Oh So Beautiful Paper

{happy weekend!}

Nole — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:00:50 PST

In all the hubbub of Alt last week, I kind of forgot about an important personal milestone – the anniversary of my husband’s deployment to Iraq. He’s now been home as long as he was deployed, but I still wake up every day feeling grateful that he’s here. Everything felt so chaotic and overwhelming this time last year; a feeling that continued up until the day he came home. So if you know of anyone with a spouse or family member deployed overseas, give them a few extra hugs – I’m sure they would appreciate it. I’m looking forward to enjoying a weekend here in DC before heading up to NYC on Sunday for the New York International Gift Fair and to help judge the 2012 Louie Awards. But in the meantime…

…a few links for your weekend!

Quite possibly the cutest kitchen shop ever
Some excellent advice about trade shows from Carina of Crow and Canary
Inspiring prints
Wiley Valentine has a brand new ketubah collection!
The Elevated Envelope is back! Sign up here!

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

Amanda + David’s whimsical fold out wedding invitations
Travel-inspired destination wedding invitations
A few favorite Valentine’s Day cards: Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5
Beautiful calligraphy from Fat Orange Cat Studio
Inspired by: Papercuts!
A beautiful collaboration between Pigeon Toe ceramics and Shanna Murray

A big welcome to the newest Designer Rolodex members!

As usual, we have a fun cocktail coming up for you this afternoon, so check back a bit later for the recipe! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you back here on Monday with some favorite finds from the Gift Fair! xoxo

Photo Credit: Madelene Lindqvist

Chinese New Year Cards from Twig + Fig

Nole — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:00:51 PST

Happy Friday everyone! As I’m sure most of you know, Monday marked the Chinese New Year and the beginning of the Year of the Dragon. Designer Stephanie Laursen sent over some fun letterpress cards that she helped to create at Twig + Fig in Berkley, California to commemorate the occasion. Stephanie created two versions: one on the more traditional side and another with a more modern and stylized design – both paired with classic red envelopes with gilded gold characters.

From Stephanie: We wanted the cards to have a dragon theme (since it’s the year of the dragon). We also wanted them to fit into coin envelopes, as it’s traditional to give money in small red envelopes. We decided to pick two different dragons, one in a more traditional Chinese art style, and one that was a bit more graphic and modern. The typography for each design reflects two aesthetics: the more modern dragon has large bold ’2012′ typography, and the more traditional one is paired with a classic, smaller ’2012′ and the Chinese character for dragon.

We wanted the back of each to say ‘Happy New Year’, but in a more simplified way to give people room to write if they chose, and we decided to make the back the same for each for ease of printing. I also chose to pair the Chinese characters for ‘Happy New Year’ (“gung hay fat choy”) to tie the Chinese theme into the back of the card.

Of course, the red printing ink and the gilded gold envelopes were the finishing touches to really make it appropriate for the Chinese New Year. (We learned that the envelope to give money in should traditionally have gold characters on it, for luck).

Thanks Stephanie! For those of you in the Bay area, you can pick up these cards at Twig + Fig in Berkley, California!

Photo Credits: Stephanie Laursen

A Few Favorite Valentine’s Day Cards, Part 5

Nole — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:00:52 PST

I have just a few more Valentine’s Day cards that I’d like to share with you. So today I have one final round up for you – full of some of the sweetest Valentine’s Day cards yet!

Sycamore Street Press

Valentine’s Day artwork from Akimbo

In case you missed them, you can check out the previous round ups right here!

{images via their respective sources}

Inspired By: Papercuts!

Nole — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:00:12 PST

I’ve been in love with papercut pieces as long as I can remember, as any longtime readers will know from my love for all things Rob Ryan. I’m completely in awe of this stunning technique (the precision! the patience!) and the even more stunning results. So today I’m rounding up a few of my favorite papercut pieces, from artwork to baby announcements.

No. 1 Rob Ryan; No. 2 Dinara Mirtalipova (originally posted here); No. 3 Woodland Papercuts; No. 4 Elizabeth Messina; No. 5 Helen Musselwhite; No. 6 Julene Harrison

And speaking of Rob Ryan, he just released his 2012 Valentine’s Day print! This year, Rob is offering a beautiful screen print in burgundy ink on off-white paper. Check out all three designs right here. So gorgeous!

Woodland Papercuts is a member of the Designer Rolodex – you can see more of Naomi’s beautiful work right here!

{images via their respective sources}

Pigeon Toe + Shanna Murray

Nole — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:30:42 PST

I adore these stacking vessels – a collaboration between Pigeon Toe ceramics and illustrator Shanna Murray. They would be so cute together as salt and pepper cellars, vessels for sauce, or even for votives.

Available right here.

Photo Credits: Pigeon Toe