Baby Girl 1st Birthday Party Invitation

My little girl turned the big 1 last month! For someone who designs stationery, personal projects are always great excuses to go all out! And by "all out" I mean SUPER complicated :)

Two techniques I'd been wanting to play with were fabric envelopes and sewn paper.  Add those together and and you have a labor intensive nightmare.  But, through all my whining, the result was rediculously fun and I'd do it over in a second!

{fabric}

 

{Make the Cut software}

{Cricut}

{completed envelope}

{add a wrap around mailing label, printed on fabric}

{sew remaining monkey fabric strips on invites}

And finally, after only 6 yards of fabric, several rolls of fusible webbing, 17 lattes and a multitude of hours I'll never be able to get back, POOF handmade fabric envelopes with sew paper and fabric wrap around labels just like that!

What over the top crafts have you done for your family and friends?

National Stationery Show Recap 5: Business Card Roundup Part 3

I could easily write 14 more posts about business cards, but I gotsta to stop somewhere.

 Here are just a few more that I had to highlight.


Hazel & Violet Ink: 1 color 2 side letterpress

{front}

{back}

Delphine Press: 1 color 1 side letterpress

{front}

Bella Muse:
2 color 2 side digital print
CBI card included just to show you the scale.

{front}

 {back}

 Petits Mots: 1 color 1 side digital print

{front}

 

And last but not least, my own:

CryBaby Ink

2 color duplex letterpress, 

{front}

 

Now here's the tricky part, I knew I wanted duplexed back, but I couldn't figure out which paper to duplex with. There was blue velvet, gray velvet, blue rice paper, white rice paper, and some super fun ephemera wrapping paper from Cavallini.  So, instead of doing what most people do and edit, I chose all of them :)

{backs}

{velvets}

{rice paper}

{Cavallini Paper}

{And a paper sandwich}

probably my fav of the bunch

 

Thanks for playing along, I hope you've had fun...

National Stationery Show Recap 4: Business Card Roundup Part 2

More business card fabu-locity.

Laser Cutting Shapes:
 ~2 color digital print w/ black laser cut overlay

{front}

Bobbin Design:
digital print 1 color 2 side w/ stitching:

{front}

 

{back}

Looks like I may need another lesson in aperture settings ;)

Tiselle:
~2 color, 2 side letterpress:

{front}

{back}

Czar Press:
~ 2 Color, 2 side letterpress:

{front}

{back}

...still more to come...

National Stationery Show Recap 3: Business Card Roundup Part 1

Of course any trade show you go to will have business cards ga-lore. BUT, when you go to a stationery trade show, these little cards don't just to hold contact info, each one is a tiny piece of lovely design you can keep in your pocket.

Here are some lovelies collected from the show this year.


By far, this one from Flywheel Press is my favorite, 2 color die cut 2 sided letterpress:

{front}

{back}

Twig & Fig 2 color duplexed letterpress:

{front}

{back}

BirdDog Press: 2 color 1 side letterpress

{front}

Spark Letterpress - 1 color 2 side letterpress, 4 part w/ grommet:

{front}

 

{back}

 ....stay tuned for part II...

National Stationery Show Recap: Oh So Beautiful Paper

Make sure you check out Oh So Beautiful Paper's recap of the Stationery Show here.

It's one of my favorite blogs and although we went to the same show, she offers a totally different perspective along with tons of AMAZING product shots like this from Austin Press:

And this from HammerPress:

And booth shots like this, Regas:

And this one from Albertine Press:

Oh So Beautiful Paper is the definitive source for tons of paper and total inspiration!

National Stationery Show Recap 2: Lead Graffiti

I had the pleasure of meeting some of the folks that make up Lead Graffiti at NSS this week.

Their lines incorporate a few super fun techiniques and I can't wait to order some for myself!

Their monogram line features different styles of wood and metal type blind letterpressed onto foldover cards, then ink is hand rolled over the impression to make the image pop. Since each card is hand inked, no 2 are the same:

 

Image credit:  http://www.leadgraffiti.com/.  I did photoshop the saturation just a smidge so the contrast would show a little more, actual colors will vary

And THESE adorable Scribble Cards for your creative little ones:

 

Each card has a sweet blind letterpressed image so your little ones can take a crayon, color over and make their own little masterpieces (like the lower left image).  Find me a grandparent who wouldn't just LOVE this!

So much fun paper...more to come!

National Stationery Show Recap 1: Delphine Press

Just landed back in Denver from a 3 day whirlwind trip to NYC for the 2010 National Stationery Show. It was my first and I can easily say it just. Blew. My. Mind.

Not only was it inspiring to be surrounded by designers who I've admired for years, but to be able to actually stop by and say hello to them, see their brandy new lines AND meet new designers who I didn't already know? Wow. Just, wow.

One of the ladies who I had the pleasure to meet was Erika from Delphine.

I've been a fan on Delphine for a few years and have even bought every letterpress journal of theirs that I can get my hands on. Delphine has just introduced a line of 15 new digitally printed Save the Date designs starting at @ $105 for 50. Their fancy new website allows the bride to personalize and proof the elements before placing an order.

How lovely:

image credit: delphinepress.com

image credit: delphinepress.com

And of course you have to love Delphine's signature stitch motif here:

image credit: delphinepress.com

Such a great way to get high design at a low price.

Thanks for taking time to chat with me Erika! It was great to finally meet you in person and I wish you all the success with your new digital line!