Guest Posts | Oh So Beautiful Paper

Feb02DIY Tutorial: “Little Blue Box” Inspired Rubber Stamp Wedding Invitations

It’s the ladies of Antiquaria, back with another creative DIY project for you! Today they’re sharing a wedding invitation tutorial inspired by the signature blue color of Tiffany & Co.

Have you ever felt the rush of excitement when a special friend, spouse, or loved one presents you with a gift packaged in the little blue box? This wedding invitation suite was designed to elicit that feeling when your guest receives it in the mail. Imagine their excitement when this feminine and traditional invitation finds its way into their mailbox. This DIY is fairly simple yet the colors and packaging tie the whole thing together and give it a feeling of luxury.

Step One: Cut your paper to size A7 (5″x7″). Since this is a luxurious suite, we would suggest a thick high quality cotton watercolor paper. Ink your stamp (we used our Vintage Calligraphy Invitation Stamp) thoroughly and center it over your card. Press down moderately to make the print. Too hard, the image may be blurry and too light and it may be splotchy. Let dry.

Step Two: In a similar fashion to printing the Invitation piece, you will now print the reply card. For this piece, you will want to cut a 4bar (3.5″x5″) card out of the same paper used for the invitation. Again, ink your stamp (we used our Vintage Calligraphy Reply Card stamp) thoroughly and make the print. Let dry.

Step Three: Using your return address stamp (we used our Calligraphy Accent Return Address stamp), stamp both the back flap of your A7 envelope and the front of your 4bar envelope. This is such a great place to pinch pennies in your stationery budget as you are able to use one stamp for both envelopes and you will have it to use after the event is over!

Step Four: To add a little extra flourish to the suite, we’ve used regular round doilies as an envelope liner. We love the way that the aqua peeks through the lace and think it would be so fun to be the recipient and have this surprise await us once the seal was broken. To install the doily liners, you will use spray adhesive. Make sure to do this outside (or in an extremely well ventilated room). Spray the back of the doily with a light mist of adhesive. Slide the doily into the envelope, making sure not to press until the doily is placed in its intended spot (as shown above). Let them dry & cure overnight.

Step Five: Use a thin ribbon to tie the suite together. This will keep the components together and give your guest the thrill of “unwrapping” your invitation.

Materials

Stamps:

Vintage Calligraphy Invitation stamp

Vintage Calligraphy Reply Card stamp

Calligraphy Accent Return Address stamp

Stamp Pad (we used black)

Heavy Watercolor Paper (for invitations & reply cards)

A7 Envelopes

4bar Envelopes

Ribbon, 1/8″ thickness

6″ Medallion Lace Paper Doilies

Spray Adhesive

Photo Credits: Antiquaria

posted by Antiquaria / filed under antiquaria, diy, real invitations / 4 Comments

Jan23Calligraphy Inspiration: Fat Orange Cat Studio

Ed Note: Happy Monday everyone! This calligraphy post would normally have run last Thursday, but I couldn’t fit it in with my travel to Alt. So instead we get to start the week off with some absolutely gorgeous calligraphy courtesy of Li from Fat Orange Cat Studio!

As Nole has recently shared some great posts about various printing processes, I thought it would be fun to see some of what goes into calligraphy. And I couldn’t think of anyone better than Li Ward of Fat Orange Cat Studio to show us. Li regularly shares her many calligraphy drafts with the readers of her blog. I enjoy seeing the final product so much more when I know how many ways it could have turned out. Li has many wonderful styles of writing and it’s lovely to see the nuances of each letter and how they can so easily change. I was definitely not surprised to find that even her drafts are written beautifully! - Julie

From Li: “I wrote this with Chalk Pen on a foam board that was spray-painted with chalkboard paint. I did a rough draft of it with pen on a piece of paper that was roughly the same dimension as the board to determine text placement.”

From Li: “For each of my wedding photography clients, I calligraph their names, scan them, and use the high-resolution scans to make rubber stamps. I also use their scanned names on their customizable CD covers.”

“This wine list was done in the same fashion as the chalk menu, using Chalk Pen on some vinyl-covered board which was then framed.”

From Li: “As you can see I letter quite a bit. It’s a form of warm-up.” A glimpse at the various approaches to a business card for A Creative Mint‘s Leslie Shewring. (Letterpress printing by Parrott Design Studio.)

Make sure you look through more of Fat Orange Cat Studio’s gorgeous calligraphy work, as well as her beautiful wedding and pet photography.

Thank you so much Li for sharing your work and process with us!

Photo Credits: Fat Orange Cat Studio

posted by julie / filed under calligraphy, julie / 3 Comments

Jan20The Printing Process: Edge Painting

Every morning this week, I’m running a series of guests posts about different printing methods – so if you’ve ever wondered why certain printing methods are best for certain kinds of designs (or cost more than others), this is for you! You can read the previous installments covering digital printing, engraving, screen printing, letterpress printing with antique type, and foil stamping all right here. Today Michael from Czar Press is here to walk us through edge painting!

What is Edge Painting?

Edge painting at its surface sounds pretty simple – it’s a process by which color is applied to the edges of cards, invitations, even books or journals. Edge painting can be done in any color, including metallics and foils (!), and is usually mixed by hand to be matched to a specific Pantone color.

I’m a huge fan of edge painting for a bold pop of color on business cards and wedding invitations, like the new invitation collections from Bella Figura, Dauphine Press, and many others. While edge painting is a commonly used technique, there is a whole lot of mystery surrounding the process – and printers seem to have different methods or processes for applying edge paint. Today we have Michael from Czar Press walking us through his edge painting process and removing some of the mystery from this popular technique!

The Process

The edge painting process takes place after all graphics and text have been printed and all paper materials cut down to size. For this example, we’re focusing in on a recent business card project. I like to make sure my blade is especially nice and sharp when trimming out cards that are going to be edge painted.

Edge painting involves a padding press (pictured above), ink, and a brayer. The cards should be stacked on the padding press, making sure that the cards are pressed against one wall of the padding press as evenly as possible. Crank down the vice(s) on the press, applying pressure to the cards, making them nice and snug. Remove the outer wall off the padding press, leaving one side exposed. This the side that will receive the ink.

Then using just a little bit of ink, ink up your brayer. Roll the brayer around and around on a piece of glass if possible in attempt to make the ink spread even across the brayer roller. Then I apply the ink to the exposed side of the card, applying as little pressure as possible with the brayer to get good ink coverage on the cards. Once the ink has been applied, I like to gently wipe down the inked side of the cards with a cotton cloth to remove any excess ink.

Let them dry for a while – maybe an hour, depending on conditions – until they are dry to the touch. Put the outer wall back on the padding press, spin the cards around to the next side and repeat until all sides are complete.

Tips and Advice

Most printers recommend thicker papers – usually 160 lb and up – for maximum results with edge painting. Edge painting can be done on thinner paper, but heavier (thicker) paper weights will better show the color and saturation of the ink color.

Similarly, most letterpress printers recommend darker or more saturated colors for edge painting. Think bright red, cobalt blue, or even bright neon or metallic foils! As with any custom process, most printers hand mix inks to match a specific Pantone color, so keep in mind that there may be slight variations in tone and saturation depending on the number of cards being painted.

Thanks Michael! Check out more of Michael’s letterpress work right here!

Photo Credits: Example images via Bella Figura, process photos by Czar Press

posted by Nole / filed under guest posts, the printing process / 12 Comments

Jan19DIY Tutorial: Rubber Stamp Vintage-Western Wedding Save the Dates + Invitations

It’s the ladies of Antiquaria, back with their first fabulous and creative DIY project for you in the new year! This week they’re sharing an awesome DIY tutorial for Western rubber stamp wedding invitations and save the dates!

It really is true that the second you start sending out your save the dates, you begin setting the tone for your wedding. It’s always important to think about your venue, colors and tone of the day before deciding on any of your wedding stationery. Today’s DIY tutorial is for complementing save the dates and wedding invitations! We utilized many different stamps & paper components to illustrate our theme: A Vintage-Western Wedding Fete! Here’s how to put it all together:

Step 1: Starting with the save the date, use A6 cards or cut paper to 4.5″ x 6.25″. Ink the stamp (we used our “Typography” Save the Date stamp) thoroughly and make a print. When you are making the print, be sure to center the stamp on the paper. You will want to apply moderate and even pressure to the stamp in order to get a good print. Also, it is important to stamp on a solid and stable surface. Any movement can cause shifting. Let each print dry to avoid smearing.

Step 2: Make the tags for the save the date. We stamped our website card (“Old West” web card stamp) on a grommeted gift tag. For our monogram tag, we used a small shipping tag and stamped our “Lucky in Love” Initial Monogram stamp on it.

Step 3: This save the date has a fabulous mix of textures and really sets the stage for the invitation and event to come. To combine all the pieces, simply tie basic thin kitchen twine around the save the date, going around multiple times. Secure it with a basic knot and trim the ends to desired length.

Step 4: A great way to save a little money on your wedding paper (and who doesn’t love doing that!) is to get one return address stamp for all of your envelopes. You will potentially be able to use it on your save the dates, invitations (even if you have them professionally printed), reply envelopes and lastly, your thank you notes. It can really help your bottom line in the long run. Once you’ve stamped your envelopes, simply address them, add postage (there are some fabulous new 2012 stamps out), and send them to your loved ones.

Step 5: Now on to the Invitation suite! Use and A7 card or cut paper into 5″x7″ rectangles. Following the same steps as the save the date, make prints of the stamp (we used our “Old West” Invitation stamp) on your cards.

Step 6: Vintage postcards are a great way to incorporate color and personality into your invitation suite. We chose a great image of the Grand Canyon and had it copied on linen card stock. On the back, we stamped our “Old West” Reply Postcard stamp.

Step 7: To tie it all together, we chose to create a monogram belly band. To do this, cut a piece of kraft card stock into 2″x11″ pieces (you’ll get 4 out of each 8.5″x11″ sheet). Then stamp your monogram (we used “Lucky in Love” Name monogram) in the center.

Step 8: Place the invitation, reply postcard, & a feather in a bundle. Wrap the belly band around the suite, centering the monogram. When you’re happy with the placement, make hard folds with your nail or a bone folder. Flip the suite over and secure the belly band with a 1.5″ long piece of double stick tape. Use the same return address (we used our “Navajo” return address stamp), stamping it this time on a beautiful coral envelope. Again, address, add postage to your invitation and let the compliments roll in!!

Materials:

Customized Rubber Stamps:

“Typography” Save the Date

“Old West” Web Card

“Lucky in Love” Initial Monogram

“Navajo” Return Address

“Old West” Invitation

“Old West” Reply, postcard option

“Lucky in Love” Names Monogram

Stamp Pad (we used a combination of chestnut and cocoa throughout this tutorial)

A6 Ivory Cards

A6 Kraft Envelopes