Celebrating Mom!

With Mother's Day just over a week away, it's the perfect time to take a peek at just a few of the fabulous cards that honor mom and celebrate her special day.
For your favorite Hot Mama, choose this delightful card from Rock Scissor Paper.
This hand embellished card from Marzipan, Inc. celebrates a very "sweet" mom.

Just Another Day's customizable Mother's day card allows you to send the perfect message for your mom.

Spark Stationery offers a line of letterpress cards featuring their dachshund Henry - don't you just love his tattoo honoring Mom?

- Molly, Artful Sentiments

From "Will You?" to "Thank You:" Bridesmaid Cards

Bridesmaid stationery is a popular way to both ask and thank your Bridesmaids for agreeing to be a part of your wedding. We love the below "Will You Be My Bridesmaid?" cards from Designed By M.E. Stationery.


Inside Reads: "I promise the dress will be Fabulous."

When it comes time to thank your girls for all the time and work they've put into your wedding- why not do it with a sense of humor? These cute cards from Shakespeare's Bride acknowledge just how much effort goes into being a bridesmaid.


Inside Reads: "After everything you've done for my wedding, I guess now we know why they're called Bride's Maids."

Finally, if you're planning to throw a Thank You Bridesmaids Luncheon, don't forget that great stationery can also make a great gift. These cute notecard folios from Jilly Jack Designs could be set at each woman's place as a cute favor.



Diane, Shakespeare's Bride

Photo Credits: Designed By M.E. Stationery, Shakespeare's Bride, Jilly Jack Designs

Show Me the PURPLE (wedding invitations, that is)

Purple is a hot color this year for weddings and wedding invitations- here are some beautiful purple invitations from around the stationery-sphere:

From Bride Design- stunning letterpress invitations with a custom geometric border and a coordinating pocketfold

From Brown Sugar Design: The invitation was foil-embossed on metallic purple paper . The additional pieces were offset printed in deep purple ink on thick white cardstock.

From Tulaloo- a deep purple folder with a custom bright lime green swirly design.

From Oslo Press- their beautiful "Garden" design letterpressed in a lavender ink-

From Lasso'd Moon Designs (left) Two coordinating shades of purple topped with a soft white cardstock and font to match the bottom purple. On the right- an eco-friendly gatefold made with lavender plantable paper, with the invitation being layered in deep purple and soft white. Custom drawn maps were printed on coordinating lavender metallic paper.

The beauty of purple, and all of its many shades is that it goes with tons of colors- orange, greens, silver, black... the sky is the limit when designing with this color.

~Carey, Lasso'd Moon Designs
All designs are copyrighted by their creators.

April {Bridal} Showers!

While there are many options for bridal shower motifs, there's still something very sweet about the traditional rain-themed shower (especially in spring). Looking for a fun and interesting twist on this tried and true theme? I love the adorable "bathroom shower" take found on these imprintable cards by marzipan inc.! Available with or without fill-in text and greeting, these invites would certainly make inviting easy on any hostess! Matching envelope and glitter embellishments included. Make no mistake...guests will surely get the message they'll be showering the lucky couple with helpful gifts and lots of love!

~Erin, Bride Design and Sweet Talk Boutique

Taking Notes

I really feel there is something magical about putting pen to paper and recording your thoughts and ideas in a special notebook or journal. I even enjoy making to do lists. I've selected a few notebooks that are on my to buy list!

photo credit: Cartolina Cards

The note books pictured above are by Cartolina Cards. They are 4 by 6, 64 pages, 100% recycled, and blank pages. They sell for $4 each or $12 for a bundle of 3 and are available at Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters across the country.

photo credit: Rock Scissor Paper

Rock Scissor Paper has a ton of really great notebooks and I had difficulty picking a favorite but this elephant notebook is the one I want first. 4 1/2-inches by 6 1/4-inches with rounded corners, a sturdy white metal spiral binding, black elastic band wraps around note book and 75 blank pages, premium recycled white paper. Purchase here.

photo credit: Robin Beth Designs

More letterpress goodness from Robin Beth Designs. These notebooks are 4.25x 5.5 inch letterpress mini-journals. They come in a set of four, one of each design in a letterpress gift folio. They will debut in May and will be in stores shortly after that.

photo credit: Hen and Barley Press

If you need to write a quick note or a simple to do list then do it in style. This notepad can be personalized with your name and comes with three coordinating magnets so you can leave your note hanging in style. Added bonus: This notepad set is by Hen and Barley Press exclusively for Goods for Goodness' Sake so a portion of the sale goes directly to charity. 1 Notepad with 50 sheets, personalized with the name of your choice, plus 3 round, coordinating 1 inch magnets. Purchase here.

dana {shimmer studio}

Falling Leaves: Fresh Wedding Invitations Featuring a Seasonal Favorite

Since I started designing invitations I've watched fall weddings increase in popularity. In fact, when I planned my own November nuptials almost six years ago, I had one wedding vendor tell me "October is the new June!" and I think he was on to something there. While the rest of North America is just starting spring, autumn 2009 brides are already thinking about crisp breezes, warm and rich colors, and of course...falling leaves. Below is a feast for the eyes featuring a variety of interpretations on the seasonal autumn leaf theme beloved by many brides.

A pair of gold skeleton leaves combine with wine-colored hues and a modern horizontal layout in this Wedding Invitation from Bride Design.

This Autumn leaf stationery (at left) from Lasso'd Moon Designs seamlessly coordinates with a gorgeous pocket fold invitation suite (at right) also from Lasso'd Moon. These note cards would make perfect thank you notes for sending after your fall event.

The unexpected pairing of orange and blue adds a punch of color to this invitation suite from Evenstar Paperie, which also features a three-dimensional fall leaf in a subtle bronze.

Often under-used in an autumn wedding color palette, I think green is making a big comeback this year. I love Good Girl Gifts' take on fall leaves which highlights the company's signature stitched look. For me, the graceful stitch pattern evokes a vine at harvest time, or a gust of wind blowing the leaves this way and that.

Speaking of harvest time, I think the inclusion of autumn fruit and the catchy wording on these invitations from Just Another Day, offer another unique twist on the traditional fall leaf theme. They are offered in a variety of colors including this lovely green.

When it comes to themes, I think it's important to carry whatever motif you choose through the entire event. These gorgeous programs from Tulaloo, would perfectly infuse any wedding with a distinct autumn flair.

~Erin, Bride Design and Sweet Talk Boutique

Trend: On Location - Cityscapes and Skylines

People with a spirit of adventure will enjoy the current cityscape and skyline stationery trend. When used as part of an invitation suite, the signature silhouette of a city skyline can be used to suggest the location of the event. For wedding invitations, the couple may choose to feature a city that is near and dear to their hearts, such as the location where they met or were engaged, or perhaps a city where they vacationed. It's also a great way for long-distance lovers to bring their lives together by showcasing their hometowns.

Cityscapes can be playful and fun when illustrated with lively colors, or they can suggest simple sophistication when presented as a silhouette. Here are a few examples:

"City Lights" from the New York Series, Ceci New York


Toronto and NYC Skylines (featuring airport city codes) from baron*cards


Custom Skyline Invitation by Bella Figura

San Francisco Save the Date by Hello!Lucky

Wedding Invitation by paperzest

Another way to incorporate the cityscape into stationery is by sourcing postcards. Great for 'at home' cards, this could be a unique way to let people know you've moved! Engaged couples who plan to have a destination wedding can send out Save the Date postcards featuring the wedding location. If you can't find what you're looking for in new collections, try your local thrift store for vintage postcards like these:

State Postcards from Postcard Booth

Happy trails!
~ Lianne Tokey, baron*cards

The Envelopes, Please...

For any special event, the envelope that your invitations or save-the-dates are mailed in is the first indication your friends and family will see of your event. From traditional white to colored envelopes and colored ink — there are a plethora of options to work with. What's also important to keep in mind is the technical aspect of the envelope as well, since it is a working item that must also work within the confines of the United States Postal Service's requirements. After all, you do want to have each and every envelope arrive safely to their destinations.

Take into consideration some of these tips when choosing colored inks and/or colored envelopes. If you are not located in the U.S., make sure to check with your local post office on your country's postal requirements.

1) Make sure that there is enough contrast between the ink of the addresses and the envelope color.

2) Our trusty USPS would much prefers that black ink is used, however they do allow for some flexibility in using these inks colors: Brown, Gold, Crimson, Blue, Grey and Purple.

3) If your envelopes are dark in color, consider a white or light-colored calligraphy.

4) Remember that hand-canceling is an option if your envelope contains invitations with delicate details. It's important to check with your local post office if they are willing to do this for your invitations.

The following are samples of colored envelopes and inks that works with the USPS' addressing requirements.

--Cathe (Feterie)

{Image courtesy of Lassod Moon Designs}

{Image courtesy of Feterie}


{Image courtesy of Tulaloo}

Fiesta!

With Cinco de Mayo right around the corner you might want to start thinking about throwing a Mexican inspired party for family and friends! Here are some great options for paper goods to make your fiesta complete, so celebrate in style by picking up a few of these items for your very own fiesta!


1. DE COLORES -M- Papel Picado (Mexican cut-paper banners) by aymujer

2. Custom Fiesta Invitations by Just Another Day Designs

3. Gift Tags by werewolf

4. Festive Coasters by Artful Sentiments

5. Mexican Fiesta Party Picks by Kfranzknight

6. Invitations by Earmark

Not blue, not brown.

I have some new Bar/Bat Mitzvah invitation designs in the works for later on this year and have been really thinking about different color combinations for the boys.  I was thinking back to all the Bar Mitzvah invitations I have done recently and with a few exceptions, they all seem to have navy or brown in them, including my own son's invitation.  So I can't help thinking, what can we do to spice that up a little and get more creative.  Here are a few that I have done that do not have navy or brown.

Red, black and gold

Gray and silver

Black and gold

Here are a few more color combinations I am working on for the new designs.  Do you think they work for a boy?

This one is teal and gray.

This one is dark red and orange.

How else would you think outside the box for colors for a boy?