Hey, I’m Abbi, and I don’t know how to make a polished About Me section, so how about I just keep this real and go for it?

My whole life, I have been a right-brain creative who can imagine something new to try every 5 minutes.

Thirteen years ago, I received a Cricut as a gift and blissfully decided to DIY decorations for my own wedding and special occasions (ha! That was a cute idea).

Cut to the frustration and cue the sailor’s native language. Yeah…but come on, bleeep, surely this would be worth it…bleep..bleep?
I’d be saving money by doing it myself! Wait, surprise; I guess you don’t save when you’re dumping money into endless materials through trial and error?

All those things I wanted to make and create took a sharp left, and I fell into the Pit of Despair (not the same one Wes and Buttercup landed in); I’m talking about YouTube, Google, and the monster known as Piece-Meal-As-You-Go.
You know, when you don’t even know the question to ask, you Google the idea until you can form the question (did we ever find out if the chicken or the egg came first?).

My search history started with…

  • How do I…
  • What do you do when…
  • Where do I get…

(By the way, I still ask the above questions, but they are now born of the unknown territory of my children approaching adolescence. If you have that manual, please send help.)

After I Frankensteined together some answers, I finally felt like I had a handle on how to execute my creative ideas when the need or inspiration struck. And very painfully, I learned how to use my cutting machine without wanting to throw it out a window.

Is this resonating with anyone because it feels like a peak to me?
Oh, you probably want to know how I ended up with my husband and I running this business full time...

In 2012, I started a small shop on Etsy, selling my creations to other brides or anyone who wanted decorations for an event. Then, a pattern emerged as I received message after message from people asking me to write a book on how I made these projects. Did I have a website with tutorials? How could they learn to do this magic for themselves even if they didn’t get their letter from Hogwarts?

Over the next few years, Abbi Kirsten Collections evolved as I wrote three self-published books, built several programs to make learning your cutting machine less of a pain in the, well, you know – and, of course, how to create personalized projects joyfully instead of being filled with dread during the process (the same dread you get when Uncle Eddy shows up for Christmas).

In the middle of all that jazz, I became a Mom and lost time for my creative pursuits.
And this, my friend, is where I have to bring the lights low.

Two years later, I found myself in a very different pit – the lows of anxiety and depression. I reached a place where life felt pointless with intrusive thoughts that echoed the sediment; why stick around if this is how it’s going to be?

Hold on; the dimmer switch is going back up…

On a dark day, I called my Mom in a desperate moment, knowing she probably wouldn’t be allowed to help (yes, I said, allowed; that’s a story for another time). To my surprise, she showed up and sat down with me in the muck of it all.
I’d love to say the darkness sparked rainbows at that moment, but it didn’t.
Instead, God stepped in and nudged me back to crafting. Could learning to heal actually look like plugging into a creative outlet?

I’ll let you be the judge.

Eight years have passed since then, and I’m still here and have learned to sit with my fear and anxiety as a temporary visitor, knowing that if I have my family, God, my creativity, and my two dogs, of course (because what is life without a dog), I will not only be here tomorrow but can help someone else find hope, joy, and confidence even if it’s just in the pride of making something for yourself, a handmade gift or a decoration for a memorable occasion.

Whatever your journey looks like—the overwhelm of learning a new Cricut machine, designing the perfect photo backdrop for your wedding, a mental health battle, or just creating time and space to build a fun craft that doesn’t come with problems attached—I’m honored to sit with you in the highs and lows of it all.

And maybe you will find, just like I did, that the journey and the mess can actually be the most beautiful creation of them all, and a perfect craft is just the cherry on top.

Let’s go make something today…

Abbi Kirsten smiling in front of a desk full of handmade crepe paper flowers
As seen in:

Fun Facts About Abbi

Tab on each to find out more about me!


Just kidding I’m now 33-year-old mother to two babies who aren’t quite babies anymore! Did I mention I need a manual on teens? Who by the way are only 14 months apart! Certainly not planned, but it was an unexpected blessing from God in hindsight. 👧👦
I can only eat M&Ms in order of the color of the rainbow. 🌈
I love to watch reruns of Friends and Golden Girls while snuggling with my two fur babies, Macy (my Golden Retriever) and Liberty, my noisy, snoring French bulldog. 🐶
I have Celiac’s disease, which means I cannot have anything with gluten (wheat). I have to buy gluten-free things like bread, crackers, pasta, etc. 🍞
Anything reptile, but especially snakes and frogs – you never know how far the frog will jump! 🐸
I love what I do and in my spare time (…. what’s that??) I play with my kiddos, enjoy baking, and hanging out by the pool. ⛱️

Unlock all of Abbi’s freebies in the Craft Vault!

Everyone loves freebies! I love to share free paper flower templates and SVG files for Cricut projects, printables, and more with my community.

If you are looking for a place to find free SVG files and project tutorials, Abbi Kirsten Collections has lots of crafts waiting for you to enjoy. Sign up via the form below to create your FREE account in Abbi’s Vault.

Abbi Kirsten is a 3x Self-Published Author


The cover of Abbi Kirsten's book titled "The Art of Giant Paper Flowers". The book cover has a dark background filled with red, white, and pink paper flowers.

In 2017 Abbi published her first book and the only one of its kind, The Art of Giant Paper Flowers! I have been blessed that it has done well, with over 10,000+ copies sold! Download your copy here.

The book cover for Abbi's eBook titled "The Joy of Paper Flowers". The book cover has a white background filled with colorful paper flowers and crafting supplies.

In 2019 I released my second ebook, The Joy of Paper Flowers, which shares small paper bloom tutorials and how to create stunning arrangements for events. Download your copy here.

The cover for Abbi's eBook titled "Cricut Confidence: Conquer Design Space Once and For All". The cover features a digital illustration of Abbi standing at her crafting desk with a Cricut cutting machine and crafting supplies.

In early 2020 my Cricut Confidence ebook was released as a quick guide to mastering Cricut Design Space in as little as 7 days from any device – desktop, Andriod, or iOS. Download your copy here. 

Meet The Team

Teamwork makes the dream work! Without the help of this amazing team, we could never reach our goals. These hard-working ladies and gentleman keep the Abbi Kirsten Collections brand growing.

Abbi

Owner and Creative Director, a.k.a. maker of all the pretty things.

Susan

Executive Virtual Assistant and Integrator, a.k.a. Superwoman.

Shannon

Customer Service Expert, a.k.a. inbox fairy – keeping the magic going behind the scenes.

Paula

Customer Service Expert, a.k.a. inbox fairy – keeping the magic going behind the scenes.

Michael

Video Editor and Tech Support, a.k.a. Abbi’s husband and biggest cheerleader.

Liberty

Professional cuddler and lovable licker.

Macy

Professional hugger and ball lover.

Work With Abbi

I’d love a chance to work with you! If you are a fellow creator or brand that wants to work with me, find my media kit here and reach out with your proposal!