Mint

Remember this peek a while back? I finally have some photos to share! This suite was created for Stephanie, who owns two boutiques in Connecticut — Dockside Dogs and Webster Road — and dabbles in graphic design herself.

Although she wanted a formal/traditional touch to her invitations, Stephanie was most attracted to fun and artistic invitations with bold typography. JCrew and Kate Spade “looks” heavily inspired her wedding planning, and although her wedding won’t be right on the water, she wanted to add a nautical, preppy feel to her paper goods. She chose navy and pale turquoise for her color scheme, and we chose two complementing, organic patterns for the envelope liner, belly band, and invitation itself. The invitations were screen printed on 100% cotton paper, and the RSVP, brunch, and reception cards were screen printed on recycled navy and kraft papers.

Photography: You Go, I Go, We Go
Design: Hello Tenfold

Hillary, Kate, and I are working on their day-of wedding stationery as we speak, but I couldn’t wait to show off their invites! Hillary and Kate will have a rustic, farm wedding this fall in North Carolina, and wanted their invitations to reflect a casual but elegant affair. Thanks to Nole at Oh So Beautiful Paper for featuring these invitations this morning!

Photographs: You Go, I Go, We Go
Design: Hello Tenfold

This delicious-looking banana pudding recipe has whipped cream folded into the vanilla custard… yum! Visit No Recipes for the full recipe and more photos.

This week I’m going to be sharing lots of new work! Today Whitney Deal’s website launched, and it’s full of gorgeous handmade wedding and bridesmaid dresses in Whitney’s signature simple/stylish look. It’s so fun to work with really visual “clients” (better yet, friends!) who arrive loaded with beautiful inspiration images and plain good taste. Also awesome? The pretty girl you see modeling Whitney’s line is my old friend Lauren Sloan.

Congratulations, Whitney!

P.S. Order in the next 2 weeks and get free shipping with the code LAUNCH.

Alaina and Elizabeth chose my Canopy design from Bella Figura for their wedding invitations, and Bella Figura has just shared their wedding pictures and story on the blog. Check it out for more!

Photos: Ashley Forrette and Aaron Courter

Paper goods: Hello Tenfold printed by Bella Figura

It’s a little bare, but it feels great to be in my new space! As you can see I still have boxes to unpack and pictures to hang on the walls. What you don’t see is the messy overflow of invitation samples, paper, and half-assembled Ikea furniture on the opposite wall. Truly, there is never enough storage.

I bought these hairpin legs to make a couple desks, and will order oak Ikea kitchen counters for the tops. Brendan and I are going to build some narrow shelves for invitation and stationery display, and I’ll try to fit a comfy chair or two, maybe a rug. Then a white vinyl logo for the door, some real desk chairs…

Getting settled is going to take longer than I thought. But you know that feeling when you walk in your house after being at work all day? That relief? It’s been two long years, and while I know there are things I’ll miss about working from home, there’s nothing like that feeling. Leaving work at work, and home at home.

A few favorite links from a few favorite bloggers —

+ Illustrator and letterer Jessica Hische on The Dark Art of Pricing.

+ Green and gold business cards by Kate McClaren via Wit + Delight

+ Artist Lynne Woods Turner via SeeSaw

+ a slideshow on the Birth of an Aquatint Print with artist Mike Sonnichsen

+ Screen printed Bark Decor pillows & scarves via Creature Comforts

+ LOCAL STUFF: Hopscotch Music Festival // The Scrap Exchange grand re-opening // Light Art + Design in Chapel Hill celebrates artist & friend Kimowan Metchewais

Have a good weekend!

“My basic premise is that we can often learn more from people in other disciplines than we can from those in our own,”  says Designers Without Influences author Austin Howe. “Can a creative person learn anything from a nun or a professional hockey coach? We’ll soon find out.”

Howe wants designers to read this book, so like his previous Designer’s Don’t Read, he titles each short chapter with the time it will take to complete it. In the few minutes it takes you to eat lunch at your desk, you can learn something new and get inspired by the philosophies of Howe’s diverse cast of characters. His compilation of influences is outside the box; even random, and my bet is that if you take time to read Designer’s Don’t Have Influences, you might pick up a few new ones of your own.