Happy Weekend!

Happy Friday everyone! Are you ready for the weekend? I am! Maybe it’s the heat, but this has been an extra exhausting week for me. But I think it must be the heat, because even my 4 year-old didn’t want to get out of bed this morning! On our way to camp this morning she said she was glad it was Friday so she could sleep in tomorrow. Ha! Totally my kid. Whereever you are, I hope you’re staying cool in this heat! But in the meantime…

Jennifer Vallez Illustration

Illustration by Jennifer Vallez via Instagram

…a few links for your weekend!

As the Senate debates the latest version of the Republican “health care” bill, I thought this was interesting: an analysis of the problems in our health care system. I’m personally in favor of a single payer system like Medicare for All.

This DIY “like” sticker piñata is just too cute!

Loving the colors in this tassel garland

The perfect party skirt

How cute is the gingham wallpaper in this bathroom??

We just bought this sleek wood-handled dish rack and I’m LOVING it! I also have my eye on these glass storage jars with wood lids.

Thinking about making homemade pizza for dinner this weekend – this grilled pizza looks good! Anyone have a favorite homemade pizza recipe?

Newport Beach, California friends! The new Sugar Paper store at the Lido Marina Village opens to the public on Sunday, July 16th at 11 am! The first 50 visitors will receive a $25 gift card to the store. Go check it out and report back!

Card of the week!

 

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

You’re going to want to make these Ginger Watermelon Margaritas

The cutest tropical flamingo birthday party invitations

Behind the Stationery with Paula & Waffle

Love these White House letter writing kits

Beautiful calligraphy from our newest Designer Rolodex member: Emily Rose Ink!

 

That’s all for this week! See you back here on Monday! xoxo

Calligraphy Inspiration: Emily Rose Ink

Hello friends! I’m super excited to dive into the work of calligrapher Emily Asher of Emily Rose Ink today. It’s summertime, and we’re right in the peak season of being outdoors, where you want pretty things around you that feel fresh and organic, and even maybe a little romantic. That pretty much wraps up Emily’s style of calligraphy. So let’s jump in with a whole dose of lettering work that I think you’ll love. Jen

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration from Emily Rose Ink

Photo Credit: Lea Emerson Photography

Of her inspiration, Emily shares, “I’ve found that I gravitate towards a style that feels romantic and organic but refined, a little imperfect without being too messy. I want my invitations to convey the formality deserving of a wedding without feeling stuffy or too traditional.”

Calligraphy and Vintage Stamp Envelope Inspiration from Emily Rose Ink

Emily likes to use vintage stamps with her wedding projects. “It’s fun for me to choose stamps that correspond to the couple’s geographical location, their history, or their interests, and they dress up an envelope in a way that makes each guest feel like they are opening a beautifully decorated gift when they receive their invitation.”

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration from Emily Rose Ink

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration from Emily Rose Ink

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration from Emily Rose Ink

Photos: Leah Emerson Photography

“I am definitely inspired by nature and often my invitations have a sense of place – whether it’s a venue illustration or a floral border inspired by the local colors and varieties of flowers that will be used in their wedding,” shares Emily. This is one invitation for a welcome party that I’d want to frame afterwards!

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration from Emily Rose Ink

Photo: Tim Tab Photography

I love this color palette for an invitation suite. That’s such a pretty blue and I love how it pairs with the reds.

“Lately I’ve been doing a lot of venue illustrations – both detailed architectural line drawings and watercolor scenes inspired by the natural beauty of the venue — and I love giving guests a preview of the wedding in this way,” says Emily. “The invitations also then serve as mementos for the couple, pieces of art that they can cherish forever.”

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration from Emily Rose Ink

Photo Credit: Lea Emerson Photography

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration from Emily Rose Ink

Check out these Save the Dates by Emily! Talk about a keeper — the California landscape looks so cool on those cards.

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration from Emily Rose Ink

Photo: Maria Harte Photography

Here’s an example of when subtle is so perfect. The soft gray tones of the lettering and vine illustration on this table card makes the design feel more modern.

Thanks so much to Emily of Emily Rose Ink for sharing a peek of her work. See you soon, friends!

Emily Rose Ink is a member of the Oh So Beautiful Paper Designer Rolodex – you can see more of her work right here!

Tropical Flamingo Pink and Green Birthday Party Invitations

Summer is here and an adorable flock of pink flamingos is here to kick off summer! How fun are these tropical flamingo pink and green birthday party invitations that designer and calligrapher Holly Hollon created for her daughter’s first birthday soirée?? Tropical leaf illustrations, pink cabana stripes, touches of gold foil, and of course Holly’s beautiful calligraphy are all focal points of these gorgeous invitations!

Tropical Flamingo Pink and Green Birthday Party Invitations by Holly Hollon Design and Calligraphy

Tropical Flamingo Pink and Green Birthday Party Invitations by Holly Hollon Design and Calligraphy

From Holly: For Biscuit’s First Birthday, I wanted to do a backyard birthday with a tropical theme as it was the first of summer and I was feeling all the summer time vibes while planning.

Tropical Flamingo Pink and Green Birthday Party Invitations by Holly Hollon Design and Calligraphy

I had some pink yard flamingos for years and never used them and they helped inspire the flamingo motif of the birthday party. These pink flamingos were perfect for our backyard golf course that we set up for the birthday party. Then one day in the grocery store I saw some silver urn plants and those further inspired a flamingo pink and green invitation.

Tropical Flamingo Pink and Green Birthday Party Invitations by Holly Hollon Design and Calligraphy

I love the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach and used a pink similar to the color of the hotel. Pink and green are such festive and summery colors. It was fun to play with bright colors and pull in touches of gold in the day-of party goods.

Tropical Flamingo Pink and Green Birthday Party Invitations by Holly Hollon Design and Calligraphy

I designed scorecards with the flamingo logo and my dad crafted wooden putters for the children at the party. Napkins, koozies and cups were a fun way to have special touches and not have to go overboard with party decor. I simply love how it all came together!

Tropical Flamingo Pink and Green Birthday Party Invitations by Holly Hollon Design and Calligraphy

Tropical Flamingo Pink and Green Birthday Party Invitations by Holly Hollon Design and Calligraphy

Tropical Flamingo Pink and Green Birthday Party Invitations by Holly Hollon Design and Calligraphy

Thanks Holly!

Design: Holly Hollon Design and Calligraphy & Dixie Design
Party Goods: Print Appeal

Photo Credits: Mary Margaret Smith Photography

Funky Art-Deco Gold Foil and Floral Wedding Invitations

A little party never hurt nobody! We’re loving these modern and funky art-deco gold foil and floral wedding invitations from Jennifer of Society Paper Goods. Geometric patterns, adorable hand lettering, and glamorous gold foil – it’s all there folks! The multifunctional coaster details cards are the perfect way to toast to the happy couple before the celebration!

Funky Art-Deco Gold Foil and Floral Wedding Invitations by Society Paper Goods

From Jennifer: This stationery suite was designed for a couple who was planning a glamorous, Old Hollywood-inspired fall wedding. We had a completely blank slate to create stationery that gave guests a fabulous first impression of their special day and did so through bold colors and metallics, “statement” pieces, delicate letterpress details, and cohesive packaging.

Funky Art-Deco Gold Foil and Floral Wedding Invitations by Society Paper Goods

We loved the idea of a black invitation with white and gold foil! It seemed like the perfect statement piece in a world of often white or ivory invitations. The bride and groom’s names were handwritten just for this project (this special handwritten lettering found its way onto other pieces like the details card, RSVP card, save the date, and program).

Funky Art-Deco Gold Foil and Floral Wedding Invitations by Society Paper Goods

In lieu of a traditional details card, we chose to die-cut the card into the shape of a coaster; we knew this wedding was going to be a party and maybe even reminiscent of Gatsby’s great parties! The coaster, featuring an art deco border, was first letterpress printed by Elefant Press in Dallas and then sent to Saint Louis to be gold foil printed and cut.

Funky Art-Deco Gold Foil and Floral Wedding Invitations by Society Paper Goods

The RSVP card showcases another “statement” in the visual pattern on the front side. It too was letterpress printed in Dallas and sent to Saint Louis for foil printing and finishing. We completed the invitation suite with emerald green velvet ribbon, hand-sewn by the bride’s mother herself, and floral envelope liner, both strong features of the overall look of the wedding. Lauren Saylor at A Fabulous Fete added her gorgeous calligraphy to put the beautiful finishing touches on this invitation suite.

Funky Art-Deco Gold Foil and Floral Wedding Invitations by Society Paper GoodsFunky Art-Deco Gold Foil and Floral Wedding Invitations by Society Paper Goods

The save the date, featuring childhood photos of the bride and groom, also showcased the handwritten lettering from the invitation suite.

Funky Art-Deco Gold Foil and Floral Wedding Invitations by Society Paper Goods

The day-of stationery included whimsical menu placemats, patterned table numbers, floral signage, and a bold, black program featuring the couple’s monogram which was foil-stamped on the cover.

Funky Art-Deco Gold Foil and Floral Wedding Invitations by Society Paper Goods

Thanks Jennifer!

Design: Society Paper Goods
Printing: Elefant Press and Furlong Printing
Calligraphy: Lauren Saylor at A Fabulous Fete
Paper: Reich Paper and Neenah Paper

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

Photo Credits: Jennifer Walker

Understated and Elegant Cream and Gold Wedding Invitations

These elegant cream and gold wedding invitations by Megan of Ruby the Fox combine woodsy details with feminine glamour – all inspired by the wedding venue on the groom’s family farm in Maryland! A letterpress-printed woodgrain pattern, gold foil text, gold glitter envelope liners, and delicate calligraphy are just a few of the special touches in this invitation suite.

Elegant Cream and Gold Wedding Invitations by Ruby the Fox

From Megan: When Kate, the bride-to-be, reached out to me to design custom wedding invitations and day-of paper accessories for her Baltimore wedding, I knew it would be a treat. I love working closely with couples on bespoke paper suites that truly reflect their personalities and the look and feel of their wedding day! Both the bride and groom are from Maryland, and they got married at the groom’s family farm.

Elegant Cream and Gold Wedding Invitations by Ruby the Fox

Elegant Cream and Gold Wedding Invitations by Ruby the Fox

Kate knew she wanted something feminine and elegant but felt strongly about bringing in a “woodsy” element to keep in mind in her fiancé’s interests. To combine those two looks, we went with a blind faux bois pattern printed on double-thick soft white cotton paper on the main invitation as well as a gold foil printed logo featuring antlers and the couple’s initials! The rest of the elements were printed on 110lb cotton paper with a combination of dove gray letterpress and gold foil. The result was super luxe and beautifully tactile.

Elegant Cream and Gold Wedding Invitations by Ruby the Fox

Subtle touches of blush were incorporated through the outer and reply envelopes as well as a satin ribbon on the program. We also brought in custom spot hand calligraphy as well as gold hand calligraphy on the outer envelopes to keep everything super custom. Although the bride was very aware of involving her fiancé and his likes/dislikes, we couldn’t resist using a bit of sparkle (ahem, gold glitter envelope liners and backers for the menus!) to keep things glam. It was the perfect amount of sparkle! We carried the antler logo throughout the entire paper suite which made for a beautiful, cohesive look.

Elegant Cream and Gold Wedding Invitations by Ruby the Fox

The final result was understated, feminine, and organic, which was the perfect combination for the couple’s upscale, chic farm wedding! This suite was so much fun to design and it ended up being one of my favorites from the season.

Elegant Cream and Gold Wedding Invitations by Ruby the Fox

Thanks Megan!

Design: Ruby the Fox
Printing: Copper Willow Paper Studio
Invitation Styling: Caitlin Kruse

Ruby the Fox is a member of the Designer Rolodex – you can see more of their beautiful work right here or visit the real invi­ta­tions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Krista Jones