Holiday 2010

Well, it's official the holiday season of 2010 has come and gone. I've spent that last few months designing holiday cards and have been waiting to share them with everyone. Now that my tree is sitting in my driveway and all the decorations are neatly put away I thought why not blog tonight! I LOVE getting holiday cards and every year I host Christmas the first thing my family does and look at them all. Obviously I love the holiday cards that I personally design but as a designer I am always inspired by other designers and because I'm a sharer I will not only be blogging about my designs but about some favorites I received:)

 
It's not often that a one year old is a world traveler but little Anson and his parents Michael and Tracy took a trip of a lifetime to Morocco this past spring. When I met with Tracy she had this great picture of them with a camel but also had many more, her vision was that of a passport. I started first with the incredible photos she sent me turning them into a collage allowing them to share this wonderful adventure with all of their family friends. Next up was some artwork, Tracy wanted a passport stamp however the passport stamp I found for Morocco....wasn't very holiday card friendly so I created my own that would be more fitting. I am so thankful that the O'leary's gave me the honor of designing their holiday card.

Holiday cards over the last ten years have really gone to a new level. It's not just families that are sending the photo cards anymore. You will find pet owners, newly weds and grandparents have also jumped in too! My mother says there is nothing better than being a grandmother and I know this is true because she never sent a photo holiday card of me and my brother........but she does send one of your four grandchildren...and yes she uses me:)

Last year was the first time I designed a holiday card for the Connellys.....I was so happy when Eirin called to use me again and even more excited to hear that she now had two more grandchildren......it can be a challenge getting 9 children from three different families to sit for one perfect Christmas card photo. Therefore she sends me a bunch of photos which I then scan and create one 7x5 photo. We went with a shimmery red "Z CARD" then finished it with a beautiful shimmery green called envy. I love how their card turned out this year and look forward to seeing how much the kids have grown next year.

Well if you think it's tough getting 9 grandchildren together try 11! The Dwyers have 11 beautiful grandchildren. I designed their card last year but this year Connie sent me individual photos of each of her grandchildren to create a collage. Her design last year had a casual summer feel so this year I decide to go more formal using a flat 7x7 square card in red, then paired it with a white raw silk for the message to be printed on, finished with a stunning shimmery graphite envelope.

If you read my blog then you know Annette was one of the first people I ever designed a holiday card for. She always has great photos but this year was really exceptional.  She captured both her kids walking down a driftwood path onto the beach holding hands.......I know she bribed them but of course won't admit it! I can not take credit for the saying on her card because she is the one that thought of it.......and as you can see the whole look came together fabulously.

I really do LOVE going to the mailbox during the holidays....it's always nice to see how everyone's kids have grown. There are tons of fabulous holiday card options out there and I've noticed that even shutterfly and snapfish are now carrying certain well know designers. Over the past three years I would say that Tiny Prints has a really nice selection especially when wanting to use multiple photos. Another favorite site that is similar to tiny prints that I really think has some stunning options is minted. Below are some of the holiday cards that I received this year where I thought the design was really exceptional.......

It really doesn't matter who designs your holiday card or how much time or money you spend on it. When someone takes the time to send you a holiday wish that is what truly matters. I look at my slider filled with holiday wishes and truly feel blessed that there are that many people who thought enough of me and my family to send us a holiday wish. I would like to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year......looking forward to 2011!

Kicking off the Florida Season......

Just when I thought I had designed an invitation for almost every kind of party.....I recently discovered a new one! I received an email from one of my clients about a party she was throwing, it seems a lot of people head to Florida after the holidays making January the kick off to the winter season.  This is exactly what she needed....they live in a golf community for part of the year as do many of their friends. Therefore, throwing a get together to catch up and kick off the 2011 season seemed fitting. The only suggestion she gave me was to use a turtle which was the logo of the community they lived in. The minute I heard that I immediately thought hot pink and apple green. I have the cutest little turtle and knew his shell would look fabulous with hot pink glitter on it. The invite text was pretty simple therefore not a lot of space would be needed which is why I chose to do a 2 layer square card. For the main backer I chose Valentine, a matte card stock with a square texture to it. The text card was white linen printed with two colors of ink. The design was completed with a green shimmery envelope called Envy. I LOVE how adorable this design turned out and are so thankful to all my clients and their fabulous ideas. To all the lucky individuals that spend a portion of their year in FLORIDA I personally wish you a happy 2011 season and hope it's filled with sunny days and star filled nights:)

 

Moving Announcements

 

I received a Facebook message from Attorney Renee C. Berman in November asking if I would be interested in designing some moving announcements. She was finally getting the office space she had always dreamed of and wanted the announcements to reflect her style, professional but not stuffy. To me it makes perfect sense that Renee's new office would not be that of your typical attorney because she herself is anything but. Aside from owning her own law firm, she is an author, a mom and by far can deliver the best wedding toast I have ever heard.

Renee loved the cardstock from a previous invitation I had designed and felt those colors perfectly reflected the color scheme and style of her new office. Even though she wanted her announcement to be different she still wanted to use the scales. I didn't want your typical law scales so I created my own set using the pattern from the envelope liner in parts of the artwork. The text card in Ecru Linen was mounted on a beautiful backer of Caspian with an envelope in Antique Gold and liner in Mehndi which mixed the Gold and Caspian with a stunning paisley like pattern. I just love how these turned out and thankfully so did Renee.

Custom Designed Logos

I LOVE being an invitation designer but I actually started as a Graphic Designer! The same way I go about creating a custom invitation is the way I design a custom logo. If you're someone that new me when I first started BeeCustom Design then you know how many times I have re-designed my logo. Presently I LOVE my logo and feel it works but can't promise that I won't tweak it again. Over the past year I have done some really fun logos for some FABULOUS ladies and thought I would share.


Mason and Madison's owner Liz White has an incredible logo and even though I wasn't the one that created it, the designer who did is truly talented. Her store has different artisans that display their work, but as time went on Liz was approach by jewelry artisans wanting to sell their designs under Mason & Madison which resulted in Liz creating two separate divisions. The first was Pink Bird and the second was Pink Bird Kids......I really love how these came out and had so much fun creating the perfect chubby bird.

Lucky for me Liz is always thinking of ways to grow her business by offering her customers access to fun promotions, sales and events! She recently launch "Good-Buys" especially for the FANS of Mason and Madison's Facebook page. If you become a fan than you will have a chance to save big on last-one-in-stock, discontinued or otherwise fabulous merchandise we have to sell in order to make room for more!

Bringing the Singing is the brain child of high school student Jessica Slaght. After participating in the princess fundraiser for Nordhoff High School, music students Jessica Slaght, Amanda Landis, Camille Mendoza, Harmony Hartley and Zelda Grove are now allowing the community access to the magic of live character performers. All five girls have experience with choral training and theater arts and will surely put a smile onto your little princess' face. Jessica is actually a family member and I was really impressed with what her and her friends started. They had a website and face book page but I noticed they didn't have a formal logo.......so I offered to create one for them. They recently have gotten some really nice press coverage and I can only hope that my kids will have the same work ethic that these girls have at such a young age.

Janeen Donati is the owner and designer behind Paige-Reese Designer Bakeshop. I met Janeen when I did a home party for her over the summer. It wasn't until the end of the night that I discovered she too was a custom designer. I truly was blown away at her creativity, she had a great business card, fabulous font and fun colors......the only thing missing was a formal logo.  I took her colors, font and self proclaimed obsession with cake stands and designed her a new logo. The design carried over to some fun stickers for all her packaging and a new layout and paper for her business cards.

 

Lifestyle Blitz @ Burton's Grill - Fabulous Fall

About mid October I received an email from Julie Fairweather of In Full Force asking me if I would like to participate in a series of events produced by her and Christina Chmura of East Coast Associates for Burton's Grill. Each Lifestyle Blitz event would have a theme, featuring a small number of businesses/entrepreneurs and provide women with a place to gather with friends to learn new ideas, like: business opportunities, networking, cooking, education, fashion, food and more. I was truly honored to be a part of the First Lifestyle Blitz "Fabulous Fall" and felt it would be the perfect setting to showcase my Custom Holiday Cards. Intimate events like these are really essential for small businesses like myself, because it limits the number of vendors participating you're able to reach more potential clients. I knew the debut would be a huge hit because it offered people a really nice night out.......for FREE. Each attendee received two complimentary cocktails, food sampling and goodie bags went to the first 125 guests that arrived.

This past Thursday the First Lifestyle Blitz @ Burton's Grill in Peabody kicked off and I was so excited to be there and in the company of some incredible businesses. Deanna Manganaro owner of Elizabeth Grady in Danvers was on hand with her team of professionals offering chair massages, beauty treatments, and fall/winter skin care tips. Liz White owner of Mason and Madison Gifts With Style was there showcasing unique gift options for this upcoming holiday season. Advertising Director of North Shore Magazine Kelly Schetzsle was there giving out the December/Holiday issue. Denise Baron Herrera, VP of Food and Beverage and Danny Azzarello, Executive Chef of  Burtons Grill-Peabody did an incredible food demonstration of Burtons own Poached Pear Salad.

By 6:30 attendees were already lining up to get in, by 7:00 it was clearly obvious what a hit the First Lifestyle Blitz was turning out to be. The waitstaff began serving guests Harvest Martinis & Green Apple Sodas courtesy of Stolichnaya Gala Applik and savory fall appetizers from Burton's. The fabulous ladies of DIRTY WATER TV were making their way around the event chatting with the attendees and interviewing vendors about the night. My expectations for the night wasn't so much about selling product but more about selling myself. There are a lot of talented invitation designers out there to choose from, a really stunning sample of your work may get them in the door but it's your ability to connect and care that will keep them there. For me personally the event was a HUGE success because it gave me the opportunity to showcase my work to a different audience and network with some fabulous business owners. This is the second event I have done with Julie of In Full Force and as usual always a professional and always a good time:)

SAVE THE DATE........the next Lifestyle Blitz at Burton's Grill will celebrate the holidays on Monday, December 13, 2010 from 6:00 to 9:00pm. This event is sure to sell out fast, become a fan of Lifestyle Blitz@Burtons Grill on Facebook to keep update on all their happenings.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

It's hard to believe that in a couple of weeks the best Santa Claus in New England will be sitting on his famous throne at the Burlington Mall! I officially have already completed three different clients holiday cards and are working on many more right at this moment. Over the last couple of weeks I've had many orders come in for personalized plates and bowls.......these make a nice holiday gift to give. I wanted to share a really cute snowman design that was just completed.

I have plenty of holiday artwork and every year someone has a request....which I LOVE! This year I was asked if I had a nutcracker........my response was "not yet" I created two different nutcrackers that can have their color schemes changed and would look so cute on a plate and bowl set! If you are interested in ordering plates or bowls for the holidays I listed below how the process works.

All plates and bowls are dishwasher safe. Plates are 24.00 and the bowls are 18.00. Follow the steps below to place an order:

1. Email me (beecustom@verizon.net) what you want, the names, colors and artwork.  If you are not sure what you want I can email you my art catalog so you can choose something.

2. Once you choose the design you will receive an electronic proof for each design for approval, once you ok the proof your order will be placed. It usually takes about 2 weeks but can be faster.

3. When your order is complete I will email you to set up a time for pick up.

4. BeeCustom Designs excepts cash or checks, payment is due at the time of delivery.

* for orders that exceed 100.00 a deposit of 50% will be required prior to order being placed.

A TUTU FABULOUS....birthday!

I think its fair to say that kid's parties have come a long way from just cake, ice cream and possibly getting to make your own pizza at Papa Gino's while all your friends watched. I am not complaining because now that kids parties are on a whole new level it allows me to do what I do! Nancy called me about doing invitations for her daughter Isabelle's upcoming 6th birthday. She would be holding it at home, there of course would be cake and ice cream but you would also be making your own TUTU.......seriously that is so super creative. If you live in my area and have a daughter chances are you have heard of The Bow Fairy owner Donna Cabral makes custom bows and so much more, so Nancy is having Donna come to show all the girls how to make their own tutu....LOVE THIS!

Now for the invitation....I didn't even meet with Nancy to look at card stocks or discuss design, the only thing she told me was to have it purple and hot pink........oh and plenty of GLITTER too! I love when hot pink is involved it's my favorite glitter color to use. I decided the design would be vertical, using three layers of card stock. For the main backing card I went with Majestic which had a slight shimmer to it, the second layer was a bold pink called fashionista.......this is one of my new favorites. The invitation text was printed on white linen using two colors of ink.  This was the first invitation I have ever done for a tutu party and I think it is just TUTU CUTE!

PUMPKIN and A Baby Shower!!!!!!!!

I received a message from Hilary Larson a few weeks ago that she was in need of some invitations for her friend Ali's upcoming baby shower. I was told the color scheme was hot pink and orange, she's having a girl and there would need to be a pumpkin somewhere too because the baby shower had a fall theme to it. I've done plenty of baby shower invites before but this was different because it didn't have your "A" typical theme.......this would require some major thinking outside the box!

As I headed to my meeting with Hilary I honestly had no idea how this invitation was going to work. Every time I pictured a pumpkin all I could think about was Halloween or Thanksgiving. As I sat with Hilary and the ever so ADORABLE Charlie she too was wondering how this theme was going to play out. After seeing what Ali had chosen for the baby's bedding I had a really good sense of her personal style.  Next up...OPERATION PUMPKIN, we talked about putting the pumpkin in a stroller.......but then I didn't want Ali to look at her invite and think "oh so my kid is going to look like a pumpkin." As we continued to brainstorm I noticed Hilary was sketching out her vision and the more she did the more I was able to visualize it in my head.  I truly believe that great things can happen when you put two creative people and one really good baby in a room! I took that piece of paper home with me and stuck it to my computer as I created all the artwork for this invitation.

Picking the card stock was easy, we decided the main backing card would be Fashionista, the invite would be printed on First Snow and the envelope would be TANGELO......love that name! The invitation would not be complete without some glitter.......I used hot pink for the baby's bow and crystal clear for the pumpkin and vines.

Once the invites were done I was off to deliver them to Hilary and was so excited to find out that one, Ali would be there and two I could finally have some of Hilary's famous cupcakes! It was so nice to see the look on both their faces when they saw the finished product. I only wish Hilary could've seen the look on my face as I ate one of her pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.....SO YUMMY!