Save the Date | Lauren & Warren are Getting Married!

Check out this gorgeous set of Save-the-Date cards we designed and printed for a North Carolina couple back in January! Lauren and Warren's Save-the-Dates are fairly simple, but feature all of the necessary information (names, date, place and web address) in a very clean and gorgeous design. Lauren and Warren are using a tree motif on this piece and throughout the rest of their invitation suite, so we decided to make that a very central element on the Save-the-Date card. This card is an A2 size, measuring 5.5"x4.25" and was printed in two ink colors: copper and aubergine, and paired with a purple envelope from Waste Not Paper Company.

Above is the Save-the-Date card all by itself. I love how simple, yet elegant this design is, and the tree motif we used turned out just stunning. The copper ink that was used for their names and the tree gives the design a little extra sparkle, without being overwhelming. The paper Lauren chose is 100% cotton Crane Lettra Duplex, which is twice as thick as standard Lettra. This made for a really thick and substantial card, and a fantastic letterpress impression. Here are some close-ups so you can see all of the little details better:

For the envelope, as I mentioned above, we chose to go with purple shade from Waste Not Paper Company. Lauren and Warren's address and a much smaller version of their tree motif were letterpress printed on the back flap using copper ink and a small, framed motif with an infinity symbol and their upcoming wedding date was printed in the top left corner on the front of the envelope.

Aren't those just stunning?!? I'm currently in the process of working with Lauren and Warren on the designs for their main invitation suite, so if you like this design, check back soon to see their actual invitations! Thanks so much Lauren and Warren!

Custom Business Cards: Mark Aikens

One of my favorite things about owning and operating a letterpress shop is getting to work with a variety of very talented and incredible graphic designers in and around Eugene, as well as across the nation. At Twin Ravens Press, we do a vast majority of our design work in-house, but I always welcome the opportunity to work with outside designers and artists who are looking to have their designs or designs they are creating for their clients letterpress printed.

Back in October, I was contacted by one such, very talented, graphic designer, in Eugene who was working with a client to create a set of really unique business cards. The designer, Mary Susan Wheldon, had met me at a local Meet Your Maker Show, where I was selling letterpress greeting cards. Mary Susan saw my work and was interested in working with me to letterpress print design work for her clients. The cards you see above and below were our first collaboration.

Mary Susan's client, Mark Aikens, makes and installs hand-cast, original wall papers with original stone textures. I've never actually seen any of Mark's work in person, but from the photographs that Mary Susan showed me, his work seems truly beautiful and absolutely a labor of love. Mary Susan wanted the business cards she was designing for Mark to reflect his artistry, ingenuity and the awesome texture and colors that are present in his wall papers. She figured that in order to convey this texture, letterpress printing might be her best choice. I agreed.

Mark's business cards are just a smidgeon larger than a standard 3.5"x2" business card size. The design features a column on the left hand side featuring six "bars" of color, all the same width, but in different lengths. These simulate single sheets of Mark's handmade wallpaper. The cards were printed on 220 lb. Duplex Crane Lettra 100% cotton paper in Pearl White for a super thick, lush impression and a very stiff, substantial card. We printed five of the six bars on the left hand side in a sparkly metallic copper ink and printed the sixth bar, as well as all of the text in a light, crisp blue. The thick cotton paper combined with deep letterpress imprints made for an already amazing texture, but to add something even more unique and special, we ran these cards through the press a third time and blind embossed a stone-texture pattern that Mary Susan created over the top of the metallic copper bars. Click on the above image for a larger view. This was a challenging effect to create, but the results are absolutely stunning!

If you're looking for a fabulous free-lance designer to work with in the Eugene/Springfield, Oregon area for an upcoming project, and you like Mark's cards, contact Mary Susan. She's amazing, has some fabulous ideas, and has an ever expanding portfolio that includes designs for a variety of items from business cards, logos and corporate stationery to books, posters, and invitations.

And, if you are looking in to having some gorgeous, custom wallpaper made for your home or business in Eugene or Springfield, contact Mark Aikens, who's information is on the business cards in the pictures. Like I said before, the pictures I've seen of his work look amazing!

Lastly, if you're interested in having your very own set of letterpress business cards designed and/or letterpress printed, contact us for more information. We would love to work with you!

Thanks again Mark and Mary Susan!

Tart Workshop + Twin Ravens Press Holiday Gift Tags

I recently had the opportunity to team up with the awesomely creative calligrapher/illustrator of Tart Workshop, Crystal Kluge, to design and letterpress print an absolutely adorable set of holiday gift tags. Crystal and I have had (and currently have) some mutual custom clients, so it was really exciting to get to work with her again on a project specifically for Tart Workshop & Twin Ravens Press!

These gift tags come in sets of six, one tag each of six different designs. All of the patterns were created by Crystal and all of the letterpress printing, die-cutting and assembly was done by Twin Ravens Press. These gift tags are 2.75" in diameter and feature a different pattern in one of four ink colors (red, green, copper or silver) on one side, and a place to write who the gift is to and from on the back side.

Each tag is tied with a piece of all-natural hemp twine, making them easy to attach to gifts or hang from a Christmas tree. The tag sets come packaged in a 100% biodegradable, clear, corn-cello bag.

Since we are releasing these tags so late in the season, we are offering you a very special deal on them! Visit the Twin Ravens Press Etsy Shop today or tomorrow and purchase $20.00 (or more) of our products (this can be single greeting cards, boxed sets, coasters, etc.) and receive one set of gift tags free with your purchase! This offer is only valid until tomorrow, Sunday, December 20th at 5:00 pm, Pacific Standard Time, or while supplies last, so head over to the shop now! If you just want the tags, that's perfectly fine too, they are also available for purchase on etsy, right here.

If you are currently a Twin Ravens Press retailer or you are considering carrying our products in your retail store, these tags will be added to our collection, and are available for wholesale purchases now. If you're already looking ahead for next year, keep these in mind, as they are super-cute!

If you'd like to check out more of Crystal Kluge's gorgeous hand-lettering, graphic design, illustration and typography design, check out her website and blog. I love working with Crystal, so check out her work if you have a custom project in mind!

Thanks so much again for the collaboration Crystal, and to all of my lovely readers out there: Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping!