!

Carina’s Essentials Album 4×6 Vertical Bracket
Carina’s Essentials Album 3X4 Horizontal Basic
Carina’s Essentials Album 3×4 Horizontal Scallop
Carina’s Essentials Album 4×6 Vertical Rounded
Carina’s Essentials Album 4×6 Vertical Scallop
Carina’s Essentials Album 3X4 Arrow

IMG_7343 My lovely assistant Susan (queue the Wheel of Fortune music) created a fun Halloween album that spotlights her kids costumes using the Carina’s Essentials Album 4×6 Vertical Bracket. She placed a picture on the cover of her kids in their costumes. On individual pages she added a picture of each child with some journaling.

 Susan also placed pictures from her Halloween dinner into the album. She added the menu and guest list on the cards then tucked them in the pocket.

I’m loving these new Essential Albums. Make sure you check out the video (Episode 9) on the CGTV channel so you can see how to put them together.

18inchdollpantspvszHere are some of the other products I came out with over the last couple of weeks:

For fabric

Pants for 18″ Doll
Shorts for 18″ Doll
Sleeveless Blouse for 18″ Doll
Everyday Pincushion

For Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Accordion Album
Thanksgiving Take Out Box
Turkey and Fall Leaves
Fall Accordion Album
Fall Scallop Bag

 

turkeyalbumpreviewszMore on the My Life Collection

My Life Month Tags
My Life 4X6 Journaling Cards Birthday Boy
My Life 4X6 JournalingCards Birthday Girl
My Life 4X6 Journaling Cards Snowflake
My Life 4X6 Journaling Wedding Cards
My Life 4X6 Journaling Winter Cards

 

Popular/3D

Baby Bottle Advice Book
Baby Onesie Advice Book
Baby Stroller Advice Book
Everyday Pincushion
Fabulous Frame Set 3
Hello Toothfairy! Take out Box

Hoping to get to some great projects this season! I should be revealing new Deseret Book collections soon and have you checked out my new line for Carta Bella Homemade with Love? It’s perfect for the holidays.

Revving up for the holidays,

Carina

 

 

 

 

 

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The BIG SALE is here!

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This is my biggest sale of the year! Take advantage of it this weekend only! This sale includes EVERYTHING in the shop including classes, wallpaper, sewing patterns, containers & notions, diecuts, fabric, and kits. Did I mention that the sale is 90% to 30% off? Seriously, there are some amazing deals in the shop! Be sure and order before Sunday. We will be shipping everything out Monday morning!

And have you checked out our new FREE DOWNLOAD category? Not only is there an amazing freebie that goes along with the sale (you can find it here), but now it’s easier to find all my free downloads and tutorials. But grab it this weekend, because it goes to regular price after Sunday!

Have a happy weekend!

Carina

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More of My Life, Calendars, Journaling Cards in Diecut Land

carinagardner_mylife_bracketcalendarpvsz

I’ve been working hard to get out some new diecuts  at the shop at Silhouette America!  That is between binding quilts, checking fabric strike-offs, and working on the glamper.

As always my diecuts are .99 cents and you can save 25% on all of my Halloween shapes through October 31st!

Here’s what we came out with this last week:

4X6 Christmas Journaling Card Set
4X6 Halloween Journaling Card Set
4X6 Thanksgiving Journaling Card Set
Fabulous Frame Set 2
Happy Halloween Pillowbox
My Life Tabbed Calendar
My Life Bracketed Calendar
My Life Monthly Cut Outs
My Life Folder Inserts 4
My Life Folder Inserts 5

Screen Shot 2013-10-23 at 9.24.49 AMYes, yes, I will post this week’s new items soon (if you want a sneaky peeky go here). If you sew and have a silhouette, I think you will be excited about what I have up!

Tomorrow I’m headed to Quilt Market, and I’ve been meaning to announce my new sewing patterns, but of course I haven’t gotten around to it. That and all the great stuff coming out from me at Deseret Book. Soon, very soon…

Be back in a jiff,

Carina

 

 

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