Saturday, August 22, 2015



I'm teaching myself to sketch. This is my husband (he's since lost some weight). It's sketch #2, but the first one this year. Finished last month:




This is a sketch I did for a friend. Sketch #3. Finished early this month.





This is a sketch I did of my daughter and son-in-law. This is my fourth sketch. Finished last night.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Back to School Pencil Pouch

My youngest son is taking an art class this semester and needed a pencil pouch to put his supplies in. I priced them in the stores and decided to just make one. Together we picked out some fabric, and when I finished it, I said, "Hey, we could cut out some heat transfer material on the Cameo and fuse it onto your pouch, personalizing it for you!" I told him he could choose to do his name, or any other design we could find in the Silhouette Design Store. We went "shopping," and he found a couple of dragon images that he really liked. Here is the result, back and front:



I also finished another sleeved bib for my Etsy store (kreativekaredesigns.etsy.com). It turned out so cute! Here is a picture of it: 


Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Colorful Projects

I made these little bags on my Cameo for a family night project. Yeah, there are a lot of us. I have seven children. Although most of them are technically adults, they still squabble and don't always treat each other with kindness. I had each family member write something they liked and admired about each family member and we put them in these little bags. The warm feelings that emerged with this exercise was wonderful! Everyone started to relax and much laughing and joking ensued. The atmosphere turned very warm and accepting. I wish I could get away with doing this every week!




This next photo shows what I've done with the boxes from the cream cheese I used for all the cheesecakes I've been making in the past few weeks. I actually started it a couple of years ago, but was happy to have more boxes because I have many embroidery machine thread spools! I just hot glued boxes together. There are three boxes on the bottom layer, two in the middle and one on the top layer. The boxes under the upright boxes are glued upside down.


Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Making Cheesecakes!

As you've probably already surmised, my husband and I like to ride bikes. We have signed up for a ride in September that is a benefit ride for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. To participate, my husband and I each have to raise $100 for the foundation. I decided to make and sell cheesecakes to earn the money. Below are some of my creations. One of my favorite things is making them look absolutely irresistible. And, trust me, they taste as good as they look!






Wednesday, July 15, 2015

More Cutout Projects


I've been having fun with my Cameo! I made these cute little cut-out cards, which I found in the design store. I started with the cat and the dog, then just kept going! There are more, so check back!



I decided to try a "Print & Cut" project. I downloaded these adorable little animal images and created a Print & Cut with them. I was really impressed with how precisely the Cameo cut around these little images!



I love this! It's so true! This is vinyl that I put on my wall. The wall is a little textured, but it seems to be sticking just fine.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Impossible Tile

I saw this quote and really liked it. I cut it out in vinyl on my Cameo and put it on a 4-inch tile I picked up at a thrift store for $.50.

It already is inspiring me--like when I paid the bills today. :)


I made a matching one for my sister-in-law for her birthday, yesterday. It was great to be able to make something quickly that has meaning. She loved it!

Friday, July 3, 2015

Wooden Blocks Americana


This sign is sitting on my piano. I made it a few weeks ago out of wooden blocks, which I painted white and then glued scrapbook paper on one side. Once it was good and dry, I Mod Podge-d vinyl letters on them, which I cut on my Cameo. I think it's the only patriotic decoration I have! I clearly need more. 

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Bike Shorts and Fathers Day Gift Box


One day last week, while we were cycling around, getting ready for the big ride (Bike MS), my husband mentioned that it sure would be nice to have a pair of those padded biking shorts! Well, I happened to have a pattern, and a quick internet search showed me where I could buy the chamois insert. So, I ordered it and sewed up these shorts for him. He loves them!





Isn't this cute?! It's a little treat box for Father's Day! It holds a full-size candy bar.
I made it from a design I found in Silhouette's Design Store. I love it!


Saturday, June 13, 2015

New DIY Cycling Jerseys

I like to cycle in the warm weather months. I recently purchased a new road bike, which meant that I needed somewhere to keep my "stuff," namely my phone with GPS; lip balm; epi pen, in case I get stung by a bee; and sometimes snacks. I had a pouch on my mountain bike, but there's no room on my new road bike. So, I clearly needed cycling jerseys.

Cycling jerseys have awesome pockets in back for all the "stuff" you need while you cycle (except water, which is stored on the bike frame). They can be pretty pricey, usually running between $65 and $200. I decided a while back that I could surely make them cheaper. So, I did. My first attempt was a cute, flowery jersey that I made last year. Then I made my husband one that reminded me of a jockey jersey. Bright colors are a good idea, as they aid in visibility on the road.

Yesterday I made two new jerseys for myself so that I could have a spare or two when one was in the wash. They are made with swimsuit fabric, which has a two-way stretch and contain Lycra. You can get two jerseys out of 1 1/2 yard cuts of two coordinating fabrics. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to find masculine swimsuit fabric when I made one for my husband! I downloaded, printed and pieced together the pattern from a Canadian company called Jalie, which also sells patterns for swimwear and dancewear. This pattern was one of their discontinued patterns, and also includes a pattern for bike shorts and tights. If I could figure out the Chamois padding, and find the right fabric, I'd make my husband a pair of bike shorts.

Here they are:


Front
This one matches my husband's jersey, which is blue where mine is pink. I think the collar on his is blue as well. 


Back
See the big pockets? They're wonderful!!


Front
This one is hanging kinda wonky on the hanger, but you can get the jist of how it looks.



Back
Again, love those pockets!

Thursday, June 11, 2015

First Vinyl Project With Cameo




Look, Ma! No mat! 
I love that I can feed the vinyl right into the Cameo. I couldn't do that with my old machine that is named after an insect!
The vinyl cut like a dream. I had no problems with it at all.



The backing came off very nicely. It was very easy to do.



Ta da! Here's the final product! I think it looks great! And, those little flourishes on either side of the word, "Keep?" I made those in my Silhouette Studio software. I also did all the lettering myself, just the way I decided I wanted it. Another thing I couldn't do with my Expression. I'm really enjoying the creative designer abilities of my Cameo.


Monday, June 8, 2015

My Latest Cards


I made these two cards for the card exchange group I'm in. It was our last exchange before summer break. I decided to do a couple of cards that will come in handy for this season.


Isn't this one cute? It's a teacher appreciation card, with a pocket for a gift card. The pattern for this card is available in Silhouette's Design Store. I made my own stamp with Silhouette's stamping material for the "For You" on the tag. I think it turned out great!




All set for Father's Day! This card will surely remind my children of "The Doctor."


The pattern for this card is also in the Silhouette Design Store. It's really perfect for Father's Day. 


I had the shirt fabric paper in my stash. I thought it was pretty perfect! I started out with pockets of the same checkered red paper, only cut on the diagonal, but they didn't show up well enough. The pattern also has tiny buttons that I cut out in black, but they were just too tiny for me to try and glue in those little holes! I think it looks fine with the beige "buttons."

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

New Dust Cover For My Silhouette Cameo


It got too windy to work outside, so I came in and made this cover for my Cameo:


I found the free pattern online and used some fabric I had left over from another project. I think it turned out great!

Saturday, May 30, 2015

More Days For Girls

This is what our big sewing/cutting/assembling get-together looked like. Pretty impressive, isn't it! It was great to see so many young women come to this service activity. Women helping women.


That's me on the left, happily sewing away behind my machine. 


And, here's my final project pile. The previous record for finished shields at a gathering like this was 13. I blew away the record. I finished 28 shields!

To learn more about Days For Girls, and to start a local chapter, go to their website:


Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Cute Birthday Boxes

I have a friend who has given me cute little birthday boxes on my birthday the past couple of years. She fills them with small candies and writes a message on the side of the box. I never asked her where she got her pattern, but I discovered it for myself when I got my Silhouette Cameo. It's in the Design Store! So, now I'm making my own little birthday boxes.


This is my Cameo cutting out two boxes. I can fit the paper for two of them on a single 12 x 12 mat. I love that I can cut out all the different papers at once.

One thing I really like about these little boxes is you can cut the bottom box part out of a single 6 x 6 piece of cardstock.


Aren't they cute!? I had to re-size the little flower on top to fit the candles I used. The pattern comes with a paper candle you can put together, but this is how my friend does it, so I thought I'd give it a try!

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Days For Girls Project

Today I cut out a skirt for myself and got it about 90% sewn. It is a casual skirt with pockets. I LOVE skirts that have pockets! I hope I love this skirt. We'll see.it has a lot of gathers, which I avoid, due to already having rather large hips. Well, I did have seven children....

This evening I helped some young women with a service project called "Days For Girls." It's a really grape at project and I'm happy to be able to help. I brought my rotary cutter and mat and cut out strips of flannel. Next, I will serge the edges.


You can learn more about Days For Girls at Daysforgirls.org

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

A Brand New Blog!

Hi, welcome to my brand new blog!

I decided I need a place to talk about all the creative projects I'm involved in. I have many, many interests and hobbies, including sewing, paper crafting, knitting, cooking, gardening, music, writing, and more. I will be blogging here about what I'm doing and what I'm excited about.

Today I discovered a dangerously exciting paper crafting discount store. It's in Orem, across from the Hale Center Theater there. It's at about 400 North and State Street. Oh, my goodness! It's a dangerous place, ladies! They have American Craft products at super-reduced prices. You can get a pad of really cute 12x12 48 count cardstock for $6! And, that's just the beginning. They have paper cutters, embossers, glitter, chalks, chalk paint, ribbon, stickers, stamps, stamp pads, albums, and so much more. If you're anywhere near Orem, you just have to check this place out!