Color of the Week - Antique Gold

This week's color is Antique Gold - a sophisticated and worldly brownish-yellow hue!

 

Unlike pure gold, antique gold is slightly darker and browner, and often less metallic. It's a great neutral and pairs well with almost any color!

Fun facts about Antique Gold:

1.  The first recorded use of "old gold" as a color name in English was in the early 19th century, as a way to distinguish the darker qualities of the shade.

 

2. Many American universities and professional sports teams use antique gold as one of their primary colors, including Texas State University and Purdue University, as well as the New Orleans Saints football team and Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team.

3. Antique Gold is also known as Vegas Gold, since it is associated with the glamorous casinos and hotels of the Las Vegas Strip.

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Shameless Plug Time: Love this color? Looking for custom stationery made to match this color (or whatever other color combinations you're using for your event)? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Steel Magnolias"

This simple stationery design features a neutral silver and white color scheme (perfect for winter!), a thick, modern serif font and a cute (but subtle) graphic flower-inspired pattern.

"Steel Magnolias" Invitation Duo (invite & info insert)

The invitation was printed on white paper and mounted to the folding silver metallic envelope with small silver brads in each corner.

You can really see how the dark silver envelope catches the light depending on the angle! Metallic envelopes are a great way to add elegance to your stationery.

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Shameless Plug Time: Love this invitation (or others featured on this blog)? Want something similar (or something completely custom) designed for your event? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Fancy/Funky Friday: Patterns Liberia & Toby

Both of this week's patterns feature curves and diamonds!

First, the "fancy": Pattern Liberia

Why it's "fancy": Several layers of over-indulgent curls pile on top of each other in this obviously Victorian-inspired pattern.

Why it's great: The white diamond shapes push unexpected negative space to the foreground, demanding attention.


And now, the "funky": Pattern Toby

Why it's "funky": Tilted squares feel off-balanced and more modern.

Why it's great: Like last week's, this pattern has a painted tile feel to it. I love the vine/leaf motif!

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Shameless plug time: Love my patterns? I incorporate them into a lot of the artwork I create, from stationery for Invites by Andrea to the watercolors I paint. Check out Invites by Andrea's website to see examples of these patterns in use or drop me a line at andrea@invitesbyandrea.com to let me know what you think!

End of Summer

I've always preferred autumn and winter over summer (whether because I was a winter baby, have fair skin that doesn't get along well with sunshine, or because I always excelled in and enjoyed returning to school for a new year and new beginning), but that doesn't mean a small part of me will never be sad to see the last dredges of summer pass away.

Make the most of the remaining good weather with a final outdoor barbecue. Invite your family and friends over. Drink lemonade. Make s'mores. Partake in a last outdoor game of horseshoes (or Ultimate Frisbee, or crochet, or soccer, or whatever floats your boat) before your lawn becomes too covered in fallen autumn leaves and snow.

Whatever you do, celebrate the end of summer with fun. After all, that's what summer is all about.

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Shameless plug time: Need invitations for your "Last Hurrah" party? Check out InvitesbyAndea.com and let me design stationery for your event!

Color of the Week - Amethyst

This week's color is Amethyst - a nuanced and beautiful grayish-purple color!

 

Amethyst is a great color for autumn because it pairs so well with typical fall colors like golds, browns, oranges, and reds. For springtime, create a color scheme of amethyst and pastels!

Fun facts about Charcoal:

1.  The first recorded use of amethyst as a color name in English was in 1572.

 

2. The color amethyst is named for a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry; the name for the stone in turn came from the Ancient Greek words for "not intoxicated," a reference to the belief that it protected its owner from drunkenness.

3. The birthstone for February is Amethyst.

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Shameless Plug Time: Love this color? Looking for custom stationery made to match this color (or whatever other color combinations you're using for your event)? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Dressed to Impress"

Purple has long been one of my favorite colors. This simple purple and white color scheme combines a rich metallic purple with elegant lavender!

"Dressed to Impress" Invitation Duo (invite & reply card)

Both the main folding envelope and the reply card envelope are metallic purple. I used the same deep color for the smaller text and chose a subtler lavender tint for the larger text and elegant pattern.

Naturally, the font is calligraphic, thin, and sophisticated to match the fancy pattern flanking the top and bottom of the invitation!


Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Steel Magnolias"


Click here to view all Sunday Sample Spotlight posts.

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Shameless Plug Time: Love this invitation (or others featured on this blog)? Want something similar (or something completely custom) designed for your event? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Fancy/Funky Friday: Patterns Ginevra & Piper

Happy Friday! Here are today's patterns -

First, the "fancy": Pattern Ginevra

Why it's "fancy": Simple elegance of line, curved forms, and plenty of negative white space between the sections of denser line to let the pattern breathe.

Why it's great: The shapes the lines form remind me of leaves or unopened flower buds!


And now, the "funky": Pattern Piper

Why it's "funky": Thick lines, and pattern "units" that rotate ninety degrees, giving each stripe of pattern a seemingly uneven zig-zag shape.

Why it's great: This pattern has a great "painted Moroccan/Spanish tile" feel to it!

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Click here to see all posts related to "Fancy/Funky Friday" 


Shameless plug time: Love my patterns? I incorporate them into a lot of the artwork I create, from stationery for Invites by Andrea to the watercolors I paint. Check out Invites by Andrea's website to see examples of these patterns in use or drop me a line at andrea@invitesbyandrea.com to let me know what you think!