1) SugarB Studio. What a great name! Tell us what it represents and a little bit about the firm.

When I decided to start my own small graphic  design firm, I played around with a lot of different name ideas.  As I think many of my corporate clients know, it’s all in the name so I wanted to get it right!  I knew from the get go that I wanted to incorporate a “B” in some fashion as both my maiden and married names begin with the letter B. Interestingly, a bee is a sign of creativity hence the suggestion of a bee you see in the brand.  Finally, I drew from my southern upbringing of where women are thought to be ‘sugar and spice and everything nice.’  I’m a savvy business owner but who says I can’t be sweet to boot and so sugarB was born!‬

2) You work with an array of clients from brides to corporate clients. For brides, what is it that they should be thinking about when they are considering their stationery suite for their wedding?

Getting married is such an exciting time, I love being even just a small part the joyous occasion!  When thinking about wedding stationery, I think brides should focus on two things in the beginning that will help to set the stage for other elements of the wedding to fall into place.  Firstly, brides should consider the holistic picture of all the printed material they will need from start to finish of the event – everything from the save-the-date cards to escort cards, invitation to thank you notes.  Secondly, brides should consider what mood or tone they want to set with the stationery.  Remember, the stationery will be the first thing that guests will receive, so if you want your wedding to be formal and traditional versus modern and playful, the stationery should reflect this!  Hiring a graphic designer to create a custom suite of materials adds a unique touch to your event.  Designers can often assist a bride through some of these steps to visually translate who the couple is to paper.  From invitations to table numbers, sugarB studio can do it all!

3) What trends are you seeing in stationery design these days particularly in wedding stationery?

I always try and remind my clients, that the most important part of their wedding is that they are getting married to the person they love – it so important to remember that!  With all the hubbub around the ‘big day’, sometimes brides (and grooms of course) lose track of that.  The biggest trend I have been seeing in wedding suites is couples are using the invite as an opportunity to tell a story, their love story. My clients want an invite to be a reflection of them as a couple – how they met, what activities they like doing together or how they spend their time together.  Getting it right for a bride and groom is the greatest reward of the entire process and I can’t think of anything I would rather do!

4) I understand there is a sugarB baby? What does that specialize in?

About 10 years ago, my mother taught me to knit. Ever since then, every autumn I would knit myself a new scarf (you can imagine how many scarves I have!).  When a dear friend had a baby boy, I decided to try knitting him a hat and the simple cap was born.  Soon I was knitting hats for all my expecting friends, and the simple bear and simple bunny were added to the family.  My friends loved the individuality of the caps and the thought that went into each one and began asking me to knit hats for their expectant friends.  In early 2009, I decided to share the hats with the public and launched www.sugarbbaby.com and thus sugarB baby specializes in hand knit hats for newborns to one year olds.  What is great about it is that since I make each one to order, a client can specify size, style and even color – I am open to all requests!  I think a handcrafted gift is so much nicer than a store bought one that is made in who-knows-where and I love creating thoughtful, handmade gifts that can be treasured for a lifetime.

Thanks, Michele!

chalkboard table assignments

A special gift

"Jackson" Calligraphy Style

1) What was your favorite or most interesting calligraphy project you’ve ever worked on?
Two different projects come to mind. First, I had a wonderfully creative client who decided she wanted to combine favors for her guests with place cards for the reception. So she gathered enough small cardboard boxes so as to have one for each guest and painted each one with a swirly mix of green and white. She had me write the first name of each guest in my very fun Jackson lettering style and then filled each one with chocolate. I expect she had some very delighted guests when they opened the boxes and they made for such a beautiful, welcoming “place card.”

The second project, which I generally refer to as my opus, was the crafting of a seating chart for 250 guests split between two 4-foot by 8-foot chalkboards. It took me awhile to form a plan of attack and in the end it was quite a feat to make sure that everything was well-spaced and looked just right, but they turned out perfectly. I was so proud of them when all was said and done.

Finally, I’ve created calligraphy for some very thoughtful gift-givers. One that I found to be absolutely delightful was turning an extremely well-written toast given by a matron of honor into a hand-bound, hand-lettered booklet for the bride and groom. I had so much fun working with the gift giver – she was just such a thoughtful person – and the booklet itself came out beautifully. It’s gifts like that where calligraphy really adds that special touch. I don’t think that a copy of the toast would have made the same impact if she’d just printed it out on a laser printer. Instead, she was able to give her friend something that is clearly meant to be a keepsake and, hopefully, an heirloom. And most importantly, the bride and groom loved both the toast and the presentation.

2) Do you have any tips for brides when they are preparing to have their invitations done by a calligrapher?
Get in touch with the calligrapher of your choice before you order your invitations. That way they can advise you if they have different prices for different types or colors of envelopes (for example, I have two different rates – one is for white or ecru, unlined envelopes and the other rate is for everything else, including darker colored envelopes or envelopes with an additional paper liner inside). They’ll also let you know how many additional envelopes they’ll want to have on hand beyond the number that needs to be addressed. Hand calligraphy is a messy business – ink smudges and splatters when we least expect it, so it’s essential to have a buffer of extra envelopes.

Get on your preferred calligrapher’s schedule well in advance of when you’ll need for them to actually address your envelopes or write out your Day Of materials – if you wait until the last minute to book a calligrapher, it’s often the case that they won’t be able to accommodate you.

Finally, know that a good calligrapher will be more than willing to answer your questions and help guide you through the process. I know that the majority of my clients have never had to purchase calligraphy before and likely will never need to do so again, so I try to be as helpful as possible. I see my job as helping to make certain things – like getting the invitations out the door – as stress-free as possible for my clients. This should be a service that helps you, not makes you crazy.

3) What else would you like to mention?
I truly love what I do. I love working with my clients and I love creating gorgeousness for them. I am always thrilled when a client follows up with me after the invitations have gone out and tells me that their guests have been calling them, commenting on the envelopes. The first time that happened, I thought it was an anomaly. But now I can say with certainty: guests do notice when they receive a beautifully-addressed envelope. And they notice when the paper goods at the reception are pretty. It may seem like a small detail, but I really do think that (and the feedback I’ve received supports the idea that) calligraphy can help set the tone for your event well before the first guest arrives and then carry that tone all the way through the reception and beyond.

I realize – and completely respect! – that not everyone has room for hand calligraphy in their budget and not everyone thinks its important enough to spend money on even if money is no object. But for those who can afford it and who do value it, I think it’s well worth the money you’ll spend on it.

Thanks, Michele!

1) Why did you decide to become a calligrapher?
I had been a journalist for about 15 years, covering entertainment, pop culture and food at a national level. But in 2009 I was ready for a change, so I decided to turn my avocational passion into a full-time business. On June 1, 2009, Meant To Be Calligraphy launched. It’s been an exciting time ever since, as I’ve had the chance to marry my passion for calligraphy with my desire to work directly with clients in helping them achieve their vision for paper elements of their weddings and events.

I should also say, on a very personal note, that I was inspired to begin a career in hand-lettering by my father. He is an artist and he spent his entire career – 36 years – creating gorgeous lettering every single day for his employer. It’s wonderful to get to talk to him now about the work I’m doing. Even though he’s long since retired, he still has plenty of tips and tricks to offer me – and he’s my best critic. It’s wonderful to be following in his footsteps!

2) What new trends are you seeing in calligraphy right now?
First, a color trend: I have used more gray in the past few months than one could ever imagine. Chacoal gray, dove gray, slate gray – you name it, I’ve mixed and written with it! It is definitely the new black, as far as ink color goes. Other hot colors: pink (in all its many variations) and chartreuse. Secondly, I’ve seen more and more of my clients opting for my more modern lettering styles.

Although this area still has a healthy share of traditional brides, more and more seem to be going modern and bold and I find myself writing out more envelopes in all lowercase, for example, or in some of my more modern styles of pointed pen calligraphy, such as my Palmer and Johnson styles. Finally, it’s been fun to see clients get create with what they want me to write on – I’ve done a good bit of chalkboard calligraphy of late and I think there will be some writing on mirrors in my future.

3) What do you wish more people knew about calligraphy?
It is a true artistic endeavor. Sure, I may be writing an address on an envelope, but it is my truest intention to make that envelope – and every envelope I address – look pretty enough that the recipient will know at first glance that the sender is inviting them to a truly special event.

Also, calligraphy – real hand calligraphy – takes time to produce. I can only work on one piece at a time, so it’s important, if you want to work with a specific calligrapher, to get in touch in advance to ensure that you’ll be able to get on the calligrapher’s schedule. Although I wish that I could work on more than one project at a time, that is literally and physically impossible. I always feel awful when I have to tell a potential client who needs an immediate turnaround that I won’t be able to accommodate them, but that’s sometimes the case.

Finally, calligraphy does not equal old-fashioned or boring. At least it doesn’t have to! I offer a number of modern styles and I continue to try to innovate with playful, modern alphabets. You’d be amazed at all of the fun options out there these days that marry this extremely old school technique with very modern, fun looks.

photo by Meg Runion

Chocolate Butterbean does custom signs, shower  and wedding invitations, and wedding programs, as well as other signs and invitations. I think I found a new favorite wedding resource!

image via Chocolate Butterbean

image via Chocolate Butterbean

image via Chocolate Butterbean

E-Save-the-Date from Cocodot

Save-the-Dates have become almost an obligatory part of the wedding planning process. Shortly after one’s engagement, as key details of the wedding have come together, a bride and groom send word of their wedding and ask guests to mark their calendars. I generally encourage brides to keep the Save-the-Date consistent with the rest of the wedding stationery, as it is the first impression and taste guests will have of their event and it helps to set the tone for the wedding.

Recently, I have found that more and more brides are turning to electronic Save-the-Dates — something I used to cringe at. E-Save-the-Dates make sense for many brides for a lot of reasons:

• E-Save-the-Dates can point guests seamlessly to your wedding website, if you have one.
• They are a green alternative to mailing out paper Save-the-Dates.
• If you are pressed for time, you can prepare and send out E-Save-the-Dates relatively quickly.
• It saves on postage — particularly if you have a lot of international guests — and is more economical all-around.
• It allows guests to more readily reach out to you with congratulations or questions.
• New E-Save-the-Date companies are a radical departure in quality and aesthetics from E-vite and what we are used to seeing with respect to electronic invitations.

I am still an old-fashioned gal when it comes to wedding stationery and almost always prefer to send out paper Save-the-Dates, but with this laundry list of pros for the electronic version, I might be convinced that it could be appropriate in certain circumstances.

If you are doing an E-Save-the-Date for your wedding, PLEASE, PLEASE do not use E-vite. The ad-laden, clunky, outdated site is not the first impression you want to give your guests. Further, there are so many competitors to E-vite now — many with more modern template options and user-friendly features — that it is worth going with one of them over ubiquitous E-vite.

Two of my favorite E-invitation sites are Paperless Post and Cocodot. Both offer a great selection of modern, cleanly-designed options and are sure to impress guests as they click to open them given their significant departure to what they are used to seeing with E-vite.

Classic Save-the-Date from Paperless Post

Other alternatives for E-Save-the-Dates (some are definitely better than others…) are Socializr, anyvite, pingg, Purple Trail, and mypunchbowl. Yes, some of these sites charge, but in comparison to what you would spend on paper Save-the-Dates, it is worth it. Even if you don’t use these sites for your wedding Save-the-Dates, you may want to keep them in mind for invitations to informal parties you might be hosting.

Mark your calendar to check out some of these E-Save-the-Date sources!

crescendo invitation suite from Linda & Harriett

And this one?

handwriting invitation suite from Linda & Harriett

And this one?

heirloom invitation suite from Linda & Harriett

You get the idea! The designs are crisp, clever, and thoughtful, right down to the envelope liners. The rest of their work is equally impressive. What about this Save the Date that mimics a Ben & Jerry’s lid? Adorable!

Save the Date from Linda & Harriett

And this paper doll-themed birth announcement is equally charming.

paper doll baby announcement from Linda & Harriett

Just in time for the holidays, Linda & Harriett is offering some adorable holiday gift tags and other items.

moose tags from Linda & Harriett

2010 Calendar from Linda & Harriett

There’s nothing better than amazing letterpress — and these ladies have it down pat! What talent!

Float Paperie offers wedding invitation suites and other stationery, including custom designs. How absolutely fabulous are these?