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Every once in a while I connect with an artist’s creation. Whether it be a specific placement of a brushstroke or a mindful way a line is drawn - the smallest detail can spark a huge response. Discovering Betsy Dunlap’s artful calligraphy style elicited such a response. I was instantly captivated by the energy in her hand-drawn letters - how certain styles simply danced across the page. Officially introduced to Betsy’s work when the new Brooklyn Bride site was launched, I was hooked and a fan for life.
An enchanted garden is the inspiration for Christine’s custom wedding invitations. She loves flowers and pattern so I envisioned a simple dahlia silhouette filled with my signature lacy pattern. Hand-painted touches of creamy ivory, rich plum and sheer lilac are lovely against a champagne shimmer cardstock.
After spending several days at The Encore, Las Vegas last month, it was difficult not to come home with a head full of inspirations and ideas. I spent one afternoon slowly walking around the casino, sketching and snapping pictures. What is most striking is the manner in which the design evolves as you experience the space. Check in is alive with massive red flowers and natural light, while the casino space is darker and dramatic with its heavy light cast by red shaded chandeliers. Intense color everywhere was balanced by opulent golds.
Most inspired by the massive blooms at check-in, I envisioned an invitation just laden with rich red blossoms. The gate-fold design opens to reveal a layout featuring strong strokes of shimmering red inks and gold painted stems. A stunning gold paisley cardstock adds to the opulent feel overall.
Lately I have been quite inspired by dots. Many of my wedding invitation designs feature a subtle painted dot here or there, but recently I have been fascinated with an elegant and innovative use of the dot concept. Recently I created an invitation ensemble for Loan that featured nearly 150 dots per invitation completely hand-painted in various swirl patterns. The look, while quite detailed, was sophisticated and dynamic. How else can dots be incorporated into a wedding celebration without looking too cutesy or typically whimsical? This was my question and here is what I discovered!
Soda bottles, Hand-Painted Invitation, Dot confetti, Felt Bouquet, Polka Dot Dress
Brightly colored soda bottles with cap labels - imagine a large display of these - definitely some dot impact there! Simple dot confetti could be the perfect detail to stuff in save the date envelopes or sprinkle on a reception table. Princess Lasserton’s hand-crafted felt bouquets certainly capture the polka dot vibe with each button detail she uses. A simple satin gown peppered with tiny dots - so pretty!
Yesterday was the tabletop photoshoot I have been planning for weeks! It was such a blast to flex my creative muscle in a very different way. To all the event designers out there - huge KUDOS for the work you do everyday - it is not easy and all glamorous! My fabulous team. Daniel, our photographer, Dorian and Eloise, our floral designers and Cathy, our Cake designer were on their game!
We collaborated on two shoots. Read more about the first here.
Take a look here for a tiny sneak peek of the photos from Daniel Lanton!
While chatting with a fellow stationery designer on Twitter I discovered the stunning work of Jane Wilson-Marquis. Her hand-painted collection immediately drew me in; I wanted to see more. Jane’ s inspiration “derives from Greco-Roman, Medieval and the Arts and Crafts periods. Her clothes create a romantic vision and wrap the wearer in sculptured swatches of luxurious fabrics.” Hand-painted flourishes take fashion as art to the next level with the tactile quality of each painted stroke.
As I dove deeper in to the Jane Wislon site I discovered her “Wearable Art” Collection and was simply blown away. The sculptural quality of each gown combined with heavily painted bodices was immediately enchanting. As an eclectic wedding gown choice or spirited attendant’s dress, these painted designs would take center stage at any celebration.
It’s a Jaime Thing is a blog I have been following for quite some time and over the last few months Jaime and I have become blogging friends, so to speak. I reached out to her to put together some details to inspire an invitation design of mine and she came back to me with this dramatic and dark, True Blood board!
Photo credits: cupcake by Sweet Avenue Bakeshop, flowers on left byBella Signature, candlelit room via HMDesigns.com, boutonniere via Blooms By Martha Andrews, chairs via Jomy Goodness, black dress via Bebe, Lower right style board photo credits: True Blood on HBO.com, TrueBlood.hostend.eu, TrueBlood-Online.com, True-Blood.net and all put together at It’s A Jaime Thing on Polyvore.com
This was my third time attending one of the fabulous Engage events visioned and designed by the super smart and kind Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce. I am a BIG fan of these two gals, to say the least. Razor sharp insight into the wedding industry, down to earth personalities and a passion like none I have seen before are just some of the qualities that make these two women so very praiseworthy. Engage is a haven for the luxury wedding professional, a breeding ground for big ideas and forward thinking. While each Engage event has differed from its predecessor, I can honestly say my business and my perspective on the wedding industry and my place within it has been completely transformed. Now listen, I am not saying that attending an Engage is a magic pill to fix any business, BUT I will say if you listen hard and engage mindfully, your attendance WILL be a transformative experience.
Held at the lush Encore Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Engage! 09: The Encore boasted a speaker list built by demand. Rebecca Grinnals, Kathryn Arce, Simon T. Bailey, Marcy Blum, Sean Low among others stood before an intimate yet talent packed room of attendees, captivating us with every word. I must mention also Tracey Kumer-Moore, from Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge, who was instrumental in making Engage come to life in what she called “her city”. I had the pleasure of spending some time with Tracey and was so grateful for her insights and fabulous recommendations for thoroughly enjoying Las Vegas!
From left to right, Rebecca and Kathryn, Tracey, and Simon!
This is my first week back in the studio from a whirlwind 8 days out west. As most of you know the hubby and I are big travelers. One of our most beloved places on earth (besides home) is Utah, namely Zion National Park. When I heard of the location for Engage 09!: The Encore, we knew a trip to Zion was imminent. What better timing as we are amidst the plans for our renewal ceremony there next May!
Today is just a little teaser of the blogging to come over the next few weeks chronicling my travels and inspirations from Vegas to Utah and back! Be sure to keep an eye out for several Inspired Ink posts derived from the fabulous design of the Wynn and Encore Casinos - wow, my head is still spinning!
Gorgeous mosaic work en route to Wynn Las Vegas via Encore Las Vegas, a fun shot of yours truly and Randi Fenoli from TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress and lastly a bit of Momental stationery from the Engage Luncheon last Tuesday!
Read more…
“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.” - Linus Pauling
And so it seems I am constantly thinking of new ideas and “getting myself into trouble” as my Mom likes to say. After several weeks of creating pieces for various collaborations with some of the finest vendors in the industry I got to thinking… collaborations are one of my favorite aspects of this business. The power behind a creative team coming together to vision an idea can be, for lack of a better word, magical. Stunning tabletops like those that you may have seen in the most recent issue of Bride and Bloom from Carissa at JL Designs and Karen of Karen Tran Florals are the magic I speak of.
So I decided to head up my very own tabletop shoot. Yes, I know what you may be thinking… a tabletop designed by a stationery artist? Well yes, design of all kind has always been a passion. My home has been a veritable sketchbook for the many interior design concepts I experimented with over the years. Take a look at what things look like around the Holidays and you will see I do love to dabble in creating warm and inviting environments. So I thought, why not combine my passion for paper details with my love of tabletop design?
Later this month several of my region’s finest wedding professionals will gather to execute two tabletop shoots. The first of which is Watercolor Harvest. The details will have an artistic flair - think art books as cake stand while the color palette is inspired by my beloved collection of pink milk glass. Stay tuned next week when I share a sneak peek into the inspiration behind the second shoot and introduce my partners in crime.
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Kristy Rice, Pennsylvania
Vendor: Invitation Artist
Website: Momental Designs
About Me: I remember drawing by flashlight way past my bedtime as a
young child – I never stopped. For me creating art is not an act but a
lifestyle. I am passionate about creating moments on paper, my
home, loving my hubby and believe you can never have too
many fantastic handbags.
