A Merry Christmas To You From Me

December 22, 2009 by carina 2 Comments

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I hope you have a wonderful Christmas/Holiday weekend! I just barely (gulp!) got my Christmas Cards mailed (as shown here:)) and have had some time to reflect on what a wonderful and exciting year it has been for my family. I have been talking to my girl Jen today and I am just amazed at how excited I feel everyday for the things happening in my life. There are too many things to name, but certainly one of those things is going to Design House Digital with Jen. She has officially announced herself as a designer and as the brain behind the site today (go check it out!). We have more designer announcements to come and I’m just happy to be a part of such a spectacular crew.

I’m also getting more and more excited for 2010! I have so many things in the works right now for fabric, online classes, and more! Everyday is so exciting for me. Thank you for keeping in touch and I hope that in this holiday season you are also happy, healthy, and of good cheer!

Merry Christmas!

Neighbor Gift Tags-Free Download

December 18, 2009 by carina 3 Comments

I just finished up my neighbor gifts—easy-to-make chocolate dipped pretzel rods. The girls helped me and we managed to make quite the mess. All you need to do to make this gift is melt carmel candies, dip pretzel rods in the “goop,” let them cool, and then dip them in chocolate. We also dipped ours in sprinkles and crushed Oreos for the fun of it. Tonight we will be delivering them.

To make them even more special, I bought cellophane bags that were 4 inch x 9 inch and stapled on this bag topper. I like them because they are generic enough that you could shrink them down as place cards or anything else that had to do with Christmas.

Instructions:

1. Download the 8.5 x 11 jpg (below) of the neighbor gift tag. The size is 4 inches x 4.25 inchs.

2.Personalize by adding your family name (we added the GARDNERS) with a san serif font like Arial or Helvetica (I am using Abell Condensed) OR leave the area blank and move on to step 3. To personalize, you will need to use some kind of editing software like Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. ng_cg

3. Print to fit cellaphane bag or shrink for other use.

4. Add a hand written message to the back or sign your family’s name to the front.

5. Fold in half (so the dimensions are 2 inches x 4.25 inchs and staple to the top of your bags.

6. Deliver holiday cheer!

Happy Holidays! Download the NEIGHBOR GIFT TAG here!

Sweet Update

December 9, 2009 by carina 1 Comment

Thank you to everyone for the positive response to the Illustrator class! I’m excited for you guys to all get your hands on it!

I’ve had a design marathon this week trying to get together some Christmas lines. I also found out that two new fabric lines are in the the works (yes, and I know you haven’t even seen Coquette yet). A line called Soiree and another called Love Nest. The artwork from Love Nest will all come from the Glitter Book currently sold at Hobby Lobby. So you have a mini preview by just flipping open one of those books.

In the midst of of all this , the girls and I made gingerbread houses today. Nothing like the good-ole-store-bought gingerbread kits for me….what, you expect me to make it by hand? Hey, I’m not superwoman! So, we had a wonderful time messing up the kitchen and leaving most of it for Josh to clean up.

Okay, done with the blog break and getting back to it!

Christmas Calendar Cones—Free Download

November 30, 2009 by carina 14 Comments

I promised a Christmas goodie and here it is! An advent calendar that you simply clip to a line. Add treats to the cones so your little ones can take one out everyday. This is a LARGE download because all of the 8.5 inch x 11 inch files are PRINT READY (300 dpi).

All you need to do is print (I printed from my home printer) and cut out. Tape each piece into a cone shape and hang on a line by clipping with a laundry clip. I hung 4 strings in one of our front room windows and clipped 6 cones (and seven on the last one) across the string.

I’ve also included a Santa that you can stick in the cones to show your kids what day it is.

We’re getting in the Christmas spirit at our house: We’ve got our tree up and we are heading for the Heber Creeper (AKA The Polar Express) tomorrow for my birthday. I think the kids will love it (which means I will love it…there is nothing quite like the excitement of children at Christmas). Go ahead and download this goodie and it’s okay if you get it up a few days late…your kids will still love it!

Happy Turkey Day!

November 26, 2009 by carina 2 Comments

We’ve had a very Happy Turkey Day! With so much to be thankful for, I think it was one of the best Thanksgivings yet. We had our turkey feast at my mother-in-law’s. Two of my sisters joined us, which was wonderful! And with two healthy little girls and a loving husband, my cup runneth over. Siri also managed to (finally) pull out her extremely loose tooth. This means our first visit from the tooth fairy.

I hope your Thanksgiving was equally as wonderful. Holidays are always a hard but happy time for me. I can’t wait to get up the tree (as Thanksgiving is the acknowledgment of the official start of Christmas music and letter writing at my house). I can’t wait to make my neighbors’ gifts (I’m excited to really officially make gifts this year now that we have permanent neighbors). I’m excited for the ornaments, the decorating, and all of the fun events the season brings (bring it on Holiday Parties!). Anyway, hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Sharing a Bit of Halloween with You

November 3, 2009 by carina 3 Comments

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Just thought I’d share a little photo montage of our family’s halloween with you! Tinkerbell and the Fab Witch had a wonderful halloween and I hope you did too!

Happy Haunting

October 28, 2009 by carina 1 Comment

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Just dropping in for a sec to wish you a Happy Boo Day! It’s few days early, but my Halloween starts tomorrow with a Halloween luncheon with my girls, Siri’s first Kindergarten Halloween Parade, and of course, trick-or-treating on the 31st. Plus, if you haven’t checked out my studio site recently, I’ve done a couple of updates! If you need a peek at some of the Love Nest papers, go here. I’ve had people tell me they were able to find the paper pad at Hobby Lobby and a couple of people tell me that it was already sold out! So be sure and drop by there if you want to snag it! Happy Haunting!

Spider’s Web Papers – Batty Wreath

October 23, 2009 by carina 20 Comments

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IMG_7715_sm Halloween is just a week away and I finally have finished my Spider’s Web Bat Wreath. I used my paper version (produced by My Mind’s Eye), but you can also pick it up digitally. I picked up this wreath from Michaels. These twig wreaths are relatively inexpensive ($4, I believe). I then had my silhouette machine cut out these bats for me. I few hot glue gun sticks later, and I was in business!

My kids are going to be a witch and a pumpkin this year (if I can convince her). We are in a new neighborhood, and I excited for the kids to trick-or-treat in this super kid-friendly street.

Hope you have a happy halloween!!!!!

White Chocolate Lollipops

April 25, 2009 by carina 4 Comments

My friend Carolyn sent me a picture of white chocolate lollipops she made from molds and I had to try it myself for Flissa’s family birthday party. (Carolyn says that she has a blog but hasn’t updated it for a while. I’m trying to convince her to put her gorgeous little girl bows up…if she does I will be sure to post it here!) So I borrowed Carolyn’s daisy molds and made the suckers. They were SO fast and easy to make. All you do is get white chocolate chips, melt them, add a little food coloring (I used two drops of red in one package of white chocolate chips to get this light pink), and let them cool in the fridge. I was sort of surprised at how fast the entire process was.

That’s my short post for the day! I have to get together the rest of Flissa’s b-day party and I am working on a new line for Two Peas which should hit in two weeks! Not only that but I found out this week that My Minds’s Eye has picked up a Halloween line from me for the July release (CHA). Lots of exciting things happening and so little time! Will post on the party and new line soon!

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Easter Inspiration

April 6, 2009 by carina 1 Comment

I’m back from a bit of a hiatus from my blog. I’ve had a number of things barking at me these last couple of weeks and I’ve devoted myself to being a little more careful about what I choose to spend my time doing. I actually was sitting in on a seminar a few weeks ago that asked us to rate the top 5 things in our lives (things we like to do, wanted to spend more of our time on, etc.). We were then asked to take that list and compare it to what we ACTUALLY do with our day. This simple task is an eye opener. I found myself acknowledging that I didn’t want to spend my life living the way I was now (so busy and stressed out) and not doing the things that I LOVE. Life’s too short right? My number one thing I wanted to do more of was spend a little more quality time with my little family—especially my girls. They’ve always been my number one priority, but I decided to MAKE sure that if I am doing something other than being with them, that it is completely worth it (that’s one way to justify not getting around to the laundry, heehee). Other top things for me? Designing, of course. I am COMPLETELY passionate about it. Surprisingly enough, cooking came up high on my list too. I completely forget how much I enjoy cooking as I spend more nights quickly try to get dinner together at night without a thought to how fun the process is. So you may see a bit more cooking on this site as I flex my creative muscles and make myself spend more time on things I love doing!

What are your top 5 things? What do you care about the most? I really believe that we have the ability to DESIGN our lives…which is a task in and of itself. How would you design your life if you could? I have some ideas about how I am changing my life to be a little less busy and more dynamic and engaging! I am always seeking after beauty in my life and that is one of the things I hope to bring to anyone who reads this blog. I hope that creativity is an integral part of your life too.

Which brings me to what I originally planned on posting about today: Easter inspiration. This is such a wonderful holiday—for decorations, family, and reflection. Hopefully, you get a chance this week to think about your life and what you need and don’t need in it! And while you are pondering these very big questions, lol, here is some eye candy to make you happy and feel inspired for this holiday!

This is Bossy Feltworks etsy shop. What a little darling chicky, huh?

This one’s from SoMommySew. These birdies and colors are divine?

This one is from madepersonal and is so charming.

If you want something to tandalize your eyes and your tummy, you should read this post over from the kitchn. It’a an assortment of very pretty little cookies you can find at different locations. These are too sweet and are true eye candy:

Those ladybugs are KILLING me…and little umbrellas? So sweet! Hope this all makes you as happy as it does me! More holiday stuff all this week…because, well, how can I help it? Happy Easter, Passover, or whatever you choose to celebrate this season. The main thing is that you celebrate!

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Easter Birdie Nests—Kid Edible Project

March 26, 2009 by carina 4 Comments

We made these edible easter nests that Siri is obsessed with it. I guarantee they’ll be a hit with your kids too! Plus they are easy!

Add a peep birdie for extra sweetness!

All you need is:

Chow Mein Crunch Noodles

Chocolate Chips (We like milk—it’s naughtier)

Shredded Sweetened Coconut (optional…I like it, the kids don’t)

jelly bean eggs or whopper eggs

Peeps chicks

Heat up a pan and melt the chocolate chips. Add the chow mein noodles and mix gently. I usually heap half into spoonfuls on a plate or tray and then mix the coconut in for the rest. Let your kids add the eggs and peeps. Easy Peasy!

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Easter Projects

March 22, 2009 by carina 2 Comments

Easter is fast approaching and I haven’t even begun to think about Easter projects for me girls. Our favorite is the peeps chicks in chocolate nests with jelly been eggs. Siri was just asking to do those the other day.

You should also check out the Easter Projects on Martha Stewart’s website. Look how cute these spring chicks are!

There’s also a slew of Easter decoration pictures. I am more motivated to get a few things together this week!

If you doing anything fun for Easter, post here!

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Valentine Gifts for Preschoolers

February 10, 2009 by carina 2 Comments

I posted my valentine freebie from card nirvana earlier, and we actually used them today for Siri’s preschool class! I printed them out back and front, Siri wrote in all her schoolmates names. We then attached the heart lollipops to the cards by punching a little hole in the corner. Fast and sweet…just the way it should be!

A note about the chocolate cards—we used a white gel pen to write on them! You can write on them with black ink, but it’s a little hard to read.

Want to grab these free cards? Grab them here from Card Nirvana, my digital invitation store!

**The Card Nirvana download is no longer available! You can now download them directly from this link:

https://carinagardner.com/valentineskiddiecard.zip

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Kitchen 123: Valentine Project and Heart Freebie

February 7, 2009 by carina 7 Comments

As Valentine’s day is approaching, I decided to be festive and actually do a project. You know, one where I am not on the computer. Ya, that doesn’t happen a lot. lol. If you want to make this heart tree, it’s SO easy and really inexpensive. Use any paper you like…my paper is the Bohemia line from My Minds Eye. I made 9 little “heart trios” as I call them, but you can make any number you like. So here’s the project: I took branches from outside and placed them in a vase. I used a piece of scrapbook paper, rolled it, and stuffed it in the vase. Then I put on these little heart trios. Here’s how to make them:

First, download my heart freebie here. Print is out as your template. Then you are going to want to cute out hearts from 3 different types of papers. I actually folded my heart template in half and folded the scrapbook paper too so my hearts were symmetrical. Then you want to glue stick three of the hearts together so they look like so:

I then punched a little hole in each of these with a “baby” hole puncher. and hung then on string. I think ribbon would be cute too, but at the moment I don’t have ribbon thin enough for this project. So string it was!

I did tie a little crochet lace around the top of the vase. I love how graphic this paper is because it feels so organic. I’d also suggest painting the branches white. I didn’t because I like the natural feeling of the branches, but I think that it could be a cute alternative.

Here’s my Kitchen 123 Recipe card I made to file away this project (See the recipe card post).

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Grab the heart template freebie at my 4shared link: Heart Freebie Template

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Kitchen 1 2 3: New recipe card sets coming to 2Peas…See How I Used Them

February 6, 2009 by carina 2 Comments

My kitchen recipes has been a sore spot for, well, forever. I usually keep everything in a plastic bag or pushed into the cook books I love the most. Not exactly contusive for say, actually, FINDING a recipe. And I really do have tons of free floating recipes…things I have ripped out of magazines, recipes friends have written on napkins for me, my grandmother-in-law’s pie crust recipe. They are just floating around the house…not the least bit usable until I think of one and dig it out.

So almost more for me than anyone else, I created a line with Jen Allyson at 2Peas that will be released on Tuesday (Feb 10) called Kitchen 123. It is a recipe organization system. I created 2 different types of tab systems and a holiday tab set that I plan on using for more than just kitchen recipes, but for projects too. I’ll post my valentine’s day project so you can see! But for now, here’s how I used the recipe cards:

First, you need to find a good “box.” I know if I do this, then it will make it special. I think it would be cool to make the box a project itself. If you do this, post a link in the comments to you photo or blog post on it! I decided to go with something really clean that would show off the design. I got this box from the Container Store. These were MADE to put something pretty in!

Here are my previews of the recipe sets I did along with the photos I took of the box I put together for me. I’m sure as I add cards to it that it will change and grow. But the best part? I plan to keep most of the cards digitally so if one gets oil or water on it, no problem! Just re-print! I did print extra cards with lines though so I could have one handy to write up a recipe. I don’t know how many times I’ve had someone over (or I’ve been over someone else house) and I asked for the recipe. They it would get written on a piece of paper and, inevitably, end up in my plastic sack!

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The last one it my favorite! I plan on using it for projects AND recipes! I’m totally making a post on 2peas to get people to give me their holiday projects and recipes!

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