Clayton Invitation from the 9SpotMonk ecoModern® Custom Wedding Collection
We’re excited to announce the launch of our newest custom wedding album – 100% letterpress and 100% eco friendly!
Enter for a chance to win 100 custom letterpress invitations through Oh So Beautiful Paper. Once you enter your favorite design at OSBP, comment on this post at Paper Shop Ink and I’ll include complimentary return address printing for the winner.
Good luck!
- Vivian
[photo credit: 9SpotMonk]
SOF 2009 Calendar By Studio on Fire
Studio on Fire is on of our favorite shops, their work is cutting edge and just all around awesome. Their new calendar for 2009 is available on their online store.
SOF 2009 Calendar By Studio on Fire
SOF 2009 Calendar By Studio on Fire
SOF 2009 Calendar By Studio on Fire
- Vivian
Calendar by Brooklyn Binder
Chickens Letterpress Greeting Card by Dee & Lala
Rabbit Letterpress Thank You Card by Dee & Lala
Cowboy Letterpress Card by SweetBeets
Baby Boy with Giraffe Toy by SweetBeets
Mod Spiraograph Cards by Black Bird Letterpress
Blossom Folded Card from Muslamb Paper Goods + Design
Noodle Note Card by Muslamb Paper Goods + Design
Acorn Folded Cards by Dozi on Etsy
Caged Bird Notes by Megan Creates on Etsy
Floating Bird Notes by Two Hand Design on Etsy
String Along Card by Paper Dragonfly Press on Etsy
Floating Seahorse Letterpress Card by Dandy Lion Press on Etsy
Thanks for reading my post, I hope today’s images will inspire you to give your keyboard a much needed rest. Pick up a pen and send a card…
Support the independent artist! 
- Vivian
Preschool is coming to an end for Kaesaria, our 4 yr old daughter and we have been trying to put our brains together to find her teachers a nice gift and a thank you card for all the wonderful work they have done for a whole year… Kaesaria loves to draw, so I asked if she could draw a portrait of each teacher with just a black marker and I would have it professionally framed and then wrapped. They were well received and we hope cherished for a long time. This would be a great opportunity to make something together with your child to give, it’s super sweet and super original. And don’t miss the 9SpotMonk Giveaway at the bottom of the post!
From Etsy, by Jaquelineknit’s, an apple jacket – who would have thought? My friend Jac bought these tween daughters in hopes that they’ll bring more fruit to school with style… it was a no go. But this would make such a beautiful for a teacher!
Neat eyeglass case, handmade, and can be found on Etsy!
Teacher appreciation cards, how neat are these cards! They can be customized too, will make a great gift for your favorite teacher.
I’m not trying to be biased here, but most of the teachers at my daughter’s school are female… this set of cards by cbcdesigns is letterpress printed and hand painted! Each one is a little different and very personal.
Ok, you study hard, your best friend is the librarian. This thank you card would make such a sweet end of year thank you!
A super stylish ring your your super stylish teacher. PetitOiseau makes jewelry from reclaimed items such as buttons and beads, they have a really nice stylish vintage feel to them.
Last but not least, 9SpotMonk Colour in Cards, $4.50 each, comes with 3 non toxic crayons, 100% recycled.
9SpotMonk Giveaway! Respond with the best gift you’ve ever given a teacher and receive a free “Dear Teacher” card from us.
Thanks for sharing this time with me! My sister and I will be going to the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn this Sunday, we’ll take lots of photos and do a recap on Thursday.
Have a great weekend!
- Vivian
We’re glad to be back from the National Stationery Show that just finished up last week. Tif and I were happy to see our trade show friends and meet new friends too. With the economy in such see-saw action, we were happy to see friends like Red Cap Cards, Smock Press, Blue Barnhouse, Tallu-lah, Albertine Press, Gilah Press and many others return. The show was much smaller than in past years. New friends that had great stationery goods – Sunshine and Molasses, Maginating Press, Sugar Paper, our new neighbors at the show, Chewing the Cud, hello to you all again!!
This week on all letterpress all things good and budget conscious, we’re going to take a look at a cost effective method at thank you cards. I think for weddings, thank you cards are an absolute necessity but they don’t have to match invitations if the cost is too high. Most times when an invitation collection and thank you cards are ordered the same time, there are printing discounts. Do inquire about these discounts! Stores are always willing to help you get what you want. Sales gals are educated in their custom service and can think of many great ways to help you out. Don’t forget to go local! Visit your local stationery retailers!
Did you know that with most letterpress cards, you can customize them through an ink jet printer? Our house stock paper, Crane Lettra in 110lb cover, prints beautifully through the ink jet. Yes, it is thicker than regular paper, you’ll have to figure out the right settings. Our studio printers, a Canon MX700 and i4000 can feed the Lettra just fine. Just make sure to get about 10-15% extra of what you need, just for alignment and setting samples.
From Egg Press, Spring Flower Silhouette. These gorgeous cards are on sale right now, box of 8 for $6.75! For an idea on name placement, we would suggest the big flower on the lower right. A nice dark brown or blue in script or a san serif like Modula Sans would give these set a modern and expensive feel, without the expense.
From Linda and Harriet, Birch Trees, $14 for 6 cards and envelopes.
From Hello! Lucky, Swallows & Blossoms, box of 6 cards and envelopes for $12.00
From Albertine Press, Last Duck Wedding, $5.00 per card and envelope. Albertine sells this card as single cards only, not in packs, but I spoke with Rebecca, who was very helpful on the phone (thanks Rebecca!) and if you order this with a 50pc minimum, she will work with you on a bulk price.
From Gilah Press + Design, Heart Design from the Jubilee collection. I love how gentle this card is and will make a great personalized set through the ink jet. It is a square card, so there will be a bit more on the postage end but I think it’s worth it. The cards come in a set of 6 with 6 envelopes for $16. I think a Bickham Script font would work beautifully with this design.
Thanks for reading my post on all things letterpress. See you next week! – Vivian
This is my first post with Paper Shop Ink. Very exciting! It feels like a first date, not sure what to say and not sure what to show. At the 9SpotMonk Studio, we’re busy working on a new eco friendly custom wedding album, launching in May. We’re focusing on themes that are more nature based (naturally) and trying to bring that smell of the first day of Spring on to paper. So with that said our first post will focus on that theme.
A second theme for this post – price. We’ve been doing letterpress invitations for some time now with pricing all over the spectrum but have noticed in the past year brides and grooms looking for still beautiful invitations but have been more budget conscious. There are many ways to keep within your budget and still bring the wow effect to announce your wedding day. Doing 1 colour instead of two colours, printing 2 colours on the invite but staying with one colour for the rest of the pieces – response, reception, thank yous, etc. Size can also be a determining factor as well. A smaller invitation still can pack a punch, both on the receiver and the wallet. Don’t forget, a smaller invitation will need less postage as well.
Call on your local stationery stores that carry custom designs. Sales staff are always happy to work with you to bring your idea to paper and meet your budget needs. Call on your local letterpress stationers. Many of these studios are run by the owners/designers themselves. They are the champions of assisting you bringing your wedding theme into paper. They know first hand paper selections, envelope choices, all things to help you again – keeping within your budget.
Etsy! Etsy is a great resource if you cannot find a local printer/designer to meet your needs. Everyone I have ever spoken to who has a shop there is helpful and knowledgeable on their craft.
This week I’m highlighting some spring themed invites, all letterpress printed from small studios. The goal is to find a set of 100 invites and response cards for around $1000. Let’s see how well we do…
This beautiful very simple and modern invitation comes from our friends at Bella Figura. A 5 by 7 inch size, it is one of my favorites.
For our package -
100 2 colour invitations 5 by 7 size
100 1 colour invite envelopes
100 1 colour response cards
100 1 colour response envelopes
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$1030
They offer free 2 day shipping, this is definitely a perk. Shipping for 100 sets can get very costly with Fedex Ground getting to upwards of $50 (depending on how many pieces are ordered).
If I wanted to cut costs down on this suite even more, I’d opt for a one colour invitation. That would bring my price down to $930, which is under my $1000 budget.
To see this suite, visit Bella Figura
From Hello Lucky, this smaller rectangular invitation has a great balance of artwork to text ratio. What do I mean by this? Well, sometimes the text can overpower the artwork and vice versa. But I love how the beautifully laid out leaves, swashes and the little perched canary work all together.
For our package -
100 1 colour invitations 7 by 4.125 size
100 1 colour invite envelopes
100 1 colour response cards
100 1 colour response envelopes
———–
$989.50
Hello Lucky also free ground shipping!
Have a little more to spend? Get your printed envelopes sent ahead for an additional charge of $40. Make sure you have plenty of time to address those envelopes. Remember you friend who does calligraphy on the side? It’s time to call in a favor.
To see this suite, visit Hello Lucky
I heart Inky Lips Press! Casey McGarr runs a design and printing studio in McKinney, Texas. His work to me, is the ultimate letterpress inspiration. Old school linoleum cutting and letterpress printing paired with modern graphic design, to us, it’s a pretty cool match. Inky Lips is known for their letterpress posters. Check out the amazing linoleum carvings done by Casey himself.
I like the use of type in this wedding invitation, it’s uber creative and brides and grooms, it takes a lot of time and patience to get those tree branches just right.
For our package -
100 1 colour invitations 5 by 7 size
100 1 colour invite envelopes
100 1 colour response postcards
———–
$910.00
We opted for a 1 colour invitation on this one. Two colour brought it up $88.00. For an additional colour without adding printing cost, think about doing a coloured envelope for this one. The set will have a 2 colour feel with a 1 colour pricing. How can you be eco friendly on this set? Response postcards! No envelope needed, you save on costs and save a few trees.
To see this suite, visit Inky Lips Press. They are super friendly and experienced, we love working with Casey.
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Sometimes you need minimalism. There’s not a lot of minimalism in weddings these days but for those who opt for a clean line, check out Bird on a Branch from Pistachio Press. We found Rachel’s work on Etsy, on our quest for the budget invitation.
I like the clean lines this invitation offers. It’s simple, evokes a feeling of spring and would be perfect for just about any spring wedding. She uses Crane Lettra stock, which is 100% cotton so it’s uber eco friendly.
For our package -
100 2 colour invitations 5 by 7 size
100 1 colour invite envelopes
100 1 colour response cards
100 1 colour response envelopes
———–
$700.00
Pricing on Pistachio Press’ Etsy page says ‘pricing generally starts at $700′. I am assuming that what she shows in the photo is what you’ll be paying for in regards to number of colours on the invite, response, etc.
To see this suite, visit the Pistachio Press Etsy site.
Thanks for reading my first post on PaperShopInk and thanks to Candis for inviting me to be a contributor to her great site. I am already busy working on next week’s post.
Have a great week! – Vivian
