Here are a few design projects I’ve been working on recently.  First up, Amy and Jeff’s wedding invitation.  It’s a 5×5 flat card with reception and rsvp insert cards.  I created this swirl graphic for their save the dates, and we carried it through on their invitations, as well as other details throughout their wedding. I love their colors – bright sea blue and cotton candy pink!

(Hey brides and grooms!  Send me an invitation to your wedding!  Not only will I photograph it for you, it will give me a little taste of your wedding style, and ensure I have all the details, directions and info that your guests receive!)

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My friend and fellow photographer, Karrn from Lotus Photographic, asked me for help with their logo.  She and Ken pride themselves on their greener business practices, and wanted their logo to reflect that.  Their style is modern and casual, so I used a light clean font and clear crisp design.  I love their final logo design, and how they’ve incorporated elements of it into the design of their website and blog!

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Another good friend of mine, and former co-worker, has ignited her passion and started a business doing exactly what she loves.  I’m so happy for Sandy, and her new booming business – Ultimutt Doggie Designs!  It’s a professional dog grooming and doggie daycare company, or what Sandy calls it…. pup styling and spoiling.  Love that!  :)  I can’t wait to make an appointment for Lexi!

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Have a great week, everyone!  Be inspired, be creative and make things!  :)

Having the two logos with shared elements allows more flexibility when designing their marketing and branding materials.  The new website looks fantastic, and a blog is on the way!  If you’re a bride looking for a fabulous florist, definitely check them out:  Stems Inspired Event Design.

Thanks again Natalie, it was SUCH a pleasure to work with you!!  Also thank you to my good friend, Aletha for introducing us!  :)

So you may have opened this page and thought, “What’s going on in here?!” It looks WAY different! And that’s a good thing! I’ve been spending quite a bit of time in the past few weeks designing logos and branding for other companies, designing invitations for brides, and even working my interior design skills planning out our entire lower level and my office layout. Needless to say, it REALLY got my design brain a-chuggin’. I love everything to do with typography and design, and I’ve been so inspired! I couldn’t get it out of my head, so I just thought, why not ;) Check it out – my new logo design!

And the old one, just so you know you’re in the right place ;)

While I did love my pink swirl logo, it was time for my brand to move from “light, casual, pretty” to “elegant, vintage, wedding inspired”. The new logo and look suits my work and style and I :love: it!   My inspiration came mostly for my love of weddings, typography, papers, letterpress, and all things vintage! I was inspired by classic fonts, old patterns, sepia tones, Pottery Barn’s simple elegant decorating style, my Canon AE-1,  and pretty feminine antique details from some of my favorite weddings.

So tell me – what do you think of the new look?  :)

White Dress Events is a West Michigan company devoted to every aspect of wedding planning. They offer coordinating, consulting, and planning, as well as individualized packages to provide exactly what you want in your wedding day.

Tonight’s project was finishing assembling Jess’s invites. They’re 5×5 layered square on a beautiful ivory linen stock, with separate rsvp and reception inserts. Her wedding is going to be all soft Victorian pinks, ivories, and other soft colors, and it will be held at a mansion out on the East Coast this fall. I’m fortunate enough to be part of this wedding twice – in designing her invitations, as well as photographing the wedding itself. East Coast in the fall… a mansion… a beautiful bride and handsome groom – it’s going to be absolutely amazing!

On June 7 and 8, 2008, my friend Anna & her team will be biking 150 miles to raise money for the MS Society. Her goal is to raise $500, and her team goal is $5,000. As of the moment I’m posting, they have already achieved $3,457! That’s pretty impressive! If you would like to help her reach her goal, or learn more about MS, visit her donation page:

Lance Borrowed My Roadbike

From their site: “Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and stops people from moving. We believe moving is not just something you can or can’t do, but that moving forward is who we are. Just by being here, you are connected to the potential, the hope, the momentum of it all.
We’ve formed a team for the Bike MS: Larkin Hoffman MS 150 Ride 2008 because the National Multiple Sclerosis Society supports more MS research, offers more services for people with MS, provides more professional education programs and furthers more MS advocacy efforts than any other MS organization in the world. The Minnesota Chapter represents an estimated 9,000 people with MS in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
We ride together during Bike MS to make a powerful statement and to keep us moving toward a cure. Join our team as a biker or a volunteer! Make a donation online! With the help of people like you, the National MS Society addresses the challenges of each person whose life is affected by MS and helps them stay connected to the great big moving world.”

I had the honor of designing their team t-shirts, which is the image you see above. Go team!! :)

Now, normally I’d tell you who these people are, but if I was successful in this project, you shouldn’t need an explanation ;)

These last couple are just us having fun at the hangar :)

In honor of her arrival… baby shower invitations! They chose the pink & aqua one in front. Let me create some for you too! :)

(click image to enlarge)

This afternoon while out walking with my dog, I again let my mind wander. We were actually headed down the road to drop off Colin’s announcement cards (yay!) Rhythmically walking, arms swinging, shoes hitting sidewalk, breath in, breath out, little Lexi trotting along in front of me… And what should pop into my head? “Something’s callin’ me…” Callin’. Sounds like Colin. Then baby Maya pops in… Maya, Colin… My Calling? This epiphany strikes me. A smile spreads across my face, and my step quickens. Maya, Colin. My calling. As I let this thought roll around and savor the idea, I notice a bright green bush near the sidewalk up ahead, revealing itself as the snow melts and the frozen earth thaws, bright green against the dirty & dull spring grass. It’s holly.

Imagine. As I was walking, smiling to myself at the thought of my calling, I came across Holly. How wonderfully deliciously intriguing…

:)

Sorry, that got a little long… Back to those announcements. Here they are! You know you want some of your own… ;) Call me – let’s take some pictures!

New logo means the last logo and blog header will be retired, but it’ll remain here. :)

New logo also means a page layout change, since the black background wasn’t working anymore! Helllooo, white!

Let me know what you think!

They are a little bigger than 5 x 7, and come with A8 envelopes.

Click on one of the images above to get to the larger image, then right-click to save it to your computer and set it as your wallpaper.