While I’m still hoping for some actual winter weather, I have to admit, seeing the trees budding (in February!) is making it a bit difficult to not yearn for spring. To hold me over a bit until all the flowers start blooming again, I thought it would be nice to share this invitation suite we printed last summer. These were actually printed for a local couple that were married in Raleigh, North Carolina this past fall. When going through some of our samples, the bride spotted some hydrangeas I had drawn for a previous invitation project. I made a few small changes to the illustration and after discussing some different layouts with the bride and groom, they settled on the design you see below.

Instead of the usual reply card and envelope, they chose to go with a reply postcard. We left some open space on one side for any guests that felt like writing a message.  Also, near the bottom of the postcard, we found the perfect place to list the wedding website.  To coordinate with their wedding, the bride and groom selected a pale blue ink and pearl white cotton paper. They also ordered pearl white envelopes with coordinating blue liners, as well as a box full of matching thank you cards!

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Every now and then we get the opportunity to work on projects that are completely non-wedding related. If you look at our current website, you may assume that weddings are all we do; but please don’t let it fool you! We will gladly take on projects for non-wedding related events.

Below are photos from such a project that we worked on last fall. The ABC store in Banner Elk, North Carolina was recently expanded and remodeled. To celebrate the occasion, a ribbon cutting ceremony was planned. We were happy to take on the invitation project which soon turned into a full custom design job. Even the logo was especially created for the event. As a nod to the moonshining roots that exist in the region, an old fashioned still was incorporated into the logo along with some blue peaks in the background to represent the Blue Ridge Mountains. It may be difficult to see in the photos, but this was actually a three color job. Two shades of chocolate along with blue were letterpress printed on ecru cotton paper to give a warm, rustic feel.

Below are some photos of the ABC store following the renovation project.  If you’ve ever had the pleasure of entering a typical North Carolina ABC store then you will definitely know how dramatic the change was!

Photo Credits - All images of the ABC store courtesy of the High Country Municipal ABC Store of Banner Elk, NC

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Last summer, we had  a couple come to us and request that their invitations reflect the scenery of their wedding location by including a single large pine tree.  Always happy to take on the challenge of a custom job, I was eager to accommodate their wishes.  Honestly, I was a bit surprised that this was the first time a pine tree had been requested by a client (you know, given all that wood you see on our website!).

Before I began working on the new illustration, I searched around a little bit online in order to study photos of actual pine trees.  It wasn’t long before I realized I didn’t have to look very hard at all though.  Here in North Carolina, there never seems to be a lack of pine trees.  Just a quick glance out of a window around here will reveal quite a few nearby.  Really, they are everywhere and so are their needles; but it’s okay because their silhouettes against the setting sun are quite a lovely sight.

To further enhance the woodsy feel of the invitation set, the couple chose to use walnut wood for the invite.  A warm chocolate brown ink was used for the text and a pop of color was added by the use of olive ink.  To wrap it all up and create a cohesive feel,  ecru cotton paper was  selected for the paper elements.

Curious about our custom design process? Just send us an e-mail or visit our process page for more details.

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Just thought I would share a peak at some custom invites that we recently finished and shipped off.  At the request of the bride, I created this illustration for her upcoming fall wedding.  This project actually began with save the dates – where a smaller but similar leaf illustration made an appearance.  I then developed the idea further once it was time to work on the invites.   A little later on I will be able to share more, but for now, here are some closeups:

Apparently, I have had my fill of the summer heat because this warm combination of colors is making me more than ready for fall.

What you see:  laser engraved walnut veneer,  letterpress on ecru paper

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Just thought I would share a little peak into my process when working on a new illustration.  First, I tend to do some quick sketching followed by research.  By research I mean I usually gather some inspiring photos and colors, as well as look through some of my old sketches and not so neatly place them around my drawing board.  Following this stage, I do more quick sketching until I start feeling the direction I want to go in.  Then, depending on my mood and the style I am going for, I either create some cleaner drawings by hand which I then clean up using the computer, or I create the illustration directly on the computer.

Here are a few images as well as initial sketches and ideas from a recent custom design project.  I’m really excited about the finished illustration, so I will try and post some photos of the finished project in the future.

and the credit goes to:  top left image of the yummy crinkly taffeta gown by Nicole Miller (via Brides.com), all other images by me

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Just a little peek at a custom job we created for a couple during the fall of last year.  The bride came to us already knowing she wanted to use a particular typeface – Shelley Allegro.  She was also interested in a monogram but thought she would possibly like to incorporate some other details.  Well, several ideas were tossed around, but at the end of the day, they decided to keep it sweet and simple:

In the top photo you can see a portion of the reply card, followed by the envelope flaps in the second photo.  Not in need of a return address, they chose to use only their initials and wedding date on the outer envelope.  Each paper item in the set was letterpress printed in chocolate ink on ecru cotton paper, creating a rich warm feel.

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