Christmas Showcase #24 - MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

And one more post to end the Showcase for this year....

MERRY CHRISTMAS from my little family to yours! I wish you all Peace and Joy this season and may you all be blessed in 2014! HUGS!!

ENJOY!

Christmas Showcase #23 - Family!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!!!!! I hope everyone is either on their way to celebrate the Holiday with loved ones or you are already surrounded by the warmth of family and friends. Family has always been important at Christmas, but this year being with my family will take on a deeper meaning as we face 2014 with a lot of new unknowns.

I am so blessed to be able to have such an amazing, strong, close and loving family. No mere words can begin to describe how much I love them all, but since they say a picture is worth a thousand words here is the Christmas Card I was honored to design for my parents this year. HUGS!!!

ENJOY!

Christmas Showcase #22 - A Full House for Christmas!!!

EEEK... just 3 days left till the BIG day. I am daily reminded of this quickly descending number by my 5 year old. Thankfully, the little one is still too young to take up the chant of "Days left till Christmas..." so I only have one little (ahem LOUD) voice to offer this reminder. BUT these dear friends of mine.. have 7, yes SEVEN of these lovely chattering excited voices to listen to. Talk about a wonderfully full house for Christmas!!!

It has been an honor to design Christmas Cards the past few years for these dear friends of mine. This family seriously rocks my socks off and I wish we still lived closer so our kids could get into trouble together.. hehe. Love you guys!!!!

ENJOY!

Christmas Showcase #20 & #21 - Golden Giggles!

I know I have mentioned it before, and I will most likely mention it again in the future, but one of my favorite things about owning my own business is getting to participate in local events such as silent auctions for the different activities I or my children are a part of. Today, for our Christmas Showcase, I wanted to share with you all the finished product of one of these opportunities.

This year I was once again honored to participate in a wonderful silent auction for the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group I have been a part of these past few years. A few weeks after the auction the winner of my Photo Gift Certificate called to set up a photo shoot for her family AND to get some Christmas cards designed with said photos. Yep, thats right... this family not only won the Photo Session, they also won the Custom Card Gift Certificate. YAY!!!!!! I love getting to bundle projects and packages like this.

These kids are seriously adorable!!!! We had such a fun day taking photos of this super cute family, and I love how fun and colorful their Christmas cards turned out as well! Here are a few of my favorites from that day!

ENJOY!!!

 - Young Family Christmas Card - 2013 - 

  - A few of my favorites from our photo session - 

Christmas Showcase #19 - Be your own kind of Beautiful

To continue with our Shop Small Christmas Showcase I am excited to share with you all one of my favorite little businesses in the area, KC Salon!!!! Not only is my super talented and amazing sister-in-law one of the owners, but they are the only girls I trust with my hair-care AND the hair care of my daughter. Who, well, shall we say, has had more than one run in with a creative pair of scissors!!

A few weeks ago we had a fun little photo shoot with these ladies and I just have one word. Beautiful!!!! Seriously, these ladies are just too stinking cute!!!

The girls wanted to do a creative photo shoot so we could design a cute little Christmas Card for their clients. Just a little something to show their appreciation for all the faithful local support of their thriving small business, KC Salon. And to be honest, I simply LOVE how their card turned out!!!

Girls, I love you all and wish you many blessings in 2014!!!!

ENJOY!!!!

Christmas Showcase #18 - To Remember...

ONE week till Christmas, oh my, it is getting so close and we are getting so excited!!! What is not to love about the Holidays??? The lights, the music, the food, the exchanging of gifts, the warmth of family and friends spending time with each other..... To most it is indeed the most wonderful time of the year. But to others... those who have recently lost a loved one, or who are going through a difficult time in their lives. Christmas may not be as merry and bright.

No, I don't want to be a "debbie downer", but my heart also aches for those I know and love who are hurting this year. The celebrations may be wonderful, but the pain is still real.

A week or two ago I was asked to create a custom design of a quote for a dear family who recently lost a dear man in their life. Three versions of the same quote to remember their Husband and Father who was taken from this earth far too soon. I can not say I love projects like this one, but I am honored to have a small hand it bringing these beautiful memories to this family in their time of need.

ENJOY, and please give those you love an extra hug this Christmas season!!!!

Christmas Showcase #17 - Delightful Designs...

Happy Tuesday to all my lovely readers!!! I am so excited to share our shop small showcase with you today. As I have mentioned before I love the local small businesses I get to work with and I really enjoy seeing such talented people taking their creative dreams to new levels.

One such business is Dawna's Design Threads. This wonderful lady has taken her passion for sewing and her eye for art and design and created a business out of her quilting patterns. LOVE her work, and I am honored to have been asked yet again to help her with some marketing design projects.

Dawna's Design Threads is growing and they are in the process of updating their new website. I don't get to work on web design very often so I was excited to have this opportunity to try my hand at something new. Here is a quick little preview of some of the fun designs we have been working on recently.

ENJOY!

- New Wed Header and Social Media Buttons - 

Christmas Showcase #16 - Children Matter

Hello and Happy Monday!!! I thought I would kick start this week of Shop Small Showcases with a look at a few of my favorite local small businesses.

Over the past year I have been honored to be able to work with an amazing team of women over at Children Matter. A local speech, language and occupational therapy center. Their business is growing and expanding and they recently opened up a third therapy location. YAY! The work these ladies are doing with these kids and the impact they are having in their lives is making a world of difference or as their motto states, "Changing lives one Child at a time."

I love being able to be a part of this growing small business and I wanted to share a few of the recent design projects we have worked on recently.

ENJOY!
 - Various Ads - 2013 - 

  - New Brochure - 2013 - 

 - Various Business Cards - 2013 - 

Christmas Showcase #15 - Make a Joyful Noise!

Happy Sunday!!!! It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas more and more each day here. Today's To-Do-Before-the-Holiday check list was brought to you by the wonderful voices of my daughters little choir with a delightful Christmas performance at Family in Christ Community Church this morning. I just love listening to, and watching, these kids perform - and as always, todays performance did not disappoint! Complete with: dress twirling, nap taking, shepherds' staff sword-fighting, sibling pinching and a whole lot of mid-song "Hi Mom" waving!!! Indeed, it is the most wonderful time of the year!

In honor of todays entertaining performance, I wanted to share with you a fun little number I worked on recently for our local church. Yes, not only do I have the opportunity to work with some of our local businesses, but I have also had the privilege of working with several churches as well.

Family in Christ (FIC) recently completed a new expansion project and they wanted to share the news, and the new space, with their neighbors. Each year the church sends out a little newsletter/newspaper with info about the church and updates for the new year. This year they wanted to focus the newsletter on the new expansion with a little Christmas flare added in. I had so much fun updating the design on this project. And the cute kids choir on the front was the perfect icing on the cake!

ENJOY!

Christmas Showcase #13 & #14 - A Day in the Life...

Yes, that is right it is another 2 for 1 day!!! Small Business Christmas Showcase #13 AND #14. Why 2 for 1 you ask? Well because the small business I am going to showcase today is actual several mixed into one amazing little place called Anderson Farms!

For the past few years I have been honored to have the opportunity to work outside the home for a few weeks every fall. I done my mud boots and my warm gloves and head to the farm!!! Normally I am jumping on busses full of school kids and welcoming them to a fabulous one-of-a-kind fall field trip. But one weekend out of the season I trade my mud boots for my camera and become Staff Photographer for the day.

I love being able to capture the memories of families and kids enjoying themselves at Anderson Farms Fall Festival during the day, and then at night I get to capture the element of surprise as the farm takes on one of its other many hats as Terror in the Corn and Zombie Paintball Hunt come alive.

Over the years I have fallen in love with this local, family run farm and I am super excited to share some of my favorite highlights of this year at Anderson Farms, Terror in the Corn and Zombie Paintball Hunt.

ENJOY!!!

Christmas Showcase #12 - Simple and Sweet!

Hello and Happy Thursday. I just have a little something simple and sweet to share with you all for todays Showcase.

I was recently asked to design some "We Have Moved" cards for my Grandparents-in-Law. I love how fun, yet not too flashy for the older generation, they turned out. Simple, beautiful and sweet. Just like my husbands grandparents whom I have grown to love so dearly since I married into the family. And since my own grandparents are either no longer here or live in a different state, I am honored to have a set of grandparents close by who I get to design fun little things for.

ENJOY!!!

Christmas Showcase #11 - Making Some Music!!!

I know I have mentioned before, and I will mention it again, I LOVE working with local small businesses!!!! This is what makes my job so fun. That little groups of people trying to live their dreams can connect and help each other out with their dreams. I also LOVE when I get to see some of these small business make a BIG impact and watch these dreams become a reality!

My dear friends and clients at Sonic Audio are one of these businesses that have big dreams. Dreams that are becoming reality! If you are not familiar with the hit show The Sing Off, you should take a look. This year Sonic Audio has not one, but two clients, Home Free and Voice Play, who made it on Season 4 of NBC's The Sing Off!!! How awesome is that???

I was recently asked to help design some new variations of their logo I designed a few years ago. I just love the simplicity and personality of their logo! Sonic Audio, I am so excited to see what the wind may bring you all next and many blessings in your amazing business dreams!!!

ENJOY!

Christmas Showcase #10 - All in the Family...

Hello and Happy Tuesday!!! I hope you are enjoying our fun little Shop Small Christmas Showcase we have going on this month. I know I have been having fun planning on which fun item to share with you all each day!

Today I wanted to bring things a little closer to home. Working for myself I truly enjoy the everyday opportunities to create something pretty for those around me. Even if the project does not need to be spectacular.... I like making it so. Enter our annual Family Reunion flyer. Just a little FYI for the family about locations and times and things everyone already knows. But I get the opportunity to dress it up and get my creativity on. YAY!

I just LOVE how this years Reunion flyer turned out. Simple, Black, White and Fun all over!!!!

ENJOY!!!!

Christmas Showcase #8 and #9 - MORE for Finals week!

Yep, I thought I would post a few more from CMC for FINALS week on this lovely Monday, and since I did not get around to posting yesterday, I thought I would just make it short and sweet and double up on showcase goodies for today!

ENJOY!!!!
 - CMC Breckenridge Film Festival Ads -

 - CMC Sustainability Leadership Certificate Rack Card -

 - CMC ASSET Spanish/English Rack Card -

Christmas Showcase #7 - Finals WEEK!

Well it is that time of year again, FINALS WEEK!!!! For some Finals were last week and you are headed home to see your families for Christmas already.. and for some they are in full swing!

So in the spirit of Finals Week I thought I would share a few fun little projects I have worked on recently for CMC in todays Small Business Showcase. (And yes, I remember, maybe not-so-fondly many finals from this place.)

Hang in there Scholars!!! There IS a light at the end of the tunnel!!!

ENJOY!

- Class of 2014 Yearbook Ad - 2013

 - New Student Orientation Postcard - 2013

Christmas Showcase #6 - a few more Quotes...

Well today is headed to a close soon but I did not want to miss the opportunity to share with you another fun Quote Print for todays showcase.

I was asked a few weeks ago if I could create a custom Quote Print. Why, yes, yes I can! I love being able to take the ideas others have and present them as a reality. This has got to be one of the most fun and rewarding parts of my job. Having a hand in bringing these ideas to life.

So without further ado here is another fun Quote print for you to ENJOY!!!

Christmas Showcase #5 - A matter of the Heart!

One of my favorite things about being a small business is the opportunities I get to participate in causes that are dear to my heart. As an artist it is hard to find a way to use your abilities to give back at times. I can't build a house. I can't make a fancy dinner for someone. BUT what I can do is make pretty little things from the heart!!!

There is a special place here in Colorado called Upon The Rock Christian Camp that has stolen my heart for the past few years. I am blessed beyond words with this ministry and I know I am not the only one. This year I had the opportunity to "give back" and participate in their annual silent auction. I have participated in this event for a number of years but this year I wanted to try my hand at creating something unique.

I decided to take my Wall Hanging Quotes idea I have been working on this year and customize it for Upon The Rock. Each year at camp there is a theme verse that the kids and counselors memorize as part of the activities for the week. It was this verse that I used to create a special framed print for the auction. I LOVE how it turned out and I almost need to print one up to hang in my own house. Such a beautiful reminder of Gods love for us and our hearts. I am so excited to be able to share this print in our showcase today!!

ENJOY!

Christmas Showcase #4 - Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!!!

SNOW DAY!!! Hooray Hooray!!!! With the 5 degree temperatures and snow falling everywhere, it is starting to look a lot like Christmas!!!!

So how about a little Holiday Cheer for our Small Business Showcase today?

One of my favorite things about being a small business owner is being able to work with some of the best small businesses around, and even better when the small businesses are from small towns like Aspen, CO. For the past few years I have been asked by Garfield & Hecht, P.C., in Aspen, to design a new poster advertising their Holiday Party. I love getting to come up with new themes year after year and this year was no exception. I love how simple and fun this poster turned out. A perfect showcase for a snow day like today!

ENJOY and stay warm out there everyone!!

Christmas Showcase #3 - A not so Common Reader...

The clouds are looming overhead and the temperatures are dropping quickly. It is going to be a COLD week my friends!!! So how about a little something fun and colorful to contrast the darkness in these clouds overhead?

Todays Small Business Showcase is my dear ol' Alma Mater Colorado Mountain College. I am beyond blessed to still be working with and designing fun things for this amazing school. I get lots of projects for CMC throughout the year but one of my favorite projects to work on each fall is the Common Reader. Each year a new book is selected and students, faculty and whoever else wants to participate, can join in reading together followed up by a talk with the author. My job in all this is to take the book of choice and create coordinating marketing materials to go with.

If you don't know by now, I love matching things!!!! So this project is perfect for me. I get to take a book, add some matching creativity and then match everything else to go with. Yep, a match makers paradise!!! This year was no exception, the colors and fun crazy designs this years book allowed for were amazing! I had so much fun designing these, and I hope everyone who read the book enjoyed it as well!!

ENJOY!

- Common Reader Bookmark - 2013

 - Common Reader Postcard - 2013

 - Common Reader Poster - 2013

Christmas Showcase #2 - Happy Birthday little ONE!!!

Happy Monday everyone!!! I thought I would share a little something close to my heart to start the week off wonderfully.

One of the best things about being a designer and working for myself is getting to design fun little things for ME!!! This is not as easy as it sounds however, you see, I am a perfectionist and so getting what I want exactly as I think I want/need it.. can sometimes take forever. Yes, I am my worst critic. But I keep on working towards my own standards and I usually end up with something that I LOVE!

Or as I tell my friends, I may not be able to cook a fabulous meal to save my life but I can make a mean Birthday Card!!!

So without further ado I present to you my latest little creation for my Adorable, Squishy, Tiny, Miracle of a Baby Girl. She turned ONE a few weeks ago and I am just now getting around to sharing her Birthday Invite. I love this little face and these piercing eyes. Happy First Birthday baby girl!!!!

ENJOY!

Christmas Showcase #1 - What a Difference a Day Makes!

Happy December 1st!!! I am so excited to start our Shop Small Christmas Showcase today!!!! I have so many fun projects that are just jumping to be shared with you all.

I thought I would start the showcase off with the GIVEAWAY!!! Who does not like a giveaway?? I know I am usually the first in line when it comes to the idea of winning something fun. Usually I don't even care that much what it is.. I just want to be able to say "I won." This giveaway, however, I know you will enjoy.

We are giving away a Custom 11x14 "What a Difference a Day Makes" print. (You can find official rules HERE.) So I thought I would take the time today to showcase some of the custom date prints I have had the honor of putting together for several clients.

To say that I LOVE the date choices on these prints would be an understatement. On my original I used big dates in my family, Weddings, Birthdays... simple stuff. These ladies I was designing for had some amazing dates to remember. Ranging from Birthdays, Weddings, Engagements, Adoptions, Hospitalizations and Surgeries, Home Ownership, even to remembering the days loved ones have left this earth.

I have never met these wonderful families but I loved being a little fly on the wall in the momentous days in their lives. To me, this is what a small business is all about. The ability to personalize and create something unique for each person. This is why I do what I do, this is what I love!

ENJOY and I look forward to creating one of these fun prints for our Grand Prize winner at the end of the month!!!

Shop Small Christmas Showcase & Giveaway!!!

Shop Small - All Month Long!!!

Small businesses need more than just ONE day to celebrate the personal touches and unique atributes they bring to their clients. In my little business I am honored and pleased to have the opportunity to work with many local families and small businesses. So I am taking from now until Christmas Eve to host a little Small Business Showcase & Giveaway!

Contest RULES:
1. Check back here and on Facebook each day for a fun new design, business, logo, photography, custom card... etc. that we will be featuring that day.

2. Comment, “Like” or Share each daily showcase for a change to win our Grand Prize.

3. ALL entries will be collected at the end of this month and one random winner will be selected.

GRAND PRIZE will be a Custom 11x14 “What a Difference a Day Makes” Special Date print!!!

ENJOY!!!

Happy School Day!!!

School has officially begun in our neighborhood and this week I have already seen a bunch of cute photos of kids headed off to another year of learning fun. Are you sporting your school colors this week?? I thought I would jump in the mix and sport some of my school colors.. Ok well, CMC's colors anyway. Here is a fun mix of marketing banners for various campuses we designed to be displayed over this past summer.

ENJOY and happy school year everyone!!!!!

The Beautiful Allen Family....

There are certain times in life when memories just HAVE to be captured. This would be one of them.

A dear friend of mine contacted me a few weeks ago wondering if I could take some family photos of them on short notice while they were in town. Of course, I just happened to have that weekend off. The reason for these short notice photos was that her husband just got notice that he will be deployed at the end of the month and they were wanting to get some family photos with their darling new 7 month old daughter before daddy leaves for 9 months. YES! I was very honored to be asked and I had such a fun time capturing these precious memories of Daddy and his girls before he leaves the country.

Thank you for your service and I know you will be missed dearly by your beautiful family!!!!!

ENJOY!

- And yes, I will honestly admit I got a bit emotional editing these daddy/daughter photos. They are just adorable! -