Ah, the lovely Tree...

Recently I was perusing the blog of a high school classmate who is a very talented interior designer (thanks Madeleine Interiors!) and an entry about trees caught my attention. Trees are such innocuous parts of our everyday lives we hardly give them a second look sometimes. But their displays of season-changing color as well as their effortless beauty can really be played-up on wedding and social stationery. Whether you chose to show just a hint of these magnificent showcases of nature or create a design around the entire tree, the possibilities are endless. Enjoy the creative nuances of The Tree!

 

Fall Carving Wedding Invitation

photo courtesy of Minted

 

 Autumn Leaves Save the Date

photo courtesy of Carlson Craft

 

Sterling Night Invitation

photo courtesy of Carlson Craft

Frosty Tree Wedding Invitation

photo courtesy of Wedding Paper Divas

 

Aspen Wedding Invitation

photo courtesy of Sarah Drake Design

   

Glue Yarn Balls - great idea for Reception Deco!

I was cruising around Pinterest the other day and saw the coolest idea. I have seen these in pictures before, so I'm sure they are not a novel idea, but had no idea how easy they were to make. And since the color and, theoretically, the shape possibilities are endless, these would make very cute decorations for wedding reception table centerpieces.

photo courtesy of http://www.makeandtakes.com

   photo courtesy of http://www.favecraftsblog.com

Or hang them from a branch or tree for decoration. If they are hanging over the tables, they make beautiful chandeliers:

photo courtesy of  http://ruffledblog.com

Or, take it one step further and string lights through and in between the balls. If you use yarn that has some glitter to it, how gorgeous would that be!

 

photo courtesy of http://kimskandykreations.blogspot.com

If you are a DIY bride, decorator or even just a crafty, you could really go far with this idea and make your tablescape, reception venue or home look fabulous with these. Have fun!

Teal/Black Inspiration Board

Happy Monday to all - hope everyone enjoyed their weekends. I know here in the Chicago area, we've been having some mighty fine weather the past week with temps in the 70's & 80's. I personally love these temperatures and wouldn't mind seeing them hang around for awhile. But, knowing Chicago weather, it won't be long before we've got the heavy jackets and boots on, so I will be savoring every second of these wonderful temps while I can get them!

Making my first attempt at an inspiration board and thought I'd start with, well, what I guess I'll call a "crush"...teal/turquoise! I just love this color....it has so much pop against many other hues, making it quite versatile in almost every season. Last week I showed you the turquoise and orange combination, beautiful for fall. This week I was checking out some inspiration colors associated with scrapbooking (my "other" passion) and saw this great ad from Talbot's featuring dark grey suits. They used the teal, black and grey colors for the written labels on the ad - very eye-catching. Bringing those colors together for an upcoming winter wedding or event seems so natural. Teal itself can have a lot of variations to it, and depending on which way you go, you can really create amazing looks. Add a little more black and/or green, you get  vintage, old-world sophistication. Go the other direction, adding more white and/or blue, you have a smooth and invigorating color.
  

 

Whatever the occasion, whether dark or light, teal is a color for all seasons - have fun with it!

Orange and Turquoise together - WOW!

OK, when I originally saw those two words together, I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel upon actually seeing them  - not your usual color combo. But when I saw them paired together in this wedding ensemble, I said WOW! What a winning combination for this fall invitation. The leaves give you the obvious feeling of fall, but the turquoise/teal absolutely POPS next to the orange/rust color and gives it a vibrant, exciting look to this couple's ensemble. And when the two colors overlay, you get just a hit of an olive-green - brilliant!

 

photos courtesy of http://blog.dingbatpress.com/ 

Thanks for reading and until next time, have a wonderful day!

Carlson Craft Letterpress Invitations!

Well, I don't know about you, but I've go a soft spot in my heart for Letterpress. Maybe it's the "artsy" part of me, but there is just something about how beautiful something can be when it is has been so carefully crafted. So, I was amazed when Carlson Craft came out with an elegant line of letterpress invitations.. and this one really caught my eye:

Filigree Border by Carlson Craft is a simple, white invitation card featuring the couple's initials and surrounded by an elegant filigree design. Elegant, refined, sophisticated; and the black and gold speak volumes as to the type of affair to which guests are being invited. Whether for a wedding, anniversary or other black-tie gala, this one is a winner all around!

2010 Carlson Craft Distinguished Dealer Award!

Letter Perfect Designs is so excited and honored to receive the 2010 Carlson Craft Distinguished Dealer Award! This is our 3rd year in a row being recognized for outstanding sales and customer service.

Carlson Craft is an amazing company to work with and we are excited to continue servicing our clients with some of the finest social stationery in the industry. We are grateful to our many loyal customers for making this award possible!

Save the Date Season!

I used to think there was only one season to our business....Wedding Season. Just like an accountant has Tax Season, there was usually a basic "start" and "end" time to the busiest part of our year, usually March/April thru about Aug/Sept. After September, jobs would still come in and usually for place cards for the weddings we did earlier but it wasn't nearly as busy. Now, I'm finding there are actually several different "seasons" Letter Perfect Design services, allowing us to extending our "busy season" almost year round.

The first of the year usually brings a big rush of invitation purchases, as engaged couples start buying their invitations for upcomig weddings. That is immediately followed by our busiest time, computerized calligraphy for envelope addressing, or the official "Wedding Season" for us. Toward the end of the summer, we are doing just as many place card orders as envelopes as fall brides are nearing their wedding dates. With a lull in the action as the beginning of school approaches, Letter Perfect starts to gear up for Christmas Card envelope printing with Save the Date season right on it's heals, bringing us full circle.

Speaking of Save the Dates, Carlson Craft has come out with some really great Save the Date designs, especially for those budget-conscience bride and grooms! They range from cool Post Cards to magnets, with hip, contemporary and classic designs available.






Carlson Craft Gold and Mocha

 



Carlson Craft Chandelier Save the Date



Carlson Craft Seal The Date




Carlson Craft Tropics Save the Date

Our services are available and supplied year round - it's interesting to actually see the breakout of each of the seasons and how far Letter Perfect Designs has come in supplying new and different options to our clients.

Enjoy your season, whenever it might be!