This Year's Love

I truly get inspired to write blog posts when I have stuff to be doing! (Same thing happens when I clean my studio and condo-always something else I should be doing!) I designed and then we sent out the Save the Date cards for Sarah and Ryan's wedding a week ago. Five months before–not too bad. And now it's time to design the wedding invites! But before I do that, I just wanted to devote a little time to acknowledge this darling STDs (save the dates-yes i know what that commonly refers to) that they asked me to do.

Sarah and Ryan are rare clients. I had total artistic liberties again! One would think that this would make this an easy project because of that. Well I take it all back! I appreciate a little guidance every now and then. Sarah said she wanted a magnet and that they needed to go out soon. So I went with that!

The inspiration for this project came from their modern color scheme of charcoal gray and yellow – Thanks to wedding planners Jenny & Annie from Royal Peach Weddings & Events. I wanted to take a different and unique approach to the magnet STD because I personally think they have "been done." So I incorporated the card that the magnets were mounted on by having a cute poem on it: "ryan bought the ring. sarah said yes. there's going to be a wedding. we hope you'll be our guest."

My personal favorite touch is the instructions on the back. I was worried that someone wouldn't recognize that they were magnets, so I included instructions on the back: "instructions: remove magnet from card. place on fridge. wait for invite."

So now to get to business and design those wedding invites!

I am so excited to be designing invites for my cousin Matt and his fabulous fiancé Erin! The event is going to be super special because the actual wedding will be celebrated in Minnesota, not Aurora (where Matt grew up) or anywhere close actually. So this is a chance for all of Matt and his parents’ Colorado friends and family to be a part of this great union.

I love it when I get awesome clients. And Matt, Erin and Peggy (the groom’s mother) are ideal clients. What makes awesome clients you ask? One that give the artist “artist liberties.” They actually told me to pick my favorite from the designs that they couldn’t choose. (insert gasp here)

The party will be in the beginning of autumn so that’s where my inspiration came from – the leaves and the colors of orange, brown and deep purple. The attractive duo were easy to place in my design. And nothing makes or breaks (in my opinion) a design like an envelope. I found these “Deep ‘V’ Flap” envelopes at my local paper store! What a find!?

Maybe they’ll let me do their actual wedding invitations…. (hint hint wink wink)

Side note: Matt has a very clever and funny and super entertaining blog himself! Check him out at http://web.mac.com/mattkuhn

Now to bill clients. Wah waahh. I hate billing people. Sometimes I actually feel guilty for charging people for doing the coolest job ever!

Hello World: It’s me, Margaret. I mean Ann Marie.

I’ve been inspired. And the problem with inspiration for designers and artists as a whole is that it can be fleeting. So I’ve learned to hold tight and run with it right then. So what have I been inspired by and what will it inspire me to do? Blogs. I love them. Cut me some slack, I realize I’m way behind on that trend. My computer time is spent designing and my goof off time is spent on facebook. Guilty as charged. However, as of late, I have been sucked into the world on blogs. I love discovering a blog I love and seeing who they love and on and on.

I’m going to blog about my work as a designer at an elevation of 5,280 from my weathered and worn antique desk and a view of the beautiful city of Denver and its Rocky Mountains. Is it proper blogging etiquette to state how often you intend to blog? Perhaps not. My hope and dreams for my blog are to inspire and be inspired. To force me to think creatively as often as possible. So that’s all for now! My blogging habits are keeping me from designing! Stay tuned…

And for now, feast your eyes on my design site www.annmariejohnson.com