Not So Cli-Shéa: Meet the Maker: Carolina of 30 Minute Crafts & Always Expect Moore!

Happy Monday! I'm back with another installment of my "Meet the Maker" series. Today I'm introducing you to Carolina of 30 Minute Crafts and Always Expect Moore!

Meet the Maker: Carolina of 30 Minute Crafts & Always Expect Moore!

I first met Carolina when I was working for Cricut at SNAP! Conference in Utah. She is the most kick ass go-getter I think I have ever met in my life. She has a can-do attitude and a "lets get this done" personality that I just adore. And on top of it all, she is insanely sweet. I really can't say enough great things about this girl. Oh, and if there is a themed party you better believe she's coming decked out! I got to see her again recently at the Cricut Mountain Make-a-Thon in Salt Lake (it's funny I keep seeing her in Utah because she lives in So Cal too haha). I can't wait to introduce you all to her!

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I’m a Dutch Girl raised mostly in Southern California. I grew up in California’s High Desert, then moved up the the Bay Area for college where I got my BS in Advertising. After marriage, my husband and I moved to Las Vegas for 8 years, where we had two boys. The whole family moved to San Diego a little over 2 years ago.

We live in a 1950s Bungalow that has an honest-to-goodness bomb shelter under the master bedroom. I love to volunteer at the boys’ school. My favorite is to hang out on the playground at recess to play kickball or foursquare. It only took me 30 years, but I’m finally one of the “cool kids!” On weekends, we’re often homebodies, but we love a good trip. This summer I took my boys on a 2-day road trip up the California coast, and we had the best time!

I love all things crafting. Jewelry making, metal stamping, quilting, paper crafting, beading, embroidery, scrapbooking, card making, Holiday crafts… I love it all! I almost always have some English Paper Piecing (hand sewing) with me to work on if I find myself with some extra time. I’m an award winning quilter, and have taught quilting classes to both children and adults. You might have seen me on the PBS show “It’s Sew Easy” this summer teaching a bag pattern and English Paper Piecing. I also appear in videos on FaveQuilts.com, and created a Block of the Month quilt for them this year.

Online, you’ll find me at 30 Minute Crafts and Always Expect Moore.

What is it that you make and how did you get started?

I grew up crafting. I’ve never found a craft medium that I didn’t want to try! I started quilting when I was 12. In college I was the girl with a sewing machine and a box full of craft supplies under her bed. After college, crafting and quilting became hobbies. After my oldest son was born, I started crafting while he napped to have some “me time”. I found the craft blogging community and started my own craft blog. A short while later I started working at a quilt shop, doing Marketing and Special Events. Being surrounded by fabric every day helped me rediscover my passion for quilting. You’ll find lots of my sewing and quilting projects over on Always Expect Moore. But, since I always have an itch to create, and don’t always have time for big projects, I started 30 Minute Crafts to share quick and easy projects.

Love: Snuggles. Googly Eyes. Chocolate. Fabric. Trips to the craft store. Teaching new crafters. Carbs. Butter. Pajama pants. Sleep. Deep conversations. Secrets. The Beach. Harry Potter. Lounging in the hammock. Binging on Netflix.

Hates: Glitter. Judgy People.

Any Guilty Pleasures: Yes! My kids love Pokemon, so I started playing Pokemon Go with them a little over a year ago. I’m now at level 31! Sometimes I’ll drop them off at school, grab a Starbucks, and go hunt Pokemon by myself for an hour… it is the only video game I play, so I indulge every now and then. And for those who are curious, I’m team Instinct!

Cocktail (or mocktail) of choice: I love mudslides and margaritas. I won’t say no to Coconut Rum and Dr. Pepper, either. I’m not much of a beer drinker, but I love a good hard cider!

What advice do you have for fellow makers?

Do what you love!