Grey is the New Black - in Wedding Stationery

I am a lover of grey - in any shade.  I couldn't necessarily live with it on walls but when it comes to clothes and artwork and accent colours in the home - I love it!

My wedding stationery customers seem to agree me with as my grey rose wedding invitations and save the dates are proving incredibly popular.

The rose border is taken from a vintage outline drawing and is all that is needed to decorate these pretty stationery items.  I love the downpipe grey against the ivory card too.

I have really expanded my typeface collection in the past year as monograms and combinations of fonts and typefaces is hot in wedding stationery right now.

I have used a feminine, script font for the bride and groom's names and teamed it up with a simpler, complementary font.

The save the date tags are single layered and strung with a vintage style dove coloured ribbon, invitations are unstrung, double layered and have all four corner rounded to match the save the dates.

New to my collection as well are 'bundle bands'. These are personalised paper bands that can be used to bundle together invitations with RSVPs and information cards before they are put into the envelope and sent off.

All items are available through my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ClaryceDesign

Or you may contact me direct for an assured discount :) clarycedesign@gmail.com

Just got engaged? Let everyone know!

Many congratulations on your engagement!

French Blue

Those early days after the proposal are so joyful aren't they? Making guest lists, choosing a venue, buying the local newsagent out of bridal magazines!

As soon as you have your date and venue set in stone, you may want to consider sending out save the date cards.  These are a great way of you spreading the word about your happy news and also giving your friends and family a chance to put the date in their diaries well in advance.

Claryce design has a lovely selection of save the date that include flower, heart and birds designs, or these more simple tags with the bride and groom's monogram initials on and a lovely combination of tyepface used on the reverse.


The tags are strung with vintage seam binding and come with miniature envelopes that are printed with your initials and wedding date on the reverse flap.

 Apricot

 Dusky Pink

                                                  Aloe Green


The only problem with these lovely tags is which colour to choose!

Wedding Keepsake Gift Box

Today I am featuring a stunning keepsake box made by Annette Newton from Madeley in Cheshire.

Annette is a master of her craft.  She collects fabrics, antique lace, vintage buttons, silk flowers, ribbon and trims that both beautiful and unusual.

Annette finds items that can be embellished and enhanced by using these materials to decorate and transform them.

Items that are magically transformed by Annette might include photograph albums, boxes, bags or frames, but knowing my dear friend she will continue to add to this list.

This keepsake box started out as a faux book cardboard storage box, but look at it now!  Annette has 'upholstered' it with ecru silk and trimmed it with ivory lace.  On the top are mocha, ivory and champagne coloured flowers that Annette has hand rolled herself with more silk and taffeta fabric.  Entwined amongst the flowers are ivy leaves and pearl strands.  Never neglecting the tiny details, there are miniature ceramic flowers nestled between the roses and a genuine vintage key hangs from a piece of lace fastened with a vintage button.

The inside of the box is lined with lovely vintagey paper with bronze swirls on it. You can see the profile of the box is like the spine of a book.

What can I say, this would make the most wonderful gift for a bride to be to keep her wedding day memories in.

Available through my website: www.clarycedesign.co.uk

I hope to see you there.

Special Christmas Gifts

Today I am going to showcase some beautiful items made by my close friend Annette who lives in Madeley, Cheshire.

Annette, like me has a passion for all things vintage.  She is an avid collector of fabrics and haberdashery and uses these to create lovely 'upholstered' photograph albums and keepsake boxes.  Annette has an amazing eye for colour and flair for putting different textues and colours together.

The albums Annette decorates are lovely in themselves - many by Past Times - with beautiful vintage style illustrations of birds, flowers or angels.

 Gorgeous details are the signature of Annette's work.























This winter album has stunning frosted artificial fruits and flowers with Ivy leaves.

 The finished album is a work of art that would grace any surface. What is more you can fill it chock full of photos.

There are enough openings for 35 photos of all different sizes.

This is one of my favourite albums by Annette.  It is like the taste of the English countryside which a hessian background decorating with muted country flowers and stunning ivory lace.

Annette has selected top quality silk flowers including a rose kissed with pink, light blue delphiniums and entwined with ivy.

All Annette's albums come gift wrapped in an ivory organza bag with bow and a diamante heart buckle.












These are other items are available through Annette's Folksy shop - Nostalgic Keepsakes
http://folksy.com/shops/nostalgickeepsake

WH Smith Products

I am doing a bit of gloating today.

This time last year WH Smith asked me to design them a few items - a diary cover, a slim calendar and a family organiser.  The brief was fairly simple - they wanted them to feature birds, butterflies, flowers and lace and have a feminine, vintage feel. 

These items are now for sale and I have to admit to getting very excited when I saw them on display.  I have stocked up on them to give as Christmas gifts.

I am honoured that I have just been asked to work along similar lines for some items for 2015.

Here is the link to the family organiser.  Unfortunately I couldn't find a link to the slim calendar.

Pick yours up now :)

Feels like Christmas

Don't worry I am nearly done sharing my Christmas wares and I can move on to other things!

As well as Christmas gift tags/ gift labels I also have a range of 100% recycled postcards featuring my vintage Christmas designs.

These postcards are printed on 100% recycled ivory card, which makes them a little different.  On the reverse are the words 'Carte Postale' and a feint division line down the centre so you can keep the address and message separate, or you can write over the entire reverse, should you wish to send them in an envelope.  However, without the need for an envelope these vintage postcards are a very 'green' choice for Christmas.

A charming design with a little girl carrying a winter bouquet.

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a Robin, would it.

Father Christmas with a sack full of presents.

Children walking their dog in a wintry landscape. Note this postcard is printed by a different company to the others. It is printed on white card that has a slight sheen to it.  Not recycled, but beautiful non the less.

A little girl in a red cape delivering gifts and Christmas greenery.

My postcards are sold in packs of six for £4.95.
Should you be interested in the idea of not having to write your Christmas cards this year, look at my listings for personalised postcards - postcards with your personalised message printed on the back. These may be viewed in my first post.
www.clarycedesign.co.uk

More vintage Christmas offerings

Continuing on yesterday's theme, I will share you with you today some more gorgeous vintage Christmas stationery that I am offering in my shop/shops this season.

My gift tags / luggage labels are printed on 100% recycled ivory card and are hand punched by me: all featuring artwork that I have created using photoshop.  The tags are packaged in packs of 6 with ready cut natural hemp twine included.

Designs include Santa / Father Christmas, robins, angels, Christmas trees and Christmas parcels.

 How charming are these two Christmas Angels!
Taken from a vintage Christmas card, I have added a background from a vintage French Postcard with a festive red stamp.

Available through:
www.clarycedesign.co.uk

These pretty gift tags have a little girl on them who is struggling with an armful of Christmas greenery and parcels. Again taken from a vintage Christmas card, I have layered her over a vintage postcard with a bright red stamp.

Available through:

www.clarycedesign.co.uk








Another charming Christmas design featuring a little boy and girl taking their dog for a walk through a wintry landscape.  The background on this artwork is again taken from a vintage Dutch postcard and has fantastic postmarks on it.

www.clarycedesign.co.uk

Another chilly winter landscape is depicted in the artwork on these Christmas gift tags.  It shows two girls transporting their Christmas tree home on a sledge.  This uses a stunning German postcard as the background layer.

www.clarycedesign.co.uk

Another lovely vintage design featuring a young boy struggling home with a Christmas tree and a basket full of Christmas treats. Doesn't look as though he will make it home with many left!

www.clarycedesign.co.uk











Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a Christmas robin featured somewhere in your decorations.   This pretty vintage robin is perched on a wintry branch singing his heart out.  Again he is layered over a striking french postcard with a festive red stamp.

www.clarycedesign.co.uk

This design is a little different. A stunning Victorian illustration of a little girl wrapped up against the cold, carring a bunch of winter roses, has been layered over a vintage French carol sheet.

www.clarycedesign.co.uk

Last but not least, good old Santa / Father Christmas himself.  This jolly vintage Santa has been layered over a background from a vintage postcard with purple handwriting and a green stamp.

www.clarycedesign.co.uk










Print your own Christmas gift tags / labels 

In case you are feeling creative here is a free digital download of a sheet of gift tags that you can print off yourself onto A5 card.  Alternatively you may use A4 card and print two copies, turning the card around inbetween.  Happy printing, cutting, punching and threading.