We have Moved!

I have combined the Paisley Card Co. blog with my personal blog, Road Called Life. Please head over there for shop updates and oh so much more! Thanks so much! :)

Calling Cards | Chevron Colors

Happy Monday, my dears! I hope you all enjoyed fun and relaxing weekends! I know I sure did. Lots of sun, pool time, and even a day on the lake yesterday! It was great! :) Last week we hosted our first giveaway and we are so excited to work with our winners! Thank you to all who participated! :)

Well as promised, I'd like to share a new product. These little beauties are now available in our Etsy shop.

Once you place your order, send us an email letting us know the information you wish to have on your calling card (name, number, email, website, etc.). We will customize your card and send you a finalized PDF so you can print as many as you want/need. It doesn't matter if you need 50 or 200, the design will cost the same! You can print from your home printer or upload the PDF and have them printed for you. We recommend Overnight Prints or Vista Print. Place your order today! :)

Weekly Wrap Up | Things Found & Loved

It's been a few weeks since I've done a weekly wrap up and I'm happy that I took the time to make one for this week! I'm hoping postings will be back to happening more regularly very soon. I've always got so much to say and it's just a matter of actually getting a post together! Anyway, I hope you all have a fabulous and relaxing weekend and be sure to come back on Monday. We may or may not be sharing some new items that will be available in our shop! ;)

Every week there are thousands of lovelies posted on to the world wide web: photos, parties, weddings, outfits, DIY projects, etc. But there are those few that I absolutely can't get enough of/can't stop staring at/can't wait to make and lastly can't help but share. These are my absolute:

1. I have one of these Coke crates and I love me some Mr. Jack. Obviously, I love this.

2. The letterpress prints in this shop are too cute.

3. Endless inspiration over at the Pugly Pixel. Like this glitter tutorial.

4. I am loving this OHIO pillow from the love, california shop.

5. I almost forgot how beautiful Baby's Breath can be.

6. Have you entered our first giveaway yet? Because you should! :)

Giveaway | Brought to you by Young Mama's Fun Finds

We have teamed up with Young Mama's Fun Finds and are offering our first giveaway through her Facebook! We are giving away a free double-sided custom design for invitations or birth announcements (a $40 value). We will work with you until you are completely satisfied with the design of your birth announcement or your invitations. But that's not all! We also want to offer a 2nd place winner 50% off a custom design order and a 3rd place winner 20% off a custom design order! 

Here's how to enter:

1. Become a fan of Young Mama's Fun Finds on Facebook and comment "DONE" on the giveaway photo.

2. Become a fan of Paisley Card Co. on Facebook and let us know that Young Mama sent you.

Bonus Entries*

1. Follow the Paisley Card Co. blog, Paisley's Paper Talk (this blog, haha) and leave a comment.

2. Follow Paisley Card Co. on Twitter.

3. Tweet about this giveaway.  Be sure to mention @paisleycardco and link to this post.

Disclaimers: 

This giveaway is in no way endorsed by Facebook.

Giveaway offer does not include printing. This giveaway is for the custom design only.

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UPDATE: This giveaway has ended. Thank you to all who participated and congrats to our winners! :)

1st Place: Ashley Donson
2nd Place:Danielle Patchell
3rd Place: Melissa Palmer

Business Cards | The Southern Bees

Hello Everyone! I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing Father's Day weekend but now it's back to the grind! First thing this week I want to share with you one of my newest projects! These are the business cards that I (and my aunt - thanks!) designed for The Southern Bees. They are double-sided and were printed on a heavy cardstock with a glossy finish. I was so happy with the way they turned out and am so excited to give them to everyone I know! :)

Introducing The Southern Bees

Yesterday was a very exciting day! My aunt and I have decided to start our own event planning business and it was the official launch of our website + blog. We both have a passion for pretty things and have always enjoyed planning events of all kinds. We still have some things to do to complete the site but go ahead and take a look around! "The Buzzzz" will be a place for us to share recent work done for our clients and the beautiful things in this life that inspire us. Thank you for your support and for going along this journey with us! We can't wait to see what is in store! :)

Also, up on The Buzzzz blog today - the rest of the DIY Striped Baby Shower I shared a little of on Wednesday!

Party Theme | DIY Striped Baby Shower

Two weekends ago I co-hosted a baby shower for my friend Jenny who is due in August! It was so fun and I can't wait to share photos (taken by Jenny's brother who is also a photographer!) from the party with you soon! I'm still in the process of moving and getting settled here in Nashville, so bare with me! :) For now I'll just share two of the details - the invitations and the yarn wrapped L that sat on the dessert table. The stripes on the invitation matched the fabric used for the table runner and the flag banner (which I'll share soon!).

You may remember awhile back I shared a DIY tutorial for yarn wrapped letters. I had tried this months ago and failed miserably (which was a hit to my crafty ego because I normally do not fail in this department) but after seeing the tutorial I was ready to give it another try! Thankfully, this time around it turned out great! I love it and it was the perfect addition to the dessert table! It also doubled as a gift for Jenny. TIP* Include decorations into your decor that can double as gifts to save on cost!

Wedding Invitation Suite | Sam + Mitch

I am so excited to finally share Sam and Mitch's wedding invitation suite! The big day will be here before they know it! I love this suite so much! It is elegant but still very much modern. These were printed on a pearlescent cardstock (which is a little more visible in the photos below) and were paired with foil lined envelopes. Congrats Sam + Mitch - so happy for you two!

Weekly Wrap Up | Memorial Weekend

Every week there are thousands of lovelies posted on to the world wide web: photos, parties, weddings, outfits, DIY projects, etc. But there are those few that I absolutely can't get enough of/can't stop staring at/can't wait to make and lastly can't help but share. This Friday, because it is kicking off the holiday weekend, my favorite finds are all inspiration for throwing a fabulous Memorial Day celebration. These are my absolute:

1 | I want to attend this backyard BBQ.

2 | Such a simple and beautiful dessert that would work for any party!

3 | Loving the streamers. I definitely think I need to make a plaid backdrop using this same technique...

4 | The hanging lanterns add a perfect whimsy, summer touch and the table spread is gorgeous! 

5 | I have never in my life thought of dressing up hot dogs, but after seeing these I can't figure out why?

6 | And lastly - did Y'ALL catch my big news? ;) 

Grad Announcement | Congrats Chelsea!

My friend and past college roommate, Chelsea, is graduating from the best university in the country in a few short weeks (obviously I am referring to The Ohio State University). When she came to me and asked that I design her graduation announcements, I was so excited! Because Chelsea is in Columbus and kind of under a time constraint I just emailed her the digital file and she will have the announcements printed herself when she can fit it in her schedule

Congratulations, Chelsea! Enjoy your last few weeks as an undergrad! :)

P.S. Notice on the announcement that Chelsea will be working for AmeriCorps following graduation! So cool! :)

Business | OSBA + MVTLA

I know things have been pretty quiet around the ol' blog lately - but we have been busy! Lots of client orders going out and as you learned this morning, we are headed to Music City! I'm so excited about this new adventure & ready to see what's to come! Alright, enough of that for one day! :)

We don't share a lot of the corporate/business projects we work on so I thought I'd dedicate today's post to two recent ones! The first was a flyer done for members of the Ohio State Bar Association to be passed out at their annual convention. It was a lot more text heavy than many of our projects but there is no reason an informational aid can't be visually appealing and I think we proved that here!

The second was a logo + program design for the Miami Valley Trial Lawyers Association. (We've done work for the MVTLA in the past.) The program was for their annual Judicial Recognition Dinner and the kick-off of their 25th year as an association. Needless to say - it's about time they commissioned a graphic designer for a little brand identity!

Hope y'all are having a great Monday and be sure to check back tomorrow for more project updates! :)

In the Studio | We're Moving!

That's right, folks! Paisley Card Co. is headed south! As of June 1st our studio will be based out of Nashville, Tennessee and I couldn't be happier! I'm ready for a change of scenery and to return to my southern roots! As always our custom design services are available worldwide so this announcement doesn't affect PCC too much (besides hopefully adding a whole new level of inspiration!) but it's still some big news nonetheless!

I know, I know - that is already some heavy news to handle, BUT - there is more!  Of course I am going to hold off on sharing it with you at the moment. Just know there are some very exciting things coming your way & I can't wait to share!

Happy Monday, loves! Check back later this afternoon for some more serious PCC projects! :)

Royal Wedding | Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Alright, admit it. You are as infatuated with the Royal Wedding as I am, right? My sister called this morning from Texas at 5 AM and we chit chatted and watched the royal occasion together! First things first - Kate looked stunning. Absolutely timeless. Lace has always been my fabric of choice when it comes to wedding gowns and I loved seeing it embraced by the new Duchess. Can we say someone was definitely channeling Grace Kelly? I think so.

Pippa? Um, gorgeous. Loved her gown as well. The Middleton's have some great genes!

I'm skipping out on 'Things Loved + Found' this week because well - I'm consumed with everything royal.  Not to mention things have been pretty slow around The Paisley Blog this week! Working on a few new changes, so stay tuned for those! (All images found via Pinterest).

Have a happy weekend everyone! :)

[WED]nesday | Royal Weddings

With the Royal Wedding rapidly approaching (2 days!), it's hard not to do a little Google images search for previous wedding nuptials. The Royals take everything to a whole other level - they know how to throw a party! I'd say I have my grandmother to thank for my fascination with all things Royal Wedding - she will be getting up at 4 AM to watch all the pomp and circumstance! Ha, so cute!

Charles + Diana

Andrew + Sarah

Grace Kelly

Ahhh, to be a princess, right?

Weekly Wrap Up | Things Found & Loved

I know things have been rather slow around the ol' blog lately but life has been crazy! Lots of projects in the works and can't wait to share them all with you! Until then, enjoy the weekly wrap up of all the lovelies found 'round the blogosphere this week!

Every week there are thousands of lovelies posted on to the world wide web: photos, parties, weddings, outfits, DIY projects, etc. But there are those few that I absolutely can't get enough of/can't stop staring at/can't wait to make and lastly can't help but share. These are my absolute:

Absolutely can not get enough of this e-session from Hey Gorg. It's chock-full of southern charm.
Not sure I'm completely in love with A-Frame houses, but I'm loving the blue door.
Ambitious DIY business women inspire me so.
You can never have enough framed photos/art. YHL proves that here.
Don't mope in your room. Go invent something.
This print I designed for my free canvas. Love.
I love Earth & I love Jesus. Thank you God - you're the best gift giver ever!

Printables | The Lovebird Suite

Contact us to customize your order and the digital file will be emailed to you within minutes so your printing can begin! :)

Stay tuned for the other members of the Lovebird Suite family to make their appearance soon!

Quirky Sourthern E-session via Hey Gorgeous

Everyone must go check out this engagement session over at the Hey Gorg blog. It is perfection! Love the southern charm that is infused into the whole shoot and the couple is gorgeous! Even better? The write up is from the groom. Seriously. Go. Now.

Photography by Onelove Photography.

P.S. Anyone know where they got those wooden college signs? I love them!

Weekly Wrap Up | Things Found & Loved

Every week there are thousands of lovelies posted on to the world wide web: photos, parties, weddings, outfits, DIY projects, etc. But there are those few that I absolutely can't get enough of/can't stop staring at/can't wait to make and lastly can't help but share. These are my absolute:

I would love to give these ruffle rose pillows the ol' DIY try.
These are the cutest, most adorable shower gifts ever. (Shameless plug).
I can't stop pinning. I'll try not to add this to my list of favorites every week. Keyword: try.
I want an extra room just to dedicate to a closet masterpiece like this one.
These are amazing. I would go up & down them just for fun! I wish I could find the original source!
This girl is so young but man, can she work icing. Perfection.

DIY | Yarn Wrapped Letters

I saw this DIY project on Let Birds Fly before Christmas and thought, what a great idea for a handmade Christmas gift? My girlfriends and I have an Annual Girls Christmas Dinner every year and I thought I would make everyone yarn wrapped initial ornaments. Let me tell ya, I usually consider myself pretty crafty but my ornaments turned out absolutely nothing like this. My excuse it that my letters were much smaller and the wrapping of the yarn was difficult! Whatever makes you feel better, right? :) Anyway, I am ready to give this another try. I wanted to have the initial of the baby boy at the baby shower I'm planning & I think a yarn wrapped one will be a great addition to the party and will not only serve as decoration but could also double as a gift for the mommy-to-be. (Too bad Jenny is one of my dearest friends and she will be reading this. Just act surprised, OK?)

Anyway, on to this simple tutorial from Bailey at Let Birds Fly:

Materials:

Block Letters

Yarn

Scissors

From Bailey - i've had these block letters for a while (mine and my husbands initials), but i didn't know what i wanted to do with them. i was about to resort to painting (which is fine, i just wanted to try something different), but i've been seeing on different blogs the popularity of yarn, including simply wrapping things in yarn. which is FANTASTIC! i had yarn in the house, so that's what i decided to do. hope you like it! 

[Step 1] Begin wrapping the letter with the yarn, my recommendation is to wrap horizontally at first. (Though really you can do it any way you want!) and unless you have to wrap a letter with a hole (Bs, Os, Qs, As, Ps, Ds, Rs, etc) you don't need to cut a particular length of yarn.

[Step 2] Tackle the more difficult areas first (my example: the middle part of the K). It doesn't have to look pretty in the beginning.

[Step 3] Keep wrapping, and make sure the "uglies" (where you have to criss-cross to get to other parts of the letter) are on the back side.

[Step 4] Make sure you cover every single bit of the letter, even the sides.

[Step 5] When you're done wrapping horizontally, start wrapping over that vertically, you don't have to, though, this is just how I do it. I learned that I like to wrap the letters in the direction that I would write them. Does that make sense?

[Step 6] On the back, tie off your yarn (using some of the already wrapped yarn) and snip off the extra. You're done! Now you can decorate with your masterpiece, and embellishments, use them as tools to help your child learn his ABCs, or whatever!

How gorgeous are these?

Design & Photography: Bailey from Let Birds Fly

Party Theme | Bow Tie Baby Shower

I currently have baby showers on the brain. It's pretty much all I can think about. I am knee-deep in the planning process because I am throwing my dear friend, Jennifer a baby shower in May. There are so many adorable and fun ideas out there and one that I came across during my "research" was a Bow-Tie theme. I saw it featured on the Hostess blog (pictures 1 & 5) & I just fell in love with it! I have since moved past this idea on to more fabulousness but thought I would share a few of my favorites with you!

1 | Love this ruffled cake with the bow-tie topper!
2 | Perfect finishing touch for cupcakes!
3 | I thought these bow-tie bookmarks would make great party favors!
4 | Who doesn't love good photobooth props?
5 | Ah, mason jars. SWOON!
6 | Bow-tie napkin place settings? Yes, please!

Paisley Tips | Save the Date + Wedding Invitation Etiquette

It is a frequently asked question and I can see how this sort of thing could become overwhelming for a bride-to-be. With all of the tradition ingrained into all that is wedding planning, the process can become a bit murky. I’ve broken it down a bit to help make your invitation planning and ordering a little simpler.

Save the Dates:

Regardless of whether your wedding will be local or a destination location and whether or not you have local or out of town guests, Save the Dates should generally be sent out 6-8 months prior to your wedding. This gives plenty of time for your guests to plan ahead. If you have travel, lodging, or transportation information available, you may want to include it, especially if you have out of town and international guests.

For a local wedding with 90% to all guests being local as well:

If you are getting married locally and the majority of your guests are local as well, it is safe to send your invitations out 6-8 weeks prior to the wedding date. Give an RSVP deadline of 1 month before your wedding date to ensure you give yourself plenty of time to wait for those last minute RSVPers and gather your final numbers for your venue and caterers.

For a local wedding with both local & out of town guests:

If you are getting married locally but you have guests coming from both locally and out of town, you will want to get invitations to your out-of-towners sooner than local guests, especially if any of the recipients live outside of North America. Sending mail internationally can take anywhere from one to two weeks or even three to four so plan ahead for that. In order to give your out of town guests plenty of time to receive your invitation and RSVP, these invitations should be sent out 10-12 weeks before your wedding date. You can still give an RSVP deadline of 1 month in order to give yourself plenty of time to prepare.

For a destination wedding with local or out of town guests:

The timeline for a destination wedding is basically the same, whether your guests are local to you or out of towners. Regardless of their location, you need to give your guests extra time to allow for them to arrange travel, lodging, transportation, and time off from work. If you have sent out Save the Dates (which as we said above should be mailed out 6-8 months prior to your wedding) than most of your guests will have begun to plan their trips or at least thought about it. Even if you are not planning to send Save the Dates, you should begin to spread the word about 8 months prior to your wedding. Formal invitations can be sent out about 8 weeks before your wedding date and you should give an RSVP deadline of 3-4 weeks before. Make sure you take into account your venues policies (some places may require an earlier confirmation of guest numbers) but typically this timeline will give you plenty of time to satisfy your needs as well as your venues.

When to order your invitations:

This all depends on what type of wedding you are planning. To be safe, you should typically anticipate around 4-6 weeks for the full ordering process. That includes initial meeting, getting samples, approving artwork, printing, and if your stationer is not local to you, shipping.

I hope these quick little tips help you with your invitation and wedding planning!

More questions regarding weddings or other special events? Ask them here.

IMAGE VIA

Louisiana Wedding via Style Me Pretty

This wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty a few days ago and I love all of the delicate and vintage details. From the typewriter guestbook to the Chevy truck they drove away in - I SWOON! Everything was so classic, romantic, and timeless. I loved every bit of it! I especially loved this table set up for guests to "type" well wishes to the bride & groom (in exchange for the typical guestbook) that was framed with old photographs of loved ones. It makes for such a great and visually appealing backdrop! You can check out more of their beautiful day here.



Stationary | Flag Banner Thank Yous

I recently had a big birthday. On March 26th I turned a quarter of a century old! Wow! :) My mom had our family over and cooked my favorite meal - it was so yummy! My friends took me to dinner at a Japanese Steak House and then surprised me with a party! I felt so loved & special this birthday. I am so blessed! I needed to do something to show my appreciation so I cooked up some thank you cards! Aren't they so fun? Sent some happy mail out yesterday and it felt so good. I know I love getting presents in the mail so I can only assume my loved ones will too! :)

These will soon be available in the shop! Stay tuned! :)

DIY | Paper Flowers

This is a super easy + cheap, yet very affordable way to add little delicate touches to your event! Incorporate  them into a DIY centerpiece or place them on a dessert table to add whimsical flavor on a dime! :) In the future we will take this tutorial to the next step and show you how + where to use these flowers!

Materials

- 4x4" square sheet of paper

- Pencil

- Scissors

- Hot glue gun

[Step 1] Draw a spiral on a 4x4" square sheet of paper. Cut out the spiral along the lines you have drawn.

[Step 2] Begin rolling up the sprial from the outside. Keep on rolling until there is no more left to roll.

[Step 3] Once there is no more paper to roll, dab a little hot glue to hold the flower roll in place.

And voila! You are finished! Use these delicate babies to create your own DIY centerpieces or sweet touches throughout your event!

TIP: Don't worry about cutting your spirals out perfectly. I found my best roses were ones I cut without drawing a template first.

DIY | Faux Flower Balls

When I first saw this tutorial over at Sew, Mama, Sew I honestly couldn't believe it. How can these beautiful Faux Flower Balls be made out of men's t-shirts? They actually look like they are made with real roses. It's gorgeous! It seemed too good to be true and yet below are the simple steps needed to achieve this beautiful look to make a bold statement at your next event.

I am planning a baby shower in May and I'm thinking about giving these babies a try! I'd love to see how they turn out in colors other than white - pink? yellow? Ooh! My mind is just racing with ideas! Can't wait to give it a try & hopefully have something beautiful to show all of you!

Materials needed:

- 2 men’s XL white T-shirt for large ball

- 6 inch and 4 inch styrofoam balls

- Hot glue gun

- Ribbon (in coordinating color for your event)

[Step 1] Cut off the bottom of the t-shirt. Now cut strips of 1 inch in width. Make sure you snip either end of your strips to create 2 strips each.

 [Step 2] Put your sewing machine to the “running” or the “basting” stitch.  On my sewing machine that is the longest stitch of 5. I then lightly held the thread on top as I ran my running stitch. This will make your ruffle gather as you go.

[Step 3] Start by coiling your ruffle. Place a dab of hot glue to the end of your coiled ruffle and to the back of your ruffle flower.

[Step 4] Now place the ruffle flower onto the styrofoam ball. Repeat the steps and add ruffle flowers to the styrofoam ball.

[Step 5] Once you get close to having the ball finished, add some ribbon (for hanging) to the top of the ball. Insert push pins at a slight angle going opposite directions to anchor the ribbon. Be sure to add some hot glue on top of them for added security. Continue to glue your ruffle flowers until the entire area is covered.

Create various sizes of the faux flower balls to create depth and impact to your area. Hang them from trees and verandas or if indoors, from the ceiling. Also don't be afraid to attempt this project in other cotton blend hues. Vintage pink? sunshine yellow? Yes, please!

View the original tutorial at Sew, Mama, Sew.