jp creative

The TomKat Studio Gift Guide

2011-11-21T11:16:00.001-07:00

I was so excited when Kim, with The Tomkat Studio asked me to join the team again as the designer of the second annual holiday gift guide. (You can see the 2010 guide here) I feel so lucky to be in company with such talented women. Seriously! I'm one lucky designer! This project is fun, fun fun and full of talent! The 2011 guide is bigger and better than last year and full of ideas for everyone on your list. View the guide here.

Create H.O.P.E

2011-10-08T08:00:00.001-06:00

logo design not by me, but so so cute, right?

I am so impressed when people use their talents for good and that's just what the creators behind Create H.O.P.E. Designs are doing. As it says on their blog:

"We are literally creating hope for millions of children and their dedicated caregivers with crafting"

Of course my talented friends and Izzy and Ivy Design are contributing. They have a beautiful pattern available for download and all the money goes to China Little Flower.

Want to get involved? Hope on over to the blog for more info.

the fall list

2011-10-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Remember this Summer List? We had so much fun checking things off and having some ideas of things to do when we were bored, so I suggested we make one for fall (and every other season from here on out). A lot of the "to-do's" are food to make, but I love the flavors of fall. I've already crossed off "make an apple pie" and oh my was it delicious. I'm a sucker for a crumb topping. Here's the recipe I used:

Apple Pie
recipe by Sara Burgess

Mix together:
5 cups sliced apples
1/4 c sugar, 1/4 c brown sugar, 1/4 c flour
3/4 teas cinnamon

Spoon into unbaked pie crust (homemade or frozen store bought)

Mix until crumbly and spoon over apple mixture:
1/3 c sugar
3/4 c flour
6 tablespoon butter

Bake at 400 for 35-40 min.

My notes: serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Oh my!

the quiz

2011-10-06T08:00:00.001-06:00

click to enlarge

Remember this shower? I was recently trying to come up with a few ideas for bridal shower activities, (in my mind "activities" sound less lame than "games") and this fun quiz came to mind. I thought you may want to see the questions we asked so you can adapt it your upcoming showers. As always, if you need help designing coordinating elements for any kind of event, I'm your girl.

logo update

2011-10-05T08:00:00.001-06:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love working with repeat clients. It's just so nice to know the company, the taste of the client, the colors and feel of the branding etc. I feel like the projects always go so smoothly. Jessie is one of my favorite and most talented clients. I am so grateful for her friendship and her trust in me to take care of her design needs. A few years ago I designed a logo for her photography company and as a smart business owner she came to me for an update. She wanted to keep the branding she had built over the years, just freshen the look. I am crazy about this new logo. If you are in need of a photog, check out her work. It's beautiful and she is beyond amazing to work with.

golf party

2011-10-04T08:00:00.001-06:00

Have I ever told you how great my hubby is with birthdays? He always goes way over the top with surprises and every year I feel bad about whatever lame thing I planned for him. Last year was especially lame. I'm going to blame it on the new baby, a first year law student, moving to a new state with no baby sitters etc. I remember thinking "next year will be awesome" and I think it did turn out pretty well. For me, it's all about planning ahead. I can't do much the day of, but if I'm scheming for a few weeks and scouring the internet for ideas a happy birthday is easy to plan. I love throwing parties, so I planned a golf themed party, golf being one of todd's favorite hobbies.

the spread: In addition to the food I used some wheat grass, golf balls and tees for decor

These cupcakes were so fun and easy to make. The sand is graham cracker crumbs, the greens are sanding sugar, flags are fruit rollups and the golf balls are little candy pearls.

That's right friends those golf balls have Todd's face on them. I couldn't decide what theme I should go with for the party, but when I saw this post and Rebecca's idea to have golf balls printed I couldn't resist. I printed with ParGolf.com because they had small quantities available and they were the best price I found.

menu
"club" sandwiches
"par" faits
"chip it in" chips

golf cupcakes
teriyaki spinach salad
IBC rootbeer and cheery limeaid

october 2011

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

Can you believe it's October? Seriously every year flies by faster than the last. I love fall; the flavors, the colors, the holidays. I'm excited just thinking about it. I'm hoping to post some of my fall findings and fun here on this little blog in the next few months. Maybe even a post dedicated to my favorites. In addition to fall love this month I will:

· Post about a fun golf themed birthday party I threw for the hubby
· Add (at least) two new products to the etsy shop
· Dress my little guy up for halloween. He's going as a cow and is crazy about the costume. He is even mooo-ing on occasion
· Show you some fun invitations for an upcoming baby shower
· Take my first annual girl's weekend with my BFFs.
· Be a better blogger

family books

2011-09-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

I've had "design family books" on my to-do list for months (maybe even years) and I finally got around to it. I just need to design 2010 and the wedding album and our memories will be up-to-date. I just love how they have turned out. It's so fun to see their colorful spines all in a row on my bookshelf.


The first book was for Oliver's first year of life. Every month I would blog about his milestones and post a snap shot. The intention was always to put the blog posts into a book. I really love the white cover with his name and the stripe back cover. I am so glad I took the time to write things down each month because even one year later I can't remember when he started sitting up or when he slept well or whatever. My only regret was that a lot of my snapshots are really poor quality because I'm not much of a photographer. I am so grateful we had a lot of professional photos over the first year. I ordered this one through shutterfly using a full page template so I could design it how I wanted instead of using a template. If you are interested in doing a book like this, I totally suggest signing up for the shutterfly emails. They have GREAT deals. In fact, I only paid shipping for this book. Yay!


The next book was for 2008. Above is a sample cover and spread. I would love to do photos on the front, but I feel like something a little more formal would be best and we really didn't had family photos taken until we had oli... so the typographic front cover works for the pre-baby years. One thing I didn't do in the first book that I loved was an info graphic. There is typically a blank page at the back and I want to write about important things we did that we didn't document through photos. I love how this page turned out and I think some variation of it will always be the back page of the books.


I took a really simple approach on the 2009 book, but I really like how it turned out. My intention is always for the photos to star of the show, so in this book I did a transparent text on top of the photos. I really liked how the bunting on the cover turned out, even though it was a total after thought.

sophie's birth announcement

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

Remember Jenny's shower? Well Jenny and Johny welcomed sweet Sophie. Isn't she a doll? I was so excited when they asked me to design an announcement/thank you. (Great idea, right?) I really feel like the colors of the announcement match the colors of the photo. Don't you love those pearls? Yay for more babies in the group!

sorella image logo

2011-09-28T08:00:00.002-06:00

Have I ever told you about my sister in law? Well, she's amazing and inspires me to be more creative. Seriously, this girl is always working on a project that's all her own. She is all over the map with her creative endeavors too. She dabbles in all mediums and is always trying new things. One of those mediums is photography and so sorella image is born with her equally talented sister Sarah. Seriously, Robin and Sarah will knock your socks off. You can check out their work here.

fall 2011 · Latter-day Woman magazine

2011-09-27T08:00:00.002-06:00

Extra! Extra! The latest issue of Latter-day Woman magazine is ready for your viewing pleasure! This issue is jam-packed with fun articles. I especially loved stepping inside an interior designers home; it motivates me to get busy around my own space. Did you know that after you're read the mag cover to cover there is always something fun to read on the LDW blog?

jenny's baby shower:: the details

2011-09-26T08:00:00.001-06:00

Remember this baby shower invitation? I wanted to show you a few of the details from the shower. My favorite part was the Italian Soda Bar. I thoughts guests may need a little instruction (and proportions) to make their own soda, so I created a little graphic to walk them through the process. I wish I would have taken a photo of one of the sodas. They really are show-stopping with a big swirl of whipped cream on top. I also created food description tents with matching umbrellas. Pretty cute, right? Below is the menu and links to the recipes.

ham and swiss sliders
fruit kabobs
sesame chicken salad (nicole's delicious recipe)
caramel brownies
lemon bars
crackers and cheese
italian sodas

sources
straws
italian soda syrups I didn't think to order online soon enough, so I went to every grocery store in Utah County to find a variety. I eventually found peach, strawberry and raspberry at Macey's and Harmons. If you think ahead you'll have a larger variety of flavors to choose from.

red petal logo

2011-09-23T11:39:00.000-06:00

Oh I love how this logo turned out. Kara and I went through quite the evolution of designs. One of the first options I gave her had a flower with multi-colored petals in the "a" of petal and she suggested doing a shutter and I LOVE how that worked out. I like that the red portion of the shutter reminds me of a petal. It's just such a multi-functional element. And of course, I will never tire of this color combo. Check out Kara's work here.

recipe swap header

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

Since moving (back) to Utah I have really missed our recipe group with my friends in Seattle, so I suggested the idea to my food-loving friend Valerie and she was totally up for it. First things first, a blog header design. Usually when the designs are a personal thing they get a really small amount of my time and love, but for a quick project, I think it turned out kind of fun. I especially love the color combo.

lattes and lollipops logo

2011-09-20T12:45:00.000-06:00

I am so impressed when people come up with unique ideas and execute them really well. That's totally the case with the girls behind Lattes and Lollipops, an indoor play cafe. Maybe you're not familiar with an indoor play cafe, I wasn't. But what I am familiar with is trying to have a girl's lunch and being totally embarrassed of my noisy/messy (super cute) kid. Meet Lattes and Lollipops, a place for kids to play and mom's to chat. Imagine my excitement when I was asked to design the logo for this totally new concept. They knew they wanted to incorporate a cup/mug and I love the lollipop as the stir stick, kind of fun, right? And I love these colors.

jenny's baby shower invitations

2011-08-12T08:00:00.002-06:00

I was so excited to plan a fun little evening with the girls to celebrate Jenny and baby Bylund. For the invitation I chose a few bright, girly colors, perfect for a baby girl. Because the guest list was so short I was really able to go all out on the envelopes. I printed the mailing address on the front, lined them with a fun chevron pattern and made a flag return address label for the back. I thought the invitation turned out pretty fun, but the envelope is what made it.

NEW izzy and ivy packaging design

2011-08-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

As you'll notice this is a little different in format than the others. That's because Polly is a mini book with tons of patterns using knits. Oh the photos for this book melt my heart. The shoot was done in a candy shop and they are seriously fun.

The girls with Izzy and Ivy Designs never cease to amaze me with their creative sewing projects. Once again I had the opportunity to work my design magic on these sewing patterns including a fun front and back cover with beautiful photography as well as the actual sewing instructions, complete with illustrations. You'll have to buy the pattern to see how dang cute the whole thing is. More info about these lovely ladies can be found here.

red thread stitches logo

2011-08-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

One of the best parts about my job is that I get to work with so many talented people. Robin behind Red Thread Stitches bursting with creativity and I am just crazy about her creations. She sews the most adorable children's clothes. Check out her work here. After Robin and I had finalized this logo, she had an idea (which I thought was brilliant!) to have a pastel version of the logo. This logo will be used in tags and she wanted to match the tags to the colors of the fabric. Great idea, right? I love the font, the stitching and the simplicity of this logo.

Thank you Robin, for being so fantastic to work with!

oliver's puppy party :: the details

2011-08-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

I was so set on doing this little pendant flag around the high chair and I'm so glad I did. It was easy and so cute.

My mom surprised me with this puppy cake, pretty cute, right?

Puppy paw cupcakes with Hershey's drops and chocolate chips. I had planned on doing vanilla frosting with the chocolate paws, which I think would have been cuter, but I thought I already had a lot of vanilla going on with the sugar cookies. Oh the way my mind works, I'm crazy I tell you.


Muddy Buddy chex mix (aka puppy chow) in puppy cello bags, tied with puppy paw ribbon. See that cute dog bone fabric? That was the first thing I bought for the party and it set the color scheme (red and navy) Striped fabric is from ikea.

This was my favorite part of the party. I printed a photo from each month of Oliver's life and made a little badge that said what month, then hung on bakers twine with mini clothes pins. This is the one part of the party that I was SO SO impressed with. It was just fun to see how much he's grown, plus it looked so cute! I had originally hung it across the front of the table, but the hubby suggested the tree so people didn't have to get down to see the photos. Best idea of the day. Bravo hubby!

I found a dog bone cookie cutter at hobby lobby and made some delicious sugar cookies. They aren't really pretty, but what do you do? I used this recipe and loved it.

The only regret of the day was that I didn't get a photo of the whole table before people dug in. Here's a partial shot. That hole was filled with ice cream in red polka dot cups. Just imagine it, it was cute!

I've been gathering ideas for my little guy's first birthday party for months. He is crazy about dogs, so I thought a puppy theme would be really fun. We are so grateful for all the family that came and enjoyed a couple of hours with us and celebrated Oliver and his first year. Also, a special shout out is in order for my mom. She was so happy to help and made a potentially stressful day stress-free. Thanks!

oliver's puppy party

2011-08-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

My little guy turned a year old on July 24. Of course I've been excited to plan a great birthday party of the little man. He is crazy about dogs. He gets so excited when he sees them that he kicks his legs and waves his arms. It is adorable. Needless to say, a puppy themed first birthday was in order. I found some really fun dog bone fabric that was red and navy, so the colors of the theme were born.

invitation: I had so much fun with these invitations. I wanted the text to be the dominate visual, but I couldn't resist adding a little puppy with a handkerchief. I also jumped on the trendy train and added a little chevron pattern.

envelopes: I don't know why I felt like the kraft envelopes were so fitting, but they turned out to be really fun. I printed our return address on the back and some paw prints. I found these dog stamps and knew I had to have these!

stay tune for all the fun details of the party!

august 2011

2011-08-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

Although I do have a few really fun things to share with you, my one and only goal for August is:

• blog

nicole's bridal shower:: the details

2011-08-04T08:00:00.002-06:00

One of my first ideas was for the flowers in the monogram mugs from anthropologie spelling out "love". My very talented mom put the flowers together and they were my favorite part of the day.

For the place settings: 12x12 patterned scrapbok paper for the place mat, square white plates, pink cloth napkin (just a hemmed piece of fabric), "how well do you know the bride" quiz and a band to keep everything together.

I designed these advice cards for the guests to fill out. At the end of the shower we sent her home with all the cards in this cute little box, tied with this great striped ribbon.

Oh the details! I am a little crazy when it comes to planning parties/showers. I always have WAY more ideas than time, but I feel like Nicole's bridal shower turned out really well.

I went back and forth on the food, but finally decided on a crepe bar. It was SO delicious! My sweet hubby made almost 50 crepes! To fill the crepes we had all kinds of fruit and fillings including a cheesecake mousse, nutella mousse, lemon curd and whipped cream.

The table was super fun decorate in the pink/black combo I had come up with for the invitations. I loved the black striped runner, which was just a piece of fabric.

nicole's bridal shower invitations

2011-07-26T15:42:00.000-06:00

One of my dearest friends from high school is getting married in a few weeks and a bridal shower was in order. I was so happy with the ways these turned out. I always like to do something fun with the envelope, whether it's a lining, a colored envelope or a fun label. For this project I chose a black envelope and a flag label to match the invitation inside.

Stay tuned to see the fun photos from the actual event.

july 2011

2011-07-06T10:19:00.003-06:00

I almost forgot about posting the monthly calendar and it's already July 6. Yikes! Anyone else find it difficult to stay on the blogging boat during these lovely summer days? I'm going to do my best though, because I have so many fun things to post about this month, including:

• details from my little guy's first birthday party
• a couple of great logos I've been working on
• more izzy and ivy pattern designs
• bridal shower invitations and decor

nitosha'sbaby shower invite

2011-06-29T15:33:00.000-06:00

It's shower week here on the blog, huh? I have one more beauty to show you later this week too. Be excited! It's another fun one.

I love when people plan the baby shower around the nursery. Fun theme, right? She was using this chevron pattern on the bumpers and this green on the walls. I've been dying to use the chevron pattern and was so excited when Tiffany asked to see it on the invite. Love the colors and the crisp pattern. Perfectly fun for a baby boy shower.

I love my repeat customers! Thank you, Tiffany, for being fantastic to work with, like always.

sarah's bridal shower invites

2011-06-28T15:28:00.001-06:00

I love parties, but I guess that's no secret. I am especially excited when I get to be apart of the party by designing the invitations, which is a pretty important part of the event, if you ask me. Sarah wanted something shabby chic, green and pink and inspired by a floral pattern. Ta Da! This is totally different than anything I've done before, but I really love how it turned out... really feminine.

summer to-do's

2011-06-27T15:28:00.000-06:00

I'm a big list maker, so I asked the hubby to tell me what he wanted to do this summer for my "list." I couldn't leave the list in my notebook, so I made this fun little print for our fridge. Guess we better get started... it's almost July!

sweet vinegar logo

2011-06-10T08:00:00.007-06:00

The last few weeks have been full of logos and I've been loving every minute of it. Danae's photography biz, Sweet Vinegar Studio, got it's name from her sweet and sassy side. Cute, huh? She new she wanted to use a bright teal and the rest was a collaboration between the two of us. I'm loving the vinegar font and the camera illustration. Check out this girl's rockin' talent on her blog.

farm fresh logo

2011-06-10T08:00:00.006-06:00

I was so excited to be involved with the beginnings of this new produce stand. I honestly believe that one of the keys to success for a start up is a great logo and I think we've got that covered. I really love how this turned out: fun colors, fun fonts and a graphical element (the apple). I'll be sure to pass on the info of this new hot spot (to all my Utah friends) as soon as they open up.

extra, extra!

2011-06-09T08:00:00.003-06:00

That's right friends, the latest issue of Latter Day Woman is available for your viewing pleasure. Click here to read all 59 fun-filled pages. I am so, so grateful to have the opportunity to design this lovely publication with such talented women. Dive in and you'll see what kind of talent I'm talking about. Thank you ladies!

june 2011

2011-06-08T21:51:00.000-06:00

Happy Summer! Oh how I've missed the sun. Things over here at JP Creative have been busy, busy and I'm so grateful. I've been working with awesome clients coming up with stellar designs. This month I will:

· post logos galore!
· celebrate 4 years of marriage with my sweetie
· share invitations for an upcoming party and bridal shower
· take my sweet babe swimming for the first time
· honor my hubby on his first father's day (ideas?)

family blog makeover

2011-05-24T10:27:00.000-06:00

You would think, as a designer that my "life" would be perfectly designed, but it seems like my design needs are always at the bottom of the list. (ie: the very plain jp creative blog design.) This personal blog was in need for a serious update, so I did a little re-vamp. You like? I LOVE the honeycomb pattern and the blue and orange.

bear lake family reunion t shirt design

2011-05-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

These Davenport's are party animals. I guess I'm not sure of that, but I do know that they are consistent with their family reunions and that is quite noble. I have had the privilege to design their reunion tee the past couple of years and a privilege it has been. Danae (the Davenport family t-shirt girl) is seriously great. She is full of fantastic ideas and is so patient with me and the whole process.

The final design had quite the evolution, but I LOVE how it turned out. At one point in the design process the signs were brown and the teal was much lighter, but I think the revisions to this point made the design really stand out on the gray shirt.

You can check out the last design here.

zumba party poster

2011-05-20T09:00:00.000-06:00

Have you ever done Zumba? It seriously is a party! AND a workout! We have a sweet girl who in our ward who is a Zumba teacher and volunteered her time and talents to teach the sisters in the ward. I designed this poster to announce the activity and thought it turned out pretty fun.

blog hop recipe share: asian chicken salad

2011-05-20T00:00:00.002-06:00

I always feel like a light meal is appropriate when the temperatures warm up and salads are my favorite. I dreamed up this recipe at work one day years ago and it's made it's way into my repeat recipes file. Enjoy!

Asian Chicken Salad

2 cooked and diced chicken breasts
1 orange, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 head of romaine lettuce (or one bag of salad greens)

asian dressing (store bought or the recipe below)

Asian dressing (adapted from Our Best Bites)

1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c sugar or honey

combine all ingredients in food processor to combine or shake in jar with lid

This post is a part of a blog hop sharing our favorite easy family recipes. I was so, so excited when Hannah asked me to participate. Be sure to check out all the other bloggers. I can't wait to collect some new recipes!

Hannah

Disneyland Family Reunion t shirt design

2011-05-19T08:00:00.002-06:00

I was so excited when Jill contacted me about designing a t-shirt for their family Disneyland trip. She wanted to include "25 years of Disneyland" — the Burton family has been going to Disneyland since 1986! How fun is that? I love family traditions! She also wanted to make sure the shirts were manly enough for the men, which is so so smart. The men are a tough crowd when it comes to cutesy family reunion tees. I'm really happy with the way these turned out. The shape and fonts are a little retro, which is pretty fun. Plus, we fit all the text on the design without it looking too busy

I am LOVING all these t-shirt design projects I've been working on. Such a fun change of pace! If you have a family reunion/trip this summer, a t-shirt is such an affordable and fun memento. Contact me for more info.

winner!

2011-05-18T13:34:00.000-06:00

Thank you for all your comments and suggestions. I'm excited to hear what you love and want to see more of. I'll get to work on making your wishes come true.

The lucky winner was Danae! Dearest Danae, please contact me an let me know what kind of lovely design project I can whip up for you.

bliss logo and business card

2011-05-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

Angela came to me looking for a simple, yet classy logo design for her delectable business. What's the business you ask? She sells the most delicious gourmet cake bites. Check out the website for proof of the awesomeness. She knew she wanted to use green and brown, which is such a great color combination, but I especially love the addition of the pink on the business card. Pretty fun, right?

400th Post Giveaway!

2011-05-09T12:04:00.000-06:00

It's true. I've written 400 little posts for this little blog. I believe a celebratory giveaway is in order. How about a $50 credit towards any design project? Maybe you need a new header or a logo for your biz. This $50 credit can go towards anything your heart desires. To see pricing visit my services page on my website.

For one entry leave a comment here telling me what you want to see more of on this blog. For an additional entry blog about the giveaway. Winner will be announced next Monday, May 16.

Thanks for reading!

sprinkles logo

2011-05-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

I am crazy about this logo. It's always so interesting to see how the designs morph into something that works perfectly for the client. This logo started as a circle with scalloped edges, but was revised into a rectangle for more space and a bigger text size. I love the colors, sprinkles font and oh that cupcake. So fun! It's logos like this (that are oozing with girly flair) that I really love to work on.

izzy and ivy t shirt design

2011-05-04T08:00:00.001-06:00

Love the bright buttons on the back of this shirt. Love the two-sided shirt. Love these girls.

may 2011

2011-05-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

This May I will:

· share a few t-shirt designs I've been happily working on (t-shirts are one of my favorite projects)

· celebrate cinco day mayo (with fajitas) and my first mother's day

· post about a fun logo/business card I've been designing for a company that makes delicious cake bites. yum!

· road trip to utah for a summer-long stay (anyone road tripped with a 9-month old babe? please send tips!)

· celebrate my 400th post with a giveaway!

it's here!

2011-05-02T09:55:00.000-06:00

One of my goals for April was to FINALLY finish my website. Thanks to my sweet husband and hours of my little tweaks, it's finally done! Check it out here.

sesame street birthday party invites

2011-04-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

I was so excited when Kim asked me to design a Sesame Street themed birthday invite. I LOVE the bright colors and the street sign. I'm also crazy about the return address in yet another street sign. This was such a fun design project and really challenged me to remember back to my Sesame Street days. I really love how they turned out and hope they set the party up perfectly. I can't wait to see photos of the party. I'm sure it will be amazing.

posters

2011-04-25T12:26:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite people in the whole world asked me to help her with a project that she had brewing in her head for a wall in her living room. (I LOVE when people enlist my help to design something they've been dreaming up.) She wanted a subway art like poster with words that were significant to her family and a poster with a favorite quote. I love the simple black and white and think they turned out so well.

izzy and ivy circle business card

2011-04-20T08:00:00.002-06:00

This is one of my favorite business cards I've designed to date. These girls give me total creative freedom which makes my job oh-so fun. For the business card they wanted something bright, bold and circle and I believe we've accomplished that. Another fun element of this card is that it's two-sided with their names on the back. I think this would stand out in a stack of business cards, don't you?

brooks' first birthday invite

2011-04-19T08:00:00.001-06:00

Brooks' mom has been one of my best friends for years, like ten plus years. It's been so fun to watch her little guy grow. Last year I designed the Brooks' birth announcement and now first birthday party invite. I love the theme that she has chosen, bright colored circles, simple and so appropriate for a one year old. I designed a few choices for her and wanted to post my favorites. What do you think? I think they turned out pretty fun.

Stay tuned for another bright and fun party invite later this week.

sassy soda shop

2011-04-18T10:53:00.000-06:00

I was so excited when Jenn contacted me about designing an etsy banner for her new shop, where she would be selling great throw pillows. She knew she wanted to incorporate a graphic pattern, (much like the ones you will see on her pillows) and the quatrefoil fit the bill. We went through quite a few color changes before we ended up here, but I love the bright colors, especially the purple.

the cute chick logo design

2011-04-12T10:20:00.000-06:00

I love a girly design, so when Catlin contacted me about designing a logo for her company, The Cute Chick, which creates gifts, clothes and accessories for little girls, I knew this would be a fun one. The Cute Chick girls knew they wanted to include a "chick", girly colors, a script-y font and a fun border. Mission accomplished! I think it turned out pretty fun!

bake sale labels

2011-04-05T08:00:00.001-06:00

So remember this bakesale? I designed a little label for my goods and thought they turned out so fun, so I thought I would share. I had lofty packaging ideas, but stuck with a cello bag and a circle label. I wish I would have taken photos of the bars wrapped up and ready to go because they turn out pretty fun, but of course I was running out of the house a little late. If you are looking for labels... for anything, I have loved these 2.5 x 2.5 circle labels and use them whenever I can. I feel like a little label really ups the professionalism on a product. You could print your logo and contact info or return address. If you need help with the design, I'm your girl. Just shoot me an email.

izzy and ivy packaging

2011-04-04T16:47:00.000-06:00

I have been so blessed to work with these very talented girls on the packaging for their amazing patterns. You can see the others I've designed here. Designing for this project makes me want to become a master seamstress. The patterns are adorable and so are the photos, making my job a cinch. We've wanted to keep things consistent so they look like a "collection", but make each one individual. We keep the signature pink color the same and use another unique color based on the photos. I've designed a different pattern for each design, so in this set: polka dots, jacks and diagonal stripes.

Dear Izzy and Ivy Ladies... I love you guys! Thanks for being the best client ever!

april 2011

2011-04-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

click, print, plan

Is it spring where you live? The signs are everywhere around my neighborhood. I've loving all the blossoms and my budding tulips, not to mention the extra daylight, but the temps are still kind of low and the sun isn't shining much. I can feel it coming though and I'm excited. This april I will:

• post about some new izzy and ivy patterns and an adorable business card

• celebrate my babe's first easter

• share two super fun kid party invites I've been designing

• bake up some easter/spring themed sugar cookies

• debut my website

baking for a cause

2011-03-31T19:32:00.000-06:00

I'll be baking up some delicious treats and packaging them beautifully for a bake sale to benefit those suffering in Japan. If you're in the Seattle area, stop by CakeSpy, 415 E Pine Street, this Saturday, April 2 to enjoy some of my delicious treats and help out a great cause. It's a win-win really. The good news is people all over the country are participating in the bake sale, so chances are there is a sale close to you. See all the locations here.

the family vacation shirts... in real life

2011-03-28T22:00:00.000-06:00

Here we are sporting the shirts. I really love that my mom had everyone a different colored shirt. Makes it so fun!

family trip shirts

2011-03-21T22:52:00.000-06:00

I just got back from five fabulous days at the beach with my family. My parents rented a beach house and my mom thought it would be a fun idea to have pictures taken on the beach in our matching shirts. I designed the "logo" and my brother printed the shirts. They turned out pretty awesome.

paper craft favorites

2011-03-21T08:45:00.000-06:00

After rounding 240 corners for a project for this party I felt it appropriate to share my corner-rounding-tool-love. As I started thinking about it, I realized that I have a few paper crafting loves that are worth sharing.


corner chomper

Rotatrim paper cutter

Bone Folder

8.5x11 labels

circle punch

CORNER CHOMPER: this thing is AMAZING for corner rounding. It gives you two sizes of rounded edges, which I love. Recommended by my dear Hannah.

ROTATRIM PAPER CUTTER: after buying a dozen $10 paper cutters that are dull within weeks, I finally broke down and bought this beauty. My life will never be the same. This is a seriously heavy duty paper cutter. I hear they last forever. Also recommended by Hannah.

BONE FOLDER: the brand is not important on this one and they are typically pretty inexpensive, but an invaluable tool when scoring and folding.

FULL SHEET LABELS: I use these for everything — labels, stickers, wrapping paper, packaging. I love that I can print anything at any size and have it stick! yes!

CIRCLE PUNCH: This trusty circle punch has been in my toolbox for a while now and I use it often, mostly for tags. Really, everything is cuter in a circle, right?

happy st patty's day

2011-03-17T17:55:00.000-06:00


in honor of green day homemade oreos with green mint buttercream... yum!

oreo cookies

1 box devil's food cake mix
3/4 cup oil/shortening
2 eggs
Mix well. Roll into small balls. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool. Frost with favorite buttercream recipe.

Thank you to my dear friend nicole for teaching me the secret to divine buttercream frosting... lots of beating. Beat that butter five minutes and heavenly things happen.

FREE visiting teaching reminder printable

2011-03-17T17:43:00.000-06:00

Just a photo to show you the visiting teaching reminder at work on my fridge

Below are the links to download the files for the visiting teaching reminder magnet. Here are a few tips for success on this project: (please share your tips or suggestions, I was just making this up as I went along)

• I would suggest using a lighter stock paper for the folders (to make folding easier) and a card stock for the cards.

• Both the strips and the cards are set up on 8.5 x 11 for easy printing

• After cutting the cards and folder strips I centered a card in the stripe strip and folded the sizes to make sure the card fit, then I folded up the bottom, glued and then folded the sides over

• If you don't have a color printer at home, you could print these at Kinkos, Staples, the UPS store etc

• I think the flat magnets work best because they don't make the folder stick off the fridge too much

• Just click the color you want below to download.

These were quite labor intensive with the printing, cutting, folding, gluing, corner rounding and magnet attaching, so you can buy these pre-made, ready to go in my etsy shop if you want to avoid the work. If you are looking for custom colors or changes to the file (maybe to use it as a reminder for something else) I'd be happy to do make changes for you, just send me an email.

Just a friendly reminder that these are for non-commercial use only, in other words please don't sell these as your own. Let me know if you have questions.

PS if you want to learn more about visiting teaching click here.

logo design: hazel sky

2011-03-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Ginger and I are becoming great friends with all this back and forth on logo design. I was totally thrilled when she asked me to design another logo for her. This time for her photography business. I love the company name, "hazel sky." I enjoy working WITH clients on creating a logo. Ginger has SO many fantastic ideas and I get to be the hands that create her perfect brand. What a dream?! Thank you Ginger, glad we're friends!

logo design: lovely found

2011-03-11T18:32:00.001-07:00

I was super excited to work with Ginger on a logo for her blog. She had colors in mind and even thought she might want to incorporate a key. Perfect client, right? I love how the final logo turned out and can't for her to start blogging! I'll be sure to share the link once it's up and running.

a note: All my clients are perfect and I love working with friends at all stages; those who know what they want and those who don't. Contact me for a quote and let's get started today! jpcreativedesign@gmail.com.

FREE printable file coming soon

2011-03-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

I've decided to just post the printable files for the Visiting Teaching reminder project on the blog for all to use (for personal use only), but it will take me some time to get those ready. Expect them up by the end of next week and feel free to print til your hearts content.

it's a birthday party!

2011-03-10T18:21:00.001-07:00

I was so excited when I was called to serve on the relief society activity committee and even more excited when I found out the upcoming activity was the birthday party. I designed the invitation/poster (above) to tie in with our birthday theme.

For the centerpieces I gathered empty boxes and wrapped them in all different colors. They turned out SO cute. I was sad when I realized they had served their purpose and were bound for recycling, but really what else can you do with 32 wrapped empty boxes?

As you can see we did some color blocking with the tablecloths, balloons, presents and favors. It looked so festive!


On each sister's plate we put a visiting teaching reminder magnet. I thought they turned out so well. I designed a a little folder and card to stick on the fridge. The idea is to flip the card when your visiting teaching is done or when you need to do it. Of course they were color coordinated based on the table.

* Thank you my dear Lisette for taking photos and letting me post them here.
* FREE printable files for the visiting teaching reminder are found here

new feature: gold star list

2011-03-05T19:38:00.001-07:00

I spend some time (too much time) around the all-inspiring blog world each week and want to share my findings, so here it goes, a new feature dedicated to all things I "star" in google reader. PS you are using google reader, right? it shows you when your favorite blogs are updated. LOVE it!

box toppers · martha stewart via ritzy bee

amazingly cute cake topper · via polka dot prints

homemade croissants · annie's eats

* a note about this one, croissants are one of those things on my "to conquer in the kitchen" list and annie's recipe and step by step photos have got me motivated to give it a try.

st patty's decor · full house

spring in a can · dandee

Spring Latter-Day Woman Magazine

2011-03-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

It's here! It's here. The latest issue of Latter-day Woman, designed by yours truly, is out and ready for you to enjoy. Check it out here. In addition to a new issue, there is also a beautiful new website/blog with SO much great information added daily. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to work with these talented ladies on such a great project.

As always, if you are interested in writing for this magazine, contact me for details jessica.e.peterson@gmail.com.

march 2011

2011-03-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

click, print, plan

I love the first of the month. It's a fresh start. But every month I set lofty goals and then life sets in and I disappoint myself. So while I would love to be an amazing, consistent blogger, my current priorities lie in loving on my sweet babe, (who is growing too fast), spending time with the hubby and taking care of my lovely clients. So here's to a month with no blog guilt. I'll blog when I can and be ok with that.

valentine's day 2011

2011-02-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

I know, I know I am SO late on this post, but I wanted to share some fun projects I've been working on to celebrate the month of love.

loved this! found this idea here ps I need to replace this with something spring-y. any ideas?

the hubby and I never exchange gifts for Valentine's, but we did exchange notes. I did what I love from a-z, folded it accordian style and tied it with baker's twine. it was pretty cute. read about what my amazing man did for me here. he's pretty great.

I designed this sweet poster for our relief society activity

photography tip collages

2011-02-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

I have been so excited to share this project with you. My talented friend Lisette is offering weekly photography tips on her blog and asked me to design some collages with photos that exemplify the tips. (Two of my faves are posted above) Check out her fabulous work here.

february 2011

2011-02-03T11:27:00.001-07:00

click, print, plan

Yay for february! January is a rough month for me and I'm happy to see it go. I'm also excited for february because I have a lot of great projects to show you. This february I will:

• post about a couple of fantastic logo designs that are in the works

• celebrate my fifth!! valentine's day with the hubby
• update the etsy shop with a fun new item
• continue to love on my chunky baby
• post a fun poster design
• share an ongoing project I've been working on with a photographer

Happy month of love!

tomkat logo

2011-01-31T11:11:00.001-07:00

I was so excited when Kim with the TomKat Studio asked me to help her with a logo design. She had an AMAZING illustration done by Gadabout and needed the logo type to go with it. She also wanted a graphic to use as her facebook photo. Clever idea, huh? You've got to check out her new site. You'll be in party love.

shelby's bridal shower invites

2011-01-27T16:26:00.001-07:00

I am always so excited when a client asks me to design a party invite. It's the first glimpse guests get to the theme of the party. I love the color choice and to make that shine even more the invite was printed on an ivory metallic paper and mailed in an ivory envelope. Oh my do they sure look luxurious. Thanks Caryn, for another fabulous project!

2007 book

2011-01-26T08:00:00.004-07:00

so this is the back cover/spine/front cover. I did an image wrap on a hard cover, which was more expensive, but makes it look SO professional. I decided that I want to have the freedom to do different designs for each book, but the spine will always be a solid color with the year reversed out in white. I carried the flag through the entire book. I didn't add a lot of text, just dates and places.

these photos are from our honeymoon

The hubby and I have always been pretty good about taking photos, but that's where the memories end. We download them and forget about it. So this year for Christmas I made book one of a series of photo books about each year of our lives. I printed the book through blurb because they seem to be the only company that will let you design and upload a pdf. I didn't want a template and I did want complete creative freedom. The book turned out so well and was a hit Christmas morning. I can't wait to design the other books and get up to date.

book plates

2011-01-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was super excited when we drew my cute niece Heidi for Christmas. She is a total book worm, so I bought her a box set of Judy Blume books, a favorite of mine when I was her age, but I wanted to include something homemade too, so I made some custom book plate stickers to mark her library. I thought they turned out SO well. I may even be listing something like this in the etsy shop. What do you think?

interior design portfolio

2011-01-24T08:00:00.006-07:00

Remember my talented friend who took our Christmas card photo? Well she is not only a talented photographer, but also a talented interior designer. You would die if you saw how cute her apartment is! She wanted to have a portfolio to send to potential clients and I was the lucky girl who got to design it. I love the simplicity and the punches of color. You can view the whole thing here.

birthday list

2011-01-21T08:00:00.001-07:00

I love birthdays! This year one of our family resolutions is to remember birthdays with a card or even a call/text. I feel like this is especially important since we don't live close enough to celebrate with cake and ice cream. In order to remember all the birthdays I designed this little list to tape to the side of the fridge. I love the cupcake graphic and the way it brightens our fridge.

edit: Peterson family, feel free to print this! And if you are not a Peterson, but would like one for your family, just send me the birthdays and I'll personalize the list for you!

riley christmas card

2011-01-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

More Christmas in January. Sorry!

I was so excited when my favorite aunt asked me to design a Christmas card for her family. I was even more excited when I saw the photos she wanted to use. How cute are these? I love that the family dog sneaks his head in the photos. I also love the chaos of trying to get the kids to ALL look at the camera.

christmas card

2011-01-19T08:00:00.001-07:00

I know, I know Christmas has come and gone, but I wanted to post the Christmas card I designed for our little family. I really love the way it turned out. The photos were from this shoot, taken by my very talented friend Lisette. I underestimated the time it would take these together, but think it was all worth it. A special shout out to the hubby who did all the cutting.

casper's announcements

2011-01-18T12:56:00.003-07:00

My sweet friend Janeece had baby Casper just weeks after I had Oliver and it has been so fun to share in the ups and downs and watch our little ones grow together. She asked me to design a simple announcement card to send out with a photo of the sweet babe wearing a green onesie. She decided to print a few of each and send out a variety of cards. What a great idea if you can't decide on a design?

new year's resolutions

2011-01-13T11:10:00.003-07:00

I've decided to write some resolutions for this lil business. Posting them here might make me feel accountable.

lisette and cameron :: christmas card

2010-12-15T08:00:00.001-07:00

What's the key to an awesome Christmas card? Great photos. Photos taken in an awesome place, like Iceland, make for an even more awesome holiday greeting. I was so excited to design my friend Lisette's Christmas card and even more excited when I saw the photos. AMAZING, right? And perfect matching of the red and blue, it's design bliss.

Bloggers Give Back

2010-12-14T15:04:00.002-07:00

Have you heard about this great cause? You've GOT to check out this site. There are so many fun things up for grabs, including one of my alphabet posters.

erica

2010-12-13T17:13:00.002-07:00

I was so excited when my friend Jill asked me to design birth announcements for her sweet baby girl. Isn't she sweet? I am all of a sudden in love with gray and pink and was happy that Jill went along with my favorite scheme.

salad love

2010-12-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for something delicious to take to your next holiday party this is the winner. If you're not a gorgonzola fan, feta is a delicious substitute.

winter 2010 · Latter-day Woman magazine

2010-12-10T08:38:00.001-07:00

'Tis the season for a new issue of Latter-day Woman magazine. I LOVE this cover. Festive, huh? You'll want to cozy up with some cocoa and read this one cover to cover. Click here.

lindsey grad announcement

2010-12-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when my friend Lindsey asked me to design a graduation announcement. I had the pleasure of designing her wedding invites a couple of years ago and loved the opportunity to work with her again. This smartie just graduated from nursing school. I love the way the school colors were incorporated in the invite and in the photo, (hello?! love that necklace) plus you can see the "D" mountain in the photo. How perfect?

Dear Lindsey, way to go graduating! You're awesome!

TomKat Studio Holiday Gift Guide

2010-12-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

You guys know Kim with The TomKat Studio, right? If not, she's a gal you want to get to know. She is bursting at the seams with talent, so imagine my excitement when she asked me to design this Holiday Gift Guide. In addition to designing the guide I had the pleasure of putting together my "picks" for busy moms. Pretty fun, right? Kim was an absolute joy to work with and I think the guide turned out quite lovely, if I do say so myself. Check out the whole guide here. You are sure to find the perfect gift for your favorite people.

december 2010

2010-12-07T20:02:00.002-07:00

It happens every year — December comes after November. I know how it works, but for some reason I am still rushing to get everything done... every year. I keep asking myself why I don't start in October. So here I am posting this late calendar, but I have so many fun projects to share that I just can't skip out. This month I will:

• fly home to spend quality holiday time with my family. YAY!
• post about a fabulous gift guide I designed
• share my advent calendar/christmas countdown
• bake up a storm
• post about a new Latter-day Woman magazine
• share some christmas cards and announcements I designed

more izzy and ivy pattern packaging design

2010-11-18T16:08:00.006-07:00

these are designs I did for the covers of these amazing sewing patterns. pretty cute, huh? if only I was a better seamstress. maybe this should inspire and motivate me to practice. check out these talented girls on their blog.

nursery posters

2010-11-16T15:51:00.003-07:00

I designed these prints for Oliver's nursery and loved how they turned out. They are hanging in square white frames above his crib.

Nikki's wedding invites

2010-11-15T17:13:00.004-07:00

I can't believe I forgot to post this very cute wedding invitation. I guess I was wrapping up the design process right around the time of Oliver's arrival, so blame it on the baby.

Nikki was such an ideal client. She knew what she wanted and had great taste. I love the green and black combo. SO cute! And of course, you can't go wrong with a damask print. I'm all about the coordinating invite and insert, but I what I really adore is when it coordinates, but isn't too matchy-matchy. Perfect example here.

november 2010

2010-11-10T14:00:00.002-07:00

This month (the second half of the month, i guess) I am setting myself one goal... to blog more often, like five-days a-week often. Sorry I've been a slacker.

early bird special

2010-10-18T11:40:00.002-06:00

a few items of business

2010-10-12T12:27:00.004-06:00

Remember this awesome publication i design for? Well we are looking for an ad sales rep. You interested? See details on ad above. Seems like a flexible gig that would bring in a little extra cash while working at home.

We are also looking for advertisers and the rates are fantastic, so if you have a business, blog or etsy shop that's geared toward the ladies check out the rates and details. (below)

Feel free to email me with questions.

wheat bread success

2010-10-09T15:08:00.003-06:00

I love bread and in addition to my deep infatuation I'm quite picky about my bread. I haven't found an affordable AND delicious loaf of whole wheat here in Seattle, so I am on the quest to find a perfect recipe. I used this recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs and loved the way it turned out. I did 4 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup white flour. I may try all wheat next time.

fall 2010 Latter Day Woman magazine

2010-10-05T08:00:00.001-06:00

Once again I had the amazing opportunity to design this fine publication. I seriously love what I do! You should check out this issue. It's full of fantastic articles.

october 2010

2010-10-04T15:47:00.002-06:00

this october I will:
• post about the wheat bread success
• finally, finally show you the nursery
• post about the newest issue of LDW magazine, it's so fall-like, you're going to love it
• spend my days cuddling with my sweet babe
• gladly welcome more projects (email me if I can help you with some custom design)
• share my favorite pumpkin recipes

rain boots... yes please!

2010-09-29T18:43:00.010-06:00

Who knew target had such a vast selection of rain boots? I "need" a pair, no really I do, especially for this rainy seattle weather.

chalkboard menu

2010-09-28T14:39:00.003-06:00

I'm always on a quest to be more organized, especially with dinner. I created my notepad to help me plan, but wanted a "menu" for a more visual representation and a design element for the kitchen. I've had this project in mind for months now and I love the way it turned out. I found this unfinished frame lying around, painted it and bought a piece of wood from the scrap pile at home depot and painted it with chalkboard spray paint.

black and apple green posters

2010-09-24T11:49:00.003-06:00

Yay for unique kids room color schemes. I LOVE this apple green and black color combo request from a client. SO fun!

Also, I wanted to give a shout out to all the patient clients I have worked with over the past couple of months. THANK YOU! I didn't realize how much work newborns are and I took on too much, but everyone was so understanding and patient. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you!

blessing invite

2010-09-23T09:29:00.001-06:00

We did a crazy thing... we had a baby and moved out of state three short weeks later. We are so, so grateful the little Oli came when he did. It could have been SO much worse, ie: have a baby, move tomorrow. Anyway, we wanted to bless our sweet babe in Utah with all of our family, so we did it when he was just a few weeks old. I had this vision of sending out birth announcements with an insert inviting people to the blessing, but like always I was too optimistic. Motherhood teaches you to be flexible. I did create this little invitation for family though. I love this font. In a design like this... where there isn't much design, the font acts as the dominant image/design and I love that. I printed these on a natural column textured paper, which worked so well with the color and branches in the font... kind of a nature theme if you will.

The blessing was beautiful and we are so, so grateful for all the support we had. The blessing was the day before we moved, so we were crazy busy, but it was so great to see family and friends before we left. Dear family and friends, thanks for sharing such a special day with us. We love you!

ty's birthday invite

2010-09-21T09:26:00.000-06:00

My sweet friend Valerie asked me to design some invitations for her son's first birthday party. How could I turn down such a fun project? Valerie's husband is Hawaiian and apparently it's tradition to throw a huge luau for the first birthday, so a luau it is. What a fun theme? I love the way these turned out. She mailed them out in matching blue envelopes. SO cute, right?