Clerkenwell Design Week
It would appear I may possibly be the only person to not be going to the fabulous Clerkenwell Design Week....
I was ok about that, until I received the following email from Turnbull and Grey..
"As part of Clerkenwell Design Week we're running a giant letterpress scrabble wall in Milliken's showroom, we'll be there on Tuesday 22 May. Drop by from 1pm and take part in our giant scrabble game. Pick your letterpress blocks, make a word, print the tiles and add them to the wall!
Milliken are based on Berry Street, all details for our workshop and all other events can be found on the Clerkenwell Design Week website.
Jealous, moi?
Too right.
AML xx
{Wedding Paper Parlour} Tiger’s Teachings – Paper Love
My wonderful friend and über talented Wedding Planner to the London Glitterati, Penny of Tigerlily Weddings, was commissioned by the Times in 2011 on the run up to THE Royal Wedding to offer an insight into every single bit of the planning that goes into pulling of a super stylish bash.
One of my favourite articles was on the Stationery {no surprise there then}
At first glance, many felt that Prince William and Kate Middleton’s choice of a traditional formal style invitation was not reflective of the young, contemporary couple. But, even though many in the wedding world were underwhelmed, if you take a closer look at the beautiful 750gsm ivory board with letter press and gold dye stamped Queen’s Cypher, you can see the beauty in what is a very formal, yet beautifully crafted invitation.
Having drawn up your guest list, your next step is to design your invitations.
Your invitation is massively important and sets the tone for what guests will expect from your wedding, so you need to take the time to consider how you want to introduce your celebration to your family and friends. The right stationery will help you communicate this.
Make sure you also review wedding stationery etiquette at Debretts so when you come to wording and laying out invitation designs so you avoid making any any faux pas.
I believe every wedding invite should be “one of a kind” so when you select your wedding stationery it is important to consider all stationery items you may inject as part of your wedding design such as
• Order of service
• Menus
• Place cards/table plans
• Thank-you cards
Ensure you outline all your stationery requirements, design and budget so when you approach stationery companies they can then tailor quotes and ranges to suit you.
You may feel overwhelmed when you begin researching wedding stationery because of a wide array of print methods and paper available. Often couples say to me that they do not understand the jargon.
So here’s my jargon-free guide to wedding stationery with the help of Tim Honnor, chairman of the British Engraved Stationery Association, and managing director of Piccolo Press
Printing styles
Engraved Wedding Stationery
Engraving is a really beautiful – and one of the more expensive - printing techniques and is one of my personal favourites. A plate of metal (usually copper) is engraved with your designed artwork and wording. The plate is then dipped in ink and the paper is pressed from the back.
This creates a raised effect on the paper, as well as the indented lines found on the back of the invitation. There is no substitute for engraving’s combination of fine resolution, definition and richness of image.
The paper that is normally used for this printing technique is made from 100 per cent cotton and around 700gsm
Thermographic
If your budget will not stretch to engraving but you want a similar effect, then go for thermographic printing. The result looks like engraving, but costs far less as no engraved plate is needed and there are no indented lines found on the back of the paper
Thermographic is a process that raises the printed text using heat. This is achieved by sprinkling resin on the printed sheet whilst the sheet is still wet and then subjecting the sheet to heat. The resin fuses with the ink and raises the printed matter above the paper surface.
Letterpress
Letterpress printing is a relief printing process. Ink is applied to the surface of a stamp that has a raised surface and the type is pressed against paper to make an impression. By ‘debossing’ the image into a soft card, a stunning clear tactile effect is produced.
The finished article has a rich quality, with a thick layer of ink and indentation where the type is pressed against the paper.
Images are also reproduced in a similar way, using blocks of wood, metal, lino or nylon.
Lithography/ Offset
Lithography is another cost-effective printing option for wedding stationery. An inked impression is made to a plate or a rubber cylinder and transferred to paper. Inks are mixed from Pantone or RGB colours for exact colour matches.
The printing method does not produce any indentations or texture but is commonly printed on textured paper to give it a more deluxe feel.
Digital
With the rapid development of printing technology over the past ten years digital printing has become a key player in the wedding stationery market.
Though many still feel this undermines the quality of wedding stationery, digital printing can produce remarkable results based on digitally-rendered files. You will need to use a smooth or light textured paper for this print method.
Digital printing allows those working on a budget to achieve a professional print quality finish to their stationery
Design styles: off-the-shelf ranges
Whether you are looking for an opulent, romantic or glamorous invitation for your wedding day, there are so many amazing ranges to choose from.
I have selected a few invites that encapsulate the regal wedding look in differing style and print method formats for you to check out.
When looking for wedding stationery, research is vital. I have included my little black book of some of my favourite wedding stationers for you to review.
But you may also find attending wedding shows is another useful way to review lots of wedding invites up close and interact with the designer and discuss their services.
Bespoke and beyond…
I adore working on bespoke stationery design for my clients, I am extremely lucky to work with some of the most creative individuals in the business.
Two of the most creative companies currently are House of Sugalily and Cutture who are really giving the wedding stationery market a shake-up with cutting-edge passionate design.
Both companies have worked on bespoke projects for Tigerlily clients in the last few months and the results are truly stunning.
Many companies offer a bespoke design service. If you have, as part of your wedding design, shaped some stationery ideas share your mood board and colour palette with your chosen stationer. You can then go and create together.
Your stationery designer will also guide you with making paper and typeface choices and adornments needed to finish your design and complement your design.
DIY: the handmade revolution
With the rise of popularity of DIY wedding design many stationery companies have responded by offering DIY stationery ranges. Two of my favourite stationers offering this service are Chartula and Ivy Ellen Wedding Invitations.
If you are feeling super-confident to craft your very own design go to Ruffled, at www.ruffled.com This blog has lots of inspiration and ‘how-to’ tutorials on handcrafting and finishing techniques to produce your very own handmade, beautiful stationery.
Chiconomy and Keeping it Green
For the environmentally aware and ‘chic-onomy’ brides amongst you, to combat either your effect on the environment or overreaching on your budget, why not consider sending your save-the-dates or wedding invitations via e-mail?
I love Paperless Post, Love and Lavender and Wedding Chicks which have some really stylish invites for you to tailor for your day.
Process and timescales
The time it takes to get your invitation from conception to your guests’ doormat will depend on the type of invite, the style and printing method you choose. Your designer/printer will inform you of the process and time needed to deliver your order.
You need to ensure, before you commit to a design, that you have nailed down deadlines for the designers to produce design and artwork, a sample and a final design and ensure they give you a printing and production timetable. You don’t want your guests to have insufficient notice of your wedding.
Order an extra ten per cent invitations on top of your total guest numbers, just in case invitations go missing in the post or you need to invite more guests later on.
Here is my little black book of companies and design artists who are sure to make your stationery regal
{Just Lovely} Lydia Leith
I totally love Lydia Leith.
You want a bit of quirkiness. You gottit.
From the designer of the the Royal Sick Bag {Genius} comes a whole stable of brilliant design led bits and bobs.
Take a look see.
Enjoy, AML xx
{Wedding Paper Parlour} Iris Art Designs
These days I am beyond short on time, but my darlings I still have time to share pretty with you, even if my accompanying words are a little brief.
So without further ado...say ola to Iris Art Designs...
I am totally in love with their Jubilee Design.
Enjoy, AML xx
{Just Lovely} My bank holiday weekend
Afternoon folks!
Its been a lovely long weekend and this is what I have mostly been upto..
Tears, tantrums and tiara's {well a bit of sparkle} could totally sum it up.
Elton would be so proud.
Hope you have had a good one.
Love AML xx
{Book Review} Paris in Colour
OK so bit of a tease...I will be reviewing...but for now lust at the front cover.
AML xx
{Wedding Paper Parlour} Lucy Sheeran
Afternoon lovelies,
I bring you a little bit of local {to me} pretty...in the shape of Lucy Sheeran..
Lucy designs fresh and modern illustrated social stationery, invitations, prints and pictures as well as lots of gorgeous commissions all digitally printed...
Lucy also designs bespoke and off the wedding stationery, from invitations {including the cutest maps}all the way through to the entire on the day package including signs, table plans and thank you cards.
I am a little bit in love with the highly talented simplicity of Lucy's collections..
Enjoy.
AML xx
{Type of your Life} Sans Serif Pretty
How much I adore this sans serif font is really hard to explain.
I {think} love it more than babybel.
Beautiful huh?
So what is a Sans Serif font? {Pronounced SAN-SERR-if}
This is an easy one {totally is what it says it is} this font family are typefaces that do not use Serifs {small lines at the ends of each character}.
The most commonly used Sans Serif fonts include Helvetica, Arial, Avant Garde and Geneva. {Serif fonts that you may use {unknowingly} include Times Roman, Courier, New Century Schoolbook, and Palatino.}
Sans Serif fonts are a little more difficult to read and interpret than the traditional Serif fonts so for this reason {amongst any others including design preference} they are used most often for short text layouts..like a headlines, title or caption {as illustrated beautifully for us in the picture shown}.
What's your favourite Sans Serif?
AML xx
{Just Lovely} Darling Topshop
Love, Love, Love the new Topshop Catalogue.
Unfinished stock, dreamy pastels and gorgeous typography and I rather love all of the clothes too.
Winning {in the words of the Sheen}.
Check out all the latest booty on Topshop online.
{Paper Honey} Something for the Girls
I have a total girl {and paper crush} on Something for the Girls..
Click through to their website and these whimsical words greet you...
"Be seduced by beautiful hand finished cards from our Boutique, Occasion and Everyday ranges.
Or treat yourself to something from our new card collections.
Fall in love with covetable canvas prints of fairytale slippers and discover pretty note cards, too sweet to resist..."
Gorgeous right?
With collections {Boudoir, Boutique, Everyday and Occasion Cards} with names like Hot on her heels, Wardrobe Mistress and Hello Lover, featuring beautiful imagery in soft pastel colour palettes and flowers {one of my favourites shown here...Peony Shoes} and Lingerie Lover, Shoe Goddess, Shoe Siren and Les Fleurs and there is nothing Everyday about the Everyday collections entitled Domestic Goddess, Tea Mistress and Social Butterfly.
Hooked? There's more...the oh-so talented Colette also designs canvas prints, note cards as well as a bespoke collection...including beautiful wedding stationery.
All printed digitally onto luxury papers and hand finished with glitter..
Take a look at Colette's gorgeous blog here..
Paper heaven right here in London.
AML xx