Free Printable Valentines: DIY Smarties Love Bug Cards

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.

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.

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!

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

THE SMALL PRINT: You may not accept credit for the design of this card or sell it to anyone. Leslie Ann Jones 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!

Check Out More Freebies

You can find more free printables, including this You're a Real Gem Valentine, in the freebies section of leslieannjones.com. Happy Printing!

Until next time, grace and peace.

Minted: Quickfire Children's Stationery Challenge

I've been so absorbed in custom projects over the past couple of months that I haven't had any time to devote to the latest Minted challenges. That, my friends, made me a very sad designer. Thankfully, I had some free time on my hands this weekend, and I was able to enter my first Minted challenge in a couple of months. The assignment? Children's stationery.

Here are my entries.

Washi Sorbet

I've recently developed a love affair with washi tape. I use it when I package orders from senojal designs, and it definitely inspired this sweet 'Washi Sorbet' stationery.

Vintage Holla

Every time I see this design, I snicker a little bit. I realize that it's not for everyone, but if you're up for a quirky and fun way to shout out to your friends, my Vintage Holla stationery is for you. What little guy forced into writing thank you notes wouldn't want to use such funky paper?

Preppy Little Note

If this design looks familiar to you, it's because it's reminiscent of my blog design, which translates very well into stationery. Preppy Little Note is a sweet and simple design that's perfect for penning a note to a friend or writing a thank you note.

Picnics and Pinwheels

And finally, Picnics and Pinwheels is a spin-off design from the little lady's impending birthday party, which you'll hear more about later. These notes feature picnic-inspired patterns and colors (hello red gingham) and are classic and modern all at the same time.

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If you have some free time this week, please rate my designs by clicking on the images above, then spend a few minutes rating some of the other designs you see {your votes won’t count if you only vote for me}. You’ll be blown away by the talent of my fellow designers.

Thanks for your support!

Until next time, grace and peace.

Minted: The Sending Good Cheer Challenge

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. 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:

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.

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.

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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.