Pink, pink & more pink

Here's a preview of our newest note cards and stationery - I hope everyone likes pink!

"Unveiling the Best" at Kate's Paperie

Last week I attended the "Unveiling the Best" event at Kate's Paperie on the UES. It was a lovely event, with gorgeous floral & tabletop displays by Michelle Rago, delicious hors d'oeuvres from Laurence Craig Catering, and to top it off, Darcy Miller was on hand to greet brides-to-be. My photo does not do it justice, but here is small segment of one of the colorful tabletop displays from the event. As you can see, chartreuse remains a strong trend!

Since I've been obsessed with early twentieth-century art recently -- if you are having a wedding at an art gallery or museum, I think this abstract rose petal design would be a lovely choice:


("Cote d'Azur" offset-printed invitation ©2008 Blue Ribbon Design; contact Blue Ribbon for ordering information and pricing.)

Matisse & Picasso

The lithographs downstairs have me dreaming of the South of France and revisiting some of my visual memories from the 2005 exhibition, Matisse: The Fabric of Dreams - His Art and His Textiles. Matisse's palette seems extremely fresh right now and I'm entranced by the artist's ability to capture the essence of both form and pattern in an elegant and idiosyncratic way. Funny how certain things take a while to resonate.


Images above via Adrian Searle's review of the exhibition while at London's Royal Academy for The Guardian: Odalisque with a Screen, oil on canvas, 1923, Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, © Succession H Matisse/DACS 2004; Odalisque with Yellow Persian Robe and Anemones, oil on canvas, 1937, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, © Succession H Matisse/DACS 2004.

Along the same line, this iconic Robert Capa photograph of Picasso and Françoise Gilot in the South of France recently popped into my head. Despite what we know about Picasso as a companion, isn't it a lovely image; so glamorous in a truly bohemian way. I wonder what type of stationery they wrote to each other on during during their romance...


Above image via the New York Times ("A 1948 gelatin silver print of Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gilot in France by Robert Capa, a part of the I.C.P.'s collection.")

New Inspiration

Philip Williams Posters is a vintage poster dealer two doors down from our new space and there is always an eye catching assortment on display in the windows facing Chambers street. Right now I'm drawn to these small format exhibition posters for the work of Miró, Picasso, and others.

(Photo of the current window display at Phillip Williams Posters, located at 122 Chambers Street.)

New Designs

I am slowly adding the new releases to the website. The letterpress notebooks are now available for purchase and here's a look of one of the newest greeting card designs.


(Greeting Card above by Blue Ribbon Design, Thank You, style no. 08-022P)

Blue Ribbon Moving Announcement

Blue Ribbon has moved around the corner to 126 Chambers Street (above is a sneak peak of the new space)! Here's our new address (our telephone & fax number will stay the same):

Blue Ribbon Design
126 Chambers Street, 5th floor
New York, NY 10007
tel/fax: 212.513.0939

New from Blue Ribbon: Letterpress Notebooks

I'm very excited about the letterpress notebooks we debuted at this year's National Stationery Show. Each has a letterpress printed cover and contains 80 lined pages, offset printed on recycled paper. The notebooks will be available for purchase on the Blue Ribbon website June 1.

(Above: letterpress notebooks by Blue Ribbon Design)

Window Display at MarieBelle SoHo

I was walking by MarieBelle on Friday and spotted this gorgeous window display. I just love the color combination of the two shades of coral and the turquoise blue. The paper peonies poking out from the tops of MarieBelle's beautifully patterned coffee tins are amongst the most life-like crepe paper flowers I've ever seen.

MarieBelle SoHo
484 Broome Street
New York, NY 10013
212.925.6999
www.mairebelle.com

National Stationery Show Wrap Up

Thank you to all the retailers, press, and industry friends who visited Blue Ribbon's booth at this year's stationery show! We're really proud of all the new designs - especially our new notebooks and letterpress flats - and enjoyed having the opportunity to show them off!

National Stationery Show, Booth #4227

Today was the opening day of The National Stationery Show and it was so wonderful to see so many of our retailers here in New York. There's lots of new card designs on display (photos coming soon), so if you're in town for the show, please stop by and say, "hello"!

If you are a retailer, and can't make it to the show, please email us at sales@blueribbondesign to request a copy of our current catalogue.

Flowers from Utowa

Each year I order flowers from Utowa for my booth at the National Stationery Show. The in-store floral display is amazing and I always leave inspired. This year I ordered a giant clutch of pink peonies and I can't wait to pick them up on Saturday!


Utowa
17 West 18th Street (btw 5th & 6th Avenues)
New York, NY 10011
Tel: (212)366-0891

******UPDATE ******

Utowa is no longer open, but the florist has moved into his own space nearby and his shop is now called florisity.

florisity
1 West 19th Street
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10011
(212) 336-0891
florisity.com

Busy, Busy

It's finally Spring in New York and between all the May weddings and the upcoming National Stationery Show, things have been very, very busy. This is the time of year I spend a lot of time visiting all of my favorite shops to order trim, paper, flowers, and all the random accessories needed for special print projects and Blue Ribbon's display at the show.

One of my favorite things to shop for is ribbon. I usually buy my ribbons directly from Midori, but if I need something for a special project in a hurry I'll run up to the Garment District and get what I need at M&J Trim, Tinsel Trading Company, or their sister store, The Store Across the Street. While I'm usually shopping for basic grosgrains and silk satins, I'm always tempted by the wide moiré ribbons and Tinsel Trading's vintage metal laces and threads. Maybe someday I'll have the opportunity to incorporate them in to a custom order....

M&J Trimming
1008 Sixth Ave.
New York, NY 10018
1.800.9.MJTRIM
www.m&jtrim.com

Tinsel Trading Company
47 W 38th Street (btw 5th & 6th Avenues)
New York, NY 10018
212.730.1030
www.tinseltrading.com

The Store Across The Street
64 W 38th Street (btw 5th & 6th Avenues)
New York, NY 10018
212.354.1242

(Photo: Cutting ribbon at M&J Trim)

Spring Green

Chartreuse continues to be one of the most popular colors for invitations (the last 3 out of 4 suites we have done used it!). Chartreuse and chocolate brown are an elegant pairing, but you can also combine chartreuse with navy for a classic preppy look or with black for a bit of urban sophistication. Here are some examples of the chartreuse pieces we've done so far this spring.





(All wedding stationery above is by Blue Ribbon Design.)

New Store: Thistle & Clover

Last night I attended the opening for a new boutique in Fort Greene named Thistle & Clover. The owners have curated a sophisticated mix of clothing, jewelry and accessories, all displayed in a sleek gallery-like setting that really allows the individual products to shine. They also have a small selection of stationery - including a few designs by yours truly - which they have displayed in an antique case along with some gorgeous earrings and necklaces. The shop is beautiful and owners couldn't be nicer, so if you are in the neighborhood, definitely check it out!


Thistle & Clover
221 DeKalb Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11205
(718) 855 5577 (t)
(718) 855 5533 (f)
www.thistleclover.com

Store Hours:
Monday-Friday 12PM-8PM
Saturday & Sunday 11AM-7PM

Martha Stewart Living

Look! A friend spotted my Happy Anniversary card used as a prop in the April issue of Martha Stewart Living (lower left). This makes me very happy.

Hot Off the Press: Sneak Peak

Just a little peak at the beautiful ornamental scrollwork that was used in a new custom design.

(Custom Wedding Invitations above by Blue Ribbon Design)

Reading List : Invitation Wording & Etiquette

As a stationer, I am often asked to guide customers through the sometimes daunting task of wording their invitations. My approach to invitation etiquette: know the rules so you can decide when to bend them. It helps to have some time-honored references to turn to. That said, here are some of my favorite resources.

The Wedding Invitation Handbook, by Julie Holcomb
Indispensable. I turn to this book regularly for it's balance of traditional etiquette and contemporary style. In addition to providing sample wording for all types of situations, this book reinforces the idea that it's o.k. to bend the rules when the situation calls for it. It's also one of the first mainstream invitation guides I know of to provide sample wording for commitment ceremonies. Available from Plus And Press.

Crane's Wedding Blue Book
A wonderful reference for traditional wording and etiquette. It is particularly helpful with diplomatic and military titles. I bought mine at Kate's Paperie in New York, however this title is very common and should be available at any well-stocked bookseller. (Crane's also reproduces most of the content on their own website, crane.com.)

Emily Post's Etiquette, by Peggy Post
A great all-around etiquette guide. Skip the abbreviated wedding version - this is a general reference every well-mannered household should own. The current 17th edition is available from Amazon.com.

Wedding Invitations, by Jennifer Cegielski
I often recommend this beautifully illustrated book to anyone who is just beginning their invitation search because it does a wonderful job of explaining the many printing, paper and style options used for modern wedding invitations and offers sound advice on what to expect from your stationer. This guide also includes more information than most about how to address, assemble and mail your invitations. Also available from Amazon.com.

Taking a design from start to finish

I am often asked about the inspiration behind specific designs, so here is an example of how one greeting card progressed from inspiration to realization.

It all starts when I see something that catches my eye. In this case, I was taken by an illustration for one of Paul Poiret's most famous ensembles, "Sorbet." (Georges Lepape illustration for Gazette du bon ton, 1913, via The Metropolitan Museum of Art, metmuseum.org)


What appealed to me most were the stylized rosettes and the black & pink colorway. I made several sketches and eventually came up with a stylized rose of my own. The sketch was then scanned and cleaned up in Illustrator.

Once the line art was created I started working on the layout. I love patterns and thought that this rosette would make an elegant repeat reminiscent of early twentieth-century textiles.


In keeping with the Moderne mood, I choose a typeface smiliar to those seen in period advertisements. Voilà, the finished product.

Hot Off the Press: Another Sneak Peak

I won't show the entire suite until after the wedding, but as you can see from these detail shots, this custom design uses a mix of classic borders to evoke elegant Old New York. I particularly love these border designs because they remind me of the decorative ironwork that adorns so many New York brownstones - very 19th-Century New York.


(Custom invitation design by Blue Ribbon)

New Moderne Notes from Blue Ribbon Design

Our new Moderne Notes are now available online!

Baby Announcements

Although wedding invitations represent the bulk of Blue Ribbon's custom printing projects, I occasionally design other types of stationery such as the chinoiserie-inspired baby announcement pictured below.

This announcement was created for a friend, and I love the fact that she wanted to use purple, which was a fun and refreshing change from the standard pink typically used for girls' announcements. I actually used the same pattern (in a different format) on her son's birth announcement (below) two years ago and I like the way that the pattern links the designs for brother and sister.

(Chinoiserie Letterpress Baby Announcements by Blue Ribbon Design)

Hot Off the Press: A Sneak Peak

I love working on custom design projects. It's fun to work one on one with the bride and I particularly love hearing about all of the event details (the size of the wedding, the desired level of formality, the location, the dress, the flowers, the cake!) and then coming up with a design that compliments and unifies all of those elements. And, of course, printing a new design for the first time is always exciting.

Above is just an itty-bitty sneak peak of a custom design that was recently created for a classic coastal New England celebration this Spring. I'm so happy with how it turned out, I'm thinking of adding it to the retail album. Photos of the entire suite coming soon...

(Invitation design and photo by Blue Ribbon Design)

Gray & Yellow Inspiration Board by Snippet & Ink

Isn't this pretty? What a delightful surprise to spot Blue Ribbon's Chinoiserie invitation in this beautiful mood board evoking "subdued elegance" created by Kathryn at Snippet & Ink. Click here for the orginal post and be sure to check out the blog's archive for more of her wonderfully inspiring collages.


Collage above by Snippet & Ink. Top row from left: St. Bartholomew's Church via On Decorum, bouquet from Rebecca Thuss, J.Crew dress from Brides, lemonade from Rebecca Thuss, flowers via I Do Vancouver ; Row 2: save-the-date via Thoughtful Day, tent from Ariella Chezar, cake by April Reed; Row 3: photo from Beth Helmstetter, bouquet by Artfool, invitation by Blue Ribbon, boutonniere and bouquet both from Martha Stewart Weddings.

Hot Off The Press: Spring Colors

We've been printing up lots of lovely invitations for spring brides. This is the first time that we have printed Rococo in a frost/slate colorway and I absolutely love it!

(Rococo letterpress wedding invitation by Blue Ribbon Design. Shown in frost/gray)

Letterpress Imprintables : Printing Tips for Home Printer

The menus above were created by running letterpress imprintables through an ink jet printer

On a budget but still want to incorporate letterpress into your wedding stationery? Imprintable flats can be personalized to create all kinds of invitations and tabletop stationery, including save-the-dates, rehearsal dinner invitations, menus, and more!

Most stationery stores offer in-house printing for the imprintable products that they sell, but you can also run them through your home printer. Every ink jet and laser printer has it's own quirks, but here are some universal set-up and printing tips that will help the finished product look it's best:

• When setting up your document template, make sure that the document (or artboard) dimensions are the same as your card and that the orientation (landscape vs. portrait) is correct.

• When selecting print preferences from your printer driver, make sure that the print media size is the same as your card, that the scale is set to 100%, and that the borderless printing option (if your printer has one) is selected.

• If your printer has any special settings for print media, select "matte card stock" and always make sure the print quality is set to "best".

• Before printing on the actual cards, test your layout and alignment on some scrap paper that has been cut to the same size as your imprintables.

• Print in small batches, keeping an eye on the printer to make sure that the printer's rollers are picking up the cards consistently and running them straight through without shifting the alignment.

• To prevent smudges, be sure to give the ink ample time to dry before handling the printed cards.

Layout Ideas

We recently added a new feature to the imprintables section of the website - now you may view printed examples of all of our imprintable designs. Check out the website to view additional designs and layout ideas.

(Country Garden imprintable invitations by Blue Ribbon Design)

Blue Ribbon Design Featured in In Style Weddings

What a nice way to start the new year! Our Andiron Border imprintable invitation is featured in the current issue of In Style Weddings.


(In Style Weddings Winter 2008; Andiron Border Imprintable by Blue Ribbon Design)

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from Blue Ribbon Design! We're closing early this afternoon, but will return after the holidays with a sneak peak of some new designs.

(Photo of Wedgwood Jasperware from www.wedgwoodusa.com)

Tony Duquette Holiday Windows

New York is known for it's holiday displays and once again Bergdorf Goodman designed my favorite. This year's theme is the "natural baroque" style of Tony Duquette, rendered in five magical displays inspired by the natural elements Earth, Air, Fire, Light, and Water.

Fire

Abrams just released a new monograph on Duquette and these holiday windows are a wonderful promotional tie-in. Not only are the main windows staged with Duquette-inspired fantasies, but the tiny niche windows contain whimsical displays Tony Duquette jewelry (check out the fine jewelry category of www.tonyduquette.com for a sampling of his designs).

Air

These windows are just stunning in person, the sheer amount of decorative bric-a-brac artfully crammed into each tableau is absolutely amazing. I was shopping at night and was unable to get a decent photo of any of the details (all the above images are from the store's website). If you can't visit the store, at least take a moment to visit the Bergdorf Goodman site to watch a wonderful video that chronicles the design and production of these windows.

Earth

(All photos from www.bergdorfgoodman.com)

Lipstick Queen

Last night I attended a shopping event at Space NK, a British "apothecary" that recently opened it's first US outpost in SoHo. The space is wonderfully spare and the product selection tightly curated, which makes for a decidedly more relaxed and focused shopping experience unlike the harried beauty departments at Henri Bendel or Saks.


Anyway, I wasn't there for the free champagne or chocolates, my real purpose was to check out Lipstick Queen. I first read about the line's creator, Poppy King, when she was profiled in The New York Times Magazine last year (read the article here), and I was taken with how she described her fascination with the glamour, both real and symbolic, of wearing lipstick. Not only are the lipsticks wonderful (her reds truly are wearable), but the package design is gorgeous. I love the Arts & Crafts inspired packaging for the Sinner and Saint lipsticks and the Beardsley-esque backings for the Oxymoron glosses. Given the current minimalist and clinical look of most luxury cosmetic lines, it's refreshing to see a brand that has unabashedly decorative and saucy packaging - definitely a standout in the beauty department.

(Photos top to bottom: www.spacenk.com; www.lipstickqueen.com)

Everything's coming up roses

A few of my favorite places that stylized roses have popped up recently.

Van Cleef & Arpels Roses de Noël

(photo from www.vancleef-arpels.com)

Liberty of London's Nineva Gold Necklace
Not sure if these are roses or camillas; I like to think they are roses
(image from www.libertyoflondon.co.uk)

Satin Rose slingbacks from Prada's resort collection

(from www.trendora.com Copyright © 2007)