What Inspires Me - Stationery

While I'm a very tactile person - I'll buy a cookbook on the feel of its pages and weight in my hands - I haven't been creating a paper trail of inspiration for scrapbooking. That's odd to me. I've become very reliant on electronic media. Maybe this is due to the fact that I'm constantly on the go and archiving electronic inspiration from multiple places (my Macbook Pro, my iPhone, etc.).

So today I took a look at the images I've archived. Here's what I didn't find. I don't have images of wedding dresses (I do have regular dresses I'd like to buy). I don't have images of flowers or of cakes. I didn't have images of hair or makeup until I needed to tell someone (hair stylist/MUA/hat designer) what I was thinking (I obviously don't pay attention to these things outside of noticing when I have a bad hair day).

Seriously, what kind of bride am I? Aren't these the things I should be naturally gravitating towards?

Instead I have images of stationery, of fonts, of table numbers (yes really - table numbers), of books and scrapbooks, of food, of table settings. Maybe that's why when we started planning I jumped into table design - candles in wine bottles with vintage keys dangling from ribbons tied around the necks sitting on silver platters on the tables with watchwerks sewn on tulle runners - and room decor - cookbooks and train cases on pedestals.

Are you creating an inspiration scrapbook? Did you clip images from magazines or electronically and print out? What caught your eye? How are you sharing your vision with your wedding party? Your vendors?

I'll be sharing some of my favorite things over the next couple of Fridays. I'll start with what I'm obviously most passionate about stationery.



Stationery Inspiration
Maybe it's the designer or marketer in me, but I love getting invitations and personalized direct mail pieces. I admire the paper and its coating or lack of coating, the color choices, and so on. I've always wanted my invitation to be one that I'd want to receive in the mail. An invitation that made me personally feel special. Maybe this is why more than 75% of my inspiration images are stationery.

(By the way... I'm going to mail myself an invitation because I want the thrill of opening the envelope and seeing the carefully chosen blue envelope liner. I want to be able remove my invitation and inserts all neatly tied in ribbon with a personalized gift tag.)

Here are some of my favorites (I won't bore you with all of them) and what I love about each. You'll see where various elements of our stationery originated.

1. The Twine Tie with Gift Tag
(Miss Dachshund via WeddingBee)

2. Use of Two Color Printing w/Colored Paper to Give the Invitation Suite Punch
(Delphine Press via the Inspired Bride)


3. Shell with Ribbon Belly Band
(Lazaro Designs via The Wedding Chicks)


4. Stamped Envelope and Coordinated Envelope Liner
(Miss Lobster via WeddingBee)


5. Ribbon Tie and Envelope with Two Color Addressing
(Zed & Bee via Oh So Beautiful Paper)


6. The Pattern Cut Edges and Monogrammed Envelope Liner
(MaeMae Paperiee via Green Wedding Shoes)


7. The Twine Tie with Gift Tag
(Stephanie via Inspirations & Creations: Elizabeth Anne Designs)



8. Stitched Wrap-around Labels
(Miss Dachshund via WeddingBee)



9. Wrap-around Label on the Envelope
(Kassia via Inspirations & Creations: Elizabeth Anne Designs)

10. Ribbon Embellishment
(Olive Hue Paper via Style Me Pretty)

11. Flower Bleeding from the front of the Envelope onto the Flap
(Gourmet Invitations via Style Me Pretty)


12. Texture of Paper and Ribbon
(Invite Site via Gorgeous and Green)

13. Ribbon Wrapping
(Green Glam Weddings)


14. Stacked Wedding Inserts
(Miss Cola via WeddingBee)

15. Simplicity of Design, Use of Text, Vertical Orientation
(Stonington Paperie via Style Me Pretty)

17. Color Edging
(Wardrobe Stationery via Style Me Pretty)

18. Stitching across the Top
(Sideshow Press via 100 Layer Cake)