My Story is Art – Monet and A Field of Poppies

Last week I introduced a new blogging series not so much out of planning but of necessity.  Read the post here to learn more about what I will now call the My Story is Art series!

My inbox was very happy this week.  Whenever an email comes from Daniel Lanton I am sure to be a happy girl.  Daniel recently came out to the studio for a  last minute shoot for a very special project you will hear more about at the end of this year.  I had this grand idea to re-create on of my favorite Monet paintings, A Field of Poppies.  The translation of this epic work of art was not meant to be literal but instead pay homage to the more fun and playful elements of the artist’s vision.

We painted nearly 15 canvases with bold, splashy flowers and filled my favorite vases with loads of red blooms.  Of course poppies are not in season so gladiolas and snapdragons were the perfect replacement.  Daniel scattered us and the flowers about in the field behind our studio and the rest came to life organically.  We all had a blast and let Daniel bring the idea home; the result were imags I will treasure forever.

Monet

A Momental Girl Gets Married – Meet Steph!

Hiring a new employee is always terribly nerve wracking for both parties involved.  When I met Steph for the first time, my nerves were instantly calmed.  Her bubbly presence mixed with a serious sense of her own artistic style and knowledge of the wedding industry were impressive.  It is not often that silkscreen save the date hankies are part of a prospective employees portfolio.  Steph is now our newest Momental Girl and we already love her.  Now here comes the fun part….she is getting married!!  Yes, there it is, the news I have been dying to share.  One of our very own Momental Girls is getting married.  Did I mention I was excited?  So I am taking some time today to introduce you properly to Steph because of course I will be asking her to come online from time to time to share bits from her planning adventure.  From her quaint and lovely venue to her uber creative poster style save the dates plus her teeny, tiny obsession with all things Joy Thingpen; this girl has a lot of good to share!

Steph graduated from Moravian College in Bethlehem PA with a degree in Studio Art.  Her artwork is full of luscious brushstrokes and smoldering color.  Steph and Tyler will be tying the knot next summer on June 25th.  She claims she has finally chosen colors (will share soon) but is most excited about the save the dates she and Tyler are designing all inspired by the cutest proposal story ever…well maybe not ever, but it is REALLY good!

Here is a little about Steph in her own words:

We currently reside in a cute little home nestled between the mountains and the river in Shawnee on Delaware; perfect for late night summer fires, vermilion bedrooms and Halloween decorations in the month of October.

We met in my first  art class at Moravian College. I was quiet and serious.  He was boisterous and disorderly and only sometimes funny, all I could do was laugh  silently to myself.  Having no time for him then, how could I have known we would meet again a year later through a mutual friend.   After a couple horror movie screenings and a few late night campfires, we had a record setting first date, filled with beer and cheese soup, surprise lilies, and a funny photo on Santa’s lap.  The rest is history and I wouldn’t trade the wonderfully unforgettable two years and nine months to date.

Self Portraits, Oil on Canvas

I don’t know about you but I cannot wait to hear more about that proposal and those save the dates!!

My Story is Art, Painted Beautifully

Elizabeth Messina

Every so often I feel the need to wax poetic; please forgive me in advance…today is one of those days.  After creating handmade, hand painted wedding invitations for over 7 years, building a team of 8+ employees and traversing the many highs and lows that owning a business can bring; this girl needs to take a moment and just be grateful.  It seems in this life we breeze about our days in a rush to the next big moment, project or trip.  We scoop up every opportunity to make a name for ourselves, our employees and for me the friends I have the joy of working with each day.  Don’t get me wrong, drive and passion are all good things but only when balanced by a strong sense of the life you are creating alongside a business or career.  I read this post by Liene Steven’s and this one by Sean Low earlier this week and both spoke to me in so many ways.  Our businesses and brands are so closely intertwined with our souls and personalities that it can be immensely difficult to have a life or even desire moments that exist outside of creating our art.  As an artist though I have mindfully chosen to craft moments where I can just be me; admiring and feeling life, not always the me going after life, if you know what I mean.

I read a little excerpt from the Elizabeth Messina studio tour on Brooklyn Bride a few weeks ago where she was speaking about her blog.

“…its been so wonderful to share a little bit of myself without anyone editing me or my work….i feel connected to the world in a way i couldn’t have imagined….”

In a way I imagine Ms. Messina’s connection with her blog is her mindful moment to just be and carefully share bits of herself with the world.  So with that being said  I plan to do the same…take a day each week and break from Peeks into the Studio and Behind the Scenes posts to share a bit of myself; what makes me tick, what get’s my creative juices flowing and what gives me rest. 

I am an artist. I see, hear and feel the world in color.  I like what I like and sometimes it defies description.  I can fall in love with a simple shadow in a photograph, texture or pose and have it make me want to paint.  These simple, un-categorizable types of moments are those I plan to share.  Our lives are full of moments…more of the kind hopefully that make us want to sing and paint, dance and write.  My story is art and makes me want to paint it beautifully with passion, generosity and care.  Join me? 

Behind the Scenes – Utterly Engaged is Sew in Love Part II!

Utterly Engaged launched their Anniversary issue last week and earlier this week I took some time to share a special project we contributed to their “Sew in Love” shoot.  Today I want to give a behind the scenes peek at the Paper Painted Blooms created for the issue!  Heavy watercolor papers, thick shimmering inks in sherbet shades and glistening vintage broaches all played a part.

A peek at the inspiration shots sent over to get my creative juices flowing.

Each bloom was crafted from a variety of papers.  Thick watercolor sheet were torn into strips and then painted with our signature Watercolor Stripe technique.  As each bloom was sculpted tiny tears appeared on the paper edges; such a lovely happy accident.

Recent Louis Vuitton ads provided the perfect inspiration for the shoot.  For me the moody settings and old Hollywood look of the ads fed my creative mind on this project.   Cameos and vintages laces were woven into each bloom.  I have a thing for collecting little baubles and lace runners.  A pair of scissors and a bit of pinning was all the runner needed to become elegant bouquet handle wraps and bloom detailing.

This little bouquet measured at a petite 6 inches and was crafted from a stunning handmade pattern paper that I then hand painted in shades of peach and gold.  A starburst like broach was woven into the bouquets center and sparkled like crazy every time the light changed.  This little guy didn’t make it into the shoot but I loved it just the same!

A huge thanks again to Lucia at Utterly Engaged and Carissa from JL Designs for bringing me on board!

Press – Utterly Engaged is Sew in Love!

It has been a dream of mine to have our work included in the innovative force that is the online magazine Utterly Engaged.  Artistic content and creative minds are at the core of this marvel which is only a slight 1 year old.  12 Issue later and Utterly Engaged has marked its place in so many hearts and minds as the trailblazer in new wedding media.  Impeccable content is delivered to brides and industry obsessed alike on a monthly basis, keeping us all brimming with ideas and better for it.  When I received an email from Lucia and then a call from Leila, I knew I was in for some good times.  I wasn’t wrong.

Hearing that a Momental Scupted Bloom would be included in the Anniversary issue of Utterly Engaged was thrilling and frightening to say the least.  I would be working with people I have admired for some time, collaborating on designs and all from far, far away in Pennsylvania!!  The project invovled Carissa from JL Designs who styles events with serious verve and crafts stunning florals like no one’s business.  The direction was to create loose sculpted blooms to ship off to Carissa for inclusion in one of her fresh bouquets.

For fun I sent Carissa a full bouquet of Sculpted Blooms and much to my shcok this lovely was featured on its very own page.  Still..catching..my…breath.  Seriously though, I am excited to see the textural blend of real and paper flowers in various combinations.  It works.  Enough said.

I’ll be back later this week with a behind the scenes look at the creation of these blooms, the inspiration and one bouquet you won’t see in the newest issue but only here!

My Best Friend’s Wedding – Amy’s Engaged!!!

Just this past March my best friend Amy who I have known for nearly 15 years went out on a date.  Innocent enough, right?  Little did I know that 6 months later she would be engaged and planning a wedding for July 30, 2011!  So what does a best friend do, namely a best friend immersed in the wedding industry?  Introduce a new blog series of course!!  Amy and Stephen (the groom for here on out) are already knee deep in preparing for their Eastern Shore wedding next summer.  With the proposal only 3 weeks old, I am entirely impressed, not to mention head over heels excited to dive into styling, stationery and all the pretty details that are to come! A close second is my excitement to share all the planning with with you!!  I hope to share a weekly peek into my best friend’s wedding sharing everything from the adorable proposal, save the dates, styling adventures and all that comes in between!

Amy and I already have big plans for her save the dates; to be mailed very soon.  The invitations; well let’s face it, I have been dreaming about creating Amy’s invitations since college really, so enough said for now.

Amy and Stephen knew very early on they were perfect for each other which is why talks of their wedding began nearly 3 months ago.  Their colors were chosen before he even popped the question!  One late night in April, Amy and I were about 1 hour into one of our lengthy phone chats when I decided to create this inspiration board for her.  Oddly enough the palette and tone captured here still hold true for their celebration.  Punchy blues, cobalt glass, strawberry pinks and bold oranges are all at the front of Amy’s mind as she has begun to craft her day.

Watermelon,   Sandollars, Hibiscus,  Boat, Dress, Blue, Strawberries

Check in next week to hear all about the super sweet and creative proposal!!

A Peek into the Studio – Purple Posies and A Momental Favorite!

This week in the studio purple seems to be the theme!  Ashley’s stunning hydrangea and peony invitations feature a meticulous painting technique that kept our newest Momental Girl Steph busy for days.  A wet in wet technique featuring layers of sheer water color yielded a look that is rich with texture.  Five shade s of sheer purple inks and 2 opaque were washed into my sketchy hydrangea illustration.

Denise worked with us for several months to perfect her very unique version of our Versailles Swirl Design.  Purple swirls, ostrich feather, painted dots and Parisian inspired flourishes all combined with her rich palette of Envelopments® Graphite Plumes and Platinum.

I just had to share this little gem.  Christina chose a Momental Classic from the Vintage Lacey Tree Collection.  We love everyhting about this design.  Envelopments® Dahlia, clean white and a laid texture stock in ivory pair perfectly to create this whimsical, colorful and spirited tree wedding invitation.

So what am I up to?

We just finished a marathon 2 day revamp of the studio!  A magazine photoshoot just wrapped here and I cannot wait to share more soon!  Have a look at Daniel Lanton in action!

I’m creating a gorgeous suite of pieces for Michelle’s wedding celebration at Saddlebrook Ranch in Malibu, California!   I am thrilled to be working closely with Holly Flora and La Fleur Weddings on this project!

Artful Admirations – David Stark’s Purely Paper Flower Shop

A few week’s back I noticed a tweet from Carissa of JL Designs.  I clicked on the link to find the work of Installation Artist David Stark.  Having seen his work previously I knew I was in for some serious eye candy.  To celebrate the launch of his new book David Stark Design a paper flower shop installation was erected at the West Elm store on Broadway and 62nd Street in New York City.  Literally everything in the shop was created out of paper from the walls and telephone to gardening tools and individual orchid blooms.  Discarded books became pretty petals and whimsical decor in this paper wonderland.

Who knew a palette of neon yellow and lime green could elicit such a clean and calm look?  Paired with stark white and touches of black the screaming colors soften and become nuetral in an unexpected way.

The paper potted sprouts are my favorite; so delicate.

Check out this orchid – wow!

A Real Momental Wedding – JJ and Denise, Fernwood Gardens, Philippines II

I am so excited to share Part II of Denise and JJ’s wedding.  Part II is all about the glorious color and texture their venue brought plus a little about Denise’s unique hand painted letterpress wedding invitations! Get a look at the quirky fuchsia chaise and those mod lantern/screen structures at each table.  I love the contrast of shapes and finishes; organic verses structured and lush verses sleek…stunning.

A touch of waxflower in the centerpieces is so unexpected!

Quite possibly my favorite shot…the bubbles, the ferns, the texture, oh my!

Denise chose our Vintage Lacy Tree Collection with dragonfly artwork fluttering throughout the collection.  Letterpress was an obvious choice for a bride in love with texture.

Each invitation was hand painted with over 30 fuchsia petals and shimmering sage brushstrokes mimicking grass.  Denise chose Envelopments® Mehndi Luster pattern and glistening fuchsia cardstock.  A thick, lush letterpress layer using Crane Lettra stock in soft white set the stage for a look that was both richly layered and mindfully colorful.  Denise saved a bit on budget by digitally printing her enclosure cards – smart girl!

A huge thank you to Denise and JJ for sharing their day with us and of course to Erron Ocampo for capturing every last detail so beatifully!  It was an honor to be a part of such an artful and passionate day!

A Real Momental Wedding – JJ and Denise, Fernwood Gardens, Philippines

This stunning wedding deserves a two day post so that is what is will have!  When Denise emailed me her favorite shots I was totally in love and couldn’t wait to share!  Great style, impeccable sense of color and insane details epitomize this exotic wedding.  Erron Ocampo captured the couple and their party so beautifully I just had to dedicate this first post to them (stationery goodness to follow soon).  Fernwood Gardens is a lush quintessential rain forest/exotic tropical location in Manila, Philippines that acted as the romantic backdrop for JJ and Denise’s celebration.  It seems every inch of the space is dripping with organic color and texture.  What drew me most to the photos is the sense of natural light as it pools and trickles into the space of each photo – magical.

Lovely Denise.

Perhaps my favorite shot.  This one could inspire an entire wedding’s color palette with all its glittering goldeness.

Perfect examples of the role sunlight plays in the magic of all these shots.

Later this week I will be sharing more from the lavish party and the Vintage Lacy Tree Letterpress Wedding Invitations!