Christmas Calendar Cones—Free Download

IMG_8459I 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!

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Paint a Tree In Your Kid’s Bedroom-Free Download

paintedtree_pdfinstructionsI’ve been a busy girl. I’ve been working on my little girl’s bedroom since moving into our new house last month. It has been so satisfying to  finally be able to paint! While I don’t feel like it is fully finished, I still thought I’d share what I’ve done with you. And, if you are interested in making your own tree, I’ve provided the stencils I made for myself here for you.

The pdf shown here includes simple instructions and patterns for the flowers and leaves. Making your own tree won’t be hard as long as you have a little time. The process for making the tree takes about 3 days, not because it really takes that long, but because the parts of the tree have to dry before you can start a new color.

Here’s a helpful hint to create stencils: I used my Silhouette to cut these out. You could also cut them out by hand using an x-acto knife and still get the same effect.

Download the pdf stencils.

Want to see the rest of the room? First, I have to show you the BEFORE photo. The budget was tight so we decided to have the floors refinished a dark color, repainted everything, and replace the splinter-inducing pine trim as our “big budget” fixes. 5

And here’s the after. My favorite thing is probably the floors. Having them this dark really makes the light pink pop.

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Spider’s Web Papers – Batty Wreath

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IMG_7715_smHalloween 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!!!!!

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It’s Just The Beginning…

IMG_7416Just because Project Mania ends today doesn’t really mean I’M ending my project rampage. In fact, although I prehaps didn’t accomplish as much as I wanted to this month, my project days are just beginning. With a new house, you know I’ll have plenty of things to work on (I’ll give you a tour when we get settled) and I”ll want to share them here.

I just got back from my new, very first, empty house (I just got heart flutters!) to meet the guys who will be doing the floor and trim. I’m so excited to see the results!

And after we move in? Well, we are one day away from October so that means the holiday projects will begin, and I have some great ideas using my Spider’s Web line and my new Love Nest glitter pad (hits Hobby Lobby exclusively in January). On the fabric front, I’m just finishing up a couple of new collections. Coquette‘s first round of strike-offs are currently en route! The moment those fabrics hit my door I’ll be a busy little bee getting projects sewn and photographed!

And in the midst of all this, I have told myself that this holiday season is going to be slower than any other we have had. I’m going to rededicate myself to having a little more fun and a little more down time. Sometimes, I just need an evening in front of a campfire (the photo is of Josh and Flissa at a bonfire with family on Monday night) instead of pushing out the next line. So here’s to having some downtime (lol…well, I’ll start that in two more weeks).

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The Digital Scrapbooking Experience

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DSC_0030Finally! After a crazy two days I have a chance to write about DSE! Thursday afternoon I taught an Illustrator class  at the Digital Scrapbooking Experience in Provo, Utah. Jen Allyson flew in from San Francisco to help me out.

I had a WONDERFUL time with the students! After teaching 5 years of college, I had completely forgotten how wonderful it was teach students who are eager to learn (and everyone in my class was!). Thank you ladies + Gary for participating in my class! I’m glad I did it because it opened my eyes to what people can do with a little bit of education on the programs. I’m constantly asked about becoming a designers and I may have just had my eyes opened to some new possibilities for these people. I’ll let you know on the developments.

I also hosted a table with a cute little flower make-and-take, candy, and my papers from My Minds Eye (and if you haven’t figured it out yet, papers that get printed can also be bought DIGITALLY from me). Jennifer Allyson and Garden DSC_0056Girl Gennifer Bursett both helped me. In fact, I probably owe Ms. Gennifer since I managed to forget my camera and I all these photos are hers! I showed off my digital book that was printed from My Pic Tales and Silhouette Machine, which made all my make-and-takes (and I couldn’t live without at this point!).

You can make our make and takes too! All you need to do is go to the Paper Flower Wreath post and download the pdf. The flower shape we used can be used as a pattern and hand cut out, or I also provide .gsd files for you to use on your own silhouette. Here’s DSC_0031photos of Jen and Gen sporting the barrette version you could make. We also had laundry clips and pipe cleaner for attaching to badges or making wristlets. The papers we used for the table all came from my Paris and Co. and Bella Bella Paper Pads that can be bought exclusively at ACMoore.

Some of my favorite moments at DSE? I loved meeting the other instructors (I was so happy to see Crystal Wilkerson there!), I throughly enjoyed Jessica Sprague’s Keynote address, and (my most favorite moment of all) when one of my students (of whom I will refer to as the “Atlanta Gelato Queen”) slipped a chocolate gelato onto a box I was carrying out.

DSC_0055Thanks for all the fun everyone! I could only go to one day of DSE (sorry everyone! I just couldn’t get up there yesterday and today is packed!) because we closed on our house yesterday! Yippeee!!!!!! And now, the work begins…or might I say, the true Project Mania begins! September might end (and I have a few projects yet to finish up!) but in October I’ll be posting all my house fix ups.

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If Things Couldn’t Be Busier

IMG_7091_smYou’ll notice a little update on the blog and studio site. Specifically, check out the background pattern which will be printed in fabric (Coquette)in two color schemes (plum and moss) in 4 fabrics total (unfortuately not in the background color I have here). Pull the Internet browser out for a good look at this pretty paisley pattern. I also tried to update my nav system on this blog, but unfortuately, my php skills are terrible, and I’m going to need a bit of help on this one.

This week we are closing on our house. No, we haven’t really packed, and yes, I’m swamped with other things. Thankfully, the house isn’t far away and there will be some work done on the house during the first two weeks. So it will be a slow move where we spend as much time as possible messing up TWO houses.

The best part about the new house for me? Finally, a decent studio space! I just found a fabulous conference table at an antique store just waiting to be painted white. And the project pile keeps growing…

For now, I’m dusting off my old syllabi in honor of the Digital Scrapbooking Experience class that I am teaching on Thursday.  Also putting together some fabulous make-and-takes for that evening’s Digit Alley. I’m pretty excited to see all you digi scrappers! Updates on this event soon!

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When It’s A Birthday

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carinagardner_2ps_ddc_happybirthdayprevWith my fantastic silhouette machine from quickutz, I made these darling die cut happy birthday cards that you can pick up at 2peas. I made them originally for my two brothers-in-law that share a common birthday. These boy-happy papers are from my Bella Bella line. Super easy to make with the files in this folder!

So what have I been up to? I’ve been a busy bee as I have been working on a new fabric collection. It’s been going well, and I’m hoping to be able to wrap it up by the middle of next week. I know, you are asking yourself, “But I haven’t even seen a first line.” Sneak peeks coming very soon! I promise! It’s amazing how long the time line on a fabric line is, but I’m so excited to get those bolts of fabric into my hands to show it all off to you! Patience…

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It’s Not My Project But…

6a01053647c676970c0120a5688881970c-500wiit is my paper. Somehow I managed to miss the gallery of layouts on the My Minds Eye blog. There on the sidebar are some of the most amazing layouts I have ever seen using my Bella Bella Collection!

Go here to see all these amazing layouts.

In paper news, you can catch my Halloween line The Spiders Web in stores and online. I’m also excited to announce that a special glitter book will be coming out exclusively at Hobby Lobby in a few months called Love Nest! I’m so excited about it and will be adding it to the studio site soon! Check back for more later!

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The Blog Hop

If you haven’t stopped by the blogs on this Project Mania blog hop, you’re missing out! And if you want to participate, you are definitely welcome to join us by sending me your link at info@carinagardner.com and you will added to the list. I recently got around to seeing what these ladies are up to, and there is some wonderful stuff happening (even if it is just getting around to updating our blogs…check out Brought to You By the Letter B).

calender1You’ll definitely want to check out The Project Girl’s Blog. Jen has just done a revamp on her blog along with a couple of fantastic projects and free downloads. My favorite thing she has recently created is a chicken wire frame to hang things up! For about one second, I thought about copying her and doing this project too…but then I gave myself a reality check and will get back to the projects I have at hand (aka moving).

You should also stop by Live Laugh Love Scrapbook to get some inspiration from her digital layouts, Lori shows off a BEAUTIFUL quilt she has been making on her blog Life’s Little Moments, Naomi has been gearing up and redecorating her family room on her blog Naomi’s Space, and you’ll get a nice little giggle out of the signs that Mean Mom Digital Designs has been posting!

recipecardboxAnd what am I going to be posting the rest of this month? I can’t wait to show off my first 12″ x 12″ digital album that I just sent off to print at MyPicTales. I should be getting it any day now! I’m also pretty excited to keep getting organized (yesterday I decluttered my bathroom and got it “move ready”). I am in desperate need to print and laminate the thousands of recipes I have been stuffing into my acrylic recipe box (it currently doesn’t look so nice and organized). And truly, the biggest project of all is when we make this move, and I will be painting this house and putting in my very own studio (my first one!), which I can’t wait to share with you! So, my Project Mania will continue long after September with all new decorating and holiday projects coming up!

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The Only Constant is Change

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img_7112 It is a season of change at our house. Our oldest daughter started Kindergarten, Josh started a new job a couple of months ago, I recently signed a fabric contract, and we are buying our very first home. It’s a wonderful time, but difficult to say the least. Labor Day Weekend and this week has been particularly hectic as I have been working on a paper and fabric line (collection number 3!) and convention season is upon me (my day job as an event director). And with the move coming up, I’ve been busy getting rid of the old and getting organized.

So I’m packing. And I don’t have much to show for it with the exception of these cute tags I made for the girl’s toys. Right now the girls have a playroom, which isn’t going to be the case in our new home. We have all the toys organized and in an Expedit Ikea Shelf which will go into their bedroom at the new house.

img_7107You’ll notice that I added a bit of artwork to these tags because with little ones cleaning up is easier if there are pictures. So I added words for the adults and pictures for the kids. I am hoping this means that it will be easier to tidy up.

I’ll tell you my little trick when I don’t have time…but you’re not allowed to tell anyone that I don’t hand cut and laminate all my projects myself! heehee…My main trick, is that I have the email to Office Max’s Copy Max. Yes, and you can get your Office Max’s email too.

I simply email the pdf/jpg files and tell them what I need done. These are 4″ x 6″ cards that they printed on color paper, cut out, and had laminated. I just picked them up, punched holes, and attached with ribbon.

Be sure and take advantage of the blog hop! I’ll be sure and give you highlights of the sites this weekend! Click on the Project Mania banner up top to see the list of people participating!

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Paper Flower Wreath: Free Pattern

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flowerwreath_carinaI finally got around to this project! This little paper flower wreath was a big hit with my girls as they pranced around the house with them all day! I recently got a Silhouette from QuicKutz, which makes this little project a breeze! But if you don’t have a Silhouette, the flower shapes are simple and can easily be hand cut.

So, for Project Mania, I’ve put together the pattern for you in both the pdf form and gsd files (for the silhouette). I like these darling little flowers because you can also use them for paper rings (my girls love the brads with jewels on them for the centers). Check out where to buy my paper products and digital products if you want to use these papers for your own little wreath! The papers I use in Felicity’s wreath are from my Bella Bella Collection and my AC Moore’s exclusive paper pads Bella Bella (180 papers) and Paris & Co. (180 papers). Siri’s pink wreath comes from my Bella Bella Collection and Paris & Co (180) paper pad.

pdfinstructionsDownload the Paper Flower Wreath pdf instructions

Download the Large Flower GSD file

Download the Medium Flower GSD file

Download the Small Flower GSD file

And be sure to click on the Project Mania banner up top to check out the projects that other people are doing on this blog hop!

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Monthly Menu Planner- Free Download

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It’s the offical “start” of Project Mania! And I thought I would start off with a free download! I’m hoping to inspire you to get organized this month or finish a project that hasn’t been finished.

It’s appropriate that it is Project Mania month because September will be my busiest month yet! We just learned last week that we will be moving into a new house (our very first house, Yippee!), which means I’ll be working on getting myself super organized for the move. So what else is in store for me? Some serious decluttering, deep cleaning, and painting. I also plan on getting my recipes organized, get some digital scrapbooking done, and finish painting a dresser. Oh, and there’s this little download to get me organized with my meal planning! It has a calendar with a month’s worth of meals and a shopping list. I’ve already started using this…sometimes I rip off the bottom to take to the store with me (this is seperated into half sheets so you can cut off the top and place on your fridge) or take the whole thing to remind me of anything I might be missing.

Download the Monthly Menu Planner here.

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ABC Book Project-Early Project Mania

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img_6708_sm1It’s the season of change. I’ve been feeling it more and more as my oldest child heads to kindergarten. It seems even more imperative to capture these fleeting moments, and what better way than with an ABC photo book of my little darlings. It seems appropriate considering the time of year.

I like homemade ABC books because they are so personal. They capture a moment in time, and my children adore looking at themselves in a little hand-held book that seems made just for them. It also can be a valuable learning tool.

img_6742_sm1For this little project, I tried to accomplish two things. First, I wanted a new ABC book that included Felicity, my youngest daughter (I made one for Siri when she was a toddler). Second, I wanted to give Siri a tool to learn new words as she learns to read. I also wanted it to be fun, so the girls and I went on an “alphabet scavenger hunt” to gather the items we photographed.

img_6745_smThis hybrid project uses my ABC templates, which are 4” x 6” templates that you drop right on top of your photo, My Mind’s Eye’s Penny Lane Papers, and pink stamp ink, which I rubbed along the edges. The final book is 5” x 6.5” (that’s the size I cut the papers I mounted the photos on). I got the whole thing spiral bound at Office Max.

ABC books can be used for more than just learning the alphabet…try these fun ideas!
•    Capture a vacation using the alphabet. Not only will it be fun to figure out things to photograph using the alphabet, but the book will be fun to look at when you are finished!
•    Capture a child or family’s year using the ABC’s. It’s a great way to get a snapshot of your year!
•    Use the book as an opportunity to capture things that you love in your home. I made sure to include “red blankey” for Siri and “white blanky” for Felicity because these are their lovies. When do we ever take the time to capture these meaningful everyday items? In 10 or 20 years, long after those blankets are in rags, I know my children will be happy to have these photos.

A couple of helpful hints when taking photos for this project:
•    If you are taking pictures of your kids, a second adult is really helpful because one person can hand the items to the kids and one can photograph.
•    Remember you need lots of foreground/background…aka…empty space to fit your words and letters!
•    Take photos all with the same background for a cohesive look. I used a brick wall in front of my house. If doing a vacation book, you won’t necessarily want to do this so you can capture all parts of your vacation.
•    A mix of closeups and full shots make the book more dynamic and interesting.
•    Laminating your book makes it more durable for little hands.

Want to buy the template I used for this ABC Book? Go here:

http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/shop/digital-kits/carina-gardner/_abc_book_/

To see the entire ABC book I made, visit my flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/carinagardner/sets/72157612650193775/

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Want to see more Project Mania projects from me or anyone on the blog hop? Or want to join the blog hop? Go here.

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Project Mania…An entire month of projects!

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img_6708_smWe’re getting started a bit early here (Project Mania officially starts on September 1st!), but I wanted to make sure that everyone has a chance to participate! I’m giving everyone a head start here so that if you have any big projects that need starting or need to clear out your schedule to make way for some great projects in September, you have the time to!

This is a BLOG HOP! Here on my blog, I’ll be posting a plethora of new projects, tutorials, and free downloads to help inspire you. If YOU have been working on some things and want to share OR if you’ve needed a kick start, this is it! Time to get your hands dirty and get going! We all want to see what you’ve done! Whether it is scrapbooking related, sewing, home decor, home organization, crafts…if you’ve been meaning to do it, let’s get it done this September and post it on our blogs! You’ll definitely see plenty from me on these fronts all September.

So you think you want to share what you’re going to be doing September 2009? We’re starting a list right here! First thing you need to do is grab this html code and the little banner to put on your blog. It will relocate you back to this post for the most up-to-date list on blogs/websites participating in Project Mania.


<a href=”https://carinagardner.com/2009/08/06/project-mania/” target=”_blank”><img class=”alignnone” src=”http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee297/diginirvana/projectmania1.jpg” alt=”” width=”200″ height=”150″ /></a>

Next, you need to send me the name of your blog and the link you want it to go to so that we can all drop by and see what kinds of things you are getting into! Send it to carina@diginirvana.com.

Here’s the list of everyone participating! Go visit and see what these Project Maniacs are up to!

Carina Gardner Studio (Me)

The Project Girl

Mean Mom Digital Productions

Brought to You By The Letter B

live laugh LOVE scrapbook

Life’s Little Moments

Naomi’s Space

Sophia’s World

My Creative Space

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