Custom business cards for a fellow Etsyan

September 14, 2015September 8, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 3 Comments

I love working with other Etsy sellers. They value the handmade nature of my work, their familiarity with the site eliminates any technical issues, and they’re usually really great about giving feedback and letting me know when the final product has arrived. So when Sharon got in touch about ordering business cards, I was all too happy to help!

She had a branding package created by another designer, but unfortunately the original designer was unreachable and Sharon only had low resolution JPGs—not good enough files for me to order printing plates. Luckily, I’m awfully handy with Illustrator, so I spent the better part of a day recreating her logo and the gorgeous illustrations from her branding package and we were ready to go!

Sometimes, it can take quite a few rounds to get the design right, but this process was fairly painless. I rush-shipped in some ecru paper, ordered her printing plates and got to work. These cards are more intricate than many I’ve done and I just love the way they turned out!

Make sure to take a moment to check out her shop—it’s filled with amazing vintage jewelry from the early 1900s. This necklace is one of my favorites—leave it to me to hone in on the diamonds!

Call for weddings: 2016!

September 10, 2015September 8, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 4 Comments

Well you guys, it’s official: the 2016 wedding season has begun! Couples are starting to inquire about invitations left and right, but one on-the-ball bride already has her save the dates printed, and probably in the mail! Adrienne wanted the ever-popular coaster save the date, but she wanted the design to reflect her fairly formal wedding. I created a design that employed traditional typefaces and a fancy, yet very legible, script.

She also wanted to feature the crest of her future family quite prominently, so I created a vector illustration from the image of the crest she provided. I love how it looks in the gold ink! And my favorite part about these coasters is that I was able to get a fairly deep impression on the gold printing without the coaster cracking as it often does. I added a few filigree flourishes in a dusty rose pink that’s part of her wedding color scheme and voila! The perfect save the dates.

Getting hitched next year? Now is the time to order your own save the dates—coasters or paper! Get in touch here :)

Christina & Micheal’s Villa Terrace Wedding

July 13, 2015June 29, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

Christina and Micheal got married at the end of June at Villa Terrace in Milwaukee. I love the design the couple’s brother/brother-in-law came up with: It’s modern while paying homage to their chosen venue and its current function as a decorative arts museum.We had to make a few tweaks to make them more letterpress-friendly, but overall they’re exactly as they envisioned.

I finished these several months ago (I like to keep invites under wraps until after the nuptials unless the couple says it’s ok!), and looking at them again has me excited to start printing next summer’s invitations! Getting married next summer? It’s not to early to get in touch! Visit the wedding stationery section of my etsy shop or get in touch for a custom design!

Floral Initials

July 2, 2015June 27, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

This project has been on my mind since I first started experimenting with paper flowers. I love letters and I love flowers, so why not combine them? Can’t think of one good reason, huh? Knew it.

Anyway, I started with a template of the letter, cut it out of chipboard, then added 2.5″ tall strips around the edges to make it three-dimensional. I filled the “box” with my handmade crepe-paper flowers, then added some extras and a bit of foliage to fill it out. I’m absolutely in love with the results!

I made this “H” for a friend, who displays it on her nightstand (her photo is below), but I can also see these initials hanging on a gallery wall, or as the centerpiece of the front table at a wedding! An ampersand is also available! Check them all out here.

622 Studio is here!

June 30, 2015June 29, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 2 Comments

While I was away, 622 press turned seven! This year to celebrate our birthday, I’ve launched 622 Studio: the digital version of the brick-and-mortar shop I want to have someday. Now, instead of just printed goods and stationery, I’ll be selling everything I create—textiles, art, crochet accessories, paper flowers and more—in my etsy shop!

The first new product line I launched last week are my new paper flowers! Each one is made from sheet of crepe paper that I’ve cut and molded into individual petals, then assembled around a wire stem. I add a sepal and wrap the stem with floral tape, sculpt the petals a bit more, and voila! A gorgeous flower that remains fresh all year long.

I loved figuring out the structure of each different bloom and shaping the petals to be as lifelike as possible. In the shop you’ll find individual blooms (perfect for home decor and craft projects!), ready-to-go bouquets and home decor. I’ll also be offering wedding services soon!

The other new product line I’ve launched thus far is digital art prints! I’ve shared a little bit of my watercolor work and hand-lettering here, and this is what it’s all been working toward. I scan the artwork from my sketchbook, do some photoshop and vector work and then combine them into a design I’d love to hang on my wall.

The best part about these prints is that they’re inexpensive and instantaneous: All you have to do is purchase them in my etsy shop and either print the jpg that arrives in your inbox on your home photo printer or send them over to Kinko’s, Walgreens, etc., then pop them in a frame!