Many months ago at a Martha Stewart event Carol Cho from BurdaStyle approached my table and introduced herself. We got to talking about fabric and a future collaboration. Burda, as you probably know, is a mecca when it comes to online sewing projects. Each week they feature a heap of totally fantastic, creative ideas for the do-it-yourself-er armed needle and thread. I mean, that with enough determination you can just make this Alexander McQueen show studio jacket?
I had the chance to sit down with Lindsey and Rachel at Burda and brainstorm a project in anticipation of Thanksgiving, my very favorite holiday. They supplied a stunning Obi apron and I calligraphed the word “gratitude” in 6 different languages (English/French, Russian, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian). You can print the “pattern” for each word and then, as I did, cut it out in felt and applique it to the apron (or just about anything -- iron ons, signs, etc.). The pattern for the apron is on there too. Go check it out here. And please send photos of your project if you end up using the calligraphy! Happy thanksgiving + here’s to gratitude always + many thanks to the fantastic ladies at BurdaStyle.
Courtesy of Cleanwash
This weekend I had the pleasure of grabbing coffee with Colleen of Cleanwash letterpress. I love working with far-flung artists and clients, but I am also so happy to meet people local to Philadelphia. Do you know Colleen’s work? Gosh, you really should. We’ve worked on a a few projects which you can find here and here. Recently I’ve been setting up lots of lunch and coffee dates (hence my blog absence) and the one with Colleen really reaffirmed why I love meeting people in person: the brainstorming, planning for future collaborations, storytelling, spontaneous topics of conversation and laughter. A few weeks ago Colleen printed my new business cards which were urgently needed for the Martha Stewart event. I just love them.
Dan + Barbara on Oh So Beautiful Paper
Nole at Oh So Beautiful Paper just posted a slew of photos of Dan and Barbara's invitation suite. It features a stunnig combination of visual elements: wood veneer, black glossy calligraphy, white print on black envelopes, and white foil stamp throughout. It was a pleasure to work on this project and I was so inspired by Dan's vision (any surprise he is an art director?). As always, photos of client work can be found in the portfolio section.
Collaboration with: Aisle Candy
Many thanks to Katie Murphy over at Aisle Candy for her kind post about Neither Snow. We collaborated together on the logo for her new website, which is a great addition to the wedding blogosphere. Do pay Aisle Candy a visit.
A Look Inside + Outside
As promised I wanted to give you a glimpse of the calligraphy I recently did for outer envelopes designed by Mr. Boddington’s. They do an outstanding job with lined envelopes-- they feel so substantial and special. These envelopes have a hand-drawn wave motif. It isn’t often that I get the chance to individually letter the return address but in this case, the client made an excellent choice.
Cleanwash, Round 2
It’s been so fun collaborating with Colleen over at Cleanwash Letterpress. She recently sent me final product for Hannah and Young’s invite, which was designed by Curious and Company. This is a great example of how you can slice up and repurpose calligraphed scanned names to tie together all of the pieces in an invitation suite. And the different blue patterns add so much texture. Thanks Collen, Curious, Hannah and Young!
Family Tree
I unearthed a photo of a family tree I worked on months ago and it brought back fond memories. It required so much concentration, and was so gratifying to work on. No typos, no incorrect birth dates, no haphazard blobs of ink. Things have been moving so fast recently that it's nice to remember a time when they moved slow(er).
Emily + Dustin
The very talented Shawn Tomkinson just posted photos of Emily and Dustin's stunning wedding in the "gallieries" section, including a snap of their calligraphed envelopes. This wedding is a real testament to how well calligraphy works with paper products in other scripts. The invitation and menu were in a script font, the place cards were handwritten in snappy white ink. I think the gray-brown envelopes with walnut ink fit right in. Thanks so much Emily, Dustin and Shawn!
Border Oak
Last summer, right after I started Neither Snow, Merry emailed me about collaborating on a brochure for her family's design and construction company called Border Oak. They were creating an advertising campaign for one of their artisan cottages, Pearmain. I visit the website and was smitten with the adorable cottages and outdoor structures. So much so I had dreams of a "calligraphy for cottage" trade. Recently Merry sent me the final product and it is the brochure of my dreams. The combination of gorgeous photography, architectural drawings, small details and, of course, the incredible design of their cottages works so well. I was also impressed by how accurately the text described their business: "...vernacular craftsmanship, natural materials and a quiet aesthetic charm" or "craftsmanship and a certain modesty." Neither Snow aspires to be described in a similar way, and was honored to work with Border Oak. If you are in the market for a cottage, I can't think of a better cottage company.
White Ink
Gray paper + white ink is one of my favorite combinations. I've been working on these table numbers and thought I'd try to capture the way the ink sits on the paper.