Design: Baby Shower Invitations for Shelly

Are you as tired of pastel pink baby shower invitations as I am? Apparently so, because I was recently asked to create something a little different for my dear friends' upcoming shower.

She rocks. Her baby is going to rock. So her invitations clearly needed to match that level of awesomeness.

Design: Debbie Does Dallas leave-behind stickers

This week I was lucky enough to work with my favorite gal about town and yours, the elusive Debbie of the Debbie Does Dallas blog . Every girl needs a little something to leave behind - and Debbie is no exception. These little signature calling card stickers do just that; and now the world will know in even more detail exactly where she's been.




Look for her stickers when you're out and about, so you too can follow Debbie's trail as she does Dallas. In the meantime, follow her on twitter at twitter.com/debdoingdallas.

So, who is this broad that calls herself Debbie and enthralls us with her dirty delights? I'll never tell...

Design: Stock Wedding Suite - mustard and coral

A few new stock designs. I had an intense urge to break out of the norm for this set - so I went for bold, solid colors and slightly sarcastic copy text.

The 'undo' button

Since my usual medium is digital - I try to balance it out by working with my hands whenever I can, whether that's doing hair or crafting or really anything that doesn't involve me sitting in front of a computer screen. However! After having worked as a graphic designer full time for 6 years now, I have trouble transitioning when I do things in 'real time' (vs computer time where everything is done instantly). It's like I'm so connected with my adobe suite that it has actually changed the way I think; and that is just gross on so many levels.

At the risk of sounding like a complete weirdo, I'm going to admit something embarrassing. When I'm doing something away from my computer and I make a mistake, I literally say the words "undo" (or apple z! apple z!) in my head and yes, sometimes out loud. And just for a split second, I sometimes think its going to WORK. And these are the moments that I remember exactly WHY it's so necessary for me to STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER and do something real.

So this is my partial justification for including everything I make and create on this blog, instead of just keeping it straight to graphic design; which would make so much more sense, though not nearly as interesting...

Not only do these seemingly disparate activities keep me sane, but they often become the inspiration I take to the computer for my next design project.

Design: Clementines Cupcakes Logo

When it rains, it pours.... cupcakes! This is the second cupcake logo design I've done this month - this one for the incredibly talented Cara Weatherby of Clementine's Cupcakes. This bakestress does custom orders for weddings, birthdays, and really any event where you'd eat a cupcake (which, in my opinion, should be every event). From the deliciousness of her vanilla bean cupcake with salted caramel icing to the unbelievable taste of her peanut butter and jelly cupcake - her work speaks for itself. And have I mentioned the cupcakes also happen to be gorgeous? See for yourself right here.

Since Cara makes all of her cupcakes from scratch, and each recipe is uniquely her own - we really wanted the design to reflect that handmade magic. I went with a warm muted color scheme and hand-drawn lines to whip up a logo that's almost as yummy as the cupcakes themselves. Don't you worry, I've tried every single flavor personally. For research, of course!

The logo:


The business cards:

Design: Sweet Belle Confections Logo

I recently had the chance to work with the lovely Michelle Metzger of Sweet Belle Confections, and we had a blast coming up with her logo. Not only does Michelle do amazing cupcakes; she also bakes up almost any other sweet treat you can possibly imagine. Check her out on facebook.

We wanted to create something warm, sweet, and southern - just like her baked goods! Here's what we came up with for the logo:


And the business cards:

Design: Invitation graphics used for a wedding cake

One of my favorite things about designing wedding invitations is being able to see how the couple carries the design through to other areas of their celebration, using it as the basis for a cohesive theme. For Sarah and Mike, this meant taking the floral illustration and color scheme from the invitation and using it as the basis for their custom wedding cake.



I love being able to see my work translated into such a gorgeous confection!

Design: Wedding Invitations for Sarah and Mike

I just finished some custom design comps for my friend Sarah and her fiance Michael. Invitation designs are one of my favorite projects to do, so I was thrilled when they asked me! Their wedding colors are pink, cream, and chocolate brown.

I was only going to do three options, but once I got started I couldn't stop! I ended up doing 4 comps and I just couldn't narrow it down.






The very first thing I did was decide on a few standard sizes that I would work from so that it would be easy to have the designs printed somewhere and so we could find the right size envelopes without too much trouble. There are lots of online digital printing sites out there right now, and I've used quite a few of them for work over the years. The quality, turnaround time, and prices are absolutely amazing to me after spending years being disappointed with places like Kinkos and Office Depot. Online printing stores are the perfect solution for someone who needs quality but can't spend the money it would cost to use a printing press.

I would recommend any of the following stores to a couple looking to have digital invitations printed. : catprint.com, printplace.com, overnightprints.com, and vistaprints.com.

Catprint is quickly becoming my favorite online choice because they have the most paper options available at the lowest prices. Most of the other sites only offer matte or gloss white cardstock, but catprint has almost 20 choices of paper sheen and weight, including a gorgeous heavy weight shimmer paper that I have used personally. This site is perfect for those needing short runs on invitations - some of the other sites have either a 50, 100, or 250 minimum.

Printplace is great if you know you'll need 250 or more of each item and you don't need a large paper selection. They have an extremely easy to use automated ordering system, and rock bottom prices. If you live in the DFW area, they have a plant in Arlington and will even let you pick up your finished products from there to save on shipping.

Overnightprints is a little pricier on some items, but the quality is great and the customer service is excellent. They also offer rounded edges for free or little cost on many products, which is a great extra option that really looks beautiful.

Vistaprints is a great option if you have a very tight budget or you need alot of promotional items. This is my source for save the date magnets and other little trinkets with the bride and grooms name and wedding date on them. The prices are amazing and they usually have a free product available. BUT- beware of free things from vistaprints, they are very 'gimmiky' and there is always a pop up trying to get you to buy something else. You should also know that many of their free products have a big ol' vistaprints logo on the back of them (like business cards) which is weird and annoying.

The best part about using these services is that you can take the money you save by printing online and spend it on a designer to have a gorgeous custom invitation created. There are some great designers on etsy, lollishops, poppytalk, and craigslist.