Yay for MAY! One of my favorite months … it’s Stationery Show month, my birthday month, last day of school month, pretty flower month, not too hot month. Happy May, friends.
So happy to share that I was featured in San Diego Riviera‘s annual Arts + Power issue (December 2011).
The story covers inspiration (Mother Nature, Pinterest), design do’s (blues, yellows, and chevrons), next season forecast (melon/pistachio/gold palette), don’ts (neon for wedding … sorry!), and my favorite wedding details (the classics: proper menus).
It was such a treat to be in my favorite issue of the year! Merci, Riviera.
It has been a busy busy year at the Delphine studio. I’m trying hard to catch up on posts to share what we’ve been up to. Here’s an identity package we did in January for Jessica Davis Photography, a kids, baby and maternity photography studio based in Solana Beach, California.
This project was a rebrand. Jessica “outgrew” her old logo, also a Delphine design. Though her clients still loved her bird logo, she felt that she had moved on to a new, cleaner style, and wanted her brand to reflect the new direction of her business. Her original logo used soft ocean blue and rich chocolate brown; the font and illustrations were playful and cute, reflecting her focus on outdoor photography with a very sweet and playful look.
Jessica felt like the brand didn’t reflect her current style of photography, which is increasingly focused on a “Day in the Life” documentary style approach. Jessica likes to capture the “real” moments in a child’s life. It was time for a brand refresh.
Jessica asked for a more sophisticated, crisp look, one that was a little more “serious” … but one that was still approachable, young, and would appeal to her current customers. We went with a clean, slightly retro font and design style, but kept the look soft and approachable with the ocean and sand color palette. Keeping the ocean ink was a natural way to link back to her old brand.
We letterpressed her business cards, hang tags, buck slips, stationery, and envelopes for a sophisticated and elegant feel. To tone down the starkness of the look, we pulled in textured kraft paper bag style envelopes and added touches of a retro script font here and there. We letterpressed her business cards in ocean and sand inks on extra super thick bright white 100 percent cotton paper, and edge painted them in matching ocean ink.
I just love the look of edge painted business cards. The extra pop of color is the perfect, sophisticated finishing touch.
One of the most difficult business decisions you can make is any sort of change. Jessica told me her old logo was “working,” but she wanted new branding to reflect the new direction and growth of her business. I wholeheartedly agree that in business you have to change, and constantly adapt in order to grow. Because of this, Jessica’s rebranding project was my favorite so far this year.
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Many thanks to the Martha Stewart Weddings team for featuring our sweet Delphine straw pennant flags in the gorgeous Martha Stewart Real Weddings special issue (Spring 2012).
Oh So Beautiful Paper is co-hosting with me this year. We have chosen a beautiful location in Manhattan, Hudson Terrace, for the party. [Tuesday, May 22, 2012 from 7PM-9PM at Hudson Terrace in NYC].
I’m really looking forward to the 2012 National Stationery Show. I don’t have a booth, am not showing my line, but am celebrating being part of this wonderful industry by throwing a party with Nole. I’m super thankful to be part of the world of paper + design! The party started as a birthday party for me, but has grown into a celebration of my favorite things with some of my favorite people in the world: other stationery designers.
Special thanks (and extra big hugs) to our lovely sponsors for helping to make the meetup happen again this year: Crane, Felt & Wire, Ladies of Letterpress, Mohawk, Paper + Cup, Stationery HQ, The Sweetest Occasion, and Tradeshow Bootcamp.
All stationery industry peeps (designers, exhibitors, reps, buyers, store owners, bloggers, wedding planners, stationery + wedding industry press) are welcome. Space is limited at the venue, so you must RSVP for admission. If you’d like to be on the invitation list please shoot stationerymeetup [at] gmail [dot] com an email with your full name and name of your business & we’ll add you to the evite list. If you attended last year you’re already on the evite list and will receive an invitation in early May.
Yes, we’ll have goodie bags again. Trust me, you do not want to miss these. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but you can be sure it will be filled to the brim with paper goodness. The first 100 guests will receive a goodie bag.
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Dear Delphine, I’m confused about how I should order my parents’ names on the invitation. When listing my parents’ names, who comes first? Mom or Dad?
Thanks, Perplexed Bride-to-be
Dear Perplexed, It’s a common question (and the most common error we see when people place orders). Proper etiquette is to list a woman’s name first, man’s second. A simple way to remember this is that a man’s first and last name should never be separated. Each of these examples follow proper etiquette rules:
Anne and Bradley Cline • Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Cline • Mrs. Anne and Mr. Bradley Cline • Dr. Anne and Mr. Bradley Cline • Mrs. Anne and Dr. Bradley Cline
This same rule applies when addressing all your envelopes.
Wow. March just flew by, didn’t it? It has been an extremely busy and emotional month here at the Delphine studio. We moved cross country, left behind a lot of dear friends and family (miss y’all!), and regrouped. It has been a challenge to keep it all together — juggling unpacking boxes, answering phones, negotiating deals, and keeping on touch of regular business on top of handling a huge influx of inquiries (merci, Groupon). But we’re having a blast and are super thankful to everyone in Charleston for welcoming us with open arms. It feels like home.
Fellow stationers, I know we share a collective “aaaaaargh” every time we see our beloved industry spelled incorrectly.
For the record, when referring to paper goods, the correct spelling is ‘stationery’ … and when referring to something standing still, like an exercise bike or a parked car, the correct spelling is ‘stationary.’
“Word to the Wise” graphic courtesy of Fig. 2. • Delightful stationery and stationary definition tote by Sapling Press available in their Etsy shop.
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Pretty postage stamps really dress up an envelope. They’re especially nice on plain envelopes — a little touch of color goes a long way. I am loving the new 2012 postage stamp designs. I haven’t had a chance to pick up the cherry blossom ones yet, but I’ve already used up all the weather vane, bonsai, and red love stamps shown in the photo here! Time to head back to the post office.
A gentle reminder … R.S.V.P. is an acronym which stands for “répondez s’il vous plaît.” The literal translation of this French phrase is “respond if it pleases you.”
Writing “please r.s.v.p.” is like writing “please respond if it pleases you.” Which is silly.
Merci for listening. I will step down from the soap box now.
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The “commute” to downtown Charleston, where our son goes to school, from our place on John’s Island means crossing three bridges and several Lowcountry tidal creeks and marshes. They have cool names like Stono and Wappoo. Everything is fun to say here. Even with the heaviest morning rush hour traffic it takes less than 30 minutes (15 of which is spent at the light outside our neighborhood). The scenery varies from pretty to spectacular. I don’t miss California freeways for one second!
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You all (or, now that I’m back home in SC, “y’all”) know I’m a sucker for package design. I love the J. R. Watkins packaging so much that I now skip the tedious step of transferring dish soap and hand soap to another container. I just leave them out on my sink! I first spotted them at Target, but there are lots more products for sale directly from J. R. Watkins and next time I run low I’m going to order directly from the source.
I do some package design for a Scandinavian apothecary, and my goal is always to design something that the user will display on their counter, not hide in a cabinet. From a designer’s perspective, this brand is getting it right: the branding and design is consistent, but not boring. The color palette references the scent of the product, and I like how they have left the actual product clear/free of dyes. I looked around the web and can’t find credit for who is responsible for the design, so I think they are doing it in house. Love it!
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Just in case you haven’t heard … we’ve moved! From SoCal to SC. I’m slowly getting my act together, unpacking and arranging and rearranging … hopefully I’ll get to address my cool chevron letterpress moving announcements this weekend.
I’m not exactly sure what The Battle of Charleston is all about. I’m envisioning a bunch of crazies dressed up in Confederate uniforms, spitting tobacco and drinking whisky. But I’m totally intrigued and have to go check this out.
This sign is beyond amazing. It’s new but looks like it has been around for ages. It’s hand-lettered, not made to look hand lettered. Every line is a different font. LOVE! It’s nailed to the side of a shack. I saw it and literally pulled the car off the side of the road so I could inspect it more closely.
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