Died and gone to heaven! This is just one of the many amazing vintage high-res images available right here, for free! Perfect for crafting, decor, and more...the mind boggles!
Spotted via Design Mom
Book love
Lately we've been loving creative uses of vintage books and book pages for wedding decor and craft. Love this paper wreath from Simple Joy.
Gorgeous book vases from Sweet Paul.
Pretty paper ornament via The Shop House.
Dictionary butterflies via Royal Buffet.
Pretty pages lining a wall from Frolic.
Le Train Fantome
French born and UK-based artist Fanje Ralison has stolen our heart with her sweet handmade creations, Lewis and Lumi! This fabulous poster set above is available here.
Fanje's one-of-a-kind dolls are handcrafted with new and vintage fabrics. So lovely!
Thanks to Alex, currently on maternity leave, for spotting these via Baby Gadget!
Maker Faire
We're exhibiting again this weekend at the Maker Faire, at the San Mateo Expo Center. Looking forward to checking out all the fabulous crafts and DIY projects! Come visit us in the main Expo hall!
Tin Can Wedding Invitations
We spotted this lovely and ingenious wedding invitation by Greek designer Chris Trivaz today via Lovely Package. We just love it!
Being invitation designers and crafters, however, our imaginations started churning re: how you might make these and incorporate them into the rest of the wedding design!
Plain tin cans are so beautiful and graphic that we can totally see using them as vessels for pretty flowers (photo via D.S. Brennan)
We can also envision spray painting the cans in vibrant colors, and even and stenciling them with simple initials or a graphic pattern. (via Peapods photo stream)
Colorful baker's twine would work in lieu of the kraft twine (via School Locker)
Or how about designing a pretty vintage-inspired label to wrap around the can, like so? Could be so cute! Photo from here.
Regardless, we love the concept - and it would be so fun and interactive to have guests tie them on during cocktail hour! Photo from here.
Joel Dewberry pattern inspiration
Joel Dewberry recently launched his new Deer Valley collection, including these two gorgeous patterns.
We just love looking at Joel's work; it's always so fresh and lovely. To top it off, he's once of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. His patterns favored heavily into Eunice's wedding design, including the invitations, and a custom deck of playing cards (photos forthcoming soon via Martha!).
We adapted the patterns to a more muted, feminine palette to create letterpress note cards and wedding invitations.
Joel's Ginseng and Aviary collections are the inspiration between these two gorgeous custom wedding albums from Flyleaf Books and our Sparrows wedding invitation in espresso and rose, available both letterpress and digitally printed.
Photos of Aviary fabric via Rainbow Fabrics' Etsy shop, and Ginseng fabric via Fabric Worm.
We just love all the other applications of Joel's fabrics by Esty crafters, like this Ginseng-inspired clutch via Cotton Purr
Also love this chloe bag from Glitzy Gals
Check out all the wedding stationery we created with Joel here and the letterpress greeting cards here.
Donna Hay General Store
Donna Hay opened a gorgeous new home wares store recently in Woolahra, Sydney, Australia. For those of you not in the know, Donna is an internationally renowned cookbook author, magazine editor and homewares designer.
Emilie Goldstein, the retail manager, shared these lovely pictures of the beautifully styled shop interior.
We're thrilled that our letterpress greeting cards are carried there as part of a hand-picked letterpress stationery selection.
Just two of the many designs Donna selected for the shop.
The bottom one reminds us of Donna's gorgeous desserts!
Her magazines and website are full of simple, pretty inspired recipes and crafts like this doily table runner and hand drawn place mats.
Here's Donna outside the store. Sounds like it's been going swimmingly - can't wait for her to open one here in the States!
Delicate doilies
Doilies and their close cousins, vintage lace, are so pretty...and we can't help but notice all the lovely DIY wedding (and every day) applications for these materials of late. Doily vase by Paul Lowe for Country Living (check out this link for 7 stylish doily projects)
Lacy paper notes (perfect for save the dates or thank you cards) from our book, Handmade Hellos
Vintage lace needlebook (this idea would work beautifully for a pretty DIY wedding guest book) via Ravenhill
Pretty doily favor bags via Snippet & Ink
Lovely lace votive from Paul Lowe via Snippet & Ink
Doily dusted lemon cake via Zakka Life
Pretty dimensional doily ornaments via Martha Stewart
Pretty in Pink
Welcome back, everyone! It's a new week and a fresh start - today, we're inspired by pretty pink details. So fresh, timeless, and romantic!
Two beautiful inspirational photos from A Creative Mint
Marie Antoinette-inspired pink wedding details by About Details Details via Pink Blossom List.
Woodland Damask pink wedding invitation by Joel Dewberry for Hello!Lucky.
Lacy floor and pink slippers via Concrete & Honey
Ruffled J. Crew cardigan - perfect for bridesmaids...
Pretty pink cake via Ruby Press
DIY bouquet favor box from Once Wed
Beautiful shoes and birdcage photo shoot from the Cherry Blossom Girl
Peony photograph from Futuro Woman
Enjoy!
Stationery Show: Lights, Camera...
We're here at the New York Stationery Show and, as always, are jazzed and inspired by all the mad talent here! While lugging our camera to capture our highlights for the blog, we spotted these fab tributes to decades-gone-by photographic equipment - like this beautiful cast of a 1970's Polaroid camera by Yellow Owl Workshop. (Yes, it is for sale!)
And this darling 1960's Savoy camera, letterpress printed by Pie Bird Press.
Stay tuned for the "Action!" part of our coverage! (ha ha) We're just getting warmed up...
DIY paper flowers and pom poms
Lately we've been loving paper flowers and pom poms (both of which we used in Eunice's wedding to fabulous effect!) -- especially making them out of unexpected and ingenious household and vintage paper finds, like these sewing pattern flowers via Country Living's recent "Trash to Treasure" blog post.
These hanging paper flowers are made of out paper bags - yes, paper bags! Click here for simple how-to instructions. These would be great strung together in a garland, too!
And how about these lovely dyed coffee filters garlands by Pamela Garrison which we first spotted via Creature Comforts? (For smaller ones, use colorful cupcake cups!)
These hanging paper flowers are made from old catalogues (may we suggest Anthropologie catalogues?) from Zakkia Life via Creature Comforts -- click here for super simple DIY instructions.
Eunice & Daniel's wedding
Eunice & Daniel's Tim Walker-inspired wedding was last weekend in a valley near Wilbur Hot Springs in Northern California! We're so excited we can barely contain ourselves - it was so amazing and wonderful!
We can't share more at the moment as will be featured in an upcoming issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, but stay tuned for behind-the-scenes blog posts on the Martha blog and look out for the article!
In the meantime, the happy couple is heading out to Europe on their honeymoon. Huzzah!
Jennifer Osner Vintage Ribbon
First of all, apologies to our readers for the infrequency of our posts of late! We've been busy preparing for Eunice's wedding (our amazingly talented creative director!), which takes place next week and is inspired by the photography of Tim Walker. Stay tuned for coverage in an upcoming issue of Martha Stewart Weddings and look for behind the scenes details of all the crazy crafting we've been up to on the Martha Stewart blog!
K, so now that's out the way, we have to share on our favorite new finds: Jennifer Osner!
Jennifer started out as a ribbon sales rep years ago and has been collecting gorgeous vintage ribbons and trims for years now (sometimes buying out entire warehouses that have gone out of business!). The other week we went to her home in San Francisco to pore over bankers' boxes stacked floor-to-ceiling in her garage, each one containing spools upon spools of gorgeous vintage ribbons (and that's just the tip of the iceberg - she has more in her warehouse(s))!
Love this black and white striped one!
And how 'bout this preppy yellow stripe?
Many of her ribbons are displayed in vintage sales books like this one - you can pick out your color and width and place an order from the book.
She has just about every color and texture imaginable!
She also has lots of gorgeous millinery bits, like these red velvet flowers (perfect as embellishments in a bouquet or boutonniere!)
And these gorgeous pieces of antique lace. Hello, ring pillow?!
Jennifer travels around the country selling her ribbons at craft fairs, but you can also purchase some of her items on her website. Or, make an appointment to see her next time you're in the Bay Area. Just be prepared to spend several hours -- there's a lot to see...
Wallpaper: DIY wedding invitation resource!
We found this fantastic book of wall paper samples at the flea a couple weeks ago - it's full of great patterns that would be perfect for making DIY wedding invitations and cards!
Sigh - love this gorgeous floral pattern!
And this pretty yellow rose and lacy stripes!
This tropical pattern would be great for a beach wedding invitation...
...and this pattern would be great for a modern wedding invitation!
We also found some great western patterns...
And this fabulous whimsical deer and wildlife pattern - perfect for a rustic wedding invitation!
And finally there's this adorable Scandanavian-inspired design!
How would you use these papers, you might ask? There are so many possibilities! The photo above shows just a couple of examples:
- Double-pasting to the back of the invitation - we recommend mixing different patterns! - Belly bands - Envelope liners (get an easy DIY kit here)
Can't find enough of an unusual vintage pattern? If it's in the public domain, you can scan and reproduce it with a color printer. Or, just use the patterns as inspiration in designing your own wedding invitations.
Wallpaper can also be used for napkin rings, place mats, and to cover containers for your wedding reception!
Wee Birdy = Queen of Craft!
Thanks to Wee Birdy, one of our favorite bloggers, who's been guest blogging over at Oola Moola, for sharing her amazing feat of crafting 35 cards in 1 day (and for only £20)!! Several of them were from our book, Handmade Hellos!
Check out the hilarious in-process shots of her Owl-y Friend card by Petra Boase...
...and the amazing results!!
Ms. Birdy also made the Paper Portrait card by La Familia Green.
Check it out! We love it, including the tiny nostrils!!
Birdy, you are a crafting queen! Welcome to the fold, grasshopper!
See more of Wee Birdy's feats of crafting endeavor here and here.
Butterfly Wedding Invitations & Details
We were recently featured in One Wed's butterfly inspiration board, and it reminded us of how these delicate critters can be such a sweet motif for a garden wedding or (when treated in a more graphic manner as shown above by Lushbella - imagine these as seating cards!) for a modern urban wedding.
These butterfly wedding invitation designs feature calla lilies, orchids (by Joel Dewberry for Hello!Lucky), and a vintage bouquet.
Organic cake by Sarah Magid.
Adorable butterfly purse from Etsy seller Unisac (for bridesmaids!)
Butterfly embellishments for lanterns and stir sticks from Martha Stewart.
Colorful butterfly cake via Brides.
Classic Dresden foil butterflies (and birds!) are the perfect embellishment for bouquets, centerpieces, or cakes. Gold butterflies and birds from Rock Candy Studios, and silver ones from Retro Cafe Art.
Butterfly seating cards with calligraphy by Hello!Lucky
DIY Butterfly lace and perched butterfly seating cards via Martha Stewart.
Sock Monkey Love!
Anyone knows we're huge sock monkey fans (as evidenced by our popular sock monkey cards). We recently stumbled on these creative handmade monkeys from Etsy seller Clarity Miller (aka Friends of Socktopus).
This little Argyle guy would make a perfect golfing companion...
Also love her hilarious Punk monkey!
Elsewhere on Etsy, we spotted these adorable sock monkey baby beanies. Ridiculously cute! Viva la Monkey!
Rachelle D. Jewelry
We recently discovered Etsy seller Rachelle D's romantic creations - they'd be so perfect for bridesmaids, or for a party!
Love these festive reds and blues!
Shop for more of her beautiful pieces here.
Collectibles = Seating Cards
The other weekend we watched Rachel Getting Married, and while the movie was a downer we were inspired by how they used eclectic collectibles as seating cards, each tagged with the guest's name. (Note: seating cards direct wedding guests to their tables, and are typically displayed on a table at the reception, creating the perfect opportunity to display a collection; they can also double as favors). This made us think of all the possibilities that could come from this idea! First off, miniature modern chairs, as in "please be seated" - available in different styles on eBay and via dollhouse miniature shops (photo via Chez Larsson's Flickr photostream)
We also love the idea of using glass figurines, arranged by color (with each color corresponding to a different table).
Pez dispensers would be so perfect, again arranged by color (both photos above via Chez Larsson).
Or how about tiny cakes and pastries from dollhouse supply shops (the ones above are from Small Portions)? Just about any small collectible item (from match boxes to match cars) could work, and make for a fabulous display.
Jenna Hein's Wedding
We have been excitedly watching 100 Layer Cake's coverage of calligrapher Jenna Hein's "Coney Island meets Marie Antoinette" wedding. Check out the amazing inspiration board above...
She also posted this fablous balloon escort card idea, based on a window display Jenna created for Anthropologie. Check out the full post here!
Can't wait to see more of Jenna's wedding!!