Some big news for little sprout.
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In May 2009, I started Little Sprout Creations with a love of pretty printed things. Since then, this tiny business has given me the honor of designing 2 dozen birthday parties, 4 weddings, 2 holiday card collections, 10 birth announcements, 8 showers, a minted kids' stationery collection, contributions to 3 of my favorite party blogs, and the privilege of running a craft class for some amazing moms and kiddos. In January 2012, I launched Tangerine Type, dedicated to small business branding and website design. Since then, I've designed 13 logos and 4 websites for some incredible women. Over...
‘Sweet Stripes’ Birth Announcement
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I was honored to create a birth announcement for my friend Melissa, and her sweet new snugglebunny, Zoe April. It features sweet pink stripes, a preppy banner, and two spots for photos - we included one of Zoe with her big sister Annika :)
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Creating with your Little Sprout: Valentine Frames
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Today Leah and I are sharing our top-secret Valentine's Day gift for Leah's favorite valentine - her daddy. These frames are easy and fun for big kids AND little kids (Leah is only 2) and so inexpensive - about $3 per project! We were browsing at Michaels and found great $1 frames with a heart cut-out. We grabbed some red and white washable tempera paint, some foam brushes, and some felt adhesive hearts and headed home for crafting with our playgroup. To create, simply paint, dry, stick on adhesive hearts, and place a photo in the heart. Great as a gift for your favorite valentine,...
Valentine’s Day DIY Round-Up
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I'm so excited to have been a contributing designer on some of my favorite blogs this month - check out the links below to see where you can find Little Sprout Valentine DIYs, printables and recipes. Put a little extra love in your decor with these free printable 8×10 art prints in 5 sweet mix-and-matchable designs, exclusively for Pizzazzerie. Throw a DINO-MITE Valentine's Day party for your little ones with free printables and instructions for dinosaur crayon favors, as featured on Pizzazzerie. Dress up your little valentine with these printable t-shirt transfer designs, exclusively for Skip...
Valentine Day T-Shirts for Skip to my Lou
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Happy Valentine's Week! I'm Jen of Little Sprout Creations, a party goods and stationery design studio. I have two toddler daughters, and I love designing cute (and affordable!) graphic tees for them using t-shirt transfers and t-shirts from their closets. Here's a great way to get one last wear out of those almost-grown-out-of shirts AND get a cute Valentine's Day shirt, without feeling guilty that they might only wear it a few times. I designed up 7 fun transfers for you to choose from - great for both guys and gals, big and small. Download the full set of pdf printable images here. Simply...
Minted: Moving Announcement Challenge
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Head over to minted.com to check out (and vote for!) our latest submission in the Moving Announcement design challenge. Styled after our North-South move, this moving announcement will be offered in both north - south and south-north options. Be sure to stick around and vote for some of the other incredible designs as well!
Minted: Art Print Challenge
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Minted recently challenged designers to create wall art - a first for Minted! Take a peek at my submissions, and click on the images to head over to Minted and vote. Be sure to check out the other designs as well - you might just see something you'd love for your own home!
Merry Christmas from the Little Sprout family!
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From our home to yours, Merry Christmas! It's been a wonderful holiday season here at Little Sprout Creations, filled with new designs, new friends, new clients, and new partnerships. We're excited for all that the new year will bring, including a new division of Little Sprout, coming your way in early 2012!!
Homemade Holiday Gift Round-Up
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I grew up in Chicago, so this sunny California Christmas thing is brand new (and awesome) to me. Sort of strange to be singing Christmas songs and wrapping presents when it's 65 degrees outside! But whether I believe it or not, the holidays are here, and we have a few great homemade gift ideas to share! Here's a roundup of some Little Sprout gift ideas, featured on some of our very favorite party blogs. 1. All-Natural Cleaners and Candle Kit Check out our DIY Tutorial and Free Printables for this set of homemade cleaners and soy candle over at Hostess with the Mostess! 2. 'Snow Day'...
Minted: Sending Good Cheer
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One of the best perks of being a minted designer (other than the coveted "Mintie" title) is the 'Sending Good Cheer' Minted Holiday Card Swap. The walls of my studio are now happily dressed in photos of my new designer friends, inspiring designs, and some fabulous typography eye candy! And obviously included, some Little Sprout designs from this year's holiday collection!
Custom Gift Cards
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Gift cards are the perfect addition to any small business - use them for promotions, give to clients over the holidays as a thank you gift, or sell to be used as gifts by your clients for friends and family. These 5.5x4.25" cards are printed on heavyweight, 120lb cardstock, and will be customized with your company logo, fonts, colors, and gift card amount choices. Prices start at $20 for a set of 20 cards. Contact jen@littlesproutcreations.com for more details.
Freshly Minted: Children’s Stationery
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My collection of children's stationery recently launched at Minted.com, perfect for the sports fans on your gift list! Click on the images below for stationery with coordinating backers and skinny-wrap labels. "slam dunk" - exclusively for minted.com "home run" - exclusively for minted.com "goal!" - exclusively for minted.com
Confessions from a Party Planning Mama
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I get asked sometimes about how I juggle my design work with my mommy work. My typical response is "not gracefully." Although I've made it my goal to restrain my Little Sprout life to between the hours of 7-10pm, many days I find myself sneaking in time here and there throughout the day. A quick design during naptime, an email while the girls are already watching an episode of Curious George. Unfortunately, sometimes I really goof, and find myself pressed with a deadline that forces me to neglect my real jobs - mommy and housewife. There have been many many many days where household...
Holiday Spotlight: “Quilted Joy” + “Rustic Ribbon” + “Tall & Skinny”
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Over the next few weeks, we'll be featuring some of the designs from the 2011 Holiday Collection, and our model and photographer families. "Quilted Joy " "Rustic Ribbon" and "Tall & Skinny" were inspired by the Wiley family. We were blessed to get to know this sweet family during our time in Seattle, and we're so excited to be able to meet their newest addition, due in March. Click here, or on the images below to order these designs, and coordinating gift tags from our shop.
Creating with your Little Sprout: “Hands-On” Turkey Placecards
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We are over-the-moon excited to have my family at our house for Thanksgiving dinner next week. Even though we'll only have 8 guests total, we decided to make some fun placecards to make sure that Grandpa and Grandma know that Leah wants them to sit next to her. You'll need a cute hand (or two) to trace, some cardstock, construction paper, scissors, toilet paper rolls (if you have them), googly eyes, and pipe cleaners. And most importantly, some warm spiced cider for you and your helpers!
Holiday Spotlight: “Holly Jolly” + “Ski Patrol” + Tavosa Wines
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Over the next few weeks, we'll be featuring some of the designs from the 2011 Holiday Collection, and our model and photographer families. "Holly Jolly" and "Ski Patrol" were inspired by the O'Connor family. The O'Connors love good food, great wine, and fun adventures with friends and family - passions that led them to start Tavosa Wines. Their first release, a 2010 Grenache Rosé, is available for purchase here (and is absolutely wonderful.) In addition to their love of food and wine, the O'Connor family loves exploring Seattle on their sailboat. "Holly Jolly" was inspired by their...
Holiday Spotlight: “The Fur Noel” + “Merry & Bright”
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Over the next few weeks, we'll be featuring some of the designs from the 2011 Holiday Collection, and our model and photographer families. "The Fur Noel" was inspired by Sarah, Sadie & Ginger. Ginger is Sarah's dearly-missed family pup, and Sadie is Sarah's Great Dane-Pointer mix. Sarah adopted Sadie in February 2009, and together they've been spreading love and joy to their friends, family & community. Last year, Sarah and Sadie worked to upgrade their local dog park in Omaha, and continue to work in their community to create safe, fun places for dogs and their friends. This 5x7 card...
Holiday Photo Contest Winners
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Last month, we invited our customers and fans to submit family photographs to be featured in our 2011 Holiday Card Collection. We were amazed by all of the sweet photos that we received on our Facebook wall, and in the little sprout inbox! Our celebrity guest judge Courtney Dial (of Pizzazzerie & The Bakery Spot) had a tough job choosing one winner, so we decided to make things a bit sweeter by choosing 3 winners! Our first place winner will receive a $50 Gift Certificate good toward their holiday photo card order, and our runners up will each receive a $25 Gift Certificate good toward...
2011 Holiday Shop
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I'm so excited to announce the launch of the 2011 Holiday Collection and our brand-new online shop! Grab yourself a big mug of hot chocolate, snuggle in and check out our holiday photo cards, printed envelopes, and coordinating gift tags. We'll be adding stationery gifts, labels, thank you cards and other gifts during the upcoming months. Visit our shop at littlesproutcreations.com/shop
Announcing New Babies and New Homes
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In celebration of our move this weekend, I thought I'd share some recent announcement designs - perfect for announcing your new baby, or your new address! The last card in this set is part of our 2011 Holiday Collection, which will be launched on Tuesday, November 1!
Coming soon to Minted!
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In September, Minted asked designers to create designs for Children's stationery. I submitted 3 variations on a sports theme, basketball, soccer, and baseball, and they were all awarded editor's picks for sale coming soon on minted.com!
2011 Holiday Photo Contest!
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It's October, which means Holiday time is about to get rockin'! Pumpkin picking, pumpkin pies, hayrides, hot chocolate, snuggly sweaters, mittens, big family dinners, warm fireplaces, and lots of snuggling. It's no surprise that holiday time is the most wonderful time of the year. To celebrate the upcoming holiday season, we invite you to submit your family photos for a chance to be featured in sample card designs for our 2011 Holiday Photo Card collection. Several photos will be selected, and if yours is chosen, you'll receive a 20% discount for your photo card order. To make this contest...
See Jane Go
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I've designed with/for some really inspiring women this year, and JoAnn of See Jane Go is no exception. JoAnn works full time x 2, working both out of the home, and at home taking care of her 3 sons. She was inspired by Kristy Fassio (Fassio Fitness) to begin offering Body Back in Spokane, WA, where there currently are no class offerings. JoAnn noticed a ton of small gyms and fitness classes in her area, and needed a brand design that would help her to stand out from the crowd, and attract the women who she knows will benefit from Body Back. JoAnn found herself drawn to simple but classy...
(not-too-spooky) halloween party printables!
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The Little Sprout computer and printer are still taking a much-needed break until we're settled in our new California home, but that's no reason for us to skip out on Halloween-time. I'm so excited to introduce this sweet (and not-too-spooky) halloween party suite that you can purchase online, and print and prepare at home with just a few simple materials and tools. The printable suite includes customized invitations (options below), customized food cards, customized favor tags, cupcake/treat picks and a banner. After ordering, you'll be contacted for party information for customizing your...
Minted: Children’s Stationery Quickfire Challenge
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This past month, Minted asked designers to create designs for Children's stationery. I submitted 3 variations on a sports theme, basketball, soccer, and baseball. Click on the images below to vote, and be sure to vote for other designs as well - there are some great designers in this challenge!
DIY Tissue Pom Owls
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Want to make your own tissue pom owls for your camping party or halloween time? Here's a step-by-step guide. You'll need: 6-8 sheets of (approximately) 20"x 30" tissue paper (for the owl's body) 1 additional sheet of tissue paper, same color (for the owl's head, ears, and wings.) If your pack comes with 8 sheets like mine did, use 7 for the body and 1 for the head. Styrofoam ball, approximately 5" in diameter. Felt in black, white, and orange. Pink/orange pipe cleaners for legs 1. Accordion fold 6-8 sheets of tissue paper. Tie with floral wire. Snip ends, either as a rounded...
Rory Kate’s 1st Birthday Campout!
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My daughter Rory Kate is really, really fun. She loves being outside, crawling really fast, and eating snacks. I decided to throw her a campout birthday party for her friends, and since it'll be our last time hanging out with these folks for a while (we're moving to california next week) we decided to go all out for one last playtime together. As guests arrived, they were directed to head to the backyard with sweet pink wood signs. My 2.5 year old Leah helped make these signs, and it was such a blast. She did a lot of the painting (we squirted on some pink paint, and she spread...
Lillypaul Designs
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Just finished up a brand design for Candace Miller's Lillypaul Designs, a sweet new party planning business in Tinley Park, IL.
The Union Method
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I had the amazing opportunity to work with Tami Jones on the brand design of her Kirkland, WA pilates business, The Union Method. Tami had great vision and direction for elements that she wanted included in her brand design, making it so fun to put her ideas up on the screen. My favorite part of the design process is talking with clients about their small business. I always leave the conversations feeling so energized and inspired, and talking to Tami was no exception. Tami explained The Union Method as "a Pilates regime that aims to unite body, mind and soul." She plans to initially...
Featured on Pizzazzerie: Georgia Peach Baby Sprinkle
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Carolyn's Georgia Peach baby sprinkle, hosted by Emily, is featured on Pizzazzerie today! Thanks for the love, Courtney!
Monty & Kim’s Wedding
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These two tied the knot almost a year ago, but with a brand new baby at our house at that point, this post never made its way into the world. Thought this might be a nice time to share. :) Monty and Kim chose gorgeous watermelon and tangerine hues for their late summer wedding, and we used those to create a modern + elegant design suite. We designed a rehearsal dinner invitation with a Cincinnati skyline silhouette. The card style combined an invitation/directions card (for guests to keep), and a pre-addressed, pre-stamped, response postcard with dinner choices. Perforation allowed...
Sisters’ Day Sundae Party
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A month before Rory Kate's due date, I took Leah out for a very special day (filled with donuts and ice cream and build-a-bears) to celebrate her last month before sisterhood. We called it "sisters' day" and decided that we'd celebrate it each year, at some point in August. We found out this year that there actually is a sisters' day, and it's even at the beginning of August. How absolutely perfect. This year, we invited all of Leah's fellow big sisters (and their little sisters and brothers - and even one big-sister-to-be!) over for an ice cream sundae party. Leah chose the colors (pink,...
Grace & Kate’s Pirate Birthday Party
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Kate is turning 3. Grace is turning 2. Their moms decided to throw 1 awesome pirate party... And I was so excited when Grace's mom, Candace, asked me to design it. Candace and Jen (Kate's mom) really liked the idea of red and black, and asked if I could design something that while fun and pirate-y, was still girly. Their party suite features a sweet pirate girl, red stripes, and the pirate essentials - anchors, a pirate ship helm, fishing nets, and of course, a little bit of skull and crossbones. A rope-tied banner with red striping and pirate fun welcomes the pirate mateys to the Grace...
Carolyn’s Georgia Peach Baby Sprinkle
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I've always said that my heart was born in the south, even though it was actually born in the 'burbs of Chicago. When Emily asked me to design a baby "sprinkle" party suite for her friend Carolyn in Marietta, Georgia, I knew this was my chance to pretend I'm a southern belle myself. :) Carolyn's sprinkle suite features a flowered umbrella design, colored with all the shades of a sweet georgia peach (and a bit of aqua for her sweet baby boy on the way.) Carolyn's guests were greeted with a coordinating banner, announcing her soon-arriving new addition. And my favorite part, the food....
Minted: Typography Business Card Challenge
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This month's Minted challenge was to create business card designs with an emphasis on typography. The following three designs are eligible for voting - click on each picture to vote, or use the links below. When voting, please be sure to check out and vote some of the other designs as well - there are some fabulous designs from some amazingly talented designers. Although backers were not required, one is included for both "leashed" and "stitched denim." "Fresh Slant" by Little Sprout Creations "Leashed" by Little Sprout Creations "Stitched Denim" by Little Sprout Creations Links...
Sending LOVE x 2.
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Know a friend with a new sweet bundle of love, or one on the way? Consider giving our "sending LOVE" cards - with every card you give, a $2 donation is made in the new baby's name to support Living Water International's clean water efforts across the world. Each set includes 6 baby boy cards, 6 baby girl cards + coordinating envelopes and a note inside which reads: "a donation has been made in your child's name to provide clean water for new babies and their families in need." Each set is $36, and includes a $24 donation to Living Water International. To order, click "Pay Now" at the bottom...
Branded Stationery – Fassio Fitness
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The newly-branded Fassio Fitness is off to a rockin' start, and Kristy requested some custom branded thank you cards to send to clients. These folded cards are covered in Fassio Fitness' signature color and detailed with thin pin-striping. The inside of the card and envelope flaps both feature the Fassio Fitness logo.
Fit Femme
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I recently worked with Marty Kirby to brand her newly established Fit Femme, LLC. Marty, a runner, started a Stroller Strides franchise in June 2010 as a way to work from home, be with her 2 year old and kindergartner, and share her love of fitness with others. Since then, she has added additional fitness programs including Fit4Baby, Body Back, 5k running programs, and Fit Femme Boot Camp. When I asked Marty what she loves about Fit Femme, she said that she has a "passion for fitness and helping people make positive changes in their lives." When brainstorming with clients about their new brand,...
Taking a play day.
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It's finally (and probably very temporarily) summer in Seattle, so we're taking the day to play. :) Hope you're enjoying your summery day too!
Mother Bliss
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This month, I had the pleasure of working with Ivie Claudio to brand her family-wellness business, Mother Bliss. Ivie started up Stroller Strides of Boca Raton 3 years ago, and decided that she needed to expand her business to reach more moms, bring them together, and support motherhood. Ivie's vision for Mother Bliss is "a place where moms can clear their minds and find their sanity." She plans to offer fitness classes for moms and babies, family events, lactation support, midwife services, massages, kid classes, and even a coffee bar. Ivie has an incredible heart for her business - she's...
Sophie’s Princess Pool Party!
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We put together a pool party design suite for Sophie's 4th birthday, and not just any typical pool party. Sophie told her mom that she wanted a princess pool party, and since Sophie's mom is super-awesome, she obliged. Sophie's invitations were a flip flop shape, with a tiara monogram. Sophie's mom put together all of the creative wording - super cute! We carried the flip-flop theme across to Sophie's thank you notes, perfect for thanking all of her friends for celebrating with her. Sophie's mom decorated the pool area, and asked for a sweet banner to tie the theme together. Sophie wore...
Warrior Dash – Dirty Mothers
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About a month ago, I received an email from Hilary (stroller strides franchise owner and instructor, ActiveWoMOM contributor, and recipient of a racing bib book), asking for help on a very, very special project. Hilary and some other rad moms were gearing up for Washington's Warrior Dash, and needed black tank tops with their team name (Dirty Mothers) and the ActiveWoMOM logo to wear with a rockin' pink tutu. I put together a design, and created iron-on transfers for the team to apply to simple black tanks. Last weekend, these ladies charged the battlefield, and from what I've heard, kicked...
Patriotic 90th Birthday!
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Amy asked me to create a red, white and blue banner for her grandmother, who turned 90 on the 4th of July. I was so honored to be even a small part of such a very special day!
Minted: (Quickfire) New Year’s Card Challenge
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In July, Minted challenged designers to a 2-week "quickfire" challenge to design New Year's Cards. Below is our "Magical New Year" submission, eligible for voting until August 1. Links to current and previous challenge submissions can be found here.
Minted: “Summer is Born” birth announcement challenge
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In July, Minted challenged designers to create a summer-themed birth announcement. Below is our "Nautical Baby" design, eligible for voting through the end of July. "Nautical Baby" by Little Sprout Creations Links to current and previous challenge submissions can be found here.
O’Connor Fam – Waterfront Photo Shoot
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Today I had the amazing opportunity to do a photo shoot of an incredible family, on an incredible day, in an incredible location. The O'Connor Family asked me to capture some family shots with their new son, Crosby, and we knew that Marina Park in Kirkland would be the perfect spot for this sailing family.
Fassio Fitness
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Kristy is one of our veteran clients, and I get so excited with each new project that we design together. After she won a Little Sprout stationery giveaway through activewomom.com, she asked me to design a princess party for her 4 year old, Bella. We had a blast designing together, and she asked me to do an afternoon pajama party for her 2 year old, Charlotte, and a nautical wedding shower for her sister, Melissa. In addition to being an incredible mom (and party hostess!), Kristy owns a Stroller Strides franchise, and is starting a fitness-training business, focused on moms. When she asked...
Featured on Pizzazzerie!
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Today is a very special day. Today I get to add a badge to our website that says "Featured on Pizzazzerie!" and I seriously couldn't be more excited. :) I've spent many a late night browsing endlessly through Pizzazzerie's featured gorgeous parties and gift ideas and party recipes and all of the wonderful things that I love. And now I'm a part of it. It's blowing my mind. Take a peek around pizzazzerie, but be warned - once you start, it's hard to stop. Thanks for the Pizzazzerie love!
Parker County Mama
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Rebecca (of Parker County Mama) asked me to design a logo for her website, a great resource for families in Parker County, TX. In addition to a logo for her website and facebook page, she also needed headers for each page of her website - events calendar, local deals, etc. She requested texas flair and we delivered with a fun, feminine look for her website and other Parker County Mama gear.
BFit Services
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Brandi (of BFit Services) is an inspiring fitness professional with a great eye for design, so developing her logo with her was a blast. We worked up several color combinations, website headers, and ad buttons to set her up for her already-blooming fitness training business. BFit Services provides various fitness programs in the Philadelphia area, as well as virtual training nationwide. Brandi's goal is to "make fitness fun!" Her blog, BFit Bits, will feature daily bits of information everyone can take, share, and apply in their lives. Check out what Brandi thinks about her new logo here. In...
ActiveWoMOM
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After designing the logo for activewomom.com, Kristin asked me to stay on board to design slides, buttons and website extras. It's been a blast learning more about website design, and helping to bring Kristin's design dreams to life. Check out what Kristin thinks about her new logo here.
Skydiving Memory Book
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After seeing the race bib books that we designed, Cammie asked us to make something similar for her friend Jaime, an avid skydiver! The book features sturdy board-book pages, covered in textured cardstock. Each page has a spot for Jaime to write about her jumps, and a sleeve for her to display a photo. The book is covered in a black and white damask printed fabric, with a custom label to make it perfectly Jaime's.
Hillstead Fiesta!
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The Hillstead family had a ton to celebrate last weekend - a second birthday, a 27th birthday, and an upcoming move to Arizona! They asked us to put together a fiesta that could provide some bright summer-y fun, even in a rainy seattle spring. Our inspiration for this fiesta party suite was a cute toddler outfit (Circo) from Target. Bright colors, fun ruffles. It also served as 2nd birthday party wear! We helped the Hillsteads decorate their backyard (no rain!) with some sweet tissue fringe & potted tissue fiesta poufs. Blake and Ali set up a taco salad bar, served fruit skewers...
Custom Board Books!
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Kellie wanted a unique gift for her kids to give to their dad on Father's Day, and thought that one of our custom board books would be perfect for him. She sent us a ton of great photos (does this family know how to have fun or what?!) & captions for each page, and we designed a sweet 10 page board book for them. Newly improved, these board books feature full page, satin finish printing. The result is a durable, fingerprint-resistant, photo quality book, perfect for your favorite little one to give or receive.
Melissa & Ben’s Nautical Wedding Shower
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A few months ago, Kristy contacted me about doing a nautical-themed wedding shower brunch for her sister Melissa. We knew that a classy navy shade was essential, and after talking with the bride-to-be, Kristy decided on... lime! After finishing up Sara & Nathan's wedding, I was thrilled to work with this color palette again, and excited to put together a chic, nautical shower for Melissa & Ben. The "tying the knot" invitations feature nautical navy stripes, with lime script and nautical details. The invitation cards are wrapped in gorgeous textured navy cardstock, tied with a simple...
Sara & Nathan
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Ten days ago, Sara and Nathan tied the knot in Iron River, Michigan. Sara contacted us in January to create a navy & lime wedding suite for them, and it was so much fun bringing their ideas to life. Sara loved the perforated response card invitations that we designed for Monty & Kim's rehearsal dinner, so we designed up a trifold invitation with a panel for ceremony information, a panel for reception information, and a perforated tear-off panel response postcard for guests to send back, pre-stamped with postcard postage. The result is an eco-friendly invitation that also reduces postage...
My Little Sprout.
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My Little Sprout, Leah, is featured in most of the Creating with your Little Sprout posts. Aside from her super-cuteness and amazing accessorizing abilities, you've probably noticed a red bump on her forehead. In honor of Hemangioma Awareness Week, I thought I'd take this time to explain a bit of what we know about hemangiomas, and about our family's journey. Leah was born with a strawberry hemangioma (he-man-jee-oh-ma) on her forehead. I actually didn't really even notice it until we got home from the hospital because she was wearing a hat most of the time, and if I did see it, I probably...
Hunter’s 2nd Birthday Construction Zone
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Our second birthday celebration this weekend was Hunter's 2nd birthday - construction zone style! Truck invitations featured a dump-truck with a swinging "dumper?" to reveal party details below. We designed a shirt and special construction hat for Hunter to wear during his celebration. A banner with Hunter's name and coordinating truck pulled the party theme together. Truck thank you cards (with Hunter up in the front seat!) let guests know how much they were appreciated. Happy 2nd birthday, Hunter!
Annika’s 2nd Birthday, Down on the Farm!
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Annika celebrated her 2nd birthday this weekend, and her mom, Melissa, knew that baby farm animals and bright colors were essential for their outdoor BBQ party. Invitations were bright red farmhouses (with sweet Annika peeking out of the top window) with pop-open doors to reveal party details inside. Melissa found a great checkered tablecloth, and we helped to tie the theme together with some colorful accents, including a name banner with colorful gingham print. Mason jars with red gingham ribbon were perfect for storing silverware (brilliantly cute idea from Simply Suz) We topped off some...
Little Sprout Workshop: May 2011 Registration Open!
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Are you a Seattle parent looking for a rainy day getaway for you and your little ones? Have you been loving the "crafting with your little sprout" project ideas, but don't have the right materials (or cleanup crew?) We had a great time crafting in April with 10 fabulous toddlers (check it out here), and we'll be continuing the fun in May! Join us for Little Sprout Workshop, a one-hour craft workshop for you and your little one (recommended age 18months - 4 years). We'll provide materials, smocks, & snacks, and when you leave with your little one and their masterpiece creation,...
Little Sprout Workshop: Hippity Hoppity!
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Yesterday morning, I had the pleasure of crafting with 10 giggly-fun toddlers and their moms at our very first Little Sprout Workshop! We had a great time making bunny "peeps prints" and grass-growing bunny friends, and the kids loved their tie-dye smocks. After crafting, we enjoyed some make-your-own breakfast trail mix, some apple juice, and we re-energized moms with some hot coffee and yummy treats. And while the 10 big kids crafted, their little brothers and sisters (we had 4 infants under 7 months!) played, giggled, and slept. Looking forward to the next workshop? We'll give you details...
creating with your little sprout: homemade hot pretzels
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We just finished up an epic two weeks of birthday countdown for my 2 year old Leah. Instead of doing one giant day of presents and fun (which leaves her feeling overwhelmed and exhausted) we decided to spread the fun over the two weeks leading up to her birthday. Each day had a fun small gift (jewelry, art supplies, play-doh) or a fun activity (trip to the aquarium, trip to the farm, lunch date). Day 12 was hot pretzel making together while her baby sister was napping. We don't get a lot of one-on-one time, so it's fun to make it a really special time when we do. As an added bonus, this treat...
DIY: Rainbow Popcorn!
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Need an easy, yummy, impressive-looking party treat or at-home snack? Rainbow popcorn is where it's at. Super simple recipe from Kraft, reviewed by us. You'll notice this isn't a "Creating with your Little Sprout" feature... Unfortunately, there isn't much in this project that is safe for kids to help with (other than eating popcorn while you work!), but I think your kids will be thrilled to stand-by while you make this for them - and it only takes 30 minutes from start to finish! You'll need: - 8 cups popped popcorn, either with an air-popper or traditional pot-popped with oil. - 1/4 cup (1/2...
supporting little sprouts: YoungLives
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Tonight I had the pleasure of providing invitations and goodie bags (with raspberry rainbow popcorn!) for some great teen moms, headed out on a YoungLives girls' night movie night. YoungLives is a part of YoungLife, a Christian outreach ministry for high schoolers, and YoungLives focuses on teen moms and their children. I've been personally involved with YoungLife since 2001, as a leader in Champaign, IL and State College, PA, and I currently serve where I can here in our local YoungLife area. It's an incredible ministry, and YoungLives is no exception. Mentor moms volunteer their time to build...
supporting the marymoor velodrome association!
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Last weekend, my husband and I attended the Marymoor Velodrome Association's dinner and auction. Folks came out to support track racing and those that love it - men, women & kids of all skill levels. It was especially awesome to watch a video of a young woman (Tela Crane) who started racing at Marymoor and is now training with the US Track Sprint Team! As I'm slowly trying become a real runner, it's so inspiring to see other women work so hard towards their goals and really shine. Part of the funds raised through the dinner and auction went to support development (training, travel,...
introducing… race bib books!
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It's running season here in Seattle, and we're excited to introduce our newest product - race bib books! Our new client Tracy found out about us through a running-moms' facebook group, and asked us to make a race bib book for her friend, a Stroller Strides instructor and running mom. We looked at some of the existing designs for race bib books, and felt that we needed a design that was more feminine, more fun, and more unique - just like her friend. We created a hand-bound book, covered in feel-good, fun-feminine fabric with a personalized logo. The book pages are durable enough to allow...
charlotte’s 2nd birthday – afternoon pajama party!
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After creating Isabella's Princess Party, we were so excited to to design with our client Kristy again - this time for her youngest daughter Charlotte, who turns 2 this week. We decided on an "afternoon pajama party" theme, perfect for snuggly-fun toddlers. We designed up a unique fold-down bed card, with party details underneath a "comforter" front flap. We continued the dot theme throughout Charlotte's thank you notes, birthday girl shirt, popcorn boxes, and food cards. On the menu? Pajama party snacks! A hot chocolate bar (complete with chocolate dipped marshmallows), popcorn, waffles,...
creating with your little sprout: shamrock pepper prints
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I sliced up some peppers with Leah's lunch today and she pointed to it and said "happy patrick's day!" We talked about shamrocks and St.Patrick's day yesterday at JoAnn Fabrics, and she remembered the shamrock shape. It reminded me of a fun craft that we did in elementary school - cut a pepper in half, dip in green paint, and stamp away! Leah's excited to give hers to her daddy tomorrow morning as a placemat for St.Patty's Day breakfast!
creating with your little sprout: all-natural tie-dye
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Love crafting with your Little Sprout? If you're in the Seattle area, be sure to check out Little Sprout Workshop! I've been wanting to do some tie-dyeing with my almost 2 year old, but was a bit discouraged by the warnings on the packages of the dye kits. Even the ones marketed for kids said things like "WARNING: MAY IRRITATE EYES AND SKIN. USE PROTECTIVE GEAR." One kit even advised to use proper ventilation when using the kit. Ack. At first I was disappointed, realizing that I'd probably need to do this project on my own, and then wondered if it was even a good idea for my little...
Little Sprout Workshop!
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First week of spring - registration special! Through March 27, registration is 1 for $15 or 2 for $22 (either for two workshops, or one workshop for your child and a friend!) Are you a Seattle parent looking for a rainy day getaway for you and your little ones? Have you been loving the "crafting with your little sprout" project ideas, but don't have the right materials (or cleanup crew?) This April, we'll be hosting Little Sprout Workshop, a one-hour craft workshop for you and your little one (recommended age 18months - 4 years). We'll provide materials, smocks, & snacks, and when...
creating with your little sprouts: rainbow donuts!
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Growing up, my family always made pączki (Polish jelly donuts) to celebrate Fat Tuesday. Wikipedia says that the reason for making pączki was to use up all the lard, sugar, eggs and fruit in the house, because they were forbidden to be consumed due to Catholic fasting practices during Lent. This year (after an awesome recipe hook-up by my stepmom), we decided to make some rainbow donuts to celebrate Fat Tuesday (and my daughter's love for all things yummy and colorful and sprinkled.) The original recipe is from tablespoon.com, and can be found here. These were a huge huge huge hit in our house...
60 years of love!
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Today in Indiana, my husband's grandparents are celebrating 60 years (10x more than us!) of marriage! We designed up some springtime green invitations for them, with help from the rest of Bill and Jean's family. They'll be celebrating tomorrow with friends and family at a reception at their church. We're sad to be missing the party, but are hoping to sneak in a phone call to the happy couple :)
RSS
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Are you reading this from your RSS reader? Have you been frustrated that it only shows a summary of each blog post? Me too. I fixed the problem, so if you delete your old feed and click the new RSS tab on the home page, or bottom of this page, you should be all set.
supporting little sprouts: sunny ridge family center
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When I started Little Sprout Creations, I knew that I wanted to figure out ways to use our time, talents, products and profits to be able to support kids and their families. We're always excited to be able to give 10% of our profits to Samaritan's Purse, but when we're able to work with clients and friends to support their ministries and favorite causes - that really gets my heart going. This weekend, we're so very excited to be supporting Sunny Ridge Family Center, in Bolingbrook IL. Sunny Ridge is a non-profit, Christian adoption agency, and tomorrow they're hosting a Fashion Show benefit...
creating with your little sprouts: salt-dough play cupcakes
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My daughter is getting a play kitchen for her 2nd birthday, and we decided to whip up some play cupcakes for her to "bake" with her sweet new setup. We used a small muffin tin that came with a kids' baking set (from bed bath and beyond) and some easy salt dough. Great for a snuggly weekend activity with your little sprout. Here's the scoop: Before you begin - the baking portion of this project takes about 3 hours, so we broke this activity into two days, baking & painting. Basic salt dough recipe (enough for 9 mini cupcakes and a little extra): mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup salt, 1/2 cup warm...
a new look!
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We're excited to announce that Little Sprout Creations has a new look! Take a peek around our new website and let us know what you think!
Jackie’s baby “sprinkle”
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We designed Jackie's mini baby shower (a "sprinkle"), hosted by Shaana, a great friend of mine. The colors were a great choice by Shaana, and the snuggly sock cupcakes were so fun to make.
DIY crayon valentines
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Yesterday, my daughters (22 months and 5 months) and I hosted a valentine’s day party for their playgroup pals. I asked Leah what kind of a valentine’s day party she wanted, and she remembered a book that we’ve read called “Dinosaur Valentine.” That, combined with her current incredible love of dinosaurs, led us to plan a unique and really fun dinosaur valentine’s day party. We decided to make dinosaur crayons for her friends to take home as valentines, a nice alternative to sugary candy and sweets. We hit a few speedbumps in the crayon-making process, so hopefully we can help...
Isabella’s Princess Party
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Today a sweet girl celebrated her 4th birthday like a princess. We designed up a birthday suite for Isabella with invitations, thank you cards, a birthday shirt and princess skirt for the birthday girl, some fun ribbon crowns for her guests, crown cupcake holders, a banner, and favor tags. Our favorite part? Her mom, Kristy, decided to go with a "giving favor" and donated a fruit tree through Samaritan's Purse for each guest at the party. Love it. Check out more "giving favor" ideas here. Happy birthday Princess Isabella!
my favorite things – playgroup holiday party
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This afternoon, I hosted the second (and hopefully forever annual) holiday party for our PEPS playgroup. Last year, we had barely-crawling babies, and this year we had walking, talking toddlers. Much to the dismay of our husbands, we decided to forego the cookie swap tradition in place of a “favorite things” party. Each mom brought 3 (of the same) of their favorite thing (under $10) to exchange, so that at the end, everyone would go home with 3 different gifts. Each toddler brought one $10 gift to exchange. Favorite mom gifts included travel mugs with hot cocoa mix, homemade applesauce...
snow day gift set
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In honor of the blizzard conditions in my beloved hometown of Chicago, today’s homemade gift idea is a “Snow Day” warm drinks and sweet treats gift set. It features three yummy drink and treat pairs, all tucked into a cute, reusable basket: cinnamon vanilla ground coffee & vanilla almond biscotti orange spice instant tea & winter spice tea cookies fireside hot cocoa mix & cherry-vanilla marshmallows OR “midnight mint craving” hot cocoa mix & candy cane marshmallows After blending up the drink mixes and baking up the sweet treats (recipes below), package them up in festive...
christmas baby shower, take 2
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This month, I had the pleasure of throwing baby showers for two wonderful women, expecting their second babies in late December and early January. This morning, our PEPS group celebrated Liz and her arriving-any-moment-now baby with a sweet mid-morning brunch. One mom set up a yogurt parfait station, complete with homemade granola and sweet berries. Another brought freshly baked pastries from The French Bakery, in Kirkland. I baked up some individual raspberry dutch baby “babies” - super quick, super easy, and super yummy. (recipe below.) A week ago, Liz sent me an email with...
christmas baby shower, take 1
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This month, I have the pleasure of throwing baby showers for two wonderful women, expecting their second babies in late December and early January. This afternoon, we celebrated the upcoming arrival of Ali’s little girl with a warm and cozy fireside lunch: bruschetta paninis, personal mac ‘n’ cheese, candy apple punch, hot cocoa with cherry vanilla marshmallows (pink, of course!), and chocolate candy cane cupcakes from Trophy Cupcakes. Instead of routine baby shower games (don’t we moms end up eating enough mashed peas as it is?), we made salt dough ornaments for Ali’s baby’s...
harvest beer bread mix + free download!
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This Thanksgiving, we’ll be feasting with an amazing family. Lovers of good food, great wine, and awesome beer, Liz and Sean are always excited to master the perfect pizza, homemade wine, or home-brewed beer. (I think you can understand my excitement to share in the biggest food-eating day of the year with them!) To thank them for feeding me (and my always-eating, cyclist-husband - and my oddly-voracious toddler), I decided to make them a harvest beer bread mix set. With harvesty notes of nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon, this mix will give your weary hostess a tasty break from hard work...
operation christmas child!
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Since Little Sprout Creations started last April, we’ve been so excited to be able to give 10% of our profits to support Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief ministry. Every November, Samaritan’s Purse hosts Operation Christmas Child (OCC), a program to give shoe boxes filled with gifts to needy children around the world. This year, we decided to recruit our daughters Leah and Rory to fill boxes for kids. As Leah is only 2 months old, Leah took care of the gift picking and box filling for both of them. :) OCC allows you to choose to fill a box for a boy or a girl, in either...
all-natural hostess gift: part 2
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Over the next few weeks, we’ll show you our favorite homemade gift ideas - and of course, how to make them yourself. Yesterday, we started our how-to series for an all-natural, orange-clove scented cleaning set. If you missed yesterday’s post on the all-natural cleaners, click here to catch up. Today we’ll show you how to make an all-natural, orange-clove scented soy wax candle (and show you how you can make this set a picture perfect presentation.) Love the homemade feel, but don’t have the homemade time? Order up this set for $28. Contact us at jen@littlesproutcreations.com...
all-natural hostess gift: part 1
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Finding that perfect, original gift is tough. Finding that perfect, original gift while trying to keep within your holiday budget? Even tougher. Over the next few weeks, we’ll show you our favorite homemade gift ideas - and of course, how to make them yourself. And for a picture perfect presentation, order up some custom labels from us - for this gift set, or any homemade gift. Check out general pricing here. First up - an all-natural, orange-clove scented cleaning set - a perfect choice for your Thanksgiving hostess, or for that friend who just moved into her dream house. The set includes...
thank you cards + stationery + giveaway
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Over the next few weeks, we’ll be featuring (and giving away!) some of our most newest products. Tonight we’re excited to introduce our line of thank you notes and personalized stationery - and especially excited about our “sewn tag” line. After printing these 5.5x4.25” cards, we sew on a small tag - with a greeting message, your name, or monogram. These unique cards are perfect for giving as gift, or for sending out as thank you cards for gifts you’ve received! Tonight we’ll begin our giveaway for a set of 8 thank you cards or personalized stationery + envelopes, in your...
address labels + giveaway
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Over the next few weeks, we’ll be featuring (and giving away!) some of our most newest products. Starting tonight, we’ll begin our giveaway for 60 round (1.5”) return address labels, in your choice of one of the four styles shown below. We’ll customize with your choice of color and font. To enter, simply “like us” on facebook (click the link to the right). We’ll choose a winner at random at 9pm PST on Wednesday Nov 10, and notify the winner via email. Can’t wait until Wednesday? Order up a set of labels ($4 for a sheet of 20), in any of these styles, or something a bit different. ...
2010 holiday collection
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After a brief break for the birth of our second daughter, Rory Kate, the Little Sprout Creations printing presses are back up and running! We have a few projects from the summer to share in the coming weeks, but for now, it’s time for the 2010 Holiday Collection! You may be asking yourself, what’s with all of the stock designs? Isn’t Little Sprout Creations all about uniquely custom products and designs? We’re not selling out, I promise you. In the past, we’ve asked clients to peek at some of the other paper goodies websites - tiny prints, etc., to get some ideas and inspiration...
perforated response cards
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We’re proud to introduce our newest product - perforated response cards. One long card combines an invitation/directions card (for your guest to keep), and a pre-addressed, pre-stamped, response card with dinner choices. Perforation allows for clean and easy separation of the cards, and the postcard feature saves you in postage and extra envelope costs. Most importantly, it’s a fun and unique twist on a standard invitation, which your guests will love.
marylea’s custom stationery
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We were so excited when our puppy party client asked us to create a custom stationery set for her mother-in-law’s birthday. After seeing our latest big-sister-to-be shirt, she thought that daisies would be a perfect theme for the cards. We put together a set of 20 cards, 12 personalized cards, and 8 greeting cards, all in a summery color palette. Coordinating envelopes complete the set, with with daisies on the front, and return address pre-printed on the back. We created a matching box, perfect for storing her cards out on her desk top. Happy Birthday, Marylea!
birthday lemonade favors
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Over the weekend, a sweet lady turned 60, and her kids decided to throw her an amazing surprise party. They asked us to create a summery party favor for their 25 guests, and we put together some super cute lemonade mix packets, tucked inside plastic tumblers, perfect for outside sipping. We made the lemonade mix pouches with yellow gingham fabric, with 4 single serving bags of lemonade mix tucked inside. To sweeten it even more, we added a custom label, tulle, and matching ribbon. Happy Birthday, Theresia!
big sisters
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A lot of little ladies are going to be big sisters this fall and winter, and their mommies have asked for big-sister-to-be shirts to announce the news to their families and friends. Congratulations to all of the big sisters (and mommies) to be!
patriotic pinwheels
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After working hard this week on favors for an upcoming surprise party, we kicked back this holiday weekend and baked some yummy “Patriotic Pinwheels” for us and our friends. The recipe is below: Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup butter (cubed and cold) 1 1/3 cups sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup sugar for dusting red & blue food coloring Directions 1. Combine flour, baking powder & salt. 2. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. 3. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until well combined. 4. Beat...
hollywood 1st birthday party
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We had a great time putting together a 1st birthday party for the Redmond/Kirkland PEPS group. The stars and starlets entered the party pavillion by way of a red carpet, through pillars with their hollywood stars displayed. The kids made their own handprint impressions to take home, along with personalized gold birthday trophies.
hunter’s 1st birthday party
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It’s 1st birthday season in Seattle! This week we had a blast working on Hunter’s puppy-themed 1st birthday party, complete with a t-shirt, banner, hats, printed napkins, and dog-bone-shaped sugar cookies. YUM. Hope you have a great birthday, Hunter!
lilah’s 1st birthday dvd
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Lilah’s mom asked us to put together a DVD of the videos from Lilah’s first year. They had tons of great videos and photos, and we put together a photo slideshow and a video clip reel for them, as well as formatted and organized all of their full-length videos to enjoy throughout the coming years. And of course, what DVD is complete without a custom case? Happy 1st Birthday, Lilah!
mother’s day cards
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Annika’s mom Melissa decided to send out mother’s day cards to all of her fellow moms this year. She asked us to put together a photo card with a “spring-y feel” to accompany a cute picture of Annika in their garden. Happy Mother’s Day, Melissa!
