08/17/2012

{happy weekend!}

Happy Friday! Â This week was pretty awesome â€“ on Monday I took a little field trip with the talented Michele of Meant to Be CalligraphyÂ to visit Terrain. Â Have you been? Â It was my first time there and I was just floored by how beautiful everything is â€“ I had to resist the urge to bring home a million new plants for our poor little garden (which sadly isn’t doing so well in the brutal DC summer heat). Â And lunch at the cafe? Â Sooooo good. Â I can’t wait to go back! Â But in the meantime…

Photos of Terrain by me via Instagram (@beautifulpaper)

A few links for your weekend!

Pretty new prints from Banquet Atelier & Workshop (check them out in person at NYIGF this weekend!)
Beautiful paper flowers
Feeling inspired to make my own soda
Gorgeous calligraphy invitations for a surprise 40th birthday party
Love, love, love these Drop Cap iPhone and iPad cases by Jessica Hische
A change the world sale with Smock
Congrats to Envelopments on a fabulous new website!
Have you heard about the American Made Awards from Martha Stewart Living? Â Only a week left to enter!

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

Super fun (and neon pink!) moving announcements
Cute new notecards from Dear Hancock debuting at NYIGF this weekend!
DIY vintage-inspired wedding invitations and save the dates
Incorporate geometric shapes into your wedding stationery!
Inspired by preppy summer stripes
Elegant wedding rehearsal dinner invitations
Wedding invitations inspired by 1940s movie posters
Illustrated art prints by Satchel & Sage

We have a fun cocktail coming up for you this afternoon, so check back a bit later for the recipe! Â I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and Iâ€™ll see you back here on Monday! Â xoxo

08/16/2012

Matt + Kimmy’s Illustrated Movie Poster Wedding Invitation

Nicole from The Nic Studio is known for her unique illustrations, from greeting cards to art prints to custom projects. Â Nicole sent over these 1940s movie poster-style invitations that she designed for a recent wedding, and I couldn’t resist showing you how she went about creating these unique invitations!

From Nicole: The bride, Kimmy, is an old friend from college, and she and Matt both work in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. Â Kimmy is part of “The Apple Sisters” â€“ a faux 1940s female singing group and comedy show that they perform live and distribute via podcasts. Â Kimmy and Matt are both drawn towards 1930s and 1940s themed items, especially old movie posters. Â We decided to do a 1940s movie poster invitation for their wedding.

I gathered a number of old posters to inform different aspects of the invitation illustration and design. “The Public Enemy” poster for the drama and general illustration composition; the “His Girl Friday” poster for the painterly style; the “Tea for Two” poster for the circular design; and the “Moon Over Miami” poster for the typography. Â I then asked Matt and Kimmy, both in the entertainment industry, to take a number of dramatic photos of themselvesÂ and derived the poster illustration from those photos.

My background is in illustration and portraiture, so this was a dream for me. Â I started by sketching out the couple in blue, then started to lay in some color, first in the background and then onto the subjects themselves. Â This is ALWAYS the ugly stage, which I’ve learned to be comfortable showing to others. Â I continued to work the piece from there. Â All of the painting was actually done digitally on my Wacom Cintiq.Â Â The final illustration sits on the blue background and the talented couple wrote their own copy for the poster, which was hilarious! Â The invitation itself measures 11.5″ x 17.5″ and was mailed in a poster tube.

So fun! Â Thanks Nicole!

The Nic Studio is a member of the Designer Rolodex â€“ you can see more of Nicole’s fabulous work right hereÂ orÂ or visit the real wedding invitations gallery for moreÂ wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: The Nic Studio

*The Nic Studio is a sponsor of Oh So Beautiful Paper

08/15/2012

Pretty + Paper

Lemonade and striped straws photo by Nicole Hill Gerulat for One Charming Party (left); Anna + Mark’s Preppy Wedding Invitations by Lavender’s BlueÂ (right)

Photo Credits: Nicole Hill Gerulat andÂ Lavenderâ€™s Blue

08/15/2012

Wedding Stationery Inspiraton: Geometric

Have you noticed the recent spike in geometric patterns, popping up everywhere from pillows to pants to wedding invitations? The triangle seems to be leading the way but I’m not discriminating, so today I’m talking all about geometric shapes and patterns for your day-of wedding stationery! If modern is your thing, you may already have graphic fonts or bold colors in the works, and a geometric addition could be the finishing touch you’ve been looking for. I am seriously loving those triangle seating charts, and that 3-D table number!? Who said your paper products ever had to remain two dimensional? â€” Kelly

Photos by Avery House, Escort Cards and Place Cards by Pitbulls and Posies via 100 Layer Cake

Photo by Lee Bird Photography, Favor Tag by Ham & Pea Design & Paperie via Style Me Pretty

Photo by Jenny Jimenez, Table Number by Matthew Parker Events via Ruffled (left), Photo by Katie Osgood Photography, Place Cards by Lara Kahn via Style Me Pretty (right)

Photo by KIM+PHIL Photography, Escort Cards by Paper Bloom via Brooklyn Bride

Photos by Thomas Straub, Escort Card Calligraphy by Gail Brill Design and Guest Book via Martha Stewart Weddings

Photo by Zoom Photography, Place Card by Press Engaged

Photo by Paige Newton Photography, Cards by The Creative Parasol

Printable Table Numbers via Martha Stewart Weddings (left), Photo by Susan Jackson, Seating Chart by Cheree Berry Paper via Martha Stewart Weddings (right)

Photo by Captured by Aimee, Menu by Sweet Emilia Jane via Green Wedding Shoes

Are any of you planning to incorporate geometric shapes into your wedding? Â We’d love to hear your ideas!!

{images via their respective sources}

08/14/2012

Melissa + Todd’s DIY Vintage-Inspired Wedding Invitations

Every couple of weeks, Bailey and Emma of Antiquaria stop by to share some fun DIY ideas using rubber stamps â€“ and today they’re here to share a wedding collaboration with a recent bride! Â Designer (and bride) Melissa La Pietra created the vintage-inspired designs for her wedding save the dates and invitations but needed a bit of help with the production. Â Bailey and Emma created a rubber stamp that Melissa used for her handkerchief save the dates, then letterpress printed Melissa’s designs for the invitation suite. Â Let’s take a look!

From Bailey and Emma: Melissa + Todd’sÂ wedding venue was The French Laundry in Napa Valley, so the graphics for the invitation were inspired by antique french apothecary labels. Â For the invitations, we had Melissa’s designs letterpress printed in charcoal grey ink. Â We designed a custom map of Yountville of her favorite places to accompany the suite.

The save the dates were sent out in A6 box mailers wrapped in kraft paper and tied with twine. Â We made rubber stamps of her save the date designs, which Melissa used to stamp on vintage handkerchiefs. Â Mel also embossed their logo on the front of the box and stamped the return address.

The hankies were wrapped in a variety of patterned papers, tied with bakers twine, and secured with a wooden close pin (from the French Laundry).

Thanks Bailey and Emma!

Invitation + Save the Date Design: Melissa LaPietra
Map Design + Rubber Stamps: Antiquaria

AntiÂquaria is a memÂber of theÂ Designer RolodexÂ â€“ you can see more of their beauÂtiÂful workÂ right hereÂ or visit the real wedding invitations gallery for moreÂ wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Melissa LaPietra and Intertwyned