2013 Calendars!

Plastic calendar case converts into a handy stand for your desk!

Sales have been swift for our 2013 calendars and I'm so very grateful! You can buy them direct via our online shop or pop into The Wedding Cafe / Eden In Love to check them out in person. They're $12 each and make a really cute stocking stuffer!

Check out our Facebook page for detailed calendar pics!

Signed, sealed, delivered

I'm NOT going to write about the postal rate hike that's taking place in January. I'm NOT going to remind you to make sure you affix the correct postage on your RSVP envelopes if your deadline is after the new rates go into effect on January 27. I'm NOT even going to rant about the fact that I have to purchase 1-cent stamps again and they, for whatever reason, annoy the heck out of me.

Instead, I'm going to show you some pretty Forever stamps that I found while perusing the USPS web site...because looking at a pretty design makes me forget that there's a pretty price tag attached it.

These Forever Wedding Roses have been a popular design for wedding invitations:


Forever - Wedding Roses

Haven't seen this one in person, but love the romantic swirls:

Forever - Love

Really excited about this new design:

Forever - Sealed with Love

Love, love, love, this Bonsai series:

Forever - Bonsai

Oh, and here's the Birds of Prey series. Because sometimes you just want your snail mail to be a little more menacing:

85 cent - Birds of Prey



Cupcakes...still trending

It's a good thing for me that people are still crazy about cupcakes! Every time I show samples of Emi Ink's custom-printed cupcake sleeves at wedding expos, people are drawn in like moths to a flame. I'm not sure if it's the "cute factor" that catches their eye, or the promise of a sweet treat (my display cupcakes are made of DECO clay, much to the disappointment of the under 10 crowd that finds their way to my booth). But whatever it is, custom sleeves add a perfect touch - especially if you're doing a cupcake display at your wedding or other special event.

These sleeves were designed for clients of A Cake Life:


monogram featured on white, silver and black sleeves (photo courtesy of A Cake Life)



names + wedding date on white and teal sleeves (photo courtesy of A Cake Life)

Have a drink on us

I remember the first time I designed custom drink tickets. The coordinator had suggested it during the consultation and the couple and I were both delightfully surprised at the suggestion. It kind of went like this:

Coordinator: "Oh, how about custom drink tickets for your guests!"

Couple: "Huh?"

Me: "Huh?"

Followed by a half-second of silence, then:

Couple: "I love that idea!"

Me: "Awesome sauce! I can make little cards that coordinate with the design and color scheme of the invitation! I can even make double cards with a perforation across the middle! They will be so pretty that your guests won't want to turn them in for a drink! Can you possibly understand how excited I am to be designing this new and fantastic piece of stationery??!!"

At least, that's what I thought in my head. I'm sure I said something more along the lines of, "That would be lovely. I can definitely design something like that for you."

Sometimes the paper dork comes out in me...which is essential, I think, in making my clients happy.

Hair today, gone tomorrow

I recently purchased this:

It's a large sheet of paper with various styles of mustaches printed on it. I bought five sheets of it. Yup, five sheets of mustache paper. I haven't decided what to do with it yet, but I'm going to just let the mustaches speak to me. I'm confident that something wonderful - and hairy - will emerge.

A couple months back, my husband and I were in California and we happened into a random shop filled with quirky + trendy things. We saw a bunch of items with mustaches on them and after noticing the puzzled look on my husband's face, I knew it was my duty to school him on the mustache trend. Little did I know that he would use this knowledge against me. To this day, every time we see a mustached something or other, he points to it and says, "Hey, it's a mustache. Did you know those are hot right now?" I'm counting the days until mustaches are groomed from our retail landscape forever! Well, not really. I still dig them and hope they stick around for a little while longer, especially since I just designed this holiday greeting card (my ode to the mustache):

Emi Ink holiday cards are on sale now at The Wedding Cafe.

Right around the corner

I'll be honest, I've been freaked out about the impending holidays ever since I spotted Halloween candies and costumes in the store...in early September. My first instinct was to curl up in a ball and hide under my bed until the first of the year. If not for the lure of fun-size Raisinets and Kit-Kat bars, that's where I would be right now. Instead, I decided to face my fears head on. The first beast I had to slay? My 2013 calendar.

I designed my first calendar last November and have delighted in people thanking me all year for the little bit of sunshine that sits on their desks. (Is it strange that I don't keep one of my own calendars out on display?)

So, onto the 2013 calendar. I spent two months tweaking designs, changing colors, rearranging the order. If the holiday shopping season weren't right around the corner, I could easily spend another two months working on it. That's how it goes when I'm designing something for myself...I'm my own worst client!

I'll have a limited supply of these beauties on sale at The Wedding Cafe in Ward Warehouse, and will also be selling them direct on my new website (that's the second beast I had to slay...more on that later). The calendars are wee little ones that sit on your desk (roughly 3.5" wide by 3.75" tall) and will go for $12.00 each. So, $1.00 per month...pretty good deal, right?

In my kitchen...

I saw this scene next to my coffee maker this morning:

Either my husband has finally cleaned out his car, or there's about to be a Jedi + Droid smackdown in my kitchen.

The Three C's: Chairs, Cupcakes and Chanel

I'm a little late in posting this, but Emi Ink has a few designs featured in the current issue of Hawaii Bride & Groom magazine.

Spring/Summer 2012 edition

First up, the "Unveiled" section which highlights new products:

Chair favor boxes

I really, really love these chair boxes because they can double as favor boxes and escort cards/place cards. 

Custom printed cupcake sleeves

I had to meet photographer, Kris Labang, at his studio to shoot the cupcake sleeves and was worried about the cupcakes not looking "fresh" enough. I made a special trip to purchase the cupcakes the morning of our photo shoot and I took f-o-r-e-v-e-r to choose the flavors. Well, I actually didn't care about the flavors so much as the color of the cake and frosting. So happy with the way the photos turned out.

Another fun feature in the magazine was the "Double Vision" editorial. Vendors were tasked with creating two different tables that were similar in style, but for two different budgets. I had the opportunity to collaborate with an extremely talented group to create a Chanel-inspired set-up.

Double Vision: 1 theme + 2 tables + 2 budgets

The high-end stationery incorporated a classic black/white pattern and pearl accents. 

The look for less: double-matted menu card in pearl white and soft pink with coordinating  place card.

In the midst of chaos...more chaos!

While the "busy season" for stationers cycles a little differently than for other wedding vendors, I barely had time to catch my breath for the entire month of June. I have vague memories of side-stepping packing peanuts on the floor, scheduling client pick-ups and drop-offs, collecting an insane amount of empty Diet Coke cans next to my sink, and wondering what the sun would feel like on my face if I ever had the time to go outside (ok, maybe it wasn't THAT bad, but pretty close to it). Added to all that chaotic goodness, was sweet Merri, the event services manager at Ko`olau Ballrooms.

Ko`olau Ballrooms is a venue that's near and dear to my heart because it practically sits in my backyard. It's nestled at the base of the Ko`olau Mountains and that's not an exaggeration. This was my view when I pulled into their parking lot this morning. No photo retouching necessary, it's a gorgeous locale!

So, back to the chaos at hand, Ko`olau Ballrooms has been hosting special tastings for prospective clients. A couple of times a month, guests are invited to visit the venue, learn more about their event services, and are treated to a special tasting menu prepared by the chef. Aside from the delish food, tables are decked out with specialty linen and gorgeous floral centerpieces. I think it's such a fantastic opportunity for engaged couples to get a feel for the venue and start to envision their own special day.

Merri contacted me back in May, and I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the featured stationers for their tastings. While there typically isn't a long lead time for producing their custom printed pieces, I've had fun approaching these jobs as mini design challenges for myself. I typically produce printed menus, tented cards for the buffet table, and place cards for each guest. This is a small sampling of what I've delivered this summer:

Can't wait to find out the theme for August!

Less is more

I just did a quick scan of my studio. The picture above is true-to-size and accurately shows the only free surface space on my three large work tables. And, I guess it's not really free since there's a tiny coil of twine sitting there.

Less is more. Or, in my case, more is less. More work meant less blogging for me in the last six months. I'm so grateful for all the opportunities and wonderful clients that I've been able to work with, but I do miss blogging...dearly. The truth is, I blog for my clients (or potential clients), but I also blog for myself. My entire business represents a creative outlet for me, but it really doesn't involve a whole lot of writing. Occasionally, a bride will ask me for my input on their invitation or program wording, but I try to guide people with a light hand and don't like to impose too much of my personal style on other people.

So, six months went by with tons of work and zero blogging, and then...Nora Ephron passed away. I was a huge fan of hers and devoured everything she wrote. I was in awe of her writing style and loved the way she could paint a scene with so much wit and vivacity (or subtlety).

Anyway, long story short is that Nora's passing sparked a renewed sense of urgency to get back to writing and I decided to revisit my blog again. I never intended to stay away so long, but it feels great to be back.

Aloha by mail

I'm so excited about the recent release of these Aloha shirt stamps by USPS! They're 32-cent stamps and perfect for your postcard-style save the date cards or response cards. No doubt your guests will appreciate this little detail as they excitedly anticipate your island wedding!

inspiration anywhere: gummy bears!

Apparently I needed to take a six-month hiatus from my "inspiration anywhere" project, but sometimes you just can't force it. So, no apologies, just my latest inspiration:

Gummy bear key chain designed by Bit of Sugar

This oh-so-cute key chain by Bit of Sugar dangles off the side of a porcelain cup that holds all of my pens. Every time I reach for a pen, the pastel gummy bears make a clinking sound against the porcelain. In the afternoon, around 3:00pm, the sun bounces off the beads and creates a little light show on my desktop. This sweet creation inspired this yet-to-be-named invitation design:

What should I name this invitation design?

I stand by my belief that you can find inspiration anywhere! In case you'd like to check out our past inspirations:

Curtains

Socks

Wedding gown

When You Wish Upon A Star

In Full Bloom

Weddings cards in stock at TWC!

Just in time for the springtime nuptials, I dropped off a batch of new greeting cards at The Wedding Cafe this week. Each card is printed on metallic stock and is accented with Emi Ink's "signature" touch of Swarovski crystals. Cards are blank on the inside and include a coordinating metallic envelope.

Eat your veggies

Or, you can just decorate your table with them.

The current issue of Hawaii Bride & Groom Magazine includes a fun editorial spread in which vegetables and other organic produce were incorporated into beautiful tablescapes. Emi Ink contributed to the decor for one of the tables by providing wood-textured favor boxes and coordinating menu cards.

Who knew that red cabbage and bitter melon could look so pretty?
(Created by Watanabe Floral)

This favor box design is one of my favorites. Such a unique shape and no glue or tape required to assemble!

Pick up your issue at newsstands today or check it out online here.

Expo time!

The Hawaii Bridal Expo is this weekend and I've been busy gathering up a bunch of recent custom samples to display at Emi Ink's booth. If you want to check out our work up close, visiting our booth at the expo is really the best way to do it. There's a limited amount of stationery items that I can carry to a client consultation, short of bringing along a pack mule (and somehow, I think The Wedding Cafe would frown upon that). At the expo, though, you'll see all of our favor box options, our standard invitation designs, a large array of custom invitations, place cards, menu cards, programs...probably more wedding stationery than you even knew existed!

As an added bonus, the first 50 brides on each day to stop by our booth and sign up for our email list will receive a limited time special offer. Here's the info:

Hawaii Bridal Expo


Neal Blaisdell Center
777 Ward Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii


Friday, 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Saturday, 10:30am - 4:00pm
Sunday, 10:30am - 4:00pm

My latest accessory

I love picking up new accessories, whether it be the fashion kind or the electronic kind. But my newest acquisition doesn't fall in either category yet it's the most meaningful to me as a business owner.

Each year, WeddingWire selects the top 5% of wedding professionals in its nationwide network based on client reviews. I'm so very honored that Emi Ink received this award. I'm committed to giving my clients the highest level of service simply because they deserve it. I've been blessed with the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing people and it is only because of my client base that I'm able to have a job that I love. 

I'm proud to show off my newest accessory (see it over there in the right side bar?). It goes with everything, don't you think?

Real Life Wedding Showcase in Hawaii Bride & Groom Magazine!

Have you checked out the Fall/Winter 2011 issue of Hawaii Bride and Groom Magazine? I was thrilled to see my lovely couple - Genie and Arthur - featured in the Real Life Wedding Showcase!

Genie and Arthur

I remember my first consultation with Genie quite well. She had seen a menu card that I designed for a photo shoot by Hawaii Bride and Groom Magazine earlier in the year. She was drawn to the beautiful textured paper and elegant colors of ivory and antique gold. That menu card served as the inspiration for Genie and Arthur's entire stationery suite.

Top: ivory pocket fold invitation with inserts, wraparound belly band and organza ribbon
Bottom left: escort card tree with hanging crystals
Bottom right: place card atop menu card placed in napkin fold

There was a seamless transition throughout all of the stationery pieces. From the invitations and ceremony programs to the escort cards, place cards and menu cards, everything was designed to complement the vintage Hawaii theme.

My working relationship with them, had a surprise epilogue a few months ago. Genie and Arthur wanted a special way to commemorate their first anniversary and subsequent anniversaries. They had decided to write letters to each other and asked for my input in bringing their vision to fruition. We decided on an ivory scrapbook with personalized pages - one page for each of them to write on for the first ten years of their marriage.

Thank you Genie and Arthur for allowing me to be a part of your special day!

Photographer: Marcia Campbell Photography

Florist: Designs by Hemingway

Reminder: postage rate increase!

Just boxed up my first big invitation job of the year and, after reminding my bride about the rate increase on January 22, we decided to use the Wedding Roses Forever stamp for her R.S.V.P. envelopes.

So, it bears repeating. In case you're mailing your invitations over the "hump"...mailing out before the rate increase but your RSVP deadline falls after the January 22 effective date, don't forget about the extra penny required for your response cards. You've been warned (insert scary music here).

hello, 2012!

First things first, Happy New Year! I'm happy to say that I succeeded brilliantly at succumbing to the annual Christmas chaos! This, of course, is another way of admitting that I failed miserably at blogging throughout the holidays. In my defense, I did think about blogging and even started taking photos of my year-end custom. That counts for something, right?

I couldn't find a way to slow time in 2011 (and believe me, I tried), so I'm committed to enjoying each new day as it comes and embracing every challenge and every opportunity that 2012 brings. It's surprisingly easy to be so committed and passionate when it's only day number 6 of the new year. Anyway, I'm taking  a deep breath, enjoying the view and strapping myself in for a fantastic year!

View from my office window...can't complain