We welcomed illustrator Courtney Jentzen to the Bella Figura family last year and boy are we glad we did – her fun, whimsical style has been a welcome addition to our lineup of designs. Courtney’s Bright Lights invitation design is an ode to all things New York, featuring hand-illustrated landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge, the Staten Island Ferry and a Brooklyn brownstone – seen here on the letterpress invitations for Jocelyn’s big city graduation celebration.
letterpress ink: black | fonts: declan + streamline | paper: bella cotton 1-ply white | customization #22346 | Sweet Paper
We loved seeing Denise and Giampiero’s chic real wedding on Carats and Cake recently! The couple set the tone for their Malibu celebration with custom wedding invitations in a cool combination of pewter, charcoal and black inks, with a fun pop of papaya for their envelope liners. The celebration was held at Saddlerock Ranch, complete with twinkling lights, romantic flower arrangements and an amazing dessert table. Head over to Carats & Cake to see more photos!
Invitations: Bella Figura via Urbanic Paper | Photography: Heather Kincaid | Venue: Saddlerock Ranch | Florist: Krista Jon | Event Planning: Gather Events | Hair & Makeup: Fiore Beauty | Attire: J.Crew | Bakery: Sweet and Saucy Cake Shop | Catering: Whoa Nelly Catering | Videographer: Tower Films
Our Sweet Lorna letterpress invitations really capture the beauty of letterpress printing with a modern rendition of a traditional herringbone pattern. Shown here in the monochromatic hues of pale gray and charcoal, its a fresh yet sophisticated invitation for a bridesmaids luncheon.
letterpress inks: pale gray + charcoal | fonts: marilyn + streamline | paper: bella cotton 1-ply white | customization #23414 | Jenny’s Paper, Ink
Chelsea Petaja’s invitation inspiration behind her chic Rustic Thicket design includes natural earthy elements, lush greenery and modern flowy dresses. Hand calligraphy accents from Maybelle add an extra element of personalization to this new design from Chelsea – which is on sale (along with the rest of her collection) through the end of July!
Emogene and Kai came to us to print the invitation suite for their Minneapolis Jazz club wedding. The bold, modern fonts, symmetrical layout and shiny gold foil capture the architectural inspiration typical of art deco design.
letterpress inks: vine + black | foil stamping: gold shine | paper: bella cotton 1-ply white | envelope: bella cotton white | pocketfold: black | envelope liner: metallic gold leaf | customization #22046
bride | roosevelt letterpress invitation | classic car
This contemporary customization of Modern Swash is as eye catching as they come. It’s the perfect invitation to set the mood for any art loving couple’s hip, stylish soiree. Love this design? All of designer Chelsea Petaja’s inspired designs are on sale through July 31st!
modern swash customization | letterpress ink: charcoal | foil stamping: copper shine | fonts: chloe + danube | paper: white | invite size: S-8 | liner: classic color pattern in charcoal | original design by Chelsea Petaja |customization by in-house designer Jessica Tierney
dress and cake | groom
We’re back with another round of our designer travels series. This week Bella Figura calligrapher Sarah Hanna is sharing her photos and stories from a recent, impromptu trip to Marrakech, Morocco. We’ll let Sarah take it from here!
Hand-made lanterns in Morocco One of the great things about Europe is how easy it is to country-hop. In the US, you might treat yourself to a weekend trip to New York, or tailgate two states over. Similarly, if you are in France, you could hop over to Marrakech, Morocco for the weekend. A carry-on and an hour and a half later, you could be strolling through a spice market…. 
….or watching artisans make leather bags, or carve stone in the traditional way that has been passed down for generations. Patterns abound. And the calligraphic influence in the stonework is something to behold.
Scenes from the streets of Marrakech.
Coffee break at the YSL gardens in Morocco The gardens of Yves Saint Laurent are in Marrakech. A perfect rest from the bustle of the city and place to be inspired by nature and YSL’s own artwork. 
Henna artist in Marrakech I definitely did not ask this henna tattoo artist in the square to paint a bracelet on my wrist. But she worked so quickly, she was done before I could say ‘no thank you.’ Instead, I thought, “Wow. I wish I could work that quickly to fill my Bella orders. Then it wouldn’t matter from WHICH time zone I was working.”
Little sorority girl tip: Nail polish remover can take anything off.
Climbing a waterfall…in flip flops. The trip was a surprise. I did not know where we were going until we arrived at the airport. I packed for Italy. Oops. C’est la vie!
A brilliant natural fridge The waterfall pours cold water over the bottles and keeps everything cool. This is at one of the many cafes built into the mountain on the climb up the waterfall.
A restaurant built into a mountain in Marrakech 
Rooftop lunch in Marrakech – grilled meats and vegetables. Tap water is not a great idea, but a coke with beautiful Arabic calligraphy is!
bride | parker wedding invitation | martini
The folksy sweetness of our Juniper envelope liner pattern transitions from season to season depending on the (up to) 4 ink colors you chose. Here the summertime inspiration of Garden, Sherbet, Papaya and Cream inks compliment our Handdrawn wedding invitation sent by Aileen and Sam for their summer celebration in Italy.
letterpress inks: pewter + papaya | paper: bella cotton 2-ply white | foil edging: copper shine | envelope: bella cotton white | envelope liner: juniper pattern in garden + sherbet + papaya + cream | customization #17449
For their spring wedding in Colombia, Bridget and Victor chose our papel picado inspired Barcelona design. A romantic script font, pastel pink ink and Rose Gold Shine foil gave this festive design a soft, feminine makeover.
letterpress ink: whisper | foil stamping: rose gold shine | paper: bella cotton 2-ply ivory | envelope: bella cotton ivory | envelope liner: classic color pattern in whisper | customization #21898
We’re back with more of Sarah Hanna’s travel adventures today! Sarah is an incredibly talented calligrapher who is currently splitting her time between California and the beautiful village of Cassis, France. This week we’re taking a look at French cuisine as part of Sarah’s day-to-day in Cassis.
The weekly market Every Wednesday and Friday is a farmer’s market in the center of town. You can buy everything from produce to flowers to bikinis….life’s essentials.
Left: the window of a local patisserie. Right: market day in the center of Cassis, France.
Absinthe Restaurant in Paris There is another form of art in France – food. I was a very happy girl at Absinthe Restaurant in central Paris. Petits raviolis in a langoustine cream sauce? Oui, s’il vous plait!
A message to the chef It was all so delicious, I had to write a message to the chef in what was left of the langoustine sauce!
Eating at home – French style But you don’t have to eat out to dine elegantly. It’s true – the French are worshipful about their plates. Here are two examples of what ‘eating at home’ looks like in France. Food is art in France.
The children’s cooking school at La Tête à Toto boutique The owner Marie said that if I was going to take photos, I had to be a student the class. Twist my arm! We are making potato croquettes and home-made nutella….which was so delicious that I can never buy nutella again.
Many thanks to Sarah for sharing another glimpse of her life in France! Next week we’ll share Sarah’s travels to Morocco!
