Wedding Tea Towels

Need a novel way to thank people for your wedding gifts? Why not give them a custom wedding tea towel. Not only can you thank them for the lovely gift, you can also remind them of the big day.

Ben & Karen from Original Wedding Tea Towels tell their story of how the idea came to life. 

"In December 2009 Ben and Karen got married. Ben's a designer so was under huge pressure to come up with a cool idea for the invitation. After about 20 failed attempts they finally hit on the idea of doing something people could keep, (after all, why spend all that money on something that people are only going to throw away), so perhaps, oddly, they decided on doing a tea towel.

Eventually, they created the original Whale design and got it to print, then we came to the day of sending them out. Waiting for people's responses was quite terrifying, we were worried it was going to be met with a blanket 'WHY?', but really, it couldn't have been further from the truth. People seemed genuinely blown away by them and the feedback was totally amazing.

Anyway, they got married and when the dust had settled they both thought maybe the idea was good enough to make a little business out of, so that's exactly what they did. They've taken orders all over the UK and sent out loads of samples, OK, they're not the next Microsoft, but as a cottage industry it ticks over nicely."

Whilst you can use the tea towels for the main invitations, I think a lot of people prefer to put their invites up on the fridge or the mantle piece, reminding them of the date. The commemorative thank you tea towels work much better for me, but each to their own!


For information on pricing and designs visit their site here

Sarah Watson Envelopes

When writing your wedding invites, you'll no doubt want to get through the list as quickly as possible. Most of us faced with this task, would try to think which of our friends or family has the best handwriting and who we could rope into helping put their calligraphic skills into action. Remember the christmas card from Aunty June and how she curls her g's? Let's hope she has a day or two spare and is willing to embark on the task of writing over 100 cards and addresses for her distant niece!

Whilst not all of us are natural artists and many have borderline illegible handwriting (only you need to read it most of the time), there are some out there who just have the gift. Enter Sarah Watson, Brazil based designer with a specialty for hand lettering.

Her varied style of hand lettering would really stand out in your regular pile of morning mail. Whilst we may not have the cash to splash on commissioning a personal calligrapher to address all of our invites, why not take a pop at it yourself? Just make sure the postman can read it!

See more of Sarah's work at sarahwatsonillustration.com

Vintage Hair Ornaments

There are some beautiful hair ornaments out there, in chic vintage styles, adding Silver Screen glamour to any bride. Etsy have a lot of great ideas, like the one above. Small or large, front or back, there'll be the perfect one for you and your wedding style. If you managed to snag a genuine vintage adornment, then it could even be your 'something old!' Shop for rhinestone hair ornaments on Etsy here

Sundries and Plunder

Whilst browsing on Etsy, I have come across some wonderful handmade leather masks by Sundries and Plunder, two sisters from the United States. Their work is steeped in theatre and fantasy, with raccoons, giraffes and birds of abundant variety being depicted in their high quality masks. These would be great to hang on the wall and use for fancy dress, when the occasion calls for it. They say, "Between being raised by creative parents, and the need to stay entertained during the Pacific Northwest's long rainy season, it was probably inevitable that we would become two insatiable crafters. Being that we are two women who are constantly trying to find new ways to keep our fingers busy, our crafts change and grow frequently. And, since the older of us was born with the shopping gene, don't be surprised if the occasional vintage treasure turns up after one of her thrift shop expeditions.

Visit their Etsy store here

Colours of India

As it's Sunday and the house has been cleaned, the dinner has been made and the cupcakes have been iced, my mind has wandered to travelling. Where next? I recently went on an adventure to Sri Lanka, which was a fabulous experience. My photos of the South West of Sri Lanka can be seen on my flickr feed. That brings us North to India. I stumbled across some stunning photography on the National Geographic website, of India with it's delicious colours vibrantly jumping out. I have copied the captions below for context.

"Women in bright saris crowd together as they walk in a bridal procession in Mandawa, Rajasthan. Rajasthan is the largest state in India—a land of extremes—encompassing steamy forests, dry plains, and the snowy Himalaya."

"Decorated elephants carry tourists past the Jaigarh and Amber Forts in Jaipur, Rajasthan, constructed beginning in the 15th century. The marble-and-sandstone Amber Fort has intricate carvings; the immense Jaigarh Fort once served as a center of artillery production."

"To honor the dead, lanterns are hung from poles stuck into the banks of the Ganges during Akash Deep Puja, the sky lantern festival."

"The hands of a woman in Jaipur are covered with mehndi patterns painted with henna. Trendy in recent years, the lacework decorations are part of a 5,000-year-old tradition of creating designs to ward off evil or declare one’s happiness."

View more at National Geographic

Salinas Lasheras Identity

I love this identity by Face, based in San Pedro, Mexico. The team have created a stunning mark, which also tessellates as a background image. It's sleek and simple, but has a lot of impact. Salinas Lasheras describe themselves as neo architects, which seems to be a rather archaic term to describe the company's ultra modern buildings.

I'm still trying to work out the relevance of the bee. At first sight, this identity lends itself to a high-end honey product, an already flooded market at the moment. However, maybe it has more of a reference to the idea of the hive and how bees create their environments diligently, using strong structural elements. Yeah... that sounds good. Either way, nice forms and sharp colours. Big thumbs up Face.
www.salinaslasheras.com

Computer for sale

My computer is for sale for any budding designers out there. Or just people who appreciate a well designed piece of technology! Ok, so it's a bit retro now. But it adds style to any room or office. It has had one careful female owner! Although used, it has been lovingly looked after and cared for and still comes in its box. There is an original wireless keyboard, but unfortunately, not the original mouse. It comes without the mouse, unless you would like me to include a replacement wired mouse at no extra cost. Please let me know upon purchase.

I have restored the factory settings so it is already to go when you get it. The screen has a matt finish but is bright and shows up colours very well. Would make a lovely home computer and easy to use for children as well. I will be sad to see it go, but unfortunately there is nowhere for it to go in my new home.

Bid for it on Ebay now!

NatGeo Photography

Yet again, more fabulous images resulting from the National Geographic contests. They capture the energy and immediacy of the scenes with wonderful colour and clarity. From the subtlety of the droplet of water from the fish in the first image, to the steam coming off the bear in the last, every inch of them is awe inspiring.

There are lots more images to be found on the National Geographic website which can lose you for hours.

Honey on the Money

I consistently come across great packaging solutions for the simplest of products. Honey in particular is something that has caught my eye many a time. Maybe it's the wonderful hues of the product itself that lends itself to strong graphic treatment, but I find myself spoiled for choice when browsing the shelves for honey.

The Sheffield Honey Company “is an artisan producer of premium quality local English honey and beeswax products”. Design and illustration company, DED Associates have created an unusual brandmark for the Sheffield Honey Company using abstracted forms of a drip of honey and a hexagonal honeycomb shape. The result is a utilitarian boutique style which certainly works for me.




“Nude Bee Honey Co.® was launched in 2010 by entrepreneurs Edward Okun and Jared Cantor with the aim of delivering the most delicious raw honeys produced by independent beekeepers.

Working with independent beekeepers to deliver varietal honeys means a constantly evolving product line. Different types of honey come in and out of stock based on their limited supply, which means all of the honeys we carry at any given time are limited edition.

Produced throughout Ontario Canada, packaged in Guelph and distributed from our small but efficient warehouse in Kensington Market – Toronto, Nude Bee Honey Co.® is changing the way people love honey.”



This honeycomb inspired packaging by Australian based agency, Pidgeon is simplistic and lovely. “Heide Museum of Modern Art produces and sells its own honey. The packaging and point-of-sale poster are both based on the Hex typeface developed by David Pidgeon.”

Green Wedding

I may be a little bit fascinated with beautifully designed and thought out weddings. Ok, maybe a lot a bit. But who could blame me with little emeralds like this. Alyson & Levi's wedding is perfectly styled, claiming inspiration from mother nature and all things daintily rustic. The overall effect is an effortless and wholesome event as you can see from the pictures. The bride, Alyson, who I believe was creatively directing the wedding creates a lush, green feeling, full of unique little botanical curiosities. The canoe (above) in yellow, adds a wonderful burst of colour in a green and linen haven.

One of my favourite things about this wedding are the details. Everything from the postage stamps on the invitations to the cocktail sticks in the bread have been considered and fastidiously coordinated. And the details make all the difference.






I'm sure they had a wonderful and memorable day and have given me plenty of design inspiration in the meantime. Thank you Alyson and Levi!