Archive for September, 2009
branding your wedding
September 30th, 2009
Next up on guest blogger week is Lindsey from DandyLion.
Greetings all! I’d like for you to consider using your stationery as another way to provide those lovely little details by developing your own personal imagery or brand. Beginning with your wedding theme and colors, create a logo to use on all of your paper products before, during and after the event.
For maximum impact, and to provide your guests an idea of what will follow, apply your brand to the very first item you send out: save the date cards. If you haven’t made a decision regarding your brand at this point, just be consistent with the colors or themes you plan to incorporate later. Next, your invitations and the postage – try to use the same colors, patterns, or designs. I would advise you to use in moderation, but keep in mind that your guests will see only one invitation – not the overflowing boxes you have sitting in front of you.
You can design your own stamps with companies like Zazzle, Stamps.com or the U.S. Postal Service.
photo courtesy of of zazzle.com
Stay consistent with your ceremony programs.
photo courtesy of thepaperwink.com
Your place cards, table numbers, favor tags or labels, and even your guest book pages would benefit from some special TLC, whether it’s D.I.Y. or custom made.
photo courtesy of etsy and timeless paper
Hopefully these images will help you to envision the entire day from beginning to end and to get you thinking about the ways you can bring style to traditional elements with personalized stationery.
Keep it simple. Keep it beautiful.
* Special thanks to PJ at The Social Life of Paper for letting me share my thoughts with you on her lovely stationery blog!
Thank you, Lindsey, for getting us thinking about how we can use branding to enhance our weddings!
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the evolution of photo cards
September 29th, 2009
It’s guest blogger week at The Social Life of Paper! First up, Cyn from RiverDog Prints.
I have been a big fan of Photo Cards for years. When my friends started having children, I would receive the ubiquitous holiday card with a photo of their kids (and/or pets) in a best-dressed, posed shot. I looked forward to seeing the photo cards and how different they would seem from year to year. When we had our trial child (our dog) in 2001, I thought, “Now, I can send out Photo Cards!” Giddy? Yes, very much so. But the giddiness waned, as I searched for a place that had interesting designs AND printed on cardstock. Paper-lovers want quality and I could not find it. So, I created a quality photo card myself and that is how my business was born.
I think most of us conjure the typical image of a thin, photo paper holiday greeting with a posed photo where the kids usually look uncomfortable or angry when we hear the phrase “photo card.” Thankfully, this is not your only option in 2009. With constant improvements in technology, digital imaging and printing, the photo card options are rich in quality and design. You can also use candid shots in many designs for a more natural look. Here are a few of my favorites…
Before I began making all my personal cards myself, I was a huge fan of Cardstore.com (above image). I could personalize a card easily and they would send it to my recipient for the cost of a stamp. Now, they have many more well-known and well-loved designers for you to choose from, such as Delphine and Tam Tam Design. I found this fun baby announcement created by Alison and Jessie from Sweet Street Gals. Cardstore.com prints on high-quality, 130lb. matte recycled cardstock.
For the preppy that lives inside you, Whitney English (above image) has many background designs to set off your photos. Each card design is printed on 80 – 100lb. cardstock, giving that quality feel. My favorite is the Pink Gretchen design. You can see her other designs at whitneyenglish.com.
One more option to consider is a digital photo card. The place I would recommend to find yours? Etsy. There are many designers that will create a custom photo card for you and send it to you as a digital file. From there, you can take it to your favorite printing place or have a go at printing the card yourself. Most files are high resolution and will print beautifully. A favorite is Paper Mango (above image) and its Bubbly Christmas design.
As you can tell, I have a passion for Photo Cards. I think it comes down to that thrill of sharing great photos with the people you care about. And when these great photos are married with fabulous design, it’s a very special creation. Thanks PJ for the opportunity to be a “guest blogger.” I enjoyed sharing my passion with all of you!
And thank YOU, Cyn, for being The Social Life of Paper’s first guest blogger!
(top image source)
posted in Trends under Baby, Holiday | 3 comments »