Rarely does the post office create a stamp that I love, much less promote, but the current "King and Queen of Hearts" LOVE stamp is just perfect. I adore the theme, and the subtle colors look great with many different envelope colors. These are standard first class rate ($.44) stamps, so most likely it is not enough to mail a typical wedding invitation which is 2 ounces (a $.61 stamp). However, if you don't mind giving the post office a $.27 tip, you could put both the king and queen on your invite for a fabulous wedding look! I'm not sure how long they will be printing these, so stock up while you can!

amo-ink proudly welcomes our latest addition, Urban David Owens, born August 23, 2009 weighing in at 6 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 20" long.


photo by Mike Beyer, 2 weeks old

The past three and a half months have been a bit busy, but now that we've settled into a routine, and Urban has graciously agreed to help out at the studio while mommy goes to work. His best skills so far include cooing, drooling, rolling around on the floor by my desk, and smiling sweetly at potential clients that walk into the studio.


photo by Leslie Ober, 3 months old

It's amazing how much a new baby changes your life - now my mind is even BETTER at mulit-tasking, thankfully! It feels good to be back into the swing of things at the inkery, and I know Urban is also excited about the change in scenery.


photo by Christine Beyer, 3 months old

One of my favorite projects I've completed in the last three months was Urban's birth announcement. I can't take all the credit for it, however. Daddy is responsible for the photography as well as the silly puns...



Please feel free to stop by the studio to meet Urban and say hello!

Good friends of mine, (and clients!) Jocelyn and Joey were married at the beginning of May. Their stationery was a joy for me to create - Jocelyn had a very good idea of what she wanted, and her design ideas were just exquisite. We went with a color palette of pale pink and black, with frilly vintage and lace details. The main driving force in her suite were dainty little silhouettes of she and Joey that master silhouette artist Karl Johnson created for them. The result was a classy set of pieces that really reflected the feel of the day. Click HERE to see a sampling of the amazing photos from the day by one of my faves, Neysa Ruhl.Joce and Joey even hired a local silhouette artist to create adorable little silhouettes of their guests as favors at the reception! This amazing lady was 80 years old, and told me that she started creating silhouettes at age 50. Can you imagine starting and perfecting a completely new (difficult) skill half way through your life? She is my new hero. Here is the silhouette she did of me during the reception. I must say, she did a great job, and my hair looks pretty cool:More photos of their stationery set to come later in the week!

I am excited to announce a fantastic event being hosted next month by the Reading Bridal District - the Runaway Bride 5K Race on May 16. Whether or not you are a runner or a walker, it could be a fun challenge to accomplish (with your groom and bridesmaids!) as you are getting in shape for your big day. There will be a free t-shirt and a delicious pancake breakfast by Vonderhaar's after the race. It should be lots of fun, and costumes are encouraged - there are even prizes for the best dressed bride, groom, bridesmaids and groomsmen! There will also be a Kids Fun Run - so you can bring your flower girl and ring bearer as well. A portion of the proceeds will go to Kenzie's Closet - a non-profit organization that helps girls with dresses for proms and homecoming dances. Runners and spectators are encouraged to bring dresses with them to donate. Volunteers from the organization will be on hand to collect them.

You can download a registration form HERE, or stop by my office to fill one out. I am actually entered in a contest to see which RBD shop can recruit the most participants, so please indicate that I referred you on the form, or I can initial the form if you fill it out in my office.

We hope to see you on the 16th!

Lately there has been a lot of talk about being environmentally friendly in all aspects of life - and in the stationery industry, most focus has been placed on using recycled content papers, soy based inks, etc. SPRANQ Creative Communications (based in the Netherlands) has come up with a font that uses less ink - up to 20% less ink by putting "holes" in the letters - that you can download for free HERE. Not sure how much brides will be requesting the use of this font on their wedding stationery - but it is definitely an interesting concept. I may start using it on all contracts, invoices and proposals and see if I can tell if it is saving me toner!

The Reading Bridal District website has just been updated for 2009. Click HERE to check it out and see the new amo-ink page. The district is pretty happenin' these days - there are so many fantastic stores to visit where you can check out cakes, dresses, caterers, accessories, etc. If you are getting married, the RBD is the place to be! Most the businesses are centered around Benson Street - but some also spill over near the intersection of Reading and Benson. There is plenty of free parking available in several public lots, or along the street. Come up this Saturday - I know amo-ink will have coffee and cookies to share!

I get the nice little 'google ads' on my gmail, and today an ad for THIS particular ad agency - specializing in hand addressed correspondence. In a nutshell, one of their firm's services involves addressing your mass mailings - by hand. Shocking? I know, its strange that doing things by hand these days has become a novelty. According to the site:

Your prospects check their mail the same way you do. They scan each envelope to determine if it's a bill, junk mail, or something worth their interest. Everything from the envelope, to the stamp, to the address determines whether or not your mail piece will pass this test.

When your envelopes are hand-addressed and stamped by real people, it is guaranteed to have the personal touch that makes the recipient curious and excited to open it. In a stack of their everyday mail, they will not just open it; they will likely open it first.
This just blows me away! I wish I had thought of it first... (I've mentioned before that I have always wanted to be a professional handwriter...) This whole concept, of course, brings me to the discussion of addressing your wedding invitations. Clients all the time flippantly say things like "when we print out our mailing labels..." and I cringe. I highly reccommend hand addresing your wedding correspondence - no matter what. Not everyone can afford to hire a calligrapher, however I would be thrilled if you would - but you should take the care and time to hand-write those addresses. Guests will know something special is inside when they find that you took the time to personally address the envelope. No excuses for bad handwriting either - find a generous family member or friend who would love to do the work for you!