I love lamp

I love being crafty (as you may know) and I especially love being crafty with my good friend --the fabulous- Molly Kennedy from Good Golly Photography. We each had a unique tin (mine a vintage tea tin and her's a vintage lard tin), so we decided to make lamps. And, with the help of her hubbs, Corey (who is an electrician) we were able to have a long overdue crafternoon. 

Tea / Lard Tins, before

I bought a lamp kit from Lowe's (for, like, $12) 

and Cory was able to show us step-by-step how to to assemble everything (yeah, now I have that song in my head, too). 

Corey was an excellent instructor. I took notes and I feel confident that I could assemble a lamp on my own with adult supervision (silver = neutral, brass = hot, right? right?!?) but I'm going direct you over to the wikiHow page for the actual step-by-step. 

When it was all done (like, 20 minutes later - it really is a simple process!) Molly and I were both THRILLED with our lamps! Seriously, it's like my new thing - I want to turn everything into a lamp now. 

Our gorgeous lamps! Mine is on the left and Molly's is on the right. 

Thanks so much for all of your help, Corey! Can't wait for our next crafting adventure (craftventure? nah... that was terrible...) 

Real Weddings: Savannah and Philip

One of the hardest things about designing anything custom is the fact that you are designing for other people. It's not about what you want or what you like, it's all about them (especially when it comes to brides!) However, when it comes to custom designs, the most rewarding feeling comes when you really nail it; when both you and the client know that you have really knocked something out of the park and the design is absolutely perfect for them. That's the feeling I got when I showed Savannah and Philip their wedding invitation design. 

Philip and Savannah got married in Miramar Beach (that's 30A for those who are savvy) and a laid back beach wedding fits their personalities perfectly. They wanted their invitations to be nice, but not too stuffy or formal and I think we captured the "casual elegance" quite nicely. We decided that a reply postcard fit the style (and budget!) and the aqua tied in the wedding colors without being too girly. 

Now onto the good stuff - the pictures!

the happy couple

Gah - get a room!

love this shot!

each of the bridesmaids got to pick their own dress - love that look!

Congrats Philip and Savannah! I would wish you all the luck in the world, but you don't need it! 

Photos by Wicked Clicks Photography

New! Custom Wedding Maps!

This beautiful, custom map is the perfect addition to your wedding suite. This illustration can serve as a helpful guide for your guests by highlighting local attractions and wedding details, or just as a memorable keepsake for you and your loved one to cherish for years to come. Design can also be fashioned as a Save the Date, Wedding Invitation, or any other crazy idea you may have!

Also available in black and white for letterpress!

For more info or to order, please visit my Etsy Shop!

Happy Friday!

Fab Wedding Gifts!

Well, if you are like me, then you have a couple of weddings to attend this Summer/Fall. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining - but sometimes I DO get overwhelmed with all that goes with the wedding: what to wear (the shoes! the hair!) and what to buy as a gift (boring snoring registry gifts - I mean, I don't want to buy you 2 towels!) 

Well, JPress Designs to the rescue! 

I have quite a few little gems in my arsenal that make great wedding gifts!

Personalized Stationery

You know the bride and groom will have a ton of thank you notes to write, so why not help them out with some super cool, personalized stationery! And, as it so happens, I am running a special now: 24 pieces of personalized stationery for $36. You get to choose the design, color, etc. Contact me (Susan) for more details!

Floral Ampersand Print

Commemorate the date the happy couple's union with this personalized Floral Ampersand print! You get to select up to four colors! 11x14 print only $30! Click here for more information!

House (or Apartment) Portraits

What better way to honor the new couple's abode that with an original illustration!

Perfect for the couple who has everything (or maybe just a lot of blank wall space!)

Starting at $100 and can be customized with their precious pup (or kitty!) Click here for more details! 

Let JPress Designs help you select the perfect wedding gift for that perfect couple in your life!

Real Weddings: Katie & Rob

Last year I had a client contact me through my Etsy Shop and order some State Pride Save the Dates. Katie was a super friendly gal and the order went smoothly. 

State Pride Save the Date

Love her color palette of sage and clementine!

A couple of months later she contacted me regarding her wedding invitations. She said she had something specific in mind that she could not find and she asked me if I would be interested in designing a custom invitation. I LOVE custom work (le duh) so I jumped right on board. 

The happy couple went to UVA, so they wanted to incorporate the swords of the school logo with their shared initial of "S" (instead of the "V") while also using their palette of sage and clementine.

We added a color envelope for a little extra flair.

 Katie and Rob were married on September 22, 2013 at Castle Hill Cider in Keswick, Virginia: the gorgeous historic home of General Thomas Walker (guardian and mentor of Thomas Jefferson). With long, rolling hills a two acre lake and apple orchards on the property it is an absolutely gorgeous site for a wedding!

Congratulations, Katie and Rob! Your wedding looks absolutely amazing and I am so glad I had the chance to work with you! 

Venue: Castle Hill Cider
Catering: C&O Restaurant
Florist: Hedge Fine Blooms
Photography: Holland Photo Arts
Ceremony musician: Virginia Schweninger
Band: The John Winntett
Make-up: Tonia Borchardt
Hair: Dusanka Rusic-Bajs
Gown: J. Crew
Lighting: M&S Events