Will You Be My Bridesmaid Cards---Recycled/Green

These sweet dresses just got a little sweeter. This Etsy bride requested eco-friendly paper, so we used chipboard for the main cover and recycled cream linen for the inside text. The kraft envelopes complemented the green design and the extras are now ready to be used for some stationery designs I've got in my head.

Pure Joy

There are so many things we're blessed by, and one of them is the joy that my little boy exudes. November is my favorite time of year down here at the beach; the beaches aren't crowded, and there's a beautiful crispness in the air. Little B doesn't realize that the water is freezing and wants to plunge right in, but what if we could all live our lives doing something that creates this much joy in ourselves.

Changes

We are going through some big changes here, both personally and with the business. The Neighborhood Press is now Paper and Thread Studio, and you can check out the new blog here The actual website is under development now and scheduled to launch by the start of the new year. And, our family is moving out of our home. While it is super sad to leave this house, there are lots of benefits to moving too, one of which is an inside studio/office.

Cry Face Inspiration

This is baby Lyla. I had the pleasure of photographing and creating keepsake birth announcements that her mama, and my dear friend, is going to have framed and sent to close family. I seriously look at this face at least a couple times a day. Don't worry, we rescued her seconds after this shot.

Thread Garland Tree

Here's just a little peak at a Christmas card design I'm working on. I'm playing around with different fabrics, backings, and thread colors and trying to incorporate a picture somehow.

Fabric Bellies

This is an idea that I've wanted to create for some time. I used muslin fabric which has a very organic feel and looks great with raw edges to create the belly band for an invitation. These are going to go up in my Etsy store and hopefully I can use them for a wedding suite soon. They can be made with almost any fabric. I suggest looking at Hart's Fabric for a great selection of unique fabric.

Ghostly Invites

Some fun felted ghost invitations to get the little ones excited for a Halloween party. Plus, who doesn't want to eat dinner at a place called "Cowboy Grub".

The Happy Envelope

While my focus is on creating custom designs, I am also proud to be a retailer of The Happy Envelope, and actually have been for over a year now. They just relaunched their website and feature some beautiful new holiday and everyday cards. Here at The Neighborhood Press, we carry the Weddings 1 and 2 lines, which you can view on their website, or schedule a consultation to take a look at the albums in person. I think my favorite is the Mod Victorian Frame. They are a super sweet family out of Tennessee, and I'm proud to offer my clients their products.

At the Shore Programs

I've been wanting to use chipboard for some time now, and this wedding proved the perfect place. The bride used the words "beachy" and "organic" to describe her wedding and originally chose a chocolate cover, but I thought they would be a little too dark for a beach setting. They trusted my vision, and this was the result. The branch image was supplied by the bride, and inside is one of the most heartfelt notes from the couple that I've read. From one coast to another, congrats to Erin & Pete.

adopted home

Often times when I ship my programs or wedding day creations, it's a troubling experience. I spend hours making each one by hand and then in an instant they're gone, and to be honest, I kind of miss them. I'm thankful to those brides and photographers that send me pictures of their day. Not only do I get to see my online clients and see if my mental pictures actually match the real them, but I get to see my work in its intended home, which is always better than my little studio.

Here is a picture courtesy of Taek Photography from one of those real weddings. You might remember it as the Marmivon wedding post. For more pictures of this beautiful wedding, visit the planner's website here.

blessings

Today was one of those days that made me do what I should be doing every day, expressing gratitude for all of the blessings in my life. I say this not to boast, but to inspire you to do the same. This morning, I was in a bit of a funk, and while taking my son in for a check-up, we saw the beginnings of some police activity. I looked up and saw a scene I won't soon, if ever, forget. A man was perched precariously on the edge of the parking structure, threatening to take his own life. While others were gathered watching the scene, I couldn't get away soon enough. I can't even describe the feeling, but I had extreme horror and a sense to hold my baby tighter and get out of the area. The situation ended well thanks to the sheriffs involved.

On the way home it got me thinking about my stress and how misplaced it really was. Here are a few of the reasons I am lucky: a husband who had the courage to leave a secure, "safe" job to follow his passion and then encouraged and is supporting me while I do the same; a child who plays hard, sleeps hard, and loves me like I'm his favorite person in this world; a dog who entertains me by turning 20 circles before settling in, but who gets up in one second with even the slightest mention of a walk or ball; a family and friends that put aside their work-free days to have some toddler time when I just can't fit all the work in; and the wedding industry for being just the calling I needed to hear.

Paper Dress Cards

I say it all the time, but I'm so lucky to be in the world of weddings. I remember my own wedding with such detail, and it was over 4 years ago. This was the start of our little family, and it brings me such joy to create beautiful paper items for other couples' starts to their families. These little bridesmaid cards are one of those items that I just love making. Don't get me wrong, making a set of 200 accordion folded wedding programs has its perks, but these little lovelies are a nice break in between those types of orders.

Shabby Chic meets Florida

This fun project was for a destination wedding in Florida. The bride specified tiffany blue and pink with a shabby chic vibe, and a hint of coral. Every time the hubs came in my studio, he held up this sample and commented how much he liked this one and how it made him think of Florida. (Maybe there are some secret font memories there, hmmm.)

"Real" Sewing

It seems like the only sewing I'm able to fit in lately is on paper, but I had the stitching itch yesterday and decided to hide the baby gate used to keep the little man in my life out of the fireplace. I used fabric left over from the window bench/dog bed. Then when I took a pillow cover off to wash it, I realized that it was kind of ugly and from Walmart about 4 years ago. So, I used some fabric scraps and made a few pillows for the couch. Now, if only we could mount the television with an ornate frame around it, as seen here, this section of the living room would be perfect.

late summer flowers

Shana's wedding inspiration came from the idea of late summer flowers. Living in Southern California and being slightly devoid of seasons, I had to do a little research. We ended up doing half the programs in poppy and the other half in strawberry (Paper Source colors). All of the programs feature a bronze band with a golden yellow diamond stitch. These programs had a deadline that coincided with a little family getaway up to the in-laws in Santa Cruz County, so these were my first travelling programs. They made the journey perfectly, and I even got to visit a different post office. There's just something about friendly post office workers that makes the shipment part of my job quite lovely.

Chandelier Inspiration

The planner behind My Bride Story came across my Etsy site and it turned out to be a perfect match to create the wedding programs for her latest wedding taking place at the Marmivon in Los Angeles. She emailed this picture, and I took the design from there. I love the way the chartreuse, curry, and orange & yellow thread colors work together. (Not to mention it was fun working with a fellow mom.)

farm fans

Maggie and Steven are lucky enough to get married on her family's farm, so they chose a rustic, but still chic pallette of kraft brown, chocolate, green, and ivory. The covers are stitched with chocolate thread in a freehand curve to accent the circle cutout.

August in Missouri...hopefully these fans help to cool the guests down so they can enjoy what I'm sure will be a beautiful wedding. Congrats and best of wishes to my "farm" couple. (I secretly nickname every bride by the way...always something nice though)

the floral lab

Wouldn't these flowers just brighten your day? Leigh Anne of the Floral Lab hand crafts each floral arrangement out of her beautiful home. I love the whimsical feel to each piece.

little houses

It was so much fun constructing these little houses for a New York family's moving announcements. These are heavy kraft cardstock printed on both sides to be used as postcards to announce your move. This client loved polka dots and orange, so we fused those into one adorable house. Maybe the world would be a slightly better place if you walked the neighborhood and saw houses like this.

Embossed Starfish Mini Book Programs

These cute little programs hold a lot of information inside, but fit in the palm of your hand. The embossed image can be almost anything, and all of the colors and text are customizable.