Stelie Designs

You say it's your birthday!

2012-02-01T21:05:00.002-06:00

sing it with me!

a little peek at a wholesale birthday card order.
Yes, I sell wholesale. Looking to offer Stelie Designs products, please email steliedesigns@yahoo.com to discuss.

New Save the Date

2012-01-31T20:59:00.000-06:00

Bold. Simple. Clean. to the Point.

You can find this double sided save the date here.

Everybody Loves a good Fairy Tale!

2012-01-20T12:39:00.000-06:00

Meet Ava, a new 2012 design. These invitations are a bit out of my comfort zone, in their princessy / girly / fair tale kind of way. I'm not (nor have I ever been) a girly kind of girl. Yes, I played with barbies & dolls when I was young. All my barbies had cute short hair cuts, by yours truly. Anyway, I had this idea about a fairy tale and put a modern touch on these whimsy save the dates + invites.

"The Fairly Tale continues" for the save the dates & "Our Happily Ever After" for the wedding invitations.

Changing the colors would up the modernism of these, don't you think?

what do you think?

2012-01-19T11:42:00.000-06:00

I'm thinking of making a visual change to my shop because A.) I have way too much extra time on my hands or B.) I love change.

If you chose A, then you are craaaazzzy...I have 4 kids, a husband, a home, and a business....

If you chose B, then you are the winner!!!! The winner of self satisfaction for guessing correctly.

Now onto business. I'm thinking of changing up my first photo. See my plan below.

or you can see how the test looks in the screen shot below of my actual shop.

now that you've seen the proposed, what do you think? Yes or No? I only have 174 items in my shop to change (easy though time consuming.) Wondering if it's really worth the effort.

I appreciate your input!

London

2012-01-19T08:01:00.002-06:00

is a new design added to my 2012 wedding collection! Ribbons floating.

She is listed and ready to be part of your special day. You can find her here.

Grass is Greener

2012-01-18T15:13:00.000-06:00

A new wedding design for 2012! Perfect for a spring or summer wedding! As the saying goes "the grass is greener on the other side" it popped in my head as I was adding text to this sample and just had to add it.

Obviously as a married woman and someone who's main business is about getting married, I want that portrayed even if I personally believe in any case the grass is just different on the side.

The Thankful Calendar

2012-01-11T14:58:00.000-06:00

In late October, Julia from the "Thank You" Project contacted me about this incredible idea to collaborate on a calendar project. I can't tell you how glad I am. It has been heart warming to read all the thankful comments Julia collected on her blog, and hard to narrow down to just 12!

Each month features 'thankful' quotes by real people from all over the world that Julia collected along with illustrations added from me. Every time you look at your calendar, you can't help but be reminded to give thanks and focus on the positive and put a smile on your face.

I can't decide on my favorite quote! Can you?

I really hope you follow Julia's blog. It full of positiveness.

get your own here or here.

A GIANT thank you to Julia and all those who's quotes we used.

Hearts a Plenty

2012-01-05T18:01:00.000-06:00

I'm working on my 2012 wedding collection. Here is one of them.

All about hearts and love. The love of a couple. The love of family and friends who support their relationship.

As a matter of fact, I just packaged & mailed these (well not THESE, but you know what I mean) to a wonderful couple in Australia.

Our Winter Break

2012-01-04T18:13:00.000-06:00

the kids had 11 straight days off from school, my husband had 10 straight days off & I had lots of plans for us....first up was going downtown Minneapolis to the Macy's 8th floor auditorium + a santa visit.

this year was a day in the life of an elf.

[poor quality cell phone photo]

then because Paxton was all about skyscrapers! The kids were in the city in March but acted like they'd never seen skycrapers before. Slightly embarrassing but also exciting. We wandered the skyways listening to a quartet play xmas songs, then decided to do a touristy thing...go to an observation deck. I moved to Minneapolis the fall of 1990 for college & lived there until 1.5 years ago when we moved to a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. I also worked downtown in college & 11+ years thereafter, suprisingly I've never went to one of the observation decks.

It was my first time in an elevator with my kids going to the 30th floor. I was a bit nervous+uneasy. What if something happened? Then we walked another 2 flights up and out to this...

it was overcast + started to snow. Quite a magical moment! Until, I who love heights now was scared to have my kids near or Jer hold them up to look. Protective Mommy took over me.

It was finally going to be a slight white Christmas!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T08:22:00.000-06:00

After an early fondue dinner, we rang in the New Year with London!

Kids were sound asleep by 7:45 & Jer & I were in bed before 11.

It's been wonderful having Jer & big kids home for 10 straight days! I had lots of family time and very little Stelie work time, it was hard to fit it in between all the celebration, fun and migraines. I am hoping to get back into the groove once my big kids head back to school tomorrow.

Hope you all had a safe and wonderful celebration and are looking forward to an even better 2012!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday!

2011-12-23T03:28:00.005-06:00

from my family to yours...
school is out for the rest of the year! yippee!! i'll be hangin' with babes doing fun stuff and limiting my & work time. may you do the same. extra quality time with your loved ones. nothing beats that.
wishing you a safe and wonderful holiday!

meet Layton

2011-12-22T11:06:00.000-06:00

Layton invitation is a modern tree branch with modern bird houses in bright colors.

Why 3 bird houses?

I chose 3 instead of 2 because...I preferred how it looked and it made me think of the unity candle's symbolism.

The coming together of two individuals (2 separate houses) into a shared union (1 house together)

Perfect for the playful fun loving couple! As always, I customize colors for free!

Minimalists!

2011-12-21T04:09:00.002-06:00

Paxton & Avery made gingerbread houses in 1st grade last week. They used gram crackers, frosting & candy built around a milk carton. This was their first time, they were so excited and even more excited I could come help in their classroom. (something I hope they never outgrow)

If you know me, or if you follow my designs, then you know my designs+style are modern+minimalist. Apparently my kids have the same design style.

Avery's masterpiece!

Paxton's masterpiece!

These beauties traveled from school 3.5 hours to my hometown and another 3.5 hours back home. They are currently on display in our family room.

All about Boston!

2011-12-20T13:58:00.000-06:00

Many Boston weddings!

This last one is a rehearsal invite for a wedding happening on New Years Eve (I was married on NYE!) Love how this bride wanted fireworks added.

I'm thinking of adding a new skyline, what would you like to see?

this weekend

2011-12-19T14:21:00.000-06:00

we picked the kids up from school early
drove 3.5 hours in the car
ate pizza
visited 2 "nursery" homes (what paxton calls a nursing home)
celebrated one christmas
ate cake
did some christmas shopping
heard some carolers
sang christmas songs
laughed
played
cried
drove another 3.5 hours in the car
wrapped presents
went to a birthday party
played some more
and ate more cake
long full weekend.

ever wonder

2011-12-15T12:24:00.000-06:00

how those notepads come to be?

After printing, cutting, adding chipboard + blank sheets, I put them into a homemade press my dad built for me.

add glue. wait. tear apart. remove blank sheets. package+label.

and that is how they come to be! all done by hand. all done by me. (sometimes packaging by my mom) all time consuming. but so worth the end result.

a little prince

2011-12-12T17:31:00.000-06:00

I drew a little prince to go with the princesses. This notepad is for a client with 2 daughters + 1 son. I just love this idea! What do you think?

LAST DAY

2011-12-12T17:27:00.002-06:00

today is the last day to order personalized items for a Christmas delivery....check your list quick.

Milestone

2011-12-07T11:44:00.000-06:00

This lucky little girl will be celebrating a huge milestone in Februray ~ her 1st birthday! Her mommy is totally on the ball and ordered invites in plenty of time to journey to Australia and get thru customs in enough time to send them out.

and the winner is...

2011-12-02T14:34:00.001-06:00

Congrats to...

Handmade in Israel!!

the winner of a free family tree print
email steliedesigns@yahoo.com
thank you to everyone for participating!

Personalize your Gift Giving

2011-12-01T10:03:00.001-06:00

I have many designs that aren't listed in my shop because...well, I don't have time nor an assistant to do it for me. I thought I'd share some with you in case you see something you HAVE to have or might be perfect gift for someone on your list.

[Fireweed Stationery]

[Macy stationery]

[Dotty Initial Stationery]

[Single Branch Folded Stationery]

[Family Stationery]

[Damask Stationery]

[Avery folded stationer]

[Oval Stationery]

[Swirly Notepad]

[Bella Bird Stationery]

If you'd like to purchase any of the above, leave a comment with a way for me to contact you or email steliedesigns@yahoo.com. You can find other options here and here.

Learn Print

2011-11-29T10:37:00.000-06:00

I think it's important to learn something new everyday whether you are 1 or 101 or somewhere in between. Learning fuels the brain.

If you aren't learning, it's time to move on and find somthing new.

I created the "LEARN" art print for one of our playrooms. Now I'm giving it to you. It would work in an office, child's room, kitchen, family room, etc.

I'll be sharing the "PLAY" print with you in the future. If you are interested in the other prints you can find them here, here, and here.

Now back to the good stuff. This prints 8.5x11, pop into a frame and voila, inexpensive art! Remember you can print this as many times as you like for yourself and for gifts but please do not sell without permission. Download print here

thank you + happy holidays!

x + y + z = perfect

2011-11-29T03:05:00.000-06:00

Everyone has their perfect wedding invitation. What is perfect for one may not be for another, which is why there are choices. For example, a recent bride took this invitation

with the branch from this invitation

and the colors from this save the date

to get their perfect wedding invitation!

this just might be my new favorite, a more modern lantern invite! One thing I love about Australian wedding invitations is they write the name of each guest. How personal is that?

The vision my clients have is always refreshing. Man, I'm blessed. Love love love what I do.
Remember when I said this just might be my new favorite? Stay tuned to see a new invitation design.

why hello there!

2011-11-28T13:22:00.000-06:00

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving! (for all you who celebrate in the US)

I hope you enjoyed your weeked!

We left Thursday morning for my hometown, backed out of our driveway at 6:45am and arrived at my parents other home about 10:00ish. I forgot my camera so no pics of my gang from Thanksgiving. The above photo taken by Teresa Hermes Photography in October will have to do. It's not like my kids were dressed anyway. Of the 4, 2 put on their nice clothes, 1 stayed in pajama's and 1 just in a diaper.

I took 4 days off, although I did answer a few convo's + emails, and worked on a few proofs but not much. It was a refreshing break. I played games, took a nap, ate, snuggled my kids, laughed til I cried, shopped alone with my husband a few different times, thought about xmas gifts for the kids, laughed some more, was silly, and had an all around enjoyable time. It was a treasure to see my grandma, who a month earlier had suffered a small stroke, it was also sad to see a woman who for 90 years loved to play games, but now couldn't remember how.

I'm home and it's back to the holiday grind. Orders to fill, kids to get to school, you know the usual.

Take time to breath and stay tuned for some freebies.

thankful

2011-11-23T12:24:00.001-06:00

with thanksgiving ~~just around the corner~~ arriving tomorrow, it reminds me to reflect on what i'm thankful for...i'm most thankful for my family and friends and for the medical field that helped my aunt beat cancer this year! but i'm also thankful for my business, for the ability to work from home, with my own hours, while raising my kids. i'm also thankful for all of you! without you, my clients and supporters i wouldn't have this wonderful thriving business so thank you!

to say thanks, i will be sharing a few printables/downloads + some special giveaways.

first up is a special giveaway! one lucky winner will receive a personalized custom family tree print. (winner gets to choose the colors)

the 8x10 image is printed on 110# white recycled cardstock

with the saying "our family is everything" because to me, my family IS everything! i'm sure your family is everything to you too.

each tree has a name of a member of your family along with the date your family was established. for me, i have 6 trees (6 members in my family) and our family was established in 2002, when my love and i were married.

to enter to win is simple...leave a comment of what you are most thankful for right now...
i will announce the winner early next week.

thank you for being you!

today

2011-11-21T13:01:00.002-06:00

today at my house.

a couple new ceiling lights.

(the giant cloud is still debatable, although has grown on us)

toys played. fun had.

my new product + designs, showcased in my office.

~~forgot to decorate for~~ a minimal thanksgiving decorating. pilgrims made in school + avery's turkey drawing she added real chicken feathers she's collected & washed. (oh and we have a few leaves / turkey paper art on our sliding glass door)

it's a wrap!

2011-11-18T15:37:00.000-06:00

holiday gift wrap now available in my shop....

Christmas Trees wrap with sparkly, turquoise & green ribbon + gift tag

bold wrap with lavendar satin ribbon + gift tag

i just LOVE wrapping gifts!

places everyone! places!

2011-11-14T07:00:00.004-06:00

as the leaves start changing colors and the weather gets crisper, i know fall is here. my FAVORITE! the leaves falling from the trees along with the sound of the leaves blowing in the wind makes me giddy with delight. with fall's arrival, i am quickly reminded the holiday season is fast approaching.

i don't cook and i don't bake. okay... i don't like to. so for me the holiday's aren't about cooking or baking, they are about decorating and making things.

one handmade tradition, i've held onto since childhood, is making placecards for family holiday meals.

something i now do with my own little artists.

my style and skills have changed over the years but my love for making them has not.

when thinking of holiday traditions, most jump to christmas but i cherish thanksgiving. time to reflect on all to be thankful for and the nearing of falls end.

to share my tradition with you, i've created a free download of the above placecards here for you to print and brighten up your thanksgiving or harvest meal.

for more holiday tradition stories, yummy recipes and more holiday printables hop through other etsygreetings team members blog, just click the arrows below. maybe you'll find a new tradition to start with your family!

11.11.11 + thank you

2011-11-11T13:45:00.000-06:00

a giant thank you to all veteran's past & present! thank you! 10 years ago today, my grandpa who was a WWII vet, passed away on veteran's day. incredibly fitting if you ask me.

my big kids are singing in a school assembly & wore red+white+blue.

today is 11.11.11! my big kids were so excited for the day they'd write 11-11-11 on their school papers. after much anticipation it's finally here. next year they'll be excited for 12.12.12!

Have a wonderful weekend!

brown chicken brown cow

2011-11-10T07:45:00.002-06:00

sorry about the title, it jumped in my head. no post about cows here, just chickens.

a previous wedding client asked me to design invites for a baby shower she was throwing. when i heard the theme "is the baby a hen or a rooster" i just had to do it. (avery wants a baby chick for christmas. yes, a real one.)

the mom-to-be raises chickens + doesn't know the sex of her unborn baby. apprarently the dr. wrote the answer on a piece of paper. they have it in a drawer in their house and have yet to peak! how is that possible?!??!!! (i had to know)

i was so thrilled with how my chickens turned out, so I put it on an art print.

use coupon code: EGHoliday10 for 10% off thru Monday, Nov. 14

party on!

2011-11-09T10:39:00.000-06:00

a couple young boys are having a birthday party!

when a client of mine requested a park themed invite for her young sons in december. i admit my first thought was "cool. WHAT!?! it will be freezing!"

then i remember she lives florida. kids in florida can have outside parties in december. kids in minnesota...not so much.

these boys are going to have a blast!

Give Peace for the Holiday's

2011-11-08T04:12:00.001-06:00

1. Scrabble Tile Pendant 2. Pillow 3. Wall Decals 4. Crayon Wallet 5. Peace Sign Personalized Stationery 6. Peace Sign Necklace 7. Drawstring Backpack

If you have girls & tweens on your list, peace signs are it!

Holiday Boutique

2011-11-07T07:17:00.000-06:00

All items in my shop are 10% off during the holiday boutique ~ Coupon Code: EGHoliday10

*Please note: All Holiday Photo Cards are sold in sets of 10 ~ purchase with the above code, I will bill you for the remaining amount with the 10% off.

+++++ Plus it gets even better!!!!+++++

Many other talented EtsyGreetings team members are having promotions in their shop too.

You can find them here and here.

Now go gather your list!

Family, friends, teachers, babysitters, bus drivers, bosses, employees, hostesses, & your best friends sisters' boyfriends brother.

*Don't worry if you don't have a photo yet, pay for them now & add a photo later.

art prints a plenty!

2011-11-04T12:09:00.001-05:00

[ Boston in Navy ]

[ New York in turquoise ]

[ Calgary in gray ]

Skyline Art Prints ~ choose from Boston, Calgary, Minnepolis, New York or Seattle

available in 6 colors. found here

Zoo Print available here

Numbers Print here

Or you can find my other art prints here.

saving your date!

2011-11-03T12:08:00.000-05:00

save the date for may weddings!

It's a Zoo out There!

2011-11-01T10:09:00.001-05:00

and often a zoo in here. my animals had a blast trick or treating. 21 houses in a short time. they were done & ready to hand out candy. (a greater joy for them. probably since they don't eat the candy!)

the other day we had this in our family/living room. we do lots of forts but this one was different...

take a look inside the bat cave.

an owl & bat in a tree outside the cave. there was a trash can with a racoon on it (made entirely from paper) in the playroom. my little creatives.

* wanna know what happens when my husband + 2 kids plant my mums. check out the mum on the left in 1st pic

The Holiday's are HERE!!

2011-10-31T12:42:00.000-05:00

I started listing holiday photo cards! The Penguin family is available in digital here.

or printed double sided flat cards available here.

check out more photo cards available here. arriving daily.

happy friday!

2011-10-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

it's friday!

last weekend we decided to head to sioux falls (my home town) while there we visited a local pumpkin patch/apple orchard which was having a family fun weekend. pony rides, chickens to see, goats & sheep to feed & pet. such a fun time (except for easton's cough!)

we also celebrated my grandma's 91st b-day early

we had a great time, even though, we all thought she was off. instincts were correct, she ended up in the hospital late that night. after having TIA or mini-stroke & is doing well and still in the hospital until she regains some of the left side eye, arm & hand movements. thankfully, a very healthy woman all her life with the exception of a stroke in 2004 where the doctors didn't think she was going to make it. not only did she make it but she still lives independently.

the kids were off school this whole week. i had so many fun things planned. we haven't done any of them. easton has bronchitis, paxton's got a bad cough & also on antibiotics, avery started a yucky cough & we are waiting for little adler to follow in their footsteps. lovely!

enjoy your weekend. looks like warm weather here. what do you have planned?

new notepad designs

2011-10-18T13:00:00.000-05:00

notepads make great gifts.

great stocking stuffers.

great for the person who has everything.

great for the hard to buy.

while some of the actual designs aren't new, they are new to notepads.

you can find notepads here. if the design isn't listed in my shop and you want it, email steliedesigns@yahoo.com and i'll list it right away.

The Holiday's are coming!!!! ~ part 2

2011-10-17T09:51:00.000-05:00

showing more photo holiday card designs today.

[this design is offered in 4 different color ways]

[4 color options]

if you follow me on facebook (if not you should) then you have already seen these. my fab 4 had pictures taken by the oh so talented teresa hermes of teresa hermes photography. i used a few of the pics she posted on her fb page to show a few of my own holiday card options. here they are...

a little ray of sunshine

2011-10-14T09:51:00.000-05:00

one of my past clients is hosting a baby shower and asked if i would do the invites. of course. since the baby of honor's middle name is to be soleil (meaning sun) she wanted it designed around that + the colors of the sunset. a little ray of sunshine love! exactly what these parents will receive when Olivia is born.

i've said it before & i'll say it again! i am always honored when clients return. it is a BIG ray of sunshine to me. it means they are happy with my products and happy with the service i provide. thank you! thank you! thank you!

The Holiday's are coming!!!!

2011-10-13T14:25:00.008-05:00

a peak at the 2011 Stelie Designs Holiday Photo Card collection

what do you think so far?

will be available in my shop soon. if you find one you'd like to order sooner, email steliedesigns@yahoo.com.

quinn

2011-10-11T11:50:00.001-05:00

a little quinn goodness was the invite of choice for this couple. we tried adding more yellow, less gray. but in the end the original colors won out. you never know unless you try!

not to mention how fantastically ahead of the game they are!

what's up?

2011-10-10T14:42:00.000-05:00

i've basically abandoned this little blog the last month or so. why? you ask. oh you didn't, well i'll tell you what's up anyway.

1. since my older kids started 1st grade, every day, all day, 5 days a week. it's quite time consuming & am hoping to get into a better routine before the year is over. it entails reading every night, reading every morning, practice spelling words every morning, etc. etc. (way too much busy work for me, but that's a whole 'nother story.)

2. on the days my mom is here, i used to get into my office 8ish, now it's after 9 since i see my kids off on the bus.

3. i'm actually doing a full holiday launch instead of a little here and there, like in previous years. including digital photo cards + return address labels. the launch is starting this week.

4. i've been working on new stationery + notepad designs for this holiday season as well.

5. my 2 year olds are at the high maintenance stage. if you have or had a two year old, you know. now multiply it by 2 & that's what i've got going on. (i enjoy this stage, just harder to get anything done)

6. kids asleep closer to 8 instead of 7 like last year.

7. i'm trying to stick to weekends 'is family time' as much as possible.

8. been working on larger design projects ~ logo design & fabric design for different clients.

9. stelie is a one woman show so if i'm not doing it, it doesn't get done.

now another little something of what's to come this holiday season.

so what do you think of what you've seen so far?

thank you for sticking with me! even if i forget to mention it, i really appreciate all of you.

sprechen sie deutsch?

2011-10-03T21:45:00.001-05:00

while i do not speak german, my clients does! i find it so fascinating that they are getting married in Florida!
this is the sydney lantern in german. (with an insert in english)
fascinating! didn't i say that already? but it is truly fascinating to connect with people all over the world.

39

2011-09-28T08:24:00.002-05:00

39 is a number. 39 is the number of years i've been alive. 39 is the last number in what has been my fabulous thirties. 39 is the number i'm embracing. to celebrate, i thought i'd share 39 things about me (you may or may not know)

1. i have the most amazing family
2. had a storybook childhood while growing up in sioux falls, sd
3. married the right person at 30 after being engaged to the wrong person at 24
4. stopped drinking pop when easton & adler were born. (that's almost 27 months) carbination + c-section = discomfort...carbination + breast feeding = 2 unhappy baby tummies
5. although, i've had a couple sips every now and then.
6. have a sensitivity to scents. i get headaches & nauseous. no perfume or cologne for anyone + our household products are unscented. gets worse as i get older.
7. have incredible friends. friends that i consider family.
8. suffered and won the infertility battle
9. my children are quadruplets born 4 years apart.
10.am open minded.
11.worked for target corp. (marshall fields division 5 years, target stores 2 years)
12. worked downtown minneapolis for 12 years & loved every minute of the hussle & bussle
13. strongly dislike cooking.
14. i'm an alpha gamma delta alum and made many life long friends because of it
15. developed asthma at 23, ulcer at 24. (both of which i manage without meds)
16. at a young age, i always planned on working from home while my kids were young
17. although, i'd planned on designing and building homes
18. by hand drew many home plans (to scale) in high school (my mom still has them)
19. i'm petrified of mice actually it's more like a phobia.
20. am a positive person and prefers to look on the bright side.
21. was always in trouble for talking in school (elementary thru high school)
22. was on the debate team in high school. did well and loved it.
23. breast fed 2 babies at once for 14 months. twice. (adds up to 28 months of my life)
24. i hate hate hate needles.
25. but learned to give myself hormone injections
26. i love love love sugar
27. but gave it up while breastfeeding

28. my mom is truly the most wonderful, giving, caring and truly incredible woman and i am so thankful for her.

29. played the cello in 5th grade and jr. high orchestra, continued with private lessons thru high school.

30. am a liberal thinker

31. have always been a city girl at heart.

32. once told my mom i was moving away when i got big. i did. moved to minneapolis in '90 when i started college at the UofMN. when my avery recently told me she was moving away when she got big. i cried.

33.my dad is truly fantastic. giving, caring, thoughtful, nothing he wouldn't do for his family. so so thankful for him.

34. i follow my instincts and get mad when i don't.

35. love, love wine. but haven't had a drop of alcohol in 3 years (by choice)

36. gather lots of information on a subject then decide what works for me or my family.

37. after a full year am slowly adjusting to small town life

38. feel like i'm in my 20's, until i look in the mirror.

39. love my life & look forward to growing old.

sale

2011-09-28T00:03:00.001-05:00

as a giant thank you to you all + it's my birthday! you have until midnight to use the above coupon code in my shop at checkout for 20% all items in my shop. (does not include custom orders)

gather your hostess / holiday / birthday / teacher list to get in on the deal.

skyline save the dates ~ post card style

2011-09-22T10:40:00.000-05:00

what's my child(ren) doing wednesday?

2011-09-21T15:47:00.000-05:00

my husband called to ask "what's your child doing wednesday?" i was shocked he remembered. he rarely has time to read my blog. i ran out of my office (my mom is here today (**doing a happy dance**))

my big kids are at school & my little kids were doing one of their usual things. racing a toy from the kitchen down the hall to the front door. it works with 2 kids. add another 2 and someone is bound to get hurt. today they were turning the corner going thru the playroom to kitchen around the table and back...

showers

2011-09-19T10:49:00.000-05:00

wedding invites as showere invites! i've been doing a lot of shower invites lately. i'm enjoying the change of pace.

happy monday & hope you had a great weekend.

ombre wedding inspiration

2011-09-15T11:18:00.001-05:00

ombre if you aren't familiar with it is defined as:

an adjective; shaded or graduated in tone: said of a color

it's quite popular in fashion and interiors. why not make it popular for a wedding too?

exactly...so i put together a quick ombre wedding inspiration

(sources 1. 2. 3. 4.)

in honor of my new Knox wedding invitation.

i'd love to hear what you think! are you an ombre fan?

up, up and way...

2011-09-14T14:16:00.000-05:00

my popular penguin has found her match.

she's ready to tell the world she's marrying her love.

the balloons are shown in silver+grey+gold. not your wedding colors you say? they can be customized to any color you wish.

you can find a sample here.

what's my child doing wednesday?

2011-09-14T10:03:00.000-05:00

my poor little neglected blog...so much to share so little time. but since it's wednesday...here is my what's my child doing wednesday. take it aways adler...

a hat is needed today. but she wore this on the hotest day in september.

of course less than 2 weeks of school and all kids have sneezes. the little ones also have runny noses. my husband has a cold and i am consuming lots of vitamin c!

ah the joys of school germs.

winter & spring

2011-09-09T04:38:00.000-05:00

i know fall isn't even here yet and i'm already talking about winter & spring...crazy...right? in the wedding industry (like the fashion industry) you have to think seasons ahead.

my popular easton invite is all about fall. i love fall. it's my favorite season. but not everyone gets married in the fall. some couples get married in the winter (like me)

easton winter snowflake invite

some people get married in the spring or summer

easton spring blossom invite (could be used for summer too)

you can find them here and here

austin, texas

2011-09-08T13:50:00.000-05:00

the easton invitation with an austin skyine

oh my!

2011-09-06T11:22:00.000-05:00

how time flies too fast some times...
here they are last year...my how they've grown.

baby shower

2011-09-03T11:11:00.000-05:00

my marlowe wedding invitation + orange + different shade of blue + baby shower wording = super fabulous baby shower invitations.

September you're here!

2011-09-01T10:25:00.000-05:00

really...it's september already?!?! i love september. it means fall is almost here + my birthday month. it also means school is starting soon. when the kids are fighting or crying, i think "can't wait for school" but most of the time...i'm not ready for it to start. not ready for my kids to be in 1st grade.

i'm embracing these last summer moments. last weekend we took 4 days and drove back to my hometown. to visit family. visit friends. stay up to late laughing. play at my elementary school playground. then on our way home made a spontaneous stop to have a snack at a slightly out of the way playground by a lake we'd never been to before. surprisingly, i stayed unplugged from the virtual world.

tomorrow early, i'm packing the kids up and taking them somewhere. just not sure where. zoo, nature center, moa, target, airport (to watch planes) who knows. we'll see when we wake up. tomorrow is my last day of the summer with just me and my 4. daddy is home monday & school starts tuesday.

2012 desk calendar is here

2011-09-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

you can find them here and here

hello cameron!

2011-09-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

meet cameron...the newest invitation in the stelie designs collection.

what's my child doing wednesday

2011-08-24T15:31:00.000-05:00

swimming! my big water kids have been doing lots of swimming this summer. whether in the pool or in the lake! they are doing swimmingly since they are almost done with their 2nd 2 week daily classes.

time for rehearsal

2011-08-23T04:26:00.000-05:00

forget the rehearsal part...let's eat!

i have had the opportunity to work with such incredible people. i couldn't be happier or more thankful for my clients. yes, each and everyone of you.

this time was no exception, i worked with a fabulous mom of the groom! so delightful and engaging.

we took my seattle skyline wedding invite and turned it into a seattle rehearsal dinner invite.

aspenesk

2011-08-22T12:24:00.000-05:00

the aspen invitation in the couples colors, green + orange + navy. along with the a larger tree image makes one of my popular invites all their own.

enjoy your weekend!

2011-08-19T10:21:00.000-05:00

i'll be spending my weekend

with these loves of my life! (along with my husband & parents)

there is bound to be lots of smiles

silliness, laughter

lots of fun

and warm weather.

not sure if there will be tractors but there will be animals, water, and sand.

wishing you an enjoyable weekend like ours is sure to be!

what's my child doing wednesday?

2011-08-17T05:01:00.003-05:00

standing in my light + creating shadows

laughing + playing in their jammies

being silly

while i'm taking product shots and loving every minute of it.

fireweed

2011-08-16T20:37:00.000-05:00

a client requested custom stationery with a fireweed design...i enjoyed it so much...i made it into a wedding invite.

meet avril...

monday funday!

2011-08-15T06:44:00.001-05:00

don't you just love monday's?!? no... maybe this will brighten your day. or week. or month. or....

meet my little dachshund pups.

{personalized notepad}

we have been a pet free home since our golden passed away over 2 years ago. my children are animal lovers. (they don't discriminate. they love all animals.) however, they pretend to be puppies. yes, all 4 of them. so somedays, i am blessed with 4 pups.

{personalized stationery}

they also love curious george. if you've ever seen curious george then you know about hundley the dachshund. so one more while snuggling, it hit me. i have to draw my own ~~hundley~~ dachshund.

now they need names. i am looking for D names for each of them. if i choose your name suggestions you just may get a prize.

Happy weekend!

2011-08-13T08:06:00.000-05:00

can't believe it's saturday...where did the week go?

wishing you a fun filled weekend!

this is how we celebrated my husband's bday 2 weeks ago. we won't be doing this again this weekend but we'll be finding some other fun things to do. i hope.

bachelorette party

2011-08-11T08:27:00.001-05:00

my wedding invitations are versatile. each design can be made into notepads, stationery, or other invites.

like these aspen mountain invites are now bachelorette party invites!

have fun ladies.

what's my child doing wednesday

2011-08-10T11:25:00.000-05:00

we won the lottery with this kid! (honestly, we won the lottery with all our kids)

he is such a sweet + caring boy + full of great one liners.

the other day at the park ~ "i got my climbing mojo on!"

or after jer kissed his cheek ~ "daddy, i rubbed your kisses in because i love them so"

other sweet things he says on a regular basis...

"my favorite thing is my family"

"i love my whole family so much"

"i am the luckiest kid"

"mommy, you are wonderful"

"should we order pizza tonight? should we?"

"mommy, i gotta tell you something...i love you"

or these
"we're playing john deere heaven"
"i want to drive a semi when i get big! where do we buy one, at the semi store?"
and so many others that i am drawing a blank.

take note!

2011-08-09T10:19:00.003-05:00

i had a great memory. emphasis on the HAD... my last set of twins sucked it out of me at their birth. thank you easton & adler! it's a good thing you're cute:)

{designed for my aunt. celebrating a b-day after extensive chemo. you go girl!}

plus if you're like me, i have a gazillion things running thru my head...my kids, house, husband, business, family, school, things we need, me, things we need to do, design ideas, projects, etc. etc. etc.

so i write notes. make lists.

{a client asked for the calling card birds on a notepad and i obligued}

as the holiday season approaches, i'll be working on new notepad designs. until then you can find my other notepads here
*see a design you like on one of my invites or personalized stationery and want it in on a notepad.

just ask.
you will receive.
i'm magic like that!

Marina a little bit Turkish

2011-08-04T12:42:00.000-05:00

just

love

the world wide web!

it has brought about the opportunity to have wedding invitation clients not only all over the united states but all over the worldwhether it be canada, australia, italy, united kingdom, sweden, france, ireland, turkey and to name a few.

thank you.

what's my child doing wednesday?

2011-08-03T04:09:00.007-05:00

she's a work of art!

in so many ways!

web pages & websites

2011-08-02T09:13:00.000-05:00

OMG!!! my webpage is done & i am so giddy with excitement. go check it out here. i worked with a wonderful woman. kimberly, from cucu design & honizukle press. she is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. she is patient. she is talented. she is a mom. she is wonderful to work with. she is now a friend. she is highly recommended by me.

Hello August!

2011-08-01T05:46:00.000-05:00

hard to believe july is already over...what a whirlwind month.

did you feel the same?

now back to july for a bit...i worked with this fantab (yes, i said fantab) couple on their wedding invitations.

i think my fave is the "words of wisdom" they asked for on the rsvp's. how cool is that?

i'd love to read all the responses.

you can find your winter wedding invitations here.

happy birthday!

2011-07-29T06:46:00.003-05:00

to the love of my life. to the father of my children. to my partner in crime. to the sharer of our chaos.

happy birthday! we love you so much.

2012 calendars!

2011-07-28T08:43:00.000-05:00

and so it begins...now that 2011 is more than half over, the 2012 calendars (2 designs) are making an early appearance. i was too excited not to share them now.

the first is all about the chevron/zig zag or whatever you'd like to call it. it's a wall calendar. (will be a desk calendar too)

these are available here

next is a diy calendar that's all about the dots / circles.

i designed this for you to print as many times as you like. think of all the gifts you could give by printing + cutting yourself. (also a wall calendar.)

available here

what's my child doing wednesday

2011-07-27T05:08:00.000-05:00

{my avery 6 yrs old}

one morning a couple weeks ago, my big kids were playing in the garage in their jammies.

later i found this...

yes, my miss avery with crazy bedhair found sissors and cut her hair "because it was in her eyes"

she did a fine job on her bangs. it was the nice chunk missing on the side that meant we were off to get a new haircut.

{miss avery with bangs + chunky layers}

navy + red + teal

2011-07-26T13:50:00.000-05:00

in real life

2011-07-25T16:37:00.000-05:00

one of my recent clients (remember these invites?) sent me a few of her reception photos.

i was so excited to see my paper goods used in real life.

{love love love the wine cork holders}

she did a phenominal job pulling it all together. especially from far away. the couple lives in canada & the wedding+reception was in france. beautiful.

happy

2011-07-22T08:28:00.000-05:00

this is what happy looks like

stay cool

and enjoy

your weekend

and

we will

do the same!

out of the office

2011-07-21T15:41:00.000-05:00

and into the hands of delighted engaged couples

the easton with rounded corners and deeper colors. am in love with this new look

{finishing up another wedding with this exact colors}

these are off to an extra special couple.

a sorority sister (president when i was an alum advisor) + friend + all around fabulous person.

the madison save the dates these are off to a sweet couple in australia

these olive invites with thank you cards are also off to austrailia to another amazing couple.

birdie twin birth announcement

2011-07-20T04:08:00.002-05:00

if you remember this post. (the top right not selected options.) i changed it up a bit. added a gray chevron background and bolder colors.

and out came the twin birdie baby announcements.

what do you think?

7 kids!

2011-07-19T16:01:00.000-05:00

earlier this month we ~~ran~~ drove away to a little town in wisconsin to meet up at a lodge with my bff & her family, who live in virginia but were in milwaukee.

it's been 4 years since our families have been all together and then it was only 5 kids.

we spent the day playing in the water.

having a blast getting wet.

our kids became fast friends.

just like melissa & i did when we met at lunch in high school.

we were all sad when our time came to an end.

looking forward to next year.

2 for 2

2011-07-16T15:40:00.000-05:00

these 2 turned 2 with 2 parties 2 celebrate

you can see the first party here.

martini time?

2011-07-14T21:47:00.000-05:00

missed me? i've missed you! lots happened during my unexpected blogging break that will be shared in future posts.

do you remember this sneak peak from long ago?

a custom designed wedding invitation.

design direction: { orange + gray + martini }

here it is in it's final printed stage....

{the subtle martini glass top view with olives can also be abstract design shapes}

{the stripes are carried thru onto the back. no more boring white}

i just love it. the pictures don't do it justice (not surprising since i'm not a photographer. i just play one ~~on tv~~ in my business world) what do you think?

party time

2011-07-03T21:43:00.002-05:00

this little boy

and this little girl

will be turning 2 soon!
we celebrated their birthday early with a party
10 kids running around, eating cupcakes + ice cream, playing, laughing, having fun = loud, chaotic, heaven. avery said “this was the best party ever!”

city girl at heart

2011-06-30T02:01:00.000-05:00

if you've been following me for a while then you know i'm a city girl who moved to a small town.

recently i was looking for art for my family room to personalize the space a bit more. after adding a photo of my 4, i decided to create a family print (i'll show you later) and the city i miss.

i've been in minneapolis since college in the fall of '90. everytime i saw the minneapolis skyline i felt at home.

i also loved working downtown for almost 12 years. as my life has changed, i love working from home even more and still love the city.

now available in 5x7 and 5.5x5.5 in my shop.

first come loves...then comes marriage...then comes

2011-06-29T09:32:00.000-05:00

a baby on a tree branch...

so fun to take a couples wedding invitation (a 2009 client) and a baby to it for personalized stationery!

a little help please...

2011-06-22T15:54:00.009-05:00

working with the wonderfully fabulous not to mention talented kimberly of cucu designs on my stelie designs web page and am having a hard time deciding between the 2 below options. i love the brown...

{click on image for a more accurate view}

then the white was a little experimental accident and i'm drawn to this as well.

{click on image for a more accurate view}

i'm looking for a simple, modern, yet timeless design. so i'd love to hear your thoughts while i'm milling it over a bit more. brown? or white?

orange + green + brown

2011-06-20T15:38:00.000-05:00

in the sydney3 = fabulously gorgeous fall wedding invitations!

mountains of madeline

2011-06-17T11:12:00.001-05:00

these lovely madeline invites went out recently to a fun + easy going couple.

today

2011-06-15T08:57:00.001-05:00

~ i reached 1000 etsy sales!
~ i reached my etsy sales goal for 2011
~ i reached my goal on 6.15.11
~ i reached my goal 6 months ahead of plan.
~ i reached my goal because of all you wonderful buyers.
~ i reached my goal and am so thankful for my business.
~ i reached my goal so thank you!

and the WINNER is.....

2011-06-09T21:51:00.000-05:00

it's been 4 years and this "2" stage is coming back in double time again. the stage where tantrums are rampant. the stage where i am no longer able to do anything for more than 2 minutes without "mommy come" "mommy bird" "mommy ad-laaah _____" "mommy choo choo" "mommy eastees_____" "mommy!" "mommy!" "mommy!"

hence the reason, i am behind.

these little cuties

came in the room just in time for this...

congratulations emily!!!

and then...
someone decided she had to follow in her big sister's footsteps.
then...
i thought of course there has to be 2 winners!
(2 winners makes up for my lateness right?... RIGHT??)
now back to adler. (who along with her brother are 23 months today)

congratulations kingdom kards!!!

winners, email me steliedesigns@yahoo.com

if you didn't win and are dying for a set of these birdie calling cards, you can get them here.

i have more things i'm planning to give away.

stay tuned and keep coming back.

doing a happy dance!

2011-06-06T11:39:00.000-05:00

don't forget to sign up here to win calling cards. it will end tonight at midnight!

all i can say is this past week, wacky! the week was wacky! not only did a local tech tell me they couldn't find any data on my external hard drive (which has everything stelie related (except my wedding folder) and everything personal photo related) devastating is what it was! after many shed tears. i was recommended anothern more technically advanced place 40 miles away. believe me, i drove and i dropped it off. it helped i was in the area taking easton to the dr.

thursday morning while avery was upstairs looking at ultrasound pics of herself. paxton was down watching a show, and i was upstairs in the bathroom getting ready. i heard a loud thump, thump then a cry. my heart sunk & i knew what happened . ran as fast as i could to pick up my little easton lying at the bottom of the stairs. he cried for so long, then held his fingers saying owie. after too long of owieness, i knew he had to see a dr. 6.5 hours later he looked like this

he buckle fractured his wrist. let me tell you, i felt like the worst mom this day. he will be sporting this new cast for 3 weeks. thankfully, he isn't letting it stop him. after returning home he was back jumping, running, climbing. with this cast came new weekend plans. no lake or sand or extended heat for him. aka. indoor airconditioned activities.

saturday, breakfast at ikea, kid sandal shopping, lunch, airport for airplane take off/landing viewing from the comfort of our airconditioned vehicle.

sunday, the zoo. thankfully there is lots to do inside. we did watched the bird show outside but in the shade.

back inside for dolphin training show then home. another long day.

then comes today, the reason for my happy dance! i got THE call. my data has been retrieved. come on do a happy dance with me!

now go become a fan on my fb page and sign up to win calling cards!

reese updated

2011-06-02T05:08:00.002-05:00

i originally introduced reese here. over time, she dropped from my assortment. lately, my mind has been racing with ideas for new designs {campbell, lyric, jasmine, ireland, quinn, lola, haven to name a few} & to make over/update existing designs.

first up in getting a make over is reese.

she went from orange and fuscia to shades of red. from vertical to horizontal. in these colors reese is calling for a late fall or winter wedding. although (like all my invites) she can be customized to any colors you'd like.

winner winner chicken dinner

2011-06-01T10:58:00.001-05:00

or rather, winner winner gets these birdie calling cards!

well...not these mommy calling cards!

your own 30 - 3"x3"cards. (i may even throw in some coordinating notecards)
with your own info.
with your own number of little birds.

no kids. no problem.
still enter.

can be used as business cards or gift tags or thank you tags or blog cards, or whatever.

How to enter:
1. become a stelie designs facebook fan (already one? fantastic) either way, leave a comment letting me know
2. leave a comment to this question: "what is your favorite thing about summer? or what do you love to do in the summer?"

that's it. super duper easy. now go tell all your friends to enter too.

**giveaway ends this weekend when i find time to close it. i do have 4 very active young children (2 of which are entering the terrible two stage)**

meet jasmine

2011-05-31T05:44:00.000-05:00

a cherry blossom design has been in the back of my mind for years.

a couple weeks ago, the tree outside our ~~dining room~~ playroom flowered these most beautiful pale pink flowers. (we didn't know about this happy surprise)

the blooms resparked a branch with flowers design. of course the last few raining windy days have eliminated all remnants that the tree ever bloomed. (aka: no photo)

today adler wore a shirt that had blooms which reminded me of our tree.

hence, the universe ~~screaming~~ telling me. "design one already!" i listened.

i'm happy with how she turned out. are you?

meet lyric

2011-05-30T04:37:00.002-05:00

lyric is ultra mod. ultra simple. ultra cool.

happy weekend

2011-05-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

{just another day at the beach for us}

wishing you a safe and wonderful holiday weekend!