Wedding Stationery Wonders // Zed and Bee

Today I am proud to showcase some talent from just down the road... the relatively new Sydney based duo Zed and Bee. I went to university with Billie and always knew she'd go on to make fantastic things. Kick-starting their lil company earlier this year, Billie and her sister Zoe, have already made a mountain of amazing invites for all kinds of events. Each and every one of them is so unique and they use such a variety of printing methods and materials that makes for much excitement each time they reveal a new one.

I sneakily distracted Zoe long enough to ask some questions about starting up the business and what they've come up against:


(Artists watercolour invitation)

Briefly, tell us how or why you started Zed and Bee?
When faced (happily) with my own marriage proposal and approaching wedding, although a designer, I felt I wanted to outsource my invitations due to timing. I was understandably inspired by the range of invitation design studios on offer overseas but couldn't find what I was after on home soil.
I ended up utilising a US based studio and collaborating with their designer on my joint project. I wondered why we weren't producing more inspiring bespoke invitations solutions here in Sydney and realised my dream of doing just that. My sister Billie, with over 10 years of experience in edgy design studios, was an obvious choice as my partner in crime. Her passion for all things paper and print related matched my own (as does our designer eye) and we have worked happily together ever since.


(Jewish papercut invitation in collaboration with madebyjulene)

What do you like most about designing wedding/special occasion stationery?
The variety of styles, stocks and print processes we get to incorporate by producing bespoke work for a rainbow of personalities. Zed & Bee also adore collaborating with local artists to create one of a kind pieces. We are currently doing just that with some beautiful invitations that will feature on our website in late November.


(Mary Antoinette themed French letterpress invitations)

What are the most challenging aspects? 
The time consuming task of costing bespoke jobs has proved to be challenging. This is part of the reason we will be releasing a 2011 Collection later this year of ten brand new invitation designs that can be costed and ordered online. This collection will be aimed at our more budget conscious brides. We will of course continue to produce bespoke jobs, it is our creative outlet and where we really let our imaginations run wild.


(Saul Bass inspired Engagement poster)

What has been the biggest thing you've learnt to date? 
To keep learning and evolving. The creation of each invitation teaches us something new. Whether it be a client/supplier relationship, new print process we wish to harness or embellishment we unearth there is something to take from the experience to aid us next time round. Recognising and acknowledging this is key.

Big thank you Zoe... Can't wait to see what comes next from Zed & Bee!
Check back in at the Zed & Bee blog to see more invites unfold over the next little while... and join the mailing list to hear about their 2011 stationery collection... tres exciting!


(Engagement poster)


(storyboard for a 'Modern Vintage' wedding)


(storyboard for a Bali wedding)

Wedding Stationery Wonders // Hammerpress

For the first of this weeks wedding stationers, I'm really excited to be showcasing some of Hammerpress' damn fine looking letterpress invitations all the way from Missouri, US.

One of my favorite stationers of all time, Hammerpress, has just revamped the wedding section to their website and the work is so original and so stunning! A very passionate Matt, was lovely enough to answer a few of my questions:

What do you enjoy most about designing wedding stationery?
Aside from getting to create new and beautiful things on a regular basis, our favorite thing about designing for couples is when we get to hear how well the invitations were received by their guests. The best is when nobody mails the rsvp card back, they just call to let the couple know they'll be attending and that they're keeping the card because they love it so much. That's the ultimate complement for us.



What are the most challenging aspects?
I think the most challenging part of what we do is working with limited budgets and tight schedules. We'd love to engage in the full depth of the design process with every couple and give them an absolutely unique work of art for their stationery as a result. But we wouldn't be able to do that for long and still feed our families (not to mention maintain some semblance of sanity).
Actually, its that very challenge that led us to create our Archive Collection. we feel really good now about being able to offer couples beautiful designs that have already been developed and are ready to be customized with their ink, paper and envelope preferences. its a perfect solution for people wanting creative letterpress wedding invitations but who are on a tighter budget and/or timeline.



Briefly, what is your design/printing process?
We specialize in letterpress printing which is basically a relief printmaking process where raised type and imagery is pressed into the paper. the result is a tactile printed object that people really seem to connect with and cherish. because of our extensive experience with letterpress, our creative process is tailor-made for it. We're able to avoid many of the common pitfalls that designers not familiar with the process fall into as well as exploit some of the inherent limitations of the process to come up with fresh and unexpected solutions....

When developing a custom design for a couple, we initially meet to discover their tastes and get a feel for their vision for the day. After we have a strong sense of what they're looking for, we get down to business sketching and usually end up presenting our 2 favorite directions for them to choose from. They choose and we revise based on their feedback. Its a good process and we've found regularly that our couples feedback during the revision part of the process makes the design even better and gives them real ownership of the end result.



Big thankyou Matt... see more gems on their website! 


[all images by Hammerpress]

A Wedding Stationery Week of Wonder

I am really excited this week to be showcasing some of the best wedding stationers there are about on each and every day. With real mail invitations being such a rarity in this day, wedding invites are one of the only real exciting paper joys that come in envelopes through the mailbox... and there are some mighty great ones. Please do check back later on today for the first of five shows of excellence!

{image of max & margeaux's wedding via Our Labor of Love}

Anthology Magazine // Promotion video

I may be a little slow to discover this but it's so brilliant I had to include it here. Its the new promotion video (involving the very talented Meg Ilasco) for Anthology magazine. It takes the stop motion movie wonder to a whole new level!



The magazine too is looking so gorgeous. While it's more about interiors than print design, it's so nice to see the crossover of disciplines into peoples living spaces... here are a few sneak peek pages from issue one:

Stella Magazine

This beautiful bi-annual magazine is fresh out of Denmark... it is all about talented ladies and looks a treat. I am in love with that curly heading font. Anyone know what it is? See more of the first issue here

Sydney International Animation Festival

I fell in love with these posters for the Sydney International Animation Festival when I saw them all around the city and was even more happy to discover there is an origami inspired animation (obviously in hindsight) to go with it. Some sneaky pics below but you can watch the whole thing here...

The identity and publications were designed by Sydney collaborative Scixors, a threesome of very talented young folk indeed. How great is that font for a start? If the animations in the festival are half as good as the collateral then I'm there!

Happy Friday photographs

Just two of the great images from this great Tumblr site (full of images set to pull your mouth corners upwards)

Book mobiles // The Shop House

These gorgeous book mobiles from The Shop House are such a beautiful idea and would be fantastic in a kiddywinks room (This one colour printed book is especially divine)

Print of the Day > Bonnie and Clyde

'Immersion En/Dive On' by Bonnie and Clyde
Seen (and for sale) at Design Supremo

Vintage Paper Goodies > Present & Correct

Present and Correct always has such a scrumptious collection of things. Am especially in love with these vintage feeling treats... internet shopping is a dangerous thing I tell you!

Vintage Index set, Desk stamps, Tag Notebooks, To/From arrow notecards (& then more tag notebooks for good luck!)

Pencil pushing

Over the past few weeks I have seen so many wonderful pencil themed bits and pieces. I don't know if it was my subconscious secretly looking for them all or if they are just following me? In any case I'm happy to have found them... what treasures!

Lead alphabet (artist unknown), Chef pencils by Paper Pasteries, Pencil fence by unknown (via fffound) Colour pencil earrings by Huiyitan, , Giant pencils by Jonna Pohjalainen

*UPDATE - the first three pencil sculptures are by Dalton Ghetti... they came to me via an email but i've just seen them on Design Sponge too

Hello Spring!

c_i_n_d_y

Raquel

Orsike

Trapac

Arnaud Tudoret