Calligraphy by Michele

Photo Card

2011-12-07T17:26:00.001-08:00

Holly All Around Christmas

Personalize your Christmas card at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

We are MOVING!

2011-10-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Last but not least, just a heads up that we will be moving to a new house during the weekend of October 15-16. I am already living in a land of boxes, but in the midst of moving I might be difficult to reach for a few days. I am hoping to be able to keep the same email address and phone number (I am only moving a few blocks away), but the mailing address will certainly change. I will do a mass email to all of my current clients with all of the changes as soon as we are in and settled. If the email address or phone number does happen to change I will post that here once I know. And if you are interested in booking for a spring wedding, NOW is the time to do it, to ensure that you get the week that you want. :0)

2011-10-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

A few more placecard ideas, and envelopes for a rehearsal dinner done in the uneven lettering. I always like that one - it's fun to do, and its a nice option when you don't need it to be too formal...

Seating Chart

2011-10-03T07:34:00.001-07:00

I just adore the color combination here. I don't normally get to buy the materials for a chart - I like to let the bride do that. But this time, since Carrie was too far away to drive to me twice I went to AC Moore to pick up the materials, with her ideas on colors. The flowers were a single silk hydrangea blossom that I took apart and arranged and hot glued, and the rhinestone flourish is a sticker that is a single piece! Couldn't be easier and looked just gorgeous when done.

Placecards!

2011-10-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

This is just a sampling of the super creative placecards I have seen over the past few months. Seriously - people ask me all the time what is 'common' to do for placecards, but I can't even answer that question! There seems to be no common placecard - you are limited only by your imagination!

So many pictures to post!

2011-10-03T07:11:00.000-07:00

So this summer, after 2 1/2 years on the market we finally sold our little house and are moving on to bigger and better things. In the rush of 'email this QUICKLY' and 'sign this paper and get it back to me NOW' and 'do we have enough boxes' and every other ridiculous thing that comes up with selling a house and moving there just hasn't been time to get the photos up here. I've been taking them though - so here's just a sampling...

The first photo is one of my favorite things that I have ever worked on. Katie provided all of the information and a general sketch needed for the map, and then she took my image and had it letterpressed to match her invitation suite (for which I also provided piece work that she had letterpressed). The final image is one of the signs I did - there were many - that I can't wait to see the photos of as they were set up at the actual event.

Another blog mention!!

2011-08-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, all these blog mentions and the fame will go to my head! ;0)

So much fun working on these envelopes - I'll say it again - I LOVE white ink on dark paper. Always, always so pretty. These were for 'Miss Candy Apple' of Weddingbee - thanks again for sharing this 'Miss Candy Apple'!!

http://www.weddingbee.com/2011/08/11/a-candied-invitation-part-i/

Wonderful blog mention

2011-07-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2011/07/15/tribeca-rooftop-wedding-by-bespoke-affairs/

Years ago now (has it really been that long??) Adrienne was a bride of mine having her invitations addressed. Now she is a full on fancy schmancy event planner: http://www.bespokeaffairs.com/ . Here is a job I worked on for Heidi, a client of hers, and both the envelopes (which are not pictured on the link, but you can scroll down and find) as well as the placecards and the table cards were just SO COOL! I loved working on them, and I loved being included in the blog post - such an honor to be a part of such a very beautiful wedding!

Silver and white signage

2011-06-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

Love the white lettering on shiny silver paper - very elegant. The top photo was actually their vows, written on 5x7 paper on the diagonal. A challenge to fit it all, but very cool in the end.

Apple green and white! (oh, and purple!)

2011-06-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

Top to bottom - baby shower invites for my sister in green ink, wispy lettering (invites from Vista Print - LOVE them!) , autumn lettering and white ink on beautiful green paper. This was a striking combo in person! Next a flourish mash up on purple envelopes, and more apple green ink, wispy lettering...

Come on blogger - let me post pictures!!

2011-06-14T15:53:00.001-07:00

Finally! Top to bottom - wispy lettering in an apple green ink (hard to tell from the lighting, and perched in my Easter flowers), really cool seating chart done in purple ink, autumn lettering with rhinestone embellishments,
navy placecards (that I forgot to rotate) in an autumn mash up (love these!), flourish on navy in white ink (navy/white is popular this season!), and some insert cards in an autumn mash up that were very neat looking.

So many new pictures!

2011-06-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Finally got the pictures off of my camera and onto the computer. As my kids get bigger and involved in more activities I've had less time to post pretty pictures, but I am still as busy as ever! Without much commentary, here is just a bit of what I've been working on... Top to bottom they are wispy, flourish, wispy, swirl, and an older style wchi I believe I called non-italic.

**I have lots more pictures, but blogger is giving me a hard time starting a new post and they limits photos to 5. I may have to try again later!

Lovely post on weddingbee.com

2011-02-04T14:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks Stephanie! You took some beautiful photos - I just wanted to share!

Addressing and Obsessing Weddingbee

A few more photos since blogger limits it to 5

2011-02-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

Worst blogger ever!

2011-02-03T14:34:00.000-08:00

Okay - I know - I have taken forever to update! My own sister got married in November, and then we got a new puppy, and the holidays, and the ice.... you get the idea! Here is just a sample of what I've been working on the past few months...

Christmas card giveaway!!

2010-11-08T07:18:00.000-08:00

Once again Brittany from www.onecharmingparty.com has been generous enough to include me in her Christmas giveaway package! She has arranged to have 50 of the winner's Christmas cards addressed during the week of November 21-27. Head over to her website and leave a comment to enter the contest, then the winner should have their envelopes to me no later than November 21. The winner can pick the lettering style and ink color of their choice. A very generous offer from a fabulous party planner - seriously the projects I have worked on for her are just fabulous and the photos of her work are like eye candy!!! Thanks Brittany!!!

Happy fall again!

2010-09-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

I loved doing the job in the first photo! Brittany of www.onecharmingparty.com had all different colored envelopes with color coordinated stamps and inks for each (katie mash up). Beautiful attention to detail - I would have love to have gotten one of these invitations in the mail! And if you don't know, Brittany ran a contest on her blog last year with the prize being my calligraphy on your Christmas cards! A little bird told me she may be running the same contest again this year, so keep your eye out for that! The last two photos were for Kinley - we did menus (she added her monogram to the top before having them printed, which explains the large space at the top) and signs for family member's wedding photos to be displayed at the reception (flourish in navy ink)

This is my slow time of year - not as many people getting married in December and early January, so I see a slow down for a few weeks. If you are a spring bride and happen to have your invitations early, or if you would like to fit in Christmas cards, thank you cards, party invitations, or any other type of project these next few weeks are your best chance for squeezing in before my schedule fills up again. Happy planning!!

Happy fall part 2!

2010-09-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

I love this first picture! Maria found blank playing cards and I added the guest name and the table numbers in the top and bottom corner like an actual card. So cute!! The second picture was for Michelle using the mash-up style in gold on stardream brown paper. What a color combination! Third is the newest style added - katie- for Meredith in grey ink. Katie was a custom style I matched for - you guessed it - Katie a while back and I pictured it on the blog. Since then I have had so many people request it I have added it as a regular style! Last but not least, the autumn style in brown for Tamara. Simple, classic, and very pretty!

Happy fall!

2010-09-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

Well, thank you to all of the clients I have worked with over the summer - it was the busiest summer I can ever remember! I may not have posted much here, but I took lots of pictures, so please bear with me while we play catch up. :0) The first two pictures were for Barbara and Phil - we did a favor sign which we adorned with real starfish to match their beach theme, and some signs for their signature drink the Elaphantini! The third photo was some signage with more of Lindsey's gorgeous paper. And finally some seating charts, which I have not done that often in the past but I have had it requested more and more lately. The Goldmans were married on a cruise ship with a beach towel wrapped in some rope as their favor, so I used the rope to make two sailors love knots to decorate the top of the board. (They wanted everything clean and simple to counteract all of the color on the cruise ship...). Christine didn't have anything specific that she wanted to add so we went with a classic flourish with a gold accent to play off of the chocolate brown ink. For anyone interested - seating charts have a set up fee of $20 to measure out all the names and columns and such, and then .50 per name.

Twin Ravens Press

2010-08-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hello all! It's been a busy summer - seriously the busiest I have ever had - and I have tons of pictures of recent work to post. Before I have a chance to do that though, I'd like to spread the word about a great little printing press in Oregon - http://twinravenspress.com/. I've had a number of clients who have worked with them before, and most recently for Cynthia who had me write out some pieces for her which Kristin of Twin Ravens was able to press onto the envelopes for her (pictured above). They were beautiful! She has been kind enough to link to my blog here from her site, and it is only fair that I do the same for her - and not just for payback! She is lovely to communicate with and the GORGEOUS pictures of her work that you can view on her site speak volumes for themselves. If you're in the market for some letterpress work, or you (like me) simply love to drool over pictures of fabulous wedding stationery head on over and check it out. You won't be disappointed!! :0)

New pictures - part 2!

2010-07-02T06:12:00.000-07:00

The colorwork this spring has truly been amazing. I've never seen such a wide array of colors all in one season - it's been so much fun to work with! The first photo was really a blast. Lindsey wanted a style similar to the mashup - we used wispy lettering for the name instead of flourish and since she had long envelopes we were able to put the address all on one line below. The white ink on the red paper really popped, and bonus - see those gorgeous invitations? She handpainted each one herself!! The second photo was for Flavia. She had two diferent colored envelopes (greay and blue) for the outers - we used navy ink in wispy to do all the writing and added an apple green flourish to the inners to tie it all into the invitations. Gorgeous! Next was Stephanie in different shades of lavender. The writing is actually a very pale lavender in flourish and coordinates with the invitations nicely. And the last set is autumn lettering in silver ink on navy envelopes - I just love light colors on dark paper! Finally, in a July 1 post on www.beantownbride.com you'll see some stunning pictures of Lauren's wedding. Scroll down the pictures along the right side of the post and you'll see some nice shots of table and chair signs we worked on. A really beautiful wedding! Next week available is currently September 5-11, so if you're interested, let me know. Also, depending on how busy my fall schedule looks, I was thinking of running a Christmas card promotion - last year it seemed to be a big hit! Thanks for looking, and happy planning!

New pictures - finally!

2010-07-02T06:04:00.002-07:00

I feel like I haven't posted new pictures in ages - here is just a taste of what I've been working on. The first shot is a birthday invitation for a three year old. The envelopes (smoke & track included) were all done by me, and they were so cute all lined up on my table that I had a very hard time packing them up to send them away! So cute Lindsey!! Second picture was a custom design for Laura, who wanted lots of swirls. Third set also a custom style for Katie - I like this one so much I may play around with it and offer it as a regular style. Fourth picture is part of the butterfly phase. The butterflies themselves were placed in champage glasses, and Melissa actually sent me some really great pictures of them all set up as well. Butterflies were very big this spring - I had another set of white cards with butterlies stamped out along the top that I used coral ink on - very light and fun! (Don't have a picture though - boxed them up before I remembered...) The last shot was a custom designed monogram for Michelle's placecards and menus that she had printed. Really like how the monogram came out! Blogger limits me to 5 photos per post, so onto the next one I go...

Placecard season in full swing!

2010-04-13T14:17:00.001-07:00

Now that spring is finally here I have had a rush of placecards to complete along with all of the envelope work. Here is just a quick sampling - though I forgot to photograph Desiree's that I sent out today with the adorable wildflower seed cutout attached! The first photo was for Amy on beautiful Vera Wang cards (done in flourish, black ink). The second set was for Courtney (swirl lettering, pink & brown ink, on brown and pink paper, respectively). We did the names on the outside of the escort envelopes and the saying 'Love always. Dance tonight.' on the front of the tented card insert (the table number went inside the tent). I did matching table numbers with the phrase as well, and I can't wait to see the professional shots! The last picture here was for Amy (flourish in magenta ink). Magenta has been a great color this season - love it!

Away for the weekend!

2010-04-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

Taking the weekend away to go to a wedding as a guest! Should be back sometime early Monday (and because I couldn't resist, here's a shot of the wedding card...) Congratulations Jaci & Geoff!

So many fun colors this season!

2010-03-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

It's really amazing to me to watch the trends that unfold season after season. Last fall it was all about navy blue, and then over the winter I used almost every drop of gold ink I had in the house (And there were plenty of gold envelopes as well!) This spring it is all about color - ANY color. Bright and bold, or soft and muted. And it's such a treat to work on them! The first photo here was done in all lowercase to match the rehearsal dinner invites for Rona. The second set comes from www.sarahdrakedesign.com for Lindsay. Love that pink! (Formerly fine script lettering - now called autumn!). In the third photo we used the mash up style in a baby pink to match the naming ceremony invitations for Paula. The last two photos were placecards and table name frames for Jenn. I LOVE the combo of the blue and green together. (It was night when I took the picture, and terrible lighting, but the colors were stunning together!) I can't wait to see the preofessional shots of those! Keep those colors coming!

Updated samples - finally!

2010-03-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

Hello, and happy spring! So I have finally updated my samples. Some are old styles with new (hopefully simpler) names and some are new styles altogether. The next weeks currently available are May 16-22, July 11-17, July 25-31, or most weeks after that. Happy planning!

New style - mashup?

2010-03-11T06:12:00.001-08:00

This is a combination of styles that I have been using more and more recently. The name is in the alt caps lettering style and the address in the block CAPS style. It is especially great when you have invitations that mimic the style - and so many of them do, with the bride and groom's name in a script and the remainder of the invitation in block. It's a different look, and I quite like it - if it catches on I will offer it as a regular style!

Fun colorwork

2010-03-11T06:02:00.001-08:00

Hello! Well, the virus has *mostly* been resolved, so while I have a quiet moment, here are some of the paper and ink things I've been working on. The first was a sign to adorn a getaway golf cart for a Florida wedding - I matched the details from the table cards to the sign. (Sorry it's rotated - that's another whole issue...). Can't wait to see the finished cart! The second set was actually much brighter than it photographed - a lovely bright hot pink that was so much fun to work on for Stephanie! (fine script, black ink). The third set was alt caps lettering and a custom mixed green ink to match Cindy's invitations. I always love working with light ink and dark paper - so pretty! (And while the invitations were not mine to show - they were GORGEOUS! Check out www.letterpunchdesign.com ....) Finally a mix of gold and navy blue fine script lettering to compliment the icing on Regina's envelopes. The spring always brings out the creative colorwork. There's been a lot of gold lately - I think that may be the 'it' color so far this year. Happy planning!

Computer Virus!!!

2010-03-03T19:14:00.001-08:00

On Monday night I was hit with a virus and just got the computer back this evening. I've been trying to keep up via Blackberry, but I apologize for any delays in communications. Worse, I don't seem to have access to any emails received before Monday night (March 1) which will put a serious wrench in what details I do or do not remember for what we have planned. I have all email addresses on a hard copy, so I should be able to contact you with your upcoming dates as they approach, but if you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask. Hopefully by tomorrow morning I will be ready to start answering emails again (currently I can't get anything to send or receive other than on the Blackberry), but I am trying to get everything back together as quickly as I can. And when I do, I actually have a ton of pictures to post! I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause anyone - wish me luck!!

(And if you are better at computer recovery than I am, which would not be a difficult thing, please feel free to come on over and help out!!) :0)

Some other interesting tidbits....

2010-01-13T08:23:00.001-08:00

When it rains it pours! No post for months, and now two in one day... The first two posts were invitations done in boxes for Katherine - a challenge to work with, but they came out great in the end. (Alt. caps lettering, and a warm brown ink..) The middle shot was from the class I taught just after Thanksgiving! A very DIY bride and her bridesmaids got together with some snacks, some wine, some ink and some parchment to learn the basics of how to address her own invitations. We had a great time! And finally, the menu I did for my cousin's in law's restaurant in the city (where, incidentally, the food is DIVINE if you should happen to be in the neighborhood...). It's been a very busy few months with more than a few unusual projects thrown into the mix! I still have a few weeks available in February and march if anyone is interested in booking. All the best to you all in the new year!!

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-13T08:15:00.000-08:00

Finally - a chance to breathe and catch up a little bit! Here are just a few shots of some things I've been working on - the first was for Lauren - where we matched the pink lettering to the pink ribbon she was using to tie her invitations together. (In fine flourished script, alt. caps...) The next two shots were for a first birthday party for Lindsey's son - I ADORE the idea of using the snowflakes in place of the letter 'o'. Too cute. (The rest of the lettering is wispy, in royal blue...) The final shot in this post were for Edwina' sescort cards in the most popular color of the year! (And I believe her very talented fiance - now husband - made the elegant holders!!)

Merry Christmas to all!!

2009-12-23T05:40:00.000-08:00

I do apologize for the lack of posts - I actually have lots of pictures I need to put up, but the holidays have just kept me spinning. There was the menu I did for my cousin's restaurant, and the calligraphy class I taught to a fabulous DIY bride and her bridesmaids, and a number of beautiful color combinations that I'd like to highlight - and I will - after Santa comes! Until then - keep warm, enjoy your families, and happy planning!

Christmas Card Calligraphy give-away!

2009-11-09T07:19:00.001-08:00

A few months ago Brittany from www.onecharmingparty.com inquired about booking a week with me so that she could give away 50 calligraphied envelopes for Christmas cards on her blog found here: http://onecharmingblog.squarespace.com/home/2009/11/9/giveaway-50-christmas-cards-hand-addressed-by-michele.html?lastPage=true#comment6188917 . (Sorry - I am sure there is a neater way to link that, but my skills with the pen far outshine my computer skills!). Anyway, the giveaway is for the week of November 22-November 28 and all the details can be found on her blog. I can use any of my regular lettering styles and any ink color you like - the photo pictured here is a shot of my own Christmas cards done in red ink - fine script, and a little swiss dot embellishment on the zip code. (The envelope pictured on Brittany's blog is in the fine chancery italic...)

Thanks so much Brittany! What a fun give-away!!

Happy fall!

2009-11-09T06:59:00.000-08:00

Such a busy month! (Though isn't it always.....) Just a few quick snapshots of what I've been working on. The first photo was done for Paul in fine flourished script, alt caps using a shimmery copper ink. (Also pictured - MY wedding dress(!), recently rescued from my mother in law's attic....). The second photo was for Jessica. She is having a destination wedding and chose a less formal wording and a fun color combination of aqua and white (wispy lettering). The third photo is a set of placecards for Danielle - done on hockey pucks! (Though all laid out on my table they for some reason looked more like oreo cookies to me....) The last photo was a match of the style 'avant garde' in silver ink on black envelopes for some bar mitzvah invitations done for Cheryl. I've seen a lot of this sort of style lately - simple prints, very modern and clean.

2010 is filling up quickly, so if you are interested in booking a week let me know as soon as possible so that we can get you the week you want. Enjoy the fall! :0)

Custom style and fun monograms

2009-10-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hope you're enjoying the beautiful fall weather! The first two shots were a custom style done for Jaime. She has very modern invitations and wanted something to match. She emailed me a sample of a style she was interested in, and this is what I came up with in the end, using a bronze metallic ink to match her return address. (Is bronze the new color of the season??) It was a fun style to work in. The monograms were done on Amanda's programs (her envelopes are pictured a few posts down...) Simple, clean, and very pretty!

Fun colorwork!

2009-10-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

The first shot here was for Ahmad and Erika - the invitations were done by http://www.plumblossompress.com/ and while I don't have pictures of the invites themselves, I have seen them and they are GORGEOUS! The leaves and the liner were a shimmery copper so I matched the ink color and used fine flourished script, alternate caps. I can't wait to see the placecards - I have a feeling they are going to be fantastic! Lauren's save the dates were a beautiful dusty pink so we matched that ink color and used a combination of two lettering styles: Fine flourished, alt caps for the names and uneven caps for the address. I love the effect of the two styles together!!

Busy month!

2009-10-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Blogger doesn't want to let me post all of my pictures at once, so I'll break it up into two posts. Here are some shots of my first international job! Booked by Julie from Hong Kong and done in wispy lettering, black ink. Plus another sneak peak at what my dining room looks like on any given day... :0)

Cathleen's placecard

2009-09-23T17:55:00.001-07:00

Thanks Cathleen! I asked, and I received! What great shots of the placecards, and such a pretty presentation. (Alt caps lettering, gold ink...) She got a beautiful picture of the Bride and Groom signs as well, but she has to wait for the cd on that one. Thanks for sending this along, Cathleen, and congratulations again!! :0)

Some new colors as we roll into a new season.

2009-09-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

Busy weeks have meant fewer pictures and fewer posts, but here are just a taste of what
I've been up to. Gold is a hot trend recently, in lots of different forms. The first pic were Amy's gold Stardream envelopes with wispy pink lettering. The last four pictures were for Gabrielle - I did her table cards and also some pomegranate facts (her wedding theme) for her to display at the tables. We used flourished script, alt caps in grey ink. I've also done some placecards on white eyelet punched cards and gold lettering that were really beautiful, but bad blogger that I am forgot to take any pictures before returning them. (So Cathleen - if you get any professional shots, please send them along and I will add them!!) Enjoy the cooling weather, and happy planning!

Home from vacation - and back to work!!

2009-08-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

It was a wonderful week on the lake - thank you to those of you who put up with me communicating via Blackberry during that time! I'm doing the best I can to get back into the swing of things, and I'll try to have some new pictures of my work to post soon. If you have any professional placecard shots (or shots of any signage or pieces I've done for you) don't forget to send them along!!

We're on vacation!!

2009-08-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

So excited to enjoy a quiet week on the lake with my family. I'll be home on the 23rd. Have a great week everyone, and send beach weather in my direction!! :0)

The navy blue trend continues!

2009-08-01T08:13:00.001-07:00

I have seen lots of color trends come and go over the years, but this summer the navy just will not quit. The first is a Doughnut Menu done for Tera in fine script, white ink (YUM!) and the second are Amanda's envelopes - also in white ink, wispy lettering. I actually have had more examples of navy that I haven't even photographed. Wonder what THE color will be going into the fall?

Summer fun!

2009-07-17T15:46:00.001-07:00

Even though the kids are home for the summer and we've been spending days at the beach or tie-dyeing tshirts, there's still plenty of writing to do! The first shot is of Betty's envelopes. Classic fine script in black ink made more fun by the pink inner envelopes! Can't wait to know what Mickey sends back. :0)

The second shot shows some custom spot work I did for Jessica which was then letterpressed into her invitations and envelopes by Ceci New York: http://www.cecinewyork.com/readytoorder.php?subsection=whitelabel&subcollection=classic&design=sophia. They came out beautifully, and I was so excited to see my own writing in letterpress!

The third shot shows some menu/placecards done for Dare in fine script, gold ink. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the seashell escort cards I also wrote (which were really cool) - hopefully she can pass one along after the ceremony! (Hint, hint...)

Lastly, I have one of Nicki's gorgeous placecards (Crane's, purchased at Lion in the Sun, and done in wispy lettering, brown ink...). My poor photography skills do not do justice to the delicate blue flowers - SO pretty!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! The next weeks I have available for booking are September 27 - October 3, or October 11-17, and keep in mind I will be away on vacation from August 16-22. The wait list for 2010 bookings is also in full swing so if you are interested please let me know. Thanks, and happy planning!

Red white and blue - in honor of the Fourth!

2009-07-03T16:31:00.001-07:00

So the first picture includes Meghan's gorgeous placecards (designed by http://www.bellafigura.com/ along with her fabulous invitations...) and while they may actually be lavender (shhh....) I cheated and paired them with the red fabric for the spirit of the photo - click to enlarge. (Fine script lettering in black ink...). The second photo is for Christine - fine flourished script, alternate caps in burgundy ink to match her invitations (and the lovely hydrangeas growing in my backyard!!). A safe and happy Fourth of July to everyone!

So it looks like I'll be needing a new camera! (Plus a few updates...)

2009-06-25T07:15:00.001-07:00

And until then I will do the best I can to try to post pictures whenever I can. For example, these:

Posted by blogger Adrienne of http://www.bespokeaffairs.com/. She's a former client of mine who has moved on to event planning, and if her own wedding is even the smallest indication, I predict she will be a smashing success! (The first photo is from her own wedding, the others from events she has planned...)

**Taupe ink, and either navy ink or navy envelopes are definitely the color trends for this season! I've seen more of both colors in the last month than I can ever remember seeing before. I've yet to do taupe ink ON a navy envelope - but I bet it would be gorgeous!

**A few quick notes - I will be away for the weekend of July 10, 11, 12 and also for the week of August 16-22. If you'll be needing placecards around that time I am sure I will contact you to make sure we can work your schedule around those dates. Also, the next week I currently have available for booking envelopes is September 27 - October 3, and the wait list for 2010 is already underway. Happy planning!

Assorted pictures, and random thoughts. (And more invitations for Barack Obama!)

2009-06-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hello! It's been another busy week, but with the school year finally drawing to a close I will not be running back and forth to help out at all of the end of year activities, and I might catch a bit of a break! In the last post I commented on what my 'desk' (AKA my dining room table) might look like while buried in envelopes:

There are two 'cleaned up' versions (and by that I mean there are no boxes hanging off the end waiting to be picked up or shipped across the country....). I just finished the blue set for Edwina, and as always I do love the light ink on dark paper. Here is a close up sample (hello Mr. President!) that highlights the fine flourished script, alternate caps. (Also note my great grandmothers beautiful china!!)

And while I was posting photos, I thought I would include two placecard samples I made recently. The first is just such a GORGEOUS card! The second shows the dark green ink from the invitation in two different lettering styles.

Have a great week, and happy planning!

Busy, busy week!

2009-06-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the lack of new pictures this week, but I have just been writing non stop! Where in a 'normal' week I might do 400-500 envelopes plus placecards, this week I have done over a thousand (plus placecards). Whew! I should have taken pictures of the envelopes strewn all over my dining room as they dried - now that would have been a sight!

Just a reminder to all of the brides whose weddings have already taken place - if your photographers have captured any great shots of placecards, signs, envelopes, or any other work I've done for you, please forward them along and I'll add them to the blog. Oh, and congratulations! :0)

Nicole's envelopes

2009-06-01T06:53:00.001-07:00

For Nicole we used the fine flourished script - alternate caps. (What a mouthful! I've been meaning to change that name to something simpler for quite a while. Any suggestions??) It's probably the most popular style I use, and for Nicole we matched the taupe ink on her return address.

Teresa's envelopes!

2009-05-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

Teresa decided to go with white ink on black paper, which is such a fun color combination to work in! The contrast is so clean between the colors, and it is so crisp and fresh looking! (The lettering style is the original fine flourished script...)

Custom style for Victoria

2009-05-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

Victoria was looking for something special for her envelopes so she asked if I could recreate a style she loved. This is what we came up with - so pretty and unique! We used a shimmery taupe ink to match her invitation suite.

Chocolate brown - a very popular choice!

2009-05-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Brown is the most popular color I use next to black, and it's easy to see why. Here is an example of the fine chancery lettering style in the brown ink as done for Rina:

(I tried to wait until the sun came back out so I could take the photos in a more flattering natural light, but it seems the sun has disappeared for the time being....)

Classic and elegant

2009-04-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

Sparkly, metallic gold ink done in fine script lettering on William Arthur envelopes for Dare. Timeless and beautiful!

Beautiful color combination!

2009-04-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

I recently completed these envelopes for Erin in the wispy style. The blue and green compliment each other so nicely! Envelopes designed by http://www.papermoss.com/.

Some delicious placecard photos

2009-04-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

There are so many fabulous placecard ideas out there! Here are just a few professional photos of cards I've done that have been sent to me over the years...

(This photo appeared in the Summer 2007 issue of Inside Weddings magazine, http://insideweddings.com/real-weddings/241/night-at-the-museum/slide-show.)

Pricing Information

2009-04-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

As of January 1, 2009 the pricing information is as follows:

$1.15 per outer envelopes, return address, or RSVP envelope

.35 per inner envelope or placecard

Table numbers, signs, poems, or other works priced individually (but always reasonably). Please email for a quote.

There is no additional charge for colored inks or colored/dark paper.

Samples of the eight styles I generally work with

2009-04-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

These samples were made almost a year ago now. I think its just about time for some updated versions - maybe with better photographs for the new blog!!

2009-04-20T14:24:00.001-07:00

Trying to figure out a way to let everyone view my samples and pricing info. Its a work in progress, so bear with me!