Kelly Ashworth » Graphic Designer Specializing in Custom Stationery & Paper Goods // Scottsdale, Phoenix, Nationwide

Another fun baby project! Baby Owen’s birth announcements double as a cute little Valentine. If you are sending your announcements out around a holiday, why not tie that into the design?

A few other tips for new parents sending out birth announcements:

• Wait about a month (or longer) to hire a photographer or take the photos of your wee one. Brand new babes are reallllllyyyyyy sleeeeeeeeepy! Waiting also gives them a chance to put on a little weight which definitely ups the cute factor.

• If you can, make your address list ahead of time. When it comes time to place your order, you’ll know exactly how many you need. I know it may come as a surprise to some people, but having a baby is somewhat exhausting. You’ll be glad you planned ahead.

• Don’t over think baby’s wardrobe. Keep it simple, stay away from lots of pattern or other busyness.

• Order a few extra announcements. Save one for the baby book so junior can see when he or she gets older!

The fine folks at CherylStyle contacted me recently to design some fun printables for Valentine’s Day. Have you heard of CherylStyle? If you love entertaining but aren’t such a fan of the stress that goes along with it, this is the site for you. Loads of cute ideas, tips and tricks. Go look, you’ll love it!

As much as I love a good gift tag or recipe card, I thought it might be fun to design something that could actually be incorporated into your Valentine’s decor. I chose lyrics from three great love songs: “You are the Best Thing”, by Ray LaMontagne; “All You Need is Love”, by the Beatles; and “How Sweet It Is (to be Loved by You)” by James Taylor. This is a super easy, super inexpensive project that might take all of fifteen minutes.

I sized the prints to 10 x 8″, which are convenient for framing. So here’s what you’ll need to do:

• Download the prints with the handy links below.

• Upload the artwork to your favorite photo printer. Snapfish or Shutterfly are two popular methods, and you can often find special promo codes by googling something like “shutterfly coupons”. Order the three 8×10″ prints (I prefer the look of the matte finish).

• Buy some cool frames that will fit in with the style of your home. I really like the RIBBA series from IKEA. Nice looking frames with a mat for around $5 each. Score!

• Frame your prints and hang! Voila!

Download “You are the Best Thing” print here.

Download “Love is all You Need” print here.

Download “How Sweet it is” print here.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Darcy and Chuck were married this past November at the The Country Club at DC Ranch in Scottsdale. I had the pleasure of working with this wonderful couple and am so excited to be sharing some of the images from their special day!

The wedding was a mix of modern and traditional with splashes of gorgeous jewel tones and sparkle. The couple actually live in California, so they wanted to infuse desert elements throughout the stationery to get guests excited about a trip to the Valley of the Sun.

The Save the Date cards featured an abstract image of an agave plant and were printed on metallic pearl paper. The invitations (not pictured, but you can see them in my stationery portfolio) were letterpressed onto cotton paper and incorporated a pattern used throughout the wedding site.

The wedding day items also featured this pattern, but we introduced some bold colors so they wouldn’t get lost when paired with the floral and linens. I would describe the end result as bright, bold, modern and happy. Four of my most favorite adjectives!

Congrats to Darcy and Chuck! And special thanks to the amazing team who helped put this day together:

Victoria Canada Weddings & Events – Coordination

Petal Pusher – Floral Design

Southwick Linens – Linen

Kimberly Jarman Photography (Click this link to see other images from this amazing event!)

It’s February, people! Get excited!

Are you over the chevron trend yet? As you can plainly see, I am not. I’ve noticed entire boards on Pinterest devoted to Chevron, so my take is that Chevron is still going strong and that’s just fine with me. So please help yourself to what I’m calling “abstract chevron” for the month of February. Toodles!

Click to download: Wallpaper for iPad

Click to download: Wallpaper for iPhone

Click to download: Wallpaper for 1024 x 768 or Wallpaper for 1024 x 768 without calendar

Click to download: Wallpaper for 1600 x 1200 or Wallpaper for 1600 x 1200 without calendar

Click to download: Wallpaper for 1920 x 1200 or Wallpaper for 1920 x 1200 without calendar

So far 2012 has been a baby announcement bonanza! Lots of wee winter babes have been gracing my desktop, and it has been so much fun.

Take a look at these cuties and tell me you don’t stop and say, “awwwwwwwwwww!” Welcome, Baby Mason!

If you are an expectant mama, drop me a line! I’d love to help welcome your little one into the world. (In a design sense…I don’t actually deliver babies. Just to clarify.)