Some beautiful work by London-based designer, Joe Stephenson. The system was designed to promote and highlight the abundant “flavors” of the Fedrigoni specialty paper showroom. With Gelato as the teaser, guests could enjoy a cool treat while collecting paper samples and getting familiar with the showroom.

I love the simplicity of the work and the playful connection between the gelato flavors and the delicious paper colors. Yumm indeed!

Hello Twig & Thistle readers! I am SO excited to be guest blogging this week! It is truly an honor to be here. Thank you to Kathleen for this opportunity to share (what I hope will be!) some interesting and inspirational projects. I will try hard not to disappoint!

The first project I wanted to share is Part I of a birthday party I recently designed. My niece turned the 1 this past July 4th, and I was lucky enough to design everything for the big day! She LOVES animals, so I thought it would be fun to create a circus theme for the party.

I printed the invites myself, saving a little bit of money by printing part of the invite (the blue) on my home inkjet printer and then letterpressing over the top (the purple). It was bit tricky lining everything up, but it all came together perfectly! I paired the invite with a simple purple envelope which I lined with coordinating striped paper.

Along with the invites I created decorations, party favors and even party hats! Be sure to check back tomorrow; I’ll be sharing more photos and even one of the birthday girl!

Speaking of sweet, how delightful is this bussiness card and web design for the Short & Sweet Co.?! Short & Sweet is a specialty pastry company in Toronto, with a focus on “small (short) 2-3 bite pastries (sweet)”. Sporting the complete menu on the inside of the folded business card; I’d say it’s a pretty charming and useful piece.

Designed and photographed by Trish Papadakos. Via ffffound

Well I hope you all had a beautiful and relaxing weekend! We finally had two sunny days here in Seattle and it actually felt like Spring! I tried to soak up every drop of sun that for safe keeping when the clouds return. Sadly, that’s been the trend aroud here lately, but I’m feeling optimistic for the coming weeks.

So speaking of rain, I think I found a fun project to do when it returns. These amazing fabric posters were created by Gergana Plummer, a designer based out of London. Gergana used old type specimen books and an x-acto knife to cut out the letterforms then traced them onto the canvas with a pencil. Once traced, each letter was embroidered by hand with a needle and thread. Beautifully simple and analog in the execution, makes one appreciate the craft of design and beauty of type. Well done Gergana!

Heidi Chisholm of Extra Fancy continues to amaze me with her versatility. Her work is both original and breathtaking. Take this annual report for example. Designed for Investec, an investment company, and created to show how one’s money will grow with their help. Notice the flocked cover along with the delicate use of color within the illustrations. The beautiful embellishments highlight the exquisite qualities of the printed bill and the craft behind it. Also the use of the fold out cover to reveal the companies story is pure perfection! Well done Heidi and thank so much for letting me share!

I am completely enamored with the identity and design of Easy Bistro  & Bar, a French and New Orleans restaurant in Chattanooga Tennessee. The project was a collaboration between Widgets & Stone and Maycreate Idea Group and the result is simply spectacular. The translation of the graphic elements to the environment is just impeccably executed and solidifies the impact of the brand.

Images by Jason Connel via ffffound

A few weeks ago, I shared these beautiful baby shower invites that my friend Tara Lee designed and letterpressed and today I get to share some of the details from the event. Tara did an amazing job of coordintaing all the pices and creating a stunning environment. Pale yellow tulips along with custom posters with elements from the invitation were displayed throughout which were later given to the mom-to-be to decorate the babies room.

To test their knowledge, each guest got a nursery rhyme quiz where they had to fill-in-the-blank to complete the line of the song. The nursery rhyme game was adorned with a yellow pencil and attached with glue dots. The other game was simply guess the mom’s baby belly size. Each guest received a small bag with ribbon which they cut to the size they thought would fit around her belly bump. And to take home, each person received a sweet bag of cookies embellished with a blue ribbon. All totally and perfectly coordinated with all the other details!

Congratulations to Tara for a job well done and to Lindsey, the mom-to-be, for the little guy on the way!

If you follow me on twitter you may have already seen a sneak peek of this but in case you missed it here are a few more images. This illustrated invitation was inspired by all things baby. My friend Tara Lee designed this adorable little note and I had the pleasure of helping her letterpress them.

We used the large Heidelberg letterpress at my office to print these and I think they turned out beautifully. The details held up really well and the impression is impeccable. Tara used the Eames painting vellum 120lb. cover in white and coordinating teal envelopes from Paper Zone.

Knowing Tara like I do, the shower will be equally as amazing and I can hardly wait to see what she comes up with! If you’d like to get in touch with Tara regarding freelance and/or custom work feel free to contact her through email at hello.tara.lee[@]gmail.com. Thanks so much for letting me share Tara!

More pics after the break!

I love coming across a package design that compels me to look it up and read about every detail. Maybe it’s just the nerdy designer in me but when a brand draws me in like that I get giddy. Lily’s Kitchen evokes such a friendly feeling while picking up on the playful characteristics of pups. Why be so serious when dogs themselves are such joyful creatures?

This brilliant work was created by the talented team at Albion in London. Besides being completely adorable, the brand is definitely worth barking about. Made in small batches and comprised of only whole, natural and organic ingredients; it’s a product any dog owner would be proud to serve their little loved one. Now if only I could get it in the states…

Not sure what is about us designers and our infatuation with Pantone. You can pretty much take anything, slap a Pantone swatch on it and I’m hooked! Bait, line and sinker; I’ll take it all! The latest is this concept for Pantone paints on spotted on Lovely Package the other day and I felt compelled to round up some of my other Pantone branded favorites. What’s not to love; simple, colorful and plenty of white space!

1. Pantone Matryoshka Dolls by Yar Rassadin 2. Pantone Paint by Samy Halim 3. Pantone Cosmetics Concept by Renata Veiga via Lovely Package 4. Panettone by Purpose via Lovely Package 5. Pantone Mug from Exit 6. Pantone Chips on Canvas by AppleBlueSeaGreen

One of the things I love about falling down the rabbit hole that is ffffound is that you never know where you’ll come out. Case in point, today I discovered Duet Letterpress; a husband and wife team who’s work is A-MA-ZING! These examples are a few of my faves. Also make sure to check out their blog and Etsy store, they’re both worth the visit!

I got the sweetest email from Susan of Silverbox Creative and had a chance to check out some of their work. I just loved scrolling through their blog archives and seeing all the beautiful things they’ve done and then I came across this adorable invitation for an adult summer party celebrating Shark Week. It’s so refreshing to see a whimsical party invitation for grown ups don’t you think? And Susan tells me that they aptly served bloody mary’s as well; hysterical!

Thanks to Susan for letting me share these invites with all of you and happy Friday to everyone! I’m taking a photography class from Nicole Hill of A Little Sussy this weekend and I’m giddy with anticipation! I’ll see you all back here on Monday. xox

Images: Silverbox Creative and Martha Stewart

I know it’s a bit early for all these Valentine’s Day posts but I can’t resist! I had so much fun creating this new bag for all of you that I just couldn’t wait to share! Plus, I wanted you to be able to have time to get bags, print, make goodies and fill with time to spare.

Inspired by all things sweet and love related, I created this little pattern and printed onto the bag directly from my Ink Jet printer. If you don’t have an Ink Jet or if your printer doesn’t allow you to print odd formats, you could always print the label onto sticker paper (found at office supply stores) and post apply it to the bag. Fill with cookies, muffins, a handmade card, or whatever it is that your special someone will enjoy. Download the file here and enjoy! xoxo

Perfect for projects like these or for other crafts and gifts the White and craft paper bags are available through my Etsy shop here in bundles of 25.

Jasmine Wright of KURO, a design agency in California, was kind enough to send me a link to some of their recent work. I’m beyond thrilled that she shared this project with me and I’m sure you’ll all feel the same.

This visual idenity and collateral was created for a “new, very chic, very luxurious, cowboy themed” bed & breakfast called A Cowboy’s Dream. The details, oh my! I love that each peice is so uniquly different and yet the system hangs together seamlessly. I adore the added touches of design in the most unexpected places like the bottom of the cast iron pan or the wax seal on the shampoo and conditioner. As I always say, it’s all about the details…

And don’t get me started on their stationary! The letterpressed letterhead and bussiness cards are exquisite! Even their tag-ling is charming! Check out the rest of the goodies here on Behance.

*REMINDER! Today is the last day to enter the New Year / Blogversary Giveaway! I’ll be picking a winner this weekend and announcing it Monday, don’t miss out!

I’m taking a quick break from holiday posts this morning to share a little bit of sweetness with all of you. This is by far one of the most amazing and romantic proposals I’ve ever seen. Not to mention just plain cool. Australian illustrator, Guy Shield, drew this beautiful structure which appeared to be a series of random illustrations but when folded the message appeared. Not only is Guy fantastically clever but I just love his work and the color choices. Guy shares his process and the turn of events on his own blog, Turn Olympus to Atlantis. His story had me all choked up like you wouldn’t believe!

Via: Drawn! – Thanks Joseph for the tip!

If letterpress were a drug I would be such a junkie! I never get tired of looking at it and I daydream about what each piece looks like in person. I imagine the texture of the paper, how deep the impression and the use of color. I could go on… but I don’t want to scare you. This latest project pressed by the brilliant letterpress shop Studio on Fire makes for the perfect “fix” if you will.

This one color wedding invitation was designed by the groom, Osamu, for his wedding in Japan this December. Something about the use of gold is just breathtaking to me and I adore those charming silhouettes. I admire their non-tradition format as well and each piece in the suite is so well thought out. Check out Beast Pieces, the design and letterpress blog of Studio on Fire for more pictures and all the letterpress goodness to give any fanatic the shakes

Aren’t these just the cutest placemats ever?! I knew the first time I saw them that I needed to find an excuse to use them. These pop-up placemats come with 4 characters per set and coordinating reposition-able vinyl stickers so little ones will spend more time playing with their mat than their food! Each one includes an activity area on the back as well. Choose from Hello Robot, Hello Me, Hello Jungle or maybe all three!

There’s nothing I love more than seeing good design for all ages. I was thrilled to find out that Hello Hanna is a company co-owned by Anne Schultz and Jina Choi. Both are mothers and designers with a strong focus in early childhood development. I recently discovered that Anne used to work for the company that I am at now so it was fun to chat and compare notes. I’m so excited to see what these two come up with in the future and wish them both continued success. To learn more about this great team and to purchase your own set of mats be sure to check out Hello Hanna.

I’m still blushing from my mention in Bride & Bloom magazine this month, so you can only imagine my glee to recieve the latest issue of Memory Makers Magazine to find a whole page dedicated to the guest room gifts that I made for our wedding! It’s such an honor to to be included in this edition of DIY wedding projects. Thanks again to Abby of Style Me Pretty for listing my project as one of her favorites and providing this oppertunity. Pick up your copy of Memory Makers Magazine today, it’s chock full of great wedding & craft projects!

Images by me

I was day-dreaming of a vintage candy shop when I created these. This set includes four different patterns so that you can mix-and-match or just choose your favorite. Fill them with sweet treats and they make the perfect favor! Be sure to visit Style Me Pretty for the full post and to download the templates!

For some other exciting news, Abby is featured in this months edition of Bride & Bloom. The article is a behinds the scenes look at Abby’s life as a professional blogger. Being the huge fan that I am, I just had to have a copy of my own. I picked it up over the weekend and to my surprise I discovered that Twig & Thistle received a little shout-out as well!!!! At the end of the article is a section of Abby’s top 5 favorite things for weddings right now and she lists the DIY projects and favor boxes that I’m creating for her!

I’m completly honored to be included in her favorites list. A BIG thank you to Abby for the mention and congrats on her continued success! Be sure to pick up a copy of Bride & Bloom for yourself, it’s a stunning magazine and the article is fantastic.

Everything about this new identity for Photographer Lisa Lefkowitz is stunning! I stumbled on this update via my daily visit to Hello! Lucky the other day. I’m loving the pale teal and gold color combination. This exquisite identity, collateral system and site design were done by Melanie of Collective Lines. In a word: lovely!