In case you didn’t know, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and children everywhere will be exchanging sweet little cards. My little lady is one of those kids, and if you know me at all, you know that I couldn’t very well let her hand out some ugly store bought cards. SO, I came up with a sweet little design that incorporates her favorite candy: Smarties.

free, printable, valentine, smarties, love bug

Aren’t they cute? Because I love you, I made a free printable file so you can make these sweet little Smarties Love Bug Valentines with your little one. They’re super simple to make, and your child will have fun handing them out in class.

free, printable, valentine, smarties, love bug

All you’ll need is some bright white card stock, a paper cutter (or scissors), a pen, and some pretty washi tape. Let your kiddo fill in their name after you get them all cut out, and use the washi tape to secure the Smarties to the Valentines. Simple as can be!

free, printable, valentine, smarties, love bug

Happy card-making! If you download the Valentines and enjoy them, please leave a comment to let me know. Thanks!

Until next time, grace and peace.
Leslie Ann Jones, author, freelance writer, stationery designer, mommy, photographer

THE SMALL PRINT: You may not accept credit for the design of this card or sell it to anyone. Senojal Designs retains the copyright. If you wish to share the digital file with others, please direct them to this post. Do not e-mail the file all over the world. Please don’t link directly to the download file. Click to download your Free Printable Smarties Love Bug Valentines!

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On 02.09.12 · 26 Comments · In Design, freebies
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If you’ve stopped by Senojal Designs lately, you may (or may not have) noticed that the etsy shop has been closed for quite some time. Due to major overwhelmation with writing projects and life in general, I shut it down shortly after Thanksgiving, and I haven’t looked back.

It was a tough decision for me to make, but as much as I enjoy designing and creating beautiful stationery, it doesn’t fulfill me in the same way that writing does.

So I’ve taken a breather.

That’s not to say that the shop will remain closed forever. In fact, I’m planning to reopen the shop in the next few weeks, after I get the last of my current writing assignments turned in. But I don’t intend to let the business of running my own stationery shop consume me the way it has in the past.

I will always have an affinity for amazing paper, but I don’t see myself running the shop 20 years down the road. At least, I hope I’m not. It’s a hobby that I enjoy, but it likely won’t be my profession forever.

So. All of that to say, I still enjoy designing, but there’s simply not as much room for it in my life as there used to be. Because of that, I plan to devote more time to designing for minted challenges (did I mention that three of my designs have been selected to sell on the site?) and less time to manufacturing stationery. Sometimes you just have to take a step back. So that’s what I’m doing.

Until next time, grace and peace.
Leslie Ann Jones, author, freelance writer, stationery designer, mommy, photographer

On 01.27.12 · Leave a Comment · In Design
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Hello friends! Today I have some wedding invitation designs to share with you. Minted put out the call for modern and unique invites, and designers responded in droves. With 1,640 amazing designs submitted, it’s hard to stand out in the crowd, but after I wrapped up work on a major writing project at the beginning of the month, I devoted a couple of days to designing for the challenge, and I wanted to share my entries with you.

So, without further ado, here they are:

wedding invitations - Whimsy + Washi
Whimsy + Washi Wedding Invitions

Whimsy + Washi is inspired by the patterns and colors of Japanese washi tape. These whimsical yellow and gray wedding invitations are ideal for couples hosting a casual, sweet, and simple wedding.

wedding invitations - Formality
Formality Wedding Invitations

Formality is a take on a traditional wedding invitation that features a muted grey color palette and elegant flourishes. It’s perfect for couples who are looking for chic and formal wedding invitations that are both traditional and modern.

Cerulean + Sand Wedding Invitations
Cerulean + Sand Wedding Invitations

Cerulean + Sand is a fresh invitation design for a beach wedding. With a beautiful watercolor background reminiscent of the beach, it’s an ideal choice for couples who will take their nuptials by the sea.

wedding invitations - Sweet Subtlety
Sweet Subtlety Wedding Invitations

And finally, Sweet Subtlety mixes beautiful calligraphy with modern typography for a stunning effect. With a subtle watercolor background, this simple and modern wedding invitation is perfect for brides looking for beautifully designed wedding invitations.

* * *

If you have some free time over the next few days, please rate my designs by clicking on the images above, then, to be fair, spend a few minutes rating some of the other designs you see {your votes won’t count if you only vote for me}. Voting closes Monday morning {October 31}, so head on over and rate away!

Thanks for your support!

Until next time, grace and peace.
Leslie Ann Jones, freelance writer, stationery designer, mommy, photographer

On 10.26.11 · Leave a Comment · In Design, Minted
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It’s been about a year and a half since I launched my stationery design business, and much has changed since those early days. I’d like to think that I’ve refined my design sensibility just a touch, and while my old logo was fun and cute, it didn’t really convey the aesthetic that I aim for these days.

I’m running low on business cards, and as the time to order more drew near, I just couldn’t bring myself to do the same old thing again. I stayed up entirely too late the other night morning working on a new design. Rebranding was in order.

Ready to see the new look?

I’m really pleased with the way it turned out. It’s a little preppy and a lot more refined than the old look, but it also maintains a bit of whimsy. While I was in the redesigning mood, I also made some subtle changes to the look of snippets. The longer I looked at the blog, the more it felt too busy, so I cleaned it up a bit as well.

Snippets used to look like this:

Screen shot 2011-04-29 at 2.42.26 AM

Now it looks like this:

Subtle, I know, but little changes make a big difference. What do you think about the changes to my brand and blog? Talk to me and let me know what you think!

Until next time, grace and peace.
Leslie Ann Jones, freelance writer, stationery designer, mommy, photographer

On 08.05.11 · Leave a Comment · In Design
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I know that it seems as if all of my posts lately revolve around Minted, but that’s because it’s been a very busy month in the Minted world. Voting on the Chronicle Books challenge closed yesterday, and today, voting opened on the Sending Good Cheer Holiday Challenge. Designers submitted over 2,000 entries to the challenge, and the quality of design is simply overwhelming. Because of the staggering number of entries, the Minted staff made a first cut, narrowing the field of designs to 700. Of the eight designs I submitted, two were selected to move on to the voting round.

I’ve already shared both of these designs with you, but I wanted to relink you to them so that you may rate them if you have a free moment. Here they are:

holiday photo cards - M is for Married
M is for Married

I’m totally in love with diagonal stripes right now. They’re a bit preppy and vintage-y, and I love the subtle character they add to this “M is for Married” Christmas card that doubles as a wedding announcement.

holiday photo cards - Twice the Meaning
Twice the Meaning

I’m also totally in love with banners, as evidenced by the recent redesign of snippets. They’re perfect to highlight important details in a design, including a brand new baby’s name, as on this “Twice the Meaning” Christmas card that doubles as a birth announcement.

* * *

It’s ironic that the two designs selected were the two I submitted first. Although I’m sad that the rest of my designs got cut, I’m glad that at least a couple made it to the voting round, which will be open for the next five days. If you have some free time, please rate my designs by clicking on the images above, then spend a few minutes rating some of the other designs you see. You’ll be blown away by the talent of my fellow designers.

Thanks for your support!

Until next time, grace and peace.
Leslie Ann Jones, freelance writer, stationery designer, mommy, photographer

On 06.01.11 · Leave a Comment · In Design, Minted
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