Kellan the Baby Cub

“More work for you???” was the title of their message when Brendan and Steph asked me to help them create their baby announcements. Little did Brendan and Steph know, but “more work” was the last thing I would ever use to describe their announcements. Anything related to Brendan and Steph is NEVER work. They are two of the kindest, and thoughtful souls I have ever met. I have known them for more than a few years now, and the more I get to know their adorable little family, the more amazing I realize they are.

When inquiring about what they were looking for in an announcement, Brendan made very few requests, but did ask that I include both him, Steph, and their son Eamon on the announcements as well – making it more of a family focus. I brainstormed ways to merge a family “feel” into their baby announcement, and when I found this adorable zoo print paper I knew exactly what to do. The lion on the paper was utterly adorable – babyish, but boyish all at the same time. A lion cub it was.

I was beyond excited to get the opportunity to meet baby Kellan in July at Anna and Lars’ wedding, and seeing the four of the Murphy’s together (Brendan, Steph, Eamon, and now new baby Kellan) made my heart all warm, and mushy. Knowing that I was getting to be involved in such an amazing time in their lives was a total thrill for me. Announcing baby Kellan through my paper designs is such an honor, and I want to congratulate Brendan and Steph on their new bundle of joy. He is beautiful you guys!

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Vibrant Colors for Vibrant Friends

I had such a blast with this one!

My mother-in-law, Linda, asked me a while back to wrap a gift for my good friends, Evan and Amy. Evan and Amy were married this past March, and my mom-in-law had a quilt made by Adam’s aunt Sandy (family tradition) to give to them as a wedding gift. I was so excited to get another opportunity to wrap a gift for Evan and Amy because they are such an amazing couple, and are some of the most vibrant, kind-hearted, and witty people I have ever met.

I started the wrapping with this fantastic striped wrapping paper I found a while back at Papyrus. I kept thinking back to Evan and Amy’s wedding day, and all of the beautiful colors that they had incorporated into their day: lime green, orange, red, navy, yellow, white…the list goes on.  I wanted the gift wrapping to remind them of their wedding day, so I continued the look with a bright orange ribbon, and a green damask envelope I made from scratch. I added some pops of color with various buttons, including some amazing wooden ones I bought on a recent antique shopping trip.

I fell in love with this wrapping during the process, and was so thrilled to see the smile on Amy’s face as she exclaimed “this has to be a Jenn Elliott Blake wrapping!!”

Navy, Gold, and Ivory

This weekend Lars and Anna are tying the knot! That’s right! After all of their hard work, and planning, their day has finally arrived!

Lars and Anna are getting hitched this evening in Ollala, WA at the beautiful Edgewater House, and I can’t wait to see all of their wedding details: the ceremony, the reception, the cake, the programs, the centerpieces, the dress, the flowers, the escort cards…the list goes on, and on….oh how I just LOVE WEDDINGS! The weather is supposed to be gorgeous, and with a beach side wedding, I’m sure the entire day will be picture perfect!

I asked Anna a few months ago what her wedding colors were; she replied “navy, gold, and ivory.” In attempt to follow their color scheme, I’ve spent the past few months brainstorming how I wanted to wrap their gift, and it wasn’t until a few nights ago that I committed to a design.

I knew that I wanted to include buttons (it’s clearly my latest obsession) and I also wanted to make the envelope using this fantastic bright, and beautiful paper I found at my favorite art store almost two years ago, which I have held onto for a special occasion. Luscious ribbons were the last touch; holding the envelope just right. Take a look : )

Congratulations to the bride and groom!

Bachelorette Buttons

(In my best singing voice) Going to the chapel and she’s gonna get married…going to the chapel and she’s gonna get married….not quite yet! The bachelorette party, and bridal shower have to come first!

My sister Sarah is getting married in a few weeks, and this weekend I flew out to CO for her bridal shower, and bachelorette party. I’m stoked to be hosting her bachelorette party tonight, but we’re starting off the day with brunch and painting pottery (something she loves) with her bridesmaids and our mom. I’ve got a lot of surprises up my sleeve, and I can’t wait to get the day started! I’m so excited for Sarah, and since I love her sooooo much I thought I would try my hand at something that I don’t love so much….envelopes!

A while back I mentioned how much I despise envelopes. Overall, I love all things paper, but envelopes bore me…ALOT. So, I decided to attempt making one on my own, and of course added my own little touch…buttons! I used lots of red and turquoise (Sarah’s wedding colors) on this one, and had so much fun! Check out Sarah’s bachelorette gift and my first ever envelope from scratch!

And guess what?! Envelopes aren’t so awful! Who knew?

Happy Bachelorette Day to Sarah!

A New Abode

We all know at some point that we will have to “grow up” and move away from home to find our own niche in the world. Some of us resist this more than others, and some of us even beg to come home. Okay, so yes, I have done this once….maybe twice! ; )

Well one of the things that grown up’s do is buy houses. Yes, buying a house is a MAJOR “big kid” step in my opinion, and one I greatly admire of my friends who have already made this step. This past week, one of my best girl friends, Rachel, just bought her first home, and I am SO PROUD of her! I felt honored to go over to her new place and help her pick out her paint colors last week. It was such a thrill to see the excitement on her face, and hear about all of the amazing plans she has for her new home.

I can’t wait to see Rachel’s house when she really makes it her own, and I wanted to make a card to congratulate her on her new adventure. I wanted the card to not only scream “congratulations you’re a homeowner!”, but also reflect Rachel’s personality as well. I used bright eclectic colors and included a type key font on the card that I felt gave it that vintage “anthropologie” look that Rachel and I love so much.

I can’t wait to deliver this greeting card to my friend Rachel, the homeowner. Congrats my friend!!

The 4th

Holidays are the best! No work. Good food. Family and friends. AND on this particular holiday – FIREWORKS too!! Adam and I are lucky enough to be invited over to our good friends, the Andersons, this afternoon for a 4th of July celebration. We consider the Andersons our family away from home, and are super excited to spend the 4th with them.

I decided to make a 4th of July greeting card for the Andersons using (of course) red, white and blue detailing. I stitched floral fabric (fabric that was my grandmother’s that I found when I was back home early this spring) onto the card and then completed the design with polka dots and the number 4. I carried the design onto the inside of the card as well as the envelope. I made the envelope from scratch and included an envelope liner as a final touch.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

The Announcement

I was so stoked a few weeks ago when my good buddy Mike asked me to create engagement announcements for his upcoming proposal to his girlfriend, now fiance (yahoooooo Mike!), Adrienne. I was VERY impressed by Mike’s ambitious request to announce his proposal to his wonderful girl, and was extremely honored to be asked to create something so special for him. Being involved in such a momentous occasion is such a thrill for me, and is truly what drives my passion for paper design.

Mike initiated his request for me to create his announcement by sending me an example of another announcement he had found. I was a bit nervous at first when I saw that the design was a graphic, but asked him to give me a few days to brainstorm and see what I could come up with. I had never really created a graphic design before, but since his only request was that I include “lots of orange” I was put at ease. It also didn’t hurt that his only other request was that I be “smiling” when I make them, and that the recipients be smiling when they receive them…how awesome is Mike?!

In my first attempt to create a graphic design, I hit some bumps in the road; not only while trying to get the circles of the announcements “just right,” but also when asking my printer to do something that, in my opinion, has never been requested of it before: to make accurate and flawless margins…what a concept for a printer, right?!  Well, after almost chucking my printer out the window a few times, Mike’s announcements are done and ready for delivery.

I am so excited to have been given the opportunity to assist Mike and Adrienne in announcing such an amazing moment in their lives, and I wish them a lifetime of happiness together. Mike is such a wonderful guy, and I’m so glad he has found his match. Congratulations you two!

Panty Time!

So let’s be honest, bachelorette parties are not only a total blast, but also a time to shower the bride with adorable lingerie…yes! I said it! Good ol’ underwear.

Well…in an attempt to follow tradition I wrapped a gift for Anna and (gasp!) used the adorable panties I found at “Vicky C’s” as I call it, to accent the wrapping. In my opinion the bright pink knickers with the phrase “KISS THE BRIDE” just had to make it to the “outside” of the box. I added a tiny red envelope to the top of the wrapping with a greeting tucked inside to complete the gift.

I was unable to celebrate Anna’s bachelorette party this past weekend in Portland, but wanted her to know I would be there in spirit. Here’s what I sent for her to open at her party, panty and all!

The Bachelorette

I’m sure I’ve mentioned it more than once on this blog, but I love my sister Sarah. I really do. And she is getting MARRIED! Soon! And of course as the wedding approaches, the festivities to celebrate the bride are quickly approaching as well!

In July, I get the opportunity to host my sister’s bachelorette party back home in Denver. Now, when I initially took on this task I thought, “oh no, the old chick is planning the party” and had no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t have a clue where to start. But after some deep contemplation, I realized that “hey! I once used to be ‘cool,’ and have made a few rounds in Denver myself!”

After some “googling,” I set a plan for the party and got squared away on the invitation design to hopefully spark some excitement for the guests and for Sarah.

I wanted to keep most of the party a secret from Sarah, so I kept the details of the invitation pretty vague, but gave the guests an idea of location, time, pertinent lingerie sizing, and the basic agenda of the evening. I decided to use 3 different colors of paper to not only follow Sarah’s wedding colors and theme, but also to make the invitation a bit unique for the bachelorette party itself.

I used bright red brads to hold the invitation together and completed the “show some love” invite by hand stitching a heart on top of the invitation using red thread. I have ALWAYS loved the concept of incorporating unexpected items into my paper designs and was so excited when I found this turquoise, green, red and yellow striped fabric from a funky vintage fabric store in downtown Seattle. I finished off the hearts by distressing the edges to give them that worn, vintage look to complement Sarah’s 50’s wedding theme.

I completed the design by tucking the invitations in a string tie envelope and continuing the colors of red and turquoise on the address labels using colorful cardstock.

I CANNOT wait to head home in a few weeks to really get the celebration started with the bride and her friends and family!

Funky Fonts

I spent hours yesterday searching for new funky fonts to add some spunkiness to my newest designs. I fell upon this AMAZING typewriter font, which is my new *favorite*, and is sure to make it onto many of my upcoming creations.

I had never really contemplated much in the past about how important fonts might be to my paper projects. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago when I got my first tattoo with my sisters (weird right?!) that I really started thinking about the significance of a “good” font.  I had spent a few weeks searching through hundreds of font styles for our tattoos, and realized that there are some fantastic fonts out there that I hadn’t even thought to use in my designs. The only other time that I can remember having “serious” thoughts about fonts was when I was creating mine and Adam’s wedding invitations last year.

When I 1st started designing our wedding invitations, I found a “cute” font style on Word and decided I wanted the lettering to stream across the invitation from edge to edge. It was not something I had seen offered by the stationary shops in our area, so I thought “why not make our own?” After hours and hours of Adam sizing the wording to the invitations to fit “just right” we decided in the end that the look was a bit too informal for the style of wedding we were hoping to create.

Working with new fonts over the past couple of days spurred my memory of that first draft of our wedding invites. I decided this morning (at 2am when all my ideas usually start brewing) to use my new favorite font to create a birthday card. I used all lowercase lettering and typed the words “happy birthday” over and over again until they covered the entire span of the card – edge to edge, just like I had wanted last year on our first draft of invites. I think it’s my new favorite design…

A New Home

I couldn’t be more excited for our friends Emma and Jason who bought their first home together this month down in south Seattle. Their house is absolutely beautiful and is the envy of everyone who knows them! I got the opportunity to stay the night over at Emma and Jason’s a few nights ago and I just fell even more in love with their new home. I have no doubt in my mind that Emma and Jason will create the most amazing memories in this house!

As a means of congratulating them, Adam and I made a trip to Crate and Barrel (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) this weekend to pick out a little housewarming gift. I was so excited to wrap their gift and include one of my seed packet envelopes to the package. Take a look!

Congrats E and J!

Something Nontraditional

Now this may sound like an odd statement coming from a person that outwardly expresses a love and passion for all things paper, but I have to admit that I am not a fan of the envelope. Yes, I said it. Envelopes.

Envelopes are boring. Plain. Usually one color or solid white without character, expression or attitude. Envelopes are lame.

Now, my mama didn’t raise no fool either. I am fully aware of the importance of the traditional envelope. How would the postman know where to send a thoughtful greeting card if it wasn’t wrapped in a plain envelope with the receiver’s location on it. And of course the infamous stamp that is needed on top of the envelope in order for the card to make it to its final destination. An envelope may also be necessary atop a birthday, wedding or shower gift in order to denote who the gift is for, right?

Well yes of course, BUT in my eyes there are other ways to personalize a gift, a card or just about anything else that needs to “traditionally” fit inside an envelope.

A couple of blogs ago, I don’t know if anyone noticed but I never mentioned using an envelope for the birthday card I created for Alexis or the thank you card for Emma and Jason. The envelope wasn’t mentioned because (eek!) I didn’t use one. These cards were hand delivered and I felt that the envelope would only take away from the personality of the cards themselves.

I am the biggest fan of leaving out the envelope all together or replacing it with something unexpected.  Every time I wrap a gift or make a card I make every effort to avoid the traditional envelope. I want every detail of a card I create or a gift I wrap to be seen in its entirety. We spend so much time and love trying to find the perfect card to go along with our gift or capture whatever moment is going on in the life of the person receiving our card, only to then cover it up by a solid and plain envelope. Why?

So, I encourage you to skip the envelope the next time you give a gift. Just tuck the beautiful greeting card into the top of the ribbon on the gift and let it sing in all of its glory. Or come up with a way to omit the envelope all together, by putting something new in its place such as a gift tag, or something that could be substituted as the envelope.

For example, a couple of weekends ago Adam and I drove to a little town called La Conner up in northern Washington to do some antique shopping (one of my all time favorite things to do…you find the BEST stuff!)  While rummaging through one of the adorable antique shops I came upon a large basket full of old empty/never used seed packets. You know the packets you buy that hold the seeds of either vegetables, fruits, or flowers so that you can plant them in your garden?

I immediately fell in love with the bright colors and vintage look of the empty packets and bought as many as I could before Adam cut me off. I thought the packets would be a lovely addition to a birthday gift or housewarming present and the perfect substitution for the traditional envelope. I couldn’t wait to get home and attach one to a gift with my greeting tucked inside.

Here’s a few pics of the adorable seed packets that I picked out. Keep an eye out for my use of these nontraditional  “envelopes” in my next blog! : )