07/22/2013

California!

Hello again! We’re happily home again after a refreshing week out in California â€“ big hugs to Ladyfingers Letterpress and 9th Letter Press for filling in while I was away! Such talented ladies, don’t you think? Before I jump back into our regular content, I thought I’d share some photos of our trip! We started the week off with a family vacation in Big Bear, then spent a few days in LA visiting friends before heading back home. It was a wonderful week!

We landed in LA and drove straight up to Big Bear to join the rest of my family. Mountains! We don’t get to see those very often.

First boat ride! Sophie wasn’t crazy about the life jacket, which in all fairness was way too big for her. But she loved being out on the water!

She even managed to take a half hour nap â€“ that kid can sleep just about anywhere.

My dad, happily driving his family around Big Bear Lake.

Big Bear has the saddest (but sweetest) little zoo where they rehabilitate animals from the area. I hope they can begin construction on their new â€“ and much bigger â€“ site soon. You can help by donating here.

Spending time with her aunt Alicia (my sister).

Pretty spectacular, Big Bear.

On to LA! We rented an apartment with an organic garden â€“ and a tortoise named George! Sophie was in heaven.

Dear Lemonade, will you please open up in DC?? The watermelon rosemary lemonade was beyond delicious… I’ve been craving it ever since we got home!

It was great to catch up with some of our LA friends â€“ Kelly, Audrey, and Joy. Sophie was in awe of Ruby, and in particular her ability to run all over the place. It was so cute to watch Sophie want to do everything that Ruby was doing! And that Radio Flyer car is totally going on Sophie’s birthday list.

First time at the beach! She liked the seagulls, but the ocean… not so much. It was a short trip.

Oh, California, I wish I could have brought your beautiful weather (and zero humidity) home with me…

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

07/19/2013

Friday Happy Hour: Peach & Berry Summer Shrub

You didn’t think we’d leave you without a Friday cocktail recipe, did you? Not that long ago, Nole and I introduced our first shrub and promised more to come. So, without too much ado, here it is: our Peach & Berry Summer Shrub, a light and refreshing drink redolent of fresh fruit.Â â€“ Andrew

Peach & Berry Summer Shrub Signature Cocktail Recipe by Oh So Beautiful Paper (9)

Signature Cocktail Recipe Card: Peach & Berry Summer Shrub, Illustration by Tuesday Bassen for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Illustration by Tuesday Bassen for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Summer Shrub

2 oz Rum
3/4 oz Summer Shrub Syrup
1/4 oz Rich Simple Syrup
Ginger Beer

To make the Summer Shrub Syrup: Combine 1 cup muddled blueberries, strawberries, and peaches with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup vinegar. (We used equal parts white balsamic and champagne vinegar). Let everything sit for a few days, giving it a stir every now and then. Strain the mix through a fine sieve or cheesecloth and store in the fridge.

Peach & Berry Summer Shrub Signature Cocktail Recipe by Oh So Beautiful Paper (2)

To make the Summer Shrub: combine the rum, shrub syrup, and simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain over fresh ice. Top with a splash of ginger beer and enjoy!

Peach & Berry Summer Shrub Signature Cocktail Recipe by Oh So Beautiful Paper (27)

Our Summer Shrub is sweet and tart, with crisp and beautifully clear fruit flavors, with a touch of spiciness from the ginger beer and oakiness from the vinegar. Steeping the fruit in the vinegar for a few days really does let the fruit flavors shine through beautifully. It’s like summer in a glass.Â This one takes a little bit of planning ahead, since the shrub syrup takes a few days to make properly. So get started today!

Peach & Berry Summer Shrub Signature Cocktail Recipe by Oh So Beautiful Paper (49)

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

07/19/2013

Bid adieu to Ladyfingers Letterpress with a Stationery Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered!

Dear Diary. Day 5 of blogging on OSBP. Energy levels good. Eyeballs a little dry from staring at the internet for so long. Not enough ice cream. But spirits are high. Psyched to read the comments and make new friends. Sad that this is our last day guest blogging. Been a good go. Wondering if Nole will ask us to come back? Note to self: send a Thank You card.

Well, itâ€™s been fun, guys! To celebrate all of the good times weâ€™ve spent together for the past five days, weâ€™re doing a Very Special Stationery Giveaway. See, although weâ€™ve been all chatty about custom wedding invitations, thatâ€™s not all we do! This past May, we had our first ever booth at the National Stationery Show where we debuted our brand new line of social stationery! We had a blast meeting our favorite stationer friends, shops, printers and designers and were psyched with the response to our work. You can now find our work in over 50 stores across the country (and the world!) – but also on our newly redesigned online shop! Before we get going with the giveaway details, weâ€™d like to share with you a recap of some of our best sellers from NSS 2013. â€“Arley-Rose and Morgan of Ladyfingers Letterpress

Now for the info you’ve all been waiting for! To enter our giveaway, visit the Ladyfingers Letterpress online shop and browse the collection of social stationery. Select your 3 favorite single cards, flat or folded. Then come back here and leave a comment with your selection! Youâ€™ll have until 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, July 23rd to enter the giveaway. One winner will be selected randomly and notified via email.

*This giveaway is courtesy of Ladyfingers Letterpress. Giveaway only valid for mailing addresses within the United States. Official sweepstakes rules here.

07/19/2013

9TH LETTER PRESS: Oxford Line

Well, it’s been delightful guest blogging on Oh So Beautiful Paper! I thought I would wrap up the week with one of our lines we’ve developed recently. Our newÂ Oxford Line is geared for all the men in our lives who still swear by handwritten correspondence. I really went with a no fuss approach when designing this set of products. After I finished each design, I’d look at it as a whole and ask myself if my father, Edgar, would actually use them. What you see below are all Edgar approved! Â I particularly love the sleek black and white look of our packaging, too!Â â€“Isabel from 9th Letter Press

So I’ve got aÂ teenyÂ crush on Justin Timberlake (can you really blame me, Mrs. Timberlake?!). This particular flat note is named after him and his newest musical endeavors. I even named it, MR. TIMBERLAKE. You’re welcome, Justin.

Thanks for reading these past few days! I’ve been a giant fan of Oh So Beautiful Paper for a long, long while and it was a privilege to guest blog for the week. Thanks so much Nole for asking me, I had a blast!Â As a thank you for sticking with me until the end, I’m doing a little giveaway! Save either picture below and post it on Instagram with the #9thletterpress hashtag. We’ll select a winner next week and that lucky lady or gent will receive both notepads! â€“Isabel

Photo Credits: 9th Letter Press Team

07/18/2013

Rainbow Rolls, Split Fountains, and Flats, Oh My!

Well, hello again! You may think that we here at Ladyfingers Letterpress love repetition â€“ because well, weâ€™re printmakers and we are in the business of making multiples, after all, but that doesnâ€™t mean we donâ€™t love a good challenge! We started our business because we love to make unique, one-of-a-kind things, so we continue to â€“ pardon the pun â€“ push the envelope and experiment with ways to make awesome things… AWESOMER.Â â€“Arley-Rose and Morgan of Ladyfingers Letterpress

Weâ€™re huge fans of color and are always looking for ways to bring in more pop into our designs. We like to pull a good book off the shelf sometimes for technical ideas and design inspiration. One of the most historic printing techniques is called Bokashi, which was employed by Japanese woodblock printers and features large flats of more than one color, mixed by hand and applied by hand to woodblocks.

A resurgence of this idea can be seen in 1970s screenprinted and letterpressed rock posters, which feature a colorful technique that is known as a â€œRainbow Rollâ€ or â€œSplit Fountain.â€ This method is achieved by inking the roller on a press with multiple colors and as the roller spins, the colors naturally blend together. Note that this can only be done on cylinder presses like a Vandercook or Heidelberg.

Below are some of our most recent forays into printing flats of Rainbow Rolls! Also, see yesterdayâ€™s post with Jeremy and Joeâ€™s fabulous Mexican Broadside invitation!

Jessie and Alex’s Southwest Cloudburst:

Mary and Chris’s Colorful Wine Country Invitation:

Colton Almquist’s Vibrant Sunscape Birth Announcement:

Ladyfingers Letterpress is a member of theÂ Designer RolodexÂ â€“ check out more of their beautiful workÂ right hereÂ or visitÂ theÂ real inviÂtaÂtions galleryÂ for moreÂ wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits:Â Ladyfingers Letterpress