I have been in Portland, Maine since last Friday & will be here until Monday. My sister is getting married this Saturday! My brain feels a bit like that last photograph - a bit blury with pops of bright, sparkling inspiration.
I hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend! I may be back to share some recent work...or not. If not, I will be back next week with lots of wedding goodness!
Well the sun may or may not be out where you are {it cannot make up its mind here in Rhode Island}, but it certainly is warm! I have not been to the beach yet, but this invitation makes feel like I am there. This couple is getting married on Cape Cod this summer & wanted a very distinct, yet simple beach theme. I created a custom illustration of a picketed beach fence & grass, along with a custom pattern for the envelope liner. The couple loved boats so I incorporated a simple row boat into the rsvp design. Nothing says surf & sun quite like the bright yellow & blue palette, right? I will never growd tired of such a cheery yellow. These invitations were gocco screenprinted on bright white, smooth 110lb stock.
Perhaps you will make it to the beach this weekend. It is a working weekend for me {most of my weekends are...}. Actually...speaking of work. As some of you who have been reading for awhile may know, I work for a local non-profit during the day {event planning, marketing, & such}. Like other non-profits & businesses everywhere, we were hit hard by a lack of funding this year. Thus, I have been asked to work part-time. A blessing in disguise, I say because now I will have two full days to devote just to Parrott Design Studio {& less nights where I am up until 2am I hope!}. It is an exciting chapter as I hope to make my way from part-time to full-time boss of me!
My sister's wedding invitations! Yay!! As I mentioned previously, Jess's colors are black, white, pink, & green. While there is no theme, Jess has set out to combine hydrangeas, lighthouses, & peacock feathers all with a vintage twist. We focused on
hydrangeas & lighthouses for the bridal shower & now we are onto the peacock feathers, which will also be used in the centerpieces at the wedding reception.
The invitations were letterpress in the same bright pink ink as the shower invitations on fluorescent white Lettra paper with chartreuse envelopes. The invitation consisted of four coordinated pieces including the invitation, rsvp + envelope, reception information, & directions. Everything was placed into a shimmery black pocket folder with the invitation attached to the pocket folder & the three additional pieces in the pocket. We kept the pocket folder closed with bright pink satin ribbon.
The imagery echoes the beautiful lace on my sister's wedding dress, adding the vintage touch to the invitations & the peacock feathers adding a bit of fun. The invitations really set the tone for her ballroom reception. Only two & a half more weeks! We are still working on other details including the programs, coasters, & napkins. I will most likely share those after the wedding as I will be heading up to Maine for the holiday weekend and staying for 10 days.
Hope you are staying dry wherever you are. I know the rain can be a drag, but everything is so green, lovely, & alive! I do not mind it one bit.
p.s. I never mention this, but if you ever want to see any of my photos larger, just click one & it will take you to my flickr page!
Summer is just about here & with the season come beach weddings, especially here in New England. The bride & groom were planning a destination wedding on Cape Cod this July. The wedding invitations were inspired by the wild flower bouquet the bride & bridesmaids will be carrying. These invitations were gocco screen printed on 100% cotton Pearl White Lettra paper in deep navy blue & grass green. Though it is most often used for letterpress, Lettra paper adds a wonderful & luxurious touch to screen printed invitations. Lettra is usually my go-to paper for letterpress & I find myself recommending it more & more to brides who are opting for screen printed invitations as well. It is soft & 100% cotton, making it tree-free & eco-friendly. The bride & groom decided to pair their invitations with 100% recycled kraft envelopes for a beautiful & recycled wedding stationery suite.
Guess what!? I am positively over the moon to say I am now a Weddingbee Pro!! The wonderful founder & now publisher of Weddingbee, Mrs. Bee, invited me to join after Miss Cowboy Boot posted about our Homegrown Wedding. Exciting! I am already up & sharing bits of inspiration {some of which you may recognize}. So, if you are planning a wedding, already married & still like looking at weddings, or just straight-up like weddings, check out Weddingbee Pro.
Happy weekend, all! It has been a busy week around here & I am ready to sit on the couch with little Simone next to me & work on some current invitation designs. We are off to a wedding tomorrow in western Massachusetts. Until Monday...
p.s. Top left photo? A sneak peek of my sister's invitations. Catch the full suite next week.
p.p.s. I posted everyday this week...when was the last time I did that?
I love all of the brides & grooms I work with. I love to hear their stories - how they met, the inspiration for their wedding invitations, & so on. But this wedding stationery suite...I am in love. In love with not only the design but the sweet story that inspired the design. Lorena, the bride, came to me with a very clear vision & a sketch of what she wanted. At the top of the invitation she wanted two birds perched on a branch of flowers with only the bottom part of their bodies showing & at the bottom, a smaller bird. The two birds at the top represented Lorena & Colter. The bottom bird represented their son. It is a deeply personal design & will truly set the tone for their wedding this summer.
The invitations were letterpress printed on florescent white lettra paper with rich, chocolate brown & orange inks. The rsvp was a postcard with their return address printed on the back. The invitations & rsvps were tucked into a matching white envelope. And yes, indeed, that was some tight registration with the little bird feet & branch. I am quite proud!
I really love that little bird perched on the stump. I think he will make an appearance on some everyday stationery in my shop very soon.
Amanda, the author behind Peony :: Love, & her fiance, Nick finally tied the knot last month! They were married on the beach surrounded by peonies & love {of course!}. The details of Amanda's wedding were perfect: Hair piece by Twigs & Honey, birds from The Runny Bunny, handsewn napkins by grandma, & homegrown peonies!! So it is no wonder Amanda decided to have peonies & birds on her invitations in the always beautiful combination of pink & brown. In addition to the invitations I also printed labels for her favors...rose-flavored marshmallows. Um...yum! Amanda also purchased a large moleskin notebook & printed a huge peony, their names, & wedding date on the cover for their guest book. Keep your eye on her blog for the photos of the wedding coming soon!
It has been dark & stormy here for a few days {though I think the sun came out yesterday...I cannot even remember}. But inbetween the clouds our peonies bloomed! We planted them last year & after much anticipation the frilly pink petals are here. I look forward to having more & more each year. There is something about being able to take a few steps into your backyard & having the most beautiful flowers...& then promptly cutting them & bringing them inside!
'Tis the season for moving! This time last year I was moving. It was only a few miles away, but it still required a moving truck & multiple car trips. Needless to say I am happy to be staying put for awhile. I recently designed these for a couple on the move. What more appropriate for the announcement than the tandem bicycle {well...besides a truck...but that is not as cool}? These were letterpress on florescent white lettra paper with ocean blue ink.
I am now offering these announcements in my shop where you can pick custom colors, fonts, & envelopes. So if you are on the move & want to let your friends & family know, check them out.
I went with a lilac for May's Press & Post. I thought to myself, by the time these cards reach their destinations, most of the lilacs will be long gone {mine were}. Then I thought, well...these little cards will make those flowers last just a bit longer then! The Love stamps are one of my favorites. They are lovely & classic. Perfect for Spring. Perfect for lilacs. And what a sweet reminder the "Plant for more beautiful..." stamps serve, no? I hope you were all able to plant a little something in the Earth this spring.
