Tag: inspiration

Kindness is Everything

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 12 Comments

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Last week an old coworker asked if I would design a more polished version of a handwritten sign she had seen in a neighbor’s yard. I agreed with pleasure, it felt good to counteract the hate swirling around our country in any way, no matter how small.

The last three days, I’ve answered hundreds of emails about the sign, group orders are being placed in communities nationwide, it’s been shared thousands upon thousands of times on social media and an etsy store has been opened to handle all the requests for stickers, magnets prints and more. We’re quickly approaching $2,000 for the ACLU from orders via our original group, and other communities all over the country have used the graphic to raise funds as well.

You guys, this little sign is what did it: restored my faith in my countrymen, lifted me out of my post-election haze. If you’re here because you sought out this message that resonated with you, thank you. Keep spreading the love and let others know that the headlines in America right now do not represent us. Love will always trump hate. Always.

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Light Painting with Ballyknock Photography

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

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You’ve seen quite a few photos by Adrian Cunningham, otherwise known as Ballyknock Photo over the last two years. (Check out this one, this one and this recent one here.) I figured it was about time I payed him back, so a few weeks ago, we headed to an empty beach just before sunset and made some awesome images!

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Adi has been into long-exposure night shots for a while now, has also done some artsy work with sparks and steel wool, and recently he discovered Eric Paré’s light painting work and tutorials online and was hooked! 5R0A2862 5R0A2882

For each shot, I stood perfectly still for somewhere between 10-30 seconds while Adi triggered the shutter on the camera to open remotely, then waved a lighted tube behind me. The results are varied and awesome! 5R0A2894-Edit

These are just a few of my favorites—check out more from this session and others, along with the rest of his work here!

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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