A while back, we designed a baby shower invitation for Margaret and it was by far, one of my favorites because of the original tribal butterfly art and the cool color theme (purple and fuschia).  Well, her sister contacted me again to complete the circle of life and now we’re sending out announcements!  Baby Peyton is here!

The tribal butterfly graphic is by Kura Arts, yet another custom piece for our dear Margaret.  Margaret opted to stay with the butterfly theme, but we’ve switched up the color theme a little with the chocolate brown, instead of the purple- as shown on her baby shower invites.  Instead of a flat card, I opted to have this be an actual card to open up to this precious little one here…

How long is that name, huh?  Well, by Samoan standards, this is pretty normal.  lol!  One would even dare to say that this name is short by Samoan standards.   This little one is a princess… literally.  It was an honor for us to design a new butterfly and gorgeous announcement in her name.

Ah!  And if it isn’t the quintessential image of baby perfection?!  Yes indeed.  Congratulations to David, Margaret, and the Young Family!  This new addition is just too precious.  Thank you for letting us be a part of this joyous announcement.

In honor of Thanksgiving, I’ve created an inspiration board for those of you who may be planning a fall wedding for next year.  Today, I happily give thanks for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me.  I am thankful for my husband, my children, my family, my friends, and my talents.  Everyday, even on the toughest of days, I am eternally grateful for this life and know that if I keep on keeping on- it will only get better.

{Left to Right:  1)  viaFresh Event Management 2) Jim Hjelm gown 3) via Wish Special Events 4) via The Knot 5) via Long Island Weddings 6) via 1001 Invitation Ideas 7 & 8 ) Don’t know where I found these images.  If you know, feel free to message me and I’ll update this with a link 9) via Cute Bride Gifts}

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!

Anne from True Bliss Events and St. Joseph Hospital have teamed up for a series of informative events for their benefactors. Using the hospital’s logo we incorporated blues and greens to create a cohesive suite.

‘Tis must be the season…for INVITES. Been doing tons of them lately! Here is most recent:

We are super busy here and a little concerned! I am heading for Birmingham next week, for a big show and some FRIEND-TIME. Wa-hoo! I can’t wait. But
the Garnet Hill gift catalog just came out so we are getting crazy orders. The girls will be working away while I’m gone, but I won’t be doing art. YIKES.

Must keeping telling myself…it will all work out, it will all work out!

Christmas cards…another YIKES. I SO want to blow them off this year, but at the same time, know when it comes down to it, I CAN’T.
The kiddos are getting harder and harder to corner for pics and I get SO ANGRY at them. Maybe we’ll do SLEEPING CHILDREN. Hey, that’s actually a really good idea, no?

Dreaming of sugar plums? I LIKEY.

I am illustrating another book. At least I am supposed to be, although I am having a VERY Hard time finding time to work on it. It is called Charleston Jane and is a wonderful story.
I am really excited to see it come to life.

I HEAR YOU SNORING! (SO rude) I can’t help if all work and no play make Kathryn a VERY DULL GIRL.

Happy Friday folks….have a good ‘un.

]]> http://byhandinvites.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/as-the-leaves-fall/ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:42:00 +0000 byhandinvites http://byhandinvites.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/as-the-leaves-fall/

I have always been inspired by the beautiful ginkgo leaf, its shape and symbolic meaning. The Ginkgo tree is a phenomenon, an object of veneration, a sacred tree of the East, a symbol of unity of opposites, by some seen as a symbol of changelessness, possessing miraculous power, bearer of hope and of the immeasurable past, a symbol of love. Because of all its properties it is associated with longevity. (from The Ginkgo Pages) Custom printed sheets of the leaves line the envelopes and a belly band in reverse color wraps the invitation suite.

with Paul & Aaron!  How cute are these little boys?  I was asked to create these flat cards in honor of the Fall holidays.  I think the tribal pumpkins are just the cutest things ever!

These were printed on 100 lb. Strathmore cardstock.  They are so yummy and the colors are so vibrant on ivory cardstock paper.  These heavy weight custom-designed cards will be mailed out in high grade ivory envelopes.  They are entirely too pretty, I just want to rock them to sleep.

The tribal pumpkins are accented with a little more island flair with the fall colored taro and palm leaves in the background.  I love a little Polynesian Halloween, don’t you?

Here’s to wishing you all of you a happy and safe Halloween this weekend!  May you be blessed with safe journeys on this ghoulish holiday.

Last week before I took a little trip to San Francisco, I was able to complete and deliver these beauties to Rachel. If you remember the Save the Dates then you know these were going to be amazing color palette of chocolate dipped in a sea of aqua and white. Such a delicious combo! We used chocolate pocket folds to hold all the elements. We kept with the aqua colored envelopes, and once you open the envelope, their emblem was raised on the cover. Such a treat on whats to come!

The invitation was on the inside front flap accompanied by a double-sided Map card, Accommodations card and a RSVP postcard. All printed on crisp white linen card stock. Don’t forget Rachel ordered a custom rubber stamp to make labeling these envelopes a cinch!

I love doing custom work and Rachel is just a doll to work with. So much more to come! Think favors and welcome cards. Oh yeah! Such a completely detailed event. What do you think?

We just sent off these lovelies to Kalena, in Hawaii, yesterday.  This was one of our more complex assembly lines because there were so many pieces to it.  We came up with a custom design for her that included her dragonfly theme.  Her colors are tiffany blue, black, and white.  We were so happy to find these pocketfolds in her colors.  Opening one of these invitations is like opening a little box from the actual store, complete with ribbon and all.

We’ve added to this luxe invitation suite with a 90 lb. metallic-sheened cardstock.  This suite is going first class, all the way, because it’s that heavy!

Kalena comes from an awesome family that loves her very dearly.  Her older brother will be giving her hand away in marraige, which is guaranteed to be a tear jerker.  We wish you the best, Kalena and Ashley- in love and in life.  May this day lead to a lifetime of endless bliss.

I’m planning a wedding for Natasha and Thomas.  Their color theme is sage green, lavender, and ivory.  It’s been such a joy to help Natasha bring out her own style.  Her and Thomas are having family members fly in from all over the United States to help them celebrate their nuptials so we had to get the save-the-dates out ASAP.

I created her save-the-dates on 100 lb. Strathmore paper.  Oh pretty pretty paper… how I love thee!  Their engagement session was done by Cynthia Robinson of c.Robinson Photography.  I love the picture that the couple chose to grace their save-the-dates.  It shows a playful side of Natasha that I’m not used to seeing.

I can’t wait to start working on the actual wedding invitations.  She has chosen a gorgeous accordion style folder to officially announce her day!  Stay tuned!

But I’m not revealing the “twist” until later when I am able to photograph the whole set. Here’s a preview of them waiting to be boxed up the other day.

Stay tuned for the new passport invitation feature!

Before I had children, I had a career. I worked upwards of 50 hours a week and I loved it. My job wasn’t just something I did, it was a part of who I was. I could never imagine giving it up to stay home full time to raise children.

After the birth of my daughter, I briefly toyed with the idea of staying home, but ultimately decided to return to the workforce. I worked shifts so I could spend more time with my daughter, but that meant less time as a family.

When my son arrived almost 5 years later, I decided it was finally time to take the leap. I walked away from the security of my career and became a Stay at Home Mom. While I loved being home with my children, a part of me yearned for my old life. I wanted to work but I wanted to be home. It’s a dilemma many modern women face, and like many, I choose to open a small online business and become a Work at home Mom, or WHAM. Fortunately for me, my background in Graphic Design gave me many options, ultimately though I decided to create custom photo invitations and sell them online. Initially I sold my designs solely through eBay, but have since branched out and recently opened my new store ezPhotoInvitations.com. My online business affords me the flexibility to work around my kids busy schedules while still doing something I love. I am constantly creating new designs, and my daughter is now showing an interest in what I do. I’m sure you’ll soon see some of her ideas and input in my designs.

I’m off to find some inspiration for my new designs, so until next time take the time to see the world through the eyes of a child.

The wonderful Colleen from Creative Celebrations is going to be a grandma!  Its a very exciting addition to her family and on top of  all the excitement Colleen was helping coordinate the shower.  I am so excited that I was able to work with such a wonderful client while creating a custom  look for such a monumental moment.

Something different and graphically pleasing for a 90th birthday celebration! This invite is a tri-fold accordion and can be used as a small poster, framed, or not.

]]> http://gekd.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/post110/ Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:44:41 +0000 Ati @ Gēkd Boutique http://gekd.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/post110/

Today, we’re  playing Show and Tell.  So I have been extremely busy and I’d like to apologize for my lack of blogging activity.  I have a couple of weddings in the works, for which we’ve got some great things to share and DIY for next year.  I’m currently working on a couple of holiday cards and upcoming birthday parties.  A few of the jobs are going to print today, so I believe we’ve got a busy weekend of invitation assembly coming up.  So before we share our final products in our Real Paper Love series- here’s just a little sneak peek into the current state of my world.

I just wanted to show you that I’m still ever so committed to this job and moreso- to you.

A couple of weeks ago Adornments participated in the yearly Franklin Bridal Ball, held right here in the Factory at Franklin!

It was a pretty busy day- but we had a great time meeting with local brides and their families!

Nashville area brides were out in force to check out the local wedding vendors and get ideas, and Adornments excels at unique ideas for those special finishing touches (if I do say so myself!). We had a great variety of hand made jewelry and invitations on display. As always brides are encouraged to discuss their ideas with us and work with our designers to create something unique just for them!

Sample papers on display for inspiration in designing your own invitation!

Toward the end of the evening the Bridal Ball put on a fashion show featuring our favorite local designer, Olia Zavozina and you know we had to get our jewelry on the catwalk too!! Handily enough, our booth was right next to Olia’s too.

Laura and Lucinda are both sporting custom fashion designs by Olia and doubled as models for the fashion show!! Need I mention the amazing jewelry we’re wearing? Check it out!!

Here are some shots from the fashion show.. why do models always look so cranky??

A model wearing our diamond pearl chainmail set.

Chainmail choker with small coin pearls

Silver feather necklace

Keep an eye out for the above necklace in upcoming posts… it’s about to play a very special role!!

Silver macrame choker

And because we can never take anything very seriously… our very own models striking poses:

Lucinda & Laura sporting Adornments jewelry & Olia's fashion.

At the end of the evening we raffled off a pair of hand made earrings (who doesn’t love free stuff?!).

Earring Raffle

Don’t forget- Adornments offered some great discounts to Bridal Ball attendees! So come visit us and let us design something special just for you!!

First off, I’m sorry for my lack of activity, but do know it’s because I have been extremely busy with a slew of invites and holiday cards that have been ordered and I’ve just been trying to keep the creative momentum going before I officially fry my brain.

I wanted to share a little blog press from Jennifer of the Bridal Inquirer Blog.  She is so sweet to share her love of our work, in particular, of the San Diego Chargers invitation that we designed a while back.  She is right on the money in terms of incorporating this theme into a fun engagement party for a couple of Chargers fans.  I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to Jennifer for the mention.

Well all we can say is: Yaaaaaay!! Laura and Jim are officially married!

We’re waiting for the pics to get back but stay tuned because when we get them we’ll put up a full wedding review for your reading pleasure! In the meantime…

Laura & Jim

Also keep track of the Gray’s Blog for picture updates!

We have had a few clients who would prefer us to design something for them and later print and assemble the invites themselves. In 3 of the 4 times that this has been requested, the bride came back frustrated and defeated by the process. With a fabulous design in hand, brides are sent home to try and master the beast known as a color inkjet printer. Paper stock begins to fill the trashcan, nerves begin to unravel, and the money that was saved is re-invested in more stock. Some have taken the project to Kinko’s only to find out that 100 color laser prints can add up fast and on one occasion, rubbed off the paper. Grrr! Believe me, we have experienced bad printers, cheap stock and images that seem to drift right or left from center. If you are looking for design only, we will always accommodate. Want suggestions as to what stock is the best? We can help you with that too. Need advice on home printing methods? Can’t really go there. Every desktop printer has its own foibles. Some work great, others I would throw away after printing a simple XL sheet. Custom printing is as special as the custom design you are asking it to replicate. Save your money elswhere. Remember, the invitation is usually the first impression of what will come. It should set the tone and flavor of your special event. Leave the headaches to us. We have plenty of aspirin to go around, with a smile of course!

My absolute favorite blogger and stationery designer, Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo is having a giveaway to celebrate her 2-year blog-i-versary on ABCD Design and I can barely contain myself because I am utterly excited about entering!  Here is a taste of her work:

Here is an excerpt taken from ABCD’s blog, about some of the details:

If you enter to win and are lucky enough to be chosen: You will not only get a bespoke design by yours truly, but also receive 100 thick, creamy, luxurious folded and channel-scored custom cards with your design printed on them. The package will also be finished off with perfectly coordinating envelopes, of course! The very best part? The winner gets to choose between custom holiday cards, personal stationery cards, or bespoke thank you notes. Hooray for blog-i-versary prizes!!

I am in for the holiday cards!  I have always been in love with ABCD’s whimsical designs and her use of typography.  She has such an awesome eye for design and an impeccable sense of style.  Everyday, I wait in vain for an ABCD design blog entry, hoping to stumble upon an awesome recipe, a decorating tip, or a fabulous invitation by the one and only Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo.  If you haven’t already, you absolutely must subscribe to her blog.

Don’t delay!  Go to Pretty Lovely to find out how to enter here!  Hurry hurry…. it ends at midnight on October 6th.

On the note of giveaways… don’t forget to enter our giveaway for this gorgeous jade pendant here!  It ends on October 4th.

{Images via ABCD Designs}