We’ve had such a tremendous response to the hybrid section of the Quarterly Newsletter that I have decided to open it up to anyone who would like to submit projects they have done using my fabric, digital, or paper. This is very exciting for me since I love seeing everyone’s creativity!

Our first deadline is for Issue No. 6 Dec 2011-Jan 2012, which we expect to release mid-January. Submission Forms are due by December 15, 2011. Please download the form and look over the project guidelines. You can also check out previous hybrid projects done by the Creative Team in Issue No. 5.

Deadlines for future issues will be published on the Newsletter Page (as well as the download forms).

We’d love to publish your fabulous fabric, paper, and digital work so submit!

Hugs! Carina

I think this is our best issue so far. First of all, there are a LOT of photos. And tutorials. And photos. And an announcement (which links to ANOTHER digital magazine). And did I mention photos?

It’s seriously delicious!

Susan has already posted a bit on getting ready for this crazy photoshoot (see it here). I can tell you right now that we had so many amazing photos that I’m not going to be able to resist posting them.

But first, click on the newsletter to the left here and take a peek at all the fun we were up to in the studio.

http://www.carinagardner.com/newsletter/carina-gardner-newsletter-issue-no-4/

More photos to come!

This lamp shade is a breeze to make. I think I got the shade from IKEA (a couple of years ago) and the lamp from a consignment shop. It takes two 5″ x 43″ strips of fabrics to make each ruffle (I have 5 ruffles here using my Love Nest™ fabrics). Hot glue ruffles, pom poms, and a ribbon on top and you are done. How easy was that? Into my girl’s room it goes!

What IS a lumjum you might ask? Growing up with a Chinese mom meant that we had some pretty weird words for some of our favorite things. However, the most loved item that my mom made each of us was a lumjum, aka a cylinder body pillow.

Growing up, this was the lovie we all took on every vacation with us (skip the pillow, bring the lumjum). My siblings can attest. You didn’t leave home without your lumjum-it would mean a bad night of sleep.

Even today, I take my lumjum with me. When I don’t I have to have 5 pillows to take it’s place (ask Deena and Jen). Ya, more information than you wanted I’m sure.

Mine is a little extra long with super easy instructions. You use ever bit of fabric, and it is fun for movie night or a cuddle. You can tell we’ve had some serious sewing time during the last couple of days. Oh yes, all these projects are made with my brand new bolts of Coquette™. The project madness has just begun…

Also wanted to give a reminder that the giveaway for my debit fabric line ends on Friday (a couple of days away) so be sure to put in your comment in the Coquette™ Fat Quarter post soon!

Click on the image below for the downloadable instructions for this easy body pillow.

_________________________________________________________

photographs in this post by Susan Haglund

]]> http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/09/22/how-to-make-a-lumjum-body-pillow-free-download/feed/ 5 http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/09/10/how-to-make-a-halloween-banner-free-download/ http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/09/10/how-to-make-a-halloween-banner-free-download/#comments Sat, 11 Sep 2010 03:30:14 +0000 carina http://www.carinagardner.com/?p=3308 There have been spooky things happening at my house recently: Crows cawing, moss creeping, and mice scurrying along the old piano. It’s just enough to make you want to shout, “Happy Halloween!”

The spookiness has been so much fun that I made this banner using the Haunted™ Line. The instructions and pattern are below for you to download.

Another sweet creepy but easy Halloween project is just to tie pieces of Haunted™ paper with twine to dried branches. It’s cheap, easy, and chic all at once. Who knew Halloween could be chic?

Be sure and download the Halloween Banner tutorial below (all you will need is one pack of Haunted™, hot glue, black tissue paper, black ribbon, and black construction paper…it’s a whole lot of black:). I also have Illustrator files for those of you with a cutting machine. See below to download.

So what will I be working on next? My daughters have decided to be Sailor Moon (yes both of them) and I will be recreating a pair of red, white and blue outfits (hmmm, sounds patriotic). Let’s hope (for my sake) they don’t change their minds.

Illustrator File Downloads:

Halloween Flag Illustrator File

Halloween Pattern 1 Illustrator File

Halloween Pattern 2 Illustrator File

Download the Instructions:

You can also paste this link into your Internet Browser: http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/09/10/how-to-make-a-halloween-banner-free-download/

Here’s a fun project that you really need to do (and can easily do) in advanced. You will specifically need the Haunted™ Line because the reason it is so simple is because the journaling page in this line has this Halloween Countdown already to go! (simply cut it out!)

Once this fun little calendar is finished, all you’ll need to do is let your kids stamp a fun shape (The Haunted™ Acylic Stamps will be what we are using. I’m thinking we will be using white ink and that creepy, crawly spider.) or just draw a mark on each day as you countdown to a very spooky Halloween! It will be a fun way to start October 1st!

I have the tutorial for you to download below (seriously, this is a 20 minute project at best and the hardest part is making sure you have a photo of your family to add!) and you can certainly expect some more haunted crafting happening ’round here this week. Those cute, um, I mean spooky crows just love getting photographed!

1.Create your cardstock pieces with a program like Photoshop Elements. I created 4×4, 5×5, and 4×5 shapes and clipped the patterened papers to them. I flattened the image and printed it onto white cardstock.

2. Next I trimmed my patterned paper pieces and used my Quickutz Epic
to cut out the butterfly and label shapes from the patterned paper. I
gathered up a few more supplies like green cardstock, butterfly
ribbon, Maya Road stick pins, and some buttons.

3. I embellished my butterfly by adding 3 tiny buttons to the front,
foam tape to the back, and stick pins pushed into the foam tape for
antennae.

4. I cut my green cardstock to 5×10 inches, folded in half at the top,
and layered on my elements. Brown patterned paper trimmed to a 4.25″
square, then yellow patterned paper that was cut into a label diecut,
and butterfly in the corner. Another embellishment technique I used
was to add a butterfly flight trail with my punch tool and dot the “i”
of precious using a rhinestone.

Now I have the perfect unisex card for my next baby shower! The Basics
papers are so versatile you can create something for most any occasion!

Start with a wreath with the colors in it you want. I liked this wreath but I wanted something fuller.

I bought these big white flowers (2 bunched) on clearance and simply hot glued them to fill it in.

Easy, instant wreath! It’s different than anyone else’s and so much fuller!

When your dishes are clean, simply flip the “Completely Clean” side up and when they are dirty, flip the “Disgustingly Dirty” side up. I even included 4 colors here so you could decide which worked best in your kitchen:).

Download below!

Here’s a few other things to check out:

+ If you wanted Pretty Posy, you only have a few more hours to join the Facebook group. I extended giving out the freebie until tonight.

+ Coquette™ will be arriving in the next couple of weeks, and I’ve already started getting a quilt design together for you! I’ve also got all sorts of other crafty ideas for you with the line.

+ A few updates to the studio site was made including the addition of Love Nest™ to the fabric section. If you want to see this line at your local quilting shop, be sure and email the link to the web brochure to them! You can also check it out on the sidebar on this here blog.