I have always found it hard to throw away any sort of personal letter or card that arrives in the mail. I even like to keep the envelopes that letters arrive in, for there is something about the look of a postmarked envelope that I have always loved. Whether it’s an illustration on a vintage postcard or the gracefulness of a handwritten note – there is always inspiration to be found in this ephemera I’ve collected throughout the years. So, I thought it would be nice to share a few images of some of my favorite items I have kept along the way. (Oh, and in case you’re wondering, while some of these items were sent to me personally, I found the vintage postcards in the back of a used book store quite a few years ago. Not only are they fun to look through, but they can also be a great source of inexpensive art for your home!)

We would love to hear from you!  What sort of things do you like to hang onto?

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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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We recently added a new script to our typeface collection. Hiatus, designed by Stephen Rapp, is a connecting script that has a less formal feel than many of the scripts in our collection. It has a slightly casual, hand-lettered feel to it, while still maintaining a bit of elegance and readability. It can easily be dressed up or down – since it comes with numerous alternative letters and ligatures. It even comes with a handful of coordinating ornamental flourishes – perfect for adding a decorative touch to your wedding invitation, baby announcement, or calling card. Though we haven’t had a chance to add Hiatus to the list on our website quite yet, you are more than welcome to request it for your project! Below, you will find an example of Hiatus in use. Enjoy!

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We recently printed new business cards for the studio and thought we should share! We’re also working on adding a page to the website that will provide information on business card and calling card printing. If interested in ordering business cards, or if you are in need of a quote, feel free to send us an e-mail! Just be sure to specify whether you are interested in wood or paper cards, the number of ink colors if interested in letterpress, and the quantities you would like quotes for. Also, it’s helpful if you let us know if you will be providing a print-ready file or if you are in need of a custom design.

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Happy new year, everyone! As per usual, this is the time of year when inquiries start coming in more heavily and we find ourselves answering numerous questions about the ordering process. One of the most common questions we receive is, “When should I order my invitations?” Since we’ve never added a guide regarding invitation timelines to our website or blog, I realized it was time to do so. With that being said, here we go!

We recommend mailing your invitations approximately 6 to 8 weeks before your wedding date. If time is tight, don’t panic! It’s okay to mail them out a little closer to the wedding if need be. Just try to allow enough time for your guests to mark their calendars and reply back to you so that you can get an accurate head count before the big day arrives.

If you are having a destination wedding, you may want to consider mailing your invitations even sooner – such as 3 or more months prior to the wedding. In this case, you want to make sure your guests have plenty of time to plan for travel, accommodations, and time off from work if necessary. If the location of your wedding happens to be a popular tourist destination, or if your wedding is occurring around a holiday, then it is especially important to give plenty of notice so that plans can be arranged. Also, by being able to plan early, your guests may be able to save on airfare or may be able to book group hotel rates. Just keep in mind that if you send your invitations out too early, there may be a risk of them becoming lost or even forgotten.

If you want to spread the word about your wedding many months in advance, you may wish to send a save the date card. Save the dates are typically sent about 4 to 6 months prior to a wedding, or about 6 to 9 months in advance for destination weddings. Again, keep in mind the amount of planning that will be involved based on the location of your wedding, as you may find you want to send a save the date out even sooner.

Once you know when you would like to mail your invitations, you can easily figure out when to order them. First off, I suggest figuring out when you want your invitations in your hands. You need to consider the time it will take to address and assemble them.  If you plan on working with a calligrapher, be sure to check on their schedule and turn around time. In general, you will probably want to allow 2-3 weeks for the assembly and addressing process, though I know some clients have them ready to mail in just a few days. Keep in mind you may have to track down some addresses, so it’s always nice to have some wiggle room!

After figuring out when you would like your invitations to be in your hands, work backwards to find out when you need to order them. Recommended times may vary from one stationer to the next, but here at Oslo Press, we suggest placing your invitation order about 8 weeks prior to when you need them if choosing a design from our collection. If ordering a custom design, then we suggest ordering your invitations about 12 weeks or more before you need them in your hands. Also, it’s important to keep in mind any holidays, events, or travels that may fall during your order time. For instance, if you know you will be taking a weeklong vacation and won’t be checking your e-mail during that time, then definitely add an extra week to your ordering schedule.

Hopefully, this information will be useful to some of you! Again, if you’re on a tight schedule – do what works best for your circumstances when considering when to mail your save the dates or invitations. If you don’t feel like you have enough time to place your order, don’t be afraid to contact us anyway! When possible, we try our best to accomodate tight schedules.

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In celebration of the arrival of spring, we’re offering a special! If you order 100 or more wedding invitation sets before July 1, 2011, you will receive free shipping with your order. In fact, you will receive FedEx 2-day shipping completely on us! You can order either our wood invitations or our letterpress invitations to qualify for this special. Please note that all eligible orders must be shipped to an address within the United States in order to qualify. If you have any questions regarding this special promotion or our stationery products in general, please feel free to contact us!

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