Cutie Pies Custom Creations

Rainbow Name Notecards

2011-06-02T11:51:00.001-07:00

My Rainbow Name notepads are a popular item, and for some time, I have been wanting to add coordinating notecards, but its been an extremely busy year! Today is the last day of school for my older boys and I am wondering where the year went, because it really flew by. Finally made some of the rainbow notecards to use as thank yous for myself, so here they are!

Custom Watermelon Birthday Invitation

2011-04-28T18:43:00.001-07:00

This was from a recent custom order. The customer was planning a watermelon themed birthday party and wanted an invitation to coordinate. Remember that if you do not see what you are looking for, you may always contact me to inquire about a custom design—I love working on new things!

Happy 8th Birthday!

2011-03-05T10:12:00.001-08:00

Today is my oldest son’s birthday. When designing his invitations he again insisted on no pics! I think they turned out cute anyway…

Another take on owls!

2011-02-25T19:33:00.001-08:00

Recently, I worked on a custom invitation for a pink/brown owl themed 1st birthday. This is one of the options I created for the order. It combined two of my loves—owls & polka dots! You can personalize yours HERE!

New Circle Shape

2011-02-21T13:42:00.001-08:00

This year, my oldest son said NO PICS on his valentines. This is what I designed—he loves the Celtics! This is the new LUXE cardstock in the diecut circle with regular edges.

Adorable Little Valentine…& new scalloped square shape!

2011-02-10T17:57:00.001-08:00

How adorable is this little valentine? (He’s mine! ♥ ) The card is cute too…;)

This is one of the new diecut shaped cards available. This one is the 5x5 scalloped square. The edging to these gorgeous cards give your design such a luxe feel. Shown here with linen finish.

You may modify any card design or background/color combo/theme to use as a die cut card for any occasion. I will be posting pics of the regular circle and the ornate cut soon too.

New Product Spotlight: Scalloped Rectangle Cardstock

2011-01-31T18:48:00.001-08:00

Another new shape available—5x7 cardstock in your choice of finish (shown here in linen) with scalloped rectangular edge. A nice touch to plain, non-photo cards or a traditional photo card.

New Notepad Design

2010-12-08T16:47:00.001-08:00

Here is another new notepad design—great for gift-giving! Remember there are many, many designs to choose from on our site, and starting at just $6, they make a super economical gift!

Cyber Monday Specials: Time to Order TODAY!

2010-11-29T06:09:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I stayed far, far away from the shops all weekend and enjoyed my shopping savings online instead. Today, I am offering a few specials in honor of Cyber Monday…

Today Only, Receive 5 FREE holiday cards w/your holiday card order! As long as you meet the minimum of 10 cards, no coupon code is needed, your 5 additional cards will be automatically added when you order before midnight tonight.

Also, save 15% today on all orders over $20! Hurry and get your list together to place your holiday order today! To save, use the code: MONDAY

I have been receiving a lot of inquiries about timeframes for new orders. This time of year is incredibly busy for me, so turnaround time is typically a little longer b/c I have more samples to work on, but I do log a lot of hours to ensure your holiday gifts get to you on time!

Photo card samples typically run close to schedule, with sample turnaround averaging 1-3 business days, and then you will need to allow several days for printing and shipping.

Stationery orders vary based upon what items you have ordered as well as large or small your orders are and the current volume of orders. As a general guideline, I advise you to allow a week for your order to be ready to ship—this could be much less, or a little more.

Happy Shopping—only 26 days left, yikes!!!

New Gift Idea: Family Team Pads!

2010-11-28T19:01:00.001-08:00

This idea came from a custom pad on a recent order. The customer personalized a rainbow family name pad with the family’s favorite team colors! Match up with die-hards favorite NCAA or pro sports team colors—any combo can be done. Such a neat idea for a holiday gift!

I will be adding these as a separate new item this week, but until then, order yours by customizing the family name pads!

New Product: Photo Card Ornaments

2010-11-19T18:34:00.001-08:00

If you are looking for a unique option for holiday cards, check out the new holiday ornament cards! Friends and family will love receiving these cards that double as an instant ornament for them to display and enjoy. Available in a standard circle or die cut scalloped circle with ribbon tie. Other decorative shaped cards coming soon!

New Product Feature: Pink & Brown Owls Line

2010-10-16T12:44:00.001-07:00

Since I &hearts; owls, I am in love with this new set of products & can’t wait to start filling orders! These adorable products make great gifts—from babies to ladies, they are sure to be a hit! Click on the pics to buy yours.

75 Days til Christmas…

2010-10-09T14:23:00.001-07:00

I will be announcing a special soon for early bird shoppers. For now, here is a sneak peek of another holiday 2010 design soon to be added to the site!

Traditional Vs. Non-Traditional

2010-10-01T07:11:00.001-07:00

CPCC offers a wide variety of holiday card designs to choose from, so you are sure to find something to suit your tastes. I will begin adding designs from the holiday 2010 collection the first week of October. Are you a traditional colors person or do you prefer non-traditional colors and designs? (Personally, I like both!) Here is a look at a new design from the 2010 collection in both traditional and non-traditional colors:

Traditional Christmas Colors:

A Non-Traditional Twist:

Another Holiday Sneak Peek

2010-09-29T17:46:00.001-07:00

Holiday Card Sneak Peek

2010-09-25T14:12:00.001-07:00

90 days until Christmas! Still preparing for the holiday 2010 card collection debut. Here is a sneak peek of design I am loving—bright & fun, and an excellent choice to be printed on cardstock. (Also available on photo paper)

Sweet Birthday Treats

2010-09-23T13:10:00.001-07:00

Personalized notepads for your party guests make great favors!

New mod owl envelopes

2010-09-18T13:00:00.001-07:00

I love the pink owl school envelopes, but as I mentioned previously, I did not think my boys would be too thrilled to carry them in to school. So, I made some more boy-ish versions!

101 days & counting!

2010-09-14T12:00:00.001-07:00

101 days til Christmas! Why does this instantly instill a feeling of panic in me?!! I will be debuting new holiday 2010 designs throughout the month of September. Here is this first sneak peek…

As always, this design can be personalized with your own text, you can choose all black and white or all color for your photos, or incorporate ideas or colors from other designs to make it all your own.

Ladybug Customs

2010-09-12T10:46:00.001-07:00

Ladybugs are a very popular theme for little girls this year! Recently, I did a custom order for someone who was looking for a ladybug-themed invitation using a single photo. I played around with a few ideas…

This first one is an adaptation of an older design:

This design would be GORGEOUS on pearl or linen cardstock…

This design was inspired by another recent custom showcased HERE as a collage card…

Which one would you have chosen?

Custom Birthday Invitation for a Special Six Year Old…

2010-09-08T17:45:00.001-07:00

Busy week ahead here, as my middle son will be celebrating his sixth birthday on Friday—Happy Birthday Cooper! Here is a the invitation I designed for him:

Back to School Blog Tour

2010-09-06T10:38:00.001-07:00

I am participating in the Back to School Blog Tour this week, sponsored by Living My MoMent and The Work At Home Woman.

We go back to school early here, and all 3 of my boys are well into the first few weeks of the new year. My oldest son is a 3rd grader, my middle son is a 1st grader, and my youngest son is in PreK this year. In addition to running my stationery & card business from home, I returned to the classroom last year as a substitute teacher, and I work at the older boys’ school anywhere from 1-5 days/week. These past few weeks, I have had a lot of sub jobs, so its been very hectic and busy getting into the school routine while trying get 3 kids ready to go to 2 different schools and hustle out the door! (to say the least!)

When I started my business, my goal was to develop products that I would use, and I truly do! As I have posted numerous times, I could not live without my excuse pads and school envelopes. I have a few excuse pads stashed in different places because when I am subbing, I use them to let my sons’ teachers know where I will be in the building and how they are getting home. Right now, I am using the rainbow name pads, and I am working on some new designs for their envelopes to use this year.

If you are stopping by for the first time by means of the Back to School Blog Tour, I hope you enjoyed your visit—my blog is mainly a place where I showcase new products, special events, and custom designs. Please be sure to stop by my main website & poke around! I hope you will come back again! I am getting ready to do a giveaway for Facebook fans of some of my favorite back to school goodies, so be sure to fan my page.

Rainbow Name Excuse Pads, Take Two

2010-08-29T08:24:00.001-07:00

These pads are a result of a recent order in which the customer wanted a little customization on the rainbow excuse pads. She wanted to have individual pads for each child, and I suggested using a different color combination for each so that it was easy to grab the right pad quickly when needing to scribble a note to school!

Get yours HERE!

Monogram School Envelopes

2010-08-17T09:57:00.001-07:00

This was a recent custom order. These are also available in a script monogram, and in other color combos. Get yours HERE in time for back to school communication!

Vacation Bound…

2010-08-01T12:03:00.001-07:00

We are heading to the beach tomorrow morning! While I am away, the shop will be open, and customers can enjoy FREE SHIPPING. Offer expires Thursday, Aug. 5th. Use the code: shipit to save! Stay tuned for a back to school giveaway when I return….

Ladybug Birthday!

2010-07-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

The ladybug theme is a popular choice for little girls of all ages, and Cutie Pies Custom Creations has adorable invitations and stationery to compliment your theme. Choose from several invitation designs. Here is the newest ladybug themed invitation…

Dress up your envelopes with these sweet little return address labels, shown with large round goodie bag stickers…

After the party, don’t forget the thank yous! Also can be done as flat, fill-in version for older kids!

There are so many adorable ladybug party ideas available on the web. Etsy has super sweet ladybug tutus and personalized tees. Check out Kara’s Party Ideas for themed birthday party ideas and inspiration like these…

Cakes

Cupcakes

Cookie Treats—find directions on how to make these HERE…

Surfer Boy Invitation

2010-07-22T18:32:00.001-07:00

Since a lot of the recent posts have featured girly items, I figured I needed to post something boyish! Here is a recently added surfer boy birthday invitation… (also available in pink/yellow combo for girls!)

Check out our latest newsletter HERE for up to date info about upcoming specials!

Ladybug, Ladybug…

2010-07-19T17:10:00.001-07:00

This new design is now available—perfect a pink and brown spin on the ladybug theme! Make this a cardstock card and add a photo of your little lady on the back.

As always, matching labels and thank yous are available!

Green baby shower owl invite

2010-07-14T10:33:00.001-07:00

This new design is perfect for your “green” baby shower, or for a gender-neutral or baby boy shower. Modern owl is super cute and is also available in orange or blue.

New Item: Pink Owl Personalized Bag Tag

2010-07-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

Such a cute way to label your backpack, diaper bag, luggage, etc. Personalized as desired, front & back printing. Buy yours HERE!

More Cute Owls & Summer Savings!

2010-07-08T14:01:00.001-07:00

How cute are these? I want some for me, but somehow, I don't think my sons would want to carry these in to school this year... You can find them HERE though!

It's been awhile since I have posted--summer with the kids home has been busy, and I have been trying to soak up as much time with the boys while they are home as possible. ♥ I do have more new products to share with you soon, and I have a little giveaway planned as well...

This week has been super HOT around here. I missed posting a coupon code to celebrate the Fourth, so I have one for you now. Use the code "sizzle" (no quotation marks) for the rest of July to save 10% on any order over $15.

Adorable Owl Birthday Party

2010-06-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I have featured a party theme, and when I recently had a request for girly owl birthday party invitations, I just had to check in with the talented Kara to see if she had any ideas for this party theme, since I adore the whole owl theme myself!

Here are some insanely cute ideas for a girly owl themed party! As always, check out Kara's Party Blog for full details...

Shop Cutie Pies Custom Creations for your owl invitations like these:

Order some cute labels to use on your invitations & thank you cards! (I have lots of owl possibilities, so yours can be made to match your invitations.)

These cute notepads make wonderful--and useful--favors!

Finish off your theme with coordinating thank you cards---again, these can be done using any of my owls!

You can find these and other owl-inspired stationery goodies on the website!

Happy party planning :D

Custom Design: Graduation Announcement

2010-06-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

This graduation announcement was a custom order based upon the Mallary pink & green design. The customer wanted the colors to represent her daughter's school colors & few other small modifications. Remember that changes like these can often me made to create a truly customizable product to meet your needs!

Happy Memorial Day!

2010-05-31T18:12:00.000-07:00

from all of us, via 3.5 year old Parker...

Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

Raising Money for Childhood Cancer Awareness

2010-05-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that Cutie Pies Custom Creations is supporting a very special cause this month. My older two sons will be running in a 1k race to support childhood cancer research in honor of little Henry, who lost his battle last year. Henry's older sister was in Hayden's class last year, and Henry would have been in kindergarten with Cooper this year.

Our wonderful school has worked with Henry's family to organize an event to raise money for Alex's Lemonade Stand, the Foundation for Childhood Cancer, in honor of Henry. This is the 2nd annual Henry's Hustle--last year, the event was one of the top 10 fundraisers for Alex's Lemonade Stand!

My sons will be participating in the race, and are trying to raise money through sponsors to support this cause. 100% of the proceeds of the event will go to Alex's Lemonade Stand. The goal is to raise at least $5000 to help find cures for childhood cancers such as Henry's--they surpassed this last year, and I hope they raise even more this year! My heart goes out to Henry's family and other families like them who have had to endure the pain that cancer brings to a family, especially those who must watch their children fight this awful disease.

In an effort to help Hayden & Cooper raise funds, I will be donating a percentage of my May sales. A portion of the proceeds of all orders placed before May 22nd will be donated to the organization.

You can read more about the event here. To learn more about Alex's Lemonade Stand, or if you would be interested in making a tax-deductible online donation, go here. To read more about brave little Henry & his journey, go here.

Mother's Day Promotion & New Baby Design

2010-05-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

In honor of mommies everywhere, CPCC is offering 20% off all orders of $15 or more this week. Use the code 4MOMS at checkout to receive your discount.

Introducing an adorably sweet new design, currently available as a birth announcement or baptism invitation, with matching thank yous/notecards available. Look for coordinating labels and a birthday invitation with this cute theme coming soon!

Teacher Appreciation

2010-04-25T11:46:00.001-07:00

Teacher Appreciation Week is just around the corner! Show you teacher(s) they are valued with a gift of personalized stationery, and know that they will be able to put it to good use! Notepads and notecards are popular gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week. Here, the first week of May is typically reserved to honor our educators, though across the country, actual dates may vary.

Wedding Save the Date Announcments

2010-04-01T18:28:00.001-07:00

Wow, spring has arrived and its busy, busy, busy at my house! I am still teaching in my temporary full-time gig, and the boys have just started baseball season too, so the next few weeks while I am finishing up this job will be hectic---thus explaining my lack of updates to the blog this past month.

Here is a sneak peek at a recent custom order...

Polka Dot Baby Shower Invitation

2010-03-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

Cute & fun baby shower invitation is a new addition to the card line. I love the fun background on this design. This can also be done in a blue/green/brown version for boys or with a neutral color scheme.

Look Who's Here Baby Girl Birth Announcement

2010-02-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

Wow, this week went by fast! And another busy week is in store for us this week. Quick post just to share a recent addition to the birth announcement line. Have I mentioned how much I love owls lately?

Birthday Invitations - New Design!

2010-02-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

This is the design I created for my oldest son's upcoming birthday! (can't believe he is going to be SEVEN already, sigh!!)

Personalized Excuse Pad

2010-02-17T17:56:00.000-08:00

I love adding new products that sprout from a custom project! Recently I had a repeat customer who wanted to order excuse pads and asked if it would be possible to use one of the new notepad designs for an excuse pad. I hadn't thought about it until she asked, but it was for a design that I ♥ a lot and have been using myself lately. Not only did I say "yes, of course!" I quickly whipped up one for me to use too! These excuse pads have been a lifesaver for me in recent weeks because I have been working at my kids' school part-time, and I have been using these a lot.

Get yours HERE!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-13T10:59:00.000-08:00

Showcasing my 3 handsome little men... ♥ these guys! Here are their 2010 valentines.

Hayden's valentines are photo bookmarks printing on linen cardstock with the rounded corner option. Such a fun, yet functional idea for valentines!

Cooper's valentines are doublesided flat cardstock, also in the linen cardstock and with the rounded corner option. Cardstock makes it simple to personalize as they can easily write names on these.

Parker's valentines are printed on traditional photo paper.

All 3 of the boys valentine's celebrations have been postponed due to snow days, so they will be passing theirs out this week.

Hope you have a super sweet Valentine's weekend! If you'd like to shop for some sweet items, use code FEB14 for 14% off any order until Monday morning.

BURIED!

2010-02-11T11:29:00.001-08:00

I did say we got pounded with snow, right?!! My sincerest apologies to any customers who are experiencing delays with their orders. Unfortunately due to the record-breaking snow we received (40+ inches!), we have only had mail service 2 out of the last 5 days, and in addition, Fed Ex is experiencing delays all over the East coast, AND my lab has been closed due to conditions as everything in the area has been shut down. :( I am getting your packages to you just as soon as humanly possible under these conditions!

Custom Birth Announcement

2010-02-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

Life here has been nothing but sickness and snow for the last two weeks. As I posted last, we got hit with another stomach bug, and strangely, we all got round 1 and then round 2 a few days later. I feel like I need to set off a Lysol bomb in our house! Then, Friday we were right outside the hardest hit area of the "Blizzard of 2010." We got around 2 ft. of snow Friday-Saturday and are still digging out. Tomorrow we are supposed to get more snow. I am sooo ready for spring. Darn that Groundhog!

Recently, I made a set of custom birth announcements for a good friend of mine. We have been friends for 20 years and I was so excited and honored to create these for her. They wanted something that was a non-traditional richer blue, and she had loved my Christmas cards, and wanted something with a similar feel---a vintage feel damask background. I have been dying to post these, but she was on a trip to Florida and I did not want to put them online before she was able to see them in person.

She chose a linen cardstock paper with rounded corners--I think it was the perfect finish for this design. Cardstock designs are doublesided, which is a great option for birth announcements to add additional photos and/or text. You can order these announcements HERE, and I can also customize in girl colors.

More Valentines

2010-01-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

We just battled another stomach bug here--we had a stomach bug come through in November, which was followed shortly after with bad colds (which for me meant a sinus infection of course!), and now we have spend the last 2 weeks cycling through another stomach bug, ugh! I hope this is not an indicator that 2010 is going to be one of those bad years at our house where we get sick a lot!

Now is the time to get your valentine orders in! (I had planned to have my done by now but this is yet another thing the sick-bug delayed, arghh!)

Last week, I shared photo bookmarks that make great valentines--I am planning to use them for my oldest son this year. I also offer traditional photo card valentines, which are available in cardstock or photo paper. Last year, I used cardstock for ours so that the boys could write on the cards. If you do not plan to write on them, you can also order the regular photo paper cards.

I also offer postcard valentines, which are printed on a thin white cardstock and you will find many designs to choose from.

And of course, I can create seals or labels to go with your valentines.

Photo Bookmark Valentines

2010-01-22T13:01:00.000-08:00

Photo bookmarks make unique valentines, and they make wonderful keepsakes that family and friends will reuse over and over! Bookmarks are available in just about any design---I will be adding several specific Valentine bookmark designs, but can modify any other valentine card, or a photo card for another occasion, to create a custom bookmark. Non-Valentine bookmarks are also available, as these can be used year round. They make a great party favor, thank you, etc.

Cute New Notepads

2010-01-16T18:19:00.000-08:00

Wow, I cannot believe how fast the first days of 2010 have gone by! January will be over before we know it. It has been hectic around here lately. I still have not fully completed the office move, which makes it more chaotic... plus, I have been working outside the home, substituting at my older sons' school, in addition to the business, and we have had a lot of school events along with my oldest son starting basketball. I feel like I haven't had time to fully recover from the holiday craziness yet, and its already time to be thinking about the next one! (That would be Valentines--which orders are already coming in for!) I am hoping to get a handle on things this week & get a lot of the things on my way.too.long to-do list crossed off!

Today I want to feature one of my favorite new products. I had been anxious to make some of these notepads for myself as soon as I designed them. Colors can be customized to any combination you'd like.

Not yet a family? Not to worry--this looks super cute as a single name pad as well...

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish my customers a Happy New Year and extend my sincere thanks for your business this year. I look forward to working with you again in 2010! I cannot believe we are entering a new decade.

I have already begun working on adding some new designs & items for 2010, and am anxious to start getting those added.

And, just a reminder that I have limited internet access through Tuesday so I may be a little slower in responding to emails.

After Christmas Update

2009-12-29T16:41:00.000-08:00

Hope you had a nice Christmas! We had a blessed holiday. The boys are off for the rest of the week, and I am working on getting our house back in one piece while also moving my office to a different space, which has left me with limited internet access through the beginning of next week.

Merry Christmas From Our Family to Yours!

2009-12-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

I finally got my own Christmas cards finished this week, and mailed the first batch out! I was really happy with how they came out. My card is a tri-fold panel card printed on linen cardstock. The photos just do not do it justice. This paper is gorgeous, and looks so beautiful with vintage type prints. Trifold cards have 6 panels, so they are perfect to showcase lots of photos--a nice choice for birth announcements or holiday cards. I will be offering trifold cards in 2010, and can adapt any design on the side to a trifold panel design.

This is the front of the card.

Inside panel

Full inside spread

Entire outside. (the middle here is the back of the card)

WINNER!!!

2009-12-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

I just drew the winner for the 30 holiday cards, with the help of random.org.

Congrats to Peace, Love, & Applesauce, who was commenter #6 on my blog!

And... since we are getting close to holiday, rather than holding another giveaway BEFORE Christmas, I decided to choose an additional recipient! Since the first winner was a blog commenter, I drew from the Facebook entrants, and Shannon was the lucky number 2!

I have a busy week ahead--still lots of orders processing (and not too late to order!) as well as lots of baking and last minute details to attend to for the family here, so I probably won't have much to post. (I am FINALLY getting my Christmas cards this week though, so I will try to post a pic of those to share when they are done!)

Christmas Photo Card Giveaway!

2009-12-05T18:22:00.000-08:00

You would think that I would have my Christmas cards done super early... not so much! Last year, I think was my record. Mainly because the "photo session" I did with my boys when surprisingly well & I got some great "card-worthy" shots on the first try. I tend to dread the annual Christmas card photo session, because I find that most of the time when I am trying to take pictures for a very specific purpose, I am inevitably disappointed, and the boys are...well, let's just say, less than cooperative! I have not even attempted photos yet... BUT, as a disclaimer, this is partly because I had picked out some custom shirts I wanted to have done for them to wear in the photos and there have been some unexpected delays with those. I prefer to have my photos first to serve as the inspiration for my card. Anyway-- I know there are plenty of others who are in the same boat, and if so, you are in luck! I am kicking off a Christmas card giveaway this week, so maybe this is just what you need to get your cards ready to mail! To enter, just leave a comment on my blog or on Facebook telling me which design you would choose if you win! *Just be sure I can contact you via your comment, or leave your email. Good luck!!!

Shop Cutie Pies Custom Creations for perfect teacher gifts!!

2009-12-01T07:57:00.001-08:00

As many of you know, I used to be an elementary school teacher. I highly value the teachers in my childrens' lives...teachers have a huge impact on kids, and they spend a large part of the day with our bigger ones! Teaching takes a lot of patience, and a genuine love of kids, yet the job is still not often valued by the public. We have been blessed to have some wonderful teachers working with our boys.

Some of the first items I offered when I started this business were designed as ideal teacher gifts. The thought certainly always counts, but my line of teacher products provides gifts that will be put to great use!

Here are a few of my current favorite gift ideas for teachers...

I love the rainbow name pad collection. This one was designed especially for teachers/school staff with the red/green theme, but you can make yours in any color combination you'd like. The rainbow pastels & primaries work perfectly too!

These notecards make adorable gifts! Last year, my sons designed a different set for each teacher.

Stick kid stationery designs are always popular. I ♥ this design! Remember that these can be customized to suit. I like to make these cards with a quote at the bottom and name at the top. For our preschool teachers last year, for example, I personalized them with the quote "Preschool teachers love the little things in life."

Also keep in mind that you can customize other items that are not exclusively teacher products. This customer customized the Heart Message pads for her gifts, which came out so cute!

Monogrammed items are another popular teacher gift idea this year as are cute goodies like the owl stationery that work for anyone!

And, I also have cute notepads/cards for other teachers & staff too; everyone from secretaries to coaches to bus drivers!

Besides giving a gift that will be useful, these are also very affordable! Many more items available on the website. But, get your order in soon! It takes time to craft your personalized goodies and December is a very busy month here at Cutie Pies Custom Creations.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T19:16:00.000-08:00

...And, don't forget to enter the notepad giveaway by this weekend!

Some new notepad additions!

2009-11-22T18:57:00.000-08:00

Notepads are perfect for holiday gifts--they are pretty inexpensive, and there are so many different designs to choose from, its easy to find something for anyone. Here is a peek at a few recently added notepad designs:

This week, I will be giving away a notepad to one lucky Facebook Fan! Hop over & leave a comment telling me which pad you would choose (any from the notepad category!) and who it would be for for a chance to WIN!

Custom Christmas Photo Card

2009-11-19T18:30:00.001-08:00

This is a custom card I finished for a friend this week that came out so cute! I will be adding the design to the site when I have a minute.

Mini giveaway!

2009-11-16T05:54:00.000-08:00

I *think* we are through the woods with that nasty virus we dealt with all last week. To celebrate being healthy again, and also to kick off some holiday cheer, I am doing a mini-giveaway on Facebook! Winner gets to choose their favorite holiday labels or gift tags--lots of new ones have been recently added, like the ones HERE. ALL Facebook fans are automatically entered, but you can also earn some very quick & easy extra entries...

1. Leave a comment on my Facebook page this week (Each comment is an additional entry!)
2. Refer a friend who becomes a fan of my page! (Each friend is an additional entry--just shoot me an email or message via FB to let me know the name of the friend you referred!)

Stomach Bug!

2009-11-14T04:53:00.000-08:00

My kids have been battling a stomach bug since last weekend, and yesterday it finally struck me down. Unfortunately, I had no choice but to retire to my bed for the day & was unable to process questions or orders on Friday. SO, I have re-instated the 15% off discount for TODAY ONLY. You must be a current Facebook fan or newsletter subscriber, or you must sign up today & email me to let me know so that I can verify. If you did not receive the code via newsletter, simply send me an email and I will give you the code to use.

Monogrammed Goodness!

2009-11-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

These monogrammed circle cards make lovely gifts for anyone on your holiday list! Also available in other color combinations!

Also, if you missed the early bird discount deadline last night, just a little note that I have a very busy day & won't have time to expire the code until tonight....sooooo if you missed it, you still have a few hours left to take advantage! You must be a Facebook Fan or newsletter subscriber to take advantage--if you aren't, sign up today & send me an email to request the coupon code!

Happy Veteran's Day!

2009-11-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

I hope all have taken a moment today to say thanks to these very special people. I read this quote online today & wanted to share because I thought it was beautiful:

A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his or her life wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America, for the amount "up to and including my life."

Also, a quick reminder that the 15% early bird discount for newsletter and Facebook followers ends tonight. If you are not already a fan or subscriber, you can still sign up & email me to let me know to get the code!

Candy Shoppe Themed Birthday Bash

2009-11-07T13:53:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I have featured a party theme--I have so many to add--just have not had the time. This year, the candy/lollipop/candyland inspired theme has been hugely popular--such a cute party! Of course, the wonderfully talented Kara has planned the ultimate candy themed party--if you are considering this theme, you have to review her party because you are sure to get tons of great ideas!

Her full-length party description includes even more detail, so you can read her entire party post HERE for the complete lowdown. Here are some important highlights:

Party Favors:

You can see the buckets Kara used above.

There was also a little lollipop magnet in each bucket. They were actually cute little Christmas ornaments I found at Hobby Lobby last year and just snipped the ribbon off of and added a magnet to!

All of the older kids also got a candy shaped soap. For these I just made a bunch of round soaps {in different colors and with glitter in them!} and wrapped them up in shimmery cellophane and tied the ends with ribbon to look like pieces of candy. Another SUPER easy project!! I have made soaps for a couple of other parties and they are one of the easiest little crafts ever!! I promise!!

In the buckets for the girls were Starburst chapsticks and hair pretties. I found the chapstick in with the Easter goodies, but have since seen Skittles flavored chapstick in the teeny bopper make up section at Target {on an end cap}. And now the little candy hair pretties I made! I told you I am all about making things if I can!! For both types I used small styrofoam balls from the craft store. It took a little experimenting on both to figure out what worked and looked best, but once I figured it out, I managed to whip up a whole bunch! This is what I found worked best for me! On the lollipops I hot glued the stick in first. Once the glue was set up, I covered them in Mod Podge {one at a time} and then glittered away. It would probably be best to stand them in a piece of styrofoam to dry, but I didn’t happen to have an extra piece just sitting around so I was doing all sorts of crazy things to stand them up! Anyway, once they were dry, I tied on a tiny little ribbon and that was it as far as the lolly itself goes!! Once I covered the alligator clips in coordinating ribbon, I hot glued the stick onto the clip. And that’s all! From what I can tell, because of the sticks, these don’t work very well for pigtails but better as just clips! For the candy pieces, I just played around and cut little fabric squares until I got them the right size to wrap around the ball and leave some excess. I then just glued down the edge with my glue gun. After that I tied ribbon on each end and then used pinking shears to trim the edges with. Then I just hot glued them onto a matching alligator clip! Easy peasy!

The boy pails were a bit more empty since they didn’t get chapstick or hair pretties! But because we had a candy bar as well for all the kids to load up at, I didn’t worry too much about it!! I did change things up for the four kiddos under two that we had! Way back when I ordered the pencils, I only ordered twelve. And I only made twelve soaps and only had twelve straws left after my kids got into them!! So, for obvious reasons, the tiny guests didn’t get soaps, straws or pencils! Instead, they got a fun, yet practical, little lollipop treat! I actually saw these baby spoon/washcloth lollipops on a blog a long time ago. I pulled the picture off and stuck it in a folder on the computer for future reference!! I have since seen them on Etsy and admittedly went back to Etsy the night I made these to get some inspiration!! So, if you aren’t too crafty, you can certainly buy ‘em! They make cute baby gifts as well!

Alright…what I did for these was roll up two infant washcloths (contrasting colors) and then taped them at the end. I had to roll several times to get the feel for what I was doing and they never did turn out “perfect,” but with the ribbon and cellophane, nobody noticed!! Then I simply positioned a baby spoon behind the washcloths and wrapped it up in cellophane! I couldn’t figure out how to stick the washcloths to the spoon and get them to actually stay, so I didn’t bother! The cellophane was wrapped tight enough that it held everything together without a problem!

Party Games:

Bean Bag Toss

Pin the Stick on the Lolly

Candy Shoppe Bingo

Sweet Treats

Cupcake Tower

Candy Bar

Dum-Dum pop topiary

Decorations

Did I tell you it was a spectacular party or what?!! And, like I said, you can still find MORE over on Kara's Party Ideas blog.

And of course, don't forget that you can find all of your candy shoppe stationery needs here at Cutiepiescards. We have several cute candy inspired invitations & thank yous, and we can always customize to suit as well.

photo courtesy of Amy Hall.

I am being featured!!

2009-11-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

I am the featured business for November on Maryland Work At Home Mom website! Please take a minute to check out my feature HERE.

I have been adding lots of new holiday stationery (and some non-holiday goodies too) to the site. Don't forget if you are a fan on Facebook, you can get a 15% off code to use on holiday orders, but it expires on nov. 11th so you only have about a week to redeem!

Finally, my youngest son turns 3 on Saturday--I will be busy tomorrow and Saturday with his birthday preparations & festivities, so I may be a tad slower in responses these next few days.

Our November schedule is really filling up (family wise) so the sooner you can get your holiday order in, the better! By mid November I will be on a delayed holiday turnaround schedule

Letters From Santa...

2009-11-03T11:24:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a great little holiday idea, but I can't say too much, so I will just say that a friend of mine is like THIS with Santa, and she offers a cute holiday service for kids. It was a big hit at my house when we did it! You can check it out here:

trick or TREAT!!!!

2009-10-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

Have a safe & fun filled Halloween!

More Holiday Chatter - Personalized Stationery & Photo Cards

2009-10-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

I had some extra time over the rainy weekend to get more of the new designs for the holidays loaded to the website. Keep an eye on what's new as I finish getting everything added this month. If you are a newsletter subscriber, I will be sending out a holiday early bird discount soon. I am starting to feel a little panicked myself about Christmas already---as I mentioned before, I typically have all of my shopping done by now (for the most part) but I have just barely started, and at the rate that 2009 has been speeding by for me (I think EVERY month I find myself wondering where that month went!) it won't be long until Christmas is upon us! I will be out all day on Friday. I am attending a field trip with my oldest son and then we have a Halloween festivity that evening. There are so many holiday designs to choose from. I have not decided yet what I will be using for my own, though I have been working on pictures for them! I will be trying to showcase a card or two a week:

Monogram Damask Notepad - Custom Personalized Stationery

2009-10-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

How cute is this? Check out our new damask notepads, available in several designs! This would make a great gift. It's not too early to be checking off people on your holiday shopping list. I can also make labels, notecards, etc to match for a lovely set.

Custom Halloween Photo Birthday Invitation - Custom Cards & Stationery

2009-10-13T06:09:00.001-07:00

This is a custom card I designed this week for a customer who was looking for an invitation to tie into her Halloween theme, yet was still a little girly.

Holiday Designs Debut this week! Custom Photo Cards & Stationery

2009-10-07T06:41:00.001-07:00

Most of my holiday photo cards will be added this week. I already added some of the new designs, but many more to go! Remember that you can change the wording on any card to make it your own.

I will be out most of the day on Thursday, so if you try to reach me, expect a delay in response time.

Cardstock Fill in Thank Yous

2009-10-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe September has already come and gone! It was a busy, busy, BUSY month at my house. October is starting off just as insane though. In case you try to reach me this week, please know that I am running a little slower on returning emails, and will probably be for the next week or so. Next week there are a lot of events at my sons' school, and I am also feverishly trying to keep up with current orders plus finish the holiday line so I can get all of the new cards added to the site.

Today, I want to share the thank you cards I made recently for my son's birthday. He turned 5, and so he is writing his own thank yous. What I like about these is that I was able to include a group photo from the party for the guests to have as a keepsake. Then the other side has a shot of the birthday boy and the space for him to write his message. These can be personalized as much or as little as possible based on your child's age/abilities. Cooper's cards were printed on linen cardstock, which has a nice texture to it.

Handy Dandy School Envelopes

2009-09-27T11:21:00.023-07:00

Have I mentioned that these are one of my most favorite things? LOL. I use these several times a week to send in notes to the teacher, book orders, lunch money, you name it... Find them HERE.

If you are not a fan on facebook yet, now is the time to do it--giveaway coming soon exclusively for Facebook fans! Click the link over there to find us --->

Holiday Card Preview

2009-09-24T17:31:00.001-07:00

Sneak Peek of one of the new holiday card designs I have been working on...

Are you thinking about Christmas?

2009-09-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, this past week has been absolutely crazy, and not in a good way. I have had a string of bad days, and its been an adjustment getting into gear with our new fall schedule--2 out of 3 boys are playing baseball this fall, and we have practice/games 4 days a week, which is a big change to our routine. Following a holiday weekend and a birthday here, I have been struggling to get back on top of everything & into a groove. Hoping to feel more accomplished by the end of this week! I typically do all of my own Christmas shopping in Sept and early October, so that I can focus on orders during my busiest season of the year...I am lagging behind this year! I also like to debut holiday cards around the end of the month but I think I will be a tad later this time. I feel like I have been on a hamster wheel, spinning around, since school started here! I did list a few holiday stationery items. I am really liking these new gift tags, which I have a feeling will be adorning our packages this year!

Blog Hopping! Focus on Artwork

2009-09-16T05:38:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to do another Blog Hop for awhile now, as I had so much fun browsing other people's blogs, but I kept missing the boat, lol! This week's theme is sharing your artwork. Well, I have lots of my own "artwork" since my website is a creative outlet. I will share one of my newer photo card designs. Here is a sweet new birth announcement I created:

I have always enjoyed drawing and creating...as a kid I filled up dozens of notebooks with drawings and as I got a little older and got my first computer, I spent loads of time creating all kinds of dot matrix black & white projects with the original Print Shop! In college, and then as a teacher, I enjoyed creating activities with lots of graphic design & then when I became pregnant with my oldest son, now 6.5, I started scrapbooking (the good ole paper kind of scrapping!!) so my journey into designing stationery and photo cards seemed like a natural path for me. I love digital expression!

It's funny because now I have sons who fill notebook after notebook of pictures. They all love to draw, and my older two could literally spend hours at the drawing/writing table. They both love to write & illustrate books too. We have artwork displayed everywhere...so much, that this summer, I hung a wire for displaying their pictures in our playroom... Its pretty much the first thing you see when you enter our house, which may not be the ideal decor, but our home is pretty child-centered, so I guess it represents us pretty accurately! Here is a close up of their displayed work (excuse the less than stellar photography; this was a phone pic!)

And here is some of the kids recent artwork...

Monogrammed Stationery Goodies

2009-09-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

I have been working to add more new items to the website. Be sure to check out WHAT'S NEW! I still have a lot of samples to catch up on getting added to the online inventory, and before too long it will be time to debut Holiday designs!

Here's a look at some new monogrammed stationery items. These are so versatile! I have customers purchasing these for gifts a lot, and they are perfect for all ages. This particular line is shown in a popular pink & lime green color combination with accents in brown, but these may be customized with any set of colors that suits your fancy!

Address labels:

Personalized Notepad:

Personalized Notecards/Thank Yous:

Calling Cards/Business Cards:

Updates this week

2009-09-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

This week is a busy week in my home...we have a birthday, and I am working outside the home a few days, not to mention coming off a holiday weekend! Response time may be a bit delayed, and samples will likely take an extra day or two to complete...please keep this in mind if you place an order.

In honor of my son's birthday, you can use the code COOPER10 all week to save 10% on your order! This weekend, I spent a lot of time adding many new items to the website, so be sure to take a peek.

Here is one of the new items added... Fill in thank you notes are perfect for children to use to write their own thank yous...these are fully customizable, and you can leave as much or as little text as you'd like. They are also available in many designs. This is a cardstock option, but they are also available in press printed papers.

It's A Circus! Party theme & Stationery

2009-09-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

Another theme that has become very popular for birthday celebrations is the circus theme--what fun!! Kara from Kara's Party Ideas planned an AMAZING circus party...here is an excerpt from Kara... (check out her blog more even MORE details!!!) I am sooo envious of this party...it must have been a HUGE hit for the guests!

{most photo's are courtesy of my amazing photographer, Lyndsey @ seenboxphotography.com. She did SUCH an awesome job! it was SO hard to pick out my favorites. that's why this post is so long!}

the balloon arch we made for the front yard... the walkway leading to the BIG TOP circus...

open the curtains and......let the fun begin!

here's the party favors each child was given as they walked through the 'door'... the boxes had tickets {that they used at the game booths} and fun circus items inside...i made/painted the ticket booth...it used to be a plain wooden puppet stage!
i bought this cute circus spinning shelf on amazon.com. the brand is guidecraft. there's a whole bedroom collection that matches... i wanted it all!

{i made their birthday shirts out of circus fabric pieces}...
a view of the party from up above...

i took this picture from our upstairs window...the cupcake table inside the tent...

i put some of the cupcakes on a cardboard circus scene {found online}...

we served hot dogs, chips, lemonade, and sugar sugar sugar! notice the cups...they're cute circus animal noses as well as matching 'welcome to the circus' cups...
some of the items on the dessert table... the clown cupcakes i made...

i found the cute clown heads and clown shoes online. they made the cupcakes so adorable!...
the plates and napkins looked like this... a cute lemonade cart i found on ebay...

i put carnival candy {carousel twists, circus peanuts, animal crackers, gummy popcorn} and fireworks in plastic

big top hats turned upside down.... here's my snow cone cupcakes and popcorn cupcakes!

i wanted to serve snow cones at the party but didn't want the work and mess. so after brainstorming one night, i came up with these! fun, huh?!

i made the popcorn cupcake sleeves out of cardboard popcorn boxes...and then attached a popcorn label to the front. the 'popcorn' is marshmallows {i cut an x into each marshmallow with kitchen sheers} sprayed lightly with yellow food coloring spray...

and here's the cake i made {more detailed pics below}. since this party was suppose to be last week {we got rained out BIG TIME and had to cancel/postpone it a week} the bottom part of the cake was kinda hammered. i re-made the top part though. i made the fun happy birthday banner in photoshop {the paper was a mix of adorable circus paper}...

you can also see the napkins/napkin rings

i made out of tickets {got the idea from hwtm}...

and the cake stand..it's a tub that i painted to look like a circus elephant step! i got the idea from one of my followers, briattany {perfect harmony}. thanks brittany!...

the dessert table...

the food tables...

the circus canopy table...

i bought the canopy and matching fabric {that i sewed into tablecloths} at ikea...

and, one of my favorite parts of the whole party....the photo booth {i made it out of painted cardboard, polka dot fabric, and small chairs}!... the clown bibs i had out for the little ones...
i made the centerpieces out of plastic popcorn containers, glittery batons, balloon suckers, swirly lollipops, circus peanuts,

and ceramic circus figures...
i also had ceramic circus train cars and

metal noise makers out on the tables...

the gumball ferris wheel... guess what this is suppose to be...a bird feeder! i found it on ebay and about died because it was so cute {don't worry, it has NEVER been used as a bird feeder..it was brand new}!... we rented a clown {joy-geous} to do face painting and balloon animals. she was GREAT!...

we also rented a popcorn machine. the air smelled SO GOOD with this baby going...

the fun circus photo op...
the cardboard megaphones...

the candy table...

i made all the candy labels & lollipop stickers in photoshop {they matched the invitation}...
the booths...

i bought the games all over...the party store, oriental trading,

amazon, hobby lobby...wherever i could find them!

i made the poles out of pvc pipe and ribbon, and stuck them in the ground with rebar {i've come to LOVE pvc..i used it for so many things for this party}. they won goldfish soap at the goldfish toss {i made the soap out of glycerine, scented oil, and plastic goldfish, and small plastic bags!}.

the kids won tickets at each booth to redeem for

prizes and cotton candy! here's a few pics of some of the prizes...
circus tattoo's....

circus frog tic tac toe & an elephant toss...

here's the circus blanket i found at target.com...

i set it out on the lawn for people to sit on...
we filled our bounce house full of beach balls. the kids loved jumping with them. a bouce house is always a hit... you just can't have a circus/carnival without cotton candy

{the cotton candy was ordered online,

and the labels were made by me}...
.zoltar the fortune teller...

i bought this circus tent on orientaltrading.com {along with a lot of other circus items}. we put all the gifts underneath it...

a cute circus top {that i found on amazon.com}, the metal noise makers i was talking about earlier, and a bunch of balloons :)...

a project for the kids to make and take home... my make shift ball pit {i found the child awning at dan's!}... some of the circus crowd {you should have seen our lawn afterwards. hehe}!...
the body boppers...

the kids LOVED these things!...

here's the birthday tins i passed out at the end of the party. they had little rainbow candies inside...
Of course, Cutie Pies Custom Creations offers adorable circus themed stationery to make your party complete... Here are some invitation options...

Big Top invitation can also be modified to include a photo if desired.

Colorful primary dots circus photo invitation

Have your child practice good etiquette with these matching fill-in thank yous, which may be fully customized. Add a photo from the party for a unique guest keepsake!!

New Hot Pink & Teal Damask Calling Card

2009-09-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

Chic new calling card design! Hot pink & blue damask pattern accented with brown. Calling cards can be used for so many purposes, and personalized just for you! Customize with basic contact info ...advertise your small business or blog...the possibilities are endless. Most any photo card design or background can also be used or modified to create a custom calling card, so there are tons of design possibilities as well. Add a photo or a quote/verse, or choose rounded corners for a sleek look.

New Baby Girl Announcement Designs

2009-09-01T13:01:00.001-07:00

I have been feeling inspired by my new baby niece, born last week! Here is a peek at some new super sweet girl birth announcements. Natalie design with chic pink & white damask pattern accented with a rich brown.

Stella Faith is a contemporary design featuring a collage of photos on a pink, sage, & brown combination.

Vintage Damask Brown & Blue Birth Announcement

2009-08-29T08:58:00.001-07:00

Isaac birth announcement design on a blue vintage background accented with rich brown in the unique square 5x5 card. Looks especially beautiful on linen cardstock paper.

Bright & Fun Birthday Invitation

2009-08-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

New birthday invitation! I designed these for my middle son's upcoming 5th birthday.

We have a winner!

2009-08-24T10:20:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in our Back to School package giveaway! The winner is...

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2009-08-24 17:12:03 UTC

Congrats to Barefoot Mommies! Looking forward to working w/you to personalize your goodies.

Pink & Brown Baby Shower Feature

2009-08-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

Bet you couldn't guess I love the pink & brown color combination? I am not the only one though! It is the most popular choice from my customers for baby stationery, and the top choice for girl birthday invitation as well. Today, I would like to share some brilliant ideas for incorporating one of my favorite color combinations into a baby shower celebration.

This party feature is courtesty of the ridiculously talented Kara from Kara's Party Ideas:

i had A LOT of fun planning this shower for my sister in law. lanterns, cupcakes, party favors, mini candy bars, balloons, pink & brown..so cute. here's a closer look at the diaper cake i made. i used newborn and size 1 diapers & tied brown & pink polka dot ribbon around each of the four tiers to hold the diapers together...i also tied a sheer pink ribbon on top of the brown ribbon & added a pink bow on top of each brown bow. i used pink paper grass as frosting :), and put the whole thing on a pizza pan for easy carrying.

the little booties i put on top of the cake were adorable. you can also see the stickers that i put in the center of each bow (i also used the stickers for the party favors)...

jessica loves penguins so i made these penguin cupcakes. the liners were brown with white polka dots (they matched the candy bars and the party favors etc). the penguins are made out of keebler chocolate lovers cookies, tic tacs, and bubble gum tape (cut into triangles for the beaks). i also stuck heart pics (which also matched the theme) into each cupcake...

i found some cute little candy bar wrappers (martha stewart collection) that i wrapped around mini candy bars...they tied everything together...

i froze small plastic babies in ice cubes. we played a game where everyone had to 'break the water' & 'deliver' their baby. first to do it won the prize...

these party favors were actually bought in the wedding shower section (along with the candy bar wrappers above). they matched the pink and brown theme so well though that i just had to use them :). i changed them a bit & they worked great! i found little polka dot baby tags that i tied onto each one with some pink ribbon. each little bag also had velcro that attached the pink heart to the bag to shut it...

i put a small round tin filled with pink & white mints in each little bag. i found some cute 'it's a girl' stickers that i put on the front of the tins...

You can find a variety of invitation & thank you options on the website to tie in with this theme.
Here are a few invitations that I love in the pink & brown theme:

Thanks so much to Kara for allowing me to share her ideas with you! I have more parties to share in the works. In the meantime, visit her blog for more inspiration!

I SURVIVED!

2009-08-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school here, and I had to send off my middle son to kindergarten with his older brother going into 2nd grade. It was a tough day for me...as a mom, you wrestle with the conflicting feelings of being so proud of them for growing up and becoming more independent, yet wanting to hold on to them extra tight because they are growing up so fast! So, I was a bit of a basketcase on the inside today. It was hard sending my oldest to kindergarten, and almost as hard the second time around. (The only part that made it "almost" as hard was knowing his big brother would be there to help him get off the bus at the right spot!)

The whole day was bittersweet..starting with big brother doling out advice about school and explaining how things work from the time they got up til they hopped out of the van and he took Cooper's hand and walked him in! (If that didn't make my heart melt!) Then, when I loaded the pics from my camera I marveled at just how grown up my oldest looked. He is only 6.5 but looked every bit like a 2nd grader today. Seeing Cooper bounce right out of the car and be guided into school by his big brother without even a glance back... And then, spending the day with only my youngest, who suddenly seemed all grown up too, wanting to clear the breakfast dishes and clean up his toys without being asked. He asked about his brothers all day and kept saying he wanted to go to school too. When I put him down for his nap, I told him we would get his brothers when he got up, and as soon as I peeked in on him after naptime, he immediately said he wanted to go get Hayden & Cooper. Awww...

The big boys both had a great day, and my new kindergartner declared that he LOVED school as he bounded off the bus with a HUGE smile on his face!

Here they are getting ready to leave for the big day:

I hope your first day is as smooth as ours was! Don't forget, there are just 2 more days to enter our Back to School giveaway, and you can still earn extra entries!

Gorgeous new folded thank yous--SNEAK PEEK!

2009-08-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

I made these for a gift for a family wedding recently, and &hearts how they turned out! (I want a set for myself! :) )

They are printed on beautiful linen finish cardstock, which was absolutely perfect for this design. I am hoping to have them added this week to the website.

Don't forget to enter our Back to school giveaway this week for some great organizational tools. I am actually making my own today with the boys new school info to prepare at our house.

Back to School GIVEAWAY!

2009-08-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

If you read our last post or our most recent newsletter, you may have gotten some ideas for how Cutie Pies Custom Creations can help you stay organized this school year! Now, I would like to offer you a chance to win some of these great items! This is a great package deal for anyone w/school age children. Here is what you can win:

10 personalized school envelopes
Your choice of a personalized school excuse pad or mommy notepad
1 sheet of name or book labels

How do you enter? Follow these simple guidelines:

INITIAL ENTRY (Mandatory!):

Post a comment below to enter!

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES (Optional) You many do as many of these as you'd like, but each may be done only once, with the exception of #5. Post a comment below to tell me about it each time, and include a link if applicable. If you are already a subscriber/follower/etc. just leave a comment noting so.

Become a fan on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Become a follower of this blog
Subscribe to our newsletter
Tweet about this giveaway! *You may tweet as often as once a day for additional entries for each tweet*
Blog about this giveaway

That's it! Good luck! This giveaway will close on Friday, August 21st at midnight EST.

Back to School with Cutie Pies Custom Creations helpful stationery products!

2009-08-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

Summer always does seem to fly by, at least at my house! My boys head back in just over 2 weeks, which will be here before we know it. We have been stocking up on school supplies & getting geared up. Next week, I will be working on making up new school stationery products to keep my own family organized this school year.

One of my favorite tools are the school envelopes, which I personalize for each of my boys to transport those important notes, permission slips, money, etc. to school in. The possibilities for personalizing these are vast--you can modify the text/choices to fit your needs, and there are so many graphic choices available as well.

I also love to use several personalized notepads for school communication. I use THESE to send notes into my sons' teachers. I personalize with my contact info so that the teacher can easily respond via email/phone if needed. I also keep a school excuse pad handy, which makes for less work if they are returning to school after an illness, or need to be picked up for an appointment, etc.

My boys pack their lunch pretty often, and I like to include a note in their lunchbox to let them know I am thinking about them. My oldest son really looked forward to these when he started kindergarten and was in school all day for the first time. I use a special Mommy notepad for lunchbox notes.

Another thing I will be working on to prepare for school at my house is new bag tags for the kids' backpacks. I also use them on lunchboxes & sports bags. Again, these may be personalized with as much or as little info as you need to include.

I have hit the sales to stock up on school supplies already, and to label all of our items, I use THESE. Some of the stickers, I print with names only, but they can be customized with hundreds of graphic choices.

My business truly is based on products that I use myself. As a former teacher, I am all about being completely organized for school, and these items make that easier for me as a busy mom of 3 young boys...I must say my least favorite part of the school year is the frenzied mornings of getting everyone dressed, fed, & ready to go out the door! I keep my school stationery products in a special spot so they are handy and accesible. I hope you'll check out the website to see what you could use to make your school year run a little bit smoother this year!

VacationTime

2009-08-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

Just a note that the business is taking a vacation from August 3rd thru 6th. You are still welcome to place orders during this time, but there will be a delay in processing during these dates. Thanks for your understanding!

Pinkalicious Themed Birthday Party

2009-07-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

I am working on a new feature for my website to aid customers in their party planning! I will be adding resources from a variety of sources as a wealth of ideas for your themed-event. Very excited about this, as its been in the works for quite some time, but taking a lot of time to get underway.

This first idea comes to you courtesy of Jadi from the Homemaking Fun blog! I am so thrilled to be able to include this, as her party centers around one of my middle son's favorite books, Pinkalicious (yes you read that right!) This theme has been gaining popularity and I have previously featured an invitation for this theme on my blog. The book is adorable---and you should also check out Purplicious & Goldicious by the same authors.

Read on to see Jadi's great ideas for hosting a Pinkalicious themed party...

I was inspired by this book. I love the color pink and thought it would be fun to host a pink themed play date for my daughter and her friends. I started out by reading this book to the girls.

After I read the book the girls made necklaces out of pink beads and then colored pinkalicous pictures that I printed from Elizabeth Kann's website. Click HERE to go to her site to print the pictures and get other pinkalicious activity ideas. I also made pink play dough that I sent home with the girls. Click HERE for my favorite play dough recipe.

For the refreshments I served pink cupcakes, pink frosted sugar cookies, pink wafer cookies, pink whopper candies and pink lemonade. I also added some grapes and strawberries to have something healthy. :)

Here is a close up of the refreshments.

I hot glued paper cups to the bottom of paper plates to make pink serving platters for the refreshments. I saw this idea in a Martha Stewart magazine for kids parties. They suggested putting a big rock or something heavy inside of the cups to help keep the platters balanced.

I hung lots of balloons from the ceiling and tied white tulle to the tops of them for the decorations.

A picture of the guests dressed in pink.

The guests took home a pink bag with pink treats and a container of pink play dough.

And of course, Cutie Pies Custom Creations has adorable stationery to complete your Pinkalicious party ;) Invite your guests to your Pinkalicious themed party with THIS adorable invitation!

And this sweet cupcake folded card makes the perfect thank you to compliment this party theme.

If you have any additional ideas to add, or would like to share your party in one of our features, leave a comment below or email me! Once again, thanks to Jadi for permitting me to include her party ideas for Pinkalicious! Visit her blog for tons of other party/celebration & general kids/family ideas. Stay tuned for more wonderful party ideas.

Bright Double Birthday Invitation

2009-07-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

Another custom creation! This customer was looking for a double birthday invitation, and also wanted to use bright, fun summer colors. This design can easily be modified for a single birthday as well.

Bright & Fun First Birthday Invitation

2009-07-22T10:51:00.001-07:00

Another recent custom design for a customer who wanted to highlight multiple photos of her birthday girl over her first year, and was looking for bright colors perfect for her summer birthday celebration. I am loving these colors together! You can purchase this design here.

Custom Lollipop Birthday Invitation

2009-07-19T11:47:00.001-07:00

I have had several requests lately for lollipop/candy/ice cream themed birthday stationery--what cute themes! My youngest son's birthday is in early November, which makes it a hard one to celebrate...I am usually knee-deep in holiday orders, and last year we kept his birthday really small and low-key. He is turning 3 this year, and he LOVES lollipops, so I am keeping this theme in mind for his birthday.

Here is one of my favorite designs that I came up with for a girly-lollipop themed party.

Custom Punk Rock Baby Shower Invitation

2009-07-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun creating this custom baby shower invitation. The customer wanted a punk rock theme & I love how this came together!

We have a winner!

2009-07-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

8

Timestamp: 2009-07-14 18:54:33 UTC

This means, the winner of the $50 gift certificate from our Facebook giveaway is...........

Kristin!

Congrats!!! If you are not already a fan of Cutie Pies Custom Creations on Facebook, you need to be. I will be doing more giveaways for Facebook fans as our page grows!

Featured Birthday Invitation: Jungle Zoo Themed Party

2009-07-11T05:41:00.001-07:00

This design was a custom job for a customer who wanted a jungle/zoo themed invitation and also wanted to use a variety of photos. This invitation works great for a monkey theme, or jungle, zoo, or safari theme. Additional jungle animals may be added as well to enhance the design. There are many ways a card can be customized!

Here is another monkey invitation that uses a single photo. This design may also be customized to suit!

Don't forget, we are giving away a $50 gift certificate to one lucky Facebook fan! You could have your next set of birthday invitations, or your birth announcements made for free! Or, splurge on some fun stationery for yourself! All you need to do is visit our Facebook page and become a fan. Hurry though, because the deadline is tonight.

Blog Hop Introduction

2009-07-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm Jennifer, owner/designer of Cutie Pies Custom Creations, and this is my first blog hop! I am a mom to 3 boys, and my business was born as a way to supplement our household income when I left my teaching career to stay at home. I offer invitations, birth announcements, thank yous, and all kinds of stationery. My family lives on a budget, and it is important to me to offer products that are both adorable & affordable! My blog in an extension of my business, where I like to post special promotions, feature new products, and occasionally give a more personal peek into my life. While you are here, please be sure to scroll down for a link to our new Facebook page--by becoming a fan this week, you will be entered into a giveaway for a $50 gift certificate to spend as you please on my website! Use it for your next birthday celebration, to announce a new baby or save it for your holiday cards!