Well Said Type | 176

Well Said Type: Bibliophile Script Font by Sudtipos

BIBLIOPHILE

Bibliophile Script is the latest offering from powerhouse font foundry Sudtipos and is inspired by late 19th century Round Hand calligraphy and Italian capitals. Just look at all those beautiful flourishes! Oh – and it’s 50% off through July 22! Grab your own copy right here.

p.s. For those of you who love script fonts as much as I do, MyFonts is having a HUGE sale on script fonts this week! Some of my go-to script fonts are included in the sale, which runs through Friday, June 16. New styles are being added every day, but here are a few favorites: Blog Script, Quickbrush, Zooja, Freeland, and Saturday Script.

Calligraphy Inspiration: Ruth Jahja of Seniman Calligraphy

Hey everyone! I’m excited to share some pretty lettering work with you today. What I love in the paper world is when you spot wedding invitation suites that don’t look quite like everyone else’s. And I’m a big fan of seeing calligraphy in places beyond paper. Because why not dress up a celebration with pretty lettering in other places, too?! So here’s a look into the lettering work of Ruth Jahja of Seniman Calligraphy. Let’s hear what Ruth has to share about her experiences as a calligrapher! â€“ Jen

Calligraphy Inspiration: Ruth Jahja of Seniman Calligraphy

Calligraphy Inspiration: Ruth Jahja of Seniman Calligraphy

Photo Credits: Tenth and Grace

Ruth Jahja is Indonesian and she came to the United States for her bachelor’s degree in Interior Architecture. “Drawing and painting have been something I’ved loved to do since I was a kid but I decided to pursue something a bit more stable for my degree,” she shares. After working for a few years as an interior designer in Los Angeles, she stumbled on calligraphy while trying to find a new hobby. It turned out to be even more fun than she expected, and she wanted practice, so she decided to set up an Instagram account and Etsy shop to make a little extra pocket money. One thing led to another, and after a couple of photographers took a leap of faith and collaborated with her on some styled shoots, more work followed. “Almost a year since I posted my very first Instagram photo, I decided to do this full time and it’s been an adventure ever since,” shares Ruth.

Calligraphy Inspiration: Ruth Jahja of Seniman Calligraphy

Photo Credit: Tenth and Grace

Where does the name come from? Ruth shares: Seniman means artists and craftsmen in Indonesian, so it’s my little homage to my heritage and a commitment for what kind of work I want to produce.

Calligraphy Inspiration: Ruth Jahja of Seniman Calligraphy

Photo Credit: Diane McGregor Photography

What a wow statement this giant menu board makes in a reception!

Calligraphy Inspiration: Ruth Jahja of Seniman Calligraphy

Ruth shares that she prefers a strong contrast between the thick down-stroke and the delicate up-stroke, the bold lines and the bouncy flourishes. “I do notice my writing evolves as my ability to control the medium improves over time,” notes Ruth. “I’m able to work with strokes and curves that feel comfortable and natural to me instead of trying to copy others’ writing.”

Calligraphy Inspiration: Ruth Jahja of Seniman Calligraphy

“I’m a huge sucker for letterpress and handmade paper,” says Ruth. (Me too!)

Calligraphy Inspiration: Ruth Jahja of Seniman Calligraphy

Photo Credit: Tenth and Grace

“I love working on non-paper medium — from glass/mirror, tile, natural stone, ribbon, and wood,” says Ruth. This bottle of bubbly with her hand lettering is definitely my fave.

Calligraphy Inspiration: Ruth Jahja of Seniman Calligraphy

Photo Credit: Ether and Smith

Many thanks to Ruth for sharing a sweet peek into her lettering work and work process!

Photo Credits: Seniman Calligraphy except where noted

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Forget boring menus! The menu is a key element of any wedding reception, from informal picnic-inspired fêtes to formal black tie affairs. Today we’re rounding up a few creative wedding menu ideas, from glamorous mirrors to tropical leaves! – Annie

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

White calligraphy on a mirror adds instant glamour. | Photography: Mi Belle Photographers, Event Planning: The Green Ribbon Party Planning Co. via Martha Stewart Weddings

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

How amazing is this combination of acrylic and moss?! | Photography: Dani Stephenson, Floral & Event Design: Jennifer Joyce Design, Calligraphy: Saffron Avenue via Dani Stephenson

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Love these cheerful illustrations. | Photography: Ned Jackson Photography, Menus: Happy Menocal via The Knot

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Play with texture. | Photography: Erin McGinn, Floral & Event Design: Greenlion Design, Calligraphy: Heather Belle Ink via Style Me Pretty

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

This wooden menu doubles as decor. | Photography: Onelove Photography, Floral & Event Design: JL Designs, Calligraphy: Tessa Shane via Hey Wedding Lady

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Draw inspiration from your surroundings. Gold calligraphy on tropical leaves, anyone? | Photography: Brandon Kidd Photography, Wedding Planner: LVL Weddings & Events, Floral Design: Wildheart, Calligraphy: Miss B Calligraphy via 100 Layer Cake

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Keep it classic with elegant calligraphy and textured paper. | Photography:Christina Lilly, Paper Goods: Claire Hudson with Pennys & Stamps via Green Wedding Shoes

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Love the mix of illustrations and calligraphy. | Photography: Sposto Photography,  Coordination: Green Apple Event Co, Calligraphy: Luminous Lines via Green Wedding Shoes

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Doing double duty as a menu and bread bag. | Photography:Pat Furey via Green Wedding Shoes

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Add color with watercolor frames. | Photography: Jen Huang, Florals & Styling: Poppies & Posies, Menus: Paperfinger via Paperfinger

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Who needs dozens of menus when you can have one giant menu (with gorgeous calligraphy, might I add)? | Photography: Katie Stoops Photography, Event Planning: Bash, Please, Calligraphy: A Fabulous Fete via Studio DIY

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

No flying menus here! | Photography: Plum & Oak, Venue & Coordination: Quail Haven Farm, Calligraphy: Elli via Ruffled

p.s. More wedding menu inspiration right here!

Happy Weekend!

Happy Saturday everyone! I’m on the train to New York as I write this, making my way towards the 2017 National Stationery Show! If you don’t already, follow me over on Instagram for some real-time updates from the show, and of course I’ll be back here next week to share recaps and highlights from the show – along with some of our regularly-scheduled content. But in the meantime…

 Azalea-Inspired Envelope by Mary Kate Moon

Photo by Mary Kate Moon via Instagram

…a few links for your weekend!

How gorgeous is this skirt?? I want one in every color!

Loving the new Parachute tabletop linen collection

Such great embroidered t-shirts from Anne Robin Calligraphy – the proceeds all go to Planned Parenthood! I especially love this Make America Kind Again kid’s shirt.

NEED these hologram envelope sets from The Social Type!

Thinking I might need this for future trade shows – it’s the perfect way to store business cards!

Make: Thai iced tea ice cream

Card of the week!

 

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

Playful floral pinwheel wedding invitations

Beautiful blue agate-inspired watercolor and calligraphy wedding invitations

Fun cards to congratulate friends and family on a new home!

Super fun neon acrylic birthday party invitations

NSS 2017 Sneak Peeks: Wild Ink Press, Inclosed, Amy Heitman, and Egg Press

A Tequila and Mezcal Old Fashioned cocktail recipe

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations

A bit of agate-inspired prettiness to brighten your Wednesday! Agate slices and jewel tones are having quite a moment these days, don’t you think? First these gorgeous purple-hued agate-inspired invitations a few weeks ago, and now these vibrant blue agate-inspired watercolor wedding invitations from Debbie Wong Design! The watercolor does a great job of mimicking the unique and varied nature of agate stones. And the hand painted watercolor is even more beautiful when paired with deckle edge paper and modern calligraphy in white ink!

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

From Debbie: The aesthetic and rich jewel tones of agate were the main inspiration for this invitation suite. Blue is incredibly versatile and a beautiful color to use year-round, no matter how seasonal trends may change.

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

Since agate stones come in so many different patterns, the background for the invitation and response card were also unique from one to another, due to the handmade nature of watercolors. Another unique element of agate slices that we wanted to highlight was the unique crystal design at the center of each stone.

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

I decided modern calligraphy was an appropriate style to use for this fun invitation suite, and white ink was the perfect choice to stand out the most against the dark blue tones of the suite. The invitation suite was created on hand deckled cotton rag paper to get a gorgeous texture. Then, the invitation and the response card were tied together with a soft dusty blue silk ribbon from Silk and Willow, before inserting them into a light blue envelope.

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

Vintage stamps were another fun detail we incorporated. Blue stamps fit the theme, but we added a couple of brightly colored stamps to make the envelopes stand out in a fun and vibrant. A blueberry stamp was also incorporated, and this motif tied in with the menu card.

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

The reception was going to be a cocktail style affair, so the menu items were hors d’oeuvres instead of a full seated dinner. The menu was also made on the same hand deckled cotton paper, with a little blueberry painted on the top as the header. We used watercolor to write the appetizer names onto these cards. I knew using watercolor would give the menu cards an organic look with the colors varying slightly from word to word.

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

We used actual agate slices as food labels for the stations at the reception. Brilliant white ink with modern calligraphy was used to match the invitation suite’s calligraphy. I purposely chose three distinctive looking agate stones for the appetizer cards, as no two agates are exact, just like a hand painting. This was such a fun project to orchestrate and I love how it came together!

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

Thanks Debbie!

Design, calligraphy, & hand painting: Debbie Wong Design

Ribbon: Silk and Willow

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

Photo Credits: Debbie Wong