BTA Designs

Here is  a fun, yet simple Year in Review card.   Holiday Card #4: Version 1 Keep it simple with a single photo, brief highlights (5 or less words), and a paragraph for your favorite memory of the past year. Holiday Card #4: Version 2 Choose your own colors, traditional Christmas colors, or choose colors to match your photo. Holiday Card #4: Version 3 If you don't love the graphics used, ask for something different. I have a variety to choose from. Holiday Card #4: Version 4 These customers wanted to announce that they were adopting. We changed the layout a little bit to include their state graphic, life in numbers, and a brief bio. Holiday Card #4: Version 5 Most of my designs can have more (or less) photos than shown. These customers chose to have 3 photos, and they also wanted to show of  where they traveled, and used the country flags instead of a map. I love when you have ideas I have thought of yet! I have the most creative custo...

Holiday Card #3 was one of the very first ones I sold, and I love it! I love the back that shows off fun pictures throughout the year, and the infographic side has so many options available. I love creating this one!   Holiday Card #3: Version 1 I've always been a fan of lime green, and it is perfect for this Card. I'm also obsessed with instagram, so what better way to show off some of those pictures than on the back of this card. Show off your top highlights, where you call home, some of your favorite places, about each family member, how long you've been married, and your year in numbers. Holiday Card #3: Version 2 If you're looking for a not-so-traditional Christmas colors, this blue and red is perfect. Use a different font, and change the sections up just a bit. Holiday Card #3: Version 4 Yellow and Navy are always fun colors. These guys included a map of their travels in this design. Holiday Card #3: Version 3 A different vari...

The Holiday Season is slowly creeping upon us, so I wanted to share with you some of my favorite variations of the first holiday card I designed. (You'll notice, however, that it is not #1 but #2. Let's just say I have a folder full of ones that I started, and haven't completed!) Holiday Card #2: Version 1 This color scheme has been one of the more popular schemes. A nice mint-ish green and greys.  Holiday Card #2: Version2 A different color scheme, with a bit more information for each family member, plus a space for their beloved pet. Remember, though, the more words in the description there is, the smaller the type will be. Holiday Card #2: Version3 This is one of my favorite designs from 2014. I love the red and gold color scheme they chose. The map is outlined in the gold, and they chose to list their highlights, instead of put them in paragraph form. I also love that they chose to use their Holiday card as a pregnancy announcement. Holiday Car...

Whether you're ordering for Christmas cards, or for any type of party, it will make everything less stressful if you plan ahead of time, and order early! Now, this doesn't mean that the designer won't be able to help you, if the party is next week, and you need the invitation yesterday, but it is going to be a lot less stress for both you and the designer if you plan ahead. While party invitations are a little more time sensitive, if you're late to the game ordering your holiday cards, it's okay! I feel like the holidays extend through January, and no one will judge you if they don't receive your card prior to Christmas. If you're really late, change it to a New Years' card. Those, in my opinion, are acceptable through March. Your friends and family just want to see your pictures and what you have been up to. They don't care when they get it. So, take a breath, it will all be okay. If you have all the information that you'd like on the card, ...

What is bleed and trim, and why is it important? (If you want to skip all the words to the end for the actual tip, that's just fine too!) One of the biggest issues I have run into over the past 2 years of having my Etsy Shop, is not knowing before I start designing what the print guidelines will be. It can be pretty frustrating on both ends to go and upload to the digital file to the printer, only to learn that they require bleed, or some other special guideline! Now you may hear this often, but not know what it is. In fact, I didn't know what it was for a long time. So here is a good definition of what it is: Bleed is the industry term for any color or image that goes right to the edge of the paper. What actually happens is that the picture or other graphic extends 1/8" (.125") beyond the edge of the page and that excess image or color is then cut off as a part of the bindery or finishing process. Is your head spinning? Simply put, if you want a 5x7 car...