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

Laurie + Jaime’s Nautical Wedding Invitations

Summer is fully upon us here in DC, and with it comes an obsession with the beach and all things nautical! As a girl that grew up along the beaches of Florida but now lives 90 miles inland, I really miss those beaches during the warm and humid summer months. Andrea from Chirp Paperie sent over some nautical invitations that she designed for a wedding on the Massachusetts coast. With the navy and white color palette and anchor details, I can practically smell the salty ocean air through these invitations!

Nautical Wedding Invitations by Chirp Paperie via Oh So Beautiful Paper (4)

From Andrea: Laurie and Jaime are dear friends that have been eagerly awaiting their wedding day. They reside in Danvers, Massachusetts right between Boston and Manchester by the Sea. Their house is perched on the water and so it was no surprise that Laurie desired a nautical themed wedding and invitation suite.

Nautical Wedding Invitations by Chirp Paperie via Oh So Beautiful Paper (5)

Their wedding will take place at the Danversport Yacht Club, and feature navy, gray, and classic anchor details. Laurie and Jaime wanted something “clean, contemporary and yet still classic.” Using their vision, I created a simple layout featuring their wedding colors and anchors. I then played with typography options to add a playful vibe to the invitation itself while not steering too far from the classic look they desired.

Nautical Wedding Invitations by Chirp Paperie via Oh So Beautiful Paper (6)

The invitation was wrapped with a custom striped bellyband featuring their names and wedding date. The very talented Erica Dunhill of WP Inks did the calligraphy on the front of the envelope and was then sealed with silver wax giving it a polished and sophisticated finish.

Nautical Wedding Invitations by Chirp Paperie via Oh So Beautiful Paper (3)

Thanks Andrea!

Design: Chirp Paperie

Calligraphy: WP Inks

Printing: TAP of West Palm Beach

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

Photo Credits: Chirp Paperie

Paper Party 2013: The Invitations!

After sharing the photos from Paper Party 2013 the other week, I’m so excited to finally share the invitations for the party! I was lucky to work with a really amazing team this year, including Linda & Harriett, Smock, Mohawk, and Meant to Be Calligraphy – it was definitely a group effort from start to finish! The invitations involve pops of bright neon pink, hand lettering, and a fun pattern. I couldn’t love them more!

Paper Party 2013 Invitations: Linda + Harriett Design, Smock Letterpress Printing, Mohawk Paper, Meant to Be Calligraphy for Oh So Beautiful Paper (50)

I was beyond thrilled to work with Liz from Linda & Harriett on the invitation design; I’ve been dying for an excuse to work with her for years! Liz no longer offers custom design services, but you can her beautiful designs on Minted and Paperless Post. I gave Liz our general inspiration – lots of bright color and geometric shapes – and just trusted Liz to do the rest. I love the resulting design,which features her gorgeous hand lettering and a background pattern of illustrated envelopes. Liz also used her hand lettering to create the envelope return address.

Paper Party 2013 Invitations: Linda + Harriett Design, Smock Letterpress Printing, Mohawk Paper, Meant to Be Calligraphy for Oh So Beautiful Paper (49)

Paper Party 2013 Invitations: Linda + Harriett Design, Smock Letterpress Printing, Mohawk Paper, Meant to Be Calligraphy for Oh So Beautiful Paper (8) Paper Party 2013 Invitations: Linda + Harriett Design, Smock Letterpress Printing, Mohawk Paper, Meant to Be Calligraphy for Oh So Beautiful Paper (9)

The invitations were letterpress printed by Smock on Mohawk Loop Smooth 160 lb White paper in two colors: a light pink for the background and a bright fluorescent pink for the main text (Pantone 812 for those of you interested in such things). I love the texture of the neon pink printed over the light pink envelope pattern background!

Paper Party 2013 Invitations: Linda + Harriett Design, Smock Letterpress Printing, Mohawk Paper, Meant to Be Calligraphy for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Paper Party 2013 Invitations: Linda + Harriett Design, Smock Letterpress Printing, Mohawk Paper, Meant to Be Calligraphy for Oh So Beautiful Paper (33)

The envelopes were printed on Mohawk Via Smooth A7 envelopes in Light Gray, and we used the same neon pink for the return addresses. I love the way the neon pink pops against the light gray envelopes, but oh boy are neon colors hard to photograph!

Paper Party 2013 Invitations: Linda + Harriett Design, Smock Letterpress Printing, Mohawk Paper, Meant to Be Calligraphy for Oh So Beautiful Paper (17)

The talented Michele of Meant to Be Calligraphy addressed the envelopes in her Edwards style in charcoal gray ink. We mailed approximately one hundred invitations before the show, then distributed the rest in person at the Stationery Show.

Paper Party 2013 Invitations: Linda + Harriett Design, Smock Letterpress Printing, Mohawk Paper, Meant to Be Calligraphy for Oh So Beautiful Paper (1)

Paper Party 2013 Invitations: Linda + Harriett Design, Smock Letterpress Printing, Mohawk Paper, Meant to Be Calligraphy for Oh So Beautiful Paper (47)

I hope you all love the invitations as much as I do!

Design: Linda & Harriett

Letterpress Printing: Smock

Paper: Mohawk

Calligraphy: Meant to Be Calligraphy

You can see the rest of the photos from Paper Party 2013 right here!

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

{happy weekend}

Hello friends. It was a sad week here in my Capitol Hill neighborhood of DC: Frager’s, our beloved hardware store (and 93-year old community institution), was destroyed in a huge fire on Wednesday night. Thankfully everyone made it out of the store okay and the brick facade of the building survived the fire. The owners plan to rebuild and neighborhood businesses have offered temporary work for displaced employees, but I’m still reeling from the destruction. My husband and I moved to Capitol Hill in 2009, and Frager’s quickly became one of my favorite places on the Hill. That probably seems weird, but it’s so much more than a hardware store: my husband and I bought our first Christmas tree together from Frager’s. I’ve purchased enough paint that the guys behind the counter know Sophie by name. Frager’s supports local sports teams, employs neighborhood teens during the summer, and even hosts an egg hunt for little kids during Easter. I look forward to a future teenage Sophie getting her first part-time job there. I just can’t imagine Capitol Hill without Frager’s. Thankfully our neighborhood has a history of rallying together to help local families and businesses in need, and I’m looking forward to helping in any way that I can.

OSBP-Instagram-Fragers

In honor of Frager’s. Photo by me via Instragram from back in 2011.

A few links for your weekend:

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

Check back soon for this week’s cocktail! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you back here next week. xoxo

DIY Tutorial: Hot Air Balloon Birth Announcement

Within the past few months, we’ve had babies on the brain. We’ve had numerous requests lately from crafty moms-to-be wanting chic, custom stamps so that they can make their own birth announcements for their new bundles of joy. This balloon announcement design is sweet, feminine and the perfect way to share the birth of a beautiful little girl with family and friends. – Bailey and Emma of Antiquaria

DIY Tutorial: Chic Rubber Stamp Baby Announcements by Antiquaria via Oh So Beautiful Paper (1)

Combining different pink hues (bright peony pink with the more traditional ballet pink) makes the design a bit more modern. And best of all…it’s super simple!

DIY Tutorial: Chic Rubber Stamp Baby Announcements by Antiquaria via Oh So Beautiful Paper (4)

Step One:  Lay an A2 card (4 1/4″x5 1/2″) card down on a firm surface. Ink your stamp (we used our “Hot Air Balloon” Birth Announcement Stamp) thoroughly and center it over your card. Once it is positioned correctly, press down to make a print. Use both hands to ensure even pressure. Lift off and let the print dry. For more information on this process go here.

DIY Tutorial: Chic Rubber Stamp Baby Announcements by Antiquaria via Oh So Beautiful Paper (3)

Step Two: Using the same technique as in Step One, print your return address (we used our Calligraphy Custom Return Address Stamp) on the back flap of an A2 envelope. To jazz up the back of the envelope, we used some adorable pink & gold washi tape!

DIY Tutorial: Chic Rubber Stamp Baby Announcements by Antiquaria via Oh So Beautiful Paper (2)

Step Three: Now all that’s left to do is to address the envelopes, add postage (we used vintage postage from Verde Studio) and send them on their way!

A quick tip for expecting parents: Since you will have your hands full once the baby is born, it is smart to stamp and address the envelopes before the big day arrives. This way, all you will have to do is stamp the announcement (you will need all the baby’s info for this piece), stuff and mail the envelopes, leaving more time to enjoy your new little one!

Materials List:

“Hot Air Balloon” Birth Announcement Stamp

Calligraphy Custom Return Address Stamp

A2 Card in Luxe White

A2 Envelope in Luxe Blush

Stamp Pad Peony

Washi Tape

Verde Studio Vintage Postage

Photo Credits: Antiquaria