Welcome Baby – Announcements!

I thought I’d continued today’s baby theme with a few baby announcements that have caught my eye over the last couple of weeks.  First up,  Brandi from Sweet Harvey sent over a custom baby announcement that she recently created in a modern pool and orange color palette.  And how cute are those tiny little baby feet?!

custom letterpress baby announcements

custom letterpress baby announcements

{sweet harvey}

Kathleen from Twig & Thistle created these gorgeous letterpress baby announcements for her new niece.  I love the simple layout and flower details – so pretty!

custom baby announcements custom baby announcements

{twig + thistle}

Also in the photo baby announcement category, this blue baby announcement from Duet Letterpress would be perfect for any baby regardless of gender:

custom baby announcements

{duet letterpress}

Back in the non-photo category, I couldn’t resist these elephant baby announcements from Pearenthetical Press.  So cute!

elephant baby announcement elephant baby announcement

{pearenthetical press}

I love this floral baby announcement from Bella Figura – the design is based on one of their wedding invitations!

floral letterpress baby announcements

{bella figura}

If you have a baby announcement or birthday party invitation that you’d like to share, please feel free to e-mail me!

{all images from their respective sources}

*Bella Figura and Sweet Harvey are two of my fabulous sponsors; for more on my editorial policies, please click here.

Nicole + Steven’s Wedding Day Details

As promised, I’ve got a few more details that Nicole was kind enough to share from her wedding earlier this year.  If you couldn’t already tell from the invitations, Nicole and Steven are quite the crafty couple – and I’m completely in love with all of the details that they came up with for their wedding, including the incredible table number displays and guest book!

Creative-Modern-Wedding-Escort-Card

From Nicole: Escort cards for the reception were laid out on the bar for the guests to find their seats, and we provided dessert cards for the small buffet of sweets.

Creative-Modern-Wedding-Favor-Ideas Creative-Modern-Wedding-Table-Numbers

Creative-Modern-Wedding-Table-Numbers

Our table numbers were inspired by a J. Crew storefront design – they were super easy, but very time consuming, to make.  We kept the table centerpiece arrangements simple, but there were four different options depending on the table size.

Creative-Modern-Wedding-Table-Numbers

Creative-Modern-Wedding-Table-Decor

Each centerpiece and table number involved the nail and string table number, a candle holder, and a floral or succulent piece.

Creative-Modern-Wedding-Guest-Book-Ideas

Creative-Modern-Wedding-Guest-Book

I’ve been a reader of Joanna Goddard’s blog, A Cup of Jo, for a while now.  When she got married, she had a series of people blog about their secret to a happy marriage.  Steven and I decided it would be the perfect for our guestbook.

Creative-Modern-Wedding-Guest-Book-for-Kids

Instead of having a list of names, we thought it would be so sweet for all of our loved ones to be able to offer us some advice.  For the kids attending the wedding, we created to something to keep them occupied for a little bit.

Creative-Modern-Wedding-Confetti

We used confetti for our getaway, and sealed the confetti in small bags with some thread to match the table numbers.

Nicole has documented all of the elements on her own blog, Design Curiosities – so you can check out the dessert bar and confetti exit in action right here, the guestbook and centerpiece arrangements here and here, and the amazing table numbers (along with some DIY instructions) right here!  You can also read Nicole and Steven’s cute proposal story here. Thank you so much Nicole and Steven!

{image credits: nicole | design curiosities}

p.s. Just a reminder – if you have a few moments, would you please help answer a few questions for my annual reader survey?  Thank you so much!

Modern and Creative DIY Wedding Invitations

Nicole and Steven had an incredibly cool concept for their save the dates (a personal scavenger hunt!), so when Nicole sent over the invitations for their wedding this past April, I knew they would be fantastic.  These invitations were  a collaborative DIY effort, as Nicole and Steven designed, printed, cut, folded, embossed, glued, and even sanded their entire invitation suite together – check out a photo below for some of the many tools involved with the project!

Modern-Embossed-Wedding-Invitations-Full-Suite

From Nicole:  The first step in deciding what our invitations were going to look like was deciding what we didn’t want them to look like.  For us, that meant throwing out a lot of those invitation standards that scream “wedding.”

Modern-Embossed-Wedding-Invitations

Modern-Embossed-Wedding-Invitations-Suite

The invitations were a definite blending of two very different design styles.  Steven usually has a very sterile and rigid way of designing, while I am drawn to strong patterns and bolder colors.

Modern-Embossed-Wedding-Invitations-Envelopes Modern-Embossed-Wedding-Invitations-Detail

Each piece had a unique texture and feeling.  The invitation itself was very understated, composed of only typographic elements and printed on the same light gray stock as our save the dates.

Modern-Embossed-Wedding-Invitations

Modern-Embossed-Wedding-Invitations-Belly-Band

The RSVP card was the polar opposite.  We chose a bright yellow color and complementary patterns on the front and back.

Modern-Embossed-Wedding-Invitations-DIY

Modern-Embossed-Wedding-Invitations-Envelopes

We mimicked the ribbon from the RSVP on the map card by wrapping a sheet of paper around wood veneer and notching the end. The flourishes that we used on the map enclosures were a more current take on the classic book ornament.

Modern-Embossed-Wedding-Invitations-Map Modern-Embossed-Wedding-Invitations-Directions

Modern-Embossed-Wedding-Invitations-Wood

Modern-Embossed-Wedding-Invitations-Thank-You

I’ve got more paper details from Nicole and Steven’s wedding coming up, so check back soon!

{image credits: nicole | design curiosities}

{happy weekend!}

Ok, I’ll admit it, this week totally won.  I’m exhausted and ready for a much-needed weekend.  I’m also really looking forward to this weekend, because tomorrow is the annual Crafty Bastards fair here in DC!  If you’re in the DC area, you should definitely come check it out.  Also relevant to DC-based readers, one of the many projects I’ve been working on recently is almost done!  Want a sneak peek?  I’m so excited!  But in the meantime…

…a few links for your weekend:

…and just in case you missed it, a round-up of this week’s posts:

That’s it for me this week!  I hope you all have a wonderful (and hopefully relaxing) weekend, and I’ll see you all back here on Monday!

{photo by aimee, who has the most lovely photostream, found via design crush}

Wedding Invitations – Blackbird Letterpress

Today we’re back to wedding invitations, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be sharing some of the gorgeous work of Kathryn from Blackbird Letterpress!  You might already be familiar with Kathryn’s invitations for her own wedding, as well as this stunning wedding invitation that she created in a collaboration with Betsy Dunlap, and the rest of her wedding invitation portfolio is just as gorgeous.

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{Kathryn’s wedding invitations, which you can see in greater detail here}

Blackbird Letterpress specializes in custom wedding invitations, using many letterpress printing methods from movable hand set type to photopolymer plates depending on the design and the client’s needs.  Blackbird Letterpress also strives to make as little impact on our fragile world by using soy solvents and papers that are recycled or made from renewable resources.

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{cypress}

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{hydrangea}

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{wrought iron}

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{topographic map}

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{pomander}

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{new orleans – you can see more of this invitation right here!}

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{calla lily}

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{leaves}

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{fleur de lis}

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{peacock}

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{daisy}

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{country}

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{redwoods}

creative custom letterpress wedding invitations

{carousel – love the blind deboss details!}

Thank you so much Kathryn!  You can check out more of Kathryn’s lovely custom work over on her website and check out her collection of letterpress cards and notebooks in the Blackbird Letterpress etsy shop!

Looking for a wedding invitation designer?  You can find Blackbird Letterpress and many other wedding invitation studios over in the Designer Rolodex!

{image credits: blackbird letterpress}