The End of an Era: Felicity Paper is Closing

Hello, dear friends! I'm writing today with some shocking news. Brace yourselves. Are you ready for it? OK, here goes. I'll be closing Felicity Paper at the end of the month. But here's some more news to help soften the blow: At the end of the summer, I'm launching a new store. It will be hosted right here on LAJ.com and will be filled with all sorts of products to encourage and inspire you in your relationship with God. Art prints, mugs, journals, t-shirts, and all sorts of goodness are headed your way.

This change has been a long time coming. For several years I've felt as if I've had a split personality. Some of you may remember that before I became a stationery designer, I was a seminary student with a heart for writing, but I had a baby shortly after graduation, and she changed everything. Though I had started regularly writing curriculum for a couple of different Christian publishing houses, I found myself lacking the time and attention to write curriculum anymore. So I put all of that on hold to return to later, at some point in the future when my babies didn't require so much of my attention.

In the meantime, I launched Felicity Paper. I've always had a thing for pretty paper and design, and designing didn't require as much of me as writing, so I went with it for the time being. I thought I would have a little business on the side...I had no idea that Felicity Paper would grow and prosper and turn into such a success. As the business (and my children) grew, I was caught in a quandary: Do I keep doing this? Or do I return to my first love?

I've hemmed and hawed around the issue for months. There was a part of me that wanted to give up design and focus on writing, because I have a calling, and I've been waiting for a long time to do something about it. But there was another part of me that wanted to keep designing, because good design makes my heart sing just as much as writing does. And so I've dragged my feet, unsure of where to go next.

I won't bore you with the details of all that has led to this point, but I finally came to the conclusion that God has made me both a writer and a designer. More and more lately, I feel God leading me to marry my two halves together. To bring my love for design and my love for the Word together. And so that's what I'm going to do.

Felicity Paper is closing. There won't be any more invitations or announcements or stamps. But there will be journals specifically designed to lead you in your Bible study. There will be cards for you to send encouraging notes to friends. There will be Scripture cards to help you tuck the word of God in your heart. And eventually, there will be Bible studies. The shop will be a companion to my writing, and I'm really, really excited about it.

I'm spending the next few months developing new products and getting everything set up with the new shop. Stick around with me, and let's see where God takes us. It's my prayer this this shop and this blog will bring honor and glory to God. That through it, women will come to know and experience God more deeply. That they will develop a passion and hunger for His Word. That this will be a place where truth is spoken and hearts are encouraged. Will you pray that with me?

Until next time, grace and peace.

Custom Design: Near and Far Military Family Christmas Cards

I know, it's kind of strange to feature Christmas cards in March, but I promise there's a good reason for it. Just keep reading, you'll see. Last holiday season, Amanda from AYP Photography and I teamed up to make life easier for her clients and offer them a selection of beautifully-designed Christmas cards, but she had one client, Lori, who had more of a custom design in mind. Lori's husband was serving overseas in the military and unable to make any of the family photo sessions, but Lori really wanted to find a way to include him in their Christmas cards. Here's the design we came up with.

It was a tremendous honor to work with a military family on such a special project. I'm so appreciative of the sacrifices military families make for the rest of us. The Davis family is one of many, and I was proud to help their family in some small way.

Last week, I was pleased to hear that far finally came near for the Davis Family. Lt. Col. Davis came home a few days early, surprising his family at an Ole Miss basketball game, and the reunion was priceless.

In case you were wondering, this is the best part about my job. I love making connections with people and getting to be a tiny little part of the special little moments of their lives. I wish I had more time for custom work, but between taking care of two little ladies, filling orders in the etsy shop, and trying to keep the laundry pile at a manageable level, it doesn't always happen. I'm glad it worked out this time around.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Free Printable Valentine: You're a Real Gem

It's that time of year again. Moms everywhere are scrambling to come up with cute Valentines for their kids to deliver to all their little friends. As one of those moms, let me just go ahead and say that I shocked myself by getting these completed in time not only to take to preschool next week, but also to post on the blog. I'm never this ahead of the game.

Aren't these the cutest little rings? Last week I was wandering through Target sans kiddos (a rare treat in itself) when I saw these colorful eraser rings in the Valentine section. I knew they would be perfect for Micah to take to preschool, so I whipped up a sweet little tag for her to sign on the back before attaching them to the rings.

She also has to take some Valentines to church for a grandparents' brunch, so I created some cards that she can sign on the bottom without attaching the rings.

If you can't find eraser rings, these Valentines would also work well with ring pops or play jewelry. You can cut out the hearts from the cards as we did, or you can pop the rings in little bags and attach the full-sized cards. If you're anything like me, you're all about options.

I hope you enjoy these little gems. Download your free printable You're a Real Gem Valentines here. Hope your little one loves them as much as mine!

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

Check out my other free printables

You can see my entire collection of free printables, including these Love Bug Smarties Valentines in the freebies section. Happy printing!

Until next time, grace and peace.