FREE ENVELOPE LINER

Here is a little freebie for you this week. A free download for a C6 arrow envelope liner. All you need to do is print, then cut around the pink lines and put a small stripe of gluestick on the envelope under the natural glue line (the bit where you lick). Once this is done place your liner inside the envelope and press down on the glue stripe once you have it in place. 

Click here to download the file

Hope you enjoy it! 

The man friendly wedding

For some women a wedding is all pink frills & cotton candy clouds in a feminine extravaganza. For others the thought of their future groom running for the hills at the sight of a "traditional" wedding is enough to make them start looking at other options. 

If you are after a man safe wedding below are a few basic tips so that you don't end up with a muscle car and hulk themed kegger.

• Stick with neutral colors. Nature has been speaking to the inner caveman for years, so embrace all the foresty (yeah it's an invented word) colours that nature has provided and go to town.
• The average 'bloke' doesn't want to eat rhubarb foam on twice smoked organic tempeh. Look at mini versions of classics meals like mini burgers and fries, fish and chips & lamb shanks then fancy them up with classic packaging that pokes some fun at the simplicity.
• Give them something to do with fun events planned during the reception. Nothing brings a group of people together better than some good ol fashioned welly wanging (or gumboot tossing for all those non New Zealanders) 
• For your wedding invites you don't need to have an abundance of calligraphy. Take the chance to come up with something original that will set the mood for the rest of the wedding & give your guests a hint at how much fun your big day will be. This can then be incorporated with quirky signage and packaging at the reception and ceremony bringing everything together and giving people something special to take home.
• Don't release butterflies to a Celine Dion song. Nuff said don't you think?

Image links:

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The pinterest problem and how it can effect your wedding photos

This a simple mistake that might stop your wedding photos being picked up by wedding blogs and magazines. It’s about that awful word.... plagiarism.... ever since the humble pinterest board has weaved it’s addictive self into the hearts of many brides there has been a massive rise in direct copying of wedding stationery.

You know how it is, you stumble upon the most amazing stationery that mankind has ever seen and you just know it would go so well with your taffeta llama farm theme. So you download the picture, gaze longingly at it for 72 hours imagining how your cousin will be so jealous when she opens the envelope before eventually picking a designer who can replicate this beautiful piece of work just for you. There is just one small problem... you aren’t actually allowed to do that.

As a designer it’s a big no-no to copy other peoples work, it’s a rotten thing to do (kind of like stealing a big boned kids cake) and it’s actually somewhat illegal and you don’t want to be involved in something like that do you? No... thats what I thought. It also means that it takes the styling of your wedding from being original to copied and if you saw it on the internet it means that the bridal blog you were going to submit your super amazing photos too has as well.

So if you find something you love, show your designer but make sure you know what the elements about the design you like are and then you can come up with a brand new design together that isn't ripping off someone elses work. So go forth and find a theme that is all you.

The winter wedding

I know a lot of my readers are brides from Perth and the majority of those brides will probably be waiting for the sunshine and heat to return before they say I do. But for those of you who are so desperately in love that you can't wait that long and are planning on getting married during the cooler months here are a few images for your inspiration via Pinterest.

Remember that winter is the perfect time to bring out the big guns when it comes to stationery. Think thick lush paper, deep warm colors mixed with crisp whites and ice like intricate details.

Contact me by clicking HERE to set up an appointment for your very own wedding stationery.

Images are not my own but you can find them all here:

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two 

three  - SIBO designs Etsy

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INTO THE WOODS - WEDDING THEME INSPIRATION

A few ideas via Pinterest for ways to tie a camping / forest theme together with your stationery designs.
All you need to pull of the forest theme is plenty of textured fabrics and papers in neutral colours. Add in wild flowers and berries, a few feathers and an abundance of green with natural lighting and you've just become you're photographers dream.
With this theme, rough is better so it's a great chance to have a relaxed style with high impact.

Images links via pinterest:
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Three - my own work
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Five - my own photography
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Colour trends: Orange & grey

It's always great to see what colours are making the rounds in the design world and this months colour inspirations are so bright and eye catching it's hard not to pay attention.

As orange & grey really seems to be my flavor of the month I thought I would show you my favorites.

Anyone keen on new stationery designs after seeing this?

Image sourced from interest; image links clockwise below:
Image One
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Image Four

New Mother's day card

Thanks for not leaving me to be raised by wolves

I’ve just put this card in my shop as it’s mothers day soon and you need to be a good offspring and remember to buy her a card and 6 boxes of chocolate ... maybe even a puppy? 

We all know how revolting we were as teenagers and should probably be repentant enough to treat her like the special lady she is on her special day especially since she didn't leave us to be raised by wolves.

portraits

Following on from my previous portrait post here is a portrait series I've been doing recently. Customised family or wedding portraits, a stylised print for your wall or family greeting cards. So simple yet so much fun to work on ...

nest interior design

Last year I got to do some designs for an amazing Perth based interior design firm called Nest. They needed a small gift to send out to their clients, so as you can see from the pictures we came up with a small desk calendar.  Thanks to the swivel screw it also became one of the most fun designs to sit and play with that I made last year. 

New v day cards

I love valentines day, not because I do anything that remarkable on it (no heart shaped hot air ballon rides while only wearing pink for me), I like it because I get to design some really fun illustrations. Like my card that lets your significant other know that they are 'the ducks nuts'? What says love more than that? The answer to that is, nothing... except perhaps a pony called pepper...

These cards are all available on my Etsy store and don't forget to see if there any in a real shop near you.

lets shower

I've had the opportunity to design some stationery for a baby shower, it's a lot of fun designing things for kids and something I don't get the chance to do very often. If only someone wanted a kids party themed wedding... now that would be fun, especially if there was a giraffe with a party hat involved.

I cant wait to show you all the other little bits and pieces that go along with the invite but it'll just have to wait a few weeks.

Have a happy start to your week!

wedding tips Part 2

Part 2 of answering questions as promised!

1. How long do you need to design and print my stationery?
It is really dependant on how busy I am but I recommend a month and a half minimum. You can get a rush job if your desperate but they are billed at an extra 25%. 
Giving your designer more time means you don't get a rushed design as we can spend more time perfecting the idea. I know that for me the best designs are ones that come to me while mulling over the brief not frantically rushing towards a deadline. 

2. Why do you need so much information?
The reason us designers ask so many questions about wording, colours, timing etc, is that just 1 extra word can totally change an entire design so if we get all the nitty gritty details right from the start you don't end up needing a complete redesign because information wasn't given at the start. It also helps us to give an accurate quote and let you know just how long we actually need to get everything ready for you to send your invites out.

3.  I saw another design, will you copy it for me?
In short, no. I will not take another designers work and replicate it, but if you love a style of design we can work together to get the same kind of feel in your designs.

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wedding tips part one

When I'm meeting with clients for the first time to discuss designing their invites there are some pretty common questions that pop up. It seems that people can feel quite anxious about us 'design' types so over the next few days I will answer these questions to help you if you are ever meeting with a designer for the first time.

1. When do I need to get my save the date / invites sent by?
If you are sending out save the dates for a destination wedding then anywhere from 1 year to 6 months is appropriate, if your wedding is close by try to give 4 months heads up to your guests so that they don't get double booked and can find accommodation if needed.
For the invite it self I recommend sending it out around 2 months before the wedding, this gives people time to respond but also its not too far away that they forget your details.

2. I don't want children at my wedding, how can I let my guests know this without causing offense?
This is always a touchy one but I recommend offering an alternative for the parents, for example: "Unfortunately our wedding is not a kid friendly event but we have arranged for baby sitters close by / on site that you can use if needed" which sounds far nicer than "Don't bring your children, we want a kid free night". Add this onto the info section and it covers you from any unexpected little party crashers and also doesn't leave your guests in an awkward situation.

3. What do I need before I see you about the designs?
At the point where you are talking with your designer about stationery it is best to have a location secured, a theme decided upon, a budget and an idea of wording. The wording can seem like a minor one but depending on how much information you want included can drastically change the design. You don't need to know exactly what you want, we work together on that. Last minute additions may end up costing fractionally more but can be done at a separate time to the invitations.

One last tip is always keep communication open, it can lead to stilted designs and both parties being unhappy if it takes weeks to get any feedback from a client. Some designers also have a kill fee where if they can't reach you within 2 weeks your job gets cancelled and you lose your deposit.

Hopefully these pointers will help you to get more understanding of what you need when approaching a designer for some event design.

*I also want to let you know that I currently have the dastardly flu, and am hopped up on cough syrup, copious amount ginger and no sleep so if there is anything 'interesting' in the content.

Time for luurv

on etsy HERE

It's that time of year again when we spread our love around like the sheen on a well oiled cabana boy. Valentines day isn't really all that big over here in Australia but I thought I would join in and add a little 'fun love' into the mix. Because really whats more romantic that a beard reference? .... probably a lumberjack... 

a sneak peak

Here is a sneak peak on a wedding invitation booklet I'm working on at the moment. Its been so disgustingly hot here that sitting in a darkened room working is a nice break from outside... that and my knees are so mangled from a surf yesterday that it hurts to move so I have no choice but to stay indoors. At least we have our own personal kidney shaped paddling pool for summer time relief. I know, our very own paddling pool... it's all champagne and limousines here, shiz just got fancy!

lets dine

With it being summer here I've been having the urge to have people over for dinner. It's so satisfying to feed your family and friends with all your new recipes and enjoy a healthy dose of wine. 

so where do morals come into it?

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I've been in the design industry for coming up 9 years now, including my time spent studying and something that has always been a point of interest for me is the idea of 'selling out'. For some designers it means going to work for a big corporation or quitting freelance work and for others it takes on a whole other idea of crossing their ethical boundaries.


As designers we are essentially trained to make things look desirable enough that people will do or buy what we promote. We learn tricks to help people feel like they aren't enough without what ever it is we are selling, not pretty enough, thin, rich, cool... the list goes on. We also help gloss over some of the nasty sides of business, like 'oh our chocolate is so tasty and pretty you don't need to consider that we use slave trade cocoa'. So at what point do you draw the line in what to promote. Do you use your skills to become the batman or the skeletor of the design world? Do you promote the 'good guys' even though they can't pay as much as the oil companies and the farming industries that use cruel farming methods?


When I was still working at a studio awhile back I was asked to help promote a casino, to find a way to make people feel like they hadn't spent enough time at one of the more financially draining tables. I mentioned to my superiors that I wasn't overly comfortable working with a casino as I don't agree with gambling and the effects of the addiction can have on individuals and families. I was asked if I liked my job and told to get back to work, so I caved under the pressure and did as I was told. I don't feel good about it, but I did it.


So if your a designer or even if your in a totally different profession, where do you draw your moral line? Would you rather walk out of a job than do something you felt was unethical or is it best in todays financial climate to just suck it up and do what your told?

Christmas is coming!

Cards at Etsy

I can't believe it's getting so close to Christmas! I'm starting to have to think about getting presents posted back to New Zealand as it seems that the postal service crawls to a grinding halt about a month before the 25th.


Christmas has also got me thinking about how much I can't wait to live somewhere that has snow over the holidays. I always have fantasies of snow, stockings, roast dinners and snuggling up in a food coma in front of a toasty fire but the reality is that for my English family living in the southern hemisphere, we spend the day eating like it's cold and then laying around feeling the effects of heat exposure and gluttony... it kind of resembles that scene in Alien where the alien pops out of the pregnant belly... only its a food baby and so far we haven't had any actual explosions from eating our body weight is roast. Yet...


So with that said, I'm off to fantasize about snow and wooly hats.


Link to cards

engagement party invites!

Here is my next entry onto Etsy. A carnival themed engagement / wedding invite, because whats more fun than a wedding? A carnival or time travel but let's be honest only one of them is ACTUALLY achievable for us plebs. 
I couldn't get any other pics today as the weather has turned the once bright sky to something resembling night time but never fear I shall have more for the beginning of the week. 


So have a fantastic weekend, as for us folks in the southern hemisphere it is the end of the work day on Friday.
Ciao!

etsy time!

It's just about that time of year when EVERYONES birthday is... it must have been far too cold 9 months ago. To help get everyone through this strenuous birthday time I've put a few more cards up on my Etsy store, so go have a look and see if there isn't something there to tickle your fancy. Also as of tomorrow there will be the beginning of some wedding invite collections added!