Tuesday, July 19, 2011

currently obsessed with...

Sunshine Greeting Card Co. on Etsy! This shop has the type of stuff that is so creative and fun that it makes me want to get married all over again. They have some amazing save the dates, invitations and more. Here are some of my favorites...



and my personal favorite...


Aren't those amazing? I also love that you can see from the pictures that the paper quality is very good. Seriously loving this shop!

{Note: This is NOT a sponsored post. I am not affiliated with this company in any way, I just like what they are doing and felt like sharing it with my readers. All images are copyright of Sunshine Greeting Card Co.}

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Recent Projects

I thought I would share a few of my most recent projects, since I have had so many creative brides and unique clients this Summer!

First up is Erin. She wanted escort cards and table numbers to match her invitation suite. Here is the thank you card from her invitation suite (side note: I didn't create the invitation suite, just the escort cards & table numbers!) -


And here are a few of the escort cards I created to go along with that:




Fun right? I love her color scheme!

Another fun bride was having a fabulous destination wedding, and threw a few celebrity invites into the mix....




Such a fun idea!!

And just yesterday, I did the calligraphy for the Lexington Junior League Horse Show. It is a wonderful event, and I'm so happy I got to be a part of it!


I know it looks black in the photo, but those were gorgeous dark green and pink table tents. Love those!

Hope you enjoyed seeing a little bit of what I've been up to this Summer!

Friday, July 1, 2011

What the heck is going on...

Thanks for stopping by the NEW Blink Calligraphy Blog. I'm sure you've noticed by now that the previous posts were all strangely posted on the same day and about a variety of subjects. That is because I am currently in the process of switching this blog from Wordpress to Blogger. I tried really hard, but I'm just not a Wordpress girl, so back to Blogger it is!

New posts will be up on a weekly basis, and hopefully on a daily basis very soon! Please stop back by for new posts next week, and feel free to cruise our website in the meantime!

We LOVE Appreciation Photos!

One of our recent clients, Lina, sent us this photo of the calligraphy order that we recently completed for her because she thought they looked so pretty! Thanks, Lina! You made our day!


We still have a few openings left in May for new orders, so contact us soon if you would like to work with us!

Fab Finds: J.Crew Bridesmaids Dresses Under $150!

So while perusing J.Crew this morning looking for some fun Spring dresses, I noticed that there are currently some GREAT bridesmaid options on the site for less than $150. And trust me, these are definitely bridesmaid dresses that will be worn again! Here are some of my favorites:

Sunshine Peony Coccinelle Dress, $138:

Strapless Embossed Lottie Dress, $140:

Solid Embossed Beach Dress, $98:

Silk Tricotine Sophia Dress, $89.99:

When it comes to bridesmaid dresses, you really can't beat those price-points, especially for dresses that your best girls can wear again and again! If you're still searching for dresses, check these out while there are still plenty of sizes and colors available... your bridesmaids will thank you!


Best of Etsy: DIY Paperie

While our "Best of Etsy" segment normally features several sellers, today we decided to do something different! We are SO in love with one seller's work that we are giving them all the love today! That seller is:
D.I.Y. Paperie is a BRAND NEW seller that specializes in print-your-own invitations in some super sweet and modern designs. Here are some of our favorites:
 


 

And our personal favorite... WHERE were these agendas in May '09 when I needed them?

Not only are these invitations, save-the-dates and extras unique and fresh, but also the pricing is very budget-friendly! We're smitten... and we think you will be too!
{all images borrowed from D.I.Y. Paperie}

We're Loving...

Short Wedding Dresses!



 


Project DIY: Wedding Card Box

I am going to borrow a post from the personal blog that I wrote while planning our wedding because we had SO MANY questions and emails about this specific project. It is also the #1 Google search that brought people to my personal blog, so it is obviously something that brides want to know about!

Making your own wedding card box for your gift table is a very easy, inexpensive and fast project that will be absolutely necessary at your reception. I considered not having a card box at our wedding because I had no idea how many people actually give cash, checks and gift cards. For cosmetic and safety purposes, the card box is a must!

Here are the supplies you will need for this project:
  • 1 Cardboard 10x10x10 inch box with lid from a craft store (approximately $5.99)
  • 1-2 yards of the fabric of your choice - I bought 2 yards in case of mistakes (cost varies, mine was $5)
  • A sharp craft knife or box cutter (cost varies, mine was $1.99)
  • 1 can of spray glue (approximately $2.99)
  • Ribbon to wrap around the center, at least 40" (cost varies, mine was $0.97)
  • Cardstock for the label on the front (less than $1)

Because I chose a damask-style fabric with a design that goes in one direction, I could not just wrap the box like a present. Instead, I cut 2 long strips of fabric, each long enough to secure inside the rim and just wide enough to fold the edges over. I sprayed the long sides and folded the edges so they would have a finished look. If you can sew, you could just hem the edges before applying, but it is definitely not necessary. After getting the edges finished, I attached one panel to the box, which looked like this:


You would do the same thing with your second panel and apply it the opposite way as the first, covering the other 2 sides. After applying both panels to the sides, then came the lid. I basically wrapped the lid like you would wrap a present, only making sure that the sides were straight instead of pointed, so that all of the edges would be covered and not showing any of the box underneath. After the entire box was wrapped with fabric, it looked like this:


For the slit in the top of the box where your cards will go, I would recommend using a box cutter instead of a craft knife if you have one. You need something that will cut through both the fabric and the top of the box. I cut a slit in the top that was about 6" long and 1" wide. It needs to be large enough for a card to fit through, and wide enough so that you can get your fingers inside to tuck the fabric under. Here is what it looked like after cutting the slit in the top:


Then, use a small amount of the spray glue on the underside of the rough edges and tuck them inside the box, giving the top a finished look. To complete the look, I sprayed the underside of the ribbon with glue and wrapped it around the center of the box. It is okay if it overlaps, you will be covering it with a sign. Then, I printed a small sign on my computer that simply said "cards" and glued it to another piece of cardstock and then glued the entire piece to the front of the box where my ribbon overlapped. Here is the finished product:


Things to remember if you plan to do this project:
  1. SPRAY GLUE IS MESSY!!! If you can do this project outside, I highly recommend it. It sticks to everything in sight and has a pretty strong smell. If you have to do the project inside, definitely put down some newspaper or a drop cloth before spraying.
  2. Make sure to choose the "prettiest side" before applying your ribbon. There may be sides that look better than others just based on the fabric or the edges, so overlap your ribbon on that side so you can place your label on that side as well.
  3. It doesn't have to be perfect. This was a REALLY DIFFICULT thing for me to accept when doing a lot of DIY projects for our wedding day, but it is the plain and simple truth. If one side is a little uneven or the slit on top isn't perfectly in the center, your guests really aren't going to care, or even notice.
If anyone decides to make this project, we would LOVE to feature your finished product on our blog!! Be sure to email us with pictures or links to your blog detailing your process!

Inspiration Board: Football Weddings {in honor of Super Bowl Sunday!}

In honor of today being Super Bowl Sunday, it only makes sense that we bring you an inspiration board for a football-themed wedding! Of course, we know football weddings aren't the norm, but there are so many little things you can do to support your favorite team on your big day. Enjoy!

{sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}

We personally think the football team garter can be a lot of fun - especially if it is a surprise for your groom when he goes to remove it. And really, how fun is the wedding entrance picture of the bride and groom in their respective teams' jerseys? Whether this is your personal wedding style or not, we hope everyone enjoys a fun and relaxing Super Bowl Sunday!

Best of Etsy: Valentines Day Edition

So we thought we would kick things off with a little Valentines Day inspiration! We scoured the pages of ETSY to find the most unique and thoughtful gifts for your love this year! While these sweet gifts are perfect for Valentines Day, they are also perfect gifts for your wedding day! Almost all of them can be personalized, which we think makes them even more special! Here are our favorites:


  1. Etta James At Last Framed Typography Art by LyricsAndQuotes - Imagine if this is "your song" or better yet - the first dance song from your wedding! What an awesome keepsake - and they do feature other songs in their Etsy Store!
  2. Custom Wooden Tree with Birds & Personalized Heart by urastarhouse - Just like the listing says; haven't you always wanted your sweetie to carve your initials into a tree? You can take matters into your own hands with this one!
  3. I Love That You're Going to Be My Husband Origami Greeting by peacecranegreetings - So this little number gets shipped directly to your husband-to-be (they do sell other greetings for other recipients) and when he takes out the symbolic little crane, he sees the words on the rice paper in the bottom of the box. Imagine sending one to your groom on your wedding day while you can't see each other - just make sure the photographer is around to catch his reaction, you might get a really great photo op!
  4. Personalized Copper Guitar Pick by jcjewelrydesign - Another double-duty gift. Perfect for Valentines Day and also perfect as a wedding day gift for your groom. It can be really difficult to find a gift for him that is sentimental but masculine at the same time. We definitely think this gift fits the bill!
  5. Cross My Heart Personalized Crossword Print by nelladesigns - A great keepsake to display your wedding date, the day you met, or any other date that the two of you hold close to your hearts. They have several other designs, too!
  6. Custom Portrait Illustration by EmmieBean - You have got to see this one to believe it. Basically, you send them a photograph and they create an illustration out of it that you can frame and keep. Better yet - have a design created and use it for your Save the Dates... or have one made from a wedding picture and use it for your thank-you notes!
  7. Printable Love Notes Valentine Set by threewheelsdesign - This seller makes unique and modern Valentines that you can print at home and send to all of your loves this year. Definitely a great option if Spongebob or Transformers Valentines aren't your cup of tea.
  8. Mod Love Story Personalized Print by ModMemento - Another double duty gift that is perfect for Valentines Day or your wedding day. We especially love the "to be continued..." at the bottom.
  9. Personalized Wedding Promise Artwork by gracehesterdesigns - Similar to the last item, except this one features your wedding vows with your names in the middle. For those of you that write your own vows - can you imagine what a sentimental keepsake this would be?
We wanted to share these ideas sooner rather than later so that if you find yourself inspired by any of these ideas, you still have time to order, or DIY something similar if you're feeling ambitious! Happy February, readers!