LOL Letterpress

Just got a facelift...

2011-03-06T14:41:00.000-08:00

Check out our new look at LOL Letterpress. To keep up with our latest creations follow me on my blog at LOL Letterpress. Hope to see you there.

Thanks,
Cindy
LOL Letterpress

Behind the Scenes - Our first photo shoot with NEMA

2010-11-13T12:08:00.000-08:00

I know... I know... it's been waaaay too long since my last post, but if you follow me on Facebook, you'll know that our family suffered a HUGE loss last month with the unexpected passing of my mother-in-law. It was Megan that came up with our company name, and she was and still is a very strong supporter of all my endeavors. We will miss her dearly and I know she would've been proud to have read the rest of this post...

In Loving Memory of Megan Taylor

Late at night when the rest of the house is in deep sleep, I tip-toe into my studio, turn on the tunes and work ever so diligently on my invitation portfolio. It took 6 months, but with an equal amount of blood, sweat and tears (don't worry none of that actually ended up ON the samples, ewww gross!) I've compiled 22 original designs, some based on previous work, some all new stuff.

The next step, of course, was to capture each suite so you all in cyberspace can see it! I am the luckiest person to have made friends with event photographers Marlana and Ed from NEMA Photography, who I think are my long lost cousins. At least they feel like they're family! We have so much in common - little ones at home, growing family businesses, strong work ethic, a love for all things wedding - I know this is the start of more good things to come! Their work is simply amazing, you MUST check out their streaming photo booth - it made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me want to do this at my next event. Seriously.

Ok, you've waited long enough for a sneak peek of my port, so here it is as told by Marlana from NEMA herself...

Promise to show you more of photos from the shoot in upcoming posts. Til then,
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Finding inspiration at the Pumpkin Farm

2010-10-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about living in Southern California is the variety of climates we can experience within a 30-40 minute drive. Autumn is definitely in the air here and to get in the mood we took the little one and met up with some family friends at Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center for some pumpkin fun!

Makes me wish I grew up on a ranch and run around with these

and, like my toddler, try to ride one of these

Until last weekend, I've only seen one species of pumpkins - you know, the kind they sell at the grocery store - but just look at all these different types of gourds!

And all is not green and orange at the patch, look how gorg the purples and reds are in this cob of corn:

I'm totally inspired by these rich fall colors, can't wait to use these colors - I'm off to sketch!

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{The Wedding Collection} Happy Happy

2010-10-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

I learned that in the Chinese culture there are a few essential things that are treasured in most wedding celebrations - the red envelopes, tea, and of course the symbol of "double happiness" or "shuang-xi."

The two "XI" characters symbolize the unity of the two families and the happiness the bride and groom are experiencing as they embark on their new lives together. So when Christine and Greg approached me with the concept of "Chinese-traditional-meets-urban-chic" we knew Shuang xi had to be a part of the invitations.

Christine and Greg (or as they call themselves "Gristine") haven't seen the finished product just yet so here's a sneak peek for you and them!

Wording is printed with a flame red on bamboo paper and if you look closely, a blind hit of double happiness lines the sides as a subtle yet distinctive border:

What does the rest of the suite look like? Think red silk brocade, a handmade clasp and a touch of gold. Happy Happy!

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{The Wedding Collection} Love in Bombay

2010-10-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

Since I've got Indian food on the brain, I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite 2-color jobs I've done in a while, something I like to call "Love in Bombay."

Designed for a lovely couple who met at work, these wedding invitations brought forth the brides love for all things paisley. With such an intricate pattern, we decided to accentuate the inherent characteristics of the cotton paper by creating an inked impression on top of a blind hit. The result is quite stunning!

And to top it off, the bride chose to highlight her cards by setting them against a dark chocolate brown silk backing with a lime green satin ribbon accent. A super luxurious invitation to what is sure to be an equally luxurious wedding!

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Do me a favor and make me some chicken curry

2010-09-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from the business cards to show you a fun project I worked on with one of my BFFs this week - favor jars filled with Indian spice! Yum!

The maid of honor is hosting what is sure to be a FAB-ulous bridal shower incorporating a cooking theme with an Indian flair. She came up with the great idea of giving spice jars filled with one of two Indian spices (one vegetarian, one not) and reached out for my design input and able hands to get it done.

Indian food is especially meaningful to the bride and groom as they had their first date at a favorite Indian restaurant and guess what was on the menu? Yup, Punjabi Chana and Chicken Curry - how appropriate!

We dolled up the jars with a gold organza pouch and embellished it with a matching gold and emerald gem medallion. I want one!

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Behind the Scenes - NEMA Photography's business cards

2010-09-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

I'm on a business card roll. A film roll to be exact.

We recently completed 2-color business cards for our friends at NEMA Photography and are excited to show you some raw footage from the studio.

(Time for our monthly oiling!)

Designed to look like you're looking through the lens of a camera, their cards are simple, fresh, and stylish - just like their tagline!

We custom mixed the inks to match the green in their logo just right and added a little reflex blue to the black to give a nice contrast. We paired it against a fluorescent white cotton paper to produce a classic design with a twist of the unexpected. Can't wait to work with Mar and Ed on capturing beautiful shots for the new website!

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Business Cards & Greeting Cards - Unique Occasions

2010-09-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

You've seen the making of these cards for long enough. I am especially happy to show you all the final set of Unique Occasions Events' new two-color business cards and matching thank you cards.

They were printed on 100% cotton Lettra in pearl white with hot pink and lime green ink. The greeting cards were accompanied with a coordinating shimmery lime green envelope, a special request gladly granted.

I'm definitely marking this one in my book entitled "A Labor of Love."
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Behind the Scenes - The Devil is in the Details

2010-09-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

For those of you in the invitation industry, you'll feel my pain.

Last week, I blogged about a two-color business card job that we had just completed for our friends at Unique Occasions Events. I left off at cutting, remember? About that. My precious prints were hot off the press when I dropped them off at a local printer/cutter (whose company name will remain anonymous) to have trimmed to finished size. And this happened...

TO ALL OF THEM.

Needless to say, said cutter did not get paid. OH NO.

So I rolled up my sleeves and started the whole job over again, went to my trusted friends and colleagues at Sunset Press (who have a great staff of professional cut operators), and we knocked out an even BETTER set of two-color SQUARED biz cards in no time.

Lesson learned: Letterpress is a skilled craft. Right down to the trimming.

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Behind the Scenes - 2 color business cards

2010-09-16T00:09:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of meeting Nikki from Unique Occasions Events from the Goodness Gracious giveaway a few months ago. She contacted me recently to design and print her business cards and matching thank you cards in her company colors - lime green and hot pink. One of my favorite color combos!

So I thought that I'd show you a sneak peek of the production process behind the scenes.

Inking the rollers:

Inking the plate and lining up the paper:

Making an impression:

Stay tuned for the final product. I've got some cutting to do!

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Finding color inspiration at the Farmer's Market

2010-09-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, my family went to go check out the Little Italy Mercato to stock up on fresh grub for the week and to support our friends at Viva Pops who were celebrating their feature on the Cooking Channel by giving away free yummy pops! Now how could we pass that up?

(that's key lime pie, BTW very nommy!)

I figured while I was there, I'd might as well hit two birds with one stone and find inspiration in all the wonderful colors in nature's nutrients. Using the handy dandy color palette generator from Big Huge Labs (if you haven't tried this, you MUST, I first saw it on Aislinn Events), I put together a few different color boards that I thought would be great for any fall/winter *heck* even spring/summer event!

You can even download the swatches in Adobe Swatch Exchange (ASE) format for Photoshop or other applications. An awesome tool for any bride-to-be or designer that finds the best stuff through the eyes of a camera lens.

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Splish Splash baby's first birthday Part 2

2010-09-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I published photos from baby's first birthday invitations and I'm excited to show you photos from the event itself! I couldn't have pulled it together without the help of family and friends, so mad props to them and the vendors that came through with a bang.

The party was appropriately held in our local splash park on a wonderfully bright August day.

Paying homage to one of my idols Amy Atlas, I styled one of my first dessert buffets with an underwater theme:

It was a midnight internet search surprise when I found this next vendor Viva Pops, who specializes in organic, original popsicles made from locally-grown ingredients. In fact, the Cooking Channel is traveling across the country in their customized Ice Cream Truck and is partnering up with Viva Pops this Saturday, September 11th from 9am to 1:30pm. Head over to Little Italy Mercato to get a free taste of their pops!

And a few little extra party eye candy for the kids in all of us:

An amazing time had by all! It took a good 6 months of planning, but I would do it all over again in an instant. Happy 1st birthday, baba!

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!POP! kids birthday invitations

2010-09-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

Everyday I receive tons (too many to read in one sitting) of new posts from some of my favorite blogs that I follow. I'm always on the look out for new inspiration and love to promote ideas that are unique and innovative.

Case in point, Brooke from inchmark recently threw an amazingly fun balloon themed birthday party for her son and what better way to send the invitations but in a balloon itself!

Guests POP! the balloon to find a handful of handmade confetti and an invitation scroll:

She continued the balloon theme throughout her event by creating balloon games, balloon decor, and obstacle course made of... you guessed it... Check out more creative ideas from the former art director of Martha Stewart Living and Kids. I know I will be!
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For the love of typography

2010-09-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

One of things that often gets neglected in invitation design is the art of typography. Typography can really evoke the story you want to tell without being so obvious - like choosing a fancy script for an elegant affair.

There are so many iconic typefaces made popular by pop culture - Walt Disney, the Star Wars trilogy, hip hop - they're all so distinctive that after a while, no graphic is needed to give you that feeling of familiarity.

I'd say a good 1/2 of my time in design is picking out just the right typeface and font. I'm no typographer but this video sure makes me want to be one:

Happy Labor Day weekend!
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Motor Mouth

2010-09-03T03:04:00.000-07:00

From the first day I fired up the old C&P, I fell in love with the mechanics of the clunky machinery and gladly dedicate the time and effort it takes to produce truly unique hand crafted stationery. However, after my second or third 100+ 2-color job, I was thinking about how NICE it would be to have a motor option on this bad boy.

I'm the first to admit that mechanics is not my forte but lucky for me, the hub is pretty handy. So after much shopping and deliberation, we finally bought a motor, pulley, and a VFD!

First the motor, a 1/2 hp 3-phase 1725 rpm Baldor Motor:

Pulley:

and Variable Frequency Drive to convert single phase to 3-phase power and to control the speed of the press:

If it sounds like I know what I'm talking about it's because my husband helped me write that last part.

Now all we need is another pulley for the motor and a V-belt. Oh and someone to wire this thing up. I'll supervise.

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"High Times in the High Desert" Invitations

2010-08-31T16:12:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I posted the inspiration board for a friend's upcoming 50th birthday bash in Palm Springs:

I give my good friend Virginia all the credit for this one, but I did have a little part in the concept creation (my favorite part).

I *love* the textures in this invitation, from the shiny, shimmery petal fold enclosure to the soft, furry leopard skin backing...

(some personal information was blurred for privacy purposes)

It's one of those invitations you just want to touch. The rich deep purple serves as a nice contrast against the lime green and the black leopard really plays up the birthday girl's personality and style. The enclosure is topped off with a vintage safari button to really capture the essence of Palm Springs. Lovin' IT!
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{Guest Post} Finding Inspiration for your Invitations

2010-08-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

If you are or have ever been a bride, you know at some point in the wedding planning process you've wondered about what you want your wedding to be like. Should I incorporate my favorite color? (but I have so many!) Should I showcase our travels (but we've been to so many places!) Should I go with a particular style (but I have so many points-of-view!)

As you know, when I'm feeling overwhelmed with decisions I like to collect my thoughts on an inspiration board, but where do I get started, you say? Well, I just happened to write about it as a guest blogger for the Favour Shoppe today... check it out here or after the jump...

Inspiration For Your Wedding Invitations

Written by Cindy Taylor, invitation designer & letterpress printer for LOL Letterpress.

You’ve heard it said before “invitations set the tone of your wedding” – oh, how true that is! Think about it… if you’re a bride that loves all things elegant, your invitations will most likely exude your personality through deep rich colors, fine paper, and maybe even a satin ribbon or crystal embellishment. On the other hand, if an outdoor country setting is more your cup of tea, your invitations could incorporate more of a casual feeling with fun patterns, light and airy color accents, or a more organic, eco-friendly paper medium. Either way, your guests will sure be delighted to receive such a personal token from the bride and groom, leaving them waiting in anticipation of the event to come.

One of the most common dilemmas brides face in invitation design is that there are so many choices, so many beautiful things, so many directions they can take with their wedding theme – how do they decide? As an invitation designer, I find inspiration from many different sources, but mainly from things that make me “jump” a little inside. You know the feeling you got when you saw that gorgeous engagement ring for the first time? Like that. Only scaled down a bit.

The obvious source of inspiration are wedding magazines, but since you’re at the magazine stand, check out an interior design or food mag too. Flip through the pages and make note of colors, patterns, and textures that catch your eye. I once built an entire 5-piece invitation suite with a vintage feel from a magazine cutout of an antique crank-style record player! You’ll be surprised just how quickly other decisions will fall into place once you’ve decided on a concept for your invitations.

Likewise, some of the best wedding invitations I’ve seen tell the story of the couple in love. Maybe photography is a passion you both enjoy, how amazing would it be to create an invitation photo booklet showcasing each stage of your relationship together? Of course, the “finale” would be the details of your upcoming nuptials.

No matter what your point-of-view, invitations that express the personality and love you have for each other is always the right choice. Congratulations and may you have a lifetime of LOL moments together!

Cindy Taylor of LOL Letterpress specializes in custom wedding invitations using the letterpress printing technique. Each invitation is lovingly hand-fed on an antique letterpress machine using 100% tree-free paper. They’re a husband and wife team whose passion for paper began while planning their own wedding invitations.

{The Wedding Collection} All Access

2010-08-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

First off, I must apologize for the lack of blog posts last week, my baby just turned one which meant lots of wonderful family time and little time for blogging!

But I think this wedding invitation feature is truly worth the wait.

Jeni and Graham are music-lovers at heart and like many bride and grooms, they wanted their wedding invitations to really show their personality as a couple. So we brainstormed and came up with a brilliant idea for an invitation card made to look like an "All Access" backstage pass!

Guests will receive their own VIP pass to Jeni & Graham's 2010 "I Do" tour flat-printed on heavy cardstock featuring their gorgeous silhouette on the front and their invitation on the back. The pass is then fed through a satin ribbon lanyard in a leafy green, each individually stitched.

(some information blurred for privacy)

The RSVP cards follow the same theme by simulating a concert ticket that does double duty - helpful info for their guests as well as a tearable RSVP stub for mailing.

Wash, rinse, repeat 60x, package and top her off with a signature sand dollar. And there you have, an invitation suite fit for a wedding made in music heaven!

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Favoring your guests

2010-08-13T00:38:00.000-07:00

I think, next to wedding stationery, the favors that are left with your guests leave a lasting impression of your event. It's also one of my favorite ways to leave a personal touch and an unexpected opportunity to bring home the theme of any special occasion.

Flashback 3 years ago, in the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Kauai as we greeted our guests who traveled so far to celebrate our own wedding, one of my fondest memories was to look over at the sea of baggages to find them all accented with our personalized luggage tags. They're perfect for destination weddings or just a great way to add a special accent to any wedding.

The Favour Shoppe has some beautiful stock and customizable luggage tags new to their shop! Check them out today and leave your guests with a gift that is both functional and memorable.

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A patriotic love story

2010-08-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

Last week, we introduced you to Jennifer Voreh and her fiance Dustin Peterson, Marine Corps drill instructor currently on his second deployment to Afghanistan. Jennifer wrote in to Brides Across America and won a gorgeous wedding gown from The Bustle in Del Mar, CA by depicting her love story of how she and Dustin met and became bride and groom-to-be.

Without further ado, here is that beautifully patriotic love story that captured my heart as well...

My fiance Dustin and I have been together for almost 3 years. He is a United States Marine & is currently deployed to Afghanistan. He left in March 2010, and will return March 2011! Prior to this deployment he was deployed Jan 2009-July 2009! It's been 2 years of deployments for us!

We first met in September 2006 when I was stationed at Marine Corps boot camp (MCRD San Diego) He was a drill instructor and I was in the Navy as a hospital corpsman assigned to the medical clinic on base. I had the hugest crush on him. I thought he was so handsome, he was tall, with dark hair, hazel eyes and just dreamy to me! Here I was 24 years old and had a crush on him as if I was in high school! All the while I doubted he noticed me and I had to maintain a professional relationship with him as well as all the other drill instructors. So I just admired him from afar.

Time went on and we crossed paths at work strictly for work matters, nothing ever personal! Then in September 2007, a mutual friend/co-worker Melissa invited me to his birthday party. I normally wouldn't have attended a party that I wasn't technically invited to but I decided to live a little! I went to his birthday party and he was glad to see me there. From there on we texted each other and went out on dates. I tried to keep it as casual and easy going as possible. After an unlucky history of dating jerks, I decided that I would leave the ball in his court and let him take the reins and pursue me.

So, he took the reins and was a perfect gentleman and showed me he was everything a man was supposed to be. We had to keep our relationship as secret as possible at work because we wanted to keep our personal life away from our professional life. That was a challenge but also fun at the same time! My time in the Navy was coming to an end and I decided to get out and pursue my education. As nervous as I was to get out, he supported me in my decision. My last day in the Navy was September 5, 2009. We went through our first deployment as a couple from January 2009-July 2009. While he was gone we decided we would go on vacation when he got back to celebrate our birthdays (Sept 8 & Sept 14) and me getting out of the Navy. We went to Cabo San Lucas for 7 days at an all-inclusive resort! Little did I know we would also celebrate our engagement there! Dustin proposed to me on September 11, 2009 (he chose this date because we are both very patriotic) at sunset, oceanfront, on a cliff over looking "The Arches" that Cabo San Lucas is famous for. It was truly the happiest day of my life.

Now we are going through deployment #2. We decided to get married after he returns home, that way we have a year to save money for our wedding and not start our life together in debt! I am currently planning our May 14, 2011 wedding at the Oceanview room in Point Loma.

I hope our love story wins! Not only am I a military bride, but I was also in the military! I am extremely proud of my service to my country! I often think if I would have never joined the military, I would have never met my future husband! He is more than I ever dreamed of. I love the man he is to me, but more importantly the man he is to his country.

Sounds like a Lifetime special movie feature!
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A small token of our appreciation

2010-08-06T11:13:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday morning started as it always did, my husband read the San Diego Union Tribune as I tried to dodge spoonfuls of oatmeal as it flung from my daughter's high chair. But as I combed out the yogurt from my hair, my husband mentioned that I should read the article in their "Passages" section about a military couple that recently won a dream wedding dress through a non-profit org called Brides Across America.

Jennifer Voreh and her fiance Dustin Peterson met while stationed in the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego when she was a hospital corpsman and he was a drill instructor. What struck me was just how passionate they are about helping others in need (Jennifer helped in the relief efforts in both the Indonesia and Pakistan disasters) and how much they're relationship has already endured (Dustin is in his second Afghanistan deployment). My husband is also a Gulf war Marine veteran and I'm such a sap for a good love story! Jennifer wrote of her fiance "He is more than I ever dreamed of. I love the man he is to me, but more importantly the man he is to his country." sniff.

So I reached out to Jennifer this past week and offered to gift her and her fiance their letterpress wedding invitations for their relentless duty and service to our country. Luckily she graciously accepted and I can't wait to get started on the design process! Already she has an idea of the overall color concepts (a deep purple and silver) and is planning well in advance - a bride after my own heart! Follow LOL Letterpress as I take you through the creative process behind Jennifer and Dustin's wedding invitations.
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LOL Signature Fabric Envelopes

2010-08-04T23:25:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been working with some wonderfully creative brides that really want to *wow* their guests with their wedding invitations. We're creating invites to look like backstage passes (equipped with its own lanyard - more on that later), printing on colored rag paper, and one of my proudest pieces - letterpress cards tucked inside gorgeous fabric envelopes!

Each envelope is created from custom selected fabrics and handmade in our LOL studio. My fave fabric for weddings is a soft silk brocade like the one shown here that we propped with a stock card (invites aren't ready quite yet).

Can't you see this in a textured linen or a dupioni silk? Yum. The bride was inspired by a fabric jewelry roll she had since forever and couldn't bare to replace it. She wanted to have that lasting effect come through in the invitations to the most memorable day of their lives. I'll definitely remember it!
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{Inspiration Board} High Times in the High Desert

2010-08-04T00:48:00.000-07:00

One of my closest friends is planning a big birthday bash for a mutual friend's big 5-0 in Palm Springs. She's loves animal prints (it's all over her home decor) especially those of the feline species. We sat down and had the best time looking through tons of swatch books and color charts and came up with this autumn-animal mood board:

Stay tuned to see how we combine these ideas to create an invitation to a party that people will be talking about for a long time! Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....
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How it all got started

2010-07-30T22:53:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned many times my infatuation for fine stationery and letterpress printing, no? Well, like every addiction, mine started with the desperate need to fulfill a void - our own WEDDING INVITATIONS! We were planning a weekend-long wedding in Kauai for our closest family and friends and our invitations HAD to exude island elegance.

We were at the age where it seemed like all our friends were also getting married, and so the invitations were piling up (that's a good thing for an avid stationer). Perhaps the most memorable set that stood out from the rest was a gorgeous 3-color letterpress booklet. I remember the feeling of excitement and privilege, like this is gonna be GOOD. I wanted to bottle up that feeling and sell it! Well, at least re-create it for our guests.

So I sat down with a good friend/ graphic designer I met in school and freshened up on my design basics and *wah-la* the dream wedding invitations were born!

The set was presented in a papaya-colored paper box mailer affixed with a letterpressed mailing label, hand-calligraphied addresses, and sealed with a coordinating wave-inspired band.

Inside, guests were greeted with an invitation card, travel booklet, RSVP card and custom luggage tag nicely tucked in a letterpress bellyband.

Three years later and I'm still swooning over the blind impression on the booklet covers.

We jam packed the weekend with a lot of activities and we kept tabs of it all with these very detailed RSVP cards.

BTW, the hibiscus bushes are in bloom... ahhhh, a little taste of Kauai in our backyard. Time for another vaca to the islands! Aloha oe,

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Splish Splash baby's first birthday invitations

2010-07-30T00:22:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I put an inspiration board for an underwater themed birthday. And today here are the birthday invitations that were born from those concepts.

To be honest, this came together backwards for me. I found these kraft boxes that were such an unusual size, they looked more like gift boxes than invitation boxes and I liked the thought of the recipient feeling like they're opening up an unexpected present. One of my daughter's favorite toys are her bath toys and I thought, how perfect to add some dimension to the invitation set and it goes along with the theme so perfectly.

The boxes were 4" deep, how do I fill this thing up? After much trial and error, the concept of the beach towel came as I was brushing my teeth, I created a sort of "towel pocket" and inserted the letterpress invites so it peeked through just enough to get a sneak peek of what's to come...

The invites were a 5 1/2" square and a 2-color letterpress/digital hybrid printed on pearl cotton letra paper. I'm finding that digital printing, while not resulting in the same dimension, does provide the ability to use full color which complimented the bright vibrant accessories nicely.

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Behind the Scenes - Letterpress/Digital hybrid

2010-07-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

I've been working with my local offset printer on a few special projects lately, one that included this beautiful 5 piece wedding invitation suite. We were working on a limited budget but the bride is an avid letterpress aficionado, so we put our heads together and tried a letterpress/digital hybrid on 110# ecru cotton. Lo and behold, the offset ink held its own and the two printing styles combined is a great example of old-school-meets-new-school fusion.

Here's a few behind the scenes pictures of our work in progress this weekend...

That's a guard on the old-style flywheel. I hated to cover up the vintage spokes, but I like all ten of my fingers and would like to keep them.

The ornate swirl designs were flat printed and photo polymer plates were made for the type.

Inking the wedding monogram...

Prepping the gauge pins... (hey, where did the tongue go?)

Make ready Take 2.

We've been busy!

Congratulations Cici and John, best wishes on your new fusion!

For more about our antique Chandler & Price, click here.

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{Come Again?} Woodland Simplicity

2010-07-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

One of the great things of owning your own press is that I can experiment with new materials on a whim. Just the other day, I had some time to randomly e-shop and came across this beautiful wood paper that came in as many different wood types that you can imagine - bamboo, cedar, birch, even koa wood! Needless to say, I went crazy and bought a "sample" pack of ALL of them.

Just the look and feel of the paper inspired me to "rework" the invitation suite Woodland Simplicity with this new media. I love how you can really see the natural grains of the wood, and it really does look, feel, and act like actual paper. It may not have the same softness of cotton, but it seems to take a lightly kissed impression quite well. Here it is on birch -

One of the best things about it is that no two papers will be exactly alike. Isn't that the beauty of custom work? Love it.

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Pocket enclosures

2010-07-21T23:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I featured a few color concepts that would be nice for a fall event. Let's see those colors in action, shall we?

In the last decade or so, there's been a surge of invitation enclosures that've hit the market and make a strong presence at stationery shows across the nation. For good reason, I think. When you get to thinking about how many individual pieces there is to an invitation suite, who wouldn't want a little organization?

Envelopments is probably the most well known, their variety and heavy cardstock make it a prime choice for housing LOL letterpress creations. The "heaviness" comes from the its high tear and fiber strength, a result of the paper making process sans chlorine. The unlimited combinations of color, texture, pattern, and enclosure types make it easy for anyone to find something that fits their vision. Let's see what it looks like paired with those fall's colors we looked at:

I'm enamored with this persimmon color for fall. It looks great contrasted against a patterned coffee brown. Notice the exterior is a solid brown with a translucent patterned belly band.

You don't see this much... a patterned heavyweight envelope and matching favor containers. Use it to coordinate your event stationery for a nice touch.

This is a great example of how a smart enclosure could keep a multi-piece suite nice and neat in a Z-card. Red and aqua with a cappuccino background? Who would've thunk?

Check out how we used Envelopments signature Envelofolds (R) in our featured wedding invitation Soul'Mates and christening invitation Pretty in Pink & Gray.

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Resources: Envelopments.com

Autumn Color Concepts

2010-07-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

It's the middle of July, but autumn brides everywhere are knee deep into all the wedding details of their fall nuptials. I've found from personal experience that it helps to pull together color concepts that I can carry throughout the event plan - from invitations to table centerpieces and everything in between. Color brings cohesiveness and its the start of every invitation piece I design. When I think of fall, I think of dark neutrals with coordinating color splashes that bring festive accents, here are a few of my faves...

The foundation of this concept is a light, bright diamond and latte with a splash of dahlia.

One of the coolest things about fall is the changing of the leaves, this reminds me of just that...

You could do a lot with red and aqua, and they look GREAT together. It exudes fun and festive especially against a deep gray backdrop.

When I see this next color concept, I think of an elegant affair. Violet is a very regal color, and the light gray takes it down to a more casual level.

What are you favorite autumn color combos?

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Resources: Color concepts from Envelopments

{Inspiration Board} Grandma's Lace

2010-07-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

Everyday I receive emails from new posts of my favorite blogs... and I have A LOT! But one stood out in particular yesterday which was a feature of a DIY vintage backyard wedding on Celebrations at Home via Green Wedding Shoes. The soon-to-be bride and groom had all of 3 months to put there wedding together on a limited budget and pulled it off successfully with the help of their family and friends. I must say, the styling and overall design was work of a seasoned pro. A really GOOD one. It was vintage 1940s-inspired, and most everything was either purchased items from that era or constructed to look like it. Oh how I wished I was invited!

Anyway... I loved it so much I modified my inspiration board for Grandma's Lace to showcase these old-world touches.

I think it fits quite nicely, don't you? For the full story behind the making of Grandma's Lace invitation suite, click here.
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Resources, clockwise from top left: flower vases and newlyweds (Green Wedding Shoes), necklace (edera jewelry's shop on etsy), lovebirds cake (The Knot), bouquet (Ruffled blog), stacked tea cups (Martha).

{Inspiration Board} Lemon Meringue

2010-07-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

It's finally sunny here again in San Diego (I know I have nothing to complain about), and so I thought I'd feature the inspiration for a light and bright invitation set - "Lemon Meringue."

Yellow makes me *smile*. The bride Samantha knew exactly what she wanted. When we first met, she wore the cutest yellow dress, pointed to it and said to me "can we match this?" So it was easy to put her color story together and build a beautiful and bright invitation suite. While I was perusing the fabric rolls from my local fabric warehouse I came across a yellow, green and white interwoven tweed and knew it was the one. Pair the lemon-inspired fabric with a 2" satin lime ribbon and you have "Lemon Meringue." To see more on the story behind these invites click here.

I'm hungry for one of those macaroons, NOM NOM NOM.

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{Inspiration Board} Vintage Circus

2010-07-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

Since I've got inspiration boards on my brain, I thought I'd share with you the inspiration for Vintage Circus. While it's pretty obvious by the title what the bride was going for, I wanted to make certain her invitation design fit into the overall wedding scheme.

Mary was going for glam, with a twist of whimsy and she wanted to stick to her fave color combo - red and black. So we cracked our knuckles, dusted off our laptops and got to researching. After laying it all out for us to see, it was clear the direction I wanted to go with the invitations - red velvet, gold cording, bold graphics... see our glam & whimsical vintage circus invitation suite here.
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Resources:
www.knot.com
www.weddingchannel.com

{Inspiration Board} Underwater theme birthday

2010-07-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but when my mind starts to brainstorm for new invitation concepts, it's like a violent thunderstorm of ideas that come pouring down from all directions. Some make it into the pot of gold, some bounce out, some don't even land, they just float in that space in my brain waiting to get chosen for the next party.

So it helps me (and a lot of times, my clients) to create an inspiration board to capture all those thoughts that stick. I love to scour the internet for new ideas and keep a nice collection of photos on my hard drive just in case...

Today I just HAD to share with you the mood board for a new client I met at last Sunday's local fair - it's for her daughter's first birthday - an underwater theme - how CUTE! The challenge: make the invitations cartoonish but not too Nickelodeon. OK. Here goes:

First step: find inspiration. DONE. Next step: invitation design.

Grab your umbrellas!

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Resources clockwise from top left:

Sweetheart pettiskirt from DreamSpunKids

Blue paper lanterns from Karl Juengel

Mango popsicles from HWTM

Hawaiian cupcake toppers from Love the Day

Terrycloth towels with fish pockets from Martha Stewart

Underwater theme cupcakes and cakes from Hello Naomi via Flickr

A Successful Day at the Fair! (And the winner is...)

2010-07-05T23:02:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a weekend! I'm so happy to say LOL's greeting card line debut at our local fair was a complete success! We had quite a few sales and such gracious feedback from our wonderful patrons. Thank you to all that stopped by to learn more about LOL and letterpress printing.

Our attention grabber...

The stars of the show...

I couldn't have pulled this off without the love and support from my DH (dear husband) and MIL (mother-in-law) who are as much the face of LOL Letterpress as I am!

We also had a great response for our Goodness Gracious Giveaway. AND THE WINNER IS...

Nikki from Unique Occasions Events! Congratulations to Nikki and thank you all for entering to win, I will be contacting you all very soon as you deserve something special for being a part of our first ever giveaway!

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Happy Fourth of July!

2010-07-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

Photo and recipe courtesy of 17 and baking

So delicious and so patriotic. Can't wait to dig into this this weekend!

We're putting the finishing touches on our display table for the local fair/festival on Sunday where we will be debuting our custom stationery line and greeting cards. Can't wait to get out there and show our stuff and get people excited about letterpress. Stay tuned, we'll have behind the scenes and day-of pictures to share next week.

Til then, have a happy and safe independence weekend! While you're here, be sure to enter to our Goodness Gracious Giveaway for a set of 5 two-color thank you cards, drawing ends Monday night!

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My version of the Sand Dollar Legend

2010-07-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

Living in a coastal town, one of my family's favorite things to do is to scour for shells along the seashore. Depending on the time of year and the tide, we've been able to find some beautiful pieces of shells, rocks and even glass that have found their way into our home decor.

As life goes, I went through a point in my mid-20s when it seems like the planets were permanently lined up against me. More than just Murphy's-law-type stuff, more like all-my-hopes-and-dreams-are-coming-to-a-crash-type-stuff. It forced me to really stop what I was doing, find a way to control my worries, and do some serious self-reflection. Every chance I had I would walk along the beach, and plant myself for hours at a time in one particularly secluded spot that only the locals could find. It was there that I learned to really appreciate the gift of nature and understand that my problems were no more important than any other creature just trying to survive. Each time I felt the sand between my toes, my memory ATM spit out something that stuck with me from my Christian education:

"Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered. I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!" Psalm 139:18

Pretty profound stuff. It was during one of those - let's call them "meditation sessions" - that I happened to look down and find an almost perfectly whole sand dollar. I rubbed it clean with my fingers and thought that someday I'll look at this sand dollar and think about what this difficult time has taught me and to give thanks for everyday I have to bring happiness to others through the gift and passion that was given to me.

So when LOL Letterpress was born, it just made sense to incorporate this little sea creature that so represents a part of my history and my future.

Legend of the Sand Dollar

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Oh Happy Day!

2010-06-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

It should be no surprise to you that follow/read my blog that I love letterpress. Like LOVE letterpress. My daydreams consists of new stationery concepts, when I'm shopping for fruits and veggies, I wonder "what color pantone is that?"

Coming from a pretty cut-throat corporate environment, it is a breath of fresh air to logon to Briarpress and be surrounded by like-minded artisans that do truly want to support each other for the sake of their craft. Case in point, Tim Butler from Quality Letterpress (who helped us get set up on our restored C&P) just completed the foil work and letterpress printing of my *beautiful* business cards! He hand-fed each card on the Kluge that he foils on. Then double-sided letterpress on 220# pearl white Letra (the thick stuff).

On some of them, the sand dollar logo was blind-hit to imitate what it looks like in nature. And to give that "organic" feel, the corners were die-cut in 3/4" round.

I know I'm biased, but these calling cards were designed to show everything luxurious about letterpress printing, and with Tim's help, they did that and then some!

BTW, don't forget to enter into our Goodness Gracious Giveaway before Monday July 5th to win a set of letterpress thank you cards! I'll be throwing in a couple of these bad boys!

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GOODNESS GRACIOUS GIVEAWAY! Letterpress Greeting Cards

2010-06-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

I must control myself. In anticipation of my greeting card collection to launch on Etsy, I thought it'd be fun to start a series of letterpress greeting card giveaways for you, my dear blog-readers. Plus, it'd also be nice to know if more than my mom and dad read my entries ;)

This week, we're giving away a set of 5 letterpress thank you cards! Printed in two colors - raspberry and lime - these luxurious cards are sure to dazzle their recipients. In fact, the last time I sent letterpress thank you cards for a birthday gift I received, I got a thank you card for my thank you card! (I considered sending another thank you card, but... see above note about self-control).

This week marks my blog's one month anniversary, so thank YOU so much for graciously visiting me and enjoying my custom collections!

Here's how to enter:

Sign up as a follower to my blog and post a comment below about your favorite featured invitation
Become a Facebook fan of LOL Letterpress, and come back here and post a comment that you are a fan
Follow me on Twitter and tweet about your favorite LOL featured invitation, and come back here and post a comment that you are following

Feel free to enter in all three ways! A winner will be chosen at random on Monday, July 5th at 9:00PM (PST). Sorry, entries received after this time will not be considered. Open to US and international residents.

OK, you can enter too mom and dad.

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{The Keiki Collection} Pretty in Pink & Gray

2010-06-24T23:17:00.000-07:00

Today I dug back in the archives and found one of our first jobs. This was back in the day when we were still working with our Kelsey Excelsior press, the press I learned on. Little baby Brooke announced her birth and baptism via these uber-cute invitations. I'm really digging the raspberry and gray combo - an unexpected pair that works pretty well together, don't you think?

The bellyband is constructed of a coordinating pink floral die cut set against a gray backdrop. Open it up to find the invitation printed with pink and gray on pearl white cotton paper highlighted against a matching gray backing.

Tucked in the inside pocket is baby's announcement and probably the cutest picture I've ever seen.

I hear you all sayin, awwwwwwwwwwwwww...

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More blog love - Wedding Warehouse

2010-06-23T23:55:00.000-07:00

For many brides, planning a wedding can be a bit overwhelming. I mean, not only do you want those invitations to represent you and your fiance but they need to be accurate and timely. But they really are only one piece of the whole event puzzle. I know when I was planning for our big day, I pulled in all my resources and explored many a website for items that I just couldn't find or pick up at the local craft store.

So I am happy to be a part of the Wedding Warehouse family where a bride or planner can easily search through logical categories based on their overall theme or color scheme.

I'm loving these hand painted butterflies in their EVERYTHING butterflies category.

But they're not as cool as this wedding topper:

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Behind the Scenes - Styling the LOL Fair Booth

2010-06-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

Here at LOL Letterpress, we're getting pumped up for the fourth of July weekend where we will be sponsoring a booth at a local fair. Boy, I didn't realize all the details that went into styling a booth and prepping inventory! I soon got over my overwhelmed feeling when I realized, "hey, I get to SHOP!"

One of my all time favorite wholesale warehouses is a wonderful place called Shinoda's. It is my Disneyland. Make that DisneyWORLD... with cherries on top! It caters mainly to the interior design creatives, but there are some amazing finds for truly custom handmade invitations if you just look close enough. And...I've been told once or twice I've got a good eye for a good deal...ahem.

Floor to ceiling shelves jammed pack with unique items that changes with the seasons. Aisles and aisles of ribbon, silks, shells... you name it, they got it. (Excuse the photo quality, I was working with a camera phone)...

Perhaps my favorite part of visiting Shinoda's is the eye candy that exists at each of the end caps. They're created by a fellow named Noel, and all I know about him is that he styles the backdrops for the Oscars and Grammys. He's only there a few times out of the year, but he sure leaves his mark on the place! So inspiring...

So much time, so little to see! Strike that...reverse it.
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{The Keiki Collection} Off the Chain

2010-06-21T22:33:00.000-07:00

Kids grow up SO. DARN. FAST. It literally feels like last week I was sumo wrestling with little Kayla, laughing our heads off as our throw pillow bellies bumped and threw us on the living room floor. Now? Well, I'm lucky if I get a text from her that I can actually decipher. Just the other day, I asked her how she was doing, and I get this... NMU? GTG TTYL

Huh?

And here I thought I was "hip" because I actually knew what LOL meant. (Great, I just called myself "hip," I'm officially "old").

So when Kayla's mom (my BFF) approached me to design and make Kayla's sixteenth birthday party invitations, I of course agreed. I was given total creative freedom to come up with something that represents Kayla, but on a limited budget. So, this was a perfect opp to branch out of letterpress (momentarily) and incorporate a variety of color into the design.

The invitation was printed digitally, framed against a charcoal backing, and enclosed in a Envelofold(r)/envelope. Look close enough, and in the inside flaps you'll see embossed stamping of a repeating flower detail pulled from the invitation design.

My favorite part? The reaction Kayla had when I showed her her invites. I liked it so much I named them after what she said to me, "They're OFF THE CHAIN!"

HPY MON.
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Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

This Father's Day is a special one in my house, since it's the first time my husband will be celebrating it as a new dad himself! A momentous occasion like this calls for nothing less than the best, so I designed this coastal-inspired greeting card just for him. (I guess this ruins the surprise doesn't it?).

And since we love all things paper and letterpress, this is a great time to show you a sneak peek into our latest line here at LOL, our greeting card collection called "Best Wishes." These and others will be available on Etsy very soon, I promise! Here's a few shots to wet your appetite:

For all you fathers and grandfathers out there, I hope you have a wonderful Father's Day weekend. And for my dad and hubby, thank you for being my rock and inspiration, Happy Father's Day, we love you!
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As seen on Aislinn Events

2010-06-16T23:10:00.000-07:00

When I woke up this morning, I had a good feeling. Maybe it was the sound of birds chirping, the sweet smell of coffee, or... a tweet?!? The little birdie in my iPhone says "Vintage Circus" has been featured by a wonderful event planner Annie Byrne from Aislinn Events!

Annie is a SoCal native who followed her dream all the way to Ireland to become a successful event planner in one of the most beautiful destinations in the world! Her tagline "Live, Love, Laugh and Dream" says it all doesn't it? One of many things that makes Annie stand out from the crowd is her passion and dedication to stay on the cutting edge of all things stylish and beautiful in the world of weddings and other special events. Just looking through her blog, (I spent hours of my day doing so) you get to know her as a woman with great taste and a real sense of style. I am SO honored to have been today's featured post!

I know when I was planning my destination wedding, having someone with local knowledge meant the difference between a "party" and a "they'll-be-talking-about-this-4eva!" event. Let Aislinn events create that LOL moment for you!

Just looking at these shots makes me wants me to renew my vows (you hear that babe?)
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{The Keiki Collection} The Tale of Peter Rabbit

2010-06-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

It's time to take a little break from the wedding collection to show you a sweet little baby shower invitation with a fairy tale theme. Having a little one at home, we're very well versed in the stories of Ms. Beatrix Potter. Her all-time classic "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" is a staple theme in modern nurseries, including that of Michael and Sarah's new baby. So, of course, her baby shower invitations had to carry on the story.

The gender of said baby is yet to be determined, so I neutralized the color palette to a soft yellow and lime green. Just to jazz it up a bit, a page from the Peter Rabbit story book was used to line the envelopes - you can even read an excerpt if you search deep enough!

Off to Mr. McGregor's garden!
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{The Wedding Collection} Divine Damask

2010-06-14T23:36:00.000-07:00

What is it about damask that I love so much? It's on my curtains, it's on my throw pillows, come to think of it it's even the cover of my sketchbook. Originating from Florence, Italy, damask was - and still is - most commonly seen in textiles but has expanded its popularity in the stationery world. How happy was I when Angela and John asked me to design a damask theme program cover for their fall wedding!

With such a regal pattern, I had to show it off so we printed black on fluorescent white and hit their monogram in hot pink to match the couple's color scheme. I like how that extra splash of color tends to modernize what is known to be a pretty traditional print.

Truly divine!

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{The Wedding Collection} Woodland Simplicity

2010-06-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

Today's blog is an ode to all things simple in nature. The bride, Emily, is a forest ranger so it was only appropriate that she went for a wedding theme that brought her back to her roots in Oregon. She specifically mentioned a "no frill" presentation, so I had to dig deep, put the ribbon down, and make the paper do all the showcasing.

Printed on a high textured recycled paper, a light impression was chosen so as to not compete with the deep wood grains. The invitation and RSVP cards are housed in a moon enclosure in a coordinating moss green.

Can't you just smell the pine?

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{The Wedding Collection} Raise Your Glasses

2010-06-09T23:42:00.000-07:00

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I've attended my share of winery weddings. My favorite part about these events is to be able to stroll through the vineyards and smell the sweet aroma that is so uniquely Napa. The vino selection at these parties aren't half bad either, which always makes for some pretty memorable best man/maid-of-honor speeches (I'm just sayin'). For that reason, I'm calling today's feature - "Raise your Glasses."

I love going to my local stationery store and coming across new paperie that I've never seen before. I remember I was absolutely *swooning* when I found this cork paper hidden behind faux moss and wood veneer (more on that later). I've used it to line the inside of the sage green box mailers to give it that cork-and-bottle feel.

The invitation card, RSVP, and monogram were printed with a deep purple and blue/black ink on ecru cotton.

Wine improves with age, the older I get the more I like it. Cheers!
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{The Wedding Collection} Soul'Mates

2010-06-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

This next feature is extra special since it marks the first job LOL Letterpress went international! Australia to be exact. Jo and JR are a hip, young couple with a taste for all things traditional and classic.

They wanted their invitation to match their own personal styles and that of their grand ballroom venue, so we started out by choosing a teal blue swirl motif that was echoed in various ways throughout the suite to ensure a cohesive look and feel.

Their invitation card and entourage lists were letterpress-printed with blue and gray on ecru cotton paper, while the RSVP postcard and bellyband were digitally printed on a champagne shimmer cardstock.

Being the organized freak that I am, we couldn't just have all these parts and pieces laying around, so we tucked everything nice and neat in a matching ecru enclosure.

For never having spoken with the bride and groom during the whole design process, we did alright for ourselves! The wedding is sure to be over-the-top in the Down-Under!

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{The Wedding Collection} Vintage Circus

2010-06-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought themed weddings were a thing of the past... THIS comes across the blogosphere. It takes a whimsical couple to pull off a theme like this, I mean really, clowns stuffed in a VW bug? elephants teetering on a giant ball? Hardly. Think: ruffled parasols hanging from the ceiling, "feather trees" made from colorful ostrich plumes, and vintage antique candelabras.

With an event like that, Mary and John had to have a wedding invitation that played the part.

Designed to mimic a stage curtain, the invitation suite is draped in red velvet. Untie the gold tasseled cording to unveil their announcement printed with flame red and black on fluorescent white cotton paper. Stage left and tucked in a velvet pocket, guests will find an invitation to the couple's rehearsal dinner.

Stage right sits their RSVP card/ entry ticket to the festivities.

I feel sorry for anyone who has to check the second box...

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{The Wedding Collection} Island Elegance

2010-06-04T22:58:00.000-07:00

I had so much FUN working on these invitations for Elizabeth and Jake! The challenge: find a way to represent Elizabeth's taste for fine luxury and Jake's passion for the outdoors. So we combined the elegance of coral dupioni silk with a coconut shell button detail tied with natural hemp strings to produce - you guessed it - "Island Elegance."

They knew they wanted a 3-piece suite, and I immediately thought of an accordion style booklet (seen more commonly in the scrapbooking world) to showcase each card.

Their wedding had a tropical setting, and they wanted to "wow" their guests and make the destination wedding double as a family reunion/vacation of a lifetime.

Mission accomplished!
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{The Wedding Collection} Oo La La!

2010-06-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

Since we're on the topic of lace, I figure I'd feature one of my latest creations in texture, appropriately named "Oo La La!" I had to brush up on my French for this one.

Arielle and her fiance Etienne are having a DREAM wedding in Paris next month and they wanted their invitation to tell their love story. Picture black tie, red carpet, women adorned in French hats that look like they just stepped out of a cover of a 1930s French Vogue. What a story to tell!

We started with the paper. Printed on fluorescent white cotton, the dark blue/black inked typography pops off the page. The main card lies on a black lace pillow, the RSVP card is raised on a backing sheet made of the same fabric, both are housed in a silk covered box and topped off with black marabou and faux feathers - tres chic!

Can I invite myself to this wedding? Seriously.

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{The Wedding Collection} Grandma's Lace

2010-06-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

There's a really cute rom com - maybe you've seen it - called The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Betty White. In one scene, Sandra's character is trying on Betty's wedding dress and it fits WAAAY too big on her (funny ;) but that's beside the point). AAAnyway, the dress she puts on is adorned with this beautiful vintage lace that serves as the inspiration for my next feature I like to call "Grandma's Lace."

My client/bride Ann will be wearing a gorgeous wedding dress that incorporates delicate ivory hand-crocheted vintage lace trim from her grandmother's wedding dress circa 1920s. She was able to score a replica sample of the lace (seen here) and I used a 100% cotton paper in ecru to accentuate the aged feel of the invitation.

I don't know about you, but I'll be adding this movie to my Netflix queue in a minute.

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{The Wedding Collection} Lemon Meringue

2010-06-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

I spent most of the long weekend creating in my craft cave, compiling a series of my favorite invitation suites for me to reminisce and for you to enjoy...

Probably one of the most appealing characteristics of letterpress is its tactile texture. I remember the first time I held a letterpress card in my hand - I thought, what is this? Fabric? {Why yes, cotton to be exact}. I remember caressing line by line, thinking - how did they do THIS?

That was the reaction Samantha had when I showed her her wedding invitations, a set I like to call "Lemon Meringue." Samantha and her fiance Jeremy met in San Diego, but were born and raised in Hawaii. The setting of their wedding was the amazingly exotic National Tropical Botanical Gardens in Kauai (luuuucky).

She was such a joy to work with, she wanted to wow her guests and pretty much gave me creative freedom to dream up something that would exude both their personalities. I married (pun intended) their favorite colors - yellow and green - and exaggerated the texture of cotton with the texture of tweed to produce this:

aloha,
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The workhorse

2010-05-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

I would be remiss if I didn't talk more about the heart and soul of our operation - my 1894 restored 8x12 Chandler & Price platen press. As I mentioned, it was a wonderful present from my dear husband for our one year (paper) anniversary. While the "beast" was intimidating at first, once we worked through setting the platen, determining how much packing to use, ink to use, etc. this chunk of cast iron has become like a new member of the family. Or I should say, a really old member of the family.

We owe it to the skilled craftsmen at DeFelice Engineering in Indiana for the restoration and delivery of this priceless antique. They were great about keeping us apprised of the restoration process, taking and sending pictures along the way. I was pleasantly surprised to have received an "owner's manual" full of handy information like oil points, some history of the press, even an old price list for parts from 1968.

I was most impressed with the level of detail and precision they took to restore this machine to "museum-quality" by hand-gilding the logo and line work. Take a look:

Next splurge? A motor. My right pant leg is fitting a little snug these days.

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Learning the art of letterpress

2010-05-25T23:37:00.000-07:00

I owe it to Ms. Martha & Co. for my letterpress obsession. While she certainly didn't "invent" the art of letterpress she arguably "reinvented" it as the most desired invitation printing method for today's poshest brides. Page through any MS Weddings magazine and you'll see absolutely beautiful creations in letterpress draped in dupioni silk, pearls, crystals - it's a good thing!

So what is letterpress exactly and what makes it so magazine-worthy? Disclaimer: I am by no means an *expert* in letterpress, but I'll give you my best description from a faithful student's perspective.

First off... the press. My partner in life and printing - my husband - surprised me with a refurbished 1894 Chandler & Price old-style platen press for our one year anniversary. I know, AH-mazing! Each sheet is lovingly fed by hand and run off of good-ol'-fashioned elbow grease.

Many printers create a design by "locking in type," lead (even wood) blocks with a raised "type high" surface on one side that when pressed against paper, it leaves an inked impression. Modern techniques involve the use of photopolymer plates which allows for much more design freedom with minimal limitations.

The process requires amazing precision, meticulous crafting, and a discerning eye. One of my favorite parts of printing is the use of paper (of course). The possibilities are many, but the most popular and my favorite is composed of 100% cotton (tree-free) 110 pound paper that feels like fabric and looks handmade. It receives the impression and ink from the polymer plate perfectly whether you kiss it with a shallow impression or punch it with a deep deboss, like so:

When you put all these elements together, the result is pure luxury you can see and feel. Follow along as I take you through LOL Letterpress' latest creations in art.

Special props go out to my mentor and printer-extraordinaire, Tim Butler. Watch as we finish a two-color wedding invitation suite for a client in Australia.

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Why LOL?

2010-05-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

Our business name certainly did not come to me immediately. At one point there literally was a pile of crumpled steno papers on my living room floor. Should I incorporate my name? My favorite flower? My love for all things paper? hmmmm... I wanted something catchy, something that rolled off the tongue, something people will hopefully remember. I was kinda just hoping it would come in a dream or as I was brushing my teeth - which is when I think of my best stuff ;)

Well... I just got done brushing my teeth and went downstairs to have breakfast with my husband and mother-in-law. "I got it! 'Love. Life. Letterpress.' Too long?" Silence. It's catchy, it describes what I cherish, but... too many words.

My MIL is incredibly creative and has great style, one of my sounding boards for new concepts no matter how crazy they sound. "How about LOL?" she says.

I like it. I let it sit. I let it marinate. I think, "Laugh out Loud (cute). Love of Life (true). Labor of Love (also true). Luxury of Letterpress (ooooooo)."

It's current, it's catchy, our company name is born!

Now onto branding... excuse me while I go brush my teeth.
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The Launch of {LOL Letterpress}

2010-05-22T22:21:00.000-07:00

My infatuation with paper started with stickers. One of my fondest memories growing up was scrolling through the sticker roll at my neighborhood stationery store, searching for the next perfect addition to my sticker album. Fast forward to the Spring of '07 when the love of my life got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! *squeal* It wasn't long before we learned about the art of letterpress and knew it would express exactly how we wanted to invite our family and friends to the most important day of our lives... what we didn't know was that it was also the start of our family business.

I am a civil engineer by trade, so the beauty of a finely constructed tactile piece coupled with the mechanics of a 2-ton cast iron press gives me goosebumps. The birth of our beautiful daughter (also a paper-lover, BTW) presented a unique opportunity for us to fulfill the dream that's been brewing inside. After a lot of hard work and long nights, I am elated to be writing my first blog entry to launch LOL Letterpress!

Without further ado, here are a few samples of our custom couture letterpress invitations and greeting card line.

If you would like to announce your special event through the luxury of letterpress, please contact me at lolletterpress@gmail.com. We would love to work with you to design a suite to fit your style and budget.

Visit us soon for more of our collection, our resources, and inspiration!