Tag: hand painted

Chloe & Vanessa’s Hybrid Wedding Invitations

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

Chloe and Vanessa got married today under a big old tree in Spring Green, WI. When we started talking about their invitations early this year, they wanted that beautiful tree to feature prominently in their invitations, and were drawn to the look of watercolor as well as the luxurious tactile quality of letterpress.

Although some printers have created a watercolor-like look via multi-color (read: expensive) letterpress printing, I knew a hybrid method of offset and letterpress printing would be perfect for this project!

The design began with an old botanical sketch of an oak tree, which I laid a green watercolor wash into for their invitation. The small informational text was also printed digitally to allow the couples’ names to be printed with a super deep impression in the gorgeous cream cotton paper.

We let the watercolor shine on the information-only enclosure—the couple decided online RSVPs were the way to go—and a hand-drawn map by the bride shows off well known artistic tourist attractions such as American Players Theatre and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin along with the wedding venue.

Congratulations Chloe and Vanessa, and thank you so much for making me a small part of your big day! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!

April & May Card Club

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Where did April go? Oh right, to Las Vegas, Utah, Kansas City and New Orleans. I’ve been traveling for most of the last month, and let me tell you, it’s good to be home. I’m finally catching up on my to do list, which of course includes sending out Card Club collections! April was an extra special delivery of a set of limited edition, hand-painted letterpress prints. I always get the itch to freshen up my space in the spring, and new art is a great way to do that!

We were back to cards for May, and these are some of my faves in a bright spring palette! Like what you see? Subscribe here—and don’t forget a subscription makes a great gift for Mother’s Day or any other holiday!

A Poppy by Any Name…

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~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, my sister asked me to teach her how to make a few paper flowers. I gladly obliged and have been on a flower kick ever since! I’ve improved quite a lot since I first started making paper flowers, so I’ve been slowly working on updating my templates and photos in my etsy shop, as well as adding new blooms.

As my flowers become truer to life, I find I want to be more specific about which variety the paper bloom is modeled after, especially for poppies. The Icelandic and Oriental versions are so different, so now they’re available as separate options in my shop!

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Oriental poppies are similar to my original design, with their black centers and stamen, but I’ve updated the petal texture and added another piece to their centers to create that signature starburst look. The biggest change to these beauties is that I now offer hand-colored petals, which really makes them come alive!

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My new obsession is definitely the Icelandic variety! Their ruffled centers are crazy putzy, but the results are irresistibly beautiful. I made myself an entire bouquet to replace some older poppies I wasn’t a fan of any more, plus some extras… because I’m obsessed! Want to order a single bloom or a big bouquet? Check out the flower section of my etsy shop!

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Boho Bride: Unique Orange, Pink and Purple Floral Wedding Invitations

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

Well friends, we’re getting close to the end of my month of weddings, so I thought we’d go out with a bang. Originally created for a late-summer boho styled shoot (pics to come this fall!), I painted the watercolor flowers for these myself.

boho_floral_6004I love the energy and colors in this suite, but I think my favorite part is actually the whimsical design of the RSVP! Such a fun way to pack in a lot of information for your guests.

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Too much floral can get repetitive, so for the boho save the date, I let the brush lettering shine on an ombré watercolor background. My new offset printer offers a variety of die-cut shapes, which really makes this piece stand out!boho_savethedate_5990