Press – Elizabeth Messina, Janie Medley, Momental and friends in Bride and Bloom Part I

Many years ago after meeting a client in Barnes and Noble (before I had a studio outside of my home), I picked up a magazine.  The name was Bride and Bloom and I remember being drawn in distinctly because of the watercolor droplets as part of the gorgeous cover.  From the first page, I was lured into a world of tabletop design, real weddings and color palettes all with a distinct artistic edge.  From that very moment on I made it one of my goals, or should I say dreams to one day have my hand painted stationery designs featured in Bride and Bloom.  My dream has come true.

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A look at the cover that inspired my dream!

Last October I received a late night email from Leila letting me know that I had the opportunity to collaborate with none other than the amazing photographer,  Elizabeth Messina and Janie Medley of JM Flora and The Bride’s Cafe.  My scream most likely reached octives only animals could hear as I lept from my chair and ran to exclaim the big news to the hubby.  The rest as they say is history.

The design direction from Janie plus a detail of an inspiration board she shared:

“eclectic…..chic…organic….i would prefer not to have the flower motif on the stationery…just something with nice clean lines.”


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I went to work on menus, place cards, chair signs and a sweet table number. As I have mentioned before, planning enough time is key when preparing pieces for photography as no detail goes unnoticed by the camera!  Admittedly, the request to refrain from using a floral motif on the pieces was quite intimidating.   After sitting at the painting table  in the studio, experimenting with various concepts, from painted striped, hand drawn border and various other ideas, I finally came to the idea of painted dots.  I loved the look of the sheer white half circles painted with white acrylic, encased with sage green and chocolate hand painted dots.  The look in the end had a certain understated whimsy.


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In my opinion, the touch of crimson present in Janie’s lush and romantic bouquet takes this neutral palette to another level entirely.


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How about these sweet little menu stands, so perfect fom A Remark You Made. This particular shot really shows the texture I achieved with the painted dots.  Also, Steph’s suggestion of a vellum layer could not have been more perfect.  The layering of papers reminded me of the way a birch tree’s bark peels revealing the lovely smooth wood below.

momental_designs1717From Janie:White hydrangea, Belles of Ireland, White Snowberries, white Ranunculus and Burgundy Dahlias

Check back tomorrow for a behind the scenes look at the pieces before they left the studio.  Until then check out Elizabeth’s post on Kiss the Groom!