Guest Designer Interview: Craftara Creates

Join me as we chat with our Club Chaos featured designer.

We celebrate community over competition in this space and love to showcase designers doing amazing things with their talents.  In this month’s guest designer feature we are highlighting Tara from Craftara Creates.

The featured guest designer graciously provided our members with two amazing cake topper designs. You can see both of the designs below.

Inside Club Chaos, members are exposed to tons of different artists and get to experience a wide variety of styles and tastes.  Club Chaos is a crafting sisterhood and crafting home, not just a place to download files.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links.

Read on to meet our featured designer of the month and learn about Tara’s creative process, her current projects, and so much more!

Hey Tara!  Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi! My name is Tara and I am the designer behind Craftara Creates. As a busy mom myself, I understand how hard it can be to find time for creative pursuits. That’s why I started Craftara Creates – to help other busy mamas like myself find the time and resources to create fun and easy crafts with their Cricut machine. I’ve loved diving head first into creating cake topper decorations, glitter filled shakers, party banners, and layered designs. It’s been so much fun to see how my designs can bring a special touch to celebrations and everyday moments. 

Could you please share a little about the significance of where your business name comes from?

The name of my business, Craftara, was actually inspired by my husband. He came up with the idea of combining the word “craft” with my name, Tara, to create a unique and memorable business name and blog. 

How did you first get into designing?

I first got into designing when I started my Cricut crafting blog. As a craft blogger, I was always looking for new and creative ways to share and teach Cricut techniques. I found that designing my own cut files was the perfect way to do that. I started by experimenting with different lines and shapes, and before I knew it, I was hooked. I loved the process of coming up with new ideas and turning them into something tangible. As my skills and confidence grew, I started sharing my designs with my readers and was thrilled to see how much they enjoyed using them. It’s been so rewarding to see others bring my designs to life and make them their own. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my designs with others and am always looking for new ways to inspire and encourage creativity.

What is your favorite type of design to create?

My favorite types of designs to create are layered papercrafts, and my favorite type of project to design are cake toppers. I love the idea of customizing a cake topper to any theme or celebration, and I enjoy coming up with new and creative ways to make that happen.

Do you prefer designing or making the actual item?

I enjoy both the designing and making process. There’s something so satisfying about bringing an idea from my head and turning it into a physical object. I love coming up with new ideas and working through the process of creating a layered design. But the real fun starts when I get to put my designs into action. There’s something so rewarding about seeing my creations come to life. I hope that my passion for both designing and making shines through in my work.

How would you describe your style?

My design style is kid-friendly with a fun and playful aesthetic in mind. I love incorporating bright, vibrant colors and patterns in my designs to add a pop of whimsy to any project. At the same time, I put thought into how each cut file is assembled to make sure my projects are achievable for beginner cutting machine crafters.

What’s something you wish you knew when you first started designing or creating?

When I first started designing, I wish I had found a course on how to use SVG design software. At the time, there weren’t many resources available, and the ones that did exist were often outdated or didn’t fully answer my questions. It took a lot of trial and error for me to feel comfortable with the design software. It was frustrating at times, but ultimately it helped me learn and grow as a designer. I’m glad to see that there are now more resources available for those just starting out in design. It can be overwhelming to try and learn a new skill on your own, so having a teacher or mentor can make a huge difference.

Who or what inspires you?

I have to say, my family is a huge inspiration for me. In many of my cake topper projects, you can see the names of either my daughters or my nephews, and it’s so much fun to see the world through their eyes. Whether it’s coming up with gift card holders for teachers or decorating for a birthday party, there’s never a shortage of inspiration. Designing is a way for me to tap into that creativity and share it with others. It’s so rewarding to see my designs being used in fun and meaningful ways. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my creativity with others.

What’s your most popular item in your shop or on your blog?

One of my most popular video tutorials is about how to make a shaker cake topper project. I am thrilled that so many people have found it helpful and inspiring. The free cut file for the shaker cake topper is available for download on my website and it has been downloaded thousands of times from my site. It’s been great to see all the different ways that people have used the file to create their own unique cake toppers.

When you aren’t designing what can we find you doing?

When I’m not actively designing, you can often find me recording video tutorials for upcoming events or projects that I plan to release. When I am not working on designing or tutorials, I spend time with my husband and two beautiful daughters.

What is your favorite food?

I have a sweet tooth. Chocolate is my guilty pleasure.

If you could be any animal, what animal would you be?

If I could be any animal, I would choose to be an octopus. Not only do they have extra hands to work on several projects at the same time (which would be super helpful when it comes to designing and crafting!), but they are also intelligent problem solvers. I approach my design projects in much the same way. Whether I’m working on a new cake topper or papercraft project, I always try to think creatively and come up with solutions that are both practical and visually appealing. I love the challenge of finding new ways to bring my ideas to life and am always looking for ways to improve as a designer.

What’s next for you?

I have been practicing designing cake toppers for a while now and I have developed a simple design formula that I follow. I’m excited to announce that I launched a course to teach my beginner-friendly technique for designing cake toppers in Cricut Design Space. Whether you’re new to Cricut or just looking to improve your skills, I’m confident that my course will provide you with the tools and resources you need to create beautiful and professional-looking cake toppers. Learn more about the course here: https://www.craftaracreates.com/ctc

Where can we find you online?

You can find me online at https://www.craftaracreates.com/. On my website, you’ll find a library of free cut files as well as a blog where I share tutorials, reviews, and inspiration. I also have a Facebook group where I hang out and share tips, tutorials, and inspiration with other crafters who are interested in creating beautiful cake toppers. The group can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/learncreatecelebrate. It’s a supportive community where we learn from each other and celebrate our creations. Additionally, you can also find me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/craftaracreates/. I often post my latest designs, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes looks at my work, so be sure to give me a follow to see what I am working on.

Thank you so much Tara for being our featured guest designer this month inside of Club Chaos.  We appreciate you taking some time to chat with us and share a little bit of the behind the scenes.  It has been so fun to learn a little bit about you and about your process.  Also a big thanks to our Chaos community for cheering her on!

Check out the designs that Club Chaos members get to sample this month from Tara:

Stay tuned for our next Club Chaos featured guest designer!