beautiful paper swap

Wow. This is a tiny swap...but it will be great for those of you involved. I randomly selected the partners and didn't need to change a thing. Have fun! You can find your partner's blog info in the previous swap post:

If that's difficult to read:
Susan and Firstborn
Danielle and Karla (yea!!)
Camden and Judy

Again, please mail your packages on/by September 15th.

And, if you don't mind, document what you send and receive here.

orange

I think orange is WAY overlooked for weddings and special events. This would be a great color for a baby shower, especially if it isn't a traditional boy/girl blue/pink type of shower. Orange is wonderful paired with a hot pink, lime green, or yellow.

I'm going on vacation tomorrow and I'll be back next Wednesday. If you haven't already, sign up for the swap and I'll see you next week!

(all photos via the knot. paper from paper source)

beautiful paper swap

I've decided to host a swap. If you've never participated in one before, let me briefly explain. Basically, you are paired up with someone from around the globe, and you send them a package of items that fall under a certain criteria. At the same time, that person is sending you a package. It's so much fun. I did a geography swap hosted by Jodi a while back and LOVED it. My partner rocked my face off. It's an awesome way to get and give cool things...especially in this swap.

Here's how it will go (a.k.a. "the rules"):

1. The only criteria for this swap is that everything in your package should have something to do with paper (made of paper, tools for paper, books, magazines, stationery, etc.), and it should be beautiful. I know what you're thinking: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Well, exactly.
2. Leave a comment in this post letting me know you're in (include your blag address, so I can find you), and I will take all of the user names and randomly pair them up. Also, be sure to indiate whether or not you are willing to ship internationally. Comment by Saturday, 8/25.
3. Come back on 8/27 to find out who your partner is.
4. You and your partner work out the details: price limits, exact dates, likes/dislikes, etc.
5. Please mail your packages by September 15th.
6. If you would like, go here and post photos of what you received so everyone can see!

Happy swapping!

orisinal

Sometimes, when I'm lacking inspiration, I go here and play games. They are so beautiful and calming. Try it out. Here are some screen shots:

This one is called "the crossing," and you help little deer get from cliff to cliff, and it is oh so cute:


This one is called "high delivery," and your job is to collect flowers in a glass bottle and deliver them to heaven:


Have a beautiful Monday!

week in the web

Free Paper! There is an advertising company proposing that ads be placed int he top margin of college-ruled paper. This paper is free for students because of the advertising. Interesting.

Funny Faces: Check out monoface. I found myself laughing a lot. Just mix up the facial features for a Conan O'Brien-esque result.

Inspire Yourself: Desktopography is full of beautiful photos for your...you guessed it... desktop. Really inspiring. Whenever I'm in a creative funk, I just hop onto flickr or look for sites like this to get my brain going again.

Have a great weekend!

8 ways to save money on event stationery

Of course I am biased here, but I would say that paper goods for your event are one of the most important investments you can make. Whether it's a wedding or baby shower, a well thought-out invitation design will do a great job to set the stage. The downside is that it can be expensive to get invitations, place cards, etc. custom designed and printed.

Oh but people, here is the upside: there are tricks to making it more affordable. Here are some ideas:

1. Budget, Budget, Budget: When you talk or email with your designer, make sure to give him/her a specific cost/range you have in mind. This will help when designing the piece, and you won't fall in love with something that is too expensive for you and go over budget.
2. Use one color, and use it well: Some of the best invitations I have seen have only incorporated one color. If done well, it creates a very bold and dramatic look.
3. Size DOES matter: Ask your designer to figure out the most economical size for your particular design. A good designer will know the methods of the print shops s/he works with.
4. Envelopes Shmenvelopes: Skip the inner envelope and use specific names on the outer envelope. This could also save weight on postage.
5. Google Maps is the best: instead of a separate piece with detailed directions, include a small card that leads to a place to find directions.
6. Dancing Queen: For a wedding, you can include a line about the reception right on the invitation (unless it's a majorly formal event).
7. Addressing: instead of hiring a calligrapher, have a friend with good handwriting help you out (or, GASP, use labels. News flash: not many people care. How many wedding ENVELOPES do you see hanging on the fridge?)
8. Return Address: Your designer should be able to make a file for you that can be made into a rubber stamp, using your font. Just take it to a place like Copy Max or Kinkos. The stamp can be used on the actual invitation and the reply card, if there is one.

I guarantee that you will be glad you set aside a little bit extra in your budget for this. At least promise me that you won't dismiss the idea without talking it over with a designer first. Most of us just want to make beautiful things. I know for me, that if I can work within a pre-existing budget, it makes the whole process easier.

light blue and red

I think this would be an amazing color scheme for a modern wedding. I especially love the use of dahlias in all of these photos. I always love light blue and red combinations on paper, so I'm sure it would look lovely in an invitation. And, seriously, how fun would it be to create a drink that matched your colors?

These photos are from the knot. The middle photo is from Paper Source.

Paper Source

Since I just used Paper Source for some ideas, I thought I'd mention how wonderful they are to work with. When shopping around a Paper Source Store, my best friend and I fell in love with a brocade paper. That paper became the inspiration for my entire wedding. When I went online to order the actual paper, it wasn't listed. I emailed customer service and got a great response. The next thing I knew, I had all the paper I needed cut to size for my invites (and some left for other projects I was doing.

I'd recommend Paper Source. They are a little bit more expensive than some online retailers, but seriously, you can't beat the quality.

If you look at my portfolio, you will see how I used the taupe brocade paper on my invitations and program.

shower decorations and planning

These kits from Paper Source would make decorating a wedding or baby shower too easy. Plus, it would be special for the guest of honor to know that you did it yourself! Some ideas:

• Use the flower kits to make low centerpieces on each table.
• Line the invitation envelopes with paper you are planning to use for the decorations.
• The fortune cookies could be assembled by the guests after they write a note of encouragement or advice for the mom-to-be or new couple. The guest of honor could open them at a date in the future.
• Make a corsage out of the decoration paper for the guest of honor.
• Use the cardboard letters to spell out names or "baby," "mr and mrs," or a word that the guest of honor could use in her house, like "love."

Paper Source Kits

beautiful web: sfgirlbybay

I recently did a search for "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters and stumbled across sfgirlbybay.com. After ordering my poster from her, I quickly became an avid reader of her blog. She is a lover of all things paper, which you can see by her list of stationery, printing, and ink on paper links. (self reminder: I really need to get my links up and running).

I'd recommend this blog whole-heartedly. She covers everything from furnishings to hand made crafts. Just a lovely site.

As I'm just starting out, her blog is definitely an inspiration to me.

Check it out. You'll love it.

Envelope Sizing and Information

When I began the process of designing invitations and announcements, the one thing that frustrated me the most was figuring out which envelope to use when and what size to use with which paper, etc. I've compiled a small list of the most popular sizes in my experience. Hopefully, this helps you. There are two different types of announcement quality envelopes that are most popular: announcement text and baronial.

This first one is announcement text, the second is baronial:



Baronial envelopes are formal style envelopes with a large pointed flap. They can be used for invitations, announcements, greeting cards, and anything that needs an added touch of elegance. They are usually made of more expensive papers. Announcement text envelopes are designed for use with matching text and cover papers. You can usually find a paper that matches exactly. These are still appropriate for special occasions.

Here are two charts that show the most standard sizes and then the ideal size for an enclosure. The enclosure doesn't have to be exact, but these do indicate the best, clean-looking fits. Feel free to click for a larger view and save each image for your own use.





You should always double-check postal regulations. Depending on the weight of your piece, there may be additional cost involved, so take one to your local office and have it weighed before you make too many. Sometimes, it is just a matter of trimming a piece or using a lower weight paper to bring down the cost.

pink and green!

I am currently brainstorming and working up some paper items for a wedding in these colors, so I thought I'd share the inspiration I've gathered. If you do it right, pink and green can be a really awesome color scheme to work with. Personally, I think it works best with different shades of pink and then a really nice lime green. My favorite dresses are in the top row, second from the left...so classy. And I love how lush the bouquet is in the third row down, third from the left.

All photos are from the knot (click to enlarge):

I went berry picking with my best friend last week. I'm looking for pictures that compliment what we picked for the next scheme I want to show you.