Finished up a second complete set of my 'like a rock' pairing. Hand cut linoleum block print in copper & silver, hand painted tribal design frame, and hand sewn & designed linen 'rock' soft sculpture. I am in love with this graphic combination of elements: the modern frame with the natural simplicity of the sentiment and rock.
Sent out a few envelope calligraphy samples today that I'm pretty excited about too.
This weekend Michael and I decided to spontaneously introduce Liam to finger paint. I think we both realized fairly quickly that a drop cloth of some sort was in order. Oops. Watching him experiment with making marks (everywhere the brush could reach. you can see that we abandoned the confines of sitting down) and mixing colors filled me with an immeasurable amount of happiness and inspiration. Gosh, I don't know who had more fun: this boy, or his overly proud parents!
Just finished up a very gardentastic wedding suite for a fellow RIT alumnus (and former resident!). The bride requested that I include the arbor at the winery where the ceremony will take place, and gave me a glimpse into the bridal bouquet inspiration. I love the combination of envelope colors she chose to go with the shimmer silver pocket, too - the lady has got taste! Oh, spring weddings are just so pretty!
I don't think I could have imagined a more lovely collaborative invitation than this. Each piece was given so much character, down to every last detail. Cecelia has a way of making magic happen with vellum, and is the only person I know that can give a building a cute personality. This was just seriously fun to work on, and how pretty is that blush color? Can't you just feel the love between these forever friends? 
I find that I'm often pretty embarrassed by how much time has passed since I've done a painting. I mean really really painted. I do a lot of watercolor pieces for wedding invitations, but my acrylic paint has simply been neglected. I miss it, and then when I pick it up again, it fights with me for a while before things pull together. I'm really pretty happy with my most recent piece, which is a diptych that I just finished for my parents. Each panel is 12x24". I was caught somewhere between decorative italian renaissance scrollwork and more contemporary patterning, but I think I found a compromise. Time to head to their happy new home!
It's been busy around here with lots of fun new weddings to work on. I've had some nice opportunities to try out new ink combinations on the last few envelope jobs. Both were on paper bag envelopes, which are always a perfect neutral to sneak a little color onto. One was accented with a blush color gouache, the other with a bright peacock blue. I'm really excited to see the full suites put together when they are back from the printer. One especially, which was a collaborative effort between my good friend Cecelia and me. Can't wait to share it soon!
My latest wedding ensemble. They will be printed on a soft white stock, but just for fun I had a set printed on bright white to pair with dual tone gray envelopes. I'm torn. I think I'm liking this cream color after all, but I do love my grays! Thank goodness it wasn't my decision, haha!
I recently finished up a big calligraphy job for the absolute nicest former coworker, Allison, from my favorite stationery store. It was easy to become interested in illustrating and designing specifically for the wedding industry while I was around the inspiring, fun, & talented ladies at Poême ; so obviously I was thrilled to work on these. And I think I might like this slanted addressing, too.
It is nice to see a bit of freedom in my schedule now, before another wave of invitations begin. I've been finding tiny bits of time here and there to work on some adorably small projects (notice how cute that sentence sounds?). I whipped up this 'pair and a spare' set of mittens just last week for a lucky little lovebug.
A few months ago at the RYP Entrepreneur Expo, I shared a cozy corner with fellow RIT alumnus and friend from student government, Lori Coleman. It's a funny thing that after nearly 5 years, we both found ourselves married, immersed in the whirlwind of creative energy that is the wedding industry, & greatly influenced by wonderful families and children. Lori had recently joined forces with another local photographer, Erin Perotta, and they were looking to brainstorm a new identity for themselves. I will say this, those two have their act together! We really only went back and forth conceptually a few times before the logo was, well, pretty darn perfect for them. What we ended up with wasn't that far from the initial sketch, which was intended to capture a bit of each of their personalities ( if you've seen Lori's hair, you know what I'm talking about- this girl's got curls!).
Lori spent a nice afternoon with me in my studio a few weeks back to snap some photos for a spotlight she did on their new identity & of my work. Gosh, I'm blushing just looking at it again! I love that she came to our home for the shoot. Being in my own environment made it feel more casual, and probably helped avoid a lot of those 'deer in headlights' moments (ok, Liam needed a little warming up). And they are darn good at capturing the perfect moments too! Go check out their completely adorable portfolio at lorianderin.com.
My studio buddy. Love him!
Trying to clear out of some cards from past years to help inspire new designs and hopefully increase production. Head over to my sale page to catch some bargain cards - maybe you'll even snag some of the remaining valentines!
I've had a few really fun wedding calligraphy jobs already this month, and a super fun neon pink valentine addressing gig coming up shortly, too. White is probably one of my favorite inks to use, but the cream and coral on those grey string & button envelopes is a pretty sweet combination. Dare I say a new top choice?
One of my favorite wedding invitation ensembles of recent: a Sedona, AZ & vintage lace themed set. This was particularly fun because it was for my very very first childhood friend, and she's just plain cool! I love the way the red rock turned out on the RSVP, and they were printed on a flecked cardstock, which looks great with the paper bag envelopes. That prickly pear cactus is pretty neat, too.
Getting ready to drop off a handful of client packages this week at Studio180. Such an amazing wedding collaborative of photographers, videographers, and florists. And oh, how I love this peacock color envelope.
Oh, gosh. Has it really been this long since I've blogged? Yikes. I've had a very busy start to the year, to say the least. I just wrapped up some promotional pieces for a private film screening of Ina May Gaskin's Birth Story. I have to say, I'm really pretty interested in seeing the film, and it sounds like a lovely event. I was working on these posters with a seriously awesome woman here in Rochester, Colleen Flaherty, who owns her own pregnancy fitness business. Go check out Baby Bump Academy to see what she's all about & get inspired!
Well look at me. Getting all fancy with my matching coffee, twine, & binder; and my table, specifically cleaned off for my first bridal consultation of the year! wooo weee! I'm excited because my calendar for January and February is quickly filling up with new weddings, and it's a nice mix of different colors, themes, and responsibilities. I like to alternate between envelope calligraphy jobs and custom invitations to give my hand a break or test out some new design ideas.
This calligraphy piece is heading to the nursery of a cute little girl, of this super awesome bride, and is meant to coordinate with a most beautiful rug from Anthropologie. It's one of my more colorful pieces to date, and I'm thinking it will look pretty darn magnificent to a child's eyes!
And finally, the thank you notes that we sent out for Liam's 1st birthday. That boy makes me melt!
Honestly, I just can't believe it's 2013. Really, truly. I spent all new year's eve thinking about where I was one year ago on that day: at home with michael, my parents & brothers, playing board games, counting minutes & contractions, and walking many laps around our kitchen. Who knew (we did. or at least hoped) that half a day later we would be snuggling our new son, and knowing in that moment that nothing else would ever steal our hearts away from that little boy.
Happy 1st birthday to you, Liam! You have made our hearts so full of joy, our lives so richly blessed, and our house just a little bit cuter.
This illustration was done for a very good family friend to give to her daughters. Lots of good advice in here for raising a strong, honest, just plain caring family! I tried to go for a contemporary take on the traditional wreath. I think it's nice that it feels seasonal for the holidays, but can be left out all year.
New lino-cut thank you notes with kraft paper envelopes from last week's show. Although I really love carving stamps by hand, I currently prefer printing them with ink pads rather than block printing ink. Who knows, I may return to the traditional way if i decide to use a light ink on darker paper (and have room to spare on the floor while they dry), but for now this is oh so convenient. Oh, the beauty of being able to change my mind! I'm hoping to get them up in my etsy shop for the new year, along with a selection of sale cards from past seasons. Everyone loves a good deal, am I right?
And some photos from the RIT winter show last week.
A tiny original painting from last year that I finally framed.
In my heart I felt called to do an illustration honoring the children of Sandy Hook. It helped to envision them being welcomed into their safe new home, and in the tiniest way, has brought some comfort over the last few days. While I still ache for the grieving families in Connecticut, I mostly feel thankful that I can spend this time with the people I love, celebrating with Liam on his first Christmas. And even though it should be the reality of every moment of every day, life has never seemed more precious than now.
I've been busy with last minute holiday card preparations for the annual RIT winter craft sale. This will be the only craft show I am doing this holiday season, featuring several new holiday designs and thank you's, along with some clearance cards from past years. I am also proud to announce that I will be able to accept credit cards this year. I'm making it easy! So stop by the SAU lobby & Fireside Lounge on Friday, December 14 from 10-4pm for a jolly good time supporting fellow RIT staff and alumni!
