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Awhile back I finally got ahold of a font of wood type — it was in great condition and a serious steal. They are pretty large — about 3 inches high — so they work well for monogram cards or invitations with a bold look.
It was fun playing around with the type and remembering how to lock everything up so that it prints just where I want it to. There is definitely more planning required and more limitations imposed than printing with photopolymer plates, and I definitely felt a little out of practice.
But I just love the worn out left edge of that capital “A” and the funky texture of the type — especially the overprinted areas. If you love it as well, let us know — we can certainly design a project for you that uses our antique wood type. I’m always looking for more to add to the collection…
Goodbye!
Tara
Have I told you about how every time I get an order of envelopes addressed by Brigitte I want to keep it? I’m not a hoarder by nature, and logically I know that I have no use for envelopes addressed to other people’s friends, but when I see this kind of beautiful, I can’t help but want to steal one:
I mean, look at the “ss” in Massachusetts. They are so cutely disconnected.
At least I can find and then hoard these vintage stamps 
. Thanks for the images, Sophie and Andre!
–Tara
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d blog about Amy and Tim’s lovely raspberry red August 2008 wedding. I just love the colors in those flowers… so pretty and pink without being too feminine overall. Of course, we made sure to match Amy’s raspberry fabric swatches in the ink for the invitations… She went with a modern, dotty version of our Vintage Flourish design, and paired it with a raspberry damask envelope liner.
Our calligrapher, Brigitte, did all the addressing — it was a rich gold color on deep brown envelopes. She also got to help Amy directly with place cards and miscellaneous signage at the wedding. Check out the “Bride” and “Groom” scalloped-edge chair labels below.
Amy and Tim also made the cutest table number signs — instead of a plain old “7,” they got creative and included old photos of themselves from age seven. The photos on table 8 were from age eight, and so on. Love it!
And finally, one more fab photo of the happy couple on a San Francisco beach. Thank you so much to Amy and Tim, and Jennifer Kloss Photography (Bay area) for sharing these photos with us. You pulled off a stunning event!
–Tara
The holiday cards are in the mail! Would you believe that I have never really done the holiday card thing? Even though I make cards? As my job? Yes, I realize that is not quite right. I have just never gotten it together in time, or had a fun enough idea. I didn’t even start these until December 1st, so the process was definitely rushed, and there were a couple of things I would have done differently if I had thought about it longer. However, there is something satisfying about a finished, original project, and they all went in the mail this morning!
I actually asked my husband, Dave, (who does not consider himself to be an artist) to do all the drawings. The block handwriting is also his. The calligraphy touches are from me, plus I manipulated and arranged all the images Dave made, and did all the printing. I printed 4 colors on the flat cards, and just 1 on the envelopes. The whole thing came out just as I’d hoped: quirky and casual, which represents us pretty perfectly. I actually think I’ll hire him to make some other fun drawings for me to use in new invitation designs.
A few detail shots:
Oh yeah… there’s a haiku. Dave is sort of known for his haikus:
’tis the season, yo
ev’rybody gather round
have an awesome yule
The best part of this project was that I finally got a chance to really test out my Copperplate calligraphy skillz from my class this fall. I addressed about 80 chartreuse envelopes, in 3 evenings last week, and was surprised that it didn’t take longer. I had been a little worried I would get frustrated and give up. Next time I will probably go slower in the hopes that they will come out better.
One of the smartest things I did was to design the envelopes so they were ruled with light dotted lines — that way I didn’t have to worry about how I was going to write in straight lines. (This time, anyway.) I thought the Love: All Heart stamps matched the colors well, but I also used the Nutcracker ones.
Since I probably shouldn’t be posting my friends’ addresses online (!), here are just a few cropped snippets. As you can see, I started out a little heavy handed with the first names on my list:
But then got into the flow of things, and lightened up a bit:
Not sure which is better. What do you think?
Happy holidays!
Tara
I am lucky. I know this.
I have the best mom in the world who cooks us dinner almost every night when she visits us. She’s from Co. Mayo, Ireland — this means shepherd’s pie, people! I also have a funny, talented brother who remembers everything I remember, great friends who know far more than is good for them, and I can wear pajama pants while I work.
Where I really lucked out, though? My husband, Dave — he always makes me feel better. Sometimes things are just not funny until he laughs. And it’s a great laugh. And life is good. But I will have to write about him another day, because this post is about how he has a sister named Jenn. And now I have a sister named Jenn.
Jenn is great. Jenn is the kind of person who will answer the phone at midnight even though she has a job interview at 8 am that you totally forgot about. She will tell you she just baked 60 cookies from scratch for some PTA thing, and in the same breath say that kindness is generally too much to hope for. She is a paradox. She is full of it. I adore her.
She has a new job, and a new schedule, and I don’t get to talk to her as much as I used to (as much as I want to). It is so hard to make friends once you’re out of college, and out of state, and away from everyone. Working all by your lonesome doesn’t help. So when you accidentally become best friends with your sister-in-law, you run with it. (And you make her note cards — these ones feature her favorite of our ornaments, a really great vintage goldfish illustration.)
Jenn, I am so glad you are in my life. Hope you are enjoying the cards. (Call me!)
Anyone else luck out with great in-laws / future in-laws?
–Tara
Where to begin???
I suppose with HAPPY WEDDING DAY TO DEBBIE AND MIKE! Today is their big day, and even though we have never met, I am way excited for them — I’m pretty sure they and their guests are in for a wedding like no other.
Exhibit A:
What’s that, you say? Why yes, that is a wedding invitation. And yes, it has a typewriter on it. And candy! Loads of lollies, peppermints, and a swirling line of very cheeky gumdrops. And it’s going to be ok, because that’s just how these 2 roll.
Debbie is very creative and a writer, and wanted to do something totally out of the ordinary, so she came up with a theme of old fashioned typewriters and candy. You can read all about how she’s been weaving this into her wedding right here (she’s also the much-loved Miss Mrs. Lovebug from Weddingbee!)
All the images are quirky, cute, detailed custom illustrations, and were so fun to make. The invitations were printed in 3 colors: a very light blush pink, a deeper (but still light) petal pink, and silver, which looks like a pewter-y, graphite gray when printed on a white card). We also made a custom pink dotted envelope liner that complimented the set beautifully.
One of my favorite details, however, has to be the calligraphy that Brigitte Hefferan did for this project — she was able to mimic the “Feel Script” typeface used in the suite. It all came out so well that I actually asked Brigitte to address one to me just so I could keep it! I so wish I could do this:
All my clients are fantastic, but sometimes I get the feeling that I could become really good friends with a few of them — if only they lived closer. As a part of their wedding ceremony, Debbie and Mike will eat bitter chocolate and drink sweet red wine — to symbolize taking the good times with the bad in their new life together. Chocolate. During the ceremony. Doesn’t that sound like a couple I need to meet?! If you 2 are ever in Seattle, I’d love to buy you a drink In the meantime, I hope today is everything you imagined and more.
Much love,
Tara
PS. Thanks to fab Tucson-area photographer Chris Richards for allowing us to post these beautiful engagement photos. Credit for the letterpress pics goes to Debbie who was goodly enough to share.
Just a quick post about Shanea and DeWayne’s intimate Vegas destination wedding last October. Some of their favorite details were the bright colors of the bride’s bouquet (by Blossoms of Las Vegas) and the colorful candy buffet. I never knew chocolate brown and shocking pink could look so good together. I will admit I had my doubts about it, but I was wrong. Hot pink and hotter orange are a fun twist for fall, and definitely apropos for Vegas.
Another reason I like this project so much is that Shanea was really smart about maximizing her budget: This is a 1-color design, as each item is printed in only 1 color of ink — it just so happens that 2 of the items were printed in chocolate ink, and the other 2 were printed in gold ink. We only charge a small fee to do an ink change half-way through the run. The shocking pink vellum sleeve is also a really fun, modern, and inexpensive way to protect everything within one envelope, and add another shot of contrasting color for more excitement. And of course, if hot pink is not your cup of tea, there are lots of colors to choose from!
Shanea and DeWayne — thanks so much for sharing these photos with us! It was a pleasure to work with you two.
Many thanks also to Henri Sagalow Photography for letting us post the wedding photos above! Letterpress invitation photos by La Luz Photography.
–Tara
P.S. Does anyone else want gummy bears now? Like real bad?
Heather and Ben may not know this, but they have a very special place in my heart because they were pretty much my first “official” clients! Ah, memories.
Heather contacted me last February looking for a fun, yet elegant custom invitation design for her summer wedding. I knew right away it was going to be a cool project because she brought swatches that were as bright as her personality — fuchsia and a fiery orange. Together, we came up with a playful, dotted, striped, swirly design that did a great job of showcasing both colors and how well they complement each other. The invitations also featured a custom monogram, and shimmery fuchsia outer envelopes with a fun wrap-around address label.
I was so excited when Heather and Ben shared their wedding photos with me — I loved seeing how big a role color played in the day, and reflecting on how the invitations we came up with really must have set the tone for their guests. Check it out:
1st Row Left: The happy couple: Heather and Ben! Right: Detail shot of their custom monogram in fuchsia and fire.
2nd Row Left: Detail shot of invitation text. Right: Heather and her pretty maids all in a row.
3rd Row Left: Heather’s bouquet was made up of magnificent gerbera daisies with kermits, and beautiful tea leaves that had a slight hint of magenta. Center: Invitation and outer envelope with wrap-around address label. Right: A basket of kazoos, in memory of Heather’s grandfather. (Heather and Ben’s guests serenaded them with the kazoos after they tied the knot – a fun and personal twist on tossing rice, and a sweet way to remember her grandfather was definitely there in spirit.)
4th Row: Detail shot of invitation dots and stripes.
Their reception venue was The Hall at Fauntleroy in West Seattle. (FYI, Seattleites: the Hall is a great space — I have been to a wedding there myself, and the food was fantastic…) All wedding photos courtesy of James Chan at Studio 9 Photography. Letterpress photos by La Luz Photography.
Heather and Ben, thanks so much for sharing your photos with us. I can tell it was a beautiful day, and I wish you many more like that in the years to come. I hope your new house is all finished, and that I see you around Edmonds some time. Congratulations!
–Tara
In this case, it wanted zebra print. Without further ado, behold: the invitations for Sean and Alma’s wedding! It’s definitely a departure from Ephemera’s usual style, but it was also a lot of fun. I will admit… when Alma first mentioned animal print as a component of her wedding vision, I was a little skeptical. Zebra? For a wedding? And you wanna be my sister in law? But then I remembered that she was marrying my brother Sean, who has never been one to go with the mainstream. If his bride was asking for a zebra print wedding invitation, it was probably a good sign. Plus, I like a challenge. The end result is “strangely beautiful,” as a friend put it:
This Z-folding invitation was offset printed in 2 colors with a cool cover, a custom map, satin ribbon sash, and matching hand-lined black envelopes. I had hoped to do a silk screen / letterpress combination with this project, but it involved experimenting, and time was of the essence. Bummer! The good news is, it’s a great example of how Ephemera can take your unique ideas, and turn them into something that does just what you wanted it to do. What’s your wild idea?
The wedding was a couple of weekends ago near the Riverwalk in my home town of San Antonio, Texas. It was a very personalized, do-it-yourself affair that captured the happy couple’s fun-loving spirit. Only Sean could have convinced the wedding party to SASHAY up the aisle to “Feelin’ Good,” or written a song for Alma instead of reciting traditional vows. The Mexican food was catered by Alma’s family, the margaritas flowed, and the mariachis played into the night. This picture pretty much sums it up:
photo by Angela Ramos
Congrats, you two. Much love,
Tara
ps. Just for fun, I have to share my favorite of Alma’s bridal portraits. I believe it was taken at one of the missions in San Antonio. Kinda stunning
