confetti by lexi

princess from a far off land

today our princess is from a far off land. the request was for aladdin-inspired with a fun punch of color based on decorations they were planning to use. aladdin, but not too disney. i love using unusual color combinations, so this was really fun for me.

first up, the invitation. key ingredients in addition to fun color are pattern, cool shapes, jewels, and of course, a magic lamp and genie wishes.

a matching return address label is easy and eye catching. this is the first opportunity you have to set the scene, and little details like this are so fun - even before the envelope is opened!

similarly, if you're giving a party favor, a coordinating bag tag (or sticker) is another detail that really adds to the overall party design. and here's proof that party favors don't have to be over the top. how perfect and theme specific is this little bag of candy treasure?!

and finally, you can finish it all up with a matching note to say thanks when all is said and done. this one is a personalized fold over note, but like i mentioned yesterday, a fill in the blank version would be easy to create with the various design elements.

speaking of design elements, here is a look at several variations that i came up with along the way with the different pieces and parts. i can easily go crazy with options! some customers like picking and choosing, while others only want one or two fairly perfected choices. i like it both ways. clearly i was having fun with the details on this design. any one of them would be a great invitation, depending on how much color you want or what you want the focus to be. in fact, colors can be swapped around or changed completely to match your vision, too.

your wish is my command!
:) lexi

classic princess

today's princess invitation is all about my go to cinderella images. a glass slipper presented on a royal pillow with a magic wand - classic princess all the way. like the castle shape yesterday, a special cut edge is a detail that sets an invitation apart from others. the frame i chose for this one was a perfect way to include more color and add a fun touch of fancy. again, there are many options for phrases and fonts, depending on exactly what kind of royal princess party you're hosting. these are similar to yesterday's invite, but i've used many others over the years.

it's always fun to have matching stationery for thank you notes. here i used the same images for personalized fold over note cards. but i could also design them into the popular fill in the blank thank you note. once created, i use these images together or separately for a variety of things depending on the requests of the customer. for this party, i also created stickers for the favor bags, using only the wand and a simple thank you phrase. but, really, the sky's the limit - signage, food cards, water wraps, cupcake toppers, bag tags, t-shirt transfers, etc. i'm always game to try something new...

bibbidi bobbodi boo!
:) lexi

emoji love #lol

late in the day, i discovered that it was world emoji day. thank you, instagram! so of course, like national donut day, i just had to create a set of cards to celebrate, right?! luckily i had drawn a whole bunch of emojis for a massive tech themed project that i have yet to post, so the hard part was done. and now, i have another fun card set for my etsy shop. #sofun

:) lexi

happy earth day!

earth day is all the buzz today, so i thought i'd pop in quickly to share a cute earthy invite and stationary set from the stacks. this is one i created a few years ago for a party at a local discovery garden complete with a worm dig and a watering can fountain. it would also be great for a bug or garden themed party at home and could easily be created in brighter colors for a bug-loving girl. actually, two plus years later, i can think of lots of fun possible revisions! it's been a while since i posted invitations, but i really need to make better progress on getting some of my old faves up here. one up, so many more to go!

back to work...
:) lexi

a mad hatter's tea

surprise! i have a second post in one week and it's not even a countdown to new stamps. i've been trying to find time to photograph this party ensemble and finally made it happen. the party was in the middle of crazy august, on stamp-a-faire day actually. which is partly why august was crazy, i guess. anyway, my sister in law chose an alice in wonderland mad hatter's tea party theme for my niece's birthday (or un-birthday since it was a few weeks after) and asked me to create, so create i did...

i went with bright colors and black and white for a whimsical wonderland feel. i had so much fun pulling together all the details - tea and cake with drink me! and eat me! tags, a pocket watch and mad hatter's hat, and of course the 4 of hearts to note the birthday girl's age!

i even created a coordinating return address sticker to set the stage - open me!

matching party favor tags...

and personalized thank you notes were also a must!

and of course, there was a mad hatter's cake as well. it was the very merriest un-birthday ever...

cheers!
:) lexi

flashback friday :: happy mail

school is winding down and kids all over are gearing up for camp - and i've got some fun gear! so fun, that i repeat it year after year after year after year. camp is one of the few times that kids will write actual hand written letters. they have to. literally, as my girls consistently point out in their first letter home each summer. apparantly, that one is mandatory to get the pen rollling. but they always end up writing more as the days go by, especially now that they're older. camp stationery is flying out of my studio right now along with the popular coordinating clipboard box. it's a great size for stationery and supplies aplenty, plus drawing materials, summer reading and a mini ipod, if they're allowed to bring one - everything needed for quiet time. and it's a desk to write on, too! the request for this surprise birthday one was color, color, color - and i was told i nailed it. so much so that i got an order from the birthday girl's friend the very next day!

:) lexi

original post: july 31, 2007
take two: july 29, 2009
another one: april 20, 2011
even more: june 25, 2013

still more from camp

yesterday, i referenced this design when describing the variations that could be done on the original camp fill in the blank design, but i couldn't find it anywhere on the blog to link, so i thought i'd share it today. it's a perfect example of how you can personalize the notecards to match your child's camp or interests. here the camp was a sports camp, so sports balls with a camp flag were perfect. i also used the same balls to create a matching luggage tag.

while looking for that picture, i found this one that i also never posted. it's a look at the smaller clipboard box that i've used before. it doesn't have the inner pockets and extra compartments or the handle, but it does have a pen compartment in addition to the main paper section - and it comes in different colors, which is a nice plus. you many not be able to put all the drawing supplies my girls like to put in theirs, but it is still nice for stationery supplies and maybe a book for rest reading, too. and it takes up less space. these were for my nephews and were just right - the boys didn't need all that fluff! they also chose a mix of fill in the blank and notepaper to mix up the letter writing a bit. i can't believe i forgot to share these options earlier in the season. but it is important to note that everything i do is very customizable - just give me your ideas and i'll make it all yours!

:) lexi

mail call!

well, i've survived a week without kids so far, with two left to go. i like the quiet and slow pace, but it's actually a little too quiet sometimes. and then there's all that time i spend stalking the mailman in the morning and the camp website at night! so far, we've received four letters, all on the same day, two from each. in true teen fashion, the 14 yo used up a whole letter to tell me she had to write it, but already wrote one, so yeah, camp is fun. thanks for the details, pie! they've been in lots of smiling pictures online though, so that keeps me happy! i thought i'd mark the beginning of week two with a look at some of the camp stationery that's gone out the door so far this season. the ones above are a new design this year. fill in the blank letters are very popular, so i thought it would be fun to create a new one to look like a newspaper. afterall, it's news from camp we all want so much!

i always say fill in the blanks are great for young or very lazy campers who may not like to write so much. (perhaps i should have created a sarcastic version for my teen!) my original fill in design still remains the most ordered, with color and/or image personalizations. some of the more recent ones are shown above. the canoe was the first, so that gets the most requests in colors to match camp colors, but i've also replaced it with the tent a few times and even a collection of balls for a sports camp.

many people do still prefer blank stationery. personalized with campy images, of course! these are just a few recent prints. the peace, love, and sunshine one is a consistent fave, but i love the peace, love and camp version just as much. and i was so excited when someone asked for a more boyish version, with arrows and the wooden crate font - so fun! i just hope all these kids are writing home more than mine. or that mine are spreading the love to other family members and friends, at least!

where's that mailman?!
:) lexi

show and tell time

last week i participated in a trunk show, which has had me busy catching up with orders that were already in progress, along with creating for all the new orders that came in over the two day show. as the stationery girl on board, i created the invitation, too - i had so much fun with that clothes line of little towels! i had not done a show like this in a long time, so i had to put together a few displays to highlight my work.

i already had these boards which i loan to auctions when i donate gift certificates, so that was at least something to start with. they feature recent or favorite projects and double as artwork on the wall of my studio. since these often travel without me, i tried to include a variety of invitations and other cards, and i switch things up every now and then. i think i still have to blog about one or two things up there! for the trunk show, i surrounded them with even more invitations to look at and hold - i've done quite a few things that are interactive and need to be touched!

i don't have a catalog because most of what i create is custom, but after doing this, i feel the need to pull together a better compilation of certain designs, especially those for stickers and gift enclosures. i've done so many over the years! so this time, in addition to scattering samples all over my table, i created an example page of each of the main shapes of stickers i print and put them in table tent frames, along with a couple of other important signs, like a basic price list and a note that everything is customizable! i even created my own scan image for those tech types who wanted to scan themselves directly to my blog - so cool!

and last, but not least, i put out a basket of seasonal cards from those that i've posted here. i pull from this basket whenever i need one for a gift or note, but i've never been able to send as many as i create. i have a few regulars who like to pull from it too. it makes me happy to know that they actually get used! i sold several birthday and congratulations cards this go round. overall, the show was a success! i think i have a few more things to make the next time i do a trunk show, but it's a process. while this one is over, my blog is really an ongoing trunk show, right? so, if there's anything you need to freshen up for spring, just let me know!

:) lexi

rocker baby

in keeping with the theme i began earlier this week, i have another stationery set from the not yet shared file. i had designed a really cool and unique music poster inspired couple shower invitation for this customer and she wanted to give the family a set of notecards and gift stickers with the baby's name using the same guitar. traditional baby and kid themes are great, but i love when i get fun requests that are a little out of the ordinary. got a rocker girl? i think it would look pretty in pink, too!

:) lexi

construction zone

how about a boy design today? the request was for a little boy, something construction themed, possibly a dump truck. which was exciting, since i had actually drawn a dump truck (with moving parts!) several years ago for a construction themed birthday party.

so i resized the truck, added a road, and used it for a couple of layouts along with an alternate design for my idea pitch. it's hard to see in the picture, but the first initial is also on the boy driver's hard hat. and on the one with the name on the truck door, i included the birth year. i love personalizing things in interesting ways! like the cards from yesterday, i will add these to my etsy store very soon. it's been a crazy busy back-to-work week around here - i really miss spring break!

:) lexi

later gator!

i'm trying to start making a dent in my pile of things to share this week, starting with a few printed stationery designs that i plan to add to my etsy shop later this week. these are perfect for writing letters from camp or writing letters to friends at camp. or in the case of the ones above, a little stack of personal stationery to have on hand for a sweet little girl.

if you want to order stationery, you don't need to order directly from another sample. you can just give me colors to try and maybe an image or two you'd like to see and i'll run with it. in this case, i started with some designs i'd done for another customer, recreating a few layouts in different colors, with options for both fold over and flat notes, showcasing several different fonts. the idea is that any of the elements - layout, color scheme, font, and border detail - can be mixed and matched to make the perfect layout for that person.

this page of layouts was my basis for the selection above, but this customer had specifically asked for flat notes. the mother (who was doing the actual ordering) had seen some of my gator notes with pink gators, but the daughter (heading off to camp) requested orange ones - i love it when kids make some of their own design decisions! again, all of the layouts, colors and fonts were mix and match ready. two customers, similar notes, but perfectly personalized just for them.

later!
:) lexi

flashback friday :: fiesta time!

tomorrow is cinco de mayo, so i thought it was a good day for a mexican fiesta invite, which is a great party theme any time of year. actually this is a combined from the stack/flashback post, with a take two at a fiesta invite from a few years ago. that one was for a ten year old birthday. this one for a one year old, with a few changes, like the "1" on the cactus and the green border on a one-layer card rather than the pinked edge of a second layer.

the first time around i also created a cake to match, with a flag, and stickers for the favor bags. posey's party was not local, so no cake, but i did create matching thank you notes. these are the three options i presented. any of which would make cute personalized stationery even if you're not throwing a fiesta.

happy cinco de mayo!
:) lexi

original post: november 24, 2008

yoga & yogurt

finally!  one of the invitations from the stack on the desk.  the request was for a party at a yoga studio, ending with self serve yogurt just around the corner.  and so "yoga & yogurt" came to life. 

a couple of clean & zen inspiring fonts, plus a yoga mat, a girl, and of course, yogurt.  yummy yogurt!

i had so much fun drawing and tweaking this invite & thank you set.  and the birthday girl and her guests loved it too. 

strike a pose!
:) lexi

chevrons, chevrons, everywhere!

when i sat down to create teacher gifts a couple of weeks ago, i decided to create a new printed chevron note card design.  i've done polka dots, circles, ribbon patterns, and fleur de lis, so why not go with the current trends and print chevrons, too!

and in lots of colors so that each set could be a little different.  i really like the outcome of the monochromatic shades of color, but i definitely need to try a few multi-colored versions as well.  bright and summery - and totally on trend! 

:) lexi

fill in the blank

another way to get mail from your campers is the fill in the blank card.  it's the perfect idea for a young camper who may not have a lot of time to write, or who won't know what to say. i was working on just such a card for a brand new camper this week and came up with this fun canoe design.  it can be easily personalized with the camp name and the camper's favorite colors, or with camp colors, if the camp has them.

here it is again with the blue and orange of my girls' camp.  as always, i had a second design for the customer to see, so i thought i'd share that one too.  bright, fun, and easy to use!  if you've been reading for a while you may remember that my girls only wrote me once each of their first years, and the notes were very short.  now, they write slightly more, but maybe i should have sent something like these that first year to get them started!

:) lexi

peace, love, & sunshine!

away camp is only a little more than a month away for some, and the inquiries and orders have started coming in!  this new design is for a brand new camper, whose camp colors are green and white.  the box is the same as the ones i decorated for my girls, with lots of space for letter writing and drawing supplies, but personalized with her camp colors and stationery design.  peace, love, and sunshine is exactly what camp is all about!

:) lexi

address labels

return address labels, six ways.  one of the many projects that have me clicking the days away this week.  i like when i get a chance to make options, because then i have more designs to add to my collection!

:) 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