The Collective Noun for Concertina Cards?

Would that be a "fold of concertina's"? I'm still on a wedding theme, and wondering if a group of concertina or accordion cards might be called a fold… what do you think, any other suggestions?

This Bride began with Thank you's for her Bridesmaids, and then came back with special messages written for all her closest family members.

We made the family ones smaller…. 3 inches square when folded, 

to fit into favour boxes with other little goodies...

 all wrapped in gorgeous sanwaa tissue, with tags.

Not forgetting a card for the Groom, of course. 

I know she dropped hints, quite blatant ones, but he never asked me to write one for her

so I hope this groom found something equally romantic for his bride!

Wedding Table Names fit for a Princess!

Not everyone wants numbers on their tables do they? 

But if they did, a little bit of calligraphy can go a long way to making something 

that is often quite plain, look special...

Table numbers on book pages are not only for the literary lovers with a literary or bookish themed wedding. They can add a a bit of a vintage feel… 

or 'shabby chic' seems to be the description of the moment for those that watch the trends! 

I usually have a fair eye for fitting words into spaces, but when a collection are going to be displayed together, it's worthwhile being a little more prudent! 

A typed & centred list of names clearly shows which is longest & how long they each are in relation to each other. So long as the longest will fit, the rest should follow!

I wrote my list with a page above as a guide to begin with, then folded my paper over name by name…. lining each one up & making minor adjustments to spacing as I went.

As well as being Princess for a day, this bride was sharing her day with Disney princesses too!

 These dictionary pages were a perfect fit to be displayed in 5 x 7 inch frames. 

The Handmade Wedding Catalogue

I am lucky to have been included in The Handmade Wedding Catalogue, curated by Shana Mattheis.

It is huge... Shana has scoured Etsy to produce 138 pages full of photographs showcasing more than 200 shops & includes plenty of resources to assist with wedding planning.

 A couple of my book pages feature early on in "The Proposal" section. I've never got as far as listing calligraphy services for invitations & place cards etc on etsy yet, but it is something I offer & I have a steady stream of people buying both original work & prints as wedding or anniversary gifts.

On my browser the instruction 'click to view' appears twice & the 2nd time it goes to the 

full screen view...  it's so worth viewing at full size! 

Each photograph is linked directly to it's etsy listing, as well a link being given from the page index, so no one has any excuse not to find out any details of anything they like the look of!

Ideas are grouped by theme & by colour....

...  & I defy any bride not to find some inspiration amongst these pages.

It's impossible to pick favourites at first glance, but I am taken by the 'Earth Friendly' ideas.

There are also pages of resources interspersed throughout the catalogue... ideas about what to do when & comprehensive guides to planning offer reassurance to anyone not so sure & confirmation to those more confident in their organisation.

CLICK HERE to view the online edition of The Handmade Wedding Catalogue 

and thankyou so much to Shana for pulling the whole thing together!

Shana blogs at This Amazing Life
Shana's Etsy Shop

Shana was aided by Candice at Silk Florals by Candice, so a big thanks to her too!

The perfect anniversary quotation?

"Grow old..." with banana & walnut... sounds like it could be a cake! Of course I'm talking about Khadi cotton rag paper with banana & walnut ink.... a delicious combination.

A couple of different layouts for the quotation I have been working with...

Grow old along with me 

the very best is yet to be

~Robert Browning

 This is such a great choice of quotation for an anniversary present.... and it doesn't matter how long the marriage either. 

Handmade 'Accordion' style Wedding Invitation

'Love' Memory Album

This personalised  memory album was a gift from a groom to his bride.... various 'love quotations' are written throughout, with several envelopes inside for keep-sakes. It could be used as a photograph album or as a special scrapbook of their wedding day.

Commissioning something like this, for any occasion, makes a really special gift.... and you can choose colours & words that suit the individual. This one was 15 x 15 inches and prices start from £45, depending on number of pages, quotations, envelopes & whether interleaving is desired.

Apache Wedding Blessing

Two versions of 'The Bidding'- an Apache Blessing (click on the pictures to see the detail). This is a popular wedding reading, and what better way to preserve the memory than to have it written out & framed!

The paper used is hand-made... both for the calligraphy, the decoration at the bottom & to cover the mount. Combined with a wood frame, the overall effect is natural & harmonious... something I feel the words deserve (you can of course choose any colour scheme you like!). The added bonus is that it suits most interior styles, which is useful if someone is unsure where the recipients will be hanging their gift.

Handmade Wedding Invitation

"To have & to hold", the calligraphy on the front is layered over handmade paper & japanese tissue. A simple design, with subtle colours, but very effective. Something like this is £2-95 per invite, and can be co-ordinated with your colour scheme... you can choose your own wording or replace it with names & date or an image... you can add extras such as ribbon or extra inserts...and of course the theme can be continued through place cards, order of service, seating plan etc.