Where It All Began
Gift Decorating Origins
My first experience with paper design, other than gift wrapping, was ten years ago when I created my own handmade wedding invitations. I wanted something simple yet elegant that not only reflected my style but was created from the heart. I decided to try my hand at calligraphy so I bought calligraphy books, pen and ink and began practicing. I had a fall wedding so I chose a cream and gold color palette to reflect the tone of the season. Ten years ago there were not a lot of card making supplies available so I had to be resourceful. I found metal heart buttons, snipped off the loop on the back, painted them gold and glued them onto the front of the card. Sheer handmade paper was torn and attached to the inside of the card and the return card was tied into the invitation with bronze silk ribbon. I hand painted each raw edge of the invitations with a gold ink and the envelope was then closed with a wax seal. Even though I was having a small intimate wedding, I still needed to make 100 of these little masterpieces.
I still remember how I felt when I brought my invitations to the post office to be mailed. I was excited but also a little nervous because I felt like I was sending 100 of my children out into the world to find new homes. The response I received was overwhelming. Very few reply cards were returned, people called instead to let me they would be attending. I was told by my invitees that they wanted to keep the invitation intact because it was so beautiful. This is when I became hooked on paper art designs.
