CasaSugar

The Card Shop: A Perfect Summer Greeting

CasaSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:00:39 -0700

Want to send a friend a mid-Summer note? To capture that feeling of lazy long days and mid-afternoon bicycle rides, send her this Bicycle Card ($3). This gocco-printed card is blank inside, so you can scribble away to your heart's content. Need some other summery cards? Check out some of my other favorites here.

The Card Shop: Fold Cards

CasaSugar — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:30:03 -0700

Artist Miro Chun makes her Fold handmade cards sitting in her workshop surrounded by stacks of paper, lengths of wire, and spools of thread. Mini wire sculptures sit on colorful arrangements of paper, creating a motif that is both pared down and full of personality, be it a simple sailboat, a wedding cake, or any number of recognizable creatures including lobsters, frogs, and robots. Her inspiration for these meticulous creations includes her namesake Catalan painter and sculptor Joan Miro, as well as Alexander Calder, known for his wire circuses and mobiles. Send one of these charming cards to a friend, and suddenly "hello" can help someone collect art. I'm loving the Summer style of this five-by-five-inch Boat Card ($11).

The Card Shop: Linda & Harriett Thank-You Note Box Sets

CasaSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:00:00 -0700

The expression, "A simple thank you would have been nice," has always baffled me. To me, there is nothing straightforward about saying thank you. When I'm genuine, I want my expression of gratitude to be as tastefully embellished as possible - like a letterpress card.Luckily, stationer Linda & Harriett has made the gesture simple for me, by unveiling some new box sets of thank-you notes in elegant scallop, lace, and swirl prints. Each card is letterpressed with soy-based ink and features the calligraphy of Brooklyn-based Jenna Hein. I'm thinking the swirl pattern is my favorite; I can just see the personality oozing off the 30 percent postconsumer waste paper. A set of six retails for $14.

The Card Shop: Papeterie Bridal Shower Invites

CasaSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:00:44 -0700

At home, I'm a modern woman with the décor to match. But when it comes to weddings, I'm a traditionalist. No matter how laid-back (or wild and crazy) a girl may be, I'm all for elegance and sophistication on the big day. That notion applies to the bridal shower as well. Papeterie's Bridal Shower Invitations ($33.75-37.50 for 25) fit the bill when it comes to elegant stationery. Choose from an array of beautiful designs inspired by textile patterns, including antique roses, flower toile, garland, scroll, Moroccan patterns, and more. Beyond that, you can choose from 18 different colorways to fit your gal pal's personality. Since they're digitally printed, you won't pay the price of letterpress, but you'll still get the look, and that's key!

The Card Shop: Hello! Lucky Wedding Invitations by Joel Dewberry and EIEIO

CasaSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:00:40 -0700

As if weddings weren't exciting enough, one of my favorite stationery companies, Hello!Lucky, has just launched two new collections of wedding invitations designed by the talented textile designer Joel Dewberry and decorative paper studio EIEIO. Each collection includes an average of six different designs, with varying colorways and the option to order the works: RSVP cards, save the dates, wedding announcements, thank-you cards, accommodations cards, reception cards, directions cards, menus, place cards, and seating cards.

Additionally, all of the materials can be printed either digitally or by letterpress - I'd go with the latter if I were you! My favorites are Sparrows by Joel Dewberry and Chandelier by EIEIO, each $97.50 for 25. So chic and elegant, but a bit contemporary, too. Check out all of the Sugar network's wedding coverage here!

The Card Shop: Hydrangea Letterpress Notecards

CasaSugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:00:39 -0700

Hydrangeas are my favorite flowering plant. They're so delicate, yet they have such a bold presence, and I love how their color changes based on the soil pH. So, how could I not swoon over this gorgeous set of Hydrangea Letterpress Notecards ($16 for eight)? Each card is printed in light and dark purple and pink inks on natural recycled paper and comes with a recycled envelope. The cards are made by a favorite of mine, Yeehaw Industries, and inspired by finds at their local farmers market - other floral and veggie cards like carrots, artichokes, zinnias, poppies, and more are also available.

The Card Shop: Sealing Envelopes the Cool Way

CasaSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:00:54 -0700

If you weren't satisfied with the colorful Japanese masking tape . . . or if you just crave variety, I've got another way to seal envelopes for you. TapeSwell Decorative Tape ($7) comes in 20 different "madly modern" patterns, with a bit more oomph than that colorful masking tape. Feeling a little damask today? Seal your envelopes and packages in a black and white flocked patterned. Embracing your preppy, horse-riding roots? Maybe the emerald chain decorative tape is for you. The sky is the limit: just figure out who you are, and TapeSwell will help you personalize your outgoing mail. But, don't stop there, perk up your moving boxes and anything else around the house that needs a boost!

The Card Shop: Cynthia Warren Wedding Invitations

CasaSugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:00:19 -0700

When it comes time to plan your wedding, Cynthia Warren may be the perfect woman to design stunning, bespoke invitations for your big day. The Bay Area-based artist has designed for events of all sizes, from small, intimate weddings to gala fundraisers for Alice Waters's renowned restaurant Chez Panisse. Warren will work closely with you to translate your story into an artful design that's not only elegant but memorably unique, and one that reflects your personality and taste. Leave it up to this Jill-of-all-trades to design everything from invitations and menus to individualized keepsakes and candy boxes for your event. With a background in illustration, calligraphy, and typography, her hand-drawn lettering and imagery give your wedding a sense of history, before your marriage even begins! See more of her work when you read more.

View 17 Photos ›

Source

The Card Shop: A Jane Austen-Inspired Engagement

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:00:03 -0700

Most women either love Jane Austen's novels, or have a girlfriend in their lives who does. What lady doesn't go weak in the knees at the thought of Mr. Darcy?

If one of those Austen-adoring ladies you know and love has recently gotten engaged, why not treat her to a fabulously witty Jane Austen engagement card? This An Engaged Woman Card ($4) from Letterary Press is printed on recycled card stock with soy inks, so you can feel extra good about this eco and literary engagement card. The full quote reads, "An engaged woman is always more agreeable than a disengaged. She is satisfied with herself. Her cares are over, and she feels that she may exert all her powers of pleasing without suspicion."

Want another Austen option? Then read more.

This second Austen quotation card comes complete with a dapper gentlemen gracing the exterior of the letterpressed card, and it's also from Letterary Press. The full quote reads, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." I love the imagery and color choice of both cards, and can't wait to send one of these to a newly engaged friend.

The Card Shop: Smock Hello There Card

CasaSugar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:00:38 -0800

Sometimes all you need to turn your frown upside down is a little "Hello there" from a friend. And who doesn't love elephants? Ever since I saw Bruce Weber's infamous photos of elephants dressed in couture in a 2005 issue of W, I've had a soft spot for them. The elephant on the Smock Hello There Card ($14 for six) may not be dressed in Chanel, but it is sustainably letterpressed with a charming brick red design on bamboo paper, which makes it as stylish as ever. So, why not send a friend a little hello?