:: CUSTOM CREATIONS ::

The Creative Sparklers are excited to announce the start of our "INSIGHT" blog series - straight from the Spark design team - yours truly, Andrea & Alyssa. We look forward to providing you design specific advice, tips, and knowledge. We welcome your suggestions for future topics {spark@letterpresslove.com}. Consider this a "How To" type of feature and let us know what you think!

So, to kick off this great new "design-focused" blog series, we can't think of any better first topic than Spark's specialty: Custom Design! But, wait! There's a twist. As many of you may know, we offer our brides the option of custom design without all the extra cost. So, here it is, straight from the sparkler's mouth - How to get a Spark custom design without the custom cost...

Uniquely, Spark provides our retailers with a lovely binder that we refer to as our Design Book. I consider this a custom-kind of Bride's dream! If you like options, you'll like Spark. It is full of monogram, pattern, and artwork options - some from our Wedding Suites and others that are just popular. It's pretty simple, really, in order to avoid custom design fees - just pick out your artwork or style from those featured in our Design Book and let us know your ideas on how you envision them being incorporated into your wedding suite design.

STEP 1 :: Look through our Wedding & Stationery Albums to see if there are styles or layouts that could work for you. Here you can see examples of how all the pieces will work together, what colors combos will look like.. etc. And if you still don't see anything that is just right....

STEP 2 :: Spend some quality time with our Design Book! Select the artwork elements you'd like featured in your design. Be sure to consider how these elements will work together and even sketch out your layout ideas. A good idea is to look at our other Wedding designs and visualize swapping elements out for the ones you are selecting. If you find a layout you really like, please reference it on your order form.

STEP 3 :: Select your fonts from the Design Book - be sure to select fonts that compliment your design well and help to appropriately portray your event. Your retail store consultants can help you out and also remember that our designers here love working with fonts - I say a font choice can make or break a design - so we would love to help you out if you are just not quite sure. We are happy to provide you with an alternate option or two so that you can see the difference.

STEP 4 :: Cue the "ooh's and ahh's" - and check out our awesome variety of ink and paper color swatches! Located near the back of the Design Book, all of the standard inks are shown printed here on our bright white, soft white and cream stock for your comparison. Just behind that, there are paper swatches of all the standard colored papers we offer. Be sure to look in the Wedding Albums for a better idea of other fun combinations such as metallics on dark paper or what inks will look like on other colored papers! *LOVE ALERT* you should know that it's NO extra cost to use any of our colored papers - this can be a very chic way to get that extra pop of color in your suite if you do not want to add another ink!

STEP 5 :: Finishing touches - if you are planning on having one of our sweet pocketfolds to enclose your invitation and insert cards - be sure to look at the last pages of our Design Book for our string and eyelet options.

STEP 6 :: This is an important one here people... send us sketches or quick doodles of what you have in mind so we can make you happy!! That is our ultimate goal as designers after all, but of course, if you don't have anything specific in mind we will be able to provide you with some great options. "Keywords" about the vision for your event are always helpful. For example, tell us if your is event going to be: traditional - modern - clean lines - artistic - dripping with diamonds - full of feathers - fun - fabulous - or even based off of your great grandmother's handmade vase. If we know your inspirations, we can better help to get your custom idea across. Your invitation is going to be your guests' first sneak-peek to your special day - so make it count!

STEP 7 :: And perhaps the most vital - send us your wording! This saves time and we will be able to provide you with your first proof more quickly. We suggest comparing the amount of information you are providing us with in comparison to the layout style and design you have in mind. While the information is obviously the most important part of your invite - you should equally consider the design aesthetic.

Here is an example I've prepared for your viewing pleasure- all "custom," right our of our design book. Featuring the 'golden poppy' flower artwork, used as a pattern - shown in Spark 'cherry' ink on bright white paper. I also added a simple line border as well as our 'three dots' frame/border to give the edge that special touch. The monogram shown is the 'Williams' style - font is Gotham. You can see just how nicely these elements come together for a sweet, simple look and have great potential for the rest of the suite.

Well, there you have it! The choices are many - the possibilities are endless - just imagine the great results! If you have ideas that aren't in our Design Book, always have your retailer check with us and we'll see what we can create for you!

All the best - Andrea

ps- you'll see *LOVE ALERT* from us every now and again - just calling out what we think are great tips and our sweetest secrets :)

Coasters - for more than just the glass!

Coasters can be used as a part of the whole table set up at the reception. Not only can they accent the centerpieces, but can send messages to your guests. Here are some ideas of how to use coasters as one of the "day-of" pieces:

1. Quotes. Our albums showcase poems, lines from songs, etc. Don't forget classics like Dr. Seuss, Pride and Prejudice, or a vow (awww......)
2. Passage. Favorite religious reading or part of a book can be very meaningful
3. Thanks. If there wasn't room in the program, here is a great place to thank everyone for sharing the special day with the couple
4. Signature drink. Example would be the from the Amelie suite. Create a drink for the special occasion which people can then take home to try to recreate. Also during the reception people can read what they are drinking!
   
5. Menu. Save some money and put a simplified menu on the coaster!
   
6. Photo. Here is another way to showcase beautiful engagement pictures or a favorite picture from time together. Letterpress photos are a piece of art!
7. Monogram. Reuse the monogram created for the invites
8. Contest/game. Have a simple "names and date" on the top and on the bottom create a game for your guests to play!
9. Fun facts. Have two different coasters- fun facts about the groom and fun facts about the bride, your guests can get to know you even better!
   

More advice and ideas for coasters:

• Use two different colored papers- as long as the ink color is the same, no price difference!
• Have two different designs for the coasters, use them both on the tables.
  
• To lower costs just use rounded corners, free with all one ply papers!
• Or go all out and use a fun die-cut shape like a circle
  
• Think creatively! Anything can be designed and used as part of your big day!

Pricing:
A one color, one ply paper, circle, 100 quantity - $225
A one color, one ply paper, rounded square, 100 quantity - $160
A one color, two ply paper, circle, 100 quantity - $290
A one color, two ply paper, rounded square, 100 quantity - $225

Pictured: Amelie's signature drink coaster, Valerie and Jim's wedding picture coaster (for an AIGA event), Hollie's song quote coaster, and the always beautiful Natalya pattern coaster

Just email spark@letterpresslove.com for other quotes related to coasters or our other great "day-of" items!

Twitter Giveaway! Receive 10 Henry greeting cards!

Our first Twitter contest was a huge hit and thanks to everyone for participating! Well.....we hit 600 followers which means its time for another giveaway to show our appreciation.

Here's the scoop:

What: Twitter contest to win 10 Henry cards and envelopes.
When: Thursday August 26th
1-4 PM Central Time
Who: All our followers

Check out the Henry cards!

The winner will get to choose their choice of Henry cards and receive the matching envelopes.

Here are the rules:
1. Must post/retweet our CONTEST TWEET during the time allotted (1-4 pm Central time)
2. Must be a @letterpresslove follower
3. Smile....it just makes you a happier person!

Retailer Profile: Jenny's Paper, Ink

Jenny's Paper, Ink
Atlanta, GA

Owner: Jenny Adair
Length in business: 3 years

Why did you choose to carry the new Spark albums?: Custom letterpress, upgrades!
Favorite new Spark design: Arianna

Website: www.jennyspaperink.com

Other thoughts about the albums: They are generally more "out there" then my average clients, but I use the custom options to create a simpler pattern.
Average client: very traditional, they like simple patterns, lines, and colors.
Strengths as a retailer/store: Ability to help clients visualize invites, attention to detail in descriptions

Jenny's Paper is a passionate retailer who is super fun and easy to work with. Lately Jenny's specialty has been Mitzvahs and it was fun to create custom pieces for the event! Thanks Jenny! If you are in Atlanta, give her studio a tour!

Meet the Organized Sparkler- Joy Lussenden!!!

"Spark, This is Joy" is how some of you might know me at the moment. Well, Hi, I'm Joy the new "Organized Sparkler" at Spark! I will be the one trying my hardest to fill Diedre's shoes while she is in Germany. I started at Spark as a Marketing/Social Media intern September 2009. I worked throughout the year helping to get the 4 new albums out nationwide and help get a social media plan started. I loved the family atmosphere and the happy wedding vibes are intoxicating! So I think I got super lucky when they would need someone to handle the "business" end while Diedre was away.

I was born in Fargo, ND (not really like the movie, promise) and raised in Redwood Falls, Minnesota (population 5,000). I grew up doing gymnastics, dance (and dance team), theater, and singing. Theater girl at heart! I think it was great to grow up knowing almost everyone around you.

You can ask my family, but I have always been a big talker. So naturally I decided to become a Communications/Business major. When I was touring colleges, I fell head over heels for Augustana College, located right here in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I knew it was the right school for me. During my four years there I was involved in theater, choir, and Public Relations Student Society of America. I was lucky enough to also spend some time doing various internships which have given me great experience.

As you may or may not know, after graduating from Augustana (Go Vikes!), I was fortunate enough to get an internship in Norway. I spent 6 weeks learning a new culture, seeing mountains (remember I come from the prairie), touring fjords, meeting wonderful people, blogging, and helping a company with their social media. I started here 4 days after I got home (the jet lag was still going strong that first day).

My favorite thing about Spark is the team atmosphere - we all really like each other and work together to get the best product to you: done on time and always high quality. It is nice to walk over to the designers and see a piece they are working on, then go downstairs to see a piece on print, and another piece being put together in finishing.

My favorite design hasn't changed from day one. I LOVE MARGARET. So me. I don't have the design technical terms like my Creative Sparklers, but I just think Margaret fits my look and personality. I would totally use a bold blue or something when my day hopefully comes! I still like to brag about the Joy suite though....named after me. Yep, that's me.

Anyway, I look forward to learning more about letterpress, wedding planning, and all of our great retailers!

Meet Creative Sparkler- Andrea Snaza!!

The unique, tactile quality of letterpress is what really makes me weak in the knees. I've always adored letterpress but the actuality of working in a print shop was a mere aspiration. So lucky for me, the lovely ladies at Spark recognized my absolute passion for stationery and all things paper and took me on as a designer this past April. Spark is just the place for me- ask anyone who knows me well, weddings are my thing - paper makes me smile. There's nothing I enjoy more then the challenges of working with type, color and design to bring a couples' wedding day vision to life!

Art and design have always been a huge part of my life - even {unknowingly} at a young age. I was blessed with a creative mother who encouraged me to enter any and every art contest and my equally creative father, who has a knack for figuring out how to make just about anything. Luckily I also have a younger sister - and growing up, that makes for the perfect partner in crime when it came time and my willingness to create. And of course, growing up in a smaller town in South Dakota, I had endless opportunities to be creative and entertain myself- leading to my eventual decision to attend art school. So it was somewhere on my university journey to my Bachelors degree of Fine Art (with an emphasis in Graphic Design) that things just clicked. Friends were getting engaged, I was continually hung up on typography and couldn't stop staring at pretty paper products. I eventually started fine tuning my design skills and art studies focusing (read: obsessing) more on stationery design.

I love anything to do with paper and a celebration- so I am so thankful to hold this design position and finally alleviate the somewhat/slightly obsessive excitement I have for planning, parties, and stationery! I find inspiration all around me, but I would say my personal style tends to be bold, often pattern driven - focused on details and the type setting is always the (very necessary) icing on the cake! My Spark favs: Stephanie from the Stationery Love Album- it's bold, crisp, and looks fabulous letterpressed! I also think Ava from our Wedding Album is so sweet and I'm a sucker for blush- it makes the romantic in me quite happy, but it's also stunning in bold, chic color palettes...and that makes the designer in me really happy!

I feel so fortunate to be part of this unique company, especially in our location - it is an absolute joy for me. I love being surrounded by other people that I can gush to about how fun it is to work in this industry - without the risk of sounding like a total bragger! My backgrounds in retail, advertising, and the scrapbooking industry have provided me a rather vast pool of experience. My passion for business and customer service helps me to reach my personal daily goals of not only making the most of each day, but also striving to provide our brides with a unique and creative experience to develop her wedding day stationery. I truly enjoy designing one-of-a-kind designs - so luckily, custom work keeps us very busy here at Spark!

Lovely "meeting" you all!
xoxo- Andrea

Meet Creative Sparkler- Alyssa McDowell!!!!

My name is Alyssa McDowell, one of the new designers at Spark! I started at Spark as an intern September 2009 while finishing up school doing finishing work. Needless to say, I loved working here. Shortly after starting working, I quickly decided I wanted to work here. My first "big girl" job after graduating from design school. All that winter break I worked night and day on my portfolio to present to Valerie in hopes to become a "Creative Sparkler." So here I am, a few months later, working as a graphic designer, at a great letterpress shop that I love.

I grew up on a farm in southwest Minnesota. A big, smelly pig farm if you can believe it! So, for me, trying to catch pigs while standing in their poop, picking rocks, and "walking beans" (aka literally walking through rows of beans, one at a time, pulling out weeds) was nothing out of the ordinary. But of course, I absolutely hated it. Becoming a farmer- like what three (of six) siblings all aspired to be when we were little- was absolutely out of the question!

Art has always been a huge part of my life. I have always known I would grow up to do something creative. My college career started at Southwest Minnesota State University, majoring in Graphic Design of course. Then after three semesters there, I moved to Sioux Falls, SD. I moved away, to my mothers dismay, for a boy (who I eventually married in September 2009). After a few switches I received my Associates in Applied Science of Graphic Design from Southeast Technical Institute.

My favorite thing about Spark, besides the actual designing, is that I get to see everything from the very beginning to the very end. I can create something on the computer from written instructions and just walk downstairs two weeks later and hold the finished product in my hands. I am able to watch them being printed and put together. At most companies as a designer you will never get a chance to see the product actually printed. And me, absolutely loving textures (unless its apple sauce or oranges) I love the feeling of letterpress stationery. Soft cotton paper with deep impressions, I just love it!

For right now I would say my favorite design is Padma. But in bold, bright colors! You wouldn't believe how different the design looks from the light pink (like shown in the album) to a rich blue or purple. Gorgeous! I love art and I love to draw. The Padma suite was originally hand drawn- I think that is why I like it so much. It is so abstract and organic and free. Ahh....beautiful. Usually my favorite designs change from week to week, but we'll see!

Meet the Sparklers! Joy, Alyssa, and Andrea

Stay tuned next week to meet us! Just a reminder: twitter contest today! Check out @letterpresslove and our blog for more details!

South Dakota- facts for the shocked.

So many of you are shocked to find out we are located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. So I thought I would bring you some fun facts about the great state in which we Sparklers live.

Here are some fun facts about the great state of South Dakota:

• South Dakota is the home of the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota tribes which make up the Sioux Nation.
  
• Sculptor Gutzon Borglum began drilling into the 6,200-foot Mount Rushmore in 1927. It took 14 years and cost a mere $1 million. The faces are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
  
• The U.S.S. South Dakota was the most decorated battleship during WWII.
  
• Sturgis is the home of the annual Black Hills Classic Motorcycle Rally.
  
• Tom Brokaw of NBC graduated from Yankton High School and the University of South Dakota.
  
• The name "Black Hills" (where Mount Rushmore is) comes from the Lakota words Paha Sapa, which mean "hills that are black". Seen at a distance, the hills do appear black.
  
• Badlands National Park consists of nearly 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires blended with the largest, protected mixed grass prairie in the US.
  
• Deadwood was the site of a gold rush in 1875 and still has a mining town atmosphere. Much of its fame rests on the famous or infamous characters that passed through.
  
• One of the largest, most complete and best preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex was excavated near Faith, SD.
  
• At Palisades State park, beds of red pipestone and Sioux quartzite can be found. The minerals are 1.2 billion years old and the pipestone is considered sacred by American Indians.

Believe it or not: we DO have things like Starbucks, malls, art museums, airports, and we do watch the news. NO there are not tepees and buffalo everywhere, we don't wear bonnets like on Little House of the Prairie, and we do actually like where we live.

:)

Thanks to these pages for the great SD info!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Dakota
http://50States.com

Thanks for 500 followers! Twitter contest for free calling cards!

We recently discovered we have 500 people interested in what Valerie and the other Sparklers have to tweet about. We would like to thanks those for following us by having a little contest.

As we see the growth of social media continue to expand faster than we can understand it, we are trying to use these great tools to their full potential. Our year-end goal for 2010 (that is sooner then you think) is to increase our fans on facebook, twitter followers, and up the blog readership. I know, it's a lot, but we think it can be done. We know that by finding friends near and far through social media tools we can spread the letterpress love.

Now for the contest!

Friday the 13th someone will be lucky enough to receive 100 free one color letterpress calling cards (same specifics as our August/September deal). RT our Twitter about the contest between 11am and 1pm Central Standard time and you will be entered. Only one entry per person will be accepted! Then we will do that "pick one person from the hat game" and announce the winner that afternoon!

Rules

1. You must RT in the designated timeframe.
2. You must be an @letterpresslove follower.
3. Smile - it just makes you a happier person! :)

No worries if you miss this contest! We plan on having other giveaways until we reach our goal of 1000 followers, as well as other contests on our blog and facebook.

The winner may choose from any of our Spark calling card designs of the non-diecut variety in the following sizes: 3.5"x2" standard, 3.5"x1.5" skinny or 2.5" square on any of our standard 1-ply papers, printed in one color letterpress. We will customize the card design for you. By entering this contest you agree that we can photograph and post about the final card design (with private contact information obscured of course). If you have your heart set on a two color design, higher quantity, fancier paper or a diecut shape, we will let you pay the difference of the upgrade.

Thanks, Oh So Beautiful Paper!

Our friend Nole, the writer of Oh So Beautiful Paper, did a post on us today for her blog. Thanks Nole!

http://ohsobeautifulpaper.com/2010/08/wedding-invitations-spark-letterpress/

Retailer Profile: Envision Wedding Studio

Envision Wedding Studio
Sioux Falls, SD

Owner: Leah Moller
Length in business: 4 years

Why did you choose to carry the new Spark albums?: We love letterpress! And having Spark headquarters right down the street really adds a personal touch for our clients.
Favorite new Spark design: Stella

Social Media
website: www.envisionweddingstudio.com
Facebook: Envision Wedding Studio
Twitter: @envisionwedding

Other thoughts about the new albums: We just started carrying Spark and the designs are incredible! Can't wait to work with the ladies more!
Average client: traditional/classic...this is the Midwest!
Strengths as a retailer/store: design orientated, artiscally driven

Sioux Falls residents know to go to Leah for all their event planning needs. It is nice to have a retailer we can literally drop by on the way to work! Thanks, Leah!

Create Custom Stationery with our New Retailers!

Spark is excited to announce that the following stores have recently joined the Spark team to carry our custom wedding and stationery albums! We are featuring them here first as we await our retail store locator on our website to be updated.

So, when you are ready to create your custom invite with Spark, please visit our retail store locator on our website to find a retailer near you - and don't forget these new retailers below!

Welcome to:

Molly's Paperie, Little Rock, AR. mollyspaperie.com
Sweetpaper, La Jolla, CA. sweet-paper.com
Seaside Papery, Coronado, CA. seasidepapery.com
Wordshop, Denver, CO. wordshopdenver.com
Two Hands Paperie, Boulder, CO. twohandspaperie.com
Fabulously Yours, Trumbull, CT. fabinvitations.com
Paper Doll, Chicago, IL. paperdollchicago.com
The Monogram Shoppe, Fort Wayne, IN. monogramshoppe.com
Westwood Paper Company, Carmel, IN. westwoodpaper.com
Aberdeen Manor, Valparaiso, IN. aberdeenmanor.com
Paperista, Minneapolis, MN. paperista.com
Gus & Ruby Letterpress, Portsmouth, NH. gusandruby.com
Little Black Dress Paperie, Bernardsville, NJ. littleblackdresspaperie.com
Lion in the Sun of Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY. lioninthesunps.com
Petite Fete, Forest Hills, NY. petite-fete.com
Alpine Creative Group, New York, NY. alpinecreativegroup.com
Kate's Paperie, 57th Street Location, New York, NY. katespaperie.com
Kate's Paperie, Third Avenue Location, New York, NY. katespaperie.com
Kate's Paperie, Soho Location, New York, NY. katespaperie.com
Bloomingdale's, New York, NY. judypaulendesigns.com
The Paper Tiger, Woodmere, NY. thepapertigerny.com
You're Invited Gifts & Paper, Nashville, TN. yistationery.com
Needle In A Haystack, Dallas, TX. needleinahaystack.biz
Paper Place, Austin, TX. paperplaceaustin.com
The Write Image, Salt Lake City, UT. twio.com
Robin's Paperie, Cedarburg, WI. robinspaperie.com
The Paper Deli, Middleton, WI. thepaperdelistore.com

...and, additional stores to be announced soon!

Retailer Profile: The Dandelion Patch- Vienna

The Dandelion Patch
Vienna, VA

Owner: Heidi Kallett
Length in business: about 15 years

Why did you choose to carry the new Spark albums?: They looked so fun and were different from our other vendors. We loved the pockets and the envelope liners.
Favorite new Spark design: Natalya

Social Media
Website: www.thedandelionpatch.com
Facebook: The Dandelion Patch (for the two VA locations)
Twitter: @Dandelion_Patch (for the two VA locations)

Other thoughts about the albums: Love the flexibility, great diversity in designs!
Average client: Classic
Strengths as a retailer/store: Our customer service.

The Vienna team is wonderful to work with. They really know how to use our custom albums to help you create your one of a kind suite!

Fun with our Complimentary Calling cards

Joy speaking (so blame her if you don't like the puns)

So last week I told you about the August/September deal here at Spark- order a 4-piece suite and receive complimentary calling cards (a.k.a. at home cards) in the same quantity. Just a reminder that our great die-cuts are not included in this offer, however, I am going to provide some advice on who should use these the standard rectangular calling card, the skinny calling card, and the square calling card.

Urban dictionary is fun people, let's go with it to determine how one should choose their calling card.

Square - "a person regarded as dull, rigidly conventional, and out of touch with current trends"
In my mind, using letterpress already means you are in with the trends, so that can't be right. Dull, huh. I think squares just provide comfort to those who like equal length sides.

Skinny - "the scoop, what's up?" "the low down"
So these are great for those who only want to share their information with a select group of people who they would like in their inner circle. But who knows.

The traditional rectangle - Neither rectangle or business card came up with a urban dictionary definition. Oh well. These are perfect for those who want their card to fit in with all the other cards in the Rolodex. Conforming is a word that keeps popping into my head here.

Ok, ok enough fun. In all reality, at home cards are a great way to share with your loved ones your new address, an updated email, website, social media pages (don't forget twitter and your youtube channel), and perhaps even a new house number (do people still get those?)

Or give all the wrong information and become a hermit or anonymous blogger after your big day.

If you have any real questions about this Spark deal, please email spark@letterpresslove.com or contact your nearest retailer.