Emerson's Ice Cream Parlour

I've been waiting FOREVER to blog about this recent invitation design....a few months ago Janeen Donati owner of Paige-Reese Designer Bakeshop emailed me about invitations for her daughter Emerson's upcoming sundae themed birthday. I've included Janeen in many of my blogs because we often work together on design projects but also because hands down she is an incredibly talented designer and as you know when I like something I like share it. I was excited to design this invitation but REALLY excited to see what Janeen would create to coordinate with it. I wanted the invitation to have a vintage ice cream shop feel so I began with a color palette of bubble gum pink, chocolate and white. I knew Janeen wanted coordinating signs for all the condiments in the sundae bar as well as the water bottles.....therefore I felt this party needed some branding... WELCOME to Emerson's Ice Cream Parlour. There is no way you can design for an ice cream sundae party and not have glitter somewhere on the invitation so I created an adorable ice cream sundae using clear glitter on the whip cream and of course red on the cherry! Next up........the envelope, who says an envelope should be plain! I used a pattern of swiss dots in bubble gum pink for the background and placed the vintage style frame from the logo on top but replaced the wording with each of the guests names that would be invited to the party. The envelope design was completed with a bubble gum pink envelope liner which looks stunning against the invitation backer of chocolate brown.

Now that my part is done lets talk SWEETS....I first need to start with the ice cream sundae shaped cookie favors the amount of detail on them is truly impressive but I would expect nothing less from Janeen. Each cookie was individually wrapped with a custom tag that had a message and the the glittered sundae from the invitation. Next is the spoon......seriously the most adorable item I have ever seen but notice the "E" monogram on the bottom of the spoon it's practically identically to the font I used on the invitation. That right there is why I refer to Janeen as a BAKING GENIUS and LOVE working with her, she truly cares about the little details. If you want to know where you can get Emerson's adorable shirt it was custom made by Modern Frills.......too cute!

When she sent me the photos of the party I was truly in awe of the amount of styling that went into this birthday but nearly fell off my chair when I saw the cake..........simply elegant and equally stunning.......I mean would just look at the cherry on top there are just no words for this. I follow a lot of cake blogs because it's a part of my industry but also because I would LOVE to someday learn how to do be cake designer.......who says you can't do an internship when your in your thirties. I highly recommend taking a peek at Janeen's blog www.paige-reese.blogspot.com you too will be blown away by her designs:)

Georgia and Chad........ENGAGED

I may be a little biased because of my chosen profession but getting engaged ranks in my top five most memorable life moments. I can honestly remember every single detail of when my husband proposed to me over 14 years ago. For me every bride I work with is important but this one is different because she's family.  Thirteen years ago at just 17 Georgia was a bridesmaid at my own wedding so I was over the top with excitement to hear the news about her engagement to Chad but even more excited and honored when she asked if I would design invitations for her up coming engagement party. Honestly, so much has changed since I got married.....especially with regards to custom invitations, I look back at my own wedding invitation truly horrified....you would never know that I had just graduated with a degree in graphic design but like everything in life.......you get better with age.

When I met with Georgia and her mother she really didn't have a color palette or theme in mind, I suggested picking what you like and I would do the rest. Square has been really big this wedding season for me, it seems everyone is gravitating towards it. The main component of the invite is a 5x5 envelofold with the pattern on the interior instead of exterior. The main invite is white linen with a deep shimmery chocolate brown backer called bronze, the reply card we kept simple by continuing the use of the white linen. I always talk about the little details.......postage has taken the wedding world by storm recently giving brides plenty options, you will notice the custom stamps used are an exact match to the pattern in the invite itself which is nice.......it gives everyone a little peek of what's to come.

Most often than not any invitation having to do with a wedding embodies some kind of symbolism, some are obvious to everyone while others might be more subtle. Saying "YES" I believe has a lot of symbolism, if you think of all the important things you say "YES" too in your life.  For example what  college you will decide to attend or what fabulous job offer will you take, being asked out on a date, deciding to get married or have children........all of these questions that you answer "YES" too will ultimately change your life and send you on a new path. Georgia said "YES" to Chad when he asked her to marry him, next up...........saying "YES" to the DRESS.........equally as important:)

It's rare that I'm on location for the event I designed invitations for but lucky for me this time around I am part of the family. I'm so excited because I usually only see the completed vision through photos after the party is over........this time around I will get a front row seat......which is nice for a change. I would like to wish Georgia, Chad and their families and huge CONGRATS!

A FIELD TRIP TO NORTH ATTLEBORO

If you know me well enough then you know I believe "SHARING IS CARING" so what does this have to do with a blog titled "Field Trip"........actually A LOT! When I first started BeeCustom Design I discovered early on that very few creative professionals SHARE information and a few might even try and lead you in the wrong direction. I truly believe no two designers are alike, we all have tons of original artwork or designs however it's what you do with it that will make you different. Two years ago I set out for my first New York Stationery Show and was so excited to be amongst my fellow creative professionals. I wanted to find a company that could produce some of my artwork on melamine plates and bowls and figured I would be able to find a source there...NOT A CHANCE...NOBODY would share anything. I finally spoke with a woman that represented a very large company and I asked her what the deal was.....her response was yes most creative professionals will not share because it may impact their business. Every plate or bowl in that entire stationery show that I saw clearly was made by one company but what made them all different were the designs....some designers have a whimsical look, some have a preppy look my point is no two designers are alike so sharing information with another creative professional should not impact your business and any good designer wouldn't dream of copying another designers work. On the last day of the show I spotted a plate in a display case that someone forgot to put their logo sticker on the back and I was able to copy down a phone number. When I look at my plates and bowls they don't look like any other designers because it is my artwork and my style on them.  After that show I promised myself that I would never do that to another creative professional, I would share because we are not re-inventing the wheel people we're all just all trying to make it our own.

I recently was talking with a potential client who wanted a specific look for her wedding invitations, she wanted blush pink ink on navy card stock I knew this would have to be out sourced to a printing company. I called a few different ones asking how I could achieve this look, I was told I could not because all inks are transparent except for metallic inks. Feeling a little annoyed and defeated I kept searching the internet........FINALLY I stumble upon something online ENGRAVING........this method of printing will allow you to print using light ink on dark card stock because the ink is not transparent. Funny thing is I went back to the websites of the company's I originally called non of them offered engraving but I find it hard to believe that as professional printers they didn't know this printing method existed....I guess they were not willing to share.

I'm the type of designer that if I am going to allow someone else to handle the printing of any of my work then I want to not only know them but physically be able to meet them which meant I needed to find a local printer. I came across the Artcraft Company located in North Attleboro, Massachusetts I was impressed with their website so I emailed Michelle Wagner their social stationery manager who was very prompt in answering all my questions and providing me with a quote. She then invited me to come down and visit the company.........I was thrilled!

A few weeks ago I went on a field trip to The Artcraft Company and it was by far the best professional four hours I have ever spent, so much so that I wanted SHARE what I learned with all of you. As I sat in Michelle's office she showed me all the work they have done with multiple kinds of printing methods. I learned that if you are designing for letterpress make sure your lines have some thickness to them if you have a design that contains a lot of fine lines have it engraved......engraving LOVES fine lines. The more Michelle spoke the more I realized if you're a designer your printer should not just be a company you send your work too, they should in a way be your creative partner......their knowledge of printing methods will essentially make you a better designer.

Michelle was able to give me a personal tour of the print shop.......OMG it was incredible to see all the equipment in full operation.....our first stop was to meet Steve Ladabauche and Jim Petrarca who are the plate makers they were kind enough to stop and show me what they were doing and why. In short Steve and Jim receive a negative from the pre press department.  They in turn make the copper plates (one plate is necessary per color for engraving) which are then processed in an acid bath. After the plates are made, Steve and Jim hand tool any areas that require extra depth or fine-tuning in any way. Watching them fine tune someones design by hand was truly amazing and just re-affirmed how essential it is to know your printer and their peeps. Next up was pressman Phil Havey who also took the time to stop and not only explain but show me the engraving process as a job was being done. As we continued on through the printing facility I was able to see business cards being cut and completed orders getting ready to ship. One of my favorite spots on the tour was the seeing all the tubs of inks.......hundreds of colors, Michelle explained a lot of times to achieve the exact color is not as simple as just picking one color but the art of mixing a few. As I look at all the colors I spotted a shelf of PINKS and in the middle of all them was the perfect blush pink ink.......who knew that a simple request would have lead me to one thing I had been searching for......a really good printer.

My visit to The Artcraft Company has changed me as a designer I feel like I can offer so much more to my clients now.  To any creative professionals out there I encourage you to know your printer they have A LOT of knowledge that can and will make you a better designer. If you do not have a printer I will share mine because "SHARING IS CARING"  I feel I have found a partner in The Artcraft Company, I know now when I send a design for Michelle to look at she can tell me the best method of printing to use in order to achieve the ultimate finished product. The only thing I regret about my day at Art Craft was not bringing my camera.......thank you to Steve for taking these photos for me to share with all of you. I wanted to share one last photo of an engraved letterhead printed by Artcraft, before I contacted them I was on their website and came across it........to me it was a SIGN because I actually received my degree in Graphic Design from Mount Ida College.

I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone at The Artcraft Company very making my field trip first rate.

It's the little details........

This past Tuesday evening I received an email from event planner Jen Hansen.....who was in a bit of a PICKLE! One of her brides who's wedding is on Saturday (yes, 3 days away) had a last minute change of heart about some "little details" she now wanted. A typical wedding vendor will tell you getting married is an emotional thing and not to sweat the "little details" a truly exceptional wedding vendor will always go above and beyond to make sure their bride is happy. As a custom designer I always have extra stock on hand for situations just like this and was happy to reply back that I would be able to get her what she needed.

Jen immediately sent her brides inspiration board which was essential for me, even though the order was last minute the last thing I wanted was for it to look that way. The "little details" really are what make your wedding extra special and sometimes brides are so overwhelmed by everything that needs to get done that they don't realized how important a few extra special items are until a couple of days before the wedding. I must say this is when working with a custom invitation designer comes in handy, as one of my own brides last week decided a few days before her wedding that she too needed some of those "little details" thankfully I was able to provide them for her without delay.

The next email was about what she needed......they were having a Candy Bar for all the guest so she would need a table sign for that glittered, she also wanted 16 candy tags to put on all the jars and of course coordinating stickers to put on the bags. A set of Mr and Mrs signs glittered to be hung on the couples chairs completed the order. A few electronic proofs later, Jens order was done and ready to be picked up on Thursday!

This Thursday morning I checked my email as I do every morning and I had one from Jen asking if I could "PERFORM A MIRACLE."  Next up, 12 table numbers glittered, a special separate sign glittered for the couple because they were having a sweetheart table, a sign for the the photo booth glittered and a sign for the guest book yes, you guessed it, glittered. Jen still picked her order up today......she is what you call an EXCEPTIONAL WEDDING VENDOR.......and I am honored to be one her "PROFESSIONAL PEEPS" that she can turn to.  I look at these photos and LOVE how everything turned out..........this brides "little details" were anything but last minute.

Jackie & Michael's Save The Dates

One would think using a color palette of black, white and graphite might not give enough pop....if you do then you'd be completely wrong......and I have a save the date design to prove it. I met Jackie at the recent wedding workshop that I was a part of. She had been looking for her save the dates and wedding invitations but just had not found the right ones. Out of the three tablescape designs her favorite was Natural Elegance this was the one that had crystals on the table and sparkles on the invite. She wanted her save the dates to give a hint of what her wedding would be, a formal and stylish affair with a whole lot of sparkle. Jackie was drawn to the black linen card stock which I paired with a white dove card stock that has a slight texture mixed with a subtle shimmer and lastly a shimmery graphite envelope.

Now for the design, lately I have noticed a lot of save the date designs that have so much information on them one would wonder why bother sending out the wedding invitation. We chose a two layer 5x5 square layout a perfect size because Jackie wanted the information to be simply stated. I used a touch of script mixed with a clean font and a few ornamental accents. She wanted to use glitter but could not decide on what color would be best, Jackie is actually the first person that has ever asked to see the glitter (in the jar)....but by opening a few jars of different colors while looking at the card stocks she had chosen really made the the right choice evident. Hands down the winner was black.....yes I know everyone says its bad luck to use, include, wear or even talk about the color black when it comes to weddings but that was forever ago. Ive been happily married for 13 years and both my mother and mother in law wore black to my wedding, to me black is timeless, classic and never goes out of style. Black glitter does not have the same look or feel as colored or even clear....it sparkles but is far more opaque giving Jackie's design a unique look.

Envelope shown with optional custom address printing.

 

A Wedding Workshop

The First Annual Wedding Workshop was the brilliant idea of Gregory Costa-Saint John owner of Flouer. His idea was to pull together an exclusive group of wedding vendors to create a workshop atmosphere where brides could come not only to be educated but also have a platform to ask questions. I first met Gregory while working with him on the Reason To Give Wedding and know first hand how professional and talented he his. I was truly honored that he asked me to be one of the vendors and knew the event would be first rate. The workshop took place a few weeks ago and exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds.

The workshop was held at Flouers studio which was transformed into three mini weddings each having their own tablescapes; Platinum Elegance, Natural Elegance and Simple Elegance. Each table design began with an inspiration board, these boards do not have to be fancy but every bride should make one it will help you organize your vision and will give your vendors a starting point as to what you want for your wedding.

Platinum Elegance began with a color palette of hot pink, black, and white. In this design we started with what I had chosen for card stocks for the invitations. Event planner Jen Hansen will tell you first hand to start with your invitations, most brides do their invitations last but the save the dates and invitations are the first thing your guests will see. The invitations will set the tone for your entire wedding and give your guest a prelude of what's to come. I was truly amazed at how Alice was able replicate the design from the table linens directly on the cake. The flowers are mainly white with just a hint of pink and the leaves normally green were painted black. To finish the whole look a centerpiece light was added with a hue of pink to make this table complete.  The little details........these are what will make your wedding unique, look at what Gregory did with one of the flowers from the arrangement; he put it into a flat glass vase and set it in front of each place setting as a favor. Not only have you added another element of design to your table but each of your guests are now leaving with a favor that won't end up in the trash. The glittered table number actually has a pocket on the back where your menu can be inserted. A typical wedding program will list your wedding party I decided to use silhouettes with the wedding parties names below.  Candy Bars and Cocktails Bars are extremely popular why not add a custom glittered drink menu that can sit at the bar.......little details make the biggest impact.

Natural Elegance was one of my favorite tables, the linens were a mixture of silks, satins and textures. Most people think centerpiece think flowers but Gregory took this centerpiece to a whole new level. Keeping with the Natural Elegance he created an arrangement of flowers and lit candles suspended from branches......SERIOUSLY STUNNING. The table was also lit by a pinspot which made the centerpiece pop and the table crystals sparkle. The invitation had a double layer of ribbon threaded through a crystal buckle which Alice incorporated to the cake design along with flowers from the centerpiece. This invitation does not have envelope but a custom mailable box......when you send an invitation this way it will make your guest feel as if they are receiving a little present in the mail. I used the twist card for the place card design, each guests name is printed on the front and when you pull the card it will twist to show them their table number which I hand embellished with glitter. The numbers for the table were also hand embellished with glitter as well as the custom Mr and Mrs signs that hung from the back of the chairs.........remember its the little details!

I find it hard to refer to this table as Simple Elegance because it is anything but. For this tablescape the linens were chosen first so I used them as inspiration when creating the invitations. The table linens have this stunning but subtle pattern scrolling throughout which led me to choose a brocade pattern in gold. The invitation is a perfect 7x7 square with 4 layers of pattern, antique gold and textured cream card stocks. The main invitation envelope has a two layer custom address label wrap. In one of the photos you can see how the table is lit from underneath which gives such a look of elegance. I can just imagine an entire grand ballroom of this tablescape design.........STUNNING! I love how the chair wraps also incorporate a matching flower from the centerpiece and how each placesetting has an accent linen underneath it........again little details they make all the difference. The cake design is absolutely flawless you can see the wrap on the cake matches the linen wrap on the chair. The motif in the table linen perfectly matches what is on the cake..........that people is what you call TALENT!

The workshop was a huge success and we have received such wonderful feedback. Every bride and her guest were greeted with a Champagne Mimosa, yummy pastries and were able to sample all of the wedding cakes throughout the workshop that are shown. When leaving each bride was given a lingerie bag made by Carolyn of BBJ Linens and filled with goodies from all the vendors. Jen of Gracious Events set up a Sweet Candy Bar that all the brides were able to fill a bag to take with them, Alice gave a yummy cupcake and Gregory provided each bride with a petite flower arrangement each one in a unique bud vase. I would like to also thank North Shore Magazine and The Knot for providing issues of their magazines for the bags. A HUGE thank you to Peterson's Party Center in Winchester for donated all the tables and chairs and an even BIGGER thank you to Alex and Amy of Gateway Productions for getting it to us:)

Although each of us operate our businesses separately we felt it would be nice to have a name for our newly formed group as it is our plan to do more workshops and events. Let me start by introducing the other members of the Platinum Wedding Group, founder and Floral Artist Gregory Costa-Saint John owner of Flouer, renowned Event Planner Jennifer Hansen owner of Gracious Events Management, extraordinary Linen Designer Carolyn Colberg of BBJ Linens, Lighting Production Experts Alex Sommerfeld owner of Gateway Productions and Amy Zediana Director of Sales and Operations for Boston Lighting and Pastry Chef and owner of Bean Counter Bakery Alice Lombardi. 

Kelly & Dan's Save The Dates

Your Wedding should be a reflection of you as a couple not what is popular or in style. This rule should also apply to your Save The Dates and Invitations. When your friends and family open it they should immediately think of you........they get it because they know you.  Kelly and Dan have two dogs and like many dog owners theses two furry eyed friends are far more than just their pets, they are a part of their family. Anyone who knows and loves Kelly and Dan knows just how important these dogs are! I have seen tons of Save The Date designs that incorporate photos from the couples engagement session this is the first time I have created a Save The Date design using a photo from the dogs "engagement session."

Kelly wanted a stylish rustic feel to the design, our palette began with a rich bronze, ecru linen, a shimmery rouge envelope liner finished with a kraft envelope. The date (9.10.11) and the dogs really needed to be the main focus of the design, in order to incorporate both I felt using the square twist card would be the best approach to achieve the look Kelly was envisioning. A professional photographer took the photo of the dogs finishing the print with a bit of antiquing. She also enhanced the color in the dogs tongue to pick up the rouge that was used in the envelope liner. The first thing you see are these cute puppy dogs and when you twist the card to show the other side you see the date glittered in rouge. When choosing wording for your Save The Dates it is pretty rare that you see the words RUFF, WOOF & BARK but it works because it is part of who they are. The Save The Dates where mailed the other day and I can guarantee that every guest opened it and SMILED.....they get it! I always tell Brides to "think outside the book, if you can envision it, I can design it." Next up.........is the design for the Wedding Invitations.....stay tuned!

Ruby Jewelry

Three years ago I did a boutique show at the Salem Country Club, at that very show is where I met Megan Shepherd owner of RUBY JEWELRY. I've done a handful of these types of events and there is never a shortage of jewelry vendors, funny thing is I'm actually really not a jewelry person but still have attended plenty of jewelry home parties and always thought the products were pretty but not something I would buy. When I went over to look at Megan's table the first thing I notice where all her funky rings and these stunning keys that you would hang from a necklace.......her products were different, trendy, stylish and had a fabulous price point. As a graphic designer the next thing I notice was Megan's logo it was a huge "RUBY" ring.......I loved it! Over the next couple of years I ran into Megan at different events and was always under the impression that "Ruby Jewelry" was like the other home jewelry businesses.

Recently, I discovered that Megan does all her own buying.........OMG it totally made sense now why I was originally drawn to her product, Megan knows her clients and what they are looking for but instead of sending an email to corporate expressing that; she gets on a plane to New York and goes and finds it.....that requires a creative and stylish eye which Megan seamlessly incorporates into her product.

Megan and I recently got together to brainstorm about her business and how she should start blogging about her products. She has an eye that a lot of people do not, she can look a piece and know exactly how it should be worn, what it should be worn with and where to wear it to. Megan has the vision that a potential client may not..........by the time she left she was so excited to start her new BLOG. 

Next up was her logo, she really wanted to give it a mini makeover! For me her original ring was a powerful symbol that overtime would be able to stand on its own. Megan already had a fabulous color scheme but I felt her name needed a new font and to be incorporated with the ring. I began by creating her a completely new ruby ring, then found an equally stylish font to go with it and joined them so they could now be a pair. I truly loved her logo from the moment I first saw it and believe it really has come full circle. Overtime as Ruby Jewelry grows I can see that ring standing alone just like the target in "Target" so iconic it no longer needs the name written beside it.