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Archives for June 2015

Custom Bat Mitzvah Invitations: Pretty in Pink

By Pam Winters

  • Invitation Suite Photo: Pretty in Pink Bat Mitzvah

    Photos of custom Bat Mitzvah invitation suite by Stacey Winters Photography, © 2015 by Pam Winters

  • Invitation Suite Photo: Pretty in Pink Bat Mitzvah

    Photos of custom Bat Mitzvah invitation suite by Stacey Winters Photography, © 2015 by Pam Winters

  • Invitation Suite Photo: Pretty in Pink Bat Mitzvah

    Photos of custom Bat Mitzvah invitation suite by Stacey Winters Photography, © 2015 by Pam Winters

  • Invitation Suite Photo: Pretty in Pink Bat Mitzvah

    Custom thank you card, envelope and address seals (digital mock-ups), © 2015 by Pam Winters

  • Invitation Suite Photo: Pretty in Pink Bat Mitzvah

    Custom Bat Mitzvah save the date (digital only), © 2015 by Pam Winters

Custom Invitations for a Special Bat Mitzvah

This project is a lovely example of custom Bat Mitzvah invitations. A key element of the invitation is the custom gatefold design, which provides a reveal effect. Vibrant, eye-catching colors of pink and teal were chosen, along with a subtle sea-foam green. These guided the choice of paper and ribbon. Satin ribbon, sparkling gems and shimmer envelopes were the finishing touches, once everything had been printed and assembled.

By going over the details with Gali and her mom, Yael, along with event planner Catherine Bachelier, early on, I was able to clearly visualize how the different elements of the invitation would come together. Along with Gali’s favorite colors, it was also important to include parchment paper in the design, as Gali and Yael wanted the suite to provide a nod to the beauty of the Torah scroll. Gali’s grandmother would be providing Gali’s name in Hebrew, by way of her own hand-drawn calligraphy, which I was able to turn into digital art in order to be printed on the parchment paper (for the gatefold flaps). In order to achieve the torn edges effect for the front of the gatefold, I obtained a special ruler to tear each strip of printed parchment paper by hand, so that the individual strips containing Gali’s Hebrew name would appear diagonally aligned in a specific way (as seen in the slideshow above). These custom Bat Mitzvah invitations had just the right balance of color, sophistication, sparkle and fun to reflect Gali’s effervescent personality and her special day.

There are four cards included in the suite: invitation card and lined envelope, RSVP postcard, party card and envelope, as well as a folded thank you card and envelope. There is also a digital save the date that was sent out electronically.

Click here to read about Yael and Gali’s experience working with me. 

Filed Under: Creative Projects Pam Winters Studio, Uncategorized Tagged With: bat mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah Invitations, design, Graphic Design, Invitations, Portfolio, projects

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

By Pam Winters

quilling project

At the end of March, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to the paper art of quilling, as part of the Y Conference put on by AIGA San Diego. I had signed up for the conference just before it commenced, so the selection of free workshops (or “Thinkshops,” as AIGA calls them) that comes with conference attendance was limited. Looking at the remaining options, I saw that quilling was available. My curiosity was piqued, as this was something I hadn’t tried my hand at before. Some of the things that come up in an online search when looking up the term “quilling” are so beautifully ornate and intricate, I could see this was most likely going to be a fun, though somewhat challenging, experience.

The day of the quilling Thinkshop, I was pleasantly surprised to find a full room with almost equal numbers of men and women (probably 30 people or more total), sitting at tables, ready to hear the instructor, Candice Warner, a local designer and paper artist, give a brief description on quilling, show examples or her own and others’ work and give us some beginning tools, supplies and tips to get started on making some of our own things. I was inspired right away!

Candice was very generous, and set us up with the basics right off the bat: strips of paper evenly cut and in a variety of colors; a small quilling tool with a split metal head for holding the paper in place while curling; small clipping shears; a lightweight tweezers tool; paper-friendly glue; toothpicks; a disposable plate for placing small amounts of glue as we worked; and lastly, a couple of cards for practicing basic quilling shapes and structures and for creating a small design (pre-drawn on the card for us). Once we all got our hands on the goodies in front of us, we set to work. Our table consisted of a friendly group of people, and we chatted as we worked, talking about our jobs, other creative things we like to do and we also traded business cards. Quilling, it turns out, is not just a wonderful paper craft, it’s also a great way to network and socialize with your neighbors!

When the conference was over, I shared the practice sheet of quilling shapes I had done on Instagram and with family and friends in person. It was a beginning for me, and I kept my manila envelope with all of my newly acquired tools and paper strips at the ready in my workroom, should the mood strike me to start it up again. Well, it took a good couple of months, but I finally gave myself the opportunity to get back to it. And it took a crafting night with a group of friends, with whom I have also worked side by side over the past several years at a retail store, to break out that project I’ve been meaning to revisit. It felt really great to pick up where I left off with the quilling, and when I brought it home with me, I continued working on it.

Sometimes, it’s simply not enough to write down a to-do in your planner, or tell yourself to get back to something. It might take the company and support of friends to give you the permission to set aside the time to sit down with that thing you’ve been meaning to do for yourself. And once that inspiration is reawakened, who knows what’s possible? I like to think, anything at all!

Pictured above: my current in-progress quilling project (© 2015 by Pam Winters); the quote in the title of this post is attributed to Mark Twain

Filed Under: Creative Journal Pam Winters Studio, Uncategorized Tagged With: aiga, art, blog, creative, creativity, friends, inspiration, journal, paper, project, quilling, quote, writing

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