I just finished a couple of great and completely different wedding projects. I really enjoyed working on them think they prove I can be versatile.

The first was a small destination wedding. I can’t take full credit for the idea, as it’s all over the internet, but I did do the designs. I even created the little starfish outline from a photo graph of a real one. I need to set aside some time for proper photos soon, but here’s a sneak peek…

The next project was for a more whimsical affair. I heard purple & butterflies and went with it and I’m pretty happy with the result. I used a vellum overlay on the invite and really like the layered effect…

I must have tweaked my designs for both of these about a zillion times, and I could just keep going. It’s not that I’m ever unhappy with the end product, it’s just that there are so many options that look good, so it’s hard to choose.

I’ve been dabbling with various things and have some ideas in the works… I really want to find some different mediums to work with. Wood perhaps? Or even fabric. I’m trying to figure out how to properly sew an invitation together. I need more spare time!!!

In the last few months I’ve tried carving and printing blocks…

And even screen printing…

I’m going to continue to practice both until I can properly utilize them in some projects. They’re both a lot of fun! I am planning on taking up Letterpress as soon as I move to. I’m really excited about it.

I will also be setting up an etsy page within the next season, so be on the lookout for that.

Last but not least, my friend Angie just got married and I wish her & her husband Joe all the best. She was a stunning bride! I had the privilege of doing their invitations with full creative reign, so that was scary but also very personal as I wanted to make something special that she would personally love. I was inspired by a random art nouveau graphic that I came across, so I sliced it up and moved pieces of it around and voila…

Already have 2 weddings booked for 2013 as well as a quinceanera. That last one is going to be a challenge. I don’t have the exact number yet, but it will most likely be the largest number of invitations I have ever done for one event. Might have to find an assistant for that one.

Looking forward to see what projects 2013 brings. Also hope to learn a few things.

Cheers!

Today I want to talk about the woman that I admire most in this entire world… My mum. Sadly, she is no longer with us, and I miss her every day. Her birthday is coming up so I wanted to dedicate this to her.

I don’t even know where to start about this woman?! Short version… she was caring, creative, sassy, and a damn good cook. Her motto was “Smile, tomorrow will be better.”, except she said it in a thick Polish accent. I miss her silly antics.

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The postman was nice enough to deliver my paper samples today… duty calls!

I have been at the computer for hours researching various Art Nouveau designs to use for my NYE project. I had originally wanted to photograph some art deco ornamentation inside of a local theater, and use that to create a design, but upon further inspection, it just was not the feel I was going for. At any rate, I was very drawn to the facade of this building…

I’ve been able to find a lot of very good resources for Art Nouveau images. In fact, there is a website where you can purchase individual sheets or full collections, and they are fairly inexpensive. You can find those and a bunch of other images here.

I just downloaded a couple of set of vectors (this one & this one) and there are some great images included! I am happy with these sets and think I can use them for many different applications. Here is a random sampling and it really does it no justice as there are soo many to choose from…

I have some simple shower invitations to do this weekend, and this image is kind of inspiring that route…

I would like to carve the design out of block and stamp it, but I’m not sure if I will be able to get it detailed enough? Only one way to find out! You can learn more about block printing by watching this video or checking out this lovely website. I’ll let you know how it goes…