Friday, January 28, 2011

Welcome baby George

Susan has used me for so many of her life's moments that I have lost count at this point. Every year I do her family Christmas Card but this year I knew was going to be different because she was expecting her fourth child late in December.  She wanted to wait and do a Holiday/New Year/Birth Announcement all in one type of design. Any parent will tell you that trying to get all your children to sit for a photo can bring out the "scary mom" in all of us and the more you have the more challenging it is.


The design idea was initially going to have one photo of the three girls and their new baby brother, but in the end we ended up with two photos. I had an incredible photo of George wrapped in a moss green blanket tied with a cream satin ribbon sitting in a copper bowl and an equally stunning photo of the girls outside with the snow falling in the background. When it came time to choose the colors I decided neutrals would be best because of the color schemes in each photo. The main card is in a Ecru Silk Linen with a photo backing card in Crepe. I felt it would be best to use an Envelope in a similar color found in the blanket since that was the first photo you saw.


Even though we had two photos with two very different color schemes I feel as if we achieved two designs within one. Even though the girls are in pink and blue when I mounted the photo against the cream card stock it picks up the snow falling in the background which just looks beautiful.

Monday, January 10, 2011

My First Wedding........

If you read my blog often then you know I never design just to create a sample.....which explains why this very special wedding is actually my first. It's not that I can't design for any type of event it's that I choose to design with a purpose and that purpose for me begins with a person. To get the full story about Ashley and Jay I suggest going back to my blog in March where I talked about their very special save-the-dates and the Reason To Give Wedding that was given to them.


Wedding invitations are a very important part of the wedding, it's the first item people will see that reflects what to expect. I kept with the same color scheme for the invitations that I used for the save-the-dates except instead of using the glitter I decided to use more pattern card stock and create them a logo that would be used on coordinating pieces. Ashley LOVED the idea of a square invitation with a pocket and button.  I love the element of surprise and that's exactly what this invitation gave to every guest who received one. The envelope was a shimmery beige color called Pyrite with a Black Linen envelope liner.


Everyone's envelope was printed in the same font used in the invitation and then on the back was Ashley and Jay's logo that I designed for them. This is the first time you see just a hint of red pattern. The outside of the invitation continued with the Pyrite color and a custom two layer button that had their logo printed on it..........the SURPRISE is when you open the invitation! I had the paper company reverse the pattern so that it would be on the inside......which gave a real element of surprise. I continued the use of their logo on the response card, the response envelope  and slightly adjusted it for the cocktails & reception card.










Next up was a little bit of sparkle........all the table numbers were printed on Pyrite with red glitter then was mounted on a folded Black Linen card. For Ashley and Jay's table I used the same card stock but instead of a number I decide to use their logo since they were having their own personal table. Not to get off the topic of the invitations but there is no way I can talk about these two photos without mentioning Gregory Costa-Saint John of Flou(-e)r  he is truly a talented individual and totally went above and beyond to make the flowers at Ashley and Jay's Wedding first rate as did all the vendors that donated.



The guest book is always nice to have but I wanted them to have something that was unique so I designed them there own using all the coordinating card stocks from the invitation. The pages were blank sheets of the Pyrite color paper so each guest could not only sign their name but leave a special message to them.


Next up is the favor boxes which was a collaboration between me and JJ's Haute Chocolat.  Owners Jen and Julie donated a stunning candy bar which is what guests received as a favor. I didn't want guests to have a typical place card so I decided to take the favor boxes and attach a custom handle each printed with the guests names and seating location. When guests first entered the room they were greeted by a round table with a sign that read "Find your name and take your seat. Save this box for a sweet treat"


 
I'm so grateful to be a part of Reason To Give, this was our first venture and my first Wedding Invitation Design, I could not have had a better couple.  The night we left Ashley's parents house we all said they were the type of couple that made you want to do more and every single vendor that donated said the same thing after meeting them. If you've read any of the interviews Ashley and Jay always talk about how we changed their lives but in the end it was them who changed mine. To Heidi, Lisa and Natasha this was personally such a great experience for me and by far exceeded my expectations........none of this would have happened if not for the three of you believing that an idea could really be a reality when put in the hands of the right women.