confetti by lexi

make a list & check it twice

i've been making these little bitty "to do & to buy" notepads for a while now, and can't seem to find them here on the ol' blog.  (sorry to be a broken record--i really do need more time in the day to add photos from the big stack of stuff!!)  anyway, they're perfect for checking things off your list and small enough to toss in your bag, stick in a drawer, or even leave out on your desk.  they're one of the items i list in my etsy shop, and today, they were used as a graphic in the etsy success newsletter...

i guess when the author went looking for a listing to illustrate her "make a list" point, my little notepads popped up!  while they're not actually the focus, they are linked back to my listing.  it was a fun little surprise when i opened my email today--very cool!

:) lexi

rubber ducky, you're the one!

rubber ducky flat notes and gift cards for one of my daughter's best friends.  she loves rubber duckies and mignon loves to add to her collection.  these little stationery items were part of a rubber ducky themed gift, including cute little ducky earbuds and ducky magnets for her locker.  he's not just for bath time anymore!

:) lexi

lucky blythe publishing

it's the funny big head doll again!  along with my picture-a-day milestone last month, i recently had another big blythe accomplishment--a year of mini magazines.  little bitty magazine parodies are one of my gifts to the hobby, a way to chronicle the things i've learned, the pictures i've taken, and the people i've met.  it's also a meeting of a few of my favorite things--dolls, photography, photoshop, and paper.  plus, the sale of them helps fund my affinity for vintage skipper!   you may have noticed a collection of the covers on the wall of my studio, but they actually started off as pictures to share on flickr and then mini magazines with which to take more pictures.  i shared the first couple on my blog last year, and while i've had a steady stream of both lucky-blythe and blythe-living since, modeled after their real life counterparts, the two that made me bounce the most are the special issues...

how could i resist a saints' sports illustrated re-make when mignon realized the little decorative helmet i'd purchased to put on a table actually fit the big head?  so fun last winter!  and when a couple of flickr friends got engaged, the idea of blythe-weddings kept bugging me until i came across the perfect dress on etsy, created by a fellow collector/dolly seamstress.  total love!  i haven't had enough time lately to really keep up to date, but i'm close and eventually i will catch up.  even so, it's another milestone worth celebrating!

:) lexi

burn, baby, burn!

design, print, cut.  burn?  aye, mateys!  it's the pirate invitation again, and i did my best to catch the burning in action.  this little detail is messy and smelly and takes time, but it really makes a world of difference...

the end result is perfectly aged, ready to spark excitement from everyone who receives one.  it's all in the details!  this little package was for an out of town client and includes the pirate map invites, tags, hemp cord, and coordinating thank you notes.  add your own bottle to drop the message in and tie the tag to it with the recipient's name, or simply tie the tag to the rolled up map.  if you can't hand deliver them, the invite also fits in a standard invitation envelope.  i know i say this a lot, but it really is one of my favorites!

arrrrrrr!
:) lexi

flashback friday :: boo to you!

it's halloween blog carnival time at craft critique, so it's the perfect time to flash back to some of my favorite halloween projects.  i posted this picture along with several others on halloween day 2008, so it should be more useful to share them again now so you can recreate them with time to spare.  (click the link!)  i love halloween--neighborhood boo!s, decorations, costumes, tricks and treats--frightful is definitely delightful!  do you have a favorite trick or treat you'd like to share?  if so, add your link to the craft critique carnival--i always love seeing what other fun ideas are out there.  plus, you could win a give-away, too...

happy haunting!
:) lexi

original post:  october 31, 2008

are you ready for some football?

with football season here and now, i've gotten a few requests recently for football themed parties and had to dig through the paper files for a few of my favorite examples.  while i've posted at least one basketball version of these tickets, i can't believe the football originals aren't somewhere on here too!  or maybe they are, and just not labeled properly.  anyway, the one on the left is the first one i created (6 years ago, wow!), based on a saints' ticket that year.  i loved that the client let me add the photo to mimic the real one--a photo is a great way to really personalize an invitation and make it all your own.  a few years later, i recreated the ticket for an older boy, adding the goal post in place of the photo.  this month, i've been working on a tall stack of a brand new version to be posted later in the season--and i can't wait!  until then, if you're planning a football party, i've got the ticket...

touchdown!
:) lexi

muffin tin pizza

i'm always looking for fun ideas to cook with the girls and when i saw martha's mini meals on the today show recently, i knew the deep dish pizzas would be a hit.  family participation always makes for a tastier meal!  roll out pizza dough into circles to line olive oiled muffin tins--we actually used crescent roll dough since it was already in the fridge!  fill them with pizza sauce, toppings, and cheese--that's the fun part!  bake in the oven and voila--perfect little deep dish pizzas.  these were last minute quickies tonight, simple pepperoni and cheese for girls on the go.  next time, i'll dig a little deeper for some fun toppings to test out--the possibilities are endless...

yum!
:) lexi

three sweet friends

here is another invitation that i worked on a few weeks ago for a party that took place this past weekend.  the request was for something with girls, so i delivered just that with hair color to match and a few balloons to really set the party mood!

happy, happy!
:) lexi

calling all princesses!

the princess party i was working on a couple of weeks ago took place this weekend, and i'm so excited to be able share the invitation!  the client decided to go with a princess pony theme after seeing my older princess invites, but she wanted something new.  she liked the idea of embellishing with tulle and adding a small wand, and of course, something with horses.  since she was delivering them via school, i thought of a scroll.  i love when i get to think outside of the envelope!

i created a royal "crest" of sorts with a monogrammed crown and ponies, which i drew on the wacom tablet.  (the pony was so hard, not perfect, but i love it anyway!)  the crest became the focal point for royal stationery, with an additional border detail at the bottom using the same crown and ponies.  parchment paper gives the invite an authentic feel, especially when rolled up and tied with tulle.  the wand is such a sweet bonus, the perfect finishing touch.  i love the princess invites i made for my girls when they were each three, but this one ranks right up at the top of my royal faves with them!

:) lexi

flashback friday :: calendar at a glance

with yesterday's calendar on my mind, i thought it would be fun to flashback to last year's design--a year at a glance.  similar to this year's calendar, i focused on a school themed display calendar and one image per month.  a muse has the best images to choose from and the different sizes of the calendar offer so many design possibilities. win, win!

happy weekend!
:) lexi

original post:  september 16, 2009

it's a muse calendar time!

I love the a muse calendar project for two big reasons.  one, with several sizes to choose from, they are incredibly useful & fun to play with.  and two, donations made in exchange for the calendars are always given to very worthy causes.  proceeds from this year's calendar will benefit charley's fund, a fund established to honor the memory of charley, daughter of amanda beers, long-time a muse friend and fellow blogger.  each year, i think linda outdoes herself in the calendar offerings.  this year, there are five formats!  my daughter's been begging me for a magnetic calendar for her locker since the first day of school last month, so I knew exactly what I wanted to do when calendar time rolled around.  she has a full calendar in her planner, so the 4 x 6 size is perfect for decorating her locker and getting a quick peek when she opens it to gather her books.  we wanted something simple that could withstand the action her locker gets, with no layers or paper, so it sits flat against the metal wall.  instead of printing on regular paper or card stock, i printed the calendar on printable magnet paper--easy peasy!  she helped pick a favorite image for each month and we added some lines so that she can write a few highlights.  since the paper is formulated for inkjet printing, it also takes dye ink well, much like glossy card stock.  i used copics to color it in, but because of the gloss, you do have to be careful not to color over the lines too much.  she can't wait to hang the first semester up tomorrow!  my fellow muses have outdone themselves this year too--all of their gorgeous calendars are featured this week on the a muse blog with links to each one for more information, so be sure to check them out.  then donate to charley's fund and get your own a muse calendar download so you can make something useful and pretty too!

:) lexi

A Note From A Muse:  The A Muse Calendars are a download product only.  Nothing will be shipped to you.  Calendar orders are only processed during regular business hours {monday to friday 8a to 5p}.  Once your order has been processed, you will have unlimited access to the file(s) you have purchased.

flashback friday :: game on!

after last night's big game, i went on the search through my blog archives for a saints card to post for today's flashback friday.  i was excited to find this one with rock star, all decked out in black & gold.  coincidentally, i started making this card while watching the opening game of the 2007 season, but that game didn't have the same winning outcome as last night.  then there happened to be an a muse sports challenge the next day, so i posted it anyway.  rock star is one of my all time favorite a muse stamps, and at the time of this card, one of my go to stamps.  in fact, that same week, i created two more football cards with him.  i'm partial to the texas one for several reasons--the kick, his boots, his shirt.  it's my school, lol!  but, in the interest of a happy marriage, i had to dress him up in purple and gold too!

who dat!!!
:) lexi

original post:  september 7, 2007

time for bed, but first...

a couple of flashback fridays ago, i re-posted my morning routines checklist and mentioned that i could do the same for night time too.  i received a request for one, so i thought i'd share the first one i did as a reference.  since i draw these myself, i can easily personalize it to your specific routine--remove some things, add others, or simply move them around.  if you don't have as many things to check off, a title could be added at the top.  as for color, i'm always ready to try new combos!

'night!
:) lexi

lunch box notes

i think i've mentioned lunch box notes from time to time, but since they were usually made of small scraps and quickly scribbled notes, i rarely photographed them.  i came across a basket of old ones when i was cleaning up my studio, and i had so much fun going through them that i thought it would be nice to post a few.  the girls eat hot lunch every day now, so they only get notes when they need a bag lunch for a field trip, but it used to be a big part of their lunches starting in preschool.  they loved the notes so much that they brought them home and even requested favorites again.  i usually made a few new ones each week, reusing the favorites to fill in the days.  i used trading cards i was working on or small stamped focal points added to random scraps--whatever was left on my desk.  a muse images and matching sentiments are especially perfect!  sometimes, i did go out of my way to match the season or a theme at school.  and before they could read, i would often write the same thing so they could remember and pretend to read.  they looked at the basket tonight while i picked some to photograph and remembered most of them.  it was such a fun school time tradition--almost makes me wish they still brought their lunch!

:) lexi

a note from the mom of...

now that labor day is behind us, school is back in session pretty much everywhere.  that means writing notes to teacher, especially if you have busy kids like mine!  and as i say about so many things, it's a lot more fun to write on pretty paper than random scraps!  my original mommy notes feature stick kids to represent each child and i print them on colored or white paper.  these pads are a more recent version of the same idea--the check boxes are still there to identify who the note is about, but instead of stick figures, each child has an icon to personalize it further.  i've even designed one pad with a school mascot!  as with the original, there is room at the bottom for mom's name and you can even include your contact information so the recipient has it handy if necessary.  these also make great gifts...

:) lexi

flashback friday :: just be lazy

i noticed in the a muse newsletter this week that the couch stamp, along with a few others, is "back by popular demand" and immediately this card came to mind.  the couch was one of my favorites from a large a muse purchase on a trip to new york.  this particular couch card was created for an a*muse*a*palooza countdown challenge to stamp for a silly celebration.  that same week, it made small appearance in another silly celebration card and again a few days later on a ribbon challenge card.  that summer was the second a*muse*a*palooza, and after quietly following the first the summer before, i really got into playing and posting about all of the challenges on my new blog.  it's hard to believe that i've been blogging so long and that i'm not just an a muse fan, but on the design team too!  anyway, now's your chance to add the couch to your collection if you've been eyeing it on the lounge banner--not only is it the best icon for the lounge, but it's a really fun image to create with!

have a great long weekend!
:) lexi

original post:  june 21, 2007

old, new, borrowed, blue

just in case you were thinking that i didn't stamp invitations anymore, i found one from the "forgotten" file that was stamped!  the hosts of this party asked specifically for a little blue and something completely wedding.  a muse has a ton of great stamps that fit that description.  the perfectly simple gown, with the added touch and texture of tulle coming out of the top of the dress form, gave this card the winning edge.  but it was one of those times that the ideas just kept coming...

i had 4 back-ups!  while i like to give choices, i don't usually have five for a given order.  lately, i feel like i'm lucky if i can come up two, but that's probably because i'm working on several different themes at a time right now.  everyone's throwing parties!  i finished one, in particular, today that i can't wait to share once the party takes place!!  until then, i guess i'll have to keep digging through the forgotten files...

:) lexi

home sweet house

a few months ago, a friend asked me if i could help her create a scrapbook for her to give to her father.  he's building a new house, and was sending her weekly updates on the progress and she thought of putting them into a book for him.  so each week, she's been forwarding these pictures to me and i've created the pages to make it happen.

i found two house and home quotes for the cover and title page to add a little depth and interest, and then kept the rest of pages fairly simple.  some weeks there were lots of pictures, others less, but since the book was about the progress seen in those pictures, i wanted them to be the focus.

i picked a font and color and created a title template that i followed each week.  with the title going up the right hand side, i had plenty of space left to place the pictures.  working digitally allowed me to re-size as needed and fit the different shaped pictures together like a puzzle.  a little creative cutting and pasting helped me add a "new" close up shot for the couple of pages where i didn't have enough pictures to fill the page.  each page is slightly different depending on the quantity and sizes of that week's photos, but the overall look is the same.  and all together, they tell the story perfectly.

the first time i printed the small piece for the cover, it was too big--i measured the slot not the window opening!  but the misprint was the perfect size for a card, so i couldn't just throw it away.  the book was a birthday present, and every present deserves a card, right?!

:) lexi