Today we’re exited to introduce you to July’s Design of the Month – Hendrix by Jessica Hische. It’s pretty, playful and a touch whimsical, and one of our favorites from our 2010 collection. We think it’s perfect for a garden party wedding or an outdoor celebration under the stars. As our Design of the Month, all orders of our Hendrix design over $1000 placed between now and August 15 will receive free letterpress thank you notes – don’t miss out! (Flat thank you notes, letterpress printed to match your invitations with unprinted envelopes.)

Meet the Designer – Jessica Hische
In honor of our Design of the Month, we thought a little Q & A session with the talent behind the design was in order. Brooklyn-based Jessica Hische is an incredibly inspiring designer, typographer and illustrator. In addition to her amazing art prints and Buttermilk, her first typeface of which we just can’t get enough, we are obsessed with her blog and her Daily Drop Cap project. Without further ado, meet Jessica Hische.

What was the inspiration behind Hendrix?
My friend, illustrator John Hendrix, had a baby girl and commissioned me to design his baby announcement, which I letterpressed for he and his wife in exchange for one of his original drawings. The Hendrix wedding invitation design takes elements from the original announcement and tweaks it and expands it to a full wedding suite. Everyone loved the original design so much I was so happy to be able to share it with others!

When did you know you wanted to be a designer? How did you get your start?
I actually didn’t know what graphic design was until I was in college. I always knew I wanted to do something art related, I just didn’t really know exactly what that was until I took my first design class in my sophomore year at Tyler School of Art. I loved that design isn’t really self-expressionistic — it is about solving problems and doing what is appropriate for a client / project.

{Jessica notes, “I love breakfast.”}

If you were an ice cream flavor, what would you be?
This is a tough one! I think the closest one might be Ginger, but if “Almond Croissant” was an ice cream flavor I’d be that.

What’s your favorite PMS shade?
PMS Warm Red U or something a bit more orangey.

What’s the most memorable vacation you’ve ever taken?
I was invited to speak at the Semi-Permanent Conference in Sydney this year and went a week prior to vacation with my boyfriend. It was the most fun vacation I’ve ever been on. All we did was eat amazing food, drink amazing coffee and get our pictures taken with koalas.

What other designers/illustrators do you admire?
I’m surrounded by so many awesome illustrators and designers its hard to name a few. The community in New York and the online community of illustrators and designers never ceases to keep me motivated and inspired. I of course admire Louise Fili, who taught me so much about design. And Chris Ware, his work is amazing in every way.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Anywhere close to a large body of water and within an hour of a major airport. If I were going to settle somewhere permanently, it would just need to be a place that made traveling easy and in my dream life I would live on a lake.

What five things on/in your desk could you not live without?
computer, mouse, extra monitor (for netflixing and all the distracting windows (email, email, twitter, gchat, etc), mechanical pencil, coffee

Can you share a favorite childhood memory?
I grew up in north-east Pennsylvania so my favorite memories probably revolve around Autumn and Halloween. I loved going to pumpkin patches and ESPECIALLY loved sucking down dozens of flavored honey sticks. Also corn mazes. And haunted hay rides. Good lord I love Autumn.

What’s something about you that no one would ever guess?
This is a hard one since I’m such an internet oversharer! I guess maybe that I am a closet Taylor Swift fan (the songs are so catchy!)

Thanks, Jessica! For everyone else, we hope you’ll check out Jessica’s gorgeous letterpress wedding invitation designs exclusively for Bella Figura – Hendrix and Weber.

Now through January 16, take advantage of our Trendsetter sample sale, featuring sample packs curated by an exclusive group of style-driven wedding industry trendsetters. Our Trendsetters include wedding bloggers, stylists, designers and event planners with an incredible eye for design. Each Trendsetter’s sample pack includes their selection of five favorite invitations, currently on sale for just $10 (regularly $20) with 100% of each sample pack cost donated to an environmental nonprofit. Read all about our Trendsetters and check out their favorite Bella Figura letterpress wedding invitations and then purchase the sample pack you love best to help us help the world!

In addition to 60+ new letterpress wedding invitations, we’re also welcoming five new Trendsetters including Ami from Elizabeth Anne Designs, Anne-Marie of Perfect Bound, Nole from Oh So Beautiful Paper, Myra of Twigs & Honey, and wedding industry stylist extraordinaire Shana Faust. We’re thrilled to have them join our other amazing Trendsetters in helping us do our part to help the environment. Not only do they inspire us, but we know their picks will inspire you. Thanks, ladies!

Here at Bella Figura, we believe in the power of few to do good for the world. In honor of Election Day (which happens to be tomorrow, November 3!) we’re offering a special limited time promotion for orders placed in November – send us a photo of yourself going out to vote and you’ll get 25 free invitation sets when you order 75! Email press@bellafigura.com with your photo for details. We’ll be featuring participant photos in a post on the Bella Figura blog next month. Change the world. Vote!

(The small print: Orders must be placed no later than 5pm EST on Monday, November 30 so don’t forget to get out and vote…and take your camera! And make sure to tell us in your email if you don’t want your photo shared on our blog.)

Bella Figura is excited to launch our summer sample sale, starting today, to benefit American Forests, an environmental organization near and dear to our hearts. Now through August 31, 2009, all samples of our letterpress invitations will be just $1 with all proceeds going to American Forests.

American Forests works to protect, restore and enhance our trees and forests, with every dollar donated going to plant a tree. Your purchase of our letterpress invitation samples will translate into trees that are planted for the benefit of the environment and generations to come! You can read more about American Forests on their website. You can view all of our letterpress invitation designs and order samples online – happy sample shopping!

We are thrilled to be sponsoring a giveaway this week with Brooklyn Bride, one of our favorite wedding blogs out there. Good for any custom Bella Figura order including letterpress wedding invitations, letterpress coasters, letterpress baby announcements, letterpress stationery, letterpress thank you notes or anything else you love, one winner will receive a $100 gift certificate so be sure to visit for all of the details and to enter for your chance to win!

Go on over to Preppy Wedding’s great blog for a fun giveaway: a $200 gift certificate to Bella Figura for whatever your heart desires. Letterpress wedding invitations, letterpress coasters, letterpress baby announcements, letterpress stationery, etc. etc. All you need to do is write a little about how you’ll tie one of our letterpress designs into your wedding (or your life!). The Preppy Wedding giveaway goes until Wednesday, February 18. Have fun and good luck!

Snippet & Ink, one of our favorite wedding blogs, comes up with some of the most creative wedding inspiration out there. Kathryn’s color combinations are just to die for, and will inspire your wedding, your home, your sense of style, and your life. So we were thrilled when Snippet & Ink created this inspiration board below that features our Festoon letterpress wedding invitation. Visit Snippet & Ink to win a $350 gift certificate to Bella Figura (contest goes until Friday, January 30). You can also check out Snippet & Ink’s favorite Bella Figura designs here. Enjoy!