j. sorelle

I went to my second Alt Summit in March to represent J. Sorelle. What an incredible experience! I am so grateful to Alt for the opportunity to attend such a phenomenal conference, and meet inspirational women. Plus, the location, Palm Springs, has been on my wish list for quite some time now. It lived up to all my expectations!

You see (or you already know) that I have a fear of flying. I’ve never loved it, but I had a bad flight that really did a number on me, and then I had kids. We all know the worry and crazy (and really amazing things) that comes out when we have kids. I’m afraid of flying, and I’m really, really afraid of flying without my family with me. I had a ticket to Alt in my online shopping cart two years ago, and made excuses not to go. Last year I had an actual ticket, and just couldn’t do it. It was an investment I wasn’t ready to pay for. And, that irrational fear crept up, and I was afraid to fly there.

This year, I made it happen. A large part of it is because I have the most amazing husband that was willing to go on a road trip with the kids and me to Palm Springs. He always encourages me to do the things I want to do, but am afraid to do. He’s just the best. So, I was able to “work” and play in Palm Springs. Plus it was our first road trip (more to come on that), so it was overall a fantastic adventure to Alt Summit 2019.

Back to Alt, and the point of this post – business cards. The tiny, and maybe not so tiny, cards are the first impression we leave with people, other than our brief (if any) personal interaction. At conferences, I get to meet so many people, and it’s nice to go through my purse at night and remember people, plus it gives me an opportunity to check out their work. At Alt, some of the most creative people in the country bring their business card A-game. So, it’s important to bring a business card that will grab the attention of fellow bloggers and business owners, and help you stand out.

This year some of my favorites were:

• Seeking Alexi and her fun construction pencil
• Laura Plouzek and her Palm Springs mini pennant from her line XOELLE
• Greeting cards from the amazingly talented Lisa Bardot with her own artwork on the front
• Dapper Animal wooden pins (these ladies had the cutest purses)
• Notebooks I used throughout the conference with fantastic quotes on the front by Salt & Honey
• A business card with a cute photo and pops of confetti (which very much matches her aesthetic) by the lovely Haeley of Design Improvised 
• Alison Winterroth‘s biz card, where the beautiful photography speaks for itself
• Clean and simple, black and white cards by Callie Christensen (the one and only Callie from Slumberkins)
• Our confetti business cards (tutorial below)
• The colorful and modern design on Jessica’s biz cards caught my eye, plus we had a great lunch together, so I definitely kept her card.
• Colorful tattoos from Art 2 The Extreme, the creator of the original rainbow crayon.
• LaCroix was a sponsor, and their product is so good, they didn’t even need a card, but I just couldn’t help but include their amazing LaCroix straw in there.

The must-haves for every card is the name of the business, social media handles, your name and contact information (how to reach you via email and/or phone number), and a word or brief description that tells someone what you do (i.e. graphic designer, photographer, blogger, etc).

The first time I brought business cards to Alt, they were mini file folders with out contact information inside. This time, our business card was inside a confetti party. Plus, we gave an added bonus gift to attendees we met – DIY lip balm. We homemade it with organic ingredients and essential oils. Since we from the high altitude of Colorado, and I was on an emotional “high” at Alt, the packaging was all about High Altitude Vibes. If you were at Alt and want one, we have some leftover and would love to send one your way. Visit us on Instagram and direct message us.

Here’s how we made the cards.

 Materials:

• Business card (Jenna made ours)
• Protection sleeves for paper
• Fuse tool
• Confetti, or glitter shapes (not fine, thin glitter), Target and Michaels

How To:

We do have a close up look at how we made these cards on our Instagram stories. If your more of a visual person, check it out.

Step 1: Once you have a business card, get the other materials ready, and get ready to add some sparkle to your cards. We used the same tool and sheet protectors for our DIY confetti bookmarks, which also has good photos to follow along on how to use the Fuse tool.

Step 2: Set the business card inside the protective sleeve. There will not be sections like the photo above – this photo is just to show you the tool and the sleeve. You can add about 4 or 5 cards in there at a time once you get into the groove. Set the metal ruler on one side of the card, directly next to the paper (but not on top of the paper), and begin to burn along the edge. Continue until you get to the end of the card, and repeat on another side until you meet the end of the 1st fused side.

Step 3: You should have two sides sealed. Now, garb a pinch or two of glitter, and add it to the card. Next, seal the other two sides.

Now, shake and watch that glitter move. Get ready to make a cute and sparkly impression when you exchange cards.