The Flourish Market Branding

This past fall I designed the branding for a friends ethical fashion truck and it was such a dream project to work on.  The Flourish Market is a fashion boutique and mobile truck spreading dignity around the globe.  They partner with companies who provide dignified jobs and fair wages to artisans and makers in vulnerable communities and I highly recommend checking out the beautiful products they sell.

When Emily came to me with her concept she wanted a brand that communicates a girly wanderlust feel with a sophisticated handmade look to represent the artisans whose work she sells.  

I developed a world map graphic with hand drawn patterns as a nod to the handmade products she sells.  She already had her color palette of black, blush and gold selected but I tried to strike a balance of girly but sophisticated.  

I love how this project turned out and I probably own half of her products as I've in turn become a loyal customer of the beautiful goods she sells.  If you live in North Carolina you need to check out her truck schedule as it is such a fun shopping experience with a great cause.

Holiday Styled Shoot

I loved working with Melissa from Blink Photography on this styled wedding shoot where the inspiration was berry colors and a touch of holiday.  The Blanc Denver was the perfect venue to provide a modern blank canvas for the slightly rustic but glamorous decor.  This shoot is the perfect inspiration if you are looking to get married around the holidays but don't want it to be over the top holiday themed.

I designed the place cards below to be die cut names attached to pomegranates to help add a pop of color to the table.  Place cards are a great way to think outside the box and have do double duty by incorporating them into your table decor.

The invitation was designed to fan out with a patterned folder in the pack holding the RSVP card and information card.  It was all tied together with suede and a wax seal.

The favors were tree saplings for guests to take home and plant.  I designed a sign to look like a slice of wood to attach to the favor basket.

VENDORS: Photographers: Blink Photography Inc and Stephanie Ramsey Photo Florist: The Perfect Petal | Rings: Kristin Coffin | Furniture: Colorado Party Rentals | Venue: Blanc

Business Card Edging

When I redesigned my brand earlier this year the item I was most excited about designing was new business cards.  I ordered beautiful double thick cards from Moo but the basic edge colors they offered did not match my brand so I of course decided to do it myself.  

The problem was I couldn't find the right tutorial that worked and ended up having to go through a series of trial and errors.  Luckily I finally had success with acrylic paint and since many of you have asked how I did it I thought I'd share this tutorial with you. 

Materials:
Clamps 
Acrylic Paint in the color of your choosing
Foam Paintbrush
Thick Business Cards (It is important the cards are on thick paper or the color won't be visible)

1. Start off by stacking a few inches worth of cards and clamping them on both sides.  You'll want a junk card on top and bottom that you are willing to sacrifice as they will get paint all over.  I use the same junk cards with each round I do so that I don't waste too many.

It is important to get the cards lined up as perfectly as possible.  Make sure the clamps are tight but not so tight they buckle the cards as you don't want paint getting in the sides.

Tip: At first I had trouble lining my cards up so I just used one clamp and pushed the cards against the bar as a guide.  If you do this you'll need to release the bar and turn the cards to fully paint them and I recommend applying pressure to the end without the clamp to prevent any paint from getting in the side.

2. Next you paint all four sides with acrylic craft paint in a color of your choosing.  A lot of the tutorials I saw online recommended spray paint but spray paint was a total disaster for me and got in all the edges.  I found acrylic paint was a lot easier to control.  

Tip: Make sure you aren't getting any clumping of paint, especially on the corners.

3. The paint will dry quickly so you want to separate them when they are almost dry but not quite so that they don't stick together.

4. Lay them out to finish drying before stacking them again.  

5. And voila you have beautiful edge painted business cards that will impress your clients and colleagues.  

Disclaimer: I will say even with this method I did still get a few cards where the ink leaked.  I tried several different approaches though and this one gave me the best success and most control over the ink.

Goals

Happy first day of May!  April has been pretty amazing filled with lots of quality time and adventures with family and friends.  Looking back on this past month:

I shared: My favorite summer invitation suite, a new vintage invitation suite complete with a wax seal and highlights from my trip to Sonoma.

I read: Station Eleven, The Boston Girl, and I'm halfway through Now, Discover Your Strengths

I learned: This past week I finished Marie Forleo's 8 week B-School program.  My head is swimming with all kinds of information I want to implement in my business.

I visited: We had friends from DC visit this month so we got to play tourist in our new home which was fun and I just got back from a girls trip to California with my mom and sisters. It has been so nice to spend quality time with our loved ones this past month.  

I'm pretty excited about this coming month as I finally have some time to implement everything I've been learning in my business.

May Goals

1 Organize: While I'm great at staying organized on projects, organizing actual belongings is a huge weakness of mine.  I have boxes and boxes of past work, paper samples etc. Part of it is due to the move but I've decided it is time to get organized in my studio starting with all my supplies and samples. 

2 Email List: I've been wanting to do a monthly email for a while and this month I'm finally going to launch so be on the lookout this month to signup and receive exclusive content such as tips and tutorials.

3 Learn: Now that I'm done with B-School I am hoping back on the Skillshare train and really want to continue my education with calligraphy and hand lettering.

4 Solidify My Routine: My routine has been one of the hardest parts about transitioning to working full time for myself.  I feel like I'm getting there but this coming month I really want to perfect it so that I can efficiently do my work, make time for exercise, and feel more balanced.

What are your goals for this coming month?  I'd love to hear what you are struggling with or want to hustle after in the month of May.  

Vintage Wax Seal Invitation Suite

I'm so very excited to share this invitation suite with you as it might just be my favorite to date.  I really enjoyed working with this client as she was so creative herself.  When she came to me with her vision for the event she described it as 20's vintage glam, not too Gatsby with a small steampunk edge and a little bit of whimsy pulled together with the perfect blend of masculine and feminine.  I am always up for the challenge of mixing different looks and love how the final package came together.

It is always important for me to hear the client's vision for their event as you never know what elements can spark inspiration for the invitation design.  Vintage keys were being used in the event decor so I designed an event logo using Zoe's initials and the date of the event and then incorporated it discreetly into a few places in the design.  Silent movies were also a part of the decor as they were being shown above the bar so I designed the party card to look like a silent movie screen.

My favorite element by far was the personalized wax seal with Zoe's logo which we used to pull the whole suite together along with a black belly band and twine.  This is the first project I've used a wax seal on but I love that I'm starting to see they are making a comeback.  I might of already tried to convince a few brides I'm working with to incorporate them into their upcoming invitation suite designs I'm so smitten by them.

I really love how the mix of looks and unique details came together and set the tone for what I'm sure was a fabulous event.