A Baby’s Brunch, Part 1: The Invitation

The event was a very small, intimate brunch held in honor of one of my best friends, in celebration of the upcoming arrival of her son.

Because the only guests were the mother-to-be and her mother, there were only two invitations and therefore I had the opportunity to use some of my scrap pieces of the best materials and extra personal touch and time in assembling the piece.

Paper: The oversized card was scored Arturo, an Italian mouldmade paper with four-sided torn deckle edge in Soft White, scored, with matching envelope.

Ribbon: Hanah, hand dyed silk ribbon in Robin’s Egg.

The chocolate brown tag bears the baby’s monogram in gold hand calligraphy. Upon unwrapping the card, the inside revealed another smaller card, tucked in handmade paper photo corners and seal.

A4 Envelope: Waste Not Paper, Paper Bag

Upon opening the petite envelope, the invited guest pulled out the layered invite card, printed on the same Arturo paper and mounted to the same chocolate brown paper as the tag.

A little bit of glitz, a little bit of country & a whole lotta style!

The event was an engagement party with a cocktail atmosphere.  The large group of hosts decided to use Nashville as their theme as a nod to the groom’s hometown. They didn’t want bbq and boots, they wanted country glam so the Country Music Awards was their inspiration-complete with a red carpet and an up&coming country music star as the band.

As with most hosted parties with a large guest list, live entertainment and open alcohol, budgets for invitations are tight: they needed a lot and they needed them as inexpensive as possible (but of course with a custom, lush look!)

It actually is just as important to talk about the budget I can work with as much as understanding the client’s vision and design needs. 

By using only one paper, one ink and getting creative with typography and the label, I think I was able to successfully deliver the client an invitation that didn’t cost too much but definitely was a custom invite that literally sparkled and set expectations of the theme and atmosphere for their guests.

 

A mix of typography blends a country-western look with an old timey look. The design also delineates the guests of honor names much like a country music promotion flyer or even an old wanted poster! would.

  A Bob Hope stamp completes the look-think about the stamps you use and consider the various options USPS has. Thinking creatively about the stamps colors, people, charities, etc. can enhance your event and/or invitation!

The back of the skinny label wrap surprises guests as they open their envelope and tells them exactly what they are in store for!  The skinny label wrap not only serves as an design element but has a practical application as well.  Because the envelope was a beautiful but dark bronze metallic, any color pen used in addressing the envelopes would have been difficult to read. The red allows the person to address the envelope clearly (and creatively with that gold metallic pen!) and also the skinny wrap served as a return address label as well. 

Paper: Chocolate Brown
Envelope: Metallic Bronze
Ink: Metallic Gold 
Label: Red stock skinny label

 

The host committee also ordered personalized cups to serve drinks and carry the theme in style!

Personalized cups, koozies & napkins are details that fill a practical need while also helping you carry a theme and tie all your elements together.

Contact me to ask how I can customize the artwork for your accessories to truly make your event shine!

Just the Ticket for a slam dunk birthday

An Island Dinner Menu

The couple had decided to have a destination wedding in Jamaica. The ceremony would be intimate and simple and then followed by a seated dinner, serving the finest foods of the island.

Because the couple and their families would all by flying to the island (and as you can imagine the shopping on the island would be sparse), any decor they wanted for the  reception dinner tables needed to be easy to pack, small & lightweight.

Hence, the menu card.

The piece was a 2-piece card and presented in a snap envelope.

The snap envelope was in a coral that coordinated with the bridesmaids dresses and was the only pop of color on the set tables.  Guests names were written on the outside of the envelope and used as a place card.

Upon opening their envelope, the guests then pulled out a card that had the couple’s new married name and date printed on navy linen in silver ink. The other side of the card was a layered white column paper with the menu printed in navy ink.

This special piece served as a piece of decor, a place card, a menu and as a memento for such a special, happy occasion!

to Market we go!

I just got back from Atlanta, looking at paper lines, meeting reps and trying to get a good idea of emerging trends but also some gaps that may be missing….some gaps I may fill for a small clientele!

I am back in town, overwhelmed but really excited and now pouring over all the info making decisions about where I need to invest.  I think I’ll have some exciting news coming soon about some exclusive lines and partnerships for custom work so check back with me!!

In the meantime, I’m working on Valentine’s Day cards and assembling some birthday portfolio & packages.  FUN STUFF!!

Welcome to Paper Ink.

Welcome to Paper Ink., a social papers studio.

While I have been designing custom invitations for all kinds of occasions for the past few years now, it has always been a hobby and a fun outlet for my creative side. I believe your invitation is your first impression to your event, no matter how casual or formal, large or small. And you know what they say about first impressions…

I have always been a paper addict and find myself collecting stationery, spending time fondling the texture of papers or admiring a particular font.  Weird?  maybe. probably. But fun definitely!

I have to admit that this paper thing is in my blood. My mom is a hostess with the mostest and the epitome of social grace.  She saves invitations, wedding programs, menu cards, etc.  that she finds to be really attractive or perhaps unusual. This eclectic collection of hers was so inspiring when we began planning my own wedding.   Which brings me to my mother-in-law. She owned a social stationery & gift shop in Crestline Village for many years and when I lived in Birmingham I would spend hours at the store,  checking out the latest stationery suites, scheming for an excuse to have a party just to send out a clever invite and longing for the day I chose my own wedding invitation.  So between my mother, the party planner and my MIL, the stationery expert I have learned so much! 

Over the years friends have asked for my advice on everything from thank you card etiquette to “where can I find this kind of invitation?”. I have learned that my acquired knowledge, combined with my passion for being apart of the design process actually can be pretty valuable, and fun!

So how did I get from this side hobby to officially being in business?  Well, I still am asking myself that.  Taking the leap is a little scary, a lotta crazy but nevertheless thrilling.  Of course the obvious answer is that once I realized people actually were willing to pay me for something I loved—well, it was hard to not pursue the opportunity. 

I prayed about this itch I had, did some soul searching, talked with some wonderful friends and of course got some good counsel (both legal and marital) from my husband.  After a lot of careful thought and some great encouragement, I finally made the decision to go official.  And the most amazing things have been happening ever since! I’ve had at least one open project every week for the past month with several more on the horizon.

I do not have plans to start a website or take online orders because there are so many others that do that and do it well.  Nor do I want to compete with retail operations.  The niche I am aiming to fill is providing one-of-a-kind, unique design that maybe you can’t find on your favorite shop’s shelves.

This blog will be my place to show you some pieces of my portfolio, offer invitation & stationery etiquette tips, offer some recommendations and bring you the trends and show you some of my clever finds from the world of social papers.

So if you need invitations, personal stationery, labels & tags, announcements let me know-I’d love to have the chance to work with you.

Partners & Brands

list with links of friends in the industry as well as lines I carry