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Unexpected Business Card Ideas

As far as I’m concerned, business cards are tiny works of art. A beautiful business card makes a huge impression, and I would argue that the business card is even more relevant in today’s world of email, cell phones, and social media. Here are a few unexpected business card ideas for creating a beautiful – and unforgettable – business card!

Unexpected Business Card Ideas

Oh So Beautiful Paper Watercolor and Letterpress Business Cards / Design and Printing by Gus & Ruby Letterpress

A Bit of Shine

Metallics are the new neutral. And they look amazing on a business card! The options are endless – from shiny metallic foil logos and type to more abstract applications. And the metallic foils themselves come in every hue imaginable, from classic gold to of-the-moment rose gold and copper to trendy hologram silver!

En Route Photography Gold Foil Business Cards / Design by Belinda Love Lee

En Route Photography Gold Foil Business Cards / Design by Belinda Love Lee

Hand Painted Details

What could possibly be more unique than a hand painted business card? A splash of semi-transparent watercolor pairs perfectly with letterpress printed type, whether layered over blind impression (no color) text or as a modern swash underneath the key details. You could even DIY your own business cards using a custom rubber stamp over a watercolor painted background!

Satsuki Shibuya Watercolor and Blind Impression Letterpress Business Cards / Printed by PresshausLA

Satsuki Shibuya Watercolor and Blind Impression Letterpress Business Cards / Printed by PresshausLA

Akula Kreative Rubber Stamp and Watercolor Business Cards

Akula Kreative Rubber Stamp and Watercolor Business Cards

Colorful Edges

The edge is the perfect place to incorporate a bright pop of color – or even stripes of different colors! You’ll want to use double-thick paper ( at least 220lb) to maximize the visual effect, but it’s well worth the extra effort!

Oh Happy Day Stripe Edge Painted Business Cards

Oh Happy Day Stripe Edge Painted Business Cards

Or Shiny Edges!

Did you know that you can put shiny metallic foil on the edges of business cards and wedding invitations? Well, you can! It’s a very specialized printing method, but perfect for a card that is already full of color or wants an even bigger visual impact.

Oh So Beautiful Paper Gold Foil Edge Business Cards / Foil Edging by Boxcar Press

Oh So Beautiful Paper Gold Foil Edge Business Cards / Foil Edging by Boxcar Press

Unique Shapes and Layouts

Who said that a business card has to be rectangular? I’m a big fan of square business cards, circular business cards, even hexagon cards! Or stick with the rectangular shape but go with a vertical layout. Anything goes!

Trentina Navy and Gold Foil Business Cards / Design by Christine Wisnieski

Trentina Navy and Gold Foil Business Cards / Design by Christine Wisnieski

Go Double Sided

A double sided business card is a great way to create visual impact while keeping all of your contact information in one place. You can have the reverse side printed or adhere patterned papers – like vintage wallpaper, gift wrap, and scrapbooking paper – to the reverse side using spray adhesive.

Jessica Comingore Floral Double Sided Business Cards / Printed by PresshausLA

Jessica Comingore Floral Double Sided Business Cards / Printed by PresshausLA

Jessica Comingore Floral Double Sided Business Cards / Printed by PresshausLA

Light on Dark

I love the look of light text against a dark background – so unexpected! Metallic foils and matte white foil look amazing against dark navy blue and black paper.

Clementine Rose Gold and Navy Business Cards / Design by Sara Jensen / Printed by Iron Curtain Press

Clementine Rose Gold and Navy Business Cards / Design by Sara Jensen / Printed by Iron Curtain Press

Unique Materials

I thought I had seen everything – but then I saw a leather business card and thought it was the most amazing idea! You can letterpress print, foil stamp, and screen print on leather, making it as versatile a medium as paper. I’ve also seen paper business cards that incorporated embroidery and fabric. The sky’s the limit!

Arnsdorf Leather Business Card

p.s. More creative business card ideas right here!

This post was created in partnership with eBay. All content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!

Mother’s Day Brunch Inspiration

Nikki from Akula Kreative sent over this lovely brunch that she and her family put together to celebrate her mother’s 60th birthday. Nikki and her co-conspirators drew inspiration from her mom’s favorite activities – cooking and reading – to create this library-inspired brunch. And not only is it a beautiful birthday party, but with Mother’s Day coming up it also provides some fabulous Mother’s Day brunch inspiration!

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From Nikki: As far as hobbies go, my mom loves two things: cooking and reading. We (her kids) always joke about how “fancy” her book club is because the ladies spend WEEKS preparing to host. Each meeting is centered around a multi-course dinner in which the food, décor, and even music corresponds to that month’s book. So, when it came time to think of a surprise for her, I decided on a “brunch party” set on the library patio of a local inn. Over the fireplace, we hung tassel garland in gold and pink (the colors of the party). Under it, we placed a framed sign that read, “Welcome to the Li-brary :: food and drink required.” (Our family name is Li.) Flanking the frame we placed my mom’s initials: giant wood letters covered with pages of a vintage dictionary.

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For the invitation, I made a mini book titled “The Book of Momisms.” On the inside cover, I defined “momism” as “a mother’s spoken phrase or word (real or invented) that provides endless entertainment to her children.” In other words…if my mom isn’t making up a new word, she’s making up a new definition for an existing word or saying something ridiculous. It’s endearing, frustrating, and funny all at the same time, and my brother and I record them on a regular basis.

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On subsequent pages of the invitation, I included brunch details, a map, and a few prime examples of momisms. One of my favorite details is the custom wax seal of a fork and spoon. We glued these to ribbons that guests could use as bookmarks for cookbooks.

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On the tables, we used a kraft paper runner printed with giant silverware. On top, we placed small groupings of vintage books (borrowed from the library) next to the existing vases of flowers at the inn. Inside each vase was a stick-mounted sign that read “Shhh” on one side and “Less talking, more eating” on the other.

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Sprinkled throughout were votives (also mod-podged in vintage dictionary pages) and the fork-and-spoon motif cut from gold paper.
Table tent cards were designed to mimic library cards, each highlighting a classic momism. For favors, my aunts baked homemade biscotti. Attached to each bag was a mini tear-off bookmark that read “Eat, read, and be merry.” Last but not least, we splurged on tray-passed Mom-osas.

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Thanks Nikki!

Photo Credits: Caroline Tran

Socialology’s Academia-Inspired Business Stationery

Nikki from Akula Kreative sent over this academia-inspired stationery suite that she designed for a wedding and event planning business – and the whole suite is absolutely stunning from start to finish! The color palette of bright orange and gray is so much fun, and the dictionary-theme letterpress printed business cards? So good!

Academia-Inspired Business Stationery by Akula Kreative via Oh So Beautiful Paper (8)

From Nikki: Jasmine, the owner/founder of Socialology, came to us with a Pinterest board filled with orange, salmon, gray, and taupe images, all inspired by academia. The photographs of pencils, erasers, vintage books, and dictionary pages in conjunction with her company name, Socialoogy, made it obvious from the get-go that we’d have the opportunity to expand on a theme with endless possibilities. From the edge painting and cotton paper to the four printing processes it took to make it, this stationery suite is all about quality and attention to detail.

Academia-Inspired Business Stationery by Akula Kreative via Oh So Beautiful Paper (2) Academia-Inspired Business Stationery by Akula Kreative via Oh So Beautiful Paper (1)

First, we had to do something about the name.  The suffix “-ology” means “the study of,” so “Socialology” refers to “the study of being social.” An academic name for an academic theme. The hurdle, however, was getting people to SAY it correctly, as it was—and is—a bit of a tongue twister. And so we set out to create a logo that would not only be easy to read, but it would have to instruct people how to pronounce it. Enter Andy Luce, who created the beautiful lettering for the first half of the name. He actually came up with options for the entire name, but in the end we landed on a combination of calligraphy for “social” and a serif font for “ology.”

Academia-Inspired Business Stationery by Akula Kreative via Oh So Beautiful Paper (6) Academia-Inspired Business Stationery by Akula Kreative via Oh So Beautiful Paper (5)

To drive the idea home, we went with a dictionary-themed business card. On the front, we used a multi-level sculptural die to deboss the “book plate” area around the logo. On the back, we letterpress printed the contact information in the form of a dictionary entry, complete with pronunciation cues, part of speech, and definition. In the bottom right, we foil-stamped a dictionary tab.

Academia-Inspired Business Stationery by Akula Kreative via Oh So Beautiful Paper (4) Academia-Inspired Business Stationery by Akula Kreative via Oh So Beautiful Paper (3)

The postcard-style correspondence card mimics a library catalog card, using the phone number as the reference number. The red tab reads “This book was catalogued on” and leaves a space for a date stamp. At the bottom of the letterhead, we repeated the dictionary-style layout and orange tab, but our favorite feature is the ghost-like quality of the pattern that becomes visible when you hold it to the light. To top it all off, we ordered handmade fabric portfolio folders that Jasmine can use when presenting to potential clients. The outside features a blind deboss logo, and the inside features pockets for the 4″ x 1″ business card and a custom-made client intake form.

Academia-Inspired Business Stationery by Akula Kreative via Oh So Beautiful Paper (7)

Thanks Nikki!

Design: Akula Kreative

Custom Calligraphy: Andy Luce

Printing: In to Ink and Senekeo

Photo Credits: Caroline Tran