Oh how the time does fly! My life has had some exciting changes lately, starting with this little guy:

I gave birth to my first son, Riley Roger, back in late October. I was truly blessed with a great pregnancy and easy delivery (even though he was 12 days past due!). For the past five months, my husband and I have been in constant awe of life’s greatest miracle. He truly is a blessing to us and we couldn’t be happier.

I am still learning how to juggle a newborn, a day job, and my aspiring career as an invitation designer. Although my “free time” has drastically diminished, I am still very much committed to Twin Sisters and the work I provide to clients. I appreciate everyone’s patience while I work through all of this.

With that being said, I am very excited to announce that I have taken a big financial step in furthering my Twin Sisters ambition. A recent investment will allow me to produce a new line of pocket invitations in house. This means more design options for my clients at friendly prices!

I have been blessed to work with some very nice clients over the past few months and I hope to have their creations posted here for all to see sometime soon. If you or someone you know has an invitation need, please feel free to contact me at jillfmiller@hotmail.com.

Pretty Pink Baptism Invitation

Here I created a very simple baptism invitation for my newest niece. Using Stardream Rose card stock as the base, I added a text layer in a creamy white that had a bit of texture to it. Since the layout is so simple, the texture helped to add some dimension to the invitation. I used a digital stamp to add a bit of flourish to the corner and rounded the whole thing off with a heavenly quote at the top. She was born almost two months ago, on my birthday! If my baby is a girl, I wish them to be the best of friends! Isnt she sweet?

Monkey See Monkey Do

Monkeys are very popular these days for everything from room decor to party themes. I recently designed this very simple monkey birthday invitation using Stardream cardstock in Fairway Green as the base and layered the text with light blue. A fun monkey embellishment gives the invitation its theme while keeping the look clean and simple. I really love Stardream cardstock, it has a very nice shimmer to it. Thanks for "swingin" by!

Outdoor Shabby Pink Baby Shower

A couple of weeks ago, I aided in hosting a baby shower for a new mommy-to-be. Knowing that the upcoming bundle of joy is to be a girl, we pulled out all the pinks and threw her an outdoor shabby baby shower. I sincerely wish I had more time to devote to this sort of thing because it really was a lot of fun to plan!

We started with a large back yard, added a few white tents, some shabby décor and fresh flowers. What we didn’t count on but received anyway, was lots of rain and really bad hair! We didn’t let the rain spoil the day; we counted it as good luck instead…just like rain on a wedding day. Prior to the shower, I began “researching” ideas, like I do for most all of my projects. Fabric bunting banners are very popular right now and come in a multitude of themes and styles. I thought they would be a nice shabby addition to the shower and they looked simple enough to make. In another post, I’ll show you just how easy they are! Another décor element that punched up the color factor were tissue paper pom-poms. Talk about inexpensive and easy! There are a multitude of resources out on the web on how to make these. I definitely suggest giving them a try for your next party…or even just for the fun of it! We had a simple brunch menu catered by a local friend that consisted of warm chicken salad, broccoli salad, fresh fruit, and muffins. Lovely choices for a warm, rainy, late morning baby shower. An interesting aspect to the menu wasn’t just the food but what the food was served on. An idea I had been dying to use for quite some time and look forward to building upon in the future. Mismatched china in a wonderful array of shabby patterns and colors! The town I live in has three Goodwill stores and I scoured each and every one of them to find enough dishes to use for the shower. I not only came across steals but some very lovely pieces as well. I think I could have gone hog-wild picking out shabby plates, glasses, and other table pieces of the sort. Fortunately for my pocket book, I was seven months pregnant and unable to carry too many fragile, heavy dishes. Vintage cloth napkins in varrying pink patterns were also used to add color to the tables and give a shabby appeal. I had a friend of mine arrange the flowers using white porcelain vases and pitchers which were actually left over from my own wedding reception. I love these vases and any excuse that allows me to use them! I think any flower color looks nice against fresh white porcelain, especially pink shabby ones! We also had light music playing in the background, which you obviously cant "see" in the pictures. I love mood music, it helps to set the tone to whatever type of gathering you're hosting. But all the sights and sounds dont hold a candle to the wonderful feeling of love that surrounds a new mother-to-be. For all those that gather in her honor, are truly a blessing!

Champagne Bridal Shower Invitation

Business has been quite busy here at Twin Sisters! A project I completed recently was an order for bridal shower invitations. The bride-to-be's wedding colors are champagne and white...it is an early winter wedding. There is something about the simplicity of various forms of white that I find breathtaking, especially during the early winter months.

The requirements were fairly simple, champagne and white invites that gave the indication of an upscale, luxe event. Fun! I was simply excited to work on something that wasnt pink, so imagine my giddiness when I was able to incorporate dazzling rhinestone buckles and fluffy white feathers! Unfortunately, the shimmery cardstock and white feathers do not show up well in the photo, but the end result was fantastic. A matching shimmery envelope completed the look.

Black & Fuchsia Bridesmaid Cards

Ahhhh, wedding season! I love weddings and all of the details that go into them. So I was super excited when someone came across my blog and asked me to make her some bridesmaid cards…a way for her to ask her friends to be in the wedding.

Establishing a wedding party is one of the first big steps in the planning process so I wanted to give this bride-to-be something that was unique and personal. Her colors were fuchsia and black and she was considering using orchids in her wedding. So I came up with this card: The design is a standard A2 size but it’s a pocket instead of a folded card so I was able to slip in a printed note, personalized for each attendant. The card reads "On my wedding day, I will need you more than ever. Please be my Maid of Honor now.... and my friend forever.

Fuchsia is so striking against jet black but it’s really the silk orchid that gives this bridesmaid card its distinctive style. Such a lovely way to ask someone to be a part of your special day, don’t you think?

Black and Fuchsia Wedding Invitations

I was excited to be able to offer this particular bride-to-be some very budget friendly invitations. Initially, she had picked out some basic white invitations because they were some of the least expensive ones she could find. I firmly believe that an invitation sets the tone for your event, giving your guests an idea of what to expect. Plain white is not what these guests can expect at this wedding. I set out to not only save her money but get more color for her buck.


I created a simple flat card for the invitation then included a reception and response card that were banded together with coordinating pattern paper. The reception card gave logistic information and details about hotel rooms for the evening. The response cards contain the RSVP information on one side and mailing address on the reverse, allowing them to be stamped (at a lesser postage rate) and dropped in the mail without an envelope. By eliminating the traditional inner envelope and opting to use a postcard for the RSVP, the bride was able to save quite a bit of money on this set. For 200 invitations, they were less than $1 for each set!

Princess Birthday Invitations

I have really enjoyed my little invitation business, especially when I get to see project come full circle. It started with her shabby couture birth announcements in black and pink, then her baptism invitations in pink and cream, and now it's princess birthday invitations.

Isabella's mommy said she needed some first birthday invites in a princess theme...except the princess should not be too princessy or "white trash." Come on, we all know the look we're NOT going for here right?! She sent me this picture of a bedding set that she liked and asked for something similar in an invitation.

I knew exactly the look she was going for, I just wasn't sure that I would be able to find it. I scoured the web for princess themes and imagine my surprise when I found this paper by Imaginsce called Back By Midnight!

I couldn't believe my luck, it's like the two were made for each other! I headed into the big city to pick up my slightly glittered but perfectly princess paper and other supplies. I wanted the paper the be the focal point so I kept it simple by matting it with pear colored card stock and set it atop a shimmery rose scallop flat card. Light brown inking around the edges and some pink rhinestones in each corner completed the look.
The flip side of the invitation contains all the the party details printed on creamy card stock, complimentary to the creamy background on the front. Rhinestones are again used to anchor the wording to the scallop card.

The shimmery rose scallop card was accompanied by a matching envelope. An envelope I just couldn't leave plain! It was mentioned that little frog princes might be used at the party so when I spotted this little stamp, I thought it would be perfectly suited on envelope seals.

Avery makes some full sheet sized labels that were perfect for this project. They come in white so I simply created a green color in Word to match the invites, and printed it out on the sheets. Then, using my Nestibilities dies, I cut out scallop squares, stamped them with my frog prince, then inked the edges with a soft brown. Very simple and convenient!

These invitations fit the theme like a glass slipper!

Fuchisa and Black Bridal Shower Invitations

I've just completed an order of bridal shower invitations. The only requests were to use black and fuchsia, the bride's wedding colors, and this little bride's dress cut-out. So I came up with a simple, double sided, flat front card.

I started by adding some black and white pattern paper to the front of the black card base. Next, was a black matted layer of fuchsia (technically raspberry) that held the dress cut out. I decided to leave the squiggles in tact with the dress, otherwise, it looked like the dress had been chewed by moths! I tied a coordinating ribbon around the waist of the dress and adhered a small pearl in the center. The edges of the dress are also slightly inked with a wheat chalk ink for added dimension but its darn near impossible to see in the photos.Below the dress I added a second matted layer of fuchsia to anchor the words "It started with a kiss and now it's come to this!" The flip side of the card carries all of the details for the shower, matted of course, by a layer of fuchsia.

What I especially like is the addition of the little flourish (DB Dainty Swirls), used here to separate the event's details from the registry information. It coordinated so well with the pattern paper!

With bright fuchsia envelopes, these trendy bridal shower invitations are sure to arrive in style!

Nautical Thank You From Baby

I mentioned in my previous post that I was working on some nautical themed baby shower items for my sister-in-law. Today Id like to share a thank you note that reads from the baby. I used all of the same supplies from the nautical baby shower invitations and put together a simple card that can be placed along side the centerpiece of each table.

I added some simple aqua pearls to the corners and let the rest of the thank you speak for itself.

There are various baby thank you wordings out on the web, or if you're a poet and didn't know it, you could write your own. I think that this is a cute and simple way to carry your shower's theme throughout and to thank guests for attending.

The nautical themed fun isnt over so stay tuned!

Nautical Baby Shower Invitations

Hello! I hope you're reading this from someplace warm and cozy because we've got sub-zero temperatures outside. It is bitterly cold but I'm at least thankful for the clear sky and sunshine, rarities this time of year.

My sister-in-law came to me and asked me to make some invitations for a family baby shower she was hosting. She knew she wanted aqua colors paired with kraft paper but in a unisex kind of way. Knowing that the family has lots of love for boating and all things water related, I thought a nautical theme would be perfect for this shower. Nautical is easy enough, but try doing it in a non-traditional, non-gender way! With a little help from trusty ole Martha and Papertrey Ink, I decided to pair the aqua and kraft colors with raspberry for a new twist on nautical.

I started the invitation with Papertry Ink's Aqua Mist cardstock and layered it with Kraft cardstock. I wanted to keep the outside simple in order to emphasize the inside contents so I printed a catchy opening line in raspberry ink and set it off with a coordinating border:

The guest is met by a nautical greeting, 'Ahoy there!' and encouraged to sail on over for a baby shower. The invitation's final size is a standard A2 but I used the paper's full 11 inches in order to create a pocket on the inside. The pocket's contents were then secured by wrapping Raspberry Fizz Saddle Stitch Ribbon around to the front. The seam is disguised with a layered circle featuring a nautical anchor, courtesy of a Martha Stewart craft punch.

The pocket created additional space for directions and registry information without scrunching all of the wording into one area. I love this concept! Its an easy way to include an ample amount of information while keeping the invitation organized and easy to read without sacrificing its appearance.These invitations were so much fun! I look forward to sharing a few other concepts I came up with for this non-traditional nautical baby shower so stay tuned.

Isabella's Frames

You may recall from a year ago when I had a crazy order of 15 custom frames. A new member was added to my friend's family so more frames were needed. This time, only four, which was less stressful! As with her birth announcements and baptism invitations, the frames carried out the black and pink theme.

The first small frame has a shabby, pink striped background with the child's name spelled out in black rhinestones. The look is tied together with a black silk ribbon and rhinestone button. The second small frame is covered with Anna Griffin patterned paper in soft pink and ivory. Again, a black silk ribbon ties it together with an ivory flower and black rhinestone button as the focal point. Her name was added beneath a name plate in the same font used for the announcements and invitations.

I made a large frame identical to the small one, changing only the ribbon and button to balance out the size difference.

I decided to go all black with the second large frame. With a black on black felt damask background and diamond accents, this frame hints at a diva in training!

These were a lot of fun to make and allowed me to brush up on my framing skills a bit. I have a few other ideas rolling around in my head that I cant wait to try out. Hopefully I'll have time while I'm still on vacation for the holidays.

Cherry Stationery Set

Last night, in the wee hours of the morning, I finished my last Christmas order. It really isn't Christmas unless I procrastinate just about everything...! One of my good friends asked me to make her a cherry stationery set for her grandmother. Her maiden name was Cherry so she loves anything with cherries.

I found a simple cherry image and made this stationery set:
I accompanied 16 cards with coordinating stationery paper as well as, red and natural colored envelopes. Then I added a beaded letter opener, compliments of my sister-in-law, to complete the set. I hope she likes it!

I now have to go finish my last minute Christmas shopping before we head out of town. If I'm not able to check back in with you before we leave, have a very Merry Christmas!

Baptism Invitations

Let's start with the Baptism invitations I completed last week. I had this basic layout down from the get-go but when I constructed it with actual paper, I didnt like it. So I sat on it, hem-hawed around forever, then I was finally forced to recon with it. These were for the same customer that I made the 100 baby announcements for (of which she now needs an additional 25!)so a similar color scheme applied. Pale pink, ivory, shimmery paper, and crystals...those were the orders. I got the paper, no problem, but do you think I could find a crystal cross anywhere in this town? *sigh* Sometimes I swear I live under a rock. So, off to the city I went, for various things really, and like a gift from heaven appeared...rhinestone crosses! *clouds part, angels sing* I really love it when a plan comes together! The whole project was going beautifully until about 11:00 pm when I suddenly realized...I had cut the bases an inch too short! *insert various explicits here* Lots of stress ensued but I finally completed them. What should have been a simple project turned out to be a minor panic attack. Eh, what can you do? The final product was a bit altered from the original plan, but all in all they were kind of sweet...in a couture kind of way. The picture stinks because I haven't found the right way to capture shimmery paper and glistening rhinestone crosses on camera.

Baby Announcements

They're done! The 100 baby announcements are finally done. Boy was this a doozie of a project. They look simple enough, and I thought they would be, but my inexperience made them a little more difficult than they had to be. I have a tendency to come up with a really cool idea, then realize midway through that maybe it wasnt the most doable idea. These announcements are case in point.

Coming up with the paper and color scheme wasnt too difficult, it was based on the baby's room decor and the mother's personal style. She has a black chandelier in the baby's room and I used that as part of my inspiration. Wouldnt it be cool, I thought, to use a black chandelier piece on each announcement?! Oh yeah, way too cool! See reference above about doability of an idea... Yeah, those little black chandelier pieces...impossible to find. Zero craft stores in the area had them. I Googled, and Googled, to no avail. I hit up my bead experts and still came up empty handed. So then I went to "the city", an hour away, and they didnt have them either. I finally settled on a little teeny tiny black charm I found in the jewelry section of Michaels. But how disappointing, its so little. Okay, I can make this work, I thought. So I added a small matching bead on each side of the charm. Okay, this will work. Again, see reference above regarding doability of idea. My initial thought was to place the chandelier piece on a jump ring and thread it through the ribbon. Ive done that tons of times and know that it is doable. These teeny tiny charms and beads...not so much. Hmmm, jump ring is too thick for the charms. As if searching for these silly things wasnt bad enough, now I had to find a way to get them on the announcement. I'll save you from the boredom of too many details, and believe me, there are lots of them, but I (I meaning my mom!) finally had to settle on threading microscopic wire through the beads. Hmph, simple enough...until you have to do 100 of them.

And I couldnt resist taking a picture of my number one fan...she was definitely thrilled with the box, not so much on what I was working on. But none the less, her support is much appreciated. ;)

So without further ado, I bring to you,

"the announcements"...ta-dah!!