Inspiring Calligraphers: Ciarra Claire Calligraphy

Hey everyone! Everyone knows branding is an important part of any business. So it was interesting to hear from calligrapher Ciarra Claire about her own recent journey with rebranding! In addition to creating beautiful calligraphed stationery for events and weddings, Ciarra also now has an online paper shop (including giftable art prints!). Oh, and did we mention that she’s one of the fabulous members of our Designer Rolodex? Yep, we love her work THAT much! Let’s take a peek at all the new things that Ciarra is up to! – Jen

Inspiring Calligraphers: Ciarra Claire Calligraphy

Inspiring Calligraphers: Ciarra Claire Calligraphy

Photo Credits: Live View Studios

In addition to rebranding her calligraphy business, originally named Silver Fox Calligraphy, Ciarra Claire also opened an online paper shop with art prints called Plein Air Paperie. She shares, “I am most excited about recently rebranding and standing on my own as an artist, and being able to offer a fine art paperie online to a wider audience beyond wedding stationery.”

Inspiring Calligraphers: Ciarra Claire Calligraphy

Inspiring Calligraphers: Ciarra Claire Calligraphy

Inspiring Calligraphers: Ciarra Claire Calligraphy

Ciarra is now dabbling in wax seals, too. “I also have a collaborative seal with Artisaire!” She adds that they carry beautiful wax sealing spoons worth checking out.

Credits: Wax Seals and Artisaire

Inspiring Calligraphers: Ciarra Claire Calligraphy

Photo Credit: Corey Weber / Styling by Sincerely Ginger / WaxSeals.com

Inspiring Calligraphers: Ciarra Claire Calligraphy

Photo Credit: Morning Light Photography / Styling by Lacy Geary

What inspires Ciarra? She finds inspiration in classic calligraphy, such as copperplate. “But I love the casual look of hand writing, such as the little notes you find inside old book covers,” says Ciarra. “And I try to blend historical calligraphy technique with organic movement. I love old hand written letters and the calligraphy notes on vintage botanical prints.” Here’s a peek at one of her art prints:

Inspiring Calligraphers: Ciarra Claire Calligraphy

Ciarra chose the name Plein Aire Paperie because the pieces are inspired by historical artwork and vintage prints. And she notes that they are also designed to be displayed “en plain air” free standing or in a floating frame to show the pretty deckled edges. “They come with a tag about the line and a little black card to write a short note to your loved one and a blind embossed envelope,” she shares.

Thanks to Ciarra for sharing all the many things she’s working on! You can also find her on Instagram and see more of her work in the Designer Rolodex!

Dramatic Black Meets Romantic Mermaid Wedding Invitations

This is certainly a first! Dramatic black meets romantic mermaid wedding invitations, brought to us by Victoria of Design House of Moira. I never would have thought to pair rich black hues with subtle mermaid themed pastels, but it works OH SO WELL! What’s more, the flourished calligraphy and oversized wax seal are just the right amount of bold and beautiful for this over the top modern yet aquatic suite! What a fun and fresh look!

Dramatic Black Meets Romantic Mermaid Wedding Invitations by Design House of Moira

From Victoria: We had an unusual combination of requests from this bride: she wanted black, dramatic, foil printing, handmade paper, a large scale wax seal, unusual size, and mermaid paper (yes, mermaid paper).

Dramatic Black Meets Romantic Mermaid Wedding Invitations by Design House of Moira

Since size and handmade paper are the most difficult, we started there. We collaborated with Owl Post Calligraphy to create a custom order of black handmade paper in 8×11 inches. We wanted to be able to fold the invitation into thirds, so we paired it with inserts that were long and thin to fit inside the folded invitation. We choose a long envelope that opened with a flap rather than on the end of a #10 envelope.

Dramatic Black Meets Romantic Mermaid Wedding Invitations by Design House of Moira

The mailing envelopes were a gorgeous handmade paper from Spain with a lacy and delicate deckled edge, while the reply envelope was a deep matte black.The wording on the invitation was also unusual. The wedding was hosted by the bride, groom and their son, whose names are listed together as a family.

Dramatic Black Meets Romantic Mermaid Wedding Invitations by Design House of Moira

The additional inserts were all hand painted with watercolor in shades of blues, teals, and purples (mermaid colors!) on Italian paper with an extremely soft felt finish and delicate deckled edge. We selected the Italian paper for its cotton content and knowing that it wouldn’t buckle or warp with the watercolor.

Dramatic Black Meets Romantic Mermaid Wedding Invitations by Design House of Moira

Dramatic Black Meets Romantic Mermaid Wedding Invitations by Design House of Moira

We paired an extremely formal and flourished calligraphy style selected by the bride and with a simple sans serif. We then selected a pale silver with a slightly matte finish for the printing. We wanted to be able to use the same printing on all four paper types included in the suite – Spanish and Italian handmade paper, custom black handmade paper and the flat black envelope.

Dramatic Black Meets Romantic Mermaid Wedding Invitations by Design House of Moira

We created a logo for the couple of XX representing the day they decided to become a family. The XX logo was featured on the 2” wax seal as well as the return address and reply card envelope. The entire suite was folded and tucked inside the gorgeous, ivory Spanish paper envelope and addressed in matching formal calligraphy. We choose Oscar de la Renta postage with two stamps per envelope.

Thanks Victoria!

Design and Calligraphy: Design House of Moira
Foil Printing: Viking Printing 
Custom black handmade paper: Owl Post Calligraphy 

Check out the Designer Rolodex for more tal­ented wed­ding invi­ta­tion design­ers and the real invi­ta­tions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Design House of Moira

Gray Vellum Wine Country Wedding Invitations

These invitations combine two of my current favorite paper trends: dreamy vellum and romantic deckled edges! Michelle Castle of Honey Paper designed these gray vellum wine country wedding invitations, with a beautiful vellum overlay on invitations printed on the dreamiest Italian paper with deckled edges. The juxtaposition of crisp vellum and textured paper in this suite is simply stunning. More please!

Gray Vellum Wine Country Wedding Invitations by Honey Paper

From Michelle: Guests gathered for an outdoor summer wedding ceremony and reception at The Velvet Bee Vineyard in one of California’s picturesque wine regions. The couple wanted their love and appreciation of the arts to be reflected in every aspect of their wedding day from the hand moulded paper of the invitations to the elegantly handcrafted ceramic dishes.

Gray Vellum Wine Country Wedding Invitations by Honey Paper

Texture and nostalgia were integral to the atmosphere. Sheets of white linen the color of cut radish covered the tables and each vase held the velvety, pinnate leaves of silver ragwort, clutches of white zinnia and thick downy roses. Bread and butter plates, saucers and glasses resembling 18th-century creamware enhanced the dreamy ambiance.

Gray Vellum Wine Country Wedding Invitations by Honey Paper

We used a combination of hand moulded Italian papers and vellum for the invitation suite and menus emphasizing the polarity of the textures. The dense, fibrous invitation and reply card were printed with a soft gray ink in a font suggestive of a carefully handwritten letter. The invitations were overlaid with wafer thin vellum printed with drawings of garden roses in gray and wrapped in silk ribbon, an orchestration of texture and tone. Creamy white wax seals impressed with a bee stamp finished the invitations. Envelopes were lined with a drawing of a single rose in gray repeating the botanical style of the vellum pieces. Envelopes were addressed in a thin line calligraphic script in gold ink.

Gray Vellum Wine Country Wedding Invitations by Honey Paper

A spectrum of gray, cream and white unified the paper details and ceramics – the slow, rich beauty of stone, slate, ash – gray and its association with the passage of time, memory, storms and wisdom. The menu repeated the vellum of the invitation and was printed with a pale, stone gray ink. Focusing on texture and the subtle tone on tone of transition from white to gray was a nod to the beautifully crafted Astier de Villatte ceramics at the table. Menus were placed atop plates with either gilt edges or beaded rims.

Gray Vellum Wine Country Wedding Invitations by Honey Paper

Gray Vellum Wine Country Wedding Invitations by Honey Paper

The polarity of the clay and glaze, as well as the lightness of the ceramic objects, was something we wanted the stationery and menus to reflect. The lucid, ephemeral quality of the vellum and the feathery edged moulded deckled paper carried those qualities from the invitation suite to the menus.

Gray Vellum Wine Country Wedding Invitations by Honey Paper

Thanks Michelle!

Design & Calligraphy: Honey Paper

Paper: Arturo Italian

Honey Paper is a member of the Designer Rolodex – check out more of their beautiful work right here or visit the real invi­ta­tions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Cara Robbins Studio