enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

trackkiddo valentines using their paintings as a background

I am excited to share the Valentine's Day cards we are sending out this year (to our families and Ellerie's little friends!) This post is the fourth in my partnership with Canon USA and a project I was really looking forward to trying. I printed these on my Canon MG7520.

kiddo valentines using their paintings as a background

I really wanted to play with the paint idea we used for our Thanksgiving invites. I set Ellerie up with some red and pink paint and let her do her thing. We ended up with a sweet little painting that I took a photo of (though scanning would work well too).

using children's artwork to create simple valentines from elise blaha on Vimeo.

I recorded a six-minute video that shares my process for recoloring the painting and adding a photo and text to the top. It's simple enough and these concepts can be used for so many different digital projects.

kiddo valentines using their paintings as a background

After they were designed, I printed two to a page on semi-gloss photo paper at home on my Canon MG7520.

kiddo valentines using their paintings as a background

I cropped them to 5×7 and then to give them a bit more heft, I backed each with some wrapping paper (picked up at the Target dollar spot). Super simple and a bit more exciting to receive in the mail. (I used a tape runner to attach my photos and paper). I also rounded the corners.

kiddo valentines using their paintings as a background

They have been tucked into envelopes, stamped (that "hello" stamp is by Whitney Rae Paper) and washi taped up and will be headed out the door early next week. Simple and sweet – my absolute favorite kind of project.

This post is sponsored by Canon USA. Project idea, opinions, words and photos are all my own. Artwork is Ellerie's.

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23 responses to “Ellerie’s Valentine’s!”

  1. Kelsey Avatar

    This is SO GENIUS, Elise!
    Absolutely going to test this out with my 2 and 4 year olds. I think they’ll LOVE it!
    I’m a sharp edge girl myself, but those rounded corners are on point. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it now: #elisedoesitagain 🙂

    Like

  2. Jannette Avatar
    Jannette

    Love this simple but digital idea!! jajaja I am like want to try Photoshop element for a while but I confess that I have a lot of negative thoughts about it. This is a very doable project and your instructions are very clear. So I must take action. Thanks Elise!

    Like

  3. Carrie Avatar

    Ellerie is just the cutest. She has the opposite hairstyle of my daughter who is bald bald bald in the back and has a pony up top. Baby hair is so cute though, even when they are growing it in.

    Like

  4. Marcie L Avatar
    Marcie L

    I wish I had a little one so I could do some of these projects you do! These are the cutest! Maybe I could get my 14 and 17 year old boys to go along with this?? #diggingoutthepaintnow

    Like

  5. Kelsey Avatar

    Wow! I love this idea so much, how creative!! Even though my little one is only 8 months, I love this as a future Valentine’s Day idea! The packaging on it is cute too, I love the jagged edges on the tape rather than cutting with scissors- definitely makes it more kid-friendly. 🙂
    Chaos Parade

    Like

  6. Alex Avatar

    Thats looks nice and creative indeed.

    Like

  7. Amy Avatar
    Amy

    OH this is SO CUTE!!! Ellerie is absolutely adorable!
    I’ve scanned and printed my kids’ artwork to make thank you cards for them to send. They seem much more motivated to write the thank yous when it is THEIR creation on the card.

    Like

  8. Jennifer Avatar
    Jennifer

    These are great! What a simple, yet sweet idea.

    Like

  9. Marlen Avatar
    Marlen

    Are you coming down with a cold? Because that’s what you sound like! I hope it’s not getting worse! Cute cards though 😉

    Like

  10. Christine K Avatar
    Christine K

    Love these adorable cards and thanks especially for the how to video.

    Like

  11. elise Avatar
    elise

    I know! I was so sick when I recorded that – late December! Feeling great now! 🙂

    Like

  12. elise Avatar
    elise

    Thank you cards are a brilliant idea!!!!

    Like

  13. Julie Avatar
    Julie

    Listened to this week’s podcast this morning. Feedback: I wouldn’t mind a weekly newsletter, especially if it’s personal. I love the Design Sponge newsletter because I get product suggestions and giveaways not featured on the site. So yeah if it’s an ellerie story or a business sneak peek or even a “elise product roundup” with affiliate links of things you love that you aren’t posting on the site, that’d be cool too.
    I love watching and learning as you figure things out too! Keep up the good work!
    And don’t worry about being annoying, newletters that are quality and not daily are not annoying. 🙂

    Like

  14. April Avatar
    April

    ADORABLE!!
    Where do you usually purchase your envelopes?
    I always have trouble finding just envelopes in stores to purchase, especially ones I like.

    Like

  15. Lil Avatar
    Lil

    I COMPLETELY love this. I’m totally stealing the idea (can’t think of a better reason to “need” to buy washi tape). Thank you for sharing!

    Like

  16. Cori Schwabe Avatar

    These are adorable! Thank you so much for your videos. I absolutely love them, and they are true how-to content that no one seems to share. Thank you!!

    Like

  17. Whitney Avatar

    As I scrolled down through your post I was surprised to see my stamp on your envelope at the end! How fun! 🙂
    Love these valentine’s and will definitely have to remember this idea for when I have a little one!
    Keep up the good work!

    Like

  18. Libby Avatar
    Libby

    I love all your projects, and whenever you post about preparing and sending out cards for holidays, I feel that familiar inspiration/guilt because I just don’t have my sh*t together well enough to accomplish such a task. But if I can set aside my guilt, I will determine to let you be my inspiration in one day sending out a decent holiday card. At least I know, even though you get sponsored to talk about the products, that you have really honest feedback about which printers and papers and online sources you have used. Thank you for that! As for this card, Ellerie is just the sweetest, as always. My only hesitation is that the red/pink abstract art looks a little too much like a bloody mishap. It might just be me though?

    Like

  19. Isabelle Avatar
    Isabelle

    Awesome project! And I’m super excited too because I bought this same printer yesterday! I still have to set it up. Cant wait to try it! Thank you for all the wonderful ideas. ❤

    Like

  20. Kaleigh Avatar

    These are so perfectly sweet!! You are so creative!

    Like

  21. Shirley K Avatar

    Super cute! It’s fun to send little pieces of artwork to family.
    I’m looking forward to when my daughter has Valentine’s parties where handmade/custom Valentine’s cards are actually appreciated. For now though, 3-year-olds get store-bought cards! 🙂

    Like

  22. Natalie | Circus & Bloom Avatar

    What an adorable idea! These turned out so dang cute! Bravo 🙂
    Circus & Bloom
    ♥♥♥

    Like

  23. Justine Avatar
    Justine

    I have been following your blog for about 6 months now and have to tell you are so inspiring. I an a DIY lover, maker of everything and anything I can figure out and I ALWAYS think where there is a will there is a way! This is such a cute project. How did you get the edges so perfectly rounded?

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