Creations By CassieLynn

Hats Galore!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 14:16:00 +0000

Wow! I have been MIA for quite some time so I thought today I would do a photo-heavy post showing what I have been up to since I posted last.

Hats are probably my favorite thing to crochet because they work up so fast. I have been busy experimenting with different characters and have come up with quite a few that I am happy with. I use the same base hat pattern for all of my hats and then from there I decide what character it is going to be.

The hat patterns I always use are from Sarah over Repeat Crafter Me. I have made several of her hats just the was they are and they all turn out perfect and fit great. That being said, the hat patterns are perfect for making the hat itself and then trying to come up with some new fun characters. There are a lot of really adorable hats on Pinterest or Google images that often do not have patterns with them, so it is fun to try and figure out how to make them without a pattern. You can make some really fun characters by just knowing how to make some pretty basic shapes. I use circles, ovals, and cone shapes all the time to make things like eyes, noses, and horns. You can also use felt to create eyes, noses, and mouths and then hand-stitch them onto your hat. I have used this method for a few of the hats I have made and they always turn out super cute...sometimes they turn out better than if I would have crocheted the features. So, without further ado…here are the hats!

This little leprechaun hat was a custom order for an old friend who was expecting a new little one around St. Patty's day. Hard to believe that was almost a year ago and I am just now blogging about it! I did not have a pattern for this hat so I had to try and figure this one out on my own. I wish I would have written it down as I was crocheting it…unfortunately I didn't so if I ever have to make this again I am going to have to start from scratch. I do know that I made a circle for the top of the hat that was the circumference of a newborn-size head, finished off the circle and reattached the yarn started crocheting around and around until it was as tall as I wanted it and then did the same thing for the brim of the hat. I used a pipe cleaner and some felt sticker shamrocks to make the clover and then ribbon and some more felt to make the belt. Then I used some glitter glue to add some sparkle to the buckle and clover. The clover is attached to the ribbon with a bit of hot glue and I added velcro to each side of the back of the belt so that it can easily be taken on and off of the hat. It turned out to be a festive little hat!

This adorable Thomas hat was made for my 2 year old nephew for Christmas. He LOVES Thomas so I knew he had to have this hat! I did not have a pattern for this one so I used one of Sarah's patterns for the hat and then made the rest up as I went along. I made a lot of circles for most of the features and hand-stitched the nose and mouth. For the smoke stack I started making a circle and then decreased to make the cylinder shape. For the smoke I attached the white yarn and just started making a chain, slip stitching it to the stack and then repeated that process until I was happy with the amount of "smoke." The stack is also lightly stuffed with some poly-fil to make it stand up. It looks so cute on him!

The next hat was made for my husband's goddaughter, who happens to LOVE My Little Ponies! I was so excited to make this hat for her because I also loved this toy growing up! Gotta love 80's toys! (wow, I just dated myself there!) Again, for this hat, I used one of Sarah's patterns. The ponies have very unique facial features so I thought that it would be easier to cut out some felt shapes and hand sew them onto the hat instead of trying to figure how to crochet them. I think they turned out really great and everyone knew that it was Rainbow Dash! The mane was really easy to do. I cut a bunch of yarn into about 6" strands, using Rainbow Dash's colors of course, and then looped them through a stitch and tied them to the hat. After they were all attached I gave the mane a hair cut so that you could see all of the colors and so that all of the strands fell evenly down the back of the hat. She was so excited about the hat! Her reaction was priceless and that is why I truly love crocheting!

Well, I have one last hat I am going to show today! It is another My Little Pony hat…meet Twilight Sparkle!

She was made the same way I made the Rainbow Dash hat. The only thing I did different for her was that I crocheted the eyes instead of making them out of felt and I think they turned out just as cute. This hat made another lucky little girl very happy!

I am linking up here:

Hookin' On Hump Day

Simply Dream & Create

Wow! Hard to believe that is just a snippet of what I have been up to! I have many more projects to show so check back soon and thanks so much for stopping by to take a look!

As always,

Take care and have a happy day!

Owls on Parade!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:32:00 +0000

Hi Everyone,

Well, just when I thought it was safe to put away the winter hats...winter shows its ugly face again! 32º on April 5, not unheard of in Minnesota but certainly not welcomed! And if anyone is wondering, we have a chance of snow/rain all weekend! Good thing I have lived here all my life and am a very hearty Minnesotan ;-)

Since it is going to be cold, I may as well show some of the hats that I have made that will most certainly be keeping the littlest of ears warm this weekend! And yes, they are all owls…hence the title of this post!

These are just some of the owl hats I have made recently. These were all made from Sarah's owl hat pattern over at Repeat Crafter Me. If you haven't noticed yet, I will let you know right now, I LOVE her patterns. I use them as she has written them and, a lot of the time, I will just use the main hat pattern and then come up with a way to make the hat my own (i.e. the Shabby-Chic girly hat I made). Animal hats for the little ones seem to be very popular right now and I cannot get enough of them either. I do not have any kids but I do have 5 nieces and a nephew and they all love these hats. (2 of my nieces live in sunny Florida so they do not get much use out of these but I already have some ideas in the works for when they come to frigid MN this December! Get ready girls…its going to be cold!)

Hopefully we can put the winter gear away soon but until that happens I have a great reason to keep on crocheting these cozy hats! Hope you all have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

I am linking up at these fun parties:

Hookin' On Hump Day

Simply Create

The Inspiration Gallery

Spring Fever

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:09:00 +0000

Hi Everyone,

I have something special for everyone today because I have a severe case of spring fever! Lucky you huh?!

Here in MinneSNOWta, (yeah, we call it that…only when we are really sick of winter!) we have four seasons but old man winter is almost always the longest of them all; parts of our yard still have well over 12" of snow :(

It is very nice out today, probably close to 50º but with the snow melting it is pretty sloppy outside. This leaves me inside creating and you all getting a FREE April wallpaper for your viewing pleasure. I created this wallpaper in Adobe Photoshop. The gray background and butterfly graphic are from Persnickety Prints digital scrapbooking kit "Storyteller". They have great prices on photo printing and have many options to choose from…not to mention all of the freebies they offer. I designed the text and calendar elements using the Blanch font family and the font Simply Glamorous.

I am offering this wallpaper for free in 3 different sizes so you can pick the size that best fits your screen!

fyi…the wallpaper does not have my logo on it!

1024x768

1280x1024

1600x1200

click the size you would like to download and you will be redirected to download the file.

I really hope you all enjoy! Here's hoping the spring fever subsides soon…I can't wait to get outside! Thanks for stopping by!

Shabby Chic Girly Hat

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:35:00 +0000

Hello Friends!

As promised I am here with a crochet project. I created this hat for an old classmate's daughter. Her little girl had a similar knit hat and she had outgrown it and liked it so much that she asked me to re-create the hat. I really love how the hat turned out...so much so that I am thinking of making an adult-size hat for myself ;-) I just love the extra long tassels and the pearl embellishments. Adding these little extras to a hat really make it stand out.

The hat was made using the base hat pattern from Sarah's owl hat pattern over at Repeat Crafter Me. Her hat patterns always fit perfectly and if you know a little bit about crochet it is very easy to change them up and create a completely different hat! As you can see, this isn't an owl hat, I just used the base pattern to create the striped hat and then added the lovely flowers. I always had so much trouble getting my hats to fit correctly but by using her hat patterns as a base, they always fit the way they should…so a huge thanks to Sarah! You cannot go wrong with any of Sarah's patterns! Go check out her blog…she has tons of free patterns and they are very easy to follow!

The pattern for the flowers and leaf can be found here. The pattern is in UK crochet terms but includes the US equivalent terms. This is a great flower pattern and the color combo possibilities are endless…and just think of all the places you could attach these!

Thanks to all the crocheters out there who provide these free patterns, I am forever grateful. I am still trying to figure out how to create my own crochet patterns and when I do, I plan to return the favor and provide some of them free for everyone else to enjoy!

So, enough with my ramblings…here is the adorable hat!

Materials Used:

•Vanna's Choice Baby Yarn in Sweet Pea (green)

•Vanna's Choice Baby Yarn in Little Boy Blue (medium blue)

•Red and Natural colored yarn are from my stash (can't remember what brand!)

•Small beads or pearls (for centers of flowers)

•Small amount of embroidery floss (for sewing beads on)

•Sewing needle (for sewing beads on)

•Yarn needle (for weaving in ends)

•Crochet hook size H-8 (5.0 mm)

I really hope you all enjoy this hat as much as I do! I am doing my first ever link-up with this post! So excited about that! See the link-up details below. Have a wonderful day! Spring is finally in the air here in MN!

I am Linking up at:

Hookin On Hump Day!
The Inspiration Gallery!
Simply Create!

Happy Scrapper Re-Design

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 04:22:00 +0000

Hello Everyone!

Here tonight with a quick little post…

This weekend I had the opportunity to practice my web/blog design skills by re-designing my sister's blog. It is truly a learning experience every time I try to tackle web design and so rewarding when things actually work. Web design is something I really love to do but I still need A LOT more practice. The few skills I did learn in college are pretty rusty so I am basically teaching myself all over again! I am really happy with how Happy Scrapper turned out and I think that my sister is too! I designed most of the elements using digital scrapbooking kits from Shabby Princess and Persnickety Prints. Those cute little owls were an Etsy find from Graphic Market. Me and my sister were so excited to have found them because the colors had already matched the logo I had designed for her in Illustrator…we just needed the perfect little owl to go along with it and these fit the bill! Spend some time with the Happy Scrapper (my sister!) and check out all of her amazing, handmade cards and paper projects, A LOT of time goes into her creations! Don't forget to grab your Happy Scrapper button for your own blog while you are there! Here is a little sneak of her blog…

I will be back with some long overdue crochet posts this week! I have a whole stockpile of images of the hats I have been busy making! Stay tuned…there will be links to patterns for most of them! Until then, take care!

Clean Office

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:05:00 +0000

Hello all,

Well I have been absent for quite some time and if you have read any of my previous posts you will notice that this time between posts has been a common occurrence and I am not proud of it. But I am here now and I guess that is what counts!

Well this time between posts has not been wasted. I have plenty of projects to blog about and share with you but first I must show you what has kept me out of my creative space for so long...the mess!

I can not believe that my craft room got to this point but after a full weekend of taking everything out, moving some stuff back in, and about 3-4 garbage bags later my space is looking much better. I still have some work to do but at least now I can stand to be in there. The before and after is pretty shocking! Take a look...

Before:

crafting desk...hard to get much done when it looks like this!

view when looking in...Yikes!

Computer desk...can't do much computing here!

nook in wall...and my terrible yarn storage.

And now the best part...the after pictures:

craft/computer table...much more functional

this is where the craft table was, now it is a storage and printing station. I am still working on making this look more attractive!

my favorite part of the whole room....my yarn storage area in that nook that was so messy in the before pictures! I can see all of the yarn I have now! All my craft, design, and crochet magazines made there home on the top of this shelf.

craft/computer desk. Now that I can see the table it will be much easier to get some stuff done! Still trying to figure out what kind of desk I want in here as this one is not the most functional but it will do for now!

I still have a lot of work and organizing to but at least now I can keep the door open on this room without being embarrassed! Hope you have enjoyed this long overdue post! Until next time...

Take care!

Give Thanks...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:20:00 +0000

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

Goblins & Monsters...oh my!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 06:44:00 +0000

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!

Balancing act...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 14:49:00 +0000

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!

Reminiscing...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 07:05:00 +0000

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!

Design Time...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:44:00 +0000

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!

Happy Zentangle Wednesday!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:45:00 +0000

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!

Graduation Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:16:00 +0000

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!

Crochet Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:30:00 +0000

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

Happy Zentangle Wednesday!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:47:00 +0000

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

Finally Organized...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:43:00 +0000

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!

Happy Zentangle Wednesday...on a Thursday!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:17:00 +0000

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!

Bold & Bright

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 04:32:00 +0000

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)

Happy Zentangle Wednesday!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 04:53:00 +0000

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!

Happy Zentangle Wednesday!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 07:41:00 +0000

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!

The Beginning...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 05:27:00 +0000

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.