Give Thanks...

Hello everyone,

Wow, I have really not been a good blogger! So its been a while since my last post...again! I have been keeping very busy with work, crocheting and everything else in between. I just have not been good about blogging them. I finally got my Etsy shop open...yay me! But there is nothing in it yet because I have been busy working on custom orders that I already had before I opened my shop. I am hoping to get some things in there soon though, doesn't help my time management at all that the holidays are fast approaching. I also created a Facebook page for CBCL...yay me! I still have to update my blog with my new design and make some buttons to link to my Etsy store and Facebook page but in the meantime, and just in time for Thanksgiving, I have another free printable for everyone.

the downloaded file will not contain a watermark, file size is 5" x 7".

dress up your house with this pretty Thanksgiving printable!

You can download your 5" x 7" printable HERE. I really hope everyone enjoys this printable and have a very blessed Thanksgiving!

Take care

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Goblins & Monsters...oh my!

Hi Everyone!

Well today I have something very fun for everyone...my first freebie!!! Who doesn't like free stuff? I was reading some of my favorite blogs and came across a very cute, FREE, Halloween printable at stay-at-homeartist. Using her freebie as inspiration, I came up with my own Halloween poster for all of you.

I created this poster using this amazingly cute dingbat font. All monsters, goblins, candy corn, and word boxes came from this font and the chevron background was created by myself.

Feel free to print these cute little goblins and monsters and place them around your home or give as gift.

the downloaded file will contain a watermark or logo on it.

The poster size is 8" 10". I really hope that you enjoy this freebie...I hope to have many more to come! Click HERE to download your Halloween poster and...Happy Halloween!

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Balancing act...

Wow, I can hardly call myself a blogger at this rate! So its been awhile...a long while...3 months while. You get the picture. Life has been a juggling act lately, I really don't know how some of you keep up with balancing everything in your lives, work, play, family, hobbies, blogging & etc. I have obviously struggled with this and I promise to myself that I am going to try and make more of an effort to keep this little blog up to date.

Well, I have been trying to get as much designing and crafting in as my life and spare time will allow. One of the BIG projects I am currently working on is a brand for myself. I came up with a new logo that I am pretty happy with and now I would really like to work on a new, more minimalist blog design. The problem is that my web skills are very rusty... okay, they were never that great to begin with. I have no issues designing a website, its making it work that I struggle with. I bought a book that I am going to try and work through to build myself a pretty little blog, if the book doesn't work I am thinking about taking a few classes for web design/development. I really enjoy doing it, I am just not good at it. Eventually, I would like to start designing blog templates for other people to enjoy... we shall see how that goes... no promises!

Until next time... here is my new logo! Hope you all enjoy and as always...take care!

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Reminiscing...

Summer is finally upon us in MN and it is oh so apparent. Busy, busy, busy! I did squeeze in some time to share what has been on my mind lately...my favorite MN city, Duluth. I have not made a trip there since February and am itching to get back.

I figured since I cannot be there right now, I would look at some of my photography from some of my past visits...then I thought why not share them with all of you!

So, this is my first photography post...I am no photography expert but I do enjoy taking pictures, especially when looking through the lens and Duluth shows up! I hope you enjoy these pictures from Lake Superior in Duluth, MN and of Gooseberry State Park in Two Harbors, MN. If you have not visited this wonderful city...please do! You will not want to leave once you are there, I promise!

Take care!

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Design Time...

Hi Friends,

Whew, I have been busy busy busy! I was looking at the date of my last post...it has been awhile!

Well, today I thought I would post one of my recent wedding invitation and reply card designs. Someday, I would love to create wedding invitations all day long! Really any kind of invitations but weddings are my favorite. I could literally create these all day long!

Since my own wedding (two years ago today!) I have been infatuated with weddings. I still look at all of the inspiration and ideas online and am in awe of how beautiful these events are. I would not change anything about my wedding but it does amaze me how just two years later the trends have already changed so much!

To all the brides out there...Happy wedding planning! If you would like a custom design, check back soon, I am hoping to have an Etsy shop up soon. Until then, I hope you enjoy this design I have created.

The names on this invite are made up...all text is for design and layout purposes.

Take care!

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Happy Zentangle Wednesday!

Hi Friends,

Who doesn't love cupcakes? It has been very apparent that in the last few years there has been a cupcake explosion...and that is the subject of today's Zentangle.

Cupcakes are not only fun to eat, they are fun to create too! No matter what form they come in...food, drawing, sewing project, crocheted, knitted, clay...they are adorable.

A fun way to create a base for your Zentangle drawing is to use a dingbat from a fun font. There are many websites to download free fonts from...this one came from the font mtf sweet dings from dafont. I chose the dingbat that I wanted to use, made it really big, and then just printed it and started tangling!

Hope this tangle inspires everyone to go out and create cupcakes...whatever the medium may be! Have fun with it!!!

Take care!

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Graduation Time!

Hi Friends,

Since graduation is right around the corner, I thought that I would show you the open house invitation I designed for my brother-in-law.

Hard to believe that 10 years ago this spring I graduated from high school...I know I just aged myself there! Times really do change though. I remember my high school graduation open house invites...they were nothing to write home about; though I am sure at that time I thought they were the best thing since sliced bread! Now days, there are so many unique designs out there for grad announcements so...remember to keep your options open and do some research to find a design that fits your needs and budget!

I am working on getting an Etsy store up to sell my designs but until that happens, this is a little preview of some of my design work...I hope you enjoy!

Take care!

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Crochet Day!

Hi Friends,


I am very excited about this post! Today I am having a crochet day with one of my very good friends. I get to relax, crochet, and watch Sex & the City all in good company...I call that an excellent Friday! Since I have not posted any crochet projects since my very first post, I thought today was the perfect day to add another one...I am in crochet mode!!


This is another one of Ana Paula's patterns. I am OBSESSED with her patterns right now, especially her ocean creatures. I have made three of there little jellyfish...there are oh so adorable and pretty fast to whip up! These could be crocheted in a rainbow of colors and look cute every time!


I have been missing Duluth terribly which is why I think I have been creating many nautical and water themed projects lately. Granted, there are no jellyfish or octopuses in Lake Superior, but I have got water on my mind and these things do live in the water in other places of the world!


I hope everyone enjoys this amigurumi...stay tuned if you do because I am hoping to finish another very cute one after today's crochet day!

Ingredients:
Peaches & Cream cotton yarn (color : Floral Garden) for body and tentacles
Lily Sugar & Cream cotton yarn (color : Hot Purple) for bow
2 small felt squares (behind eyes)
Black Embroidery thread (for mouth)
Darice Shank Back Eyes 9mm
Poly-Fil Premium Polyester Fiberfill
Size G (4.5mm) crochet hook
Large yarn needle (for embroidering mouth and attaching parts)


Take Care

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Happy Zentangle Wednesday!

Hi Friends,

Today I have decided to post one of my very first Zentangles. I just love how an ordinary shape can become transformed into a very dimensional drawing in a matter of few minutes.

This tangle illustrates my MN love! Although the weather here can sometimes test my love for this state, I truly do love living here. Art, food, culture, nature, and four seasons...true love!

I hope everyone enjoys this weeks Zentangle!

Take care

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Finally Organized...

Hi Friends,

I have finally brought some much needed organization to my kitchen.

I really enjoy baking and cooking...especially trying new recipes. I get most of my recipes online and anytime I find one that I want to try, I print it off on a sheet of office paper. All of these sheets of office paper end up getting folded up and shoved in a small basket on my counter. So, this means anytime I am looking for a recipe I have to look through everything in the basket to find the recipe I am looking for. I took all of my recipes out of the basket, there were approximately 60 of them, and I am in the process of transferring them all to recipe cards.

What finally got me started on this organizing process were these adorable recipe cards from Love vs. Design. They have adorable stuff and many free printables so check them out!

I printed out both of the matching sets and dividers and now I have the daunting task of transferring all the recipes to them but I just had to show everyone some pictures...I am really liking how they look. I purchased a plain recipe card box from my local craft store and I plan on jazzing it up with some scrapbook paper and Modge Podge. I will have another post with this project completed but I could not wait to show how it looks so far...much better than a bunch of sheets of copy paper!

Before...

I cannot believe this was my "recipe box" for as long as it was!

 After...

There is nothing better than the feeling of organization!

 Enjoy and stay tuned for the final result of this project!

 

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Happy Zentangle Wednesday...on a Thursday!

Hi Friends,

Zentangle Wednesday again! It came and went so quick its already Thursday! Didn't quite get this one up in time..anyway...I thought this week that I would use one of my "pins" as inspiration for my tangle. I am in love with any and all things nautical right now...every time I see anything nautical, it makes me think of my FAVORITE MN city, Duluth. This pin is also inspiration for a tattoo I plan on getting...someday!

Ok so here is the pin...

Anchor "Pinspiration"

I used this image to illustrate something of my own in Adobe Illustrator. I left my anchor as an outline so I could fill it in with my zentangle and the font I used is Lobster. So, with my printout and trusty Sharpie I started doodling and this is my end result...

and a detail...

If anyone out there is a beginner zentangler like myself, Adobe Illustrator is a great tool for making all different types of shape outlines. Then you can easily print them out and start doodling away. Like I have said before, I am not a great drawer so I use Illustrator to make my basic shapes and then I can doodle to my heart's content. However, Zentangles DO NOT have to be a perfect shape! You can just doodle and see what you end up with. I just think its fun to have a shape to start with and then see how it can be transformed by filling it in!

I hope you have all enjoyed this weeks tangle! Don't forget to take a close look at your surroundings, or do what I did, and take a look at your Pins and make a tangle from that inspiration!

Take care!

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Bold & Bright

Hi Friends,

Today I thought that I would feature one of the handbags that I created recently. I have not shown any of my sewing projects yet and I though this one would be perfect for my sewing projects debut.

Made from Simplicity pattern 2685. Details inside are my pattern.

I made this particular purse for one of my lovely coworkers. It is a large carry-all with plenty of pockets for organization and even includes a place to clip your keys on the inside.

Detail of pocket and key clip.

Detail of other pocket.

Front of purse details.

I am a big fan of large handbags. As many women can probably attest to...the larger the bag, the more things you can find to shove in them! I am oh so guilty of doing this.

I recently started sewing again after taking a LONG break from it. Mostly because I didn't have a working sewing machine for quite some time. Starting up sewing again was just like riding a bike, it just comes back naturally.

I encourage all of you who have not sewn in while, to dust off your sewing machines and give it a try! I am sure you will be as pleased as I was with the results of your first project! It is just so satisfying to make something yourself versus buying it at a store...you definitely don't have to worry about someone having the same handbag as you! Don't forget to take risks and try including some of your own elements...especially if you use a store bought pattern. It makes the project that much more personal, but most of all, don't forget to HAVE FUN!


Project Ingredients:
Keepsake Calico Fabric-Mocca-Red (main purse fabric)
Symphony Broadcloth Solids - light blue (inside lining)
Pellon Fusible Interfacing
Coats & Clark Dual Duty XP General Purpose Thread (Red)
Red Button (from my button collection)
Simplicity Pattern 2685 (Accessories - Bags)

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Happy Zentangle Wednesday!

Hi Friends,

Well another Zentangle Wednesday is upon us! I figured that since the Easter holiday is this weekend that I would try to do a tangle Easter related. I am not quite sure if I like how it turned out yet...still undecided.

I printed out the "Happy Easter" and the four egg shapes from something I quickly created in Adobe Illustrator and then I filled in the eggs shapes with tangles using my trusty black pens.

I also decided to try some watercolors on them. I have not used watercolors since I was a little kid and it shows! I have always liked the way that the watercolors look with the black ink of a pen on paper...I do need some lessons though.

Does anyone know of some good online watercolor tutorials?

I love adding color to my sketchbook but I usually just use colored pens and pencils. Trying watercolors would be a good challenge for me and like I said before, I just love the way they look with black ink pen.

Anyway onto the picture of this weeks tangle...hope you enjoy and HAPPY EASTER!

I really have to stop taking pictures with my phone...sorry for the bad color!

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Happy Zentangle Wednesday!

Hi Friends,

Happy Zentangle Wednesday! That's what it will be called from now on here at CBCL! I love doodling...mostly because I do not consider myself a great drawer but I think doodles always look fantastic! For those of you unfamiliar with the art of Zentangle you can find a definition here.

I had started this year with a resolution to create a Zentangle everyday this year and at the end of the year I was going to have them all printed in a nice bound book. Well, as you can guess I quickly broke my New Year's resolution as I usually do! In our busy lives we often do not make enough or have enough time for the things we love to do. That is what happened to me.

Instead of doing one of these things everyday I have reduced it to AT LEAST 1 per month so at the very least I can make a 2013 calendar with all of my 2012 Zens.

This activity reduces so much stress that I know we all have and honestly anyone can do this! You do not need any drawing skills...just an imagination and some free time! I would like to encourage everyone to try a Zentangle...you just might like it as much as I do and feel a little less stress in your life. They are called ZENtangles after all!

This is my February Zentangle...a little nontraditional but adorable!

I hope, at the very least, that this post inspires everyone to find a little time in everyday to do something that you truly love to do. Get ready for next Zentangle Wednesday!

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The Beginning...

Hello friends. I thought that today would be an appropriate day to write my first post for Creations by CassieLynn. Today marks the 13th anniversary of my Grandma's passing. I miss her everyday and tears fill my eyes when I think about her.

My Grandma G in 1972.

Now, you may be wondering why a creative blog is starting on a sad note...the reason is that she really started my passion for a particular creative hobby, crochet. It was my Grandma who first tried to teach me to crochet. It wasn't that she wasn't a good teacher but more so that I tend to get frustrated very easily and gave up quickly. I think that I was about 10 years old when she gave me my first lesson. We started things off with a granny square. If you asked me now I would say that this is one of the easiest things to crochet, but back then it was my nemesis. I just could not figure it out. So, while my Grandma was still here, the only things I ever knew how to crochet were just rows and rows of single crochets...things like scarves and baby blankets.

After my Grandma passed away, I was 15 at the time, my Grandpa gave me all of my Grandma's crochet hooks and yarn. I knew that I had to perfect my skills and keep my Grandma's memory alive through my crochet. I still crocheted the same things for a while but just tried to perfect those stitches. It wasn't until I was in college that I really took crocheting seriously and really started learn more advanced patterns and stitches.

I taught myself everything I know about crochet by reading books and watching numerous tutorials on You Tube. Technology is a wonderful thing! Now I can crochet just about anything, although my favorite things to make are amigurumi. I have been crocheting these for a few years now and am getting pretty comfortable with them. I feel like my next step is to try my hand at pattern writing and come up with my own cute patterns. Without my Grandma, I would have never picked up a crochet hook. I only wish she could see the things I crochet now! I love you Grandma!

This pattern is from Ana Paula's book Amigurumi Toy Box: Cute Crocheted Friends

Crochet is not my only creative hobby which is why I opted for my blog to be called "Creations" and not "Crochet" by Cassie Lynn. I am in love with anything crafty. I am a proud Cricut owner and love paper crafting. I also enjoy painting, sketching and doodling, and I am by trade a graphic designer. (My blog was designed by yours truly!) So...this is my beginning on a wonderfully creative journey with all of you and I can not wait to see where this road will lead to.

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