UPDATES FROM CARINA Archives

New Audrey Sewing Pattern Collection

1 Comment / Riley Blake, Sewing, Sewing Patterns, Stuff I Love, Tutorials / carina

We started working on this collection in December. I’ve never been so ambitious before and tried to release 8 sewing patterns at once! But it was an idea that came from loving and wanting to produce a knit collection that was simple to sew and beautiful to wear. Easy enough of a concept….quite a bit more difficult to execute.

And I couldn’t have done it alone! My pattern production assistant worked tirelessly on this collection and made edit after edit as I pinned, cut, and tried to find the SIMPLIEST way to put these patterns together. I hope you love the results!

This is the first time I have released MISSES and TEEN sizing! You’ll notice that as my family changes in age, I find myself wanting to make what my own kids are wearing.

So here’s the run down on these patterns.

There are 3 styles of knit patterns. ALL are easy to make but Style 1 is the easiest and Style 3 the hardest. As you can guess, Style 2 is right in between the other two.
Style 1 is short in front and longer in the back. Style 2 is an A-line with a gusset in the back. Style 3 features a zipper in a yoke on the front. Each of these variations changes the look and styling of the patterns.
There are two lengths on each of the tunic patterns. There is a “blouse/tunic” version (shorter) and a “dress” version (longer). Here’s the deal: they are both LONG. These tunics are meant to be worn with leggings and if you are anything like me, I won’t wear leggings unless they cover my bottom! In the picture above, Felicity (white) is wearing the TUNIC length Style 3, Siri (yellow) is wearing the DRESS length Style 1, and I (stripes) am wearing the TUNIC length Style 2.
The sleeves are INTERCHANGABLE. There is a 3/4 length sleeve on Style 1, an elbow length sleeve on Style 2, and a cap sleeve on Style 3.
The patterns come in TWO sizes: Misses AND Girl/Teen. The Misses size include 4,6,8,10, and 12. The Girls sizes include 6,8,10,12,14. If you are a size 2 in Misses, you can easily move down to the 14 in Girls/Teen.

Did I mention the final two patterns are a Miss and Girl/Teen legging? Yep! SOOO simple to sew together since there is a single seam. We love using the Riley Blake knits for these!

I know some of you are probably afraid to work with knits, but it is a lot simpler than you would think! I have a few pointers for those of you getting started and made a couple of videos to make the process so much easier! Check them out below.

Here are a couple of “important” things that I always do when I start to work with knits:

Change my needle to a STRETCH needle. These can be bought for ALL brands of sewing machine and is meant for knits. This will make your sewing go SO much smoother!
Use the thread that matches the fabric content. So if I have a 60% Polyester and a 40% Cotton fabric, I use a Polyester thread. The only time I do not follow this rule is when I have a cotton based fabric with a small percentage of stretch (like a 5% spandex like a Riley Blake knit). Then I will use a polyester thread because it has more give then a cotton thread.
Surprisingly, you do NOT have to serge knits. It looks nicer and will last longer, but you shouldn’t fret just because you don’t have a serger. You should take a chance on knits with just your regular sewing machine!

(Here are the two videos: Getting Started with Knits and a Tutorial on Style 3!)

Make sure and take advantage of the 20% sale going on right now on PDF patterns in the shop in honor of the new collection! Put in code AUDREYNEW20. The sale should last through February 2016. it includes ALL PDF patterns including Kid cottons and quilt patterns!

I’d love to hear what you are doing with knits! Join my Facebook page to tell me or my Private Sewing Group on Facebook! As always, I love getting feedback on the patterns and projects I am working on.

Finally, there is a good chance we will have handmade Style 1 in Misses S, M, L available for sale in a couple of weeks. We will have a very limited few since these are being made inhouse. Keep your eyes out for these!

Happy sewing!

Carina

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Wiltshire Daisy Around the World Quilt Pattern—Free Pattern Download

1 Comment / Free Digital Downloads-Freebies-Free Digital Printables, Riley Blake, Sewing, Sewing Patterns, Stuff I Love, Tutorials, Wiltshire Daisy Fabric Line / carina

The 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:

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

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Digital Scrapbooking, St. George, and Stuff

1 Comment / Digital Scrapbooking, Family / carina

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carina

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Family Ornament Silhouette Instructions

1 Comment / Family, Holiday Projects, Silhouette, Tutorials / carina

Today 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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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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Nativity 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.

Family Ornament Silhouette Instructions Read More »

Holiday Mocktail Party

1 Comment / Free Digital Downloads-Freebies-Free Digital Printables, UPDATES FROM CARINA / carina

A 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_web Here 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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Vancouver, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Back Again

1 Comment / UPDATES FROM CARINA / carina

If you go on a trip to Asia, when you come home your children will look like this <<<<<.

I could end the post there. But I suppose I will elaborate. If you have been following my instagram feed then you’ve followed me on my two week excursion to Hong Kong. Here’s a quick synopsis, and a few photos to boot.

+ Vancouver—It was suppose to be a quick day trip but it was met with tragedy. Our party of three was whittled down to two due to a death in my friend’s family. I missed her so much on the trip but was glad we were not all the way in Beijing yet. It made getting home for her a lot easier.
+ Tried to conquer my fear of heights at the Capilano Suspension Bridge (Photo below)
+ Got stuck in Beijing due to bad weather.
+ Got touristy and visited the Big Buddha, Victoria’s Peak, and the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery.
+ Never got used to the humidity
+ Or the heat.
+ Shopped. A.L.O.T.
+ Did press checks for MiniLou on mainland. The main purpose of the entire trip. Incredibly happy with everything we are doing in the new company. Can’t wait for you to see product!
+ Danced in the street with my travel partner Tausha in Lan Kwai Fong in honor of World Cup.
+ Ate a few noodles.
+ Shopped again.
+ Hiked the Dragon’s Back
+ And thought the heat unbearable.
+ Ate more noodles (Seriously, where was the rice?)
+ Discovered I love Taiwanese food
+ And remembered how much I hate Duran fruit.
+ Was ruthless video taped while taking a bite of it.
+ I am sparing you the video.
+ Don’t ask for it because I’m not showing it to you.
+ Visited Macau but failed to give myself enough time to really enjoy it.
+ Bought a Mahjong set which put my luggage over the weight limit.
+ Am determined to remember/learn how to play again.
+ Am happy to be back in my home with my sweet little ones.
+ Got back to my baby boy who called me “mama” before the trip and for some reason now calls me “mommy.” Not sure what happen there but not complaining.

IMG_9154_web So there it is in a nutshell. It was a wonderful business/pleasure trip and it especially made me excited for MiniLou! For more photos, I recommend checking my instagram feed. Will be back with some good stuff soon!

Happy summer!

Carina

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My New Company MiniLou

1 Comment / UPDATES FROM CARINA / carina

After several months of secrets, I’m finally able to reveal what I have been up to! MiniLou is my new children’s company. Creative, sweet, and soooo fun, the products are inspired by my own children and the sweetness of childhood.

The story behind MiniLou is a simple one. Last summer, I started drawing these kitty paper dolls for Siri and Felicity. I loved paper dolls as a girl. I remember dressing them up and playing house with them. I saw Siri and Felicity loving everything I was illustrating for them. I invented a story for the kitties that I would tell them at bedtime. Siri and Felicity started hand drawing their own little paper dolls mimicking the ones I made for them. We were all sitting around a table together. Drawing. Playing with paper dolls. I loved their creativity, and MY creativity when we were doing this together.

And that was it. I loved the idea of a line of products that promoted creativity for kids. I knew the little kitties needed to become something.

So MiniLou was born. Creative products for kids. Small, easy-to-handle products. Products that were easy for moms to deal with. Basically, anything that I would love for my own children to play with.

Slowly and surely, I gathered a wonderful team of illustrators. The little kitties turned into MiniLou’s first product category: Pocket Paper Pals—a small, reusable package of paper dolls and landscapes. Perfect for storing and playing with. Printed on textured paper. Bright, happy, sweet.

I added mini coloring books—5 in x 7 in that fit perfectly in my purse and in the hands of my little ones. Then came the sketchpads and the bookmarks. Objects that would inspire and uplift. My kids were excited for every sample to come home to them.

MiniLou’s Fall 2014 Catalog is a compilation of the very first of what the new company has to offer. I hope you enjoy it! A lot of heart went into this first catalog. It has been a new adventure. Scary—it’s always scary to start a new company. Humbling—there are so many people who have backed me and encouraged me. And wonderful. There is no better word. Wonder-ful sums it all up.

And with that has come a wonderful whirlwind of exciting new things. MiniLou’s fall collections hit shops in September. I leave in 3 days to do press checks in China. I’ve never been to China before although I am half Chinese (My mother is ethnically Chinese but from Malaysia). My instagram feed will be a fun montage of work and play. I hope you have a chance to watch for it!

Please go check out the new website, the facebook feed, the instagram feed @miniloukids, the wonderful new video we have up, the twitter account, and the pinterest account. I can’t wait for people to experience the Kid’s Corner, where we plan on releasing free downloadable coloring pages and projects.

MINILOU’S SOCIAL MEDIA

I hope you see the sweetness and joy of childhood emanating from this new company.

Thank you so much for all of your support in this wonder-filled adventure.

Carina

My New Company MiniLou Read More »

Glamper Tour—Recap of Pine Needles Quilt Shop

2 Comments / EVENTS, Fabric, Glamper Renovation, Little Ark Fabric Collection / carina

Last weekend we were at Pine Needles at Gardner Village. It was a great event and so busy! I was grateful to everyone who came out to do make and takes, hang out with the designers and see Lucy!

So many of my favorite designers came to be part of the event including Deena Rutter and Lori Whitlock (who I get to work with at Carta Bella and Echo Park). Chelsea Andersen came all the way from St. George to be at this event (Thank you, Chelsea!). The fabulous Emily Taylor (photo below), Amanda Herring, Jina Barney (Creative Director for Riley Blake), Alexis Barney, and Cindy Cloward (Owner of Riley Blake) were all there making the festivities so fun!

Our final stop is at Mormon Handicraft/Deseret Book this Saturday (May 10th) from 1-4pm. Details below:

Mormon Handicraft/ Deseret Book
1110 Fort Union Blvd
Midvale, UT 84047
Back Parking Lot
May 10, 2014
1pm-4pm
Glamper, Designers, and Carina’s New Dishware Line

(photo above—Little Ark Fabric line at Pine Needles)

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(photo above) Holli (Pine Needles Store Manager), me, and Sandy Workman (Pine Needles Owner and Riley Blake Designer)

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(photo above) Emily Taylor showcasing her new fabric lines.

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(photo above) Just to give you an idea of our set up.

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(photo above, starting left) Lori Whitlock, Carina Gardner, Deena Rutter, Emily Taylor, Amanda Herring, Jina BArney, Sandy Workman, Chelsea Andersen

Hope to see you at our final stop this weekend!
Carina

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Glamper Recap on Quiltique

Evening Blooms Fabric Line, Fabric, Family, Glamper Renovation, Little Ark Fabric Collection, Sewing / carina

I’m a bit behind since I need to recap the last two glamper stops. This has been taking up a lot of my time recently. Feel free to “like” that page because I am going to have A LOT more on that later along with a number of giveaways and beautiful images come time to launch.

So here’s my photo recap of our Glamper Stop at Quiltique.

First off, Little Ark is in shops! (Yaaay!) Quiltique had these darling bundles available for sell. I also spotted some Evening Blooms pre-cuts in their shop. If you are in the Las Vegas area, Quiltique is a must-visit shop. I love the glass windows into the classroom and all the quilts hung above the shop. There were some darling displays and of course, an abundance of fabric.

(photo below) Quiltique is a family-owned business. We happily all posed in front of the glamper in the Las Vegas heat!

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The number one question I get from people who come to see the glamper is, “So do you use it?” The answer is always, “YES! Open a cupboard, and you’ll see all the food still in it from the last trip!” At this stop, this was even more true since I had to get up bright and early to clean the glamper. My family had been living in it for spring break as we traveled down to Nevada from SLC.

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(photo below) Since it was Quiltique’s birthday weekend, I was excited to meet Me and My Sisters Designs (Moda Fabrics) who happen to be teaching in the shop the same day!

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(photo below) This little cutie is one of my college roommate’s daughters who dropped by to see me!

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I had an amazing time at Quiltique and loved seeing their shop! Thank you to all of you who dropped by to see Lucy and me!

XOXO—Carina

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Glamper Tour—Stop at Pine Needles Quilt Shop at Gardner Village

EVENTS, Fabric, Glamper Renovation, Riley Blake, Sewing / carina

This Saturday Lucy and I are headed to Pine Needles Quilt Shop at Gardner Village in West Jordan. First off, the quilt shop is AMAZING, and I love going in and grabbing this and that. Sandy Workman’s embroidery patterns alone are worth going in for!

Second, they are having a special sale just for the glamper tour! All Riley Blake pre-cuts will be 30% off! How’s that for fabulous.

Third, if you have never visited Gardner Village, this is an excuse to! I was first introduced to Gardner Village early in my marriage at a family gathering at Archibald’s Restaurant. Josh’s family is related to these Gardner’s so it is always fun for my kids to look at the photos hanging over the booths.

Best yet, you’ll get to meet a lot of fabulous Riley Blake designers at this event. Amanda Herring, Deena Rutter, Chelsea Anderson, Sandy Workman, and Emily Taylor will be there with samples from their new lines. RB Creative Director Jina Barney and Alexis Barney will be there with make and takes. We’ll have a raffle every 30 minutes. And the sale. And Lucy. And treats. Enuff said!

Here’s the info for this Glamper Stop

Pine Needles Quilt Shop
http://www.pineneedlesonline.com
Gardner Village
1100 West 7800 South, #29S
West Jordan, UT 84088
May 3, 2014
11am-2pm
30% Sale on Riley Blake Pre-cuts

I hope to see you there!

Carina

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Glamper Tour Stop on April 19th at Quiltique in Nevada

1 Comment / Fabric, Family, Glamper Renovation / carina

Yesterday my family trekked from Salt Lake City to St. George for spring break and for the Quiltique Glamper Stop! St. George is just a side trip to play in the red rock and go to the children’s museum (from which this post is being written).

Currently, my glamper doesn’t look as pristine as you see it in the photo to the right. One night in the glamper turns the small space into kids chaos. I keep telling myself that’s what it’s for!:) You’ll see it in the pristine condition when I see you on Saturday!

If you are on the Quiltique newsletter, then you already know that I am going to be there to help celebrate their 11th birthday! If you are in the Las Vegas/Henderson, Nevada area, this is an event not to be missed! On Friday, you can enter their Easter basket raffle to try a win for the $1100 Quiltique Shopping Spree! I know they are doing lots of other fabulous things so be sure to check their website at www.quiltique.com. And of course, if you come see me (wink, wink), we’ll have treats and a raffle that will happen every 30 minutes!

Here’s what you need to know:

Glamper Tour Stop 2 happens at:
Quiltique
213 N. Stephanie Street, Suite E
Henderson, NV 89074
Saturday, April 19, 2014
11am-2pm

Treats, raffles, and Lucy the Glamper!

Hope to see you all there! If can follow my week down to Las Vegas by following me on instagram @carinagardner.

Carina

PS, you can check out past glamper stops and the renovation of Lucy by going here: https://carinagardner.com/category/glamper-renovation/

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Glamper Tour Recap: My Girlfriend’s Quilt Shoppe

2 Comments / EVENTS, Fabric, Glamper Renovation, Riley Blake, Sewing, Sewing Patterns / carina

Here it is! The Glamper Recap of our day at My Girlfriend’s Quilt Shoppe in Logan, Utah on March 22nd, 2014. Here I am sitting in front of the shop with the owner Kris Thurgood. Her darling shop is three stories tall with classes, a full on hang out room (The Attic), kiddie area, and of course, shopping.

We parked the glamper outside with guests Deena Rutter, Emily Taylor, and Samantha Walker. Riley Blake sent the fabulous mom and daughter duo Jina and Alexis Barney.

I was grateful for the sunshine (you’ll notice we are all squinting in the photos!). When we arrived it was pretty chilly, but by 11am it was perfect. I lucked out for an outside event in Utah in March!

Here’s a peek at our day there:

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Shoppers were entered into a raffle by getting their paper stamped by every designer at the event. Prizes included fabric donated by Riley Blake and large goodie bags made up of stuff from my designs at Carta Bella Paper Co, Deseret Book, and Riley Blake.

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(photo below) You could sit a while in the shade of the glamper and do a make and take. (Thanks for posing for me ladies!)

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(photo below-right) Designer Deena Rutter shows her patterns and beautiful fabric. Did you know that Deena also designs for me over at Carta Bella? I adore working with her! (photo below-left) My Bella Stash Bag pattern hangs out next to some fabulous football mums.

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(photo above and below) Emily Taylor’s fabric and sewing patterns are so lovely!

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(photo below) Designers Samantha Walker and Deena Rutter hang out with customers. Sam’s family recently bought an RV so we all hung out over the weekend (Sam also designs for me at Carta Bella). Hoping for more of that! (And yes, my family stayed in the glamper before and after the event).

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(photo above-left) Jina Barney is the Creative Director at Riley Blake and her daughter Alexis is her right-hand gal. It’s always a fun day when Riley Blake comes to party! (photos above-right) Kit shows off my Little Playdate Outfit in my Evening Blooms fabric. (photo below-left) Some Carina Gardner patterns hang out next to the daughter-doll duo of Love Next Ruffle Dress and Little Love Nest Ruffle Dress. (photo-below-right) Jolene of Sew Red Glasses and I hung out and determined color value with her cool glasses. A perfect quilting tool! Check her out at http://sewredglasses.com/.

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(photo-above) My biggest misstep for the event was ordering WAY too many cookies. Thank you to everyone who was willing to have more than one:). I took plenty home and donated several to neighbors.

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(photo below) My fabulous assistant Susan made the trek up to help me set up and take many of the photos you see here in this post.

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(photo-below) I don’t have a lot of photos inside the shop, but here are a couple I couldn’t resist posting. The one to the left was the Riley Blake tree from a Quilt Market booth they did in Salt Lake. It is above My Girlfriend’s Quilt Shoppe children’s play area and the perfect accessory to this gated happy place. The second is the awesome trio of chairs hanging from the ceiling in The Attic. There were so many other cool displays! I highly recommend taking a trip and checking it out!

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(photo below) I can’t tell you how hard it was to find a shot where all of us were looking up with our eyes open! (from left to right) Samantha Walker, Kris Thurgood, Jina Barney, Carina Gardner, Deena Rutter, Emily Taylor, and Kim Christopherson.

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(photo above) Kim (Kimberbell Designs), myself, and Kris in front of the glamper. I was thrilled to hang out at their shop and meet so many of you! Probably the most amazing moment was when three ladies from my hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee showed up! It was so incredibly delightful! Thank you Judy, Susie, and Barbara for coming to see me! It made my day!

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Our next stop is in three weeks at Quiltique in Las Vegas, Nevada (April 19th from 11am-2pm). It will be just me, my family, and the glamper for that stop. Those of you in town, I would love to see you!

Happy Glamping and Sewing!

Carina

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GLAMPER TOUR: My Girlfriend’s Quilt Shoppe on March 22nd

1 Comment / EVENTS, Fabric, Glamper Renovation / carina

I’m so excited that our first stop is on SATURDAY! It is at my friend Kris’s shop (you may remember her from the DIY Dish) in Logan, Utah from 11am-2pm.

If you haven’t visited My Girlfriend’s Quilt Shoppe, this is an opportunity not to be missed. This shop hosts a number of different classes and has the most amazing upstairs space called The Attic. I don’t think many realize that you can rent the space basically for FREE (You put down $25 to reserve the space and then when you are done with it you get a $25 gift card back to the shop).

They are also a Baby Lock dealer and if anyone knows me, I’m a sucker for their sergers. I own an Evolution and use it to create all of my sewing patterns.

Want to know what we will be doing? Make and takes for one (we are going to squish as many people as we can into the glamper for these!), a fun game to help you get to know the designers (see list below), treats (because how can any of us say no to treats?), and door prizes (donated by myself and Riley Blake!) to name a few. And then there is of course shopping (he-lllooo!) and if you haven’t been to this shop, some exploring (it’s three levels of fabulousness!).

Make sure and check out My Girlfriend’s Quilt Shoppe’s Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/mygirlfriendsquiltshoppe and their website here: http://www.mygirlfriendsquiltshoppe.com/

My Girlfriend’s Quilt Shoppe
1115 N 200 E #230,
Logan, UT 84341
11am-2pm

Meet Deena Rutter, Lori Holt, Samantha Walker, Emily Taylor, Jina Barney, and Alexis Barney. And of course I will be there! And if you are there at the right time, you might also get a chance to meet my fabulous assistant Susan!

I can’t wait to see you there! Photos on instagram and blogpost to come for those who are unable to make it!

Carina

PS. If you missed all my posts about renovating the glamper, you can find there here: https://carinagardner.com/category/glamper-renovation/. You’ll see how we took this vintage trailer from renovation nightmare to it’s current glamped up state! And if you want to see where else we are going this spring, check that out here: https://carinagardner.com/2014/02/08/glamper-tour-spring-204-dates-announced/

GLAMPER TOUR: My Girlfriend’s Quilt Shoppe on March 22nd Read More »

48 Hours in Texas and New Mexico

2 Comments / Carina Gardner TV, Fabric, Sewing, Sewing Patterns, Stuff I Love, Tutorials / carina

48 hours in New Mexico and West Texas isn’t a lot of time to do much, but I made time to eat a lot of Mexican food and take pictures of the livestock (haha, see below). I flew into Lubbock, TX and drove to Portales, New Mexico—a charming little town that houses Eastern New Mexico University. There I was greeted by the host of Creative Living’s Sheryl Borden, who is probably one of the nicest people I have ever met. (photo above: It was too hard to pass up taking a photo of a pink bug. Slug Bug!)

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Sheryl and I taped three segments for her PBS show Creative Living. I believe the segments should air at your local PBS station (check your local listings) sometime in the third and fourth quarter of the year (more on this when I find out air dates). I’ll also post our segments on my youtube channel when I get my hands on the videos. (photo below: Sheryl and myself on her set). IMG_6696_web

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Obviously some super important explaining happening above. ^^^

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I always love to see behind the scenes of something like this and two members of Sheryl’s crew was nice enough to snap photos for me with my camera. The set has a full kitchen and living room area. IMG_6793_web

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Serious control room. ^^^ IMG_6807_web

The foodie in my was pretty happy on this trip. There is something so fun about discovering places I have never eaten before. A couple of places to mention: I loved the carne asada tacos at Taqueria Jalisco. I also stopped by the Taco Village and loved their beef tacos (near the airport—a plus!).

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I’m on my way home now and it should be a busy weekend including the Yard Sale at The Cottage! Be sure and check it out for some amazing deals. I also get to attend the wedding of a college girlfriend and maybe even stop in at our neighborhoods big band dance. I’m looking forward to getting home!

And although it has only been 48 hours, I’m excited to go home and snuggle my Charlie-boy and girls.

Carina

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Glamper Tour Spring 2014 Dates Announced!

5 Comments / EVENTS, Fabric, Glamper Renovation / carina

Here is it! The list of shops that Lucy the Glamper will be coming to this spring! Please come see us! You’ll get to come do make and takes in (and outside) the glamper, have treats, check out new fabric lines, get ideas from our samples, and meets lots of great designers! It’s going to be SO fun, and I can’t wait to meet you!

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Did I mention the awesome number of designers who will be attending these events? Here’s the breakdown of who will be at each event.

March 22 My Girlfriend’s Quilt Shoppe in Logan, Utah 11am-2pm with Riley Blake, Deena Rutter, Emily Taylor, Lori Holt, and Samantha Walker

April 19 Quiltique in Las Vegas, Nevada 11am- 2pm with Riley Blake and Chelsea Andersen

May 3 Pine Needles at Gardner Village in West Jordan, Utah 11an-2pm with Riley Blake, Sandy Workman, Lori Whitlock, Samantha Walker, Emily Taylor, Lori Holt, Amanda Herring, and Deena Rutter.

May 10 Mormon Handicraft Fort Union in Sandy, Utah 1pm-4pm with Riley Blake, Lori Holt, Amanda Herring, Samantha Walker, Emily Taylor, Deena Rutter, and Lori Whitlock.

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And of course, I will be there showing my new fabric line Little Ark hanging out! In fact, the May 10th event at Mormon Handicraft is a special Mother’s Day event and not only will you see all of Riley Blake’s gorgeous new fabric lines, but I will also be showing my newest goodies for Deseret Book!

Spread the word! Feel free to grab the images in this post and let people know about these events! I’d love to see you there!

Carina

Glamper Tour Spring 2014 Dates Announced! Read More »

Flashback

1 Comment / Family / carina

A few years ago I did a photoshoot with Jessica from Hiya Papaya (I think this was 41/2 years ago but I could be wrong). I ran into these photos again and thought I would share the flashback. It couldn’t be helped:).

As I was scanning through the photos I was laughing because I have an obvious obsession for vintage trailers. Back then I wanted an Airstream pretty badly. Let’s face it. I STILL want an Airstream pretty badly (who doesn’t?).

I was still learning about the industries that I am currently involved in: fabric, scrapbooking paper, digital….it was all still so fresh and new. My mini office in the picture above was in my bedroom. Now I have a warehouse and a home studio, and I feel as if they are brimming full! I feel pretty grateful looking back at all the opportunities that opened up to me.

The flashback was good since I have some really, really, really amazing things happening in 2014. Every year, everyday it’s a new adventure. I feel lucky and blessed for all of it.

Carina

(PS How is it February already?)

Flashback Read More »

Glamper Renovation — Full Reveal! Part 5

14 Comments / Glamper Renovation / carina

It’s taken several months, but our glamper is finally finished! I think we have named her Lucy (I’m still a but noncommittal since I have trouble not just calling her “the glamper.”) I’m so happy with how the interiors turned out. There was much sewing, wallpapering, painting and contast cleaning. I’m so excited for the memories that our little family will be creating in her. At the moment, she is my personal office since I stole away to St. George to finish taking pictures of her and get some much needed work under my belt.

I hope you enjoy the photos and come see her on the Glamper Tour this spring! I will be revealing the places a little later this week.

BTW, all the photos of me were shot by my fabulous assistant Susan. I know, she rocks.

Here are some of the highlights (check them out in the photos).

1. Wallpapered door, table, and kitchen (patterns from my October 2014 fabric line…yet to be seen)
2. Laminates from Riley Blake on all the cushions (best decision EVER!)
3. Curtains featuring my Evening Blooms fabric collection and Tasha Noel’s Simple Life all by Riley Blake.
4. Refrigerator covered with some chalk art I made (printed at Costco…they have the best price for 30 x 20 images!)

GLAMPER_carinagardner_1_web copy Some of the pictures make Lucy look bigger than she is. Keep in mind she is 17 feet long and every cushioned surface becomes a bed (bunk on the top with the double cushions pull out, dinette becomes the bottom bunk, and sofa turns in to a double bed). Oh ya, and even though it isn’t pictured here, check out the silver piece between the bathroom door (it has a mirror on it) and the sofa. That’s were I hang the 24 inch TV when we aren’t on the go.

Want to see the befores?

Glamper Renov Part 1
Glamper Renov Part 2
Glamper Renov Part 3
Glamper Renov Part 4

Recap of Glamper Visit to Pine Needles Quilt Shop
Recap of Glamper Visit to My Girlfriend’s Quilt Shoppe
Recap of Glamper Visit to Quiltique

Enjoy!

Carina

PS. You’ll notice no pictures of the bathroom in this post. That is the one part of the glamper that may take more time to renovate. I’ll show you once I’ve finished making decisions about where it is going to go. This renovation never ends!

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Glamper Renovation — Full Reveal! Part 5 Read More »

A New Year

Carta Bella Paper, UPDATES FROM CARINA / carina

The 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

A New Year Read More »

Glamper Renovation Part 4- Exterior Finished!

5 Comments / Glamper Renovation / carina

It’s been so busy I haven’t had a chance to post the finished exterior of the glamper! And just in time too! I was watching the weather closely to paint the exterior and parts of the interior.

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The polka dots turned out to be a bit of a chore. At the end of the day, I’m glad I did it because it gives my glamper such a fun look. To get the polka dots I cut 5 inch circles out with a circle cutter with an 18mm blade. I then spaced them out 5 inches apart both vertically and horizontally. Because I was using a spray, I knew the circles wouldn’t come out “clean”. Once the paint was dry, I just figured that I was going to be able to use a stencil to outfit the edges with my white paint.

Because of all the crinkles on the glamper, this turned out to be an impossible plan. I ended up hand painting every single dot! Eek! Thankfully I got a little help (see photo below).

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I did a touch up coat of white on the top of the glamper and a tiny gray stripe between the top and bottom. It was two days of torment well worth it!

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Here’s a quick view of the other side of the glamper:

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I’ve also been working hard on the exterior and finally finished painting the bathroom, touch-ups, most of the hardware is in, the fridge installed, tv hardware installed, the cushions all sewn, and most of the curtains finished. I’m still a bit out before I can show you all of it. In fact, I have a hankering to decorate it for Christmas so the first shots of the interior you might see all “Christmas-ed up.”

If you haven’t seen the previous posts on the Glamper, here are some quick links for you:

Glamper Renovation Part 3
Glamper Renovation Part 2
Glamper Renovation Part 1

Carina

Glamper Renovation Part 4- Exterior Finished! Read More »

Carina Gardner Exclusively for Deseret Book!

Family, Holiday Projects / carina

I’m so excited to announce my Winter Collections for Deseret Book! Just in time for Christmas, DB has stocked a collection of inspirational bangles that I have designed! The sets come in Navy, Red, Black, and Gray. They each have a different engraved inspiration on the inside. You can find them online here:

Navy
Stand As a Witness
Believe
So Lucky to Have a Friend Like You
Cherish Life’s Little Moments

Black
Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful
Faith Makes Things Possible
Believe in Yourself
Live. Laugh.Love

Gray
Love Surrounds You
Enjoy the Ride
Reach for the Stars

Red
Be Wise, Be Kind, Be True
Choose Happiness
Live a Happy Life
Everything Happens for a Reason
And just in time for Christmas—New Christmas Dishware! I’m SO happy with how these turned out! Santa will certainly be getting his cookies on one of these beauties!

CG Dish Towels

CG Dessert Plates

CG Christmas Tray

___________________________________________________________________________________________

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Family_Rules_Plaque_detail And last but not least, I have a new darling line of Canvas Art! Lots of good stuff going on here!

Family Rules

We All Have Our Best Guides

Our Family

There is Always Something to be Thankful For

All Things are Possible

Don’t Try Too Hard

(The ones without links I was unable to find on their site).

Hope you have a chance to walk into a store to see these! The packaging is hard to miss!:).

Carina

Carina Gardner Exclusively for Deseret Book! Read More »

Glamper/Camper Renovation Part 3

7 Comments / Family, Glamper Renovation / carina

It’s been a busy couple of weeks with the glamper. Brandon has been working on it nonstop with his team over at Camper Reparadise. The list of things he has taken care of goes on and on. All the electrical was wired, new tanks, brake work, new wood installed with flooring, new water tank and pump, and outside replacement lights to name a few. It’s been amazing to see it come together on my trips to drop off flooring and fixtures.

Speaking of lights, lighting has been my nightmare conundrum. I spent several days looking at lights. I finally decided on one from Home Depot (without the long bottom piece) shown to the right (number 1). Turned out that the top part wouldn’t fit in some of the spaces. Then I bought the second light shown to the right (also from Home Depot) and although they fit, we realized that the trailer was set up for lights that each had an individual switch. I was totally heartbroken (because I was in love with the second lights by this point) and in trouble! I looked for a few days and finally settled on a light that I will have to repaint. A facing-down light, white, small, and with a switch is pretty well impossible to find. I couldn’t find a link for the one I found at Home Depot (despite all the online searches I ended up with one I found there!), but I’ll show you it in the final photos.

These lights are for the 120 volt power. I still had to buy lights for the 12 volt battery. Once again, not a chance you will find something cute out there. Thankfully, these lights are sort of hidden so I bought some run-of the-mill lights from the State Trailer Supply in SLC.

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I also learned my lesson with flooring. I purchased regular laminate wood planks at first and then had to return them in favor of vinyl planks. Apparently, they are waterproof and necessary. I purchased mine from my local Lowes. I didn’t have time to special order (the flooring needed to go in before other parts of the trailer could be finished) and Home Depot didn’t have anything dark enough. Brandon suggested we put the flooring under all of the chairs and in the bathroom to keep everything waterproof. After seeing the water damage in the floor before, I was only to happy to have him put it in anywhere he could. He also put down a layer of concrete (I think?) in the bathroom to give it some extra durability.

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Even though it is such a little thing, I have to share one of my favorite surprises with the camper renovation. See the photo below? That’s of my 12 Volt Battery and everything it is hooked up to. And yes!!!! Those are LABELS next to it. Brandon put labels here and on the entire water system. I was like, seriously? I love it when someone takes pride in their work and really goes the extra mile. It makes you feel like every little thing they are doing is top quality.

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The list of stuff that still has to be done is getting shorter although there is still plenty to do (note photo below. Eeek!).

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This week, I started getting my part of the glamper/camper renovation underway. I cleaned and primed all the drawers and picked up laminates for the cushions. Brandon still has the trailer so I’m trying to do anything I can while he is still working on it. Here’s my to do list for the coming week:

+ Sew all the cushions
+ Sew all the curtains
+ Finish painting all the drawers
+ Make pillows
+ Choose and order wallpaper
+ Put trim on the built in mirror
+Buy a showerhead

And once I get it, I have to do the following:

+ Some of the windows need to be replaced
+ Prime and paint the interior
+ Wallpaper
+ Prime and paint the exterior
+ Add laminates to the kitchen counter tops and table
+ Tile the shower

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Of course, there are lots of other things I need to do, that can wait (like make fabulous quilts and other such niceties), but those will have to wait.

I also wanted to pass on the information for Chad and John who I purchased the trailer from. They have a facebook page that shows the trailers they currently have. I loved working with them, and you shouldn’t be afraid to send them a message if you are interested in a trailer or airstream. They will LOOK for one for you and are super reasonably priced. Plus, the most invaluable part (for me) is they are willing to point you in the direction of people they have used, where to buy parts, ect. Since I was coming into this cold, having these guys walk me through what I needed to do was amazing. John even went with me to the hardware store to buy the hitch to my vehicle. Ya, they are that nice.

Looking forward to the projects ahead!

Carina

PS: Here are the links to Glamper Part 1 and Glamper Part 2.

Glamper/Camper Renovation Part 3 Read More »

Organize

2 Comments / Sewing, UPDATES FROM CARINA / carina

Heaven knows that there are a few (or more…) drawers in my house that could use some organizing. The (scary) one above is the one I tackled this week. I have been finishing up my fall pattern release, which of course, means that I spent the week sewing. After throwing my hands up more than once, I finally decided it was time to move some of that piping around to see what was in the bottom-most depths of that drawer. My simple solution (because, you know, I have deadlines this week!) included labels (from address labels from my warehouse) and gallon-sized ziplock bags. Simple and effective, right?

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Sad when you realize the number of packages of Velcro, bias tape, and elastic (oh my!) you have. I just kept buying more to avoid this drawer. Pathetic, I know.

On the upside, I have some cool news for you at the beginning of next week, I am extending my dishware line for Deseret Book for next fall and hellllooo! So This is Christmas has arrived at my house! Oh ya, and I’ll be announcing the new patterns soon.

Getting (a tiny bit) more organized,

Carina

Organize Read More »

Glamper/Camper Renovation Part 2

5 Comments / Family, Glamper Renovation / carina

Sewing Summit’s Quilt Shop Hop today (which by the way was awesome!), I ran over to Brandon’s to check out the official renovation list. As per request from the Part 1 comments, here’s the abbreviated list I am having him work on. He gave me a invoice that separates out labor and cost of parts. I love that because it gives me a good idea of what I am really paying for. We are hoping the trailer will be done in a month, but I suspect it will be more like 6 weeks.

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So far I am about $800 over budget but I know there are things I haven’t compensated for. Plus I haven’t calculated in any of MY costs for beautifying this baby (paint, fabric, light fixtures).

-Install new Fridge
-Remove and replace Water Heater (Atwood 6 Gallon Gas Water Heater)
-Replace fresh water tank (24 Gallon)
-Remove and install new toilet and fittings
-Install new water pump
-Install new battery (12 Volt Marine Deep Cycle Battery)
-Remove Rotten Floor including Bathroom Floor
-Install Inverter/Charger (Progressive Dynamics 45 AMPS)
-Install Propane Tank (2, 5 Gal tanks)
-Remove rotten material for fridge and rebuild
-Replace trailer cable,
-Repack hubs and bearing inspection
-Power check, shoe inspection, axle inspection

You can see these are not exactly little things. And it doesn’t include the possibility of replacing a ceiling panel, ceiling vent/fan, and putting in the flooring for me. I can’t imagine doing all of those things myself so I’m grateful to have Brandon. The last thing you want on happy-family-mini-vaca is for everything to breakdown.

Above are some of the materials I’m considering for the interiors (because that’s the fun part). You like the photoshop magic? I tried a few different colors before I settled on this one. I’m going to have to see if I can find a color chip to match.

I also started a glamper pinterest board to keep me organized. If you have any inspiration(or have done a glamper yourself) please leave a comment with a link on this post! I would love to see!

Also, if you know anything about 12v, gas, and 120 v lighting fixtures, please send me links! I’m finding it difficult to find cute fixtures.

I also promised this information:

Brandon (who is repairing my camper) is at http://campereparadise.com/wp/. He is based in Salt Lake City and while the website doesn’t show alot, the trailers in his repair shop does. He has a few that are for sale as well.

Carina

Glamper/Camper Renovation Part 2 Read More »

Glamper/Camper Renovation Part 1

10 Comments / Family, Glamper Renovation / carina

That’s right. It says Part 1 up there in the title. That’s because I can tell, this is going to be a long project.

A few weeks back I started thinking about getting a camper. I had all sorts of fabulous dreams about what a camper could do for us…family outings, quilt shop stoppings, glamping in style…you know, all the usual stuff you think about when getting a camper.

I did a lot of looking on google and my local classifieds. I have an obsession for Airstreams and have been eying them for five years now but felt they were out of my price range. So I turned to looking for a more retro design.

So what was I looking for? Here was my list of must-haves:
+ sleeps 5-6
+single axle (for those of you who, like me, had no idea what that means, it’s just one set of wheels)
+ smallish (as in-not hard on my car)
+bathroom
+1950s-1960s design
+functional equipment and tanks

Did I mention this was a dream list? Because I wasn’t about to find something in my price range with all of these things.

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I happened upon an ad for the camper above on a local news website from a couple of guys named Chad and John. They find and sell used trailers and will even LOOK for one that matches your needs and price range. I am waiting on the Facebook Page and will post a link to it for those of you in the Utah area. They have been awesome to work with.

Anyway, I fell in love with the layout of this camper. It is a 1969 Jet Airway (barely in my date range!) and is 17 feet long. I walked through a couple of their 12 foot trailers. I loved the small size but felt the lack of bathrooms (rare in a 12 foot camper) was not a negotiable feature (who wants to take their kids to the campsite bathroom at midnight?). Other pluses, this camper had a single axel and my car could easily tow it.

Another bonus was that it has a couch that pulls out into a queen bed, dinette that turns into a bed, and then a bunk that slides back above the dinette. Sleeping space, check!

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Obviously, this old girl needed some work. The problem is, I didn’t know HOW MUCH work I was in for. I took the camper to a local restoration shop. Brandon (his website will also be in the next post) tore the thing apart and, well, let’s say, it wasn’t pretty what he found. Cut lines, broken floors, water damage, and more.

This is where I took a deep breath.

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I would love to say I’m a DIYer, but I’m not. I like to make things pretty (designer, remember?) so if it has to do with electricity and plumbing, I’m not your girl. What originally looked like a 2 week quick fix has turned into a several week renovation.I guess no trip to St. George for UEAA weekend. Sigh.

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These last few pictures are from today when I went over to verify everything that has to be done. Maybe I’ll give you the list, if you think it will be fun or useful. Tell me in the comments. Either way, it’s ALOT of stuff. Brandon will be working on the technical while I will be painting, sewing, and tiling (okay, well, I will do cosmetic DIY stuff).

In the meantime, I will be sewing curtains and cushions. I will also be picking out lighting fixtures, colors for the exterior and inside, and choosing wallpaper and tile. I’ll show you my project sheet soon. I think you will like. Think white, aqua, red, black, pink, and polka dot. It’s going to be fun!

Dreaming of going glamping (while kids dream of glamping late-overs),
Carina

Glamper/Camper Renovation Part 1 Read More »

Movie Nights in the Park

Family / carina

We introduced our kids to The Neverending Story on Friday at Millcreek Movie Night. (Pictured here is Siri, cousin Lola, Felicity, and Charlie—who is busy eating a flip flop—good parenting at work here.) I love these outdoor movie nights that the county offers. I became friends with the fabulous lady behind it—Aimee McConkie—when we all lived in Minnesota. So much work goes into these events. Oh ya, and she does it for free. Just because she believes in community. She’s A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

This has been a different summer for me since Josh is home and we aren’t a slave to the billable hour. Here’s what we have been up to:
+ I go to work early and come home early. It’s lovely!
+ Josh has been in charge of the kids.
+ Turns out Josh is super hard core about the girls doing reading time, workbooks, and chores in the morning.
+ Siri and I have been taping a new Create and Make class. It has been so intense!
+ I’ve been taping and writing a new chalkboard class and paper class.
+ I’ve started work on fall sewing patterns. I.can. not. believe. it.
+ I started work on a new free quilt pattern for my new fabric line Evening Blooms.
+ I have been crazy about decluttering the house and yard.
+ I think I might finally be making some headway.
+ And will yard sale it all in a couple of weeks.
+ We have been to Lagoon
+ And will probably go a lot this summer since our kids are not getting real vacation (or any camping).
+ I finally feel like I have time to read again. Obsessed with a Coco Chanel biography I have been reading.
+ I’m trying to get serious about diecutting files. More on this soon!
+ Siri and I filmed another CGTV episode. It’s not up yet. Sigh.
+ Somehow my office/warehouse got small overnight.
+ That’s what happens when four people come to work all at the same time.
+ I’ve a few more things coming out this fall for Deseret Book. I’m so excited about them!
+ I’m finishing up my 2014 fabric lines. Think “boy” wink, wink.

And with that, I am off to finish up some photos and head to Lagoon.
Happy Summer!
Carina

Movie Nights in the Park Read More »

Summer Begins

Family / carina

Hello! It’s Monday morning, bright and early, and I very happily set to work this morning on my 2014 fabric lines. There has been so much going on these last few months that I am welcoming a moment to really sit down, draw, and think. There aren’t many moments like this since the office has also been pretty busy these days. Two new little summer interns (my sister-in-laws) and a new warehouse manager come into the office daily now. The office is pretty tiny so having that many people in and out makes things a little tight, but we are all making do and having fun with it all.

To accommodate everyone’s comings and goings as well as to get ready for summer, I started a new schedule. I try to get into the office by 6 or 6:30am. It means I go home pretty early in the day so that I can hang out with the kids and Josh.

I wish I was one of those people that could work with white noise, but I can’t. I like the silence. So coming in early to work helps me a lot. It’s nice feeling like I have accomplished so much by 9am and even better when I go home at 3pm to help with Siri’s harp lesson and make dinner.

In the summer, I hope to be able to jump on my bike to head home around 1pm so I get to savor summer too. I have the best commute ever. I’m not sure if it is even a block. It’s definitely less than a 5 minute walk. But I like taking my little cruiser because if I need to run home for a second to help out or grab something, I can.

Hoping for a fabulous summer with lots of camp outs, bonfires, gardening, swimming, and some good ol’ fashion sitting (my favorite thing to do—usually in the sun, on a porch, and holding my Charlie). The kids’ final day of school is Wednesday and I suspect there will be some festivities (possibly the traditional camp out in the backyard).

Are you as ready for summer as I am?

Carina

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5000 Facebook Fan Giveaway

Dishes, Giveaways / carina

Hang out with me here: https://www.facebook.com/carina.gardner.designs

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Fabric Design Begins Next Week!

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

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

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

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

Instagramming for QM begins NOW!

Cheers!

Carina

Fabric Design Begins Next Week! Read More »

Mother’s Day Weekend and Dishware Debut Recap

Dishes, Family / carina

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day! The first half of my day was spent at Deseret Book signing dishware. A big thank you to everyone who came to visit me at the Fort Union Deseret Book to catch the debut of my dishware collection! It was such a treat to chat with you and give your children cookies. For those of you who did not make it and avoided the excessive sugar, I managed to snap a few photos so you could see the display.

I knew exactly what to do with the cookies that were not eaten—I had Siri try to pawn them off on the neighbor kids. (She tried to sell them but I told her I would pay her the 10 cents for every kid who walked by and took one.) We still managed to have enough cookies for the family party that evening and the children at church the next day. Umm, I think I over-ordered. (photo below—Siri happily selling cookies.)

The second part of my Saturday was spent with Josh’s family cleaning out his grandmother’s yard. Dinner followed at his mother’s house. (Above-Josh’s brother Nate and Nate’s twins London and Quinn).

It was the most beautiful day for yardwork although, other than hacking at a rose bush, I mostly played with Charlie (photos above and below). At least it looks like there is some yardwork being done behind me!

My niece Lola rakes for a moment (photo below) and Josh stops his pruning for a moment to chat (photo below). I’m guessing the photos I didn’t catch (in particular of my mother-in-law Mary planting all the flowers) was were all the real work was happening.

Having a family chin-dig on Saturday was so nice because it meant our little family relaxed (and I slept in-the perfect mother’s day present) today.

This week Josh and I are off to Portland for Quilt Market. I plan on posting lots of photos. I’m not doing a booth and instead plan on spending some time filming, talking to other designers, teaching schoolhouse, and doing make and takes at the Riley Blake booth. I’m so looking forward to it!

Cheers!

Carina

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Dishware Now Available Online!

1 Comment / Dishes, EVENTS / carina

My dishware line has officially hit the Deseret Book Online Shop! I might be a teensy-weensy excited:).

Dishes
Large Serving Bowl
Three Piece Tray
Tray

I’ll also be heading to the Fort Union Deseret Book tomorrow from 11am-1pm to hand out treats from my new line and sign packaging. Come join me along with authors Gale Sears and Kathi Petersen who will also be at the event!

MAY 11, 2013, SATURDAY 11am -1pm
Fort Union Deseret Book
1110 Fort Union Blvd.
Midvale, UT 84047

Other than that, this weekend is all about Mother’s Day (which means I will be getting breakfast in bed right, Josh?) and hanging out with family. I know we are headed to Josh’s grandmother’s house for some Mother’s Day gardening and I’m on the spot with presents this year.

Hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day and I hope to see you tomorrow!

Cheers!

Carina

PS The giveaway for the sample of the Little Playdate Outfit ends today! Make sure and enter by leaving a comment HERE.

Dishware Now Available Online! Read More »

Upcoming Events—Come See Me!

Dishes, Fabric / carina

MAY 11, 2013, SATURDAY 11am -1pm
Fort Union Deseret Book
1110 Fort Union Blvd.
Midvale, UT 84047

Come see me at the Fort Union Desert Book where I will be serving treats on my new dishware line! I’ll also have make and takes with my new fabric line Remember, which will be upstairs in Mormon Handicraft. I’ll even be signing my Carina Gardner™ packaging if you are purchasing any of the dishware.

MAY 16, 2013, THURSDAY 1:55pm-2:55pm
Quilt Market Schoolhouse Room A109
Portland, Oregon
How to Use Sewing Patterns to Attract Beginner Sewers
Not for available to the general public.

MAY 17, 2013 FRIDAY 4:00-4:45pm
Make and Takes at the Riley Blake Booth with Carina Gardner
Quilt Market
Portland, Oregon
Not available to the general public.

We will be making the flower pattern from my new 18 inch doll patterns. Fabric and embellishments provided. Come join me!

JUNE 12, 2013 WEDNESDAY 11am-1pm
Desert Book/Mormon Handicraft Shop Hop
Make and Takes with Carina Gardner
Fort Union Desert Book
1110 Fort Union Blvd.
Midvale, UT 84047

We will be making the flower pattern from my new 18 inch doll patterns. Fabric and embellishments provided. Come join me!

JULY 22-25, 2013
Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show
Create-n-Connect
Las Vegas, NV
I will be at the Carta Bella Booth with our mid-year releases!

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013 TUESDAY EVENING
Find Your Lula
Park City, Utah
Visit this event’s site
I will be talking about being Carta Bella’s Creative Director and the in’s and out’s of scrapbooking.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2013 TUESDAY EVENING
Find Your Lula
Park City, Utah
Visit this event’s site
I will be talking about being Carta Bella’s Creative Director and the in’s and out’s of scrapbooking.

Upcoming Events—Come See Me! Read More »

Introducing My New Dishware Line for Deseret Book!

2 Comments / Dishes / carina

I’ve been holding my breath to introduce my new summer melamine dishware for Deseret Book! Today’s the day!

This set is based off of my SongBird Fabric line’s Red Colorway. There is a gorgeous set of summer dishes (dinner plate, salad plate, & bowl). It is a 12 piece set for easy entertaining. I love the melamine because it is so kid-friendly. This is definitely a set you can dress up or dress down.

There is also a large serving bowl (think salads and fruit), a serving tray, and three piece condiment tray. And dish towels…don’t let me forget about those.

I was thrilled to work with Deseret Book on this project. I hope you like them! If you are in the Salt Lake area I will be at a couple of events in May. I’ll post them soon.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

You can see that between the new wallpaper lines, dishware collection, and shop, I’ve been bursting at the seams to tell you what I have been working on the last few months! I’m so glad I don’t have to keep any more secrets on these!

This line is in Deseret Book catalogs today. These will be in their shops at the end of the month.

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Happy Easter!

Cooking, Family, Holiday Projects / carina

Heading to Easter Dinner with these bad boys. My recipe is chocolate pudding, crushes mint milano cookies, cool whip, more pudding, crushed oreos and gummy worms to garnish. Hope you have a wonderful day!

XOXO,

Carina

Happy Easter! Read More »

Time Flies

Family / carina

My baby is 6 months old. Where did the time go? He is snuggly, sweet, and oh so happy. Well, except for the night I hosted a Bachelor Finale party. I think he was cutting another tooth.

And as many of you recalled by cry for help here, he started sleeping from 9pm to 5am! Happy mama! Although that whole daylight savings thing sort of messed us up. Ick. Kids are tired for school and parents are grumpy in the morning. How did your kids do with daylight savings? (My fingers are crossed for you that they are fairing better than mine and, um, me).

Carina

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Photoshoot: Take 1

CRAFTS, Fabric, Family / carina

If you have ever wanted to see behind-the-scenes of a CG Photoshoot, look no further than the makeup strewn desk and light cords in the photo above. Things are down to the wire with the new website. We will be spending the coming week trying to finish up photoshoots for all the products. I’m hoping this is the only shoot that involves me and I can be behind the camera for everything else.

I can’t tell you how excited I am for the new site! Fingers crossed we can make it happen. When I look at the week and I see every second filled in, I tell myself to breathe and take it one day at a time.

More pictures to follow!

Carina

PS. Today’s the last day to get entered into the So Noted giveaway on Facebook. Make sure to enter by leaving a comment!

Photoshoot: Take 1 Read More »

Our New Office

2 Comments / Carina Gardner TV, Family, Sewing Patterns / carina

Our tiny home had finally forced me to consider other options for all the inventory and tchotchkes in my office. So I started looking for space in October. I finally settled on an “in between” office…something small, affordable, and well, across the street from my house. I don’t know how long I can be in this space, but it is perfect for now.

Josh and I have been moving boxes for nearly two months now and trying to settle in. He finally finished building the last shelf today, and I’m hoping to get the CGTV channel set up so we can beginning filming again.

It’s been nice to have a quiet space to work (Although as seen in above picture—sometimes much of the family is trompin’ around this place. I’m trying to check the Art of Digital Design 2 forums in the picture). Josh and I switch off days in the office.

And, about that… You might be hearing from Josh once-in-a-while on the blog now too. Josh has officially joined my company and is taking over a couple of divisions (namely sewing pattern distribution and this). I sort of reached my breaking point in December after I had pulled 3 all nighters and averaged 2 hours of sleep a night. Between the baby and the growth at CGInc, I knew things needed to change. So we took the scary leap, and Josh left his law firm. My New Year’s hope is that we are stronger as a family and get to spend more time with our kids.

Because of this, I hope to be blogging a little more as well as letting you in on our day-to-day happenings. Things are always crazy around here as we juggle the company and the kids, but good. Oh so good. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Want to follow Josh on instagram? He’s @joshtgardner and he’ll probably catch me scratching my head over the computer or giggling as I try to record a new class (and thereby, having to re-record the segment).

From a very excited mommy designer,

Carina

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Braided

Family, Stuff I Love / carina

I braided Felicity’s hair today. It’s a rare feat because I’m so enamored by her curls that I hate putting it up.

So here it is and you can be amazed (as I am) that this child is 1/4th Chinese. Who would have guessed I could get two red heads?

To get this “do”, braid a side-french braid and then tuck “up” the remaining hair on the side. Flissa’s hair is pretty long so there was a lot to “tuck up.”

I’m kind of digging the back bit all braided up these days. You can see I don’t get super precise about my braiding—I sort of let it all be loosy-goosey.

I think I may also try to bring back french twists…

Carina

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Back from Winter CHA

Carta Bella Paper, Scrapbooking, UPDATES FROM CARINA / carina

I’m back from Winter CHA in Anaheim and a sweet family trip to Disneyland. I’m trying to wrap my head around all the things that are about to happen this coming month. You should check out this link for a peek of things to come.

But back to the things that are NOW. You’ll want to check out Carta Bella’s new releases, namely True Friends, Well Traveled, So Noted, and Cool Summer. I’m so ecstatic about our spring line up. And if you are one of the lucky ones to have Devoted, I’d horde it if I where you. We’re nearly out and not reprinting it. I didn’t even see it in RL (that would be Real Life) until CHA because I had my head buried in my computer keyboard for 2 months.

Now, I’m home, snuggling my baby, hanging out with my girls, and excited for all the new good, stuff to come. 2013 is going to be wonderful.

2012 Recap Via Instagram

Family / carina

Finally getting around to my recap of 2012! I decided to do it via Instagram instead of blogposts this year because there are so many things I captured on Instgram that I didn’t put on the blog. Follow my Instagram feed by searching for @carinagardner. You can also check out these photos (comments and likes) on the web at http://instagram.com/carinagardner.

(from left to right, top to bottom…read my comments at http://instagram.com/carinagardner)

1. February 2012 | Logged into Instagram for the first time. Captured a newly finished quilt using my Dress Up™ fabric collection.
2. Felicity piecing a little Dainty Blossoms™ quilt.
3. Made a cameo in Where Women Create Magazine
4. Featured as one of Utah’s Top 40 Entrepreneurs
5. March 2012 | Pregnant and wielding a drill on my tradeshow booth.
6. April 2012 | New 5D Mark II for all the photoshoots
7. May 2012 | Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City. Starting to look a lot more preggers here.
8. June 2012 | Press checks for Carta Bella’s Paris Girl (just our second line!)
9. What’s this I see? A few CG sewing patterns in Material Girls Quilt Shop?
10. July 2012 | My tradeshow booth retooled for Summer CHA in Chicago. 5 weeks to go until baby arrives.
11. August 2012 | Songbird™ hits my bed
12. Last minute nesting. Staple gun + fabric = new chair.
13. Baby boy is born!
14. September 2012 | Strike offs of my April 2013 line Remember
15. Happy 12th anniversary to us!
16. Fall has come and we cart ourselves off to Cornbelly’s
17. October 2012 | I brew and brew for the little witches
18. Charlie and I pose for a mirror shot
19. I decorate.
20. I force small children to pose.
21. I take many photos of baby boy and force instagram followers to coo.
22. I decorate some more.
23. November 2012 I visit Snow College to talk to their Entrepreneurial Program. So honored!
24. My line Happy Little Moments™ for Carta Bella ships!
25. We eat turkey as big as Siri.
26. Lindsay and I start to make Christmas stuff.
27. I tease everyone with the hint that I am working on secret stuff. Still secret.
28. December 2o12| I sponsor a Smashball.
29. Family cuddle session
30. Just cause she is so pretty
31. Proof that I do something neat to my hair once in a while.
32. More photos of my new baby. Inevitable, right?
33. Spotted from CG and PY patterns
34. Ya, I know.
35. January 2013 | Starting the year off right by finally going on vacation. Dumbo is happy we came.

XOXO—Carina

2012 Recap Via Instagram Read More »

Finally Christmas

Family / carina

We FINALLY put up a tree. With one week to go, we are finally feeling the Christmas spirit here in the Gardner household.

Two exhausted parents sat by as their 5 and 8 year old decorated the tree. However they liked. So that made for bottom-heavy decorations. And a lot of pink. Josh says that it’s the most authentic tree we’ve ever had. I think he’s right. Maybe we parents should stay out of the way more often.

We didn’t even bother to put the lights on the tree (or turn the lights on outside that have been up all year for that matter). We did, however, plug the lights in so Charlie could see them.

Wishing you a Very Merry Holiday this year! I know I’m going to make the most of this coming week of Christmas!

From Christmas-slakerville,
Carina

Finally Christmas Read More »

Snow College’s Entrepreneurship Seminar

1 Comment / Interviews / carina

Yesterday I spoke at Snow College’s Entrepreneurship Seminar Series. It seems crazy to me that 4 and half years ago I didn’t know much at all about the industries I now design for. If you have ever wondered about my story, you can watch the hour long seminar I gave here: http://www.ihigh.com/snowbadgers/broadcast_260013.html?silverlight=1

Hope you enjoy! Today Lindsay and I are getting together to film our Christmas video. Should be fun!

Carina

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Witch and Wizard Party—Kids Halloween Party

4 Comments / Family, Free Digital Downloads-Freebies-Free Digital Printables, Holiday Projects, UPDATES FROM CARINA / carina

Saturday I threw a Witch & Wizard Party for my kids. I have to admit that I didn’t come up with the idea. My niece Caroline gave Siri a card inviting her to a pretend witch party a couple of months ago(which btw never happened). But the idea got stuck in my girls’ heads, and they asked if we could have a witch party. How could I say no?

This party was relatively easy to plan and prepare for. I used a few of my own ideas as well as ideas I found online. I’ve given you links and recipes here in case you decide you want to have your own witch party.

(WARNING: This is a photo-heavy post and if you show your kids, they WILL want a Halloween party too!)

The main activity for this party was potion-brewing. “Making potions” has been a popular activity in our family ever since Siri read Ivy and Bean. There is something so magical for kids about mixing, pouring, stirring, and imagining up spells! Grandma and cousins all have been into the “potion-making,” which has sometimes resulted in the most amazing messes. If you want an activity that your kids will completely adore, you will want to try potion-making at your party!

DECORATE
I basically created two areas for this party: the game area and the potion brewing station. The games were played on a quilt under a tree in our backyard and the potion station was on the patio. Here are some of the highlights:
1. My new favorite idea: Using wrapping paper as a table cloth. I used a black and white polka dot that I found at Home Goods. The great thing about this paper? Also great for other parties that are not halloween themed.
2. I purchased a couple of skulls from my local craft store to place on the tables for added “spookiness.”
3. I dislike silk flowers except at Halloween. These black hydrangeas were cute on the food table.
4. I used my Carta Bella All Hallow Eve’s Line for place mats. Easiest place mats ever! Add a Swizzle spoon (usually for cocktails…I got mine from the World Market) and a green glass bowl (aka caldron) from Tai Pan Trading and we are ready to mix!
5. I used glass vases I had from around the house and mixed in some little bottles with corks from Michaels and more green bottles from Tai Pan Trading. I placed them all in the center of the table with the skulls and some flowers.
6. I set up a quilt and decorative crepe paper balls (purchased at Tai Pan Trading) under a tree for all our games and activities. Plus, it felt way more witchy!
7. I used a number of different food colorings to make the potions more inviting. Just pour a single drop of food coloring at the bottom then pour in water.
8. This fancy feathered own is a witch or wizard’s best friend. Purchased at Michaels.

(Photo above) Paper from All Hallow’s Eve is used as a place mat for potion brewing. (Photo below) The table is set with all the potions in the center of the table and food on a side table. Siri, Felicity, and Eva check out the bottles before the rest of the guests arrive.

EAT
There is nothing like kid-friendly food that is as fun to look at as it is to eat. Here’s what we had:
1. Bloody worm tonic. Recipe: Sprite + Maraschino cherry syrup + Pick with a gummy worm
2. Mummy hot dogs with baby carrots. The Mummy hot dogs are made from puffed pastry wrapped around hot dogs.
3. Witch Cupcakes. Idea from of Martha Stewart.
4. Candy Corn flower Cupcakes. This is a simple way to decorate your cupcakes with m&ms and candy corn.
5. Microwave Witch Carmel Corn (Recipe below) I used All Hallow’s Eve stickers on the bags.
6. Oreo spiders.

MICROWAVE WITCH CARMEL CORN RECIPE
Ingredients
4 Microwavable bags of Blast O Butter Popcorn
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margerine
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 tablespoons of black food dye
M&Ms

Instructions
Pop the popcorn using the instructions on the bag. Place all the popcorn in a large brown paper bag.

Over medium heat, mix all the other ingredients except the M&Ms. Once everything is combined, cool for a few minutes (2-5 minutes).

Pour syrup over the popcorn in the bag. Roll down the top once or twice to close the bag, and shake to coat the corn. Dump the popcorn out onto waxed paper, and let cool until coating is set. Store in an airtight container.

GAMES
To make life easy, this party was kept simple by starting with games on the quilt, moving to the potion station on the patio, then having dinner (also at the potions table), and then ending with a movie in the house (we watched The Nightmare Before Christmas).
1-3. BINGO: We played Bingo using the Haunted Digital Bingo Card Printables and Candy Corn. Once you got bingo you could eat the row of candy corn!
4-5. TREASURE HUNTING: Yes, witches like to dig for treasure too! The tubs were purchased from Michaels (for 99 cents!) and sand from Home Depot. Rings, jewels, and other little trinkets were hidden in the buckets.
6-8. BOBBING FOR DONUTS: Hang a donut in a tree and the witches will happily try to eat them. This is a great activity to start with as guests arrive.

(Photo left-above) Felicity works hard as she “bobs” for her donut. (Photo right-above) The best surprise with when Grandma Mary showed up dressed as a witch as well!!! Best grandma!!

(Photo left-below) Gracie is still looking for treasure as the bigger kids play bingo. (Photo right-below) I call out the numbers for bingo as the kids place their candy corn. The simple decorations make this spot in the yard feel festive!

POTIONS
When I asked my kids what their favorite part of the party was, the answer was unanimous—Potions! To set up your own potions table, here’s what you will need:
Glass bottles (I used clear and green ones in different sizes)
Bowls or cauldrons (the green bowls were nice because they were festive but the kids could still see what colors they were pouring in).
Spoons for mixing
Food coloring (red, black, green, blue, yellow)
Other mix ins (At this party I bought Halloween sprinkles and candy like candy bones, orange & black sprinkles, gummy skulls, candy bats, and leaf sprinkles. We have also in the past used flour and sugar for making potions.)
A pitcher (to refill empty bottles)

As the kids mix the potions, the adults refilled the bottles (so keep the food coloring and pitcher nearby). I just let the kids dump their potions into the grass next to patio when they were ready to start a new potion (yes, it makes a mess but that’s why I chose things the kids would either eat, would wash away, or I could throw into the trash).

(Photo above) Siri is excited to start potion making. While “brewing” the kids were saying things like, “Will you pass me the dead toes, please?” (Photos below) Eva, Siri, and Felicity play on the blanket under the tree. My niece Lola mixes her potion.

(Photo above) Felicity brews a rather nasty looking spell! (Photos below) Felicity and Lola pose for my Instagram picture (@carinagardner)!

Hope you were inspired and you have a Happy Halloween!

XOXO—Carina

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