Sunday Sample Spotlight: "The Stone Age"

This stone-inspired stationery set is great for weddings along pebbled beaches, or any occasion to celebrate local geology!

"The Stone Age" Invitation Duo (invite & reply card) and Save-the-Date

The invitation is printed on white paper and mounted to a recycled brown envelope with small silver brads. I decorated the side right flap and left pocket with scrapbook paper featuring a fun photographic stone print. I scanned the scrapbook paper into my computer to incorporate into the printed invitation, reply card, and save-the-date (though I lightened the picture a little so it wouldn't completely blend into the darker scrapbook paper).

For the text, I used a fun font that looks like letters scratched onto stone or wood. Less important information was written in a smaller typewriter inspired font.

The save-the-date and reply card also both have matching brown recycled envelopes.

Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Dressed to Impress"


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Flowerless Bouquet 7 - Balloons and Pinwheels

Today's wedding bouquets and centerpieces aren't limited to fragrant blooms. For the next five weeks, I'll be showing you my favorite flower alternatives, from new DIY creations to bouquets rich in history (and heirloom antiques!), from transient arrangements that look beautiful at your event to permanent keepsakes that'll look beautiful for generations to come.

Option 7: Balloon and Pinwheel Bouquets

Embrace the whimsy of childhood with balloon and pinwheel bouquets and centerpieces!
 

Use large, single balloons for unique "bouquets" or twist long balloons into flowers to create a bouquet with a more traditional shape.

Similarly, pinwheels can be tiny and grouped together like miniature flowers in a tight bouquet ball, or they can be giant and stand alone as a fun bridesmaid "bouquet." They look amazingly adorable in photos!

Versatile and fun, balloons come in every color imaginable, and you can easily make your own pinwheels out of your favorite colored or patterned scrapbook paper.

They also make great decor! String balloons or pinwheels on to your ceremony canopy or arch, attach small balloon flowers or pinwheels to the ends of each row of ceremony chairs, decorate your reception hall with balloons, or hand out miniature pinwheel wedding favors.

Balloon bouquets and pinwheels are also great for children's parties!

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Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Silly Love Songs"

Here's a great color scheme to transition from summer to fall - hot pink with shades of cool blues!

"Silly Love Songs" Invitation Duo (invite & reply card)

This stationery set features a hot pink folding envelope. I used blue patterned scrapbook paper to line the left flap and right pocket, then scanned the scrapbook paper to print a border of the same pattern around each printed item - the invitation and reply card.

The reply card has the same hot pink color as the main pink envelope, and the text uses the same shades of pink and blue found in the envelopes and scrapbook paper.

I love the thin light blue lines that cut through the wavy blue stripes. The scrapbook paper's design adds a lot of depth and implied texture to the stationery set (even though the paper is all smooth).


Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "The Stone Age"


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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.

Flowerless Bouquets 2 - Paper

Today's wedding bouquets and centerpieces aren't limited to fragrant blooms. For the next five weeks, I'll be showing you my favorite flower alternatives, from new DIY creations to bouquets rich in history (and heirloom antiques!), from transient arrangements that look beautiful at your event to permanent keepsakes that'll look beautiful for generations to come.

Option 2: Paper Bouquets

Just like fabric, paper comes in several different textures and any color under the sun (and if you <i>don't</i> find the shade you need, you can just print out your own!), making it a great option for brides who want flowers in non-natural colors like dark teal or their favorite blooms at times of the year when they aren't readily available.

Use soft, pliable paper for rounder edges, or thick cardstock for sharp-edged petals. The internet is full of origami flower tutorials - try a bunch of different options to find out which style flower you like best (or is easiest for you to create) before committing to this extensive DIY project.

Like fabric, you can make your paper flowers look surprisingly realistic, or you can play up the "paper-ness" of your material by using patterned paper and newsprint (or other paper with printed words).

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Shameless plug time: Need invitations as beautiful as your decor? Check out InvitesbyAndea.com and let me design stationery for your event!

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Basket Case"

Texture (or implied texture printed on paper) is a great way to get across the feeling and formality of your event. This stationery set, which features a printed picnic basket weave texture, instantly feels casual and fun!

"Basket Case" Invitation Duo (invite & info insert)

I used scrapbook paper with a basket print to line the side flap and pocket of this folding envelope, and then scanned in the paper to copy the same design onto the printed invitation and information insert.

The unique sans serif font that mixes lowercase and uppercase letters reinforces the casual, fun look of the stationery. Guests who receive this invitation know to come prepared for the weather at this outdoor ceremony and "picnic lunch reception."

This would also be a great design for family reunions, summer office parties, and any other outdoor summer or early fall event!

 
Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Down Memory Lane"


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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.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Plum Major"

I just love this stationery set. It's colorful and whimsical, with fun flowers that look child-drawn and carefree. It's a great design for any spring or summer outdoor event, especially a more casual, family affair, or a hippie- or pagan-inspired event (including May Day and Renaissance Festivals)!

"Plum Major" Invitation Duo (invite & reply card)

For this stationery set, I started with a scrapbook paper I really liked. The paper had a scratched-texture purple and blue background, with colorful stems of flowers vertically aligned into stripes.

I used the same colors found on those flowers for each line of text on the invitation and reply card, and found a purple petal envelope and green outside and reply card envelopes to match the purple and green colors found in the scrapbook paper.

I also scanned in the scrapbook paper and included a strip of it on each side of the invitation and the left side of the reply card, to further tie everything together.

I love the petal folding envelopes because they mimic the same flower shapes from the scrapbook paper - and if you fold in two adjacent sides, the envelope looks like a heart!

 
Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "The Only Exception"


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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.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Waking Up in Vegas"

Turquoise and red is a great fun color scheme for spring and summer!

"Waking Up in Vegas" Invitation Duo (invite & reply card)

The invitation is printed on white cardstock and mounted to a bright cherry red petal folding envelope which has been lined with turquoise polka dot scrapbook paper. The reply card has a matching red envelope and can easy tuck into the petal envelope for mailing.

This stationery set is very modern in its design - from the thick bold serif fond, the large scale simple pattern, and the fun polka dots!

This design would also be great for a children's birthday party, baby shower, or other funky spring/summer event!

Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Orange Creamsicle"


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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.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Time to Pretend"

I absolutely adore this stationery set! It's perfect for spring!

"Time to Pretend" - Invitation Duo (invite & reply card)

I started with a metallic pale pink folding envelope, which I decorated with beautiful pale yellow scrapbook paper featuring a yellow/white/pale pink/sky blue floral design.

Up close (and tilted into the light), the pale rose-pink metallic envelopes really shine - and the scrapbook paper boasts an implied linen texture (though the paper is actually totally smooth). I very subtly mimicked this texture with pale yellow lines in the background of the printed invitation and reply card (it's so subtle, you can't even see it in these pictures!), and I incorporated the same blue, pink, and slate gray colors from the scrapbook paper for the images and text.

I recreated the linear floral design with Adobe Illustrator's pen tool so I could print it on the invitation. and seamlessly connect the digital printouts to the scrapbook-lined envelopes.

On the reply card, I only printed half of that flower form, poking down from the top edge of the paper. Because I didn't scale the image down (just cropped it), if you lay the RSVP on top of the invitation, the flowers line up exactly!

Because of its pastel colors, this design would work great for any spring event, as well as baby showers, birth announcements, and cutesy/feminine holidays like Easter and Valentine's Day!

Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Manors & Etiquette"


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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.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "If the Blue Fits"

Though simple at first glance, this stationery design has a lot going on - including a metallic envelope, scrapbook paper, colored brads, and a playful linear design.

"If the Blue Fits" - Invitation Duo (invite & info insert)

I started with a metallic sky blue folding envelope, then lined the left-side flap and right-side pocket with printed denim-blue scrapbook paper. I mimicked that same linear design on the actual invitation and information insert, using the nonparallel stripes as divisions for the paragraphs of text as well as design elements at the top and bottom of each page.

I love the "hollowness" of the font I used for the paragraph headlines - the thin blue outlines around each letter harken back to the nearly-horizontal stripes that cover the printed pages and scrapbook additions.

Finally, the blue brads give the stationery set added depth by incorporating three dimensions. From a distance, the lines and different shades of blue remind me of the way the surface of a calm lake might look as the water is rippled in the breeze. This design would be perfect for a spring or summer wedding - especially one outdoors near a pond or lake!


Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: a beautiful yellow and pink spring stationery set!


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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.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "What Lips My Lips Have Kissed"

This baby girl birth announcement is the perfect mixture of classic elegance and modern fun. 

"What Lips My Lips Have Kissed" Birth Announcement

The fun: The hot pink metallic petal-fold envelope is lined with semi-circles of scrapbook paper featuring large-scale pink polka dots.

The elegance: The printed announcement features a calligraphic font and hints of curly patterns in each corner.

But my favorite detail is the baby's head. Traced from an old photograph of myself as a baby, I turned a picture into a graphic illustration that's fun and modern, while still being realistic and photographic. Given photographs of your child (or engagement photos for wedding announcements), I can similarly turn one of your personal images into a fun illustration for use in whatever type of stationery you desire!

Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Ever the Same"


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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.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Beyond the Veil"

Today's Sunday Sample Spotlight design has a lot going on - so we'll take it slow and address each detail separately. :)

"Beyond the Veil" Invitation Duo (invite & reply card)

First, the invitation (which was printed on white cardstock and mounted to a dark purple cardstock background) was attached to the metallic gold pocketfold envelope, which I had accented with solid purple scrapbook paper on the left flap and right side pocket.

I used an elegant script like font and added a lace-like pattern to the top edge of both the invitation and reply card to give it sophistication.

Then, I used those strips of pattern as a guide for the placement of the small gold brads that would hold the several layers together. For the reply card, I simply added a layer of semi-sheer purple vellum and cinched the vellum, white cardstock, and purple cardstock together with three brads. 

For the invitation, I also add two stripes of cotton ribbon, which added dimension while still allowing some of the pattern underneath to shine through.

Finally, I frayed the ends of each line of ribbon, to give it a bit of a deconstructed look. The gold brads on either end hold the ribbon in place and keep it from continuing to fray past the brad. I liked the added dimensionality and texture of the frayed ends, which I thought made the cream/white stripes along the ribbon more pronounced (since you could see that different individual threads were different colors), as well as added an unexpected casual feeling to an otherwise over-the-top elegant invitation.


Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: A crisp green and white design perfect for spring!


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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.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "My Life in Green and Pink"

I call this design "ugly-pretty" (not to be confused with "pretty ugly") because it's a bit of an acquired taste. Funky and eclectic, there are several competing patterns and colors that seem like they shouldn't go together... but the childlike whimsy of it all brings it together into a design that works.

"My Life in Green and Pink" Invitation Duo (invite & reply card) with matching Save-the-Date

The invitation is mounted to a solid color smooth-textured grass green "cascade" style envelope. I adorned the left flap and right side pocket with fun pink and green striped/polka-dotted scrapbook paper, and then used all of those same colors (the lime green, light pink, rusty violet, and minty green-blue) in the text and pattern printed on the white cardstock of the invitation, reply card, and save-the-date.

There was a lot of white space to fill on either side of the invitation, and I didn't want the pattern from the scrapbook paper to start feeling stale by repeating it everywhere - so I designed and introduced a new pattern - a funky, two-tone linear design that stresses zig-zag cross-like forms and rounded rectangles. Because the colors still relate to the scrapbook paper, it still feels coherent, but also keeps everything fresh and interesting.

Finally, I picked a very angular font for all of the text to play off the structure of both stripe-emphasizing patterns. And - of course - I took a part of one of the patterns (in this case, the minty blue-green rounded rectangles) and used them as guest "check-boxes" for the RSVP card, to help tie everything together. :)

This green and pink color scheme is great for spring, and the festive feeling of the competing patterns makes this a great design for a let-your-hair-down celebration, such as a St. Patrick's Day party.


Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Beyond the Veil"


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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.