Destination Wedding: Tropical Invitations

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September 9, 2016August 27, 2016 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

Bermuda must be getting to me: I’ve been designing lots of invitations inspired by the tropics lately. And since it’s Friday, I thought you guys deserved a double feature!

Perfect for a destination wedding, or if you want your big day to feel like a getaway! And since most destination weddings happen in the winter, now is the time to get going on them!

When you’re planning destination nuptials, you might as well go all out, right? So whether you’re thinking palms or pineapples, both of these invitations feature hand-lettered brush scripts, colorful watercolor and playful illustrations, perfect for a big day at the beach!

My favorite thing about these invitations is that they don’t necessarily scream WEDDING, but they will definitely let your guests know they’re in for a fun filled day—which means they’re also perfect for any other kind of bash! They can be easily modified for a piña colada themed birthday party, a backyard luau or foliage-filled dinner party.

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Abstract Ocean Wedding Invitation

September 7, 2016September 1, 2016 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

You all know I love typography—especially at a large scale, and especially in a whimsical script. So of course this type-focused design was one of the first I created!

Originally designed for a beach side styled shoot, my ocean suite is abstract enough to work for a variety of events. I’m absolutely in love with the texture and color of that gorgeous light blue watercolor wash. I’ve also upgraded the paper in this suite to a textured stock that looks like watercolor paper and shows off the texture even more!

This suite can also be customized by changing the background color to match your plans for the big day. Just get in touch!

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Modern Romance: Purple Floral Wedding Invitations

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September 5, 2016August 27, 2016 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

Well you guys, I’ve been talking about it for months, but offset printed wedding invitations have finally hit my etsy shop! And since I’m traveling most of this month for weddings across the country, I thought this was the perfect time to launch them!

Since every couple has different stationery needs, I’ve structured the wedding section of my shop in such a way that you start with the invitation and then add on whatever enclosures and extras you’d like. The other great thing about that is that the invitations alone are really affordable—so you can have them customized for other events! Just get in touch.

I fell in love with these hand painted purple graphics from Create the Cut as soon as I saw them. Since they were part of a giveaway and quite a few designers have them, I wanted to make sure to create something unique than just placing them on the page, and these chic invites are the result!

And remember how I mentioned choosing which elements you need to make your wedding stationery suite complete? In addition to the RSVP and other enclosures, you can also add a coordinating save the date or menu for a cohesive look from start to finish.

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Branding for Yourself: 622 press’ Business Cards

August 25, 2016August 26, 2016 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

I recently printed up another big batch of my business cards, and it occurred to me that when I rebranded last year I never shared my new cards! So, even though I’m considering another update in the next year or so (the perils of being a designer!), here’s the story of my cards!

Kraft paper was part of the identity package I put together for myself, and I love the look of white and metallic ink on kraft, so I knew I wanted to incorporate those inks in some way. After testing out a few options, I settled on white for the front of my cards as it has the most contrast with the paper, making small text easiest to read.

I also wanted to have a two-sided business card, but didn’t want them to be a difficult project to print—double-sided cards are the most difficult to get a tight registration. The solution? A free form pattern that would show parts of an oversized logo I had randomly printed on the backs of my cards. For the first few runs, I went with silver on the back, but this time I switched to gold (on a slightly lighter card stock)—it felt more festive for fall and the holidays, and more on trend! (Plus, like every other creative person right now, I’m obsessed with all things gold!)

Looking at them now, I’m falling in love with them again, so maybe I’ll hold off on that redesign…. Need some cards for you or your business? Get in touch, I’d love to work with you!

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June & July Card Club — and an update!

August 1, 2016July 18, 2016 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

You guys, I have just been the worst blogger lately! A little bit of writer’s block, a little bit of being overbooked… a whole lot of super short or non-existent blog posts!

As you know (or if you don’t, scroll back through the blog, I’ve had some fun projects lately!), I have been super busy—wedding season is in full swing! In addition to the amazing paper flower project I posted about a few weeks ago, I’ve designed two non-letterpress save the dates for 2017 brides and hand-painted graphics for two more real wedding invitations, and three more for styled shoots! Check back to see all of those (and even more watercolor wedding invites!) in the coming weeks, and in the mean time, here’s a sneak peek of Julie’s invitations:

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In addition to all this bridal goodness, I’ve also been designing new cards! You’ll have to wait till the holidays to see most of them, but keep an eye out for new birthday, thank you and sympathy cards in the mean time! A few of the latest and greatest designs are sure to be included in next month’s card club, so now is a great time to join! Here’s the link.

And of course, speaking of Card Club, I forgot to post July’s collection—again! Last month I was feeling the beach vibes, so I built the collection around shades of yellow, turquoise and sand.

This week, I’m feeling all pink all the time (just check out my instagram feed!), and mixing in some bright orange—plus bikes and balloons!—feels just right for summer! For a fun surprise, subscribers also received a 5″x7″ print of my watercolor bloom design from the Digital Prints section of my shop!

I absolutely love putting these collections together each month, so if you or someone you know loves getting mail, join the club today!