we've moved...

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this blog has moved to: inacard.com/blog

while you're there, feel free to kick off your shoes, get comfy and browse through the NEW website.  the site has an updated look, galleries with larger images, a testimonials section and what i hope is a more user friendly navigation site.  as always, your comments and/or suggestions are always welcome and very much appreciated.

website under construction

please excuse the mess at www.inacard.com, as we are currently working on a brand new web design and layout.

new notecard designs

happy to announce a couple new notecard designs for the in a card Etsy shop!

here are two designs catered to all you social media lovers...

in the social media world, hashtags (#) are commonly used to mark a keyword or topic, so why not hashtag a greeting via handwritten note? this set is filled with all occasion notecards to say, #hello, #thankyou, #missyou, #loveyou, and #congrats to those near and far.

"hashtag greetings" by in a card on Etsy

arobase, also known as the "@" symbol and how we refer to ourselves in the social media world.

"arobase" by in a card on Etsy

and for those that prefer a classic look, this typewriter font design may just be the one for you!

"typewritten" by in a card on Etsy

for more designs and other stationery related items, please visit inacard.etsy.com!

www, @inacard, #design

i've been working more on my online business presence lately.  which for me includes, facebook, twitter, my blog and i'm even in the process of revamping my "over 10 years old looking" website.  

since i've waited so long to revamp my website, i'm faced with the challenge of sorting through 12 years worth of work to fit into the most important category of all... the "portfolio" section.  although, it's been a challenge, it's also been pretty amazing looking back at all the work i've done and seeing how much i've accomplished as a designer.  i can't wait to debut the new site to you all!

with facebook's switch over to the new timeline design, i took this opportunity to update my facebook business page and make sure i am using all the cool new apps available to help my page stay current and informative.

if you haven't already, please check out the page and let me know what you think.

work hard... play hard...

here is a quick glimpse at a normal work day at the studio...

work hard...

*photo courtesy of april kawaoka

play hard...

*photo courtesy of mind's eye design studio

a quote by Dale Carnegie:

"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing."

hope you all had a short & fun work week.  happy friday!

silhouette keepsakes

back in 2007, i created a silhouette of my cousin ben to use on his cowboy themed birthday invitations for his 2nd birthday.

as a gift, i took the silhouette and turned it into a little framed keepsake, which since, has been on display in his bedroom.

fast forward to 2012, ben now has a little brother, zac, who recently turned 2.  so of course, it's only fair that i created a silhouette keepsake for zac in celebration of his 2nd birthday.

his & her vow cards

i had a recent request via Etsy for some his & her vow cards. i thought this was such a simple, yet great idea, i wanted to share with you all. 

the idea is to have his & her vows written on each card for the wedding ceremony and afterward, they would be ready for framing as a special keepsake. what a great item to have on display in the home, so the couple can be reminded from time to time, of what each has promised to the other.

i like that the bride-to-be requested such a simple, yet sophisticated design.

i think i've found a new item i eventually would like to add to my Etsy shop.  :)

custom fill-in invitations

want customized invitations but not quite sure of the details to the party?  

no problem!  all little invites can be turned into a custom fill-in invitation.  so when you figure out the details, you can fill them in on your own.  

here is a look on how our little honey bee invitation got turned into a fill-in invitation...

if you're interested in ordering invitations for your next special event, feel free to email me for more details.

custom party favor labels

a custom little label can add that special little touch to any party favor.

here are a few examples from Chlo + E showcasing a few custom favor labels i created, from past events they've worked on...

*images courtesy of Chlo + E

as you can see, each label is custom tailored for each event and theme. if you are interested in ordering some custom favor labels for your next soirée, feel free to contact me for more info.

wedding menus & place cards

it's always a treat getting to see the pieces i've designed in it's actual setting. here are a few shots of the wedding menu and place cards i designed for scott & lori's wedding, which complimented the design of their wedding invitations really well.

*images courtesy of Amanda Dorian Photography

mazel tov scott & lori!!!

"that's what she said!"

well actually, that's what they said!  

more quotable cards just added to the "in a card" Etsy shop.  

check it out...

"Quote No. 26" by in a card on Etsy

"Quote No. 27" by in a card on Etsy

"Quote No. 28" by in a card on Etsy

"Quote No. 29" by in a card on Etsy

"Quote No. 30" by in a card on Etsy

"Quote No. 31" by in a card on Etsy

single card draw

i turned my 3 card casino invite into a single, more economical, version for a soon to be 21-year-old, hayley.  i was able to fit all the party info on one card but still keep the small size of the invitation so it doesn't lose it's almost life like version of an actual playing card.

feel free to contact me if you are interested in purchasing these invitations.

little love nest is growing

i had a request recently for my "little love nest invitation" to be turned into a "we're expecting" announcement.  a quick horizontal layout adjustment and you've got these adorable little announcements...

arts & crafts party invites

this year, for my niece kayla's 7th birthday party, she's having an arts & crafts party.  when my sister first came to me for invitation ideas, my mind was a complete blank.  very unlike me when someone presents me with such a fun party idea.  

i'm not sure if i was just over thinking the idea since every year i have this need to top past invitations that i've done for her.  or perhaps, i've just been feeling a bit overwhelmed with my work load lately.

either way, i had to step back for a second and remind myself that simple is what makes my designs unique.

so here is how the arts & crafts party invitations turned out...

i created a fun and colorful paint splatter background, put all the info on a sheet of vellum paper as an overlay, and topped each invitation with a real paintbrush that each guest can keep and use.

different color paint brushes and envelopes were used to keep with the very colorful theme.

to see past invitations i've created for kayla, see the links below and let me know which one is your favorite so far.

kayla's baby shower invitations

kayla's birth announcements

kayla's 1st birthday party invitations

kayla's 2nd birthday party & her brother's baptism invitations

kayla's 4th birthday party invitations

kayla's 5th birthday party invitations

scott + lori : wrapped up in love

i've known scott since i was in high school.  he was a friend of my sisters and quickly became like a big brother to me.  (he even left me with his nintendo game system and ALL his games when he left for college.)  i reconnected with scott via facebook a couple years ago and in doing so, he discovered that i specialized in custom wedding invitations.  when the time came, scott and his fiancé, lori, got in touch with me to create their wedding invitation.  

scott & lori wanted wedding invitations that were simple, yet elegant and modern.  i immediately knew my "wrapped up in love" invitations would be the perfect suggestion.  this particular design has been customized and personalized a couple times over the past several years and each time it always looks like a brand new invitation design.  i love how each design reflects the bride and groom along with how they envision their special day.

here is how scott & lori's turned out...




i've been told that one of the favorite things about this invitation is how it's all self-contained so when each guest opens their envelope it makes for a very clean and pretty presentation.



love the idea of this reply card that lori had!

the added insert is always great for giving your guests any additional information to make their travels that much easier.  whether it's directions to the church and/or reception or hotel suggestions for those out of town guests.

a wedding set is never complete without the thank you note.  using just the couple's names allows for any leftover thank you notes to be used for a later time.

special invites for special occasions

i love getting emails that say, "i googled cupcake invitations, came across yours and I MUST HAVE THEM for my daughters birthday!"  

actually, it's always pretty amazing when someone emails me AND chooses me to create invitations for their special occasion because there are so many other options available online these days.

two of my fun birthday invitations got recreated once more recently.  first one, is based on debra's casino night invites.

and the second one, is based on my niece's 1st birthday cupcake themed party.