Free Crochet Heart Patterns by Amy Solovay
I’m working on organizing my pages of Valentine’s Day crafts over at KnittingCrochetCrafts.com. When I started the page, it was mostly just a list of crochet heart patterns. It has now grown way beyond that, but heart patterns are still one of the most popular mainstays on the list. Pictured above are a few options from the list, but there are bunches of others.
Happy Valentine’s Day, and happy crafting!
Slimline Floral Thank You Card + Vintage Crocheted and Embroidered Linen
If you’re here for the cardmaking idea, you can find a supply list at the end of this post. If you’re here because you enjoy vintage crochet or embroidery, I invite you to check out my pages about vintage crochet or embroidery at my craft website. If you’re here for the story, keep reading! Thanks so much for your visit!
I used to own a website about vintage crochet. I also used to collect vintage crochet-related things – vintage crochet books, vintage linens with crocheted edgings, vintage crochet supplies. The collection provided content for the website, and the website was the excuse I needed to justify the collection. The website did earn a micro-income, but it was mostly just a good excuse for me to have fun messing around with pretty crocheted things.
I thought I had sold off or given away all my vintage crochet stuff before I moved aboard a sailboat and went cruising. But, apparently, I didn’t get rid of it all. I recently moved, and I am now unpacking stuff that has been stored in boxes since around 2009-ish. It’s like opening a time capsule. I was delighted to find that the vintage linen pictured in the background of this photo is still somehow in my possession.
My old vintage crochet website turned out to be a stepping stone that helped me land one of my first two enterprise-level freelance writing clients. Some of y’all know me from the days I was writing that website and also writing about crochet for About.com’s (now TheSpruceCrafts.com’s) hobbies channel. If you’re still with me from those days, thanks for following along with my adventures; I am really grateful we’re still in touch.
Although I retired that vintage crochet website years ago, I’ve been slowly working on reposting its contents at my newest craft site, KnittingCrochetCrafts.com. I decided that, instead of having a bunch of different small, niche craft sites, I’d rather devote my efforts to maintaining one authority craft website. So that’s how it is that we have a current handmade card and vintage crochet / embroidery coexisting in today’s photograph.
If you’d like to make a thank-you card or other card similar to the one pictured here, you’ll need the following craft supplies:
Thank you so much for checking out my project. I hope you enjoyed it!!
Biking at Catalina Island: Madman on a Folding Bike 6×8 Scrapbooking Layout by Amy Solovay
When it comes to sailing, my husband Mike and I are mostly a couple of goofballs. We pass for capable sailors because we’ve completed impressive ocean crossings, but that could just as easily have been from dumb luck as it was from any kind of real proficiency. It takes a lifetime to truly master sailing, and we’ve only invested about five years’ worth of full-time effort in learning the sport.
Mountain biking is a different story, though. Mike is a skilled mountain biker. He can keep up with most guys ten years younger than him. A guy who’s out of shape and ten years younger than him, Mike will blow past that guy on the trail like he’s standing still.
Not long before we moved aboard a sailboat to go cruising, Mike told me he was selling his mountain bike and buying us folding bikes. I had a hard time wrapping my head around that, because Mike without a mountain bike is like a cat without its purr. But he made the decision to do that because our sailboat, Typhoon, was only 24’ (7 meters.) There wasn’t any easy way to store a couple of mountain bikes aboard the boat.
There were bunches of times we sailed out to Catalina Island and found that real mountain bikes would have been super useful to have. We’d be anchored, with bow and stern anchors set, and we didn’t want to pull them up or give up our spot in the anchorage to go get mail or groceries or whatever. So Mike, being Mike, decided he’d ride his bike from wherever we were to wherever it was we needed him to go — never mind that the terrain in between Two Harbors and Avalon is gnarly.
If you were to ride a bike across Catalina Island, you’d want it to be a mountain bike, not a crappy folding bike. But Mike didn’t let that stop him. He is the guy who rode a folding bike from Two Harbors to Avalon and back bunches of times. And frequently, he then rode back to our anchorage with a backpack full of groceries on his back. Once when he was in transit, he even got chased by an angry bison.
I usually stayed aboard the boat and crocheted while Mike went on those solo adventures. I don’t remember taking these photos of him, but I guess there must have been at least one time I went ashore with him AND the bike AND the camera. It might not seem like a big deal, but rowing anything ashore in those days was a pain in the neck. Looking back at these photos, I marvel that there was a day when we motivated to get both a bike and a camera ashore at the same time in our 5’ sailing dinghy. I am glad we did, because now I am working on scrapbooking our adventures.
Thanks so much for taking a look at my project. I appreciate your interest!
Handmade Wedding Cards
Amy Solovay, Guest Designer at Emily Moore Designs
Hello, friends! I’m guest designing for my ultra talented friend, Emily Moore. You might already “know” Emily, too; her work is stunning, and you’ve probably seen it posted around the internet at places like A Cherry on Top Craft Shop, where Emily is a design team member.
What you might not know about Emily: She recently decided to launch her own collection of paper craft supplies, branded with her own name, Emily Moore Designs. Emily’s product offerings thus far include stamps, dies, papers, and even a Card Maker’s Essential Bundle where you can get your hands on her most popular items all at once.
Emily invited me to guest design for her website, and the projects I’m sharing here are ones I’ve made using her dies. I hope you’ll love them!
Wedding Card Made With a Stamped Image by Hero Arts, Card Sentiment Dies by Emily Moore Designs, and Patterned Papers From Graphic 45’s PS I Love You Collection
Here’s What the Inside of This Card Looks Like: Notice the Addition of the Easy-to-Make Gift Card Holder:
The inside of this wedding card features a gift card holder you can make using a die by Emily Moore Designs.
Black and White Wedding or Anniversary Card Featuring Patterned Papers From Graphic 45’s PS I Love You Collection Plus Die Cut Tags Made Using Card Sentiment Dies by Emily Moore Designs
Handmade Wedding Card With Gift Card Holder and Gift Card Inside
Slimline Wedding Card Making Idea Featuring Dies by Emily Moore Designs
Patterned Papers, Dies and Other Craft Supplies You’ll Need for Making Your Own Wedding Cards Like the Ones Pictured Here
I recommend the following craft supplies for making these cards:
Tomorrow, 12-21-2023, I will be updating this post to add a link to the free step-by-step tutorial for making the slimline wedding card, so please check back soon!
Learn More About the Card Sentiment Dies by Emily Moore Designs
Card Sentiment Dies by Emily Moore Designs
Emily Moore’s Card Sentiment dies are versatile and practical. If you already own other card making supplies like stamps and patterned papers, you’re likely to find that these dies are the perfect sizes for helping you make the most of your existing craft supply stash.
I used one of the dies from this set to cut out a stamped sentiment image that says “Congratulations” to use on the front of the tan, black and white wedding card. Hero Arts is the manufacturer of the stamp; it’s part of the “Togetherness” stamp set that also includes a stunning flower bouquet and a variety of other sentiments, some of which can also be cut out with Emily Moore’s Card Sentiment dies.
The day I received this die set in the mail, I sat down with these dies and my die cutter, and I cut and stamped my way through a massive pile of scraps that had accumulated in my stash. I stamped and die cut more than 100 sentiments, some of which are ones where that the manufacturer never originally made coordinating dies for. (For example, I don’t think the birthday gift stamp has a corresponding die; although many of the others that found their way into this picture do have coordinating dies, I don’t happen to own any of them).
Stamped and Die Cut Card Sentiments Made Using the Card Sentiment Die Set by Emily Moore Designs
If you’ve been paper crafting for awhile, and you have stamp sets that were made before the widespread popularization of die cutters, I think this die set is really going to be a useful purchase for you. It will allow you to get a LOT more use out of stamps that are probably just collecting dust in your stash if your current creative process now focuses more on die cutting rather than fussy cutting out your stamped images. And this versatile die set will also expand your options for using many of your current existing stamp sets, even if you already have the matching dies. I am finding new ways to use my stamps to make cute tags, banners, and scrapbooking page titles cut out using Emily Moore’s Card Sentiment Dies.
Just to give you a clearer idea of what is possible: I was able to use these dies to cut out a variety of sentiment stamps and image stamps by Gina K Designs, Lawn Fawn, Pinkfresh Studio and Simon Says Stamp. You’re likely to find many other compatible matches if you pull out your sentiment stamps from virtually any manufacturer, past or present, and pair them up with these dies.
Gift Card Holder Die by Emily Moore Designs
The inside of this wedding card features a gift card holder you can make using a die by Emily Moore Designs.
Of course, you’re already aware that when you’ve been invited to a wedding, it’s customary to give the bride and groom-to-be a wedding gift. If they’ve created a gift registry at a popular department store, it’s easy enough to choose a gift from the registry that they’re sure to use.
However, there are many good reasons to skip the gift registry and give them a gift card instead:
So if you’re onboard with giving gift cards, and you’re also a card maker, you can see that this Gift Card Holder Die by Emily Moore Designs could be a really fantastic addition to your craft supplies stash.
Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a card maker, Emily Moore’s Gift Card Holder die could be a worthwhile investment for you if you own a die cutter and frequently give gift cards to other people. Once you own a die cutter plus this die, all it takes is some cardstock or cardstock-weight paper plus paper-friendly adhesive to transform any A2-sized greeting card into a professional-looking, attractive gift card holder that will impress your friends with its beauty and functionality. When you properly attach one of these die cuts to the inside of a greeting card and then place a gift card inside the holder, the gift card will stay safely secured in the greeting card until the recipient is ready to remove it and place it in their wallet or purse.
I think this gift card holder die is really a genius invention. One of the best things about it: You can reuse it as many times as you want to. Whether you need to make one gift card holder, dozens of them, hundreds of them, or even more than that, this die will help you crank out perfectly-cut, elegant looking gift card holders.
So there you have it: wedding card making ideas you can use for making useful wedding or anniversary cards you can present to your loved ones, whether or not you want to include a gift card along with your greeting card. Thanks so much for your interest in these projects! I hope you enjoyed checking out these ideas, and that you’ll be inspired to create some lovely new cards for the people in your inner circle.
Thanks for dropping by my blog today. I appreciate your presence here and also your interest in these projects!
Posted by: Amy Solovay
This page was last updated on 12-21-2023.
Classic Happy Planner Layout for October
October is a lovely month for crafting. When the leaves turn red, golden, orange and brown, there’s fresh craft inspiration everywhere you look. At this time of year, I’m always reminded of how much I love the color orange. I didn’t always love orange, but it has really grown on me.
Pictured above is an orange and black planner dashboard I made for the month of October. I’m using a Classic Horizontal Happy Planner, but a layout like this would work fine with most other discbound planners, too.
These patterned papers are almost all from Graphic45’s “Time to Flourish” collection. I used the 8″x8″ pad, but that is now really hard to find. However, you still might be able to find the 12″x12″ Collectors Edition (Check HERE, too.) The die-cut flower centers are from a Graphic 45 flower assortment. I die cut embellishments for the page using multiple dies including the
Lacey Edgers Dies by Pinkfresh Studio, the Scalloped Rectangle Frame Mini Slimline Dies by Pinkfresh Studio, Happy Day Labels by Echo Park and the Sweet Blooms Die Set by Altenew.
I used Distress Inks and Distress Oxides on some of the elements to add depth and dimension.
Thanks so much for taking a look at my project; I appreciate your interest.
Classic Christmas Crochet Pattern Book: Traditional Danish Holiday Decorations and Gifts, by Heidi B Johannesen and Pia HH Johannesen, Published by Trafalgar Square Books
Mood Board Featuring Craft Project Ideas in Shades of Beige, Brown and Pink — Find Free Crochet Patterns and Free Craft Tutorials for Making All of These Projects
Welcome, creative friend! I am glad you’re here.
If you’re a crafter, which types of craft projects are you interested in working on right now? If you’re into paper crafts or crocheting, the mood board above includes several project ideas you are welcome to try if you are looking for a new project to get started on. I offer free crochet patterns and tutorials for making the projects pictured. If you have questions, feel free to ask; if I know the answers, I will do my best to help.
Hand-Stamped Slimline Thank You Card With Simple Flower Design
Scrapbooking Layout Featuring My Crochet Projects
In the scrapbooking layout above, you can see pics of me wearing a couple of my favorite crochet projects. Free crochet patterns are available online for both of these designs. In the photo on the left-hand side of the page, I’m wearing this bead crochet necklace. In the photo on the right-hand side of the page, I’m wearing this crochet infinity scarf. Click or tap either of those links if you’d like to be magically transported to the free crochet patterns for making those projects. Or, tap / click here if you’d rather learn how to make a scrapbooking layout like the one pictured above.
Freeform Crochet Blanket
Shell Stitch Crochet Baby Blanket: Free Crochet Pattern
Earthtone Ombre Crochet Potholders and Dishcloth: Free Crochet Patterns
Lacy Treble Shell Crochet Dishcloth — Free Crochet Pattern
To make your own flower similar to this one, you crochet two different layers, and then you stitch those layers together. The final step is to finish off your flower with your choice of buttons and / or other embellishments. You can glue a faux crystal onto the button or stick a faux gem sticker onto the button for extra sparkle.
The bottom layer is a one-color flower that’s very easy to crochet. The flower has six petals; it lies mostly flat but has a bit of dimension around the outer edge. You can get the free crochet pattern for it HERE.
Small Crochet Flowers With Popcorn Stitch Petals
The top layer is also an easy one-color flower design. I call it the Small Crochet Flower With Popcorn Stitch Petals. A free pattern is available for crocheting that, too. You can also use either layer separately.
Over to You:
The floor is open for comments, if you have any insights you’d like to share or questions you’d like to ask.
Thanks so much for dropping by my craft blog today. I appreciate your interest!
Posted By: Amy Solovay
September Garden Journal Pages for Discbound Planners Like Happy Planner, Arc or Tul
Happy Fall, Crafty Friends!
Did you plant a fall garden for 2023? If so, which plants did you include, and how has your harvest been so far? Here’s hoping you’ve enjoyed success and are harvesting a lovely variety of flowers, fruits, vegetables, and / or herbs, depending on what you decided to grow.
October Garden Journal Pages for Discbound Planners Like Happy Planner, Arc or Tul
Have you been tracking your successes (and also your failures) in a garden journal? If you haven’t already begun keeping a garden journal, now is the ideal time to create one while all the details are still fresh in your mind. By the time you get around to planting new crops next year, you’re likely to have forgotten bunches of the finer details about what you planted, where you planted it and how well it all grew — or didn’t grow. Perhaps you’ll forget which bugs, birds and other critters made appearances in your garden to help or hinder your efforts, as the case may be. These details are worth remembering so you can build on successes and improve on shortcomings next time around.
Sadly, I wasn’t able to plant a garden this year. 🙁 But when I am actively gardening, I routinely make garden journal pages to keep a record of what I’ve done well (so I can repeat those successes) and about what went wrong (so I can try a different approach the next season). I also like to keep a record of what I planted where, so that I can be sure to rotate crops effectively the next year. My garden journal also incorporates to-do lists that keep me on track on what needs to be done in the future.
If garden journaling is of interest to you, I invite you to check out more of my garden journal pages and read more about my process for making them.
If you maintain a garden journal, I’d love to know more about what you write in it, how you approach the task of putting it together and how it has helped you achieve your gardening goals. What do your garden journal pages look like? The floor is open for comments, so please feel free to ask questions or share insights in the comments area below.
Thanks so much for visiting! I truly appreciate your presence here.
Posted By: Amy Solovay
Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice Mini Fall-Themed Scrapbook Album
Happy fall, y’all!
It’s officially fall…You know what that means. Sweater weather is here! That’s fantastic news for those of us who enjoy crocheting and knitting. It’s also a wonderful time of year for scrapbookers to get out our cameras and take some pics of the family at the pumpkin patch or in the forest as the autumn leaves transition from green to golden, orange, red and brown. Cardmakers enjoy making fall-themed DIY greeting cards to send to friends and family.
Pictured above is a fall scrapbook mini album I made using photos from last autumn.
The thing I love most about this project is how affordable it is. I have been spending a small fortune buying Simple Stories Sn@p! binders and 6″x”8″ page protectors to fill them with. Honestly, I love the look of the scrapbooking albums I make using those binders much more than I love the little hand-bound mini albums I’ve been making. What I don’t love is the total cost for the binders, the pages, and all the supplies to fill them with. Don’t get me wrong, I think they are totally worth the money for what you get (and I’ve bought bunches of them!) But binding your own albums is an easy way to save money, so if you’re a crafter with other financial priorities besides just making the prettiest possible craft projects, I think this is an idea you’re likely to love.
Once you’ve made a small upfront investment in buying the craft supplies needed for binding your own mini albums, then it’s just the cost of photos, cardstock, paper, and whatever embellishments you choose to use for your projects. This will allow you more cash left over for things like retirement savings and buying school supplies for your kiddos — which is totally win-win! This affordability is the reason I’ve been making so many hand-bound mini albums lately. I’ll be sharing more of them soon…
If you’d be interested in learning more about how to bind your own mini scrapbook albums similar to this one, you can find a step-by-step tutorial and a supply list HERE. I hope you’ll give it a try! It’s really easy to do, and once you know how to do it, you can use these ideas to make super affordable but truly amazing gifts for all your friends and family members. Not to mention, you can make bunches of these for yourself to use as junk journals, bullet journals, scrapbooks, notebooks, or whatever.
If that’s not the type of craft project you’re interested in working on right now, maybe you’d rather take a look at some other fall craft ideas. I posted a page at my craft website dedicated to fall crafts; the page features a roundup of many fall-themed projects in a variety of craft techniques including crochet, paper crafts and other crafts. If you like to make lovely craft projects, and you aren’t sure what you want to start working on next, that page is a fantastic spot to find ideas. I hope you’ll find it useful.
Happy crafting!
XOXOXOXO,
This blog has been online since 2005. It used to have hundreds of posts, but now it doesn’t.
The short version of the story: We had to migrate this site from a different web host because the site was hosted on an ancient server from circa 2005 that didn’t have c-panel, and it was using an outdated version of PHP. The migration went smoothly…or so I thought…
…until I actually tried to update the back end, and everything broke. Oops!
I could put everything back exactly the way it was. I have backups of everything.
But I thought it over and realized I don’t want to put everything back. My writing, photography, and skill set have all dramatically improved since I started this blog in 2005. Anyone who found those old posts wasn’t finding the best work I’m currently capable of. So I have been meaning to completely overhaul this entire site anyway, because I really want to give my readers the best I have to offer.
So here we are. The overhaul is now in progress. Please forgive my broken links, missing photos, and missing pages, and thank you so much for your interest in my writing / travels / crochet patterns / textile designs / artwork, as the case may be.
I will put the most interesting and useful content back up ASAP. In the meanwhile, if you’re looking for any of my art or craft tutorials, please check out KnittingCrochetCrafts.com, where most of that stuff is currently available already (and the best of the rest will be moved there soon.)
Please drop me a comment and let me know if there are any pages or posts from my old site that you were using; I’ll expedite their return if I’m aware that somebody out there is missing them.
XOXO
Amy