Just my TYPE Tuesdays: Old Toooool

How COOL is this logo design?!?!?

Hmmmmm...... what can I do with my old tools....... ummmmm..... hello?? Make a totally radical & functional logo/bar sign out of it! Sheesh, people are so stinkin' creative.

'Atelier Mecanic’ or Mechanical Workshop, in English, is a bar in the Old Town of Bucharest, Romania. This original design makes me appreciate art & design in so many ways. Who needs a computer to design when you have old tools sitting around!

One valued lesson I learned in design school was that you do not need a fancy computer to create art. The tools are your hands & the creativity is your mind.

One of my design professors beat this lesson into us. I should know first hand because one evening during a critique, I had my design pinned to the wall to discuss. It was my turn to discuss my design that was supposed to be grungy, distressed looking. My professor asked, what filters or effects I used to create this effect, so I told him photoshop specifics. He took my work off the wall, crumpled it, opened it back up & rubbed it face down on our classrooms concrete floor.

I.Was. Shocked. Shocked beyond belief!! I thought WOAH..... who the h*ll is this guy ruining my hard work. Then he professed how sick he was of students relying on "the computer" to create the design. In hindsight, I knew that moment would seriously teach me a lesson.

More detail shots of this very cool, so far away bar, that I would LOVE to visit one day!

 

Images by Cosmin Dragomir

Wedding Invitation Design: Heide+Mike

Heide + Mike planned a perfect wedding. Every detail was thought out & executed perfectly. As a guest & friend, I was honored to be a part of their special day.

Heide came to me with all her ideas fully loaded. I helped here make those ideas come to fruition. A mix of vintage, elegance & modernism were the theme. Since her fave color is lime green, she didn't want it to over power the elegant factor. We sprinkled lime green here and there to accent the stationery. A wonderful balance of sophistication & design aesthetic. Love love.

Below are details of their invitations, thank you cards, wedding signage, name cards & the ever so fun Heide + Mike table names. Heide bought these gorgeous blingy blang picture frames, all different, for the table names. As a twist to the occasion & a taste of their lifestyles, Heide + Mike came up with a list of their fave cocktails to name each table. Some table names were Long Island Iced Tea, Gin & Juice (sooooo thug.... lol) & the brides fave White Russian. I LOVE when clients choose to do something out of the norm numbered tables.

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Above image: Catherine at Four Creative Studio}

 

{Above image: Catherine at Four Creative Studio} 

 

{Above image: Catherine at Four Creative Studio} 

 

{Above image: Catherine at Four Creative Studio} 

 

{Above image: Catherine at Four Creative Studio} 

 

{Above image: Catherine at Four Creative Studio}  

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO MR. & MRS. LA TURNER!!!

Wedding Invitation Design: Betty + Elliot

So I know this is REALLY late posting...... but better late than never right?!?!

Betty + Elliot have been married for just over 7 months now & I am so happy for the newlywed couple. I have known the couple for a while & I love them to bits. When I first heard that they were engaged I was thrilled! It was only a matter of time that they would also walk down the aisle & become husband & wife.

Here are snapshots of their wedding invitations that I designed for them. Their wedding colors were a deep red and shades of the Miami Dolphins teal blue (Elliot's fave football team). I also photographed her engagement party which you can also view here.

 

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous bride & her lovely parents.

 

They had a photobooth, which is ALWAYS a huge hit at events. Here's some funny pics of me, my husband & my cousins! 

 

Congratulations again to Betty + Elliot!!

 

Invitation Design: Bunco & Beer Bonanza

B-U-N-C-O...... pronounced like bunk-co. 

It's a known as a suburban elder lady dice game played with her fellow elder lady friends. Kind of like the Red Hat Society.....but without the red hats.

I've played bunco a few times before this & had a blast. I always forget the how to play, but when you start to play, the game gets intense AND insanely loud!! My husband gave me the O.K. to throw a bunco party. I.... being the clever gal that I am..... themed the party Bunco AND Beer Bonanza! I must admit, the beer sampling played a huge role at our party. By the end of the evening, the name of the game was changed to Drunko!!

We invited our family & close friends to join us & play. Everyone was skeptical about the game, knowing it was an "old lady" game. However, like I said earlier, the beer thing really kept things interesting. 

Overall, I think (hope) the party was a success. Everyone who had attended the party are already asking when the next Bunco & Beer Bonanza will be. I guess we will see.... hahaha!

Here are shots of the invitations I mailed out to my guests. We used an air horn to start & stop each round. Big mistake... the head table was thoroughly enjoying blowing that darn thing. I hope our neighbors didn't get too annoyed. Oh well.

By the end of the 3 games & when the tally marks were counted, we had to have a roll off to determine who would win a prize. Our long-time friend Josh won the roll off & was a runner up for the most bunco's. And the girl who won it all, was our good friend Adrianna, who by the way I am designing their wedding invites for their October wedding (soon to come). =)

 

 

 

Just my TYPE Tuesdays: Tattoos // Booze // Ikeåååå

A few weeks ago my best friend and first cousin, Ness, came into town for the weekend. When we get together, we sure think up some crazy shenanigans to go & do. BOY....... did we EVER top that weekends shenanigans!! You guessed it... We. Got. Tattooed!

Inspired by my OBSESSION with typography, I got an ampersand "&" tattooed on the side of my wrist. Being the freakish type-O-maniac that I am, the tattoo is a classic font style called Baskerville. It is set in Baskerville Regular at 72pt font.... that's about an inch tall from the "&'s" baseline to the cap height or top of the "&." I decided to get this permanently inked on my body for many reasons. The ultimate reason is that I LOVE type & the ampersand & its simplistic beauty. OR..... if someone does ask me, "Why did you get that tattoo?" I can simply address the question with this answer: "I got attacked by a huge typewriter!!!" Go figure!

 

My cousin had an idea for a quote that she wanted to get. I helped her design her tattoo. Ness has been wanting to get this quote tattooed on her for quite sometime now. The quote reads: "Faith in you. Faith in me. Faith in us." The significance is a personal feeling that she has experienced, but she will always look to it for guidance for every aspect of her life. I respect tattoos which that are a reminder to live your life how you want to live it.

We designed her tattoo with the typeface Edwardian Script Regular set at 36pt font. She wanted a font that was girlier than the normal tattoo font. It turned out dainty & feminine.... perfect for Ness! Check out her Cracked nail polish too... so trendy!

 

After getting some ink, we grabbed a bite & some bevy's and saw this beer that I had never tried before. The label was SO vintage looking that I had to snap a pic for this post. Have you ever tried Chang Thai beer? It was OK, not my fave. Dig the elephants though!

 

Lastly, a weekend visit from Ness almost ALWAYS includes a trip to Ikea! I do not go very often, but when I do, we go BIG! We each bought a few (a lot) of items for our homes. Check out the OLUNDA below. I've been wanting this up in our house for ages & finally caved & purchased one of the few that were left. Framed & ready to hang HELVETICA alphabet with the extra Swedish characters. How fantastic is that! That's just one of many type inspired home decor items laying around our house. I'll save the rest for later. Happy Tuesday!!