{happy weekend!}

Happy Friday – and long holiday weekend – everyone!  I’ve always heard that Memorial Day is considered the unofficial start of summer, and here in DC it certainly feels that way.  We’ve been having a hot and humid stretch – just a hint of what to expect once summer really gets going in a couple of weeks.  This is the time of year that I usually start dreaming of beach vacations and any excuse to get out of the city.  Sigh.  But in the meantime…

summer-ice-cream-social

…a few links for your weekend!

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

That’s it for me this week!  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend, and I’ll see you all back here next week! xoxo

Photo Credit: Laura Taylor via Design for Mankind

 

Classic Black + White Calligraphy Wedding Invitations

After all of the stationery eye candy from the National Stationery Show, I’m in the mood for something sweet and simple to help close out the week – and these letterpress calligraphy wedding invitations from Blackbird Letterpress totally fit the bill.  Kathryn worked with calligrapher Sidney Vallon to create two versions of the invitation – one for both the ceremony and reception and another for those invited to the reception only.  Timeless, elegant, and positively stunning.

Calligraphy-Wedding-Invitations-Blackbird-Letterpress

Calligraphy-Wedding-Invitations-Blackbird-Letterpress

 

Thanks Kathryn!

Photo Credits: Blackbird Letterpress

National Stationery Show 2011 – Part 12

Whew!  With more than 90 booths covered from this year’s National Stationery Show, this is the final post for this year’s show!  I’m ready for a nice long nap at this point, but first let’s get to the good stuff.  First up, Portland-based Oblation Papers and Press, with an industrial-meets-vintage booth design and a collection of classic and clean letterpress cards, invitations, calendars and notebooks.

Letterpress advent calendars – such a cute idea!

My husband would looove these architecture cards…

Oblation Papers & Press

The collection over at Someday Designs is seriously amazing – not only are the letterpress cards seriously adorable, but they’re also hand watercolor painted one by one.  The result is a delicate card that is both completely unique and entirely hand crafted.

Someday Designs

Lots and lots of super colorful stationery over at the Kelp Designs booth – pretty and eco-friendly at the same time!  In my opinion, Katie from Kelp Designs is pretty much superwoman; not only did she put together a fabulous booth for the Stationery Show, but she also organized Tradeshow Bootcamp (to help new trade show exhibitors) and exhibited at 8 months pregnant.  Ah-mazing.

Love those cardboard clipboards!

Kelp Designs

Julie from Up Up Creative made her trade show debut this year, with a super colorful (hello orange!) booth and modern collection of note cards, calendars, gift wrap, and artwork.

Love this color wheel alphabet print!

Up Up Creative

Like the Ladies of Letterpress booth, the Let {Her} Press booth features multiple exhibitors – this year it was Paper Stories, Paper Parasol Press, Robin Beth, and Lucky Bee Press.

Paper Stories

Paper Parasol Press

Robin Beth

Lucky Bee Press

So much color and pretty paper at Envelopments – and a brand new lookbook showcasing some of Envelopments’ custom wedding, baby, and social stationery designs.


Envelopments

At Crane & Co. this year, I got to browse through the new wedding album, check out some of the new social stationery designs, and look at tons of new holiday cards and designs.

Loving the crisp and modern combination of red and white in these two sets of engraved social stationery…

And of course, lots and lots of holiday cards…

Crane & Co. usually offers a fun demonstration in its booth – this year it was the custom monogram process.  I chose a classic swirly monogram for myself…

 

For a little something special, this year the Crane & Co. booth had these stunning window displays – just like fancy New York department stores!  So stunning…

Crane & Co.

That’s it folks!  I hope you enjoyed the recaps from this year’s National Stationery Show!  If you missed any of the last eleven posts or want to check out the booths from last year, you can see all of my stationery show coverage from the last three years right here!

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

*Envelopments is a spon­sor of Oh So Beau­ti­ful Paper.  For more on my edi­to­r­ial poli­cies, please click here.

 

National Stationery Show 2011 – Part 11

Today we’re knocking out the last of the coverage from the 2011 National Stationery Show with two final posts.  First up for today, Gilah Press + Design – these folks are based out of Baltimore (making us practically neighbors), but it’s always a treat to see their exquisite letterpress cards and paper goods at the Stationery Show.  This year I’m loving the pops of neon, quirky illustrated city cards, and letterpress overprinting.

Love these hashtag cards!

Gilah Press + Design

Amber from a.favorite design has a snarky sense of humor and isn’t afraid to show it in her cards.  Her collection of quirky cards are equal parts vintage-inspired letterpress and bold, colorful graphics.  So fun!

a.favorite design

Fugu Fugu Press is another longtime favorite – these adorable illustrated cards always bring a smile to my face.  Here are a few of my favorites from the newest additions to their collection.

Fugu Fugu Press

Another consistent favorite from the show – Greenwich Letterpress, with a bunch of new cards and a nice combination of traditional greeting cards and some quirky (and funny) designs.

Greenwich Letterpress

I was super excited to see color make a big return to the show this year, and nowhere was that more apparent than over at the Pie Bird Press booth.  Hannah’s booth was full of her unique letterpress cards, calendars, and notebooks, along with fun textiles like tea towels and tote bags.

Pie Bird Press

Another studio making their trade show debut at this year’s Stationery Show – Massachusetts-based Headcase Press.  You can check out their full collection right here, but here are a few of my favorites from the show:

Headcase Press

After taking a break last year, I was thrilled to see La Familia Green return to this year’s Stationery Show.  Mollie creates all of her cards from shapes of hand cut paper or using her own illustrations, and the La Familia Green collection is always one of the most unique and creative in the entire show.

La Familia Green

Lots of pretty paper eye candy over at the Paper Boat Studios booth, including greeting cards, artwork, games, wedding invitations, calendars, and actual paper boats!

Paper Boat Studios

We’ll wrap this post up with a new-to-me exhibitor – DeLuce Design.  I was immediately smitten with this collection of incredibly sweet letterpress cards with lots of cute illustrations and pretty hand lettering and calligraphy.

DeLuce Design

Check back in a bit for my final post from this year’s National Stationery Show!

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Three Years

Three years ago I married my best friend. We stood up in front of our closest family and friends, broke some glass, and had a fabulous celebration that we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. Three years later I feel incredibly grateful to have this amazing man in my life – someone who sends me love letters, tells me how proud he is of me, supported me as I ventured off on an entirely new and uncertain career path, and who loves me more than I ever thought possible.

This year’s anniversary is a little bittersweet as it’s the first time that we’re unable to celebrate the occasion together. Right now I’m just looking forward to the day that he’s safely back home and I feel like a complete person again. Only 70 or so days to go!

I love you and miss you my darling, and I can’t wait until you’re home with me. Happy anniversary.

Photo Credit: Kate Headley Photography