Last week we showed you a look at some of our new 2012 letterpress invitation designs before and after they were customized, and this week we’re back with more design transformations! We’ve redone 5 of our favorite new modern invitation designs to show you just how much different an invitation can look with a color change, new fonts, and some design adjustments.

Neo Luna by Ian Koenig is charming and simple in the original design, but takes on a bolder look with a font change, added color and silver shine foil stamping.
Suggested embellishments: We think this design would look stunning with surf edge painting and a colorful envelope liner in the sea stripes pattern, printed in surf, marigold and mesa inks.
Details: letterpress ink: surf | foil stamping: silver shine | fonts: ollie + swiss | paper: bella cotton white 2-ply | size: f-8 | rounded corners

The Drawing Room design by in-house designer Sarah Walroth features fresh new fonts and a custom pocket-fold, but takes on a more whimsical look after a bit of customizing. We love this design as a square invitation with corner rounding, along with a playful font and fuchsia ink for the names.
Suggested embellishments: A white cotton pocketfold, letterpress printed with prussian blue ink and a blue pearl metallic envelope liner would add the perfect amount of shine to this pretty invitation set.
Details: letterpress inks: fuchsia + prussian blue | fonts: saint-andrew + lady rene | paper: bella cotton white 2-ply | size: sq-7 for pocketfold | pocketfold: white,  letterpressed in prussian blue ink

Ellie Snow designed the Classic Chevron invitation, which features on-trend chevron patterning, two lines of Belle hand calligraphy, and pretty sea-side and jade letterpress inks. The switch of jade ink to mustard and the repositioning of the chevron pattern gives this design customization a retro feel with a modern twist.
Suggested embellishments: A pretty custom postage stamp along with a custom envelope liner featuring the sweet polka pattern in mustard + sea-side inks would be lovely accents for this wedding invitation.
Details: letterpress inks: mustard + sea-side | fonts: sans capitals + hollow | paper: bella cotton white 2-ply | size: f-8 Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s face it, the wedding industry produces a lot of one-hit wonders. It is extremely important to us here at Bella Figura to encourage sustainability as we practice eco-friendly letterpress printing (and living!). That’s why we use tree-free papers, low VOC inks, and FSC certified papers (and we also support these amazing environmental causes). If you are wondering how to make your letterpress or foil stamped invitations even more eco-friendly we have some tried and true tricks of the trade to reduce waste without compromising on style!

1. Use a postcard!
Think about using reply postcards or even Save the Date postcards! This cuts down on the amount of paper (envelopes) and also keeps the costs lower!

2. Condense Information.
There are a lot of activities and information that go into a wedding celebration! From accommodations, directions, rehearsal dinners and reply cards, you can choose to create a wedding website that hosts all the important details! You can include the url on your invitations, or create 1 separate card (think website cards!) explaining that the website is the place for all the wedding details. If you’re determined to get it all on paper, choose 1 insert card as opposed to several and print on both sides if you have lots of details to include.

3. Don’t double up.
Skip the formalities and just use 1 outer envelope vs. an inner envelope and an outer envelope combination. The inner envelope is meant to specify exactly who’s invited. It is completely acceptable to choose just 1 envelope (which is more eco-friendly). If you’re concerned about extra guests, you can always designate the number of guests on the reply card or reply postcard by adding an extra line that states “We have reserved __ seats in your honor”, then fill in the number accordingly. Read the rest of this entry »

This customization of our Gramercy (designed by Amy Graham Stigler) letterpress wedding invitations, sent to us by our friends at The Village Invites 2, is creativity at its best!  Gone are the original leafy designs which are replaced by a beautiful branch motif in blind deboss.  The color selection of pewter for the text is absolutely beautiful!   When this invite is coupled together with the wedding events/reply card its a sight to behold.  The outer envelope liner, shown here in shell ink, is just the icing on the cake.

inks: blind deboss + pewter | font:  sans capitals | calligraphy: the harrison hand calligraphy, by Patricia Mumau | paper: 1-ply white| invite size:  f-8 | liner: classic color pattern in shell ink

These simple, yet wonderfully unique letterpress birthday invitations sent to us by our friends over at By Invitation Only in Arizona are a real treat!  The set features our Modern Light design (by Ian Koenig) and includes a beautiful invitation to the party as well as a reply card.  Each piece is printed in our espresso ink and has a charming monogram (which show off the initials for the person of honor as well as his birth date) in the top left corner.  Getting these in the mail would be almost as sweet as a slice of the Birthday cake!

ink: espresso | font: requiem | paper: 2-ply ivory | invite size: sq-7 | edge painting: espresso

May your days be merry and bright! Step back in time to the Christmases of yesteryear to find inspiration for your winter wedding. Muted reds, greens and taupes create such a warm and inviting palette. Use these colors on vintage letterpress invitation designs, such as Harlow, by Jessica Tierney, to bring the magic of the holiday season to life!

harlow customization = inks: papaya + olive | fonts: billhead + archive  | paper: ivory | invite size: f-8 | liner: european formal in hazel |  original design by Jessica Tierney | customized by in-house designer Lindsy Aragona

(photo credits: Better Homes and Gardens)

Bella Figura’s letterpress invitation designs for 2012 have arrived!  We’ve added 6 brand new designers and 83 new letterpress wedding invitation designs – which means you’ve now got over 300+ incredible designs to choose from! We’ve added new embellishment options, too — think metallics (foil stamping and foil edging now available in 12 dazzling colors – choose traditional metallics like gold, silver or copper, or go for something a little more daring, like fuchsia, indigo, forest or teal!). Metallics and shine will be a huge wedding trend for 2012, so mix foil stamping with letterpress for a hint of glamour, create a show-stopping look with a powerful pair of foil stamped colors (think two tone gold or gold with silver), or add foil edging for a splash of sophisticated flair.

Counter clock-wise from upper left: Aria by Maybelle; Canto by Kelle Anne McCarter; Fugue by Kamal; Traditional Script by Beth Barr; Moroccan Romantic by Lindsy Aragona; Unique Minimes by Gina Dean and Lauren Richel Kelly. 

New designs and metallics aren’t the only thing we’ve got that’s new for 2012! We’ve got new calligraphy styles, new options for pocketfolds, envelopes + envelope liners, and more. There’s a wide variety of artwork, cartouches, and monograms in our motif library.  Let Chris – one of our knowledgeable invitation experts – walk you through all of the amazing new offerings (just check out the video below!)

It’s easy to get into the holiday spirit with these winter inspired Alpine (by Beth Ann Seal) letterpress wedding invitations. Who could help but fall in love with a wedding invitation that begins…”In the spirit of peace and joy this holiday season”?  This suite radiates warm sunshine, because we can’t help but shake the good vibes when looking at each piece. We feel a warm embrace on the coldest of winters nights when we talk about this stunning set! We always love a pop of color and the cardinal ink is absolute perfection paired with pale gray. We can almost see the snowflakes falling!  We promise that this romantic set will charm you.

inks: cardinal + pale gray | fonts: parisian + garamond | paper: 1-ply white | invite size: f-8 |

Today we’re excited to share the inspiration behind Ikaty, Bella Figura’s December design of the month {the entire suite is on sale for 20% off through 12/31!}. We chatted with Kamal, the talented designer who created this fashion forward, fabric-inspired invitation, and she filled us in on the background of the gorgeous design that we just can’t get enough of.

The Inspiration Behind Ikaty

“Ikaty” is a modern tribute of my love and fascination for the IKAT pattern, the trend, and how it mirrors a promise of commitment. To see its progression in the past couple of years is compelling to me. It’s been a part of my home since childhood – on pillows, rugs and clothing growing up, but not on paper. “Ikat” is an Indonesian language word, which depending on context, can be the nouns: cord, thread, knot and the finished ikat fabric as well as the verbs “to tie” or “to bind”(ref: Wikpedia). Sounds a little like marriage…

…and I am. I also have 3 wonderful children and try to balance it out as a working mom. This process of dyes and interwoven, complex patterns reflects my work, my marriage, my kids and what’s to come. Each distinct weave can take you into a different path in your life, growing and multiplying until you have created a pattern, a routine, or hopefully a touch of surprise in your life.

Get inspired by winter, one of the most whimsical seasons of the year. Blankets of fresh white snow, cozy fires, creamy hot chocolate with whipped cream – it all is so romantic!  Bella’s Birch design, by Jessica Tierney, captures this feeling perfectly! Be sure to use colors directly from nature for your letterpress invitations to keep things soft and muted like a cold winter day. Your hearts will keep things hot enough!

birch customization = inks: sand + taupe | fonts: alouette + ollie | paper: white | invite size: f-8 | liner: simple geometrics in cream | original design by jessica tierney | customized by in-house designer lindsy aragona
embellishment suggestions: edge painting in gold

Photography credits: Jenny Haas and Ashley Krogman Designs

Hues of rust and fading blue paint create a surprisingly beautiful palette for an edgy, urban wedding. To get this look, seek beauty in weathered bridges, tattered signage and run down city streets.

soho customization = inks: umber + espresso | fonts: impression + sans capitals | paper: ivory | invite size: f-8 | liner: antique geometrics pattern in gold | original design by Elizabeth and David Mandel | customized by in-house designer Lindsy Aragona
embellishment suggestions: pocketfold in steel blue

Photo Credits: Joey Kennedy Photography

by Lindsy Aragona, In-House Designer