Allie’s Vintage-Inspired Kentucky Derby Party Invitations

I admit that I’ve never actually watched the Kentucky Derby (or any other horse race), but I’ve always thought it would be fun to throw a theme party inspired by the derby.  All the ladies wear big hats, all the gentlemen wear seersucker suits, with lawn games and plenty of mint juleps to go around.  Sounds fabulous!  Well, Allie from Allie Ruth Design and her husband Ryan really did throw a derby party this year, and today we get a peek at the beautiful invitations she created for the party!

Kentucky-Derby-Party-Invitations

From Allie:  As soon as Ryan and I decided to have a Derby party, I knew I had to come up with something cute and vintage-inspired to invite our guests.  Believe it or not, this was actually the first time I had ever letterpress printed anything for my own party!  This was also my first time ever using a real vintage letterpress block.  I have always used photopolymer plates, but this time, I knew that the only way I could achieve the true vintage aesthetic that I was hoping for, I would have to find the perfect vintage block – and I did!  I love, love, love this race horse block, and we will be able to use it for years to come!

Kentucky-Derby-Party-Invitations

Kentucky-Derby-Party-Invitations

I had some Crane Lettra left over from an order, and it was the perfect color and weight for this job.  So velvety and rich!  I used a 1920s newspaper page as backing for the kraft paper labels, and wrote addresses with a white paint pen.  The tags had all of the details about directions, etc. and were finished with red and white baker’s twine that I had left over from a custom order.

Kentucky-Derby-Party-Invitations

Kentucky-Derby-Party-Invitations

Kentucky-Derby-Party-Invitations

So cute!  Thanks Allie!

Photo Credits: Allie Ruth Design

Jaime + Anthony’s Modern Woodgrain Wedding Invitations

I love, love, love the texture in these beautiful woodgrain and overall nature-inspired wedding invitations from designer Kate Holgate. Kate’s clients Jaime and Anthony are planning an outdoor wedding in Sun Valley, Idaho and wanted an invitation that reflected the natural surroundings while preserving the elegance of the event. The entire suite just comes together perfectly – from the woodgrain elements to beautiful blind impression details to gorgeous typography to soft muslin bags.

Modern-Aspen-Forest-Letterpress-Wedding-Invitation

From Kate: Jaime and Anthony are getting married outdoors in the beautiful historic Sun Valley, Idaho. Sun Valley is a laid back resort town surrounded by gorgeous mountains with numerous aspen groves. Jaime was open to ideas and only requested that I somehow tie in an ‘aspen’ theme.  Her wedding colors are coral and khaki, and I introduced teal to the invitation color palette.

Modern-Aspen-Forest-Letterpress-Wedding-Invitation

The save the date cards have a tree ring timeline in blind letterpress showing important dates in Jaime and Anthony’s relationship.  For the invitation suite, I created a pattern that repeats the aspen leaf symbol (also blind letterpress), a wood grain texture, and used vintage-inspired typography.  Stamped muslin bags replaced the traditional inner envelope.  The overall result feels elegant and natural.

Modern-Aspen-Forest-Letterpress-Wedding-Invitations-Blue-Red

Modern-Aspen-Forest-Letterpress-Wedding-Invitations-Initials

Modern-Aspen-Forest-Letterpress-Wedding-Invitations Modern-Aspen-Forest-Letterpress-Wedding-Invitation

Modern-Aspen-Forest-Letterpress-Wedding-Invitations-Detail

Modern-Aspen-Forest-Letterpress-Wedding-Invitations-Belly-Band

Modern-Aspen-Forest-Letterpress-Wedding-Invitations-Muslin-Bag

Beautiful work Kate!  Thank you so much!

Designer: Kate Holgate
Paper: Crane Lettra (Soft White) and French Pop-Tone (Raspberry)
Print Studio – Save the Dates: Paper Mill Designs
Print Studio – Invitations: Studio on Fire

Photo Credits: Kate Holgate

Monday Contest with Moontree Letterpress

It’s Monday, which means that it’s time for another installment of our summer contest series with Moontree Letterpress!  In case you missed it last week, here’s a bit of background on the contest and how to enter.  This week’s theme is “Something Hard to Find” – and the winner with the best six word story will receive 50 personalized letterpress note cards!

Needle-In-A-Haystack-Monday-Contest

You’ll have until 11:59 p.m. EST on Tues­day to leave your entry in the com­ments below, then Rebecca will announce the win­ner on her blog on Wednes­day!  And just in case you need some inspi­ra­tion, you can check out these six word auto­bi­ogra­phies.  Bonne chance!

Photo Credit: Moontree Letterpress

{happy weekend!}

Whew!  It was a wonderful week, but also a busy one!  I’m feeling good as we head into the weekend… because we’re finally under 50 days until my husband comes home!  Five months have already gone by, and now we have just a month and a half until he comes back home.  I can’t wait to have him home – but I also have a bunch of house projects that I want to finish up before he gets here, so I definitely need to get a move on.  I’ll definitely be spending some quality time with my to do list this weekend, but first I get to grab lunch with this awesome lady.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  But in the meantime…

…some links for your weekend!

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

That’s it for me this week!  Don’t forget to check back bright and early on Monday for our next summer contest and to win some beautiful letterpress goodies.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you all back here on Monday!  xoxo

Photo Credit: Alicia Bock

Wedding Details: Escort Cards and Place Cards, Part 2

I hope you enjoyed the earlier installment of creative escort and place card ideas!  There are so many great ideas, one post couldn’t possibly contain them all.  Here are a few more ideas to help inspire your wedding day stationery!

How cute are these escort cards? Let me count the ways: The type!  The twine!  The glitz!  Designed by Amy Hardy -  Design8days, photographed by Paper Antler via 100 Layer Cake.

An example of how some of the most beautiful escort cards are the most simple.  Calligraphy by Love, Jenna via A Lovely Morning (left).  Martha Stewart suggests welcoming guests to your reception with these mint lemonade escort bottles – so lovely! (right)

These succulents/chevron cards make me think “Palm Springs.”  Photo by Erin Hearts Court from Yes, Please Design.

Um, how cute are these library-themed escort cards?  The bride and groom displayed them card catalog-style.  Designed by PAPERjo, photo by You Look Nice Today Photography via Elizabeth Anne Designs (left).  Creative and perfectly rustic mini-stump escort flags.  Photo by Vantage Pictures via Poppytalk (right).

Neutral escort cards are most definitely not boring.  Photographed by Nessa K Photography via Style Me Pretty (left); Calligraphy by Neither Snow via Once Wed (right).

This rustic escort card display could be so easily replicated at any type of event. Photo by Amanda Bevington via Snippet and Ink.

A gorgeous place setting that works for your wedding OR your next dinner party (left).  A luggage tag escort card idea for your destination wedding or hotel gift bag (right).  Both by Martha Stewart Weddings.

This bride and groom invited guests to “take a little piece of Arizona home with them.” Photo by Kimberly Jarman via The Bride’s Cafe.

Paper rosette magnet escort cards – so easy to DIY!  via Ruffled

Love the use of stamps or symbols in lieu of table numbers/names.  Photo by Cramer Photo via The Bride’s Cafe.

So often escort card holders are overlooked.  These mini-pomander balls are so unique and pack a visual punch.  Photo by Apertura via Elizabeth Anne Designs.

Thanks so much for joining me today – I hope these creative escort and place card ideas serve as inspiration for you as you plan your big day!

{images via their respective sources}