May Update!

This month has by far been my busiest! I have four projects all happening at once and that doesn't include any of the personal projects I've been working on.

I will be able to share two of these projects with you very soon, so stay tuned!

For now, here's a sneak peak at some cute fabric I got to work with...

Isaac's Construction Birthday Party Invitation

Isaac turned 2 last week and to celebrate, he had a construction themed birthday party! Isaac may only be 2, but he knows every type of construction vehicle in creation. He even knows what an excavator is! Well, it was only appropriate to make brightly colored construction vehicles to put onto the invitation as a pattern. Four of his favorite trucks appear in the pattern, a mixer, crane, bulldozer and dump truck. I illustrated them in a very simplified way using basic shapes because I wanted each element to be recognizable as a construction vehicle, but together work as a pattern. If a pattern works out well, it can be used for almost anything!



I was so pleased with how the truck pattern turned out that I had it printed on fabric! Childrens' patterns are perfect to print onto fabric and I decided that I wanted to try making a pillow. I had just learned how to use a sewing machine in October and I was nervous about getting ahead of my sewing skills with this project.

I didn't want to make a pillow with stuffing because that wouldn't be easy to clean. When making things for children, the most important thing to remember is that it will need to be washed. For this project, that meant getting a pillow insert and making a slipcover with a zipper. I wanted to add cording because I thought it would look nice. A few youtube vides later, some sewing, ripping and resewing later, and I had a pillow I was proud of.



The pillow matches the invitation perfectly! I made this pillow as a gift for Isaac, but fabric can be used for plenty of other things party related! It can be used to make a table cloth, flag banners or even use it as ribbon for gifts. I'm excited that this fabric test worked out so well. I will be experimenting with fabric in the future and hope to have more projects to show!

If you would like to purchase the construction vehicle fabric, it's available for sale on Spoonflower!

Sneak Peek!

I had so much fun with this invitation that I couldn't wait to share. Just a quick photo for now, a full write up will be coming soon!

World Collection: Fleur-de-lis

Fleur-de-lis is French for "lily flower." When many people see this symbol, they assume it is the symbol of France. Ironically, it is not associated with any French republics. It has appeared on postage stamps in France and it is associated with people of French origins though. It is currently seen on the Arms of the King of Spain and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. It is associated with French settlements, such as Quebec, St. Louis and Louisiana. So, while it's inherent nature is certainly French, the fleur-de-lis can be seen in many other countries which makes this truly a world symbol.



The fleur-de-lis is instantly recognizable and therefore has been reproduced countless times in as many different styles as there are artists. For my interpretation, I wanted the shape to be rounded and soft. I want this symbol to appear inviting and supportive of the main content, not to be the main focal point. I used the ornate, brightly colored frame to draw the eye to the copy, which is always the most important part of any invitation.



The shape of the frame is very interesting and I wanted to use it in a new way for the save-the-date. I used only a portion of it and framed the pattern, while using the shape of the frame again to draw the eye to the content. I wanted to keep the script font classic, but the copy font has a Parisian feel to it which goes very well with the fleur-de-lis theme. Like all the previous World Collection sets, this works well not only as an invitation, but also personalized stationery.

All of the World Collection sets will be available for purchase soon. Stay tuned!

World Collection: Sari

Indian Sari (or Saree) patterns are highly detailed and incredibly unique. No two are alike, they are stunning and when draped around the body, become wearable pieces of art.

I was inspired to make a pattern similar to what can be found on a sari. A bold lower edge design, with a repeating pattern in the center finishing up with an intricate border. The beauty of this style of pattern is that it can be represented by almost any combination of colors. In the photos, it is shown in a solid, bright purple color. This pattern will also work with a beautiful burgundy and gold combination; adding a second color into the smaller elements of the pattern to enhance the design even further. The pattern itself can be one color and the background of the pattern another. The possibilities are endless with this style.


This is a beautiful pattern that can easily be adapted to use for Weddings or personal stationery. I am excited with the versatility of this design and looking forward to using it in other ways.

World Collection: Talavera

Talavera is a beautiful ceramic style from the Puebla region in Mexico. Each of these tiles are individual works of art, usually hand painted. Ceramic tiles are fantastic to base designs off of since they "tile" naturally, which is key to any repeating pattern.



For this pattern, I started with a square base and incorporated a geometric, floral design that Talavera are known for. Bold colors are an integral part of all Talavera design. When placed on a wall or a table top, these bright colors draw you in and that's when you notice how detailed they truly are.



I chose to create a pattern based on Talavera because it is such a bold and beautiful style of design. When sending an invitation or a piece of stationery, the goal is to grab the recipient's attention. You should want your guests to be excited about your event from the moment they set eyes on your stationery. This design will do just that.

Decorate This!

I love sweets! I have a huge sweet tooth and I love to try new things. The latest thing that seems to be trending is cake pops. Cake pops are moist and covered in chocolate. How can you not love that combination?!

Courtesy of Decorate This!

I turned 30 last week and for my birthday I decided that I needed to have cake pops! The inner child was pleading for them. My husband hired Kristen of Decorate This to make 3 dozen pops for my birthday. They were DELICIOUS! I had yellow cake with milk chocolate and colored sprinkles, mint chocolate cake with dark chocolate and last, but not least, oreo cake with milk chocolate. I tried every one and loved all of them. My guests were raving about them for days after. I even had some friends carry them home in a doggy bag!



They are not only delicious they are absolutely adorable. She also makes beautiful wedding cakes and many other types of wonderful goodies!

Courtesy of Decorate This!

World Collection: Morocco

In a previous post, I mentioned that I was assembling my first stationery collection. Today, I introduce Morocco from the new 2011 World Collection!

I am inspired by worldly patterns. I love seeing how each culture's patterns vary so differently from one another. In researching which cultures I wanted to base my designs on, I looked at fabric, tile, wallpaper, anything I could find for inspiration. In Morocco, zillij or Moroccan mosiacs, are used to make some of the most beautiful mosaics in the world. My design is strongly influenced by its geometry and use of stars and crosses.

This pattern is very versatile. It's shown in a beautiful, deep navy, and appears refined, even nautical. However, when adjusting the colors to incorporate turquoise or yellow, this pattern will become fun and pop off the page.



This collection is truly some of my favorite work. Check back soon for more World Collection updates!

Custom Stationery: Karen's Surprise Party

Joe's Mother was turning 60 and like the good son that he is, he wanted to throw a party and invite all her family and friends. He wanted it to be more about the party and keeping it classy, than focusing on the actual 60th part of the celebration. I asked him to tell me a little bit about her. He told me that she loves warm and sunny places and since the invite was going out in mid-August, I decided it had to be yellow and it had to be all about sunflowers.

Keeping it classic, I did not want giant sunflowers everywhere, so I opted for a beautiful pattern that incorporated sunflowers subtly. I kept the color palette very simple with a warm and bright yellow and black. I used the white of the card as a background for the pattern.

Joe's family all loved the design I came up with and later on was told his mother was very excited about the party, even more so when she saw how people had been invited.

Thinking Warm Thoughts

Tomorrow is going to be another stormy day here in Boston. The snow is going to accumulate from 3-6" in this part of Massachusetts, but they said it would only be a dusting on Tuesday and we ended up with 3" and the roads were absolutely treacherous. January 2011 has been one of the snowiest months on record apparently and I'm trying to think worm thoughts.

As it's right at the coldest time of the year, the only thing I can think about is taking a long, hot bath every waking moment. Just the other day, I placed an order from Fortune Cookie Soaps with all sorts of bath goodies. It's scheduled to arrive tomorrow! We'll see if the snow delays it...

At Christmas, I ordered a Bath Gift Set which comes with six "fortune cookies." I re-packaged each soap separately, and gave them away as stocking stuffers. It was a hit! Everyone loved them, and of course, I kept one for myself. Well, it's not Christmas anymore, and although I love the smell of Christmas Wreath no matter the time of year, I though it was time for some new ones.

Photo from fortunecookiesoaps.com

The first thing I really wanted is not, in fact, soap. It's a new product called "Whipped Cream" that is essentially body butter. I hate hate hate the feeling of sticky lotions. I have used body butters before (mostly for my hands) and that seems to work really well for me. This is supposed to smell like cupcakes. omgyum.

Photo from fortunecookiesoaps.com

I love green tea. It is a recent love. I never used to like it, but some day last year, it was all that was left and I just made it and realized that it tastes really great. I'm addicted to green tea lattes especially and it seems that this soap was made for me. I mean look at it! Green tea creamy goodness. I can't wait to smell this one.

Photo from fortunecookiesoaps.com

The one I'm the most excited about is this soap. It's called "Get into the Groove." I'm not entirely sure why, but it's mint chocolate. My favorite flavor combination EVER. Maybe one of my favorite smells as well. I am beyond excited for this one.

Photo from fortunecookiesoaps.com

I also got a few bath salts and milk baths. I don't have a great bathtub, I'm tall and my tub is short. We don't mix well. Until I move into my dream house and have a giant soaking tub, I have to deal with taking half a bath essentially. These salts should help make the bath a bit more enjoyable. The one I'm really looking forward to is the "Cold Buster." I have had 2 colds in the past month and a half. This is has been with me for the past two weeks. My nose is very tender at the moment and I can just imagine the clearing of my nasals in the warm water. Sigh.

Hopefully I'll get my package tomorrow at work, as long as I can get there once the storm calms down that is!

Custom Wedding: Russ & Alexa

I have been dying to write about Russ & Alexa's Wedding stationery since I posted about their wedding gift way back in August of 2009.

Alexa and Russ are both lawyers, so many of the cards and invites they receive are very traditional and boilerplate. They wanted something that had modern touches and would make their formal invitations stand out, but they needed it to remain classic and elegant. Starting with the illustration of the flower, I wanted it to be as basic and simple as possible while holding onto its identity as a hydrangea. This style of illustration is unusual for a wedding design and having it stripped-down to its simplest form, proved to be a wonderfully useful design element.



Alexa & Russ had me create all of their wedding stationery. I made the save-the-dates, invitation package, monogram, placecards, menus and programs. Alexa had this to say about her stationery,

"The quality of all of the pieces was exceptional. Her work is imaginative and elegant! She worked with us through the entire design process. Sarah created a "logo" for us with the first letters of our first names that became an integral part of the theme for our wedding. We were so pleased with the color and design that she chose - we're still receiving compliments on her work!"

Alexa was a pleasure to work with. She was involved in the process and I feel that together we made an amazing product.

Custom Stationery: Bryan

Bryan has a strong presence, both physically and as a real estate agent. His strength needed to be shown through his personal stationery. Being an agent means suits and ties and I wanted a classic pattern, but shown in a non-traditional way. I opted to frame his notecards with the tie-inspired pattern instead of making a swath across the bottom or top as seen in more traditional stationery. I also wanted his name top and center, again as a stronger presence than the standard bottom right-hand corner. I paired the notecards with a deep, navy envelope. This was a surprise gift for Bryan from his mother and she wanted to make sure that it was a reflection of his personality so that when he saw them, he'd love them.

"I'm speechless. Bryan's note cards came today. THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU...more times than I can say. They are stunning...the artwork, the font & your adorable & oh so whimsical logo on the back...WOW...as if that were not enough...the beautiful & tasteful navy blue envelopes...double wow...thank you again!"  - Robin (Bryan's Mother) 

Testing Copy

hello hello hello

I'm testing out webfonts today, so if you see anything odd, that would be why. It's definitely a work in progress.

Christmas 2010 Wrap-up

Christmas is definitely one of my favorite holidays. I get to spoil the important people in my life and I think this year we had some record spoiling. Now when I shop for as much as I did, I like to throw a gift for myself in for every, lets say, 10 gifts. Below are some of the fun things I got for myself.

Photo from www.lindaandharriett.com

1. Perpetual Calendar from Linda and Harriett. I have lots of birthdays and anniversaries I need to keep track of and although I have reminders in my phone and on my google calendar, it's nice having a physical calendar in my office to glance at.

2. MacBook Pro 15". Ok, honestly I got this on Black Friday. Story behind it. My in-laws live in NY and my husband and I were going there for Thanskgiving this year. Well I love to shop online on Black Friday and brought my laptop with me. I had set up all my carts, saved them, I just needed to check out. Get to NY, go to turn on my laptop, nothing. Not a thing. Black screen. UGH. Well I used my husband's laptop while he rebooted in safe mode. My files are alive, but the laptop is pretty much dead. So while I bought this out of necessity, I'm going to think about it as a gift to myself.

Photo from Paper-Source.com

3. White Paper Holly Wreath. I fell in love with this wreath when I saw it at paper-source. It was very much my intention to actually make this wreath, but alas, it just didn't happen. I will be making it next year though!

Photo from Amazon.com

4. American Pie 3 Movie Pie Pack. Yes, I know. This is a strange one. I don't know what it is about the American Pie movies that make me laugh. Maybe it's because they were seniors in HS the same year I was, and maybe because when American Wedding took place, I was engaged. They're such "dude" movies, but I love them. Also, maybe it's because Alyson Hannigan is fantastic, watch "How I Met Your Mother" if you don't believe me.

Photo from Amazon.com

5. Bergen Turbo Track Cat Toy. Now, I know this is technically not for me, but the entertainment I get from watching my cats play with it, it kinda is for me!

I'm sure I got a few more things for myself, but that's really all I can remember 1.5 weeks removed from Christmas. 

Hello 2011!

Happy new year!

2010 was a very challenging year. Time and health didn't seem to be on my side. Sometimes things can come up unexpectedly and last year, those things got the best of me.

This is a new year and I'm already starting off with a list of goals. I have set them up so they have realistic deadlines and expectations. I have an "additional goals" list that I can get to if I have time, but only if I have time.

I'm hoping to be updating this site a lot more in the coming months with really great stuff.

Here's to a happy and healthy new year!

Surprise!

For the past many months, I have been hinting about a big surprise for An Inkling Design and here it is!



That is my new (old) C&P Pilot 6.5x10 Letterpress! What is a letterpress you may ask? Well take a look at this link for more information on how awesome letterpress is. For more awesome photos of my new press click here. Since the press is now a very important part of my work, it needed a new, bigger home. We moved the office into our finished basement and I now have a studio! Photos will come when things are more organized. I'm very excited!

This is an antique that has been restored to better than factory new quality. It dates to pre-WWII. As such, it doesn't exactly come with a "how to" video. This is also a machine, quite literally. There are nuts and bolts to adjust and varying settings to finagle to get everything into the exact set up needed. This will take time to learn and I'm giving myself a year. I hope to have some samples to show you by next year's holidays.

There are SO many things going on for An Inkling Design! The next few months will have some very exciting updates! Until then.