While thinking about all things spring and summer (like fresh lemonade and long walks on the beach), we started reminiscing about the super cool letterpress stationery we printed for engage!10 last year. The letterpress menus and matching escort cards feature a fun customization of our Esperanza letterpress invitations, printed in punchy aquamarine and yellow inks. Along with great summery colors inspired by the tropics, we’re now also obsessing over mango creme brulee! We’ve got to get our hands on some of that!
Our timeless and sophisticated Gracelyn Vintage letterpress invitations get a fresh summery style in shades of watermelon, shell, sherbet, light peach and sand for a classic yet spirited wedding celebration. (Photos – letterpress invitations + pink cake + lace wedding dress + pink peonies.)
Far and away one of our recent favorite designs is this pretty letterpress invitation, our Linnea design printed in fuchsia and turquoise inks. Maiko and Adam opted to have our eco specs printed on the reverse of their invitations (a free optional promotion!) to let their friends and family know about their own eco commitment. A bright and cheerful response card requesting replies be made at the couple’s website rounds out the suite, vibrant and festive for this Hawaii garden wedding.
Inspired by our Design of the Month, check out these gorgeous customizations of our Cecilia letterpress invitations. We love taking designs and mixing them up. Make it formal, make it modern, change the size, the shape, the ink colors, the fonts – we fully customize our designs to be the perfect fit for your celebration. Here’s just a few ways that our designers reimagined this gorgeous design…
Blind deboss + black ink on white paper. Font: Didot.
Watermelon + charcoal inks on ivory paper. Font: Holden with calligraphy by Maybelle.
Prussian blue + sea mist inks on white paper. Fonts: Streamline + Montenegro.
As our Design of the Month, all custom letterpress orders of our Cecilia design placed between now and April 29 will receive 20% off – don’t miss out! This 20% off applies to Cecilia save the dates, thank you cards, coasters, place cards, menus, programs, invitations, and any other piece that uses the Cecilia design. (Please note, the Design of the Month promotion may not be used on purchases of other designs or in combination with any other promotion.)
It’s time to show a little love to the editors, magazines and bloggers who have been so sweet as to feature our work recently. It is always an honor to get to show off the gorgeous things we’re printing for our stylish clients. First up, Inside Weddings who recently featured our String, Sonoma and Victoria calligraphy letterpress invitations.
WellWed showcased a stunning Bella Figura real wedding where the couple chose our Keswick letterpress invitations.
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Over the next few weeks our esteemed lead client coordinator Tiffany is going to be sharing wedding inspiration from the movies. Today, a classic we all know and love – Gone with the Wind!
My mothers favorite movie, and one I foolishly waited until my twenties to see – what was a I thinking? The romance by which all are romances are judged, and rightly so.
{Photo from Nashville Scene.}
Cool letterpress coasters never go out of style and these are no exception. A recent favorite around the studio, they feature our Allegory Modern design printed in classic black ink. Check out our entire collection of letterpress coasters and additional letterpress goods including programs, menus and escort cards, all perfect for adding a personal touch to your celebration.
Today we’re exited to introduce our latest Design of the Month – Cecilia by Jamie Lea Bertsch. We love this design for its vintage textile inspiration and it’s understated romantic elegance. As our Design of the Month, all custom letterpress orders of our Cecilia design placed between now and April 29 will receive 20% off – don’t miss out! This 20% off applies to Cecilia save the dates, thank you cards, coasters, place cards, menus, programs, invitations, and any other piece that uses the Cecilia design. (Please note, the Design of the Month promotion may not be used on purchases of other designs or in combination with any other promotion.)
Meet the Designer – Jamie Lea Bertsch
What is the inspiration behind Cecilia?
Actually, these are the invitations we used for our wedding, so there was a lot of inspiration swirling around them. I named it after my grandmother – Cecilia. The lacy edging was from a handkerchief passed down to me for my wedding, and I paired that with some loose pattern illustrations from other textiles/fabrics in our home. I really wanted to fuse elegant and handmade, so I mixed fonts and rounded corners to keep it casual.
How did you get your start in art and design?
I’ve always enjoyed making things with my hands and the tactile experience. I decided to pursue art and design without any expectations. I didn’t want to anticipate or put pressure on myself to ‘figure it out’ right away. Instead, I eased into things, lightheartedly exploring design, printmaking, fibers, photography and ceramics. Some great opportunities came my way, and since college, I’ve just taken it day by day. Currently I’m pursuing my MFA in fibers, seeing where that leads me. I’ve always believed that things happen for a reason, so I try not to intervene too much with the natural progression of things.
Five art/design tools you couldn’t live without:
Needle/thread, Uni-ball fine tip pens, sketchbook, Sobo glue & scissors
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We were so excited to recently have Brides ask us to create our dream invitation for the upcoming royal wedding. With our Lace letterpress invitations as our inspiration, we wanted to create something girly and a bit dreamy, perfect for a modern day princess celebrating a fairytale wedding. In shades of papaya and persimmon paired with whimsical script, we love this look for a formal yet playful wedding celebration. We envision them enclosed in envelopes with a fabulous liner, gorgeous hand calligraphy and a patchwork of vintage stamps to complete the look. Check out all of the designs on the Brides magazine website and many thanks to our friends at Brides for asking us to contribute!
Founded in early 2010 by sisters Julie and Theresa, Sweet Paper specializes in cute, quaint stylish cards, custom stationery, and unique gifts. Located in La Jolla, California, they create truly stunning letterpress invitations and inspire their clientele with gorgeous, artisan stationery and paper goods at their beautiful storefront location. We are so excited to have them carry the Bella Figura letterpress wedding album!
Q & A with Julie and Theresa of Sweet Paper
What’s your favorite thing to do in your town?
J: Sunday Funday with my husband, kids and sister in my backyard ties with dinner at hip new restaurants sans kids.
T: Enjoying the beach from the sand-free grass in my sisters backyard
What’s your favorite past time or hobby outside of work?
J: Reading anything that has nothing to do with reality. It’s an embarrassing guilty pleasure.
T: Sunday brunch with my sweetie and the crossword puzzle, thrifting, sewing, crafting
Can you share a recent favorite read or find?
J: I recently read The Witch’s Daughter by Paula Brackston, which I enjoyed, but then I always love a good witch story.
T: I have a blog addiction, its hard to pick a favorite. I love before and after day on design*sponge.
An interest, hobby, or something you’re passionate about:
J: Paper!
T: Traveling
Five things you couldn’t live without:
J: My 5 boys, grande triple nonfat mochas, my iPhone, wine and cheese, my sister.
T: A cozy bed, friendship, dance parties, chocolate, my sister.
A while back we featured the gorgeous Tara letterpress invitations that we printed for Joy and Doug’s chic New York City wedding. Today it’s an absolute pleasure to share their beautiful and glamorous celebration! Inspired by the 1930s, the bride wore a stunning vintage Eavis & Brown wedding dress and carried fun personalized details throughout the day. Complete with dancing in the streets of Manhattan, this wedding is a festive celebration of love and a lifetime of memories to come. Many thanks to Joy and Doug for letting us share their beautiful wedding with you and congratulations from all of us here at Bella Figura!
{Photo by Bella Figura.}
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Located in beautiful Toronto, Paper & Poste is a unique invitation and custom design studio specializing in letterpress invitations and creative stationery design. We are honored to call them Bella Figura retailers! For veteran paper geeks Heather Sauer and Beckee McCann, it has always been about the paper. At their other gig at The Paper Place, an innocent conversation about offering custom design planted a seed. That seed took root and grew into Paper & Poste, a private by appointment studio where they combine innovative design with a love of tradition.
Having assisted customers for years in all aspects of designing their own stationery, they found one thing was universal – the desire for something unique. Together they put together a collection of the most beautiful and memorable stationery available. Outside of work, they moonlight as a crochet enthusiast (Heather) and as a designer for her boyfriend’s metal band (Beckee). Find them at Paper & Poste.
