12/12/2016

Purple and Gray Watercolor Wash Wedding Invitations

Watercolor and letterpress printing are such a fabulous combination. Lauren of Darling + Pearl designed these gorgeous purple and gray watercolor wash wedding invitations for a wedding in Philadelphia with the juxtaposition of hard and soft in mind. Other special touches, like the floral envelope liner, perfectly curated vintage postage, and the print of city hall, pull everything togetherÂ in such a beautifully cohesive way!

From Lauren: The inspiration for Nicole and Matthew’s wedding invitations was heavily drawn from their Philadelphia venue, Front + Palmer, a modern loft style venue in the city that was renovated from an old barrel factory. How rad is that? We wanted to emphasize the balance between masculine and feminine, hard and soft, and color and neutral (which is usually my aim as I piece together the elements of my work anyway, so it was definitely a win-win.)

It was ridiculously fun seeing all these elements come together! The suite was letterpress printed in grey with varying watercolor elements throughout. The main invitation had a patina-esque background wash that picked up some of the lavenders from the STUNNING floral print envelope liner and the backside of the information card.

Nicole and Matt LOVED the idea of representing the city within their wedding stationery. We included a black and white print of iconic Philadelphia city hall that I’m sure has now made for an awesome keepsake for many of their guests. We used dark purple reply envelopes so we could letterpress print their return address in silver.

The icing on the cake for the invitation design was certainly the vintage postage we curated. Vintage stamps can really pull everything together even more when they’re chosen effectively. It’s really inspiring to check out all of the postage that’s still available out there.

For their day-of stationery we letterpress printed small thank you notes that were placed at each table setting. Nicole and Matt were able to express a sweet sentiment to their guests and also introduced some new watercolor elements that lead back to the originality of their invitations, but in a refreshing and cohesive way.

Thanks Lauren!

Design: Darling + Pearl

Darling + Pearl is a member of the Designer Rolodex â€“ you can see more of their beautiful work right here or visit the real inviÂtaÂtions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Lauren Reed

12/08/2016

Playful Mountain-Inspired Wedding Invitations

We’re loving these cheerful, whimsical, and playful mountain-inspired wedding invitations fromÂ Alison of One + Only Paper, from the circle puzzle save the date (so fun!) to the whimsical calligraphed envelopes.Â Alison incorporated photography throughout the invitation suite, and the various images add just the right amount of texture to this flat printed suite. The real showstopper is the bellyband that also serves as a map and poster â€“ all in one!

From Alison: Melissa and Phil were married in late summer in Asheville, North Carolina, a fun mountain town with its own unique vibe. Melissa and Phil both love puzzles and games, and their fun loving, relaxed vibe set the tone for a super fun wedding suite.

We started with their save the date, and decided to make it extra special; we created a circle puzzle for their guests to solve. It was the perfect way to communicate to guests that this would be no ordinary wedding.

I worked closely with Gabrielle of Quietude Co. on the invitations. As Phil and Melissa are personal friends of ours, we wanted to be sure to do something spectacular and perfectly them for their invitations. The showstopper of the invitation suite was their welcome map. It functioned as a belly band in the envelope, and unfolded to an illustrated map of Melissa and Phil’s favorite spots in Asheville on one side, and a poster that guests could interact with during the wedding weekend on the other. We encouraged guests to visit the spots on the map, and take a photo of their poster, stating that they had #phunwithphilissa, Phil and Melissa’s wedding hashtag.

We kept the invitation clean and simple, with everything else going on in the suite, we wanted it to call attention in its simplicity. The backside featured their monogram. Another special touch was that all of the pieces for this suite were double sided, as we wanted it to feel fun and unexpected, like a surprise.

Something else unusual for this suite was the use of photography. We felt it would be another unique touch, and add color and texture in a more effective way than just using flat colors. We used succulents on the back side of the reply card to tie in the succulents that Melissa and Phil planned to grow and use as centerpieces at the wedding, and the mountains were evocative of the beautiful mountain views throughout Asheville.

The entire suite was enclosed in an oversize navy envelope, with fresh white calligraphy on the front, a more formal touch, but the movement and beauty of the calligraphy kept it feeling fresh and modern.

Thanks Alison!

Design: One + Only Paper

Calligraphy: Quietude Co.

Check out the Designer Rolodex for more talÂented wedÂding inviÂtaÂtion designÂers and the real inviÂtaÂtions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Mikkel Paige

12/07/2016

2016 Gift Guide: For Designers, Artists, and Calligraphers

Today we’re sharing some gift ideas for designers, artists, and calligraphers! I started doing this guide a couple of years ago, after a very sweet husband sent an email asking for gift ideas for his wife. This year,Â Ashley Buzzy, Li Wardian, Emily from Hartland Brooklyn, and Katie from Odd Daughter Paper all sent over some fabulous ideas!

1. I’m obsessed with these shimmery iridescent calligraphy inks! They come in every color of the rainbow, but I’m loving iridescent coral, silver, and green.

2. This leather artistÂ kit from Signora e MareÂ boasts six pockets to hold tools and instruments, while the convenient inkwell and carrier allow for those on-the-go projects and easy travel. Each kit is secured tight with a hand stitched strap.

3. The cutest hologram pencil case for corralling all those essential pens, pencils, and small tools.

4. Tom’s Studio makes the most unbelievably gorgeous copper calligraphy pen holders

5. Rich and radiant liquid watercolors for everything from brush lettering to watercolor illustration. The colors are available both individually and in three separate sets â€“ Set #2 has beautiful earthy colors like indian red, sepia, and yellow ochre.

6. + 7. Handmade paper is an absolute treat for a calligrapher â€“ and there are so many options these days! Arpa Handmade PaperÂ (available in gorgeous shades of pale pink and lavender and envelopes with gorgeous deckled flap edges!), Share Studios (pictured in no. 6 above), Fabulous Fancy Pants, Signora e Mare, and Silk & Willow, just to name a few.

8. Blocks of watercolor paper will always be a welcome gift to any watercolor artist. Calligrapher and watercolor artist Li Ward recommends blocks of Fabriano and Arches cold press watercolor paper.

9. Pretty pink and navy blue pens for lovely stocking stuffers

10. These Ikea storage boxes are perfect for keeping track of small tubes of paint, brushes, and other small art supplies, according to Ashley Buzzy. Ashley uses her boxes to store paint tubes, brushes, washi tape, calligraphy pens, ink pots, and more.

11. This beautiful Japanese watercolor set comes with 36 color pans, including bright neons and shimmery metallics!

12. Every studio or home office needs a pretty candle. I’m a big fan of these Clementine + Clove candles from Sydney Hale Co., while calligrapher Li Ward recommends this Smoke on the Water candle for lettering sessions. Li says it smells romantic and mysterious like a haunted house!

13. A couple essential paper tools: a deckle edge rulerÂ and transfer tape gun (with plenty of refills)

14. This paper & book press is definitely a high end item, but Ashley Buzzy says it’s the single most useful tool in her studio. From Ashley: With the textural type of projects that calligraphers are being asked to do more and more, it’s amazing for flattening out watercolor-washed paper and flattening folded place cards. When I gold leafed a large order of invitations I pressed them afterward in a stack to make sure the leaf was securely adhered. If I do brush lettering on a sheet and it warps the paper, I just press it for a couple of days to flatten it out. Sometimes I’ll press lined envelopes for a couple of hours to flatten them out, etc. It’s just so so so helpful!

p.s. If you’re handy, you could probably DIY your own paper & book press at home. I found a few options here!

15. These simple and modern notebooks by Iron Curtain Press are perfect for sketching, writing down ideas, and so much more.

16. This Italian wood desk set is a beautiful gift for calligraphers and brush lettering artists! I also love these wood blockÂ pen holders for designers, illustrators, and hand lettering artists.

A couple additional ideas:

Online workshops and classes make a wonderful gift for both aspiring and established artists. There are classes to fit pretty much any and every need and interest, from Stationery Biz 100 to Tradeshow Bootcamp webinarsÂ for stationers interested in developing wholesale collections, to calligraphy and watercolor classes on Skillshare, Brit + Co., Creativebug, and of course the Modern Calligraphy Summit!

For artists that enjoy working with music playing in the background, consider a Spotify or music streaming subscription.

This post contains affiliate links. By clicking onÂ these links, youâ€™ll help support Oh So Beautiful Paper while also purchasing some wonderful gifts. I only recommend products that I truly love and trust that youâ€™ll love,Â too. My full disclosure policy can be found here.

12/07/2016

Purple and Fuchsia Watercolor Wedding Invitations

I’m always on board for bold watercolor washes with vibrant colors, and these purple and fuchsia watercolor wedding invitations from Lea Robinson of Lattice Tree StudioÂ are no exception. Lea paired abstract watercolor patterns with festive hand lettering to create this bright invitation suite. We’re loving the depth that the watercolor adds to the suite and the fun envelope liner thatÂ ties the whole suite together!

From Lea: Nina and Michael wanted their invitations to reflect their personal style as well as their wedding venue. They were married at a restaurant in Philadelphia, Talula’s Daily, which has a pretty whimsical style. The restaurant has modern meets rustic decor, with beautiful wooden farm dining tables. The couple also wanted to incorporate bold colors in the design. To achieve this look, I hand painted bright watercolor swashes and paired these with some hand painted leafy elements to bring in that natural/rustic feel from the restaurant’s decor. The typefaces (sans serif and script) were carefully chosen to reflect this whimsical style.

The main invitation is printed front and back, with the couple’s names on the back overlaid on a bright watercolor wash. This watercolor wash is also used for the couple’s return address on the outer envelopes. Their invitation suite uses inner and outer envelopes so we couldÂ incorporate envelope liners that would be both functional andÂ add an element of surprise for the guests. I often tell my brides that envelope liners only work when the guests actually have a chance to see the liners. Often times, if the liner is used on an outer envelope, the flap is sealed and when the guest opens the envelope, they rip it at the top seam. This causes them to miss the envelope liner entirely. To avoid this, we used inner and outer envelopes, making the inner envelopes a beautiful deep purple color that would add a pop of color to the suite.

The RSVP cards and the accommodations/welcome dinner cards also utilized different colors of watercolor washes as well as leafy elements. The couple was having a welcome dinner before the wedding day so they wanted to include information about that, as well as the accommodations on one card (printed front and back). To add even more interest to this bright invitation suite, we mix and matched the colors of the envelopes, so the response envelopes were a beautiful lavender. This variation in colors provided a nice contrast to the entire suite.

To complete the suite and to hold all of the pieces together, a tag with the couple’s initials was tied around the entire piece. I hand painted all of the watercolor elements to create a truly one of a kind design for all of my clients.

Thanks Lea!

Design: Lattice Tree Studio

Invitation Printing: Printswell

Envelope Printing: Indigo Ink

Check out the Designer Rolodex for more talÂented wedÂding inviÂtaÂtion designÂers and the real inviÂtaÂtions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Lea Robinson

12/02/2016

Happy Weekend!

Happy Friday everyone! Since we usually travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, we’re just now getting our Christmas decorations out and getting our home into the holiday spirit. Alice still has no idea what all the fuss is really about, but Sophie is so excited to decorate! We’re getting our Christmas tree this afternoon from a fundraiser at Sophie’s school, and I’m sure we’ll spend the rest of the night stringing lights and hanging ornaments. With a two year old and four year old in the house, I finally bought a set of shatterproof ornaments and will set our breakable glass ornaments aside for a few years. I’ll be sure to share our tree on Instagram later tonight or tomorrow! But in the meantime…