Magpie Paper Works

Handcrafted fonts & lettering

LOVELY BRIDE BRANDING

A few months ago, I had the great pleasure of working with the awesome folks over at Lovely Bride to update their logo. The website was still under development then and today they just revealed the new look. Doesn’t the site look so fresh?

I started out by sketching oodles of options (so fun – love this part!) and then we narrowed down the list to a few favorites. These concept logos were hand-inked with an antique dip pen and scanned  into the computer, where the final polishing took place.

Can’t wait to see all of the ways their new logo is used (hello, shop signage!) — loved, loved, loved collaborating together on this project! Thanks to everyone at Lovely HQ, and a special howdy to Lanie.

HILARY & ANDREW | SAVE THE DATES

Changing leaves, apple cider & fall weddings, yes please!

Hilary & Andrew (the sweetest!) contacted me last year to design a wedding invitation suite around their autumnal nuptials. The ceremony was taking place in Vermont and it so fun helping them create a Save-the-Date that celebrated the setting, as well as the warmth & connection they shared with family and friends.

Because the bride and groom travel a bit, we thought a souvenir postcard would be the perfect way to surprise their guests. Landmarks that were important to the couple were integrated into the front of the card, and then I mixed digital & hand-applied aging techniques until the design felt truly vintage. We selected a rough-textured chipboard stock that felt almost like canvas. (It’s nearly impossible to find authentic 1930s state postcards that haven’t been mailed, but we wanted it to look convincing anyway!)

The backs of each postcard are made from 100% recycled kraft board and have the same rough texture. All of the lettering in the design was based on pre-war samples — in fact, the letters that look like they were written by an old typewriter actually were! The typed alphabet was scanned into the computer and transformed into a font.

We partnered with a fantastic printer (shout out to Pinball Publishing!) who did an amazing job. Seriously amazing. It was the first time I had worked with the Pinball team but when the package arrived on my doorstep, it felt like we were old friends. Yay!

More to come!

SPRINGTIME WEDDING INSPIRATION

You know the best way to beat the summer heat? Imagine cool spring breezes! My recent springtime-inspired collaboration with Samantha Nichols and a fantastic group of wedding professionals is up on Style Me Pretty today. It’s chock full of bright greens, natural decor and cool calligraphy — plus a great DIY-garland tutorial! Take a peek for more breezy loveliness…

p.s. The invitation set & menu we created will be available for customization in our shop later this year. Yay!

CUSTOM WEDDING INVITATIONS

Emily Ayer, one of our lovely custom-order brides, has been sharing the story of her Southern-inspired wedding invitations on her blog this week. How fun is that?! Emily is such a sweetheart, and we had a delightful time collaborating together. I was so doggone excited about this project, y’all! Be sure to take a looksie at Parts I and II for all of the behind-the-scenes details. (You know you want to see more!)

As creative director for Southern Weddings Magazine, Emily is no stranger to beautiful events so it’s fascinating to read about her own wedding planning process and all of the adventures that she’s having. Don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see the beautiful & meaningful day she’s creating.

Hugs, Em!

BRENTON & LAURA’S QUEENSLAND WEDDING

Brenton & Laura (such a sweet couple!) recently asked us to create a special version of our DIY seed packets just for them. We were happy to help. They printed & assembled the envelopes together at home in Australia, and then each guest left the reception with a lavender-seed-stuffed-envelope to plant in their own garden — isn’t that such a lovely way to remember a wedding?

For more ideas & gorgeous photos from their rustic farm wedding, head on over to Feather & Stone. Many thanks to Brenton & Laura for inviting us to collaborate with them, and special hugs for Seth & Tenielle (photographers extraordinaire) who shared this sneak peek!

SNEAK PEEK

Just a little screen-cap peek into some new custom work I’m brewing up. Dahlias, for the win!

FRIDAY ROUND UP

Today’s round up is all about S-P-R-I-N-G! She’s definitely here, as my peonies know.

– A pretty watercolor moth print by Mikrofaza
– A breezy and modern crinkle-cotton dress in the perfect shade of leaf
– Recipes for my springtime favorites: ramps, rhubarb, sorrel and morels
– Bridesmaids in Wellies, swoon!
– Wendy Waldman gets her dulcimer on
– A beautiful tissue paper vine tutorial from Martha
– Sullivan Owen puts my favorite striped tree peony blooms to work

Happy Friday, Lovelies! What are you up to this weekend?