DIY Tutorial: Custom Hand Lettered Plate Chargers

There are so many people to thank on your wedding day, it can be hard to catch them all and tell them how you feel. So how about a quick DIY that adds a bit of decor to your dinner table, becomes a keepsake, and takes care of your thank yous all in one? Here is a simple and easily customizable project that will get all of those things done for you! – Lauren

DIY Hand Lettered Charger Plate Tutorial by A Fabulous Fete for Oh So Beautiful Paper

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Supplies

– Plain chargers in any color (you can also use large doilies for a more budget friendly version!). I used these.

– Clear glass dinner plates

– Permanent pen or glass marker in a contrasting color to your charger

DIY Hand Lettered Charger Plate Tutorial by A Fabulous Fete for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Step 1. Start with your border. I drew the names of the guests first in “mock” calligraphy with my permanent pen and added in some design elements over that. Get colorful here to tie in your color palette if you’d like. This is also a great place to ask an expert or friend with writing and illustration skills to help you out. Then get them back for Step 2!

DIY Hand Lettered Charger Plate Tutorial by A Fabulous Fete for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Step 2. Fill in the center of the charger with a nice note for each of your guests

DIY Hand Lettered Charger Plate Tutorial by A Fabulous Fete for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Step 3. Finalize the setting with the clear glass plate to protect the note and complete your table!

DIY Hand Lettered Charger Plate Tutorial by A Fabulous Fete for Oh So Beautiful Paper

You could do this for every guest – or if that seems impossible with a large wedding, how about just your bridal party and family?

Photo Credits: A Fabulous Fete for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Bella Figura 2015 Wedding Invitation Collection

Have you all seen the new 2015 wedding invitation collection from Bella Figura? Erica from Bella Figura was kind enough to send over a few photos from the newest collection – which introduced digital printing (perfect for ombre backgrounds and floral patterns), foil stamped envelope liners, and a brand new cotton paper!

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The 2015 collection from Bella Figura includes 64 new invitation designs from some of my favorite designers, including Courtney Jentzen of Swiss Cottage Designs and Ellie Snow of Hello Tenfold, along with calligraphers like Elizabeth Hardin of Hardink Calligraphy and the Left Handed Calligrapher Nicole Black. With digital printing on the new smooth cotton paper, Bella Figura has incorporated watercolor and illustrated artwork – and even photos – into the collection. And of course every single design is completely customizable from font to ink and foil colors and more.

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If you’d like to check out the new designs in person, Bella Figura is offering OSBP readers a coupon for three (3) free samples! Just enter the code  loveOSBP at checkout through February 15, 2015!

Photo Credits: Kate Ignatowski for Bella Figura

DIY Tutorial: Floral and Lace Wedding Invitations

Today, we’re back with our first DIY of the new year! Hooray! This delicate floral and lace wedding invitation suite has been bouncing around in our brains for a while now – and the results exceeded even our expectations. Don’t you love it when that happens? We used a soft palette of misty blue, white, cream, and gold and incorporated some really fancy lace inner envelopes to bring it all together. With these fresh colors, it feels like spring is right around the corner! –Bailey and Emma of Antiquaria
DIY Floral and Lace Wedding Invitations by Antiquaria for Oh So Beautiful Paper

DIY Floral and Lace Wedding Invitations by Antiquaria for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Materials

Floral Calligraphy Invitation Stamp

Floral Calligraphy Reply Card Stamp

Wildflowers Return Address Stamp

Lace Inner Envelopes

A7 Cards

A7 Envelopes, in Pure White

Chamomile Patterned Paper (for liner) and Liner Templates

4bar Card, (3.5″x5″ cut from our Chamomile Patterned Paper, Card Weight)

4bar Envelopes

Stamp Pad, black

Embossing Stamp Pad

Embossing Powder

Embossing Heat Tool

Tailors Ribbon

DIY Floral and Lace Wedding Invitations by Antiquaria for Oh So Beautiful Paper

This stunning mix of lace paper inner envelopes from Modern Vintage Paperie really adds a touch of luxury to the suite and brings the whole look together!

DIY Floral and Lace Wedding Invitations by Antiquaria for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Step 1: First, stamp all of your invitation suite pieces. We used our Floral Calligraphy Invitation stamp, Floral Calligraphy Reply Card stamp and our Wildflowers Return Address stamp for these items. When stamping your cards, ink the stamp with the stamp facing you. Center the stamp over your card/envelope and press firmly and moderately (not too hard or the image will smudge) and gently lift the stamp off of the paper. Set aside to dry. Please watch this video for more information on inking and stamping an oversized stamp.

DIY Floral and Lace Wedding Invitations by Antiquaria for Oh So Beautiful Paper

DIY Floral and Lace Wedding Invitations by Antiquaria for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Step 2: Gold makes everything better, right? We decided to emboss our return address in gold to coordinate with the suite design and our addressing. Simply stamp your desired return address stamp on the back flap (either in matching ink or with Versamark glue ink, as pictured) dust the powder over it, tap off the excess and heat set the print. For more information about how to emboss using stamps, please watch this instructional video.

DIY Floral and Lace Wedding Invitations by Antiquaria for Oh So Beautiful Paper

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Step 3: Once all of your pieces are printed and dry, assemble them inside your lace paper inner envelope. We used assorted varieties of envelopes because we couldn’t decide on one, but you could select your favorite as well!

DIY Floral and Lace Wedding Invitations by Antiquaria for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Step 4: Address the envelopes to your guests and add postage (we love those little hummingbird stamps). We used our favorite gold calligraphy ink, but to achieve a similar effect you could also use a gold gel pen and your prettiest handwriting!

DIY Floral and Lace Wedding Invitations by Antiquaria for Oh So Beautiful PaperStep 5: Over time, we’ve learned that lining your envelopes after they’re addressed saves time and money! That way, if you mess up on an address, a liner isn’t wasted! Cut out your liner with a template or purchase pre-cut liners for your selected envelope if they’re available. To install the liner (we used our Chamomile Patterned Paper to make them), simply put a line of double sided tape or stick glue along the top edge (the triangle part) and slide it into the envelope. Once it’s positioned correctly, press to adhere the liner to the envelope.

DSC_5726All that’s left  now is to tie up your invitation suite, put them into the envelope and send them along via snail mail!

Photography by Antiquaria for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Seasonal Stationery: Valentine’s Day Cards, Part 5

Today is a Valentine’s Day double header! I’ve got my first-ever round up of classroom valentines (for all you parents of school-age children out there!) coming up a bit later this morning – but first some more wonderful Valentine’s Day cards!

2015 Valentine's Day Card Round Up curated by Oh So Beautiful Paper

1. Yeppie Paper

2. Printerette Press

3. My Zoetrope

4. Wishbone Letterpress

5. Lydia & Pugs

6. Swiss Cottage Designs

2015 Valentine's Day Card Round Up curated by Oh So Beautiful Paper

7. Old Tom Foolery

8. Feast Calligraphy

9. Color Box Design + Letterpress

10. Paper Bandit Press

11. Benchpressed

12. Papillon Press

Lots more love cards in the full round up right here! And in case you missed them – the previous Valentine’s Day highlight posts are right here!

Watercolor and Gold Foil Ocean-Inspired Wedding Invitations

It’s usually right around this time of year that I begin wishing that I lived in a tropical climate – preferably right on the beach. For now I’ll just have to settle for these gorgeous watercolor and gold foil wedding invitations from Smitten on Paper inspired by the beaches in Miami!

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From Amy and the Smitten on Paper team: Katie and Peter wanted the invitation suite for their New Year’s Eve wedding to reflect the surroundings and atmosphere of their amazing venue, a waterfront museum with beautiful gardens and views off the coast of Miami. We worked with Eileen from Beauty in the Making to create a suite that is elegant and breathtaking, combining watercolor, gold foil, and calligraphy.

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An artist friend of the couple painted the background, which we scanned in and used in different ways throughout the suite. Each piece is duplexed with a pop of orange paper so they are double thick and then gold foil stamped with a mix of modern type and loose calligraphy.

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We love how all of the pieces in the suite create their own sense of movement and really evoke the ocean’s rhythms. The whole project is finished with hand addressed calligraphy envelopes in watercolor hues.

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Thanks ladies!

Design: Smitten on Paper

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

Photo Credits: Smitten on Paper