Ann Wood and her Inspiring Creations

Recently I received 2 calls from very excited brides just raving about these adorable Cake Toppers recently featured in Martha Stewart Weddings. Of course these brides were set to plan the entire theme of their day around these lovely creations from Ann Wood Handmade. I was then asked to create invitation designs that featured artwork inspired by Ann’s perfect bird pairs!

Her creations are limited and lovingly hand-crafted to be one of a kind. Each time a new batch is made available on her etsy shop, they sell out VERY fast. I know Shea and Sherrie are super excited to get in on the next release of Ann’s too cute cake toppers.

Pictured here are Rosalyn and Schefield, Clementine and Harper (photos, www.annwoodhandmade.com)
I went to work to create designs that honor Ann’s original creations. Both brides are having casual events with natural yet whimsical elements throughout. Shea’s Save the Date will be sent via email to save a bit of paper while Sherrie’s Vintage Stamped Tree invite features both tree free and 100% recycled materials

Engage08 The Encore

Just back from the inspiring, fabulous Engage 08 Event in Orlando. A huge thanks to Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce from Engaging Concepts. This event was my first Wedding Industry Specific Symposium. Admittedly I was quite overwhelmed and nervous as I am not a natural networker. I met so many lovely individuals who were nothing but gracious and welcoming. I am really looking forward to the next Engage and have promised myself to be more, well, engaging!

Highlights for me…
Sylvia Weinstock with her trademark glasses. Ms. Weinstock’s honest sense of humor and perfect NY accent were quite intoxicating for me. An engage attendee asked “How do you manage to still answer your own phones?” Ms. Weinstock replied (and I paraphrase) “I love my work and I work all the time!”

Simon T. Bailey is quite an inspiration. Honestly, I’ve never been big on the self help genre but after hearing him inspire and entertain at Engage I have changed my mind!

Just some fun pics…(my name appears a lot in these pics, only because I wanted to show just how detailed and personalized the event was for each attendee)!
Dessert at lunch and some more lovely details.

Randy Fenoli, fashion director at Kleinfeld in NYC and Eda Kalkay, Publicist.
Sylvia Weinstock partnered with Godiva to create these truffles – just delicious!

Kate Spade journal from the fantastic swag bag given to all attendees. Check out Emilie’ post for a great shot of the entire bag.

Hand-Painted Business Cards!

About two weeks ago I mentioned my fun new business cards….plastic, platinum finish, just perfect for the Symposium. Well, I was notified that the card would not arrive in time, only about 3 days ago. Now I of course have business cards I could use, but not something fresh and new that REALLY shows off my work.

I decided to create hand-painted business cards since my work is as you know, hand-painted. What took me so long to come up with this idea!!!!

So off I go to Engage 08 with my snazzy cards…hope they’re a hit!

Thanks to my facebook crowd for the encouragement!

Vintage Stamped Tree Collection – A new level of Personalized Invitations

The Vintage Stamped Tree Collection has quickly become a Momental Signature. With a combination of Vintage Stamping, Hand-painted details and completely custom artwork these invites have been sought after by countless brides looking for an invitation with endless customization possibilities.

More and more brides are seeking details for their wedding that not only reflect their style but also their perspective. For example, recently Rebecca called and had just fallen in love with the my Vintage Stamped Trees. She wanted natural papers, loved the idea of hand-painting and to top it off wanted a tandem bicycle leaning against her Vintage Stamped Tree (See more below). This is just one example of how brides today are finding increasingly innovative ways to ensure their “big day” is just that…theirs.

…see what I am talking about:

Jessie’s Red Tree with Gatefold and Vintage Stamped Wrap

Tara’s Patterned Tree
combined with a lovely paisley pattern and green shimmer hand-painted details

Alex’s Waterfall Tree inspired by her venue in England
The Orangery at Turkey Mill

LeeAnne’s Red Tree

Dawn’s Sparkling Winter Tree featuring an illustration of her beloved cat

Tamara’s Tree
Cat chasing the Iguana…

Michelle’s Turquoise Tree
with whimsical lovebirds

Rachel’s Midsummer’s Night Dream Inspired Tree

Pam’s River Tree inspired by her venue in Alexandria, VA
George Washington’s River Farm

Donna’s Lovebird Tree in rich Jewel tones

I love days like today…

Today I had a several tasks on my list that required me to sit and paint for hours. From Martha’s rear facing peacock to Jenny’s detailed map of Newport, RI…I had a blast.

First today I revisited a sketch of Mamata’s paisley peacock feather. I spent nearly two hours adding saturated shades of cherry, navy, curry and brown. I layered dots and swirls, slashes and leaves to create this intense and dramatic piece. This invite is meant to reflect the brides amazing design eye and fearless love of color.

Next I jumped into a last minute illustration for Jenny and her posh Newport Event coming in less than two weeks. The request was for two maps of Newport featuring tiny illustrations of the area’s beloved locations such as Rosecliff Mansion, Cliff Walk, Emmanuel Church and more. I will even add a custom compass derived from the emblem used on all other stationery pieces (mermaid and ship).

Amongst the two undertakings above I worked on several other projects. Martha’s peacock needed a different viewpoint and Suzanne’s layout needed a bit of spacing and of course my lovely chat with Lauren about her Vintage Stamped Tree invite idea featuring a cat and a baseball bat!

As a rule, I love my days at the studio. Everyday is different from the previous. Days like today, however, really make me stop and think how much I love my work and more importantly how lucky I am to do this work.

A big thanks to my endlessly creative brides who always have the best ideas and just need a bit of help bringing them to life!

Engage 08 The Encore

Preparations are underway for the upcoming Engage 08 Symposium. I am greatly looking forward to meeting the industry’s leading wedding experts! Orlando here I come!

Today I was busy ordering and finalizing details for my new leather personal portfolio and my plastic business cards! Yay! I always love an excuse to spruce up my materials.

Here they are! The top image is the front of the card to be printed on a shimmering platinum and the second is the reverse side of the card. I just love the watercolor, washy feel of the latter.