ImPRESSed With Letterpress

First impressions are everything and are formed in a moment's time. As a host or hostess you want to impress your attendees before your event has even begun. So how do you set the tone for your event and impact your guests in the early event stages? The first opportunity arises with snail mail communication. Whether it is a 'Save the Date' or an invitation, your event is being sized up from that initial informatory piece of paper. So do it right – make a great first impression and leave your attendees wanting more. With that being said, let me introduce Cartoules.

Founded in 2008, this letterpress company says it all in its name “little cards” in Greek. Owner Julie Karatzis is the visionary behind these unique, custom, and affordable designs. Here is her story:

“It started when Julie Karatzis decided to design and letterpress her own wedding invitations. She was discouraged by how expensive letterpress invitations were, and because she married in Greece, it was important that they were bilingual. Realizing that couples needed more options when creating wedding invitations, especially when on a budget, Julie decided to set up shop.

All Cartoules are created utilizing photopolymer plates, or handset wooden and metal type on a Golding & Co. Pearl Press. Our 100% cotton stock paper is cut, scored, and folded by hand in-house. Each piece is designed and hand fed into the press creating a totally unique piece every time. Slight variations in color, registration and impression may occur, but that's the beauty of letterpress!” (www.cartoulesletterpress.com, May 2010).

One of my favorite things about this hip letterpress company, is that they cater to more then just the wedding market. Cartoules' portfolio includes: invitations, stationery, greeting cards, prints, and business cards. As a recent bride herself, Julie understands the importance of producing a great product at a reasonable price. But you don't have to take my word for it – you can see for yourself. For just $12 Cartoules will send you a sample set, which comes with an assortment of different invitations.
So remember, when you want to make a Big Impression with Little Cards – Cartoules is the letterpress company for you.

Tied the Knot

You can imagine my excitement when my college roommate and now best friend called to tell me that her wonderful boyfriend had just proposed! The next words out of her mouth.. “Now what... Heath, I need your help”. Often times when planning the big day, a couple becomes overwhelmed with all the details and decisions that need to be made. This is why many a brides and grooms chose to hire an event coordinator. In the case of Josh and Melisa, the resolution was to keep it simple.

The couple decided to get hitched at the courthouse, which was then followed by an elegant dinner for 22 at a magnificent Malibu restaurant, Geoffrey's Malibu.

Besides the vibrant peonies, my favorite detail of the evening were the parting gifts. The groom produced custom wine labels barring their new family name, which were applied to a beautiful Enda Valley Pior Noir. Melisa had purchased ribbon that coordinated with the evening's colors to “dress up” the bottle neck. I was tasked with designing a creative way to tie the ribbon. Melisa should have known better... I had to do more then just tie a ribbon.

The final design came together utilizing the following items:

• textured scrapbook paper
• biege translucent paper
• a heart stencil
• single hole punch
• and the infamous statin ribbons that started it all

It was a beautiful evening that suited Josh and Melisa perfectly. Congratulations you two love birds!