Silhouette

Episode 12: Circus Party Train Album Tutorial for Silhouette

I’m so excited to share with you my Circus Party Train Album. As suggested, it is an accordion train that fits nicely into a single album. This album is made using my Circus Party papers that I designed for Carta Bella. The album can be purchased from my Silhouette Shop. I hope you enjoy!

Carina

(links will be available soon)

CircusPartyTrainAlbumCaboose CircusPartyTrainAlbumCage CircusPartyTrainAlbumElephant CircusPartyTrainAlbumEngine CircusPartyTrainAlbumEnvelopes CircusPartyTrainAlbumEssentials CircusPartyTrainAlbumLion CircusPartyTrainAlbumPocket

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Pen Pal Letters—Silhouette and Digital Scrapbooking Tutorial

IMG_7136_1webI 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!

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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).

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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

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SILHOUETTE PRODUCTS:

(link to all the silhouette Pen Pal Letters here)

penpal2.5x3.5letters_verticalenvelopespenpal2.5x3.5letters_horizontalenvelopespenpal2.5x3.5letters_starterpack1penpal2.5x3.5letters_starterpack2penpal2.5x3.5letters_starterpack3penpal2.5x3.5letters_bakingpack1 penpal2.5x3.5letters_bakingpack2 penpal2.5x3.5letters_bakingpack3

penpal2.5x3.5letters_beach1 penpal2.5x3.5letters_beach2 penpal2.5x3.5letters_beach3 penpal2.5x3.5letters_birthday1 penpal2.5x3.5letters_birthday2 penpal2.5x3.5letters_birthday3penpal2.5x3.5letters_days1 penpal2.5x3.5letters_days2 penpal2.5x3.5letters_days3 penpal2.5x3.5letters_games penpal2.5x3.5letters_games2 penpal2.5x3.5letters_games3 penpal2.5x3.5letters_tabbed_h penpal2.5x3.5letters_tabbed_v01penpal2.5x3.5letters_hellopack1 01penpal2.5x3.5letters_hellopack2 01penpal2.5x3.5letters_hellopack3

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Alphabet Photo Album Tutorial for Silhouette

I’m so excited about my Alphabet Photo Album series that can be purchased from Silhouette. There are so any ways to use this album. Tutorial below along with a few ideas for using this album!

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IDEAS AND INSPIRATION

1. Cut a single photo into one letter. Simply lay a large photo behind the letter and trim the photo.

2. Use multiple letters together to create a name (like C-H-A-R-L-I-E) and only put photos of that person in it.

3. Choose a theme like S-U-M-M-E-R and capture favorite moments from the season.

4. Add journaling and/or capture a specific photo shoot or time of year.

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5. Create an alphabet album highlighting each letter. For example, an apple orchard experience with your children all captured in the letter ‘A’ or a swim party in the letter ‘S’.

6. Do a single letter album to highlight a holiday. For example, ‘C’ for Christmas—

7. Or highlight the holiday by spelling out the holiday like E-A-S-T-E-R.

There are so many great ways to use this album for a gift or keepsake. Here’s how you put it together.

TUTORIAL

1. Cut  out SVG files. You will have two pieces—a front overlay and a back piece with holes for attaching it to other album pieces. (PS All the Alphabet Photo Album pieces go together).

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2. Use tape or a glue stick to adhere the photograph to the back of a framed window. I used scotch tape, but you may use whatever adhesive you would like to make  your picture stay in place.

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3.Finally, simply place the letter on back piece to create a simple collage of fun photos.

Hope you get to make one of these fun album!

Carina

A_AlbumB_AlbumC_AlbumD_AlbumE_AlbumF_AlbumG_AlbumH_AlbumI_AlbumJ_AlbumK_AlbumL_AlbumM_AlbumN_AlbumO_AlbumP_AlbumQ_AlbumR_Album

S_Album

T_Album

U_Album

V_Album

W_Album

X_Album

Y_Album

Z_Album

 

 

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Rectangle Card Boxes Tutorial for Silhouette

I’ve been adding quite a few of these box cards to my silhouette shop recently. They aren’t hard to put together but there are a few steps. Each of my boxes are different so you will need to make adjustments to this tutorial based on the type of box you have purchased.

A couple of notes about these boxes. They aren’t true boxes in that they do not have a bottom. Once you have put them together, you should be able to fold them flat. Some of the boxes come with flaps along the edges (like the whale box) and some come without (like the ice cream box).

Here’s how to put it together:

1. Cut out the svg files. Glue accent pieces to the outside of the box. Note that most of these boxes should have a large accent piece on the back of the box AND the inside of the box. Usually you just need to cut the piece twice but on some of the designs the inside is different than the accent piece on the outside.

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2. Glue the flap on the main piece to the back of the box to create the main box.

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It should look like this:

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3. Glue on all the accent pieces to the inside pieces (for example, the whale on the back piece shown here). Then fold on glue flap forward and one glue flap backwards.

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4. Next glue the flaps into the box. Space the different pieces inside evenly. Most of these boxes come with 2-3 inside pieces. You can also fold the box flap to glue down the box pieces. Some of the boxes come with a single inside piece and a couple of little accessories (usually an object on a stick) that you just glue directly to the box.

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And that’s it! It’s a cute card or fun gift idea!

Hope you have fun making these!

Carina

DS-9.3W-CG-babyboxcard DS-9.3W-CG-deerboxcard DS-9.3W-CG-icecreamboxcard
DS-9.3W-CG-jukeboxcard
DS-9.3W-CG-unicornboxcard
DS-9.3W-CG-whaleboxcard1

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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

DS-16.5W-CG-flowerbasket DS-16.5W-CG-strawberrybox DS-16.5W-CG-butterflybasket1

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Layered Cake Tutorial for Silhouette

DS-15.6W-CG-layeredweddingcake

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)

DS-15.6W-CG-butterflylayeredweddingcake DS-15.6W-CG-layeredweddingcake

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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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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

FoldingFlapSlidingBox

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

fallmetalstardecor

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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).

3dlatticebirdbox3dlacybox 3dmotherbox

3dbutterflybox 3ddecorativebox 3dfatherbox 3dstripesbox

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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

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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

bunnyshadowcard

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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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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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…

calendar_mylife_carinagardner

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!)

mylifecalendar_silhouette_carinagardner

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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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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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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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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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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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Easy Costumes on a Budget

halloweenskeletonbonespreview_smI love costumes that are homemade and quick to put together. You may remember Siri’s favorite Octopus Costume that was made from socks and a t-shirt. For Halloween this year, my kids chose costumes with stuff we already had around the house and in the dress up clothing. Felicity will be a little Chinese girl, and Siri asked to be Medusa. Other than making a snake tiara for Siri, it’s going to be an easy year for costumes at our house!

Charlie is going to wear this little skeleton bones outfit that I made using my Silhouette machine. You can get my new Skeleton Bones diecut for this in the Silhoutte Shop for 99 cents! Not a bad price for a costume if I do say so myself.

I have tips for working with this diecut on my extremely-oh-so-very official silhouette page here: https://carinagardner.com/silhouette/. Susan and I are hoping to tape a video for that page sometime next week to teach you a few awesome things about your machine!  Be on the lookout for that!

And if you are looking for more from me, this week we also released the following diecuts (for  99 cents as always!)

Halloween Skeleton Bones (above)
Cupcake Pencil Case
Monster Pencil Case
Halloween  Bat Accordion Album
Sweet Life Accordion Album
Dahlia Fabric Flower
Monster Life Set 1
Monster Life Set 2
Monster Life Set 3
Fabulous Frame Set 1

Will show you a little more on the pencil cases soon! What are your kids going to be for Halloween?

Carina

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Carina Gardner Silhoutte Diecutting Files Now at SilhouetteAmerica.com

halloweenscallopbag_webThat’s right! My big news this week is you can now find my diecutting files at silhouetteamerica.com. How cool is that?

This week was the first week we placed files on the silhouette site. You’ll see this darling halloween scalloped bag, fabric flowers, the my life album set, and more! Yesterday I put together a myriad of new projects for the shop that will come out next week! More fabric stuff and great paper shapes. And some monster surprises for Halloween.

Speaking of Halloween, I thought I would point you in the direction of some happy Halloween fun.

Last year, I did a Witch and Wizard Party. It’s fun, full of ideas and was a total blast. Photos and inspiration here: https://carinagardner.com/2012/10/17/witch-and-wizard-party-kids-halloween-party/carinagardner_witchparty_web_1_72-copy

And of course, there has been the ever popular free banner download that I hung on my piano: https://carinagardner.com/2010/09/10/how-to-make-a-halloween-banner-free-download/

If you want ideas of easy bat art and free silhouette cutouts (and a video to boot!), there are free silhouette files here: https://carinagardner.com/2012/08/15/episode-4-all-hallows-eve-decor-video/

Want to make a batty wreath? Here’s the free pattern to make it: https://carinagardner.com/2009/10/23/spiders-web-papers-batty-wreath/

Last but not least, the Halloween Advent class is on sale for $3. That’s right! Take advantage of this sale while your can! http://www.carinagardnershop.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=162&category_id=37&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=2

Going to get up all my Halloween decorations this week! Wish me luck!

Carina

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