07/31/2017

NSS 2017: New Exhibitors, Part 1

There are always a slew of new exhibitors at every National Stationery Show, and this year was no exception! Some of the new exhibitors have been on my radar for years but just made their trade show debut this year, while others are new-to-me businesses (always a pleasant surprise at the show!), and even others are just launching their businesses. Today I thought I would introduce you to a few of those new exhibitors â€“ with a few more to come tomorrow. Let’s start with the playful hand lettered greeting cards from Pinwheel Print Shop, definitely one of my faves from this year’s show!

Pinwheel Print Shop (see the full booth here!)

I love the clean, elegant aesthetic of these cards from Bred & Butter Paper Co. â€“ those pops of color are so good paired with classic black text!

Bred & Butter Paper Co. (see the full booth here!)

It was hard to miss the bold, colorful style of Brooklyn-based Ash + Chess, for good reason! Their illustration and hand lettering style is so fresh and unique.

Ash + Chess (see the full booth here!)

I love cards that make me laugh! The Lovebird Paper booth was full of bold, sassy humor â€“ from greeting cards to notepads and mugs. So fun!

Lovebird Paper Co. (see the full booth here!)

So many beautiful gems in Party Sally’s debut at the National Stationery Show! Each design is created from an original watercolor painting or illustration, with plenty of shiny gold foil sprinkled throughout the collection.

Party Sally (see the full booth here!)

I’m a huge fan of the bold, graphic style of And Here We Are. Gotta love those monstera leaf illustrations and pops of neon!

And Here We Are (see the full booth here!)

Ivy House was a surprise find at this year’s show â€“ I just love her illustration style and sweet sentiments! Designer and illustrator Rachel Cohen previously worked in textile design and art education, which definitely shines through her loose, nature-inspired patterns and illustrations.

Ivy House (see the full booth here!)

I literally stopped and did a u-turn after spotting these colorful pencils from UK-based I Am A out of the corner of my eye. Isn’t this unicorn set (with rainbow foil!!) the CUTEST??? I also love the cheerful emoji cards and scratch off cards â€“ with a secret emoji hidden underneath!

I Am A (see the full booth here!)

I mentioned Tokketok in the round up of beautiful booth designs, and the products inside were equally gorgeous! I particularly love these gold foil notepads, which come with a variety of messages in rainbow colors. Keep a couple of notepads at the office to write out quick thank you notes or birthday notes to colleagues, or even at home to leave little love notes for your spouse or kids!

Tokketok (see the full booth here!)

That’s it for today! You can browse all the booths from this year’s show right here, and I’ll be back with more new exhibitors tomorrow!

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

07/10/2017

Tropical Flamingo Pink and Green Birthday Party Invitations

Summer is here and an adorable flock of pink flamingos is here to kick off summer! How fun are these tropical flamingo pink and green birthday party invitations that designer and calligrapher Holly Hollon created for her daughterâ€™s first birthday soirÃ©e?? Tropical leaf illustrations, pink cabana stripes, touches of gold foil, and of course Holly’s beautiful calligraphy are all focal points of these gorgeous invitations!

From Holly: For Biscuit’s First Birthday, I wanted to do a backyard birthday with a tropical theme as it was the first of summer and I was feeling all the summer time vibes while planning.

I had some pink yard flamingos for years and never used them and they helped inspire the flamingo motif of the birthday party. These pink flamingos were perfect for our backyard golf course that we set up for the birthday party. Then one day in the grocery store I saw some silver urn plants and those further inspired a flamingo pink and green invitation.

I love the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach and used a pink similar to the color of the hotel. Pink and green are such festive and summery colors. It was fun to play with bright colors and pull in touches of gold in the day-of party goods.

I designed scorecards with the flamingo logo and my dad crafted wooden putters for the children at the party. Napkins, koozies and cups were a fun way to have special touches and not have to go overboard with party decor. I simply love how it all came together!

Thanks Holly!

Design: Holly Hollon Design and Calligraphy & Dixie Design
Party Goods: Print Appeal

Photo Credits: Mary Margaret Smith Photography

07/06/2017

Funky Art-Deco Gold Foil and Floral Wedding Invitations

A little party never hurt nobody! We’re loving these modern and funky art-deco gold foil and floral wedding invitations from Jennifer of Society Paper Goods. Geometric patterns, adorable hand lettering, and glamorous gold foil â€“ itâ€™s all there folks! The multifunctional coaster details cards are the perfect way to toast to the happy couple before the celebration!

From Jennifer: This stationery suite was designed for a couple who was planning a glamorous, Old Hollywood-inspired fall wedding. We had a completely blank slate to create stationery that gave guests a fabulous first impression of their special day and did so through bold colors and metallics, “statement” pieces, delicate letterpress details, and cohesive packaging.

We loved the idea of a black invitation with white and gold foil! It seemed like the perfect statement piece in a world of often white or ivory invitations. The bride and groom’s names were handwritten just for this project (this special handwritten lettering found its way onto other pieces like the details card, RSVP card, save the date, and program).

In lieu of a traditional details card, we chose to die-cut the card into the shape of a coaster; we knew this wedding was going to be a party and maybe even reminiscent of Gatsby’s great parties! The coaster, featuring an art deco border, was first letterpress printed by Elefant Press in Dallas and then sent to Saint Louis to be gold foil printed and cut.

The RSVP card showcases another “statement” in the visual pattern on the front side. It too was letterpress printed in Dallas and sent to Saint Louis for foil printing and finishing. We completed the invitation suite with emerald green velvet ribbon, hand-sewn by the bride’s mother herself, and floral envelope liner, both strong features of the overall look of the wedding. Lauren Saylor at A Fabulous Fete added her gorgeous calligraphy to put the beautiful finishing touches on this invitation suite.

The save the date, featuring childhood photos of the bride and groom, also showcased the handwritten lettering from the invitation suite.

The day-of stationery included whimsical menu placemats, patterned table numbers, floral signage, and a bold, black program featuring the couple’s monogram which was foil-stamped on the cover.

Thanks Jennifer!

Design: Society Paper Goods
Printing: Elefant Press and Furlong Printing
Calligraphy: Lauren Saylor at A Fabulous Fete
Paper: Reich Paper and Neenah Paper

Check out the Designer Rolodex for more talÂented wedÂding inviÂtaÂtion designÂers and the real inviÂtaÂtions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Jennifer Walker

07/05/2017

Stationery A-Z: Encouragement Cards

You know that feeling you get when you’re about to make a big change? I’m talking about nerves, fear, reservations, and second guessing yourself. It’s not fun and it can be really hard. Now think about how you would feel if you received a note of encouragement, especially if that note came in a beautifully illustrated package featuring anthropomorphic root beer floats (you know, for example). See what I’m getting at here? Forget the text message, pick up a pen and send one of your favorite encouragement cards (some of ours are below!); your intended will appreciate it more than you know. â€“ Shauna

From top left:

1. Hanging planters look great in your home as well as on this Wild Hart Paper greeting card.

2. Yes YOU can! This exuberant air horn from Smudge Ink is sure to send good vibes to anyone about to embark on a new adventure.

3. This extremely hungry worm is about to enjoy a triple-decker sandwich as well as wish someone the very best of luck. From Yellow Owl Workshop.

4. Keep on keeping on. This sweetly illustrated hula girl from Lucky Horse Press is wishing laki maika’i (that’s “good luck” in hawaiian for all you mainlanders).

5. While a Yeti may be a stretch of the imagination, believing in a hard working loved on isn’t. Designed by Ladyfingers Letterpress.

6. A sure winner for manicure fans (and those who envy the professionals who get to name them). From my new favorite, Boss Dotty.

7. The neon tiger and uplifting messaging is sure to send that little extra something to help the decision-making process. From our friends over at Hello!Lucky.

8. These cheerful beets can’t be beat (hey, one good pun deserves another). From Atlanta-based Farmwood Press.

9. A different take on the same sentiment (as well as the aforementioned anthropomorphic root beer floats in all their glory). From perennial favorite, Lucky Horse Press.

10. Send warm fuzzies (along with gold foil on bright orange stock) from Wild Ink Press.

07/05/2017

Understated and Elegant Cream and Gold Wedding Invitations

These elegant cream and gold wedding invitations by Megan of Ruby the Fox combine woodsy details with feminine glamour â€“ all inspired by the wedding venue on the groom’s family farm in Maryland! A letterpress-printed woodgrain pattern, gold foil text, gold glitter envelope liners, and delicate calligraphy are just a few of the special touches in this invitation suite.

From Megan: When Kate, the bride-to-be, reached out to me to design custom wedding invitations and day-of paper accessories for her Baltimore wedding, I knew it would be a treat. I love working closely with couples on bespoke paper suites that truly reflect their personalities and the look and feel of their wedding day! Both the bride and groom are from Maryland, and they got married at the groom’s family farm.

Kate knew she wanted something feminine and elegant but felt strongly about bringing in a “woodsy” element to keep in mind in her fiancÃ©’s interests. To combine those two looks, we went with a blind faux bois pattern printed on double-thick soft white cotton paper on the main invitation as well as a gold foil printed logo featuring antlers and the couple’s initials! The rest of the elements were printed on 110lb cotton paper with a combination of dove gray letterpress and gold foil. The result was super luxe and beautifully tactile.

Subtle touches of blush were incorporated through the outer and reply envelopes as well as a satin ribbon on the program. We also brought in custom spot hand calligraphy as well as gold hand calligraphy on the outer envelopes to keep everything super custom. Although the bride was very aware of involving her fiancÃ© and his likes/dislikes, we couldn’t resist using a bit of sparkle (ahem, gold glitter envelope liners and backers for the menus!) to keep things glam. It was the perfect amount of sparkle! We carried the antler logo throughout the entire paper suite which made for a beautiful, cohesive look.

The final result was understated, feminine, and organic, which was the perfect combination for the couple’s upscale, chic farm wedding! This suite was so much fun to design and it ended up being one of my favorites from the season.

Thanks Megan!

Design: Ruby the Fox
Printing: Copper Willow Paper Studio
Invitation Styling: Caitlin Kruse

Ruby the Fox is a member of the Designer Rolodex â€“ you can see more of their beautiful work right here or visit the real inviÂtaÂtions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Krista Jones

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Search Results for: foil

NSS 2017: New Exhibitors, Part 1

Tropical Flamingo Pink and Green Birthday Party Invitations

Funky Art-Deco Gold Foil and Floral Wedding Invitations

Stationery A-Z: Encouragement Cards

Understated and Elegant Cream and Gold Wedding Invitations