Collages and Bunnies

{image courtesy of lookbookish.com}

Artist Ray Johnson, referred to as "New York's most famous unknown artist" and a crucial artist in the Pop Art movement of the 1960's that centered the likes of Andy Warhol. Unknown to the mainstream, but fascinating to his peers of that era, Ray was a unique visionary that refused to be commercialized, used or pinned down by expectations. Frequently changing his mediums, methods and styles, from painting, collage and performance art Ray always kept people guessing and amazing them with enigmatic new directions.

A fascinating documentary of his life and work, "How to Draw a Bunny", released in 2002, investigates his life from his art school days and beginnings in the New York scene through his many projects and performance up to his mysterious death, it is an intense study of an artist who saw his entire life as a continuous work of art. I recommend his work and this film to anyone as an example of someone who was not afraid to push new ground and experiment. Although Ray was not a famous and wealthy figure like Warhol, It is a lesson I find valuable even for people who may experience success, to keep from becoming complacent and resting on the laurels of fame.

Happy Birthday, Sesame Street!

Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away....

I'm sure that all of us here at eInvite and most of you have sung those opening lines to the Sesame Street theme at the top of our lungs. Whether you watched it religiously as a child like I did or have kids who currently watch it, it's been a part of our lives. Presidents, celebrities and artists have been on the show over the years, and it's inspired fashion, education and art.

So, for helping millions of children around the word learn to count to 3 and that Muppets also make fantastic friends, I wanted to say thank you and offer a big happy 40th birthday! As a small gift, share your Sesame Street memories below. Who's your favorite character? (Mine was Count von Count!) Do you occasionally flip by it and still stop? Do you have kids who love it?

{A blast from the past via Belmont University Marketing Forum}

Invitations: Ordering

{Cartouche Espresso Invitation by Martha Stewart via eInvite}

Ordering your wedding invitations:

When to Order

Order your invitations as soon as your date, time and place have been confirmed. Three to six months before the ceremony is what most expert planners suggest. The more time you give yourself, the less harried you'll feel and the more carefully you'll make decisions. Give yourself or your calligrapher at least a month to hand address, assemble, and stamp the invitations and reply envelopes.

The Value of a Preview

Look for a printer or on-line dealer who offers CheckMate Preview technology so that you can see an actual copy of your invitation--with all your custom changes--before you order. CheckMate lets you personalize the invitation of your choice with your own wording, ink color and lettering style, and then shows you an actual copy of your creation almost immediately! If your store does not offer CheckMate, ask the staff to request a paper proof from the printer before the ensemble is printed. There is usually a charge for each proof you order and it takes a few days to a week to receive. If you don't like what you see, you'll need to make changes and order another proof.

How Many to Order

To calculate the number of invitations to order, count one invitation for each of the following:

1. Couple (married or living together)
2. Family with children under 18
3. Each child 18 years old or older and still living at home
4. Single guest
5. Fiancee/fiance of a guest
6. Invited boy-or-girl friend of a guest

For example, in a house with one set of parents and five children (one child 17, one 14 and three children 18 and older), four invitations would be sent. One would be sent to the parents with the name of the 17 year old and the 14 year old on the line below the parents' names (on the only envelope if using a single envelope or on the inner envelope if using a double envelope set), and one each to the three siblings 18 and older.

After calculating the number of invitations, as noted above, add approximately 25 invitations to your order: 10-12 more for keepsakes, plus extras for the last-minute guests (and there will be last-minute guests.) Reorders later can be costly. Also, depending on how large your order is, add 25 to 50 additional envelopes in case of mistakes in addressing.

When to Mail

Most established wedding planners agree that you should plan to mail your invitations six weeks before the wedding. Make sure you have one completely assembled invitation weighed at the post office to determine the correct postage. When you return with your invitations stamped and ready for mailing, ask to have them hand canceled. After all the care you put into selecting and addressing your envelopes, you'll want them to arrive in pristine condition for your guests' full enjoyment.

Destination weddings:

***Remember, if you are having a very detailed itinerary, more planning and foresight come into play!

Save the Date is a must:

Once you have chosen your destination and the date, you’ll want to inform your guests so they can plan their travel and lodging. Eight to nine months in advance is plenty of time. Save-the-Date Cards will tell them where and when the wedding will be held, and will give them their first glimpse of the celebration to come. More research on the bride and grooms end comes in advance of this. Watching flight pricing trends and scheduling accordingly to make it easier for all of you guests and their pockets, after all, you want them all there celebrating with you!

Getting there: invitations & the extra touches:

The perfect invitation will allow your guests to share your excitement the moment they open the envelope, and introduce the whole destination wedding idea. Your Invitations formally present your theme, setting the tone for your wedding. Response Cards are a simple way for your guests to secure their place at your celebration — and you’ll have a count of how many are attending. If your reception is to be held at a different site than the ceremony, you may want to send Reception Cards as well.

When they open your invitations, your guests will be excited and want to know where to go and what to do. A wedding blog or website can be helpful to give them the opportunity to peruse collected information you have already researched about the area. To make it easier once they arrive, have custom Direction Cards to all your wedding events. When traveling, you may be hosting more than just a reception. To help your guests enjoy all that your perfect locale has to offer, you may want to send Invitations for special activities to bring people together.

Destination weddings require a lot of separate pieces. When you combine your wedding ensemble, the magic is in the details! Some invitation sets are designed to keep your guests organized — and your invitations neat — with Custom Folders or Pockets that hold all the pieces of your wedding ensemble.

Schedules, agendas, programs and more:
How do you make your guests feel at home when they’re far away? A gift basket filled with local goodies will give them a warm welcome in their hotel room. To show your appreciation and bring your guests into the warm embrace of your event, include a Welcome Letter either in the gift basket, or by itself. You can also collect local maps and guidebooks for your guests, and suggest activities to do in between your events. Carry your wedding theme over to these and other materials, adding details that make your personality show through. These personal touches and thoughts go a long way. It is a nice way to greet everyone after their efforts and planning to be there to celebrate with you.

Have a little fun, go here and see your names on an invitation instantly!

Next: Wording your invitation

Neutrals and Plums

{images: jcrew infinity bracelet, jcrew bride's maids dresses, jcrew flower girl dress, balsa and coral bouquet by krislyn via 100 layer cake, headpiece by via etsy}

Neutrals and plums are everywhere, accented by magenta and maroon, bringing eclectic and rich tones to wedding days. A great fall or winter palette, it can even emerge into the spring with tones of the seaside lavender. A wonderful accent of black can be seen in the balsa and coral bouquet, designed by Krislyn, found on 100 layer cake. Lastly, etsy is rich with professionally handmade goods that add a wonderful unique touch to your celebration.

Clare and Radu, an NYC wedding

There is something wonderful and intimate about a bride and groom expressing their personal style. Excitement abounds when something so very personal is expressed to friends and family on such a special day. We have all been to weddings that are a lot like other weddings, but the ones that are remembered and talked about, the ones that create an abundance of inspiration are those that are truly unique and personal.

Expressing personal style takes something more than being unique, it is a way of life, it is telling everyone WHO you are. I have heard people comment on not knowing HOW to express their personal style, but I feel that it is one of the easiest parts of planning your wedding. By asking yourself what you love, what you want share, what you believe in...you can get started with your own expression. By doing what the two of you wish, maybe rocking a red dress, even though Aunt Betty may gasp, you can confidently and willfully make your wedding your very own.

Through my bloggy travels I have seen so many wonderful weddings emerge from excitement and unexpected. Couples are celebrating color, life, vitality. It is an exciting time to be getting married.

Today we are sharing the celebration of Clare and Radu who recently wed at sunset on the water in New York City. When I saw the images of Clare's red dress, I was filled with excitement. The expression on her face says it all...live, love, and laugh for a lifetime, beginning with doing it your way! Congratulations Clare and Radu!

Clare and Radu’s wedding details:

Location of wedding: The Mariner III on the Hudson River, the ceremony took place on the boat in front of the Statue of Liberty

Bridal Dress by: Designed and made by the bride herself (inquiries at

clare@thunderlily.com)

Fabric bought from www.thunderlily.com

Child's dress made by my her mother, fabric is a classic Liberty print on Tana Lawn

Child's shoes are Biscotti

Flowers by: John Street Florist

Music: A band of great NYC jazz musicians pulled together by our friend and wedding officiant, Jorge Manahan.

Selected photos by Andreea Waters of Kai and Gipsy

Clare's dress inspired us so much, we wanted to share a little about her dress and the day, in the words of a bride willing to bring it!

eInvite: What went into your decision to wear the red dress?

Clare: I took a little inspiration from all my friends for everything in the wedding. We are white-water kayakers and so are most of our friends which is why we got married on the water. I made a wedding dress for my friend Susan and it was red, and she looked fabulous -- after that it seemed just an obvious choice, in some cultures it is the bridal color, plus we already have a two-year old so white just seemed a bit lame. Ultimately though, the whole symbolism of white is a bit redundant these days, so it seemed a better idea to wear a color that represented joy.

eInvite: tell us how it felt to have your wedding on the water as the sun set, with friends…

Clare: The evening felt dazzling. I didn't see anything the whole ceremony except Radu and our officiant. After we walked down the aisle I turned around and there was the Statue of Liberty, huge, beautiful and powerful cut out against the sunset. The view behind us really cut a back-drop for marriage as a freedom and a beginning.

eInvite: When I saw the riot of red with a face of extreme joy, I knew your wedding would inspire a lot of brides out there looking to express more of their personal style. Thank you for sharing your auspicious day with us!

Personal style is alive and kicking over at Offbeat Bride. Check out the latest on colorful wedding dresses!

A Romantic Halloween for Clover & Joe

Congratulations Clover & Joe! What an amazingly creative Halloween wedding!

~ Beautiful photos by Gregory Weed Photography {http://www.glwphoto.blogspot.com/}
~ Spectacular floral arrangements by the grooms mother, Sue Mancusi
~ My favorite part of Halloween - CANDY - custom M&Ms!
~ Black Cat & Haunted House Invitation on eInvite.com

Thanksgiving Invitations

I'm not one for holiday decorations on Labor Day, but now that the Halloween festivities have passed, it is time to get in the spirit! First up, Thanksgiving. Whether you are hosting this year or wish to send a Thanksgiving greeting to those you are thankful for, below are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving invitations & cards.



{L to R from top: Autumn Leaves Framed, Gobble, Turkey Harvest, Thanksgiving Leaf, Horn of Plenty, Happy Thanksgiving}

Four Color Letterpress

As a part of an art project I'm doing on the side, I've been researching on means to put letterpress to use in more complicated ways. I've been particularly interested in coming up with a way to print process color using a letterpress, as supposedly when the transparent ink process was first being used, it was occasionally done on a letterpress.

"Process" color is now commonly known as CMYK. This stands for each of the principle inks used in the printing run: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and blacK. The letter "K" is used for black so as not to confuse it with "B" for blue. The letters also stand for the order in which ink is applied to paper: first, Cyan, then Magenta, Yellow, and finally blacK. Sometimes, in order to compensate for a variety of issues, you might see the order listed differently, for example: KCMY, YCMK, etc. None the less, it is all "process" color.

Unfortunately, even when everything is running perfectly, CMYK cannot reproduce a large number of colors. Without getting technical, in order to compensate for this, a system was invented by Pantone in the 1990's called Hexachrome, which added Orange and Green to the process colors. Green and orange are notoriously difficult to reproduce in CMYK process.

However, in search of ways to print CMYK on a letterpress, I discovered a printing process that emulates the concept of Hexachrome seventy years before Hexachrome was invented. This process was called "The Berté Process." It used watercolor ink and overprinted solids. I wasn't familiar with this process before, and I'm amazed at the quality of the color that was possible. Take a look:

It would be really interesting to revive this type of printing on the letterpress (though it would be outlandishly expensive). Though you would not be able to easily reproduce gradients (seamless transitions between two different colors), you could create a variety of stunning effects.

artist friends, skulls and scotts

{image via scottboilard.com}

{image via the paintingloft.com}

This time of year, near All Hallows Eve is a wonderful time to spotlight spooky art, like our own Scott Boilard and our friend, relic painter Scott Holloway. The latter gives us insight into his process, pretty cool stuff. Holloway is currently showing at La Luz de Jesus Gallery in LA.

Perhaps you saw the skull mask in a recent post that Scott Boilard made for the recent Halloween party we all ventured out to. Boilard's work has taken him all the way to St. Petersburg. We are lucky over here. Our community is brimming with incredibly talented artists that inspire us everyday.

After I posted this, we were all chuckling a little bit about Scott designing skulls at home and chickies and airplanes any given day here. I am sure his fellow artists don't know how fuzzy and cute his chickies are, but I can attest. Being versatile is pretty key.

{also designed by Scott Boilard}

We've got a winner!

Alexa and Ben (@APandBBetz) of Kirkland, Washington are the winners of the Twitter contest! We can't wait to see what they choose for their invitations. Congratulations and best wishes from all of us at eInvite!

{an adorable engagement, via Bren t& Jeneane}

Happy Halloween from Frank Frazetta

{"Headless Horseman II" by Frank Frazetta courtesy of www.bunnybunnyrabbit.blogspot.com}

Loving Preen

{preen, british and edgy via design centre, dublin fashion house}