Hey There, I'm Kristin
I’m the designer behind Printable Cuttable Creatables, where I design and sell SVG Files for cutting machines like Cricut and Silhouette.
Digital design has allowed me to earn a living doing what I love while working from home for the past 15 years, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned to help you do the same!
I started Printable Cuttable Creatables 8 years ago, and since then I’ve designed over 1,400 SVG cut files, which have over 1 Million downloads, earned over $250,000 in revenue, and received over 5,000 5-star reviews for their quality and ease of use.
My designs have been featured on top crafting sites like SilhouetteSchoolBlog, Cutting for Business, Club Chaos, and 12×12 Cardstock Shop among others.
But it’s been quite a journey to get here…
Me? A business owner?
Before making the switch to the crafting industry, I worked as a fashion designer in NYC for several years (not as creative or glamorous as it sounds btw), where part of my job was sketching apparel, textile patterns, and graphics in Adobe Illustrator. That’s when I fell in love with vectors, and developed my skills using Illustrator to create graphics and patterns.
In 2007 I teamed up with a designer friend to start an online business: providing digital design templates, ebooks, and 1-on-1 training in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop for fashion designers.
I had no idea how to run a business. I never even really saw myself as someone who could be a business owner. But I always had a nagging feeling that I should be doing something bigger than what I was doing at my 9-5… and although it was scary to leave my job, this new venture felt right.
This is where I learned about passive income, SEO, how to sell digital products, build an email list, online marketing and all the things that go along with being an online business owner.
Over the next few years, our site grew to 1st page in Google searches, and our ebooks and design templates were used by several top fashion schools and companies including FIT, Savannah College of Art & Design, Anthropology, Betsey Johnson, Urban Outfitters, Martha Stewart, Tommy Hilfiger and more. I also landed a recurring freelance gig at Calvin Klein, sketching apparel and training designers in Adobe Illustrator.
From Fashion to Craftin'
I’ve always loved drawing and paper crafting, and in my spare time I would design and make invitations and party decorations for my family and friends’ birthdays and special occasions. (If only I could go back in time and get my Silhouette sooner, I could’ve saved myself SO much tedious hand cutting with X-acto knives!)
I had my first daughter in 2012, so I stopped freelancing to be home with my baby girl, while still working on the business. This was the dream!
But a couple years later, the business was hit with some major setbacks, and after some hard conversations, my partner and I decided it was best to go our separate ways (with great love and respect for one another).
Starting Over...with a baby on the way
So in Dec of 2014, I found myself 4 months pregnant with baby #2, with the crazy idea of starting over with a new business from scratch…. It felt scary but…right.
Flashback to 2013: my sister (a teacher and scrapbooker) got a Silhouette Cameo for her birthday and as she learned about her cutting machine, she introduced me to the world of cut files. Soon after, I designed my first SVG cut file: a layered owl decal for my daughter’s toy box, and my sister used her Cameo to cut out the design.
A few more SVG designs soon followed, and my sister kept telling me “You should DO this!!”
Now a year later…I finally decided to listen to my sister’s advice (what are big sisters for?). I got my own Cameo and started my new business designing SVG files!
…but I still had a lot to learn…..
Yes, I already knew Adobe Illustrator like the back of my hand (thanks to my previous business), and I had already designed a few cut files that worked with Silhouette, but as I started testing, I quickly found that just being a vector file wasn’t enough, and just because an SVG worked for Silhouette, doesn’t mean it would necessarily work in Cricut or Scan N Cut.
In the few months before my daughter was due, I scrambled to get the new business off the ground. And I still had a lot to learn about what made a high quality cut file that was good enough to sell.
After a LOT of trial, error, and file testing, I taught myself how to design SVG files that WORK with Cricut, Silhouette, and other cutting machines.
I quietly launched printablecuttablecreatables.com in May 2015 with a handful of designs, 1 week before giving birth to my 2nd daughter. Knowing how hard it is for a new website to bring in traffic, I didn’t expect anyone to actually find my designs in the vast interwebs.
To my surprise, as I was checking my email on the way home from my baby’s first doctor visit, I saw a notification of my first sale!
SVG Success
As the business grew, I continued increasing my knowledge of cutting machines and SVG files: what makes files easy for crafters to work with, and how to design different types of cut files, including complicated multi-layered designs, 3D designs, Single Line designs (for drawing with foil quill, sketch pens), Print then Cut designs (stickers), and even laser cut files.
My website has grown from just a crazy idea, to organically ranking within the top 10 Google Search results for many top keyword searches (SEO at work!). I expanded to sell SVGs on Etsy and a few other platforms including Cricut Design Space (squeal!), and have fully replaced my income from my previous business.
All while being able to work from home and raise my daughters. Without having to worry about using a day off when they’re sick, and with the flexibility to attend school events, help with homework etc.
Since then, the cutting machine market has only continued to boom. For nearly a decade, SVGs have been consistent top sellers on Etsy and other digital design marketplaces, making them a great way to earn income…. if you know what makes high quality SVG files that stand out and keep customers coming back for more.
As someone who has lived through the learning curve of using Adobe Illustrator (a story for another day), figuring out how to design SVGs, and sell digital products online, I’m excited to help you jump those hurdles or avoid them altogether, so you can design SVG files that are professional and profitable!
