Jewelry + Print Design = One Fantastic Giveaway

One of the many things I love about the stationery world, is the opportunity I've had to meet incredible fellow designers. Enter Cathe from Feterie, master of pattern and typography and all around cool girl. One thing I love about the broader indie design and handmade community are the collaborations I've seen grow and prosper between artists who work in different mediums. Enter the husband and wife design team over at Blend Creations who've partnered with Cathe to create a limited-edition, two-of-a-kind product featuring two designs from Feterie's fab gift wrap line.

Giveaway starts on 11/2/09 and ends 11/16/09. Be sure to enter HERE and while you're at it check out the many other ways to achieve additional entries. The designers will be selecting 4 winners total (each necklace has a retail value of $108) to win either the Grape Just Dots Round Necklace or the Lemon Vendome Round Necklace. Mmmm....gorgeous design and modern jewelry. My kind of contest.

It's in the bag!

I love my peeps over at Wishpot and just had to share their latest giveaway. The Wishpot team has joined forces with Avelle, the new Bag Borrow Steal, (think the Sex in the City movie) to give readers the chance at winning this fabulous fun red kate spade designer handbag! Just in time for my birthday. Holla! Retail value $429.

Here’s how to enter:

Tell, Show or Share what you want to carry in your Avelle Designer Bag!
(Your fave accessories, your pets, your dreams, the kitchen sink and more….)

Tell: for each response on the Wishpot Blog, on Avelle FB Fan Page, or on Twitter RT #Avelle, you'll get 1 entry.

Show: post a pic of what you want to carry on Avelle FB Fan Page, or on Twitter and get 2 entries

Share: sign up at Avelle, follow Avelle on Twitter or blog about this giveaway like I did, and get 3 entries. Woo-hoo!

Be sure to leave a comment on the Wishpot Blog with what you did. Giveaway lasts one week and a winner will be drawn by Wishpot on Monday Oct 5th. Good Luck and leave a comment here as well. I'm nosy like that. As for me, I'll be carrying my ipod touch, my phone, pictures of my kiddos, lots of pens, a journal and sketchbook, a load of bare escentuals and kiss my face products, and more in this bag when I win!

About the bag: kate spade ‘Quinn’ Knightsbridge Croco Tote
The clean lines and elegant croc-embossed patent leather of this kate spade tote transition effortlessly from daytime to evening. Designed to fit snugly under your arm, it’s finished with an open top, goldtone hardware, metal feet, three center compartments, signature lining and interior zip and cell pockets. Dimensions: 12"L x 3"W x 9"H. 7" handle drop.

Inspired by...

These days, I'm deeply inspired by my garden and all the delightful things I've managed (surprisingly!) to grow along with my co-gardeners. Those would be my preschool-aged daughters, who love to water (or over-water!) our crops and who get ridiculously excited about harvesting. You should have seen the excitement over the ceremonial picking of our first cucumber this morning at 7:30 AM. I've also been really inspired by the contents of our organically grown crop-share box that we get from a local farm each week. I've discovered veggies I never even knew about, like these heirloom "dragon tongue beans." Sautée with garlic and oil for an absolutely heavenly experience! And I've been forced to be more creative with my cooking. The creativity doesn't stop there though. In these veggies, I've found new color combos, shapes, and textures that I've been recording for artistic purposes. I can't wait to begin experimenting with them this fall and I've already been thinking of ways to incorporate some of these new ideas into my designs.

It might seem odd, wedding invitations inspired by summer's vegetable bounty, but it's these types of connections that I find spur the most interesting and fresh ideas for me. I love looking at bridal mags and trends, and while I never discourage a bride from doing the same, I strongly encourage couples to explore a wide range of resources. Why settle for a wedding invitation inspired by another wedding invitation, when you can have something truly unique and inspired by YOU, the connections you've made, the things you love? Look beyond the "typical" and allow yourself to be inspired by more than just "wedding ideas."

For those brides or planners out there, what decidedly non-wedding thing, place, or theme has inspired you? Fellow creatives, what randomness has been inspiring you these days? I'm dying to know! I on the other hand, need to get down to work, creating some dragon tongue-esque invites!!

Home is where the (artist's) heart is...

I've lived in a lot of places that are packed with creativity: Manhattan...Chicago...Providence, RI. Each one has a vibrant art and indie craft life of its own, brimming with coolness. When I first moved to Syracuse, NY I wondered if I'd find that same type of creative scene. At first, I thought hope was lost. And then? I found the most welcoming, interesting, and hungry art community I've come across yet.

I was thrilled when I landed, by complete chance, in the Strathmore section of the city. A neighborhood with it's own art show, Art on The Porches, designed to celebrate the area's historical homes, as well as the many local artists who live here. Check out this year's poster I created for the event, inspired by the great Government WPA posters of the 1930's.
Syracuse has indeed struggled with it's artistic identity over the years, but as a city resident I've been impressed by how many artists and non-artists alike, deeply value what Syracuse has to offer in the way of locally produced art and handmade goods.

Now, even my wildest expectations are being surpassed with the start of The Salt City Urban Art & Craft Market! More delightful indie goodness, right here on my home turf? It's almost too good to be true. My application is in and I hope to be part of what sounds like it will be an incredible display of local and regional NY talent. Thanks to the event organizers Briana and Vanessa for believing in Syracuse and beyond...

The Times They Are a Changin'

Soon the leaves will be turning autumn hues and school will be back in swing. Honestly, I can't wait! It's my favorite time of year. Lucky for me, I get to experience autumn early every year as I create fall invitations on these hot summer days. Here's a sneak peek of one I truly enjoyed creating for a very fun couple. These invitations featured a natural pressed maple leaves and as highlighted in the photo, an original illustration I created with watercolors. Almost every bride I've worked with this year has come back for programs, or place cards, or some other paper-related delight, so I'll keep you posted with pictures of the items I'm working on to match this lovely suite.

In the meantime, I've got something of my own in the works and am hoping it will be ready for September release—the all new, revamped Bride Design website! The new website will include an online shop, a fully redesigned and self-hosted blog, new additions to our couture portfolio and more. I'm really excited to expand Bride Design's offerings and make shopping our products and services easier for our clients. Perhaps I'll even have a sneak peek into the site's redesign soon!

More etsy treasury goodness!

One of the things I like about etsy is that having a shop has led me to see and find more cool art, jewelry, clothing, accessories, supplies (the list goes on...) than I could ever find roaming the internet on my own. Treasuries are a fun way to do just that. As a shop owner, I love treasuries for the exposure they provide the featured artisans and products. But as a shopper, it's the chance treasuries give to sneak a peak into the mind of my fellow creative consumers and crafts-people that thrills me.

I was thrilled to have my Modern Circles Wedding Invitation included in a very cool treasury entitled Grey Charcoal Red Pink. I think I faved about 4 items, and found a bunch of shops I probably wouldn't have found on my own. How delicious is that yarn? I totally want to renovate my bathroom with a parisian theme around that little toothbrush holder. And I wish I had $450 hanging around for that painting.

I also love that the patchwork sweater blanket included accents the grey and red colors, with an ochre-type yellow. Just like my invitation. Oh yeah, and it gets cold here in central New York...so I'll be needing that too! Thanks to Lesha's Workshop for creating this treasury and including me, and I promise not to send you the bill for all my subsequent etsy purchases {*wink*}.

Living, Loving, Laughing...Working!

Sorry I've been away so long, but the end of the school year, start of summer, and the wild activity of "wedding season" has had me up to my ears in a whole lot of all of the above. I'm really excited about the pochette invitations shown here (and the programs, donation cards, and possibly a few other reception elements that will go along with them!). I had a blast creating them for a lovely bride and groom, who also share tattoos that include the words used in the "logo" I designed for them.

The bride's vision included lots of bright white and the invitation reflects that, but I also enjoyed using her unique accent colors: coral and olive. They provided the perfect pop for the envelope lining and underscored key elements of the interior design. The inside also boasts swirl elements used to evoke the same aesthetic as her gorgeous wedding gown. I'm so thrilled that my friend Jen from She Takes The Cake is creating the wedding cake for this couple's event and I can't wait to see where she takes these ideas on what I know will be a sugar masterpiece!

Between this and my last post, I bet you are thinking what I'm thinking..."it's the year of the rings!" I've moved on to new looks, but I have certainly found wedding rings to be a big inspiration this year, especially in regards to typography. More to come, very soon. We're moving out of summer weddings and into fall and winter now, so I'll get some pictures up soon of more of our summer creations and give some sneak peaks of what you'll be seeing in September and October too!