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

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

A little luck of the Irish

It's that time of year again — St. Patrick's Day! Here is some lucky stationery to celebrate with!

Photo Credit: marzipan inc

The two handmade cards featured above are by marzipan inc and are blank on the inside and come with translucent vellum envelopes. Purchase the "best of luck!" card here and the "happy st. patrick's day!" here.

Photo Credit: Feterie

Send someone a little luck. The card above is by Feterie exclusively for Goods For Goodness' Sake and features a reusable magnet featuring the word "lucky" in a fun design. Purchase here.

Photo Credit: Just Another Day Designs

The wedding invitations above by Just Another Day Designs feature four leaf clovers in the design! They look great in the chartreuse green and the pool blue pictured above but you can customize the colors to coordinate with your wedding. For more information click here.

Happy St. Patrick's Day (which is March 17th in case you forgot)!

dana [shimmer studio]

Paper Treats for a Book-Themed Baby Shower

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once said, "It is a great thing to start life with a small number of really good books which are your very own." The family members that hosted a baby shower for me when I was pregnant with my first child couldn't have agreed with that sentiment more. As a result, they threw me a storybook celebration that I (nor my children) will ever forget. Each guest was asked to bring their favorite children's book unwrapped, as a gift for me and my new baby. In addition to the usual load of onesies and baby blankets, I also amassed a not-so-small library that my daughters still enjoy and benefit from today.


Of course, where there are books, there's usually paper! So here are a few designs that just might make an already unique book-themed baby shower, even more festive. Brightly colored bookplates, like these from Just Another Day Designs, are a great way for any reader to keep track of their beloved stories. The peel and stick plates are easy for guests to pop in their book and write a small message letting the family know why they chose it. When the book's new owner officially arrives, Mom can inscribe the child's name. Or she might choose to personalize the plate with the family's last name, since well-loved books are often passed on to new family members or generations over time.

Too many guests with the same favorites? Never fear. Multiple plates can be placed in one copy of the book, and duplicate copies can be donated to a school, children's hospital, or a community organization's library.


The perfect finish to your storybook baby fete? A cute favor that fits with the theme. Custom block-printed bookmarks and notepads like these from Artful Sentiments, will dress up your guests' books long after the party is over, and the pads are ideal for keeping that never-ending list of "must-reads."

~Erin, Bride Design

Noted: Initials

There are so many reasons to send a hand written note, whether it's a simple hello, a heartfelt thank you, or an enclosure with a little gift, it's nice to have an assortment of beautiful note cards on hand.
Initial note cards are a classic choice, and today's stationers offer them in modern form, as well as the timeless standards. Whether you choose your first initial or last, a lovely box of initial note cards are the perfect solution for your correspondence.

Photo Credits: Evy Jacob (1), Just Another Day Designs (2), Invita Paper Studio (3), Artful Sentiments (4)


Molly, Artful Sentiments