Broaching the subject of brooches

Pretty brooches add impact! (Photo by Kris Labang Photography)

I have long been a fan of bling, although that wasn't always the case. When I launched Emi Ink in 2005, my tastes weren't necessarily simple, they just weren't sparkly in any way. But I quickly realized that a single crystal could provide that WOW factor to any invitation. Small touch, big impact.

A few years ago during a consultation, a bride told me that she wanted a beautiful, elegant invitation with my signature crystals added to it. Signature? Me? I don't know how it happened...maybe it was the fact that I always made a big deal of whipping out my big crystal chart during client meetings or my frequent admissions that crystal application was like meditation for me (it really is)...but somewhere along the road, people started associating me with the blingiest of bling. I was surprised at first but then I thought about how my design style had evolved over the years. Wow, they were right...and oh how I've embraced the bling since then.

I recently added some SUPER BLING to my product line-up and have fallen head over heels for vintage-style brooches. Their super power is transforming any piece (invitation, favor box, menu card) from blah to beautiful! Crystals, pearls, crystals AND pearls...so much gorgeousness!

Full disclosure: adding this type of embellishment to invitations will pose a few extra challenges for mailing. You'd need to mail your invitations in a lovely box or padded envelope. If that's not really your cup of tea, consider adding a brooch to your favor boxes, table number cards or menu cards...it would instantly allow your stationery to perform double duty as beautiful accents to your table decor!