Merry Christmas

Passport Invitations

Are you having a destination wedding?  Why not consider a passport?  I recently stumbled upon Sproullie Designs and have been captivated ever since.  They are beautiful, unique, and a terrific way to personalize all of the information your guest require for a destination celebration.

Here are a few pictures from their passport gallery.  Check out all of the photos here.

And...don't forget to check out their boarding passes while you are over there!

MFB: Curbside Chairs: Part III -- The Finale

Happy Friday all and welcome to the last installment of the Curbside Chair project!


Two weeks ago, you saw a sneak preview of my fabric selection. Today, you'll see the finished result.


If you are attempting to similarly recover a chair, let me recommend this handy tool.

The staple gun.

And let me also recommend getting one at a garage sale, like I did last weekend, for $8 + with free heavy duty staples! Just watch your fingers.

To cover the chair seat itself, cut a swath of fabric about 1 and 1/2 to 2 inches wider than your seat. (I cut it a bit wider than that, but to save fabric, next time I'd scale it back). A fat quarter is about the size.

Place the seat cover, seat side down, on the wrong side (dull side) of the fabric.

Always make your first staples, on the top and on the bottom. This helps to stabilize the fabric. Make sure you have pulled the fabric tightly, but evenly.

Continue stapling all the way around, until you have something that looks like this.

Though it looks a bit jank on the wrong side, it looks great on the right side!

And ta da!

I think the fabric matches the vintage look of the chair.

What do you think? Do you have any projects you are working on?

Trees

It is a season of trees...

...all of the beautiful fall colors are falling and fading away as trees lose the last of their leaves.
...some trees are getting bundled up and riding home on cars to be loved and cared for just in time for Christmas.
...others still are an excellent addition to your wedding!  Check out these mini topiary escort cards I made for a wedding last year:

Displayed on a round table at the end of an entry hallway, these beauties were fanned out for all the guests to see.  What an adorable way to greet your guests!

Christmas Photo

Among the many things we crammed into our weekend with family over Thanksgiving, the annual Christmas photo may have been my favorite!  Here we are looking our finest:

Yuletide Tree Christmas

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.



Does your family have Christmas card traditions?  Will you be sending cards through the post this year, or opting for an electronic version?

Click here for instruction on how to get a $25 giftcard to Shutterfly by sharing a Christmas card project on your blog.

MFB: Curbside Chairs Part II

Since I'm still on Thanksgiving break, this entry is going to be short & sweet. Just want to unveil the cute fabric I picked out for the Curbside Chair Project.

Drumrolllllll please....

Ta da!

I went with Amy Butler's Midwest Modern line, in the "Ohio Sky" family. I picked "Garden Maze" in Green for its whimsy, vibrancy, and retro vibe. Though it retails for about $8.50 per yard, I was able to score 5 yards on eBay for only $25, including shipping!

Here's a sneak peak of how I think the chairs will look:

Cute, right?

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and I can't wait to finish and unveil the final project!

Idea Board 1: Vintage Americana

Many of you know that the mastermind behind our "Make It, Fake It, or Buy It" series, Lina, is newly engaged.  Lina is using her creative genius, and serious repurposing skills to create a Vintage Americana theme for her wedding.  To thank her for all of her hard work, we are kicking off our very first official Idea Board, specifically for her.

Sources: Vintage Soda Crates, Daisies in a Ball Glass, Fabric Place Cards Photographed by Daniel Kiyoi, Vintage Blue Mason Jars, Apple Table Numbers, Blue Shoes

For more information about ordering your own custom idea board, contact me at:

CalligraphyByShannon {at} gmail {dot} com

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Antique Picture Frames = Awesome Photo Booth

Can you imaging your wedding guests creating a lifetime of memories with a masterpiece like this?

Found via: A Cup of Jo

Pictures by: Kiss the Groom

MFB: Curbside Chairs: PART I

At my day job, my boss keeps a delightful set of 2 vintage folding chairs. They have an adorable organic hand-carved look (sorry, no picture) and bright orange vinyl cushions. Anyway, I've deco-crushed on them for a while.

So, when my fiance and I were walking to his car after dinner one night on the Hill, and I saw four of these beauties on the curb....

...my heart skipped a beat and I knew they would have to be mine despite his two door car.

Needless to say, we made it work, and I put rehabbing these chairs to the top of my DIY project list.

First, I got my supplies together:
- Plastic baggie
- "Screwdriver" (aka an old knife because I couldn't find ours)
- Sandpaper
- 3 cans white primer spraypaint
- 4 cans semi-gloss white spraypaint

For the first step of the rehab, I removed the seat covers with my "screwdriver."

Then I placed all the parts into my plastic baggie for safekeeping.

Next, I sanded the heck out of the chairs to get their old finish off.

After that, I primed...

...and primed.

Then, you guessed it, I painted, painted...

...painted

and then went back to spray paint some more!

Part II in two weeks when I recover the old vinyl with some hip, but "vintage-y" new fabric from eBay. What do you think? Fabric Suggestions? Leave your comments below!

Brown and White

Nothing gets me ready for fall like the rich earth tone and cozy sweaters.  That is exactly what this bride was thinking when she chose rich chocolate inner envelopes for her October wedding.  With creamy white calligraphy, these invitations were presented beautifully.

Close up of the style, crafted to coordinate with the invitation typeface.

This project held special significance.  Of the 150+ invitations, the most important one was being delivered to an APO overseas, for the bride's father who spent her engagement serving in Afghanistan.  He arrived home safely just before the big day.

Baby Shower Invites

When Bryanna found out that her second was a boy, her family decided to throw her a shower sprinkle!  A sprinkle is a great way to celebrate the second child, especially when your house if full of pink tutus, purple ribbons and lots of flower power from a little girl.  A little bit of blue goes a long way for a newborn!  Here is the sprinkle invitation:

Note: The hole in the top of the invite is going to be adorned with an adorable blue ribbon bow...I never said Bryanna had to give up ribbons entirely! 

Carly and Bobby Won!

Thank you for everyone who voted for Carly and Bobby.  They won the photo shoot by the fabulous Shay Cochrane with over 7,000 votes.   We cannot wait to feature the no doubt beautiful pictures once they have their photo shoot.

Red Letter Words

Words can be truly beautiful.  As a calligrapher, it is no surprise that I am drawn to artfully displayed typography.  However, when I stumbled upon Red Letter Words, I was blown away by the beauty of simplicity.  Check it out:

These would make great gifts for any occasion; weddings, a housewarming gift, anniversaries, or even Christmas, which is just around the corner!

{Found via Nesting Place}

Dora Birthday Invitations

Check out these a-DORA-ble {cheesy, but I couldn't resist} invitations I just made for a 2nd birthday.   I especially love how the embossed 2 tuned out so well on the envelope and the purple stars coordinate to pull it all together.

p.s. If you have a moment, pop over to Shay Cochrane Photography to vote for Carly and Bobby!

Shay Cochrane Photography

Shay is hosting an incredible giveaway:  Fall into Love, a free couple's session with the one and only, Shay Cochrane. 

Although it is too late to enter, you can still vote for the winner. Over here at Calligraphy by Shannon, we are voting for Carly and Bobby and hope you will too!

Click here to vote!