upup creative

Don’t you love honest cards that tell it like it is?  I love what Julie Green, the talented designer behind Up Up Creative on Etsy.com.

via etsy.com

via etsy.com

via etsy.com

Letterpress in Toronto @ Snap + Tumble

A couple weeks ago my friend and I spent a creative couple of hours together on a Saturday at a letterpress workshop run by Tanya Roberts of Snap + Tumble.  We got to work with two different letterpress machines, learn how to set up a print, and made our way through 150 pieces of cardstock each! 

It was a lot of fun and nice to make something with your hands and see the finished product.  I found Tanya’s letterpress class especially rewarding since I spend a considerable amount of time blogging about beautiful letterpress stationery.  Now I can write from experience that I know how time-consuming, intricate and detail oriented the process is to get a good-looking end product.  I am happy with my thank you cards and personal stationery but it doesn’t come close to some of the professional items you see on the market.  If you are interested in a fun couple of hours, have an interest in learning about letterpress or want to make your own stationery, I would totally recommend the experience.  To see more of Tanya’s stuff, check out her blog here.

hand drawn invites

I was speaking to a friend tonight who is getting married this year, and she was telling me about her invitation selection process.  In passing she mentioned that she was wondering whether an all text invite is okay for a wedding.  If you have seen any of my previous posts on wedding invites, you’ll know my answer to that question is YES! YES! YES!  There is no need to go the traditional route of calligraphy on a cream background. 

Thank goodness for all the wonderfully talented and creative graphic designers out there who have pushed the boundaries of stationery to include colourful, contemporary, and sometimes minimalist designs.  I say anything goes as long as it reflects the couple.  In the spirit of my conversation tonight, I dedicate this post to you my friend. 

I love these invites from NY based, Erin Jang.  They were designed to be part of Bella Figura’s 2011 collection.

via the indigo bunting

via the indigo bunting

via the indigo bunting

affordable letterpress

I am laughing to myself as I write this post.  Affordable letterpress are not two words you often hear together in the same sentence but when experienced stationery designers ban together like they have in The Pressroom and Company, economies of scale are realized.  The Pressroom and Company , officially launched January 15, 2011, has a good business model offering letterpress enthusiasts a mini marketplace of designers and companies who have elected to collaborate together.  I have been trying to read up a bit more on letterpress myself as I am going to be taking a letterpress workshop at the end of February with a friend in Toronto.  The Pressroom and Company has designers such as Brown Sugar Design, Good on Paper, Ruby & Willow, Flush Designs and the Social Type among a sizeable list of contributors from around the globe.  Their blog and website are full of ideas, prices (thank you for transperency!), FAQs and links to the designers. 

via float paperie

Love the Design

I tell you, I continue to be impressed with Toronto’s event and design scene.  Case in point- stationery company, Love the Design on Queen East. Opened in 2009, owner Christine Flynn, is both a photographer and an artist and her company offers stylish cards and some interesting photography/wall art.  I love her invites.  Here is a selection of my favourites.

via Love the Design

via love the design

via love the design

via love the design

via love the design

via love the design

wrapping

My attention has been turned to wrapping over the past couple weeks.  Firstly, I have been to Ikea more than I would like to admit gathering items for the condo.  Every time i’m in there at the check out counter, I can’t help but look to the gift wrapping collections of bows, wrapping paper, ribbon and ornaments, they have so “conveniently” placed around the check out aisle.  I have resisted purchasing Ikea wrapping paper so far as I am still working through some roles I bought last year.   However, last week I made my yearly pilgramage to the Ashley’s Warehouse sale in Toronto to stock up on gifts, home items and wrapping accessories.  What I love about the Ashley’s sale is that they have a massive wall of ribbon at discounted prices, all colour coded, and ready for an imaginative gift wrapping.  I picked up three spools this time, in different patterns (gingham, polka dots, checks) in purples and greys.  When I saw a similarly themed post on Lorajean’s Magazine, I was ready to put my purchases into practice.  Fortunately for me I have a reason to wrap gifts.  Tomorrow night, one of my close girl friends is getting married and I put together an entire beverage themed gift for her that will involve wrapping lots of boxes.

via lorajean's magazine