Fancy/Funky Friday: Patterns Narcissa & Dawn

It's time for another Fancy/Funky Friday post. Today's designs are called "Narcissa" and "Dawn."

First, the "fancy": Pattern Narcissa

I feel like this pattern would make for a great scrapbook paper. The largest white rectangles created out of the negative space are just begging for photographs! Wouldn't the elegant curves perfectly frame a small picture or a silhouette-style profile image? Another idea would be to dress up the negative space with some jewels. I can totally see this pattern adapted to a decorative choker, studded with a little bling. :)

Pattern Narcissa is similar to many of my "fancy" patterns - it has thin lines, lots of swirls and curves, and a good mixture of negative space and denser areas where the thin lines come together to connect and crisscross. Perhaps my "fancy" patterns follow this formula a little too closely, but if you look at them side by side, there are always some clear differences between each one. They're not as cookie-cutter as they might appear at first glance.


And now, the "funky": Pattern Dawn

I love the waves and bubbles this pattern shows off when viewed from a distance. The lines are thick and bold, and there isn't a straight line anywhere in the pattern. The countless loops and circles make this pattern instantly fun and whimsical. Up close you can also see that the loops are the counters of text characters, and it's easy to discern what letters I used to create the pattern, giving the frivolous pattern some meaning to help ground it a little. :) I think Pattern Dawn is a great pattern for summer. Even when it's not a bright orange color, the bubbles seem very sunny and happy to me, making this design great for decor and stationery for summertime events.


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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!

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Ink & Toner"

This invitation duo features an invitation and matching information insert tucked into a bright metallic red "Himalaya" pocketfold envelope - all in a fun tattoo theme!

I chose some of the most popular tattoo illustrations for this design to instantly get across the tattoo theme, and I kept things simple by limiting the colors to bright red, green, and black, printed on a solid white paper. The rose, star, winged heart, and banners were all created with the pen tool in Adobe Illustrator, and the bold graphic text was printed in a classic tattoo font.

Because of the popularity of wedding websites, many budget-conscious couples are including information on their invitation about how to reply online - and foregoing the need for reply cards, and self-addressed stamped reply envelopes altogether. For a casual tattoo-themed wedding with a potluck reception, including a card with the necessary information and a link to your wedding website is more than enough to let your guests know what to expect at your event. :)

Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Under the Sea"


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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 Tamika & Miranda

Time for another Fancy/Funky Friday! I hope you enjoy this week's post! :)

First, the "fancy": Pattern Tamika

I absolutely love this pattern - I can see it printed on just about anything, from clothes to upholstery. It reminds of stained glass window designs. It's very dense, even up close, and there is hardly any negative space to speak of. Most of my "fancy" patterns aren't nearly so dense, but since the lines are so thin, I feel that this still fits in the "fancy" category. I just love the intricate detail Pattern Tamika has to offer, and I think it's precisely this characteristic that makes it the perfect pattern for just about anything.


And now, the "funky": Pattern Miranda

Pattern Miranda is very whimsical. It looks almost hand-drawn, and that's due to the nature of the font I used to create the pattern. It's so dense in places and each part is so well connected to everything else that I can't tell (or remember) what letters I used to create this pattern at all. There's an interesting relationship in this pattern between the white negative space within the fun cloud-like forms and the dense areas filled with close-together lines. I love how it looks like something I might have doodled around the edges of my notebook paper back in school! It's definitely one of my more "youthful" patterns. :)


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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!

Greece Collection Scrapbook Paper

Summer is finally upon us! Last summer, I visited Athens, Greece, along with the island of Mykonos and Santorini, while on my honeymoon. In 2008, I also visited Athens, as well as Thessaloniki, Delphi, Meteora, Napflion, Olympia, and the island of Crete, as part of a Mediterranean study abroad trip.

Since I won't be traveling overseas this year, I have contented myself with creating 12" x 12" designs for photographic scrapbook paper. All of these photographs were taken on one of my two Greek vacations, and would make great backgrounds for travelers looking to make a scrapbook of their adventures. :)

Clockwise from top left: 1) olive branches outside Olympia; 2) the sun setting over Athens; 3) the Greek countryside; 4) a floral building on the island of Santorini [Thira]; 5) the clifftop caves and beach of Matala, on the island of Crete; and 6) the whitewashed buildings of Santorini

Clockwise from top left: 1) a coastal view of the island of Mykonos; 2) an Athenian temple near the agora; 3) dusk at Mykonos' Ornos beach; 4) the clifftop city of Oia on the island of Santorini (as seen from across the caldera in Fira); 5) a street olive market in Thessaloniki; and 6) the sun setting in Mykonos' Little Venice

Clockwise from top left: 1) Santorini flowers at sunset; 2) the ancient temple of the oracle at Delphi; 3) part of the Athenian acropolis at night; 4) a baby Mykonos goat basking in the sunshine; 5) the Little Venice strip of Mykonos island; and 6) a view of Athens from a nearby hill


If you see a scrapbook design you like, or want to see some more examples of the scrapbook paper I've been creating, shoot me an email and I can send you some more pictures. I'm also planning to post more designs on this blog as I make them, so be sure to keep checking back!



Shameless plug time: Want to purchase some scrapbook paper? Drop me a line at andrea@invitesbyandrea.com to let me know! And don't forget to check out my watercolor paintings or browse my Invites by Andrea website to see sample stationery.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Scrambled Eggs & Whiskey"

I've featured this pattern before, during a Fancy/Funky Friday post. In that post, I said that this pattern gives me a Western feel (especially when it's big and bold), and that I can just see it stamped onto fashionable leather cowboy boots. It's true - this relatively simple pattern looks fantastic in earth tones such as browns, reds, and yellows, two of which I used in the stationery sample below.

"Scrambled Eggs and Whiskey" - Invitation Duo (invite & reply card)

I chose a deep chocolate brown "cascade" pocketfold envelope for this invitation set, and mounted both the invitation and reply card onto a textured cardstock in bright, eye-catching yellow to really stand out against the dark brown. I used the same yellow color for the pattern and some of the text, choosing the easier-read dark brown for the small print.

Because the pattern and font are so simplistic, I could do fun things with gradients to the background and bold text of the design without the design feeling too busy. The fading brown in the background gives it that worn, Western feel I wanted, while the textured yellow cardstock implies the tactile qualities of cowboy fabrics, such as leather or burlap.

For such a masculine design, I just had to find a name that sounded both manly and country, which is why I settled on "Scrambled Eggs & Whiskey," the title of a poem written by Hayden Carruth in 1996. The name also considers the two prominent colors in this unique stationery design - yellow and brown.


Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: An homage to bold tattoos!


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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 Pandora & Electra

Long ago when I first decided to post weekly Fancy/Funky Friday posts, I showed you the steps I take in creating a sample pattern. This week, you get a sneak peek into my process again - I have a collection of images that showcase the method I used to create today's "fancy" pattern. Scroll down to take a look! :)

First, the "fancy": Pattern Pandora

Pattern Pandora is definitely one of the more unique "fancy" patterns I've designed. In the final pattern, the fluffy pillow-like forms become the main "unit" that stands out, but when I first created it, the original "unit" was the diamond-like shape that was created in the negative space as I rotated the characters and connected them to each other.

Here's a look at the process:

I started with a capital "P" and "G" from a fun font

I play around with the letters until I start to get a pattern I like by rotating and reflecting the characters.

Once I have a "unit" I like, I repeat it several times to fill a large square full of the pattern!

With this pattern, the negative space that came out when I repeated the "unit" I created became much more prominent than the original unit. Now it's the white pillow-like forms that stand out most, even when only a couple rows of the pattern are shown.

In the sample above, you can really see how interesting the pattern is when it's used on stationery. The thin lines, elegant curves, and linear detail make it "fancy" but it still has a bit of a fun, modern feel to it, too, due to its uniqueness.


And now, the "funky": Pattern Electra

Not to be outdone, this week's "funky" pattern is also incredibly unique. Made out of the capital S and L of a Greek-themed font, Pattern Electra has an underlying grid structure that creates actual squares - and then turns them all on their sides for a dynamic twist. The concept and execution of the pattern is fairly straightforward, but there's still something dramatic and unexpected about the craziness of the dense miniature zig-zag starbursts paired with modified rectangles and larger squares of white negative space.

I've also used this pattern in stationery, as you can see in the photograph below. I added a few columns of this pattern to either side of a long rectangular invitation, and broke off a couple of the tilted rectangles to use as paragraph separation decorations down the center of the design.

I wanted to play up the uniqueness of this pattern by using funky colors. First, I used two colors on the actual pattern, making the zig-zags light lime green and the rectangles a pale mint to match the interesting colors in the striped and polka-dotted scrapbook paper I added to the green envelopes. For the stationery's lettering, I again turned to the scrapbook paper and used the same light lime green and pale mint, as well as the light and dark pink the scrapbook paper uses.

There's a lot going on in this stationery design, and I admit it certainly won't be for everyone. But if you're hosting a funky event, or are looking for a bit of intrigue with your color scheme and font choice, this is definitely the design for you! :)


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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!

Father's Day Cards

Since next weekend is Father's Day, I wanted to take the opportunity to reiterate the sentiment I expressed before Mother's Day - parents and grandparents love handmade cards. You can draw something yourself, craft a design out of scrapbook paper, use rubber stamps, or generate a design on the computer and print it out yourself. Even if you aren't artistic, chances are you can find some way to make a card extra special for the person you're making it for.

Remember - it's the thought that counts, and your dad will be able to see the thought and effort that went in to the creation of his one-of-a-kind Father's Day card. And the best part is, it really doesn't take more time to make an original card than it does to drive to a card store, go through all the option, select the best card, pay for it, and drive home. It just looks like it did. :)

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Flower Fairy Lights"

As with most of my illustrative stationery samples, I used the pen tool in Adobe Illustrator to trace a photograph I'd taken and turn it into a graphic image. The flowers in this design were traced from a photograph I took in Barcelona - and unlike many of my illustrations, I liked the black outline so much that I kept it on for the final image.

"Flower Fairy Lights" - Invitation duo (invite & reply card) with matching thank you note and save-the-date

"Flower Fairy Lights" is modern in design and colors. Perhaps the dense black is not for the faint of heart, but I think the other bright colors easily keep it from feeling too morose. The saturated yellows, greens, reds, and oranges really pop against the solid black background and petal envelope - making this a perfect stationery set for a vibrant, summer affair.

Because the black is so dark, I had to add a strip of white to the reply cards for guests to write in. It matches all of the white and yellow text used across all designs - the colors that best pop against the heavy black background. I used a modern sans-serif font for the text (varying between all-uppercase letters and all-lowercase italics), so that it would match the graphic boldness of the floral illustration.

Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Scrambled Eggs & Whiskey"


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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 Niagara & Nicole

It's the end of the week - the perfect time to reflect on two more of the patterns I've designed! ;)

First, the "fancy": Pattern Niagara

This pattern has a very clear grid structure, and it's easy to tease the design apart into a series of rows or columns. Because of this characteristic - and because the little curls reminded me of splashing water - I gave this pattern the name "Niagara." I think the most interesting part of this pattern is the angular corners on the vertical lines connecting each row to the next. Since almost every other line is curved, the angular line stands out as a unique detail. It helps the pattern from being too monotonous and keeps things interesting.


And now, the "funky": Pattern Nicole

This is a great pattern for spring and summer because of the petal-like shapes it makes. From a distance, it takes on a decorative lattice feel, but up close the series of symbolic flowers keep it modern, fun, and fresh. This pattern would be great for upholstery, drapes, and sheets. It looks vaguely like a garden, and works in almost any color combination from the bold and attention-grabbing to more subtle pastel shades.

Wondering what font characters I used to create this pattern? A lowercase "c" and a comma. Can you tease apart where each is in the pattern? :)

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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!

Beach Scrapbook Collection

In honor of June, today I want to show you a new collection of scrapbook paper designs I've created. All of the papers are solid colors (either two or three colors), and feature one of the patterns I've designed.

They're shown here as 12" x 12" scrapbook paper squares, but could be adapted down to a different size, as well. Though I only used beach-themed colors for this collection, the colors could also be changed to whatever other combinations you may want!

For the colors, I focused on the blues and greens of oceans, lakes, and skies, as well as the neutral pale yellows, peaches, and tans of sand, and the bright yellow and oranges of sunsets over the water.

If you see a design you like, or want to see some more examples of the scrapbook paper I've been creating, shoot me an email and I can send you some more pictures. I'm also planning to post more designs on this blog as I make them, so be sure to keep checking back!


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Shameless plug time: Want to purchase some scrapbook paper, or have stationery designed from the patterns and color combinations featured here? I also incorporate pattern in some of my watercolor paintings. Check out Invites by Andrea to browse sample stationery or drop me a line at andrea@invitesbyandrea.com to let me know what you think!

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Everybody Knows Your Name"

In 2009, my family took a short weekend trip to Boston. Since my brother and I had never been before, we were sure to take one of their famous Duck tours, which drove around the streets showing us some of Boston's best-known landmarks, before dipping into the waters of the Charles River as a boat. The illustration featured in this stationery set - of Boston's skyline as seen from the river - was traced from a photograph I took on that trip and turned into a graphic representation of Boston.

"Everybody Knows Your Name" - Invitation duo (invite & reply card)

The picture, which includes part of Boston's skyline as well as a passing sailboat, is used on both the invitation and matching reply card. The images are the same scale on both designs - if you lined the buildings on the reply card up to the invitation, it would perfectly match.

I used six colors in the illustration (light blue, dark blue, green, black, brown, and white). By limiting the colors and tracing only the most distinctive features of the buildings, I simplified the skyline to look more modern and graphic. The background of both the invitation and reply card features a gradient, from deep light blue at the bottom to the pale white of a sunlit sky on the top, but the overlying illustration is made up of all solid-colored shapes. I chose a metallic light blue for the petal envelope and reply card envelope, to play up the blues in the image and background.

This particular sample was made for a casual Bostonian rehearsal dinner, but the design could easily be adapted to any other event taking place in or celebrating the historic charm of downtown Boston.


Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: A funky color combination featuring graphic floral illustrations!



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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 Ella & Ayanna

Happy June! You know what that means - it's time to welcome in the first month of summer with today's Fancy/Funky Friday post! :)

First, the "fancy": Pattern Ella

From a distance, Pattern Ella looks very lace-like. It's thin lines, long column structure, and intricate curvy detail up close all add to its elegance. Up close, the details seem relatively modern (I love how it incorporates vaguely heart-like shapes as well as loopy, decorative crosses) and they make Pattern Ella the perfect balance of old-school fancy and modern intrigue.


And now, the "funky": Pattern Ayanna

One of the main characteristics I look for when deciding if a pattern can be considered "fancy" is the thinness of line, and Pattern Ayanna certainly has thin lines. There are also plenty of elegant curves that crisscross to create interesting loops. But in the end, it still seems very "funky." In many places, the ends of the lines are exposed, jutting into the white space and emphasizing curved "x"s rather than full loops. And just when you think you've understood where the line is going to go next, it makes a u-turn from the expected direction. From a distance, it does look rather fancy, but up close there is no doubt about it - Pattern Ayanna is very unique and modern, with surprising details that push it firmly into the "funky" end of the spectrum. :)


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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!