Joie de Vie Jewelry & Accessories

{introducing} the JDV design collection - february 2012

2012-02-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

woo hoo! i've been wanting to create a monthly printable collection for awhile now and now i'd like to introduce you to my very first JDV design monthly printable collection! just in time for the month of February + Valentine's day! I found my color inspiration during one of my late nights pinning on pinterest and fell in love, so peach, coral pink + red it was! i figured rather than just showing the printable files, i decided to put together a little spread to showcase the printed goods and how cute they can look, but it'd love to see how all of you creative folks use the collection... now onto the eye candy!

i'm obsessed with calligraphy-inspired fonts right now, so i used one for the "be mine" banner

here's a printable subway art piece with some of my favorite fonts right now - it comes a an 8x10" - just print on bright white paper or card stock, et voila!

and here are some close ups of the sugar that's lingering around our place now... grrr... i was doing so great in the no sugar department recently too!

those drink flags can also double as cupcake flags just add them to a toothpick or lollipop stick!

a close up of the Valentine folded note card

and a close up of the other folded note card design

here's a close up of the month's calendar

and here's the weekly calendar - print one out for each week in february!

- included in the printable collection -

:: February 2012 calendar :: February weekly calendar :: "be mine" banner ::

:: 2 folded note card designs 1}"Hello" and 2} "Be Mine" valentine ::

:: drink or cupcake flags :: 8x10" Valentines subway art ::

this is the start of the JDV monthly collection, i will eventually be setting up a subscription option, but for now the collection will be a month to month purchase for $12.

PLEASE NOTE - these are printable files so nothing will be shipped to you. when you check out via paypal please provide your current email address {otherwise it will go to the paypal address you pay with} and i will email you your copy of the collection which will come with instructions on how to assemble the collection.

{update} new paperie items!

2012-01-23T23:42:00.000-08:00

happy monday everyone, wanted to give you an update of the items i've added to my paperie shop in the event you don't follow us on twitter or our facebook page. but i've been trying to get more offerings listed in my paperie shop {yes i still make jewelry, but since the cost of gold and silver are up, i've taken a little break from the jewelry side of things}... and i'm starting to offer printable designs for my clients who prefer to DIY their paper goods. below are a few new designs i listed the other day...

:: how do the printable files work? ::

well, when you order any of these new collections, i will personalize the colors and names/monograms and send you a PDF file via email. that PDF will include 2 of each design in the file

{giving you 4 A2 sized note cards per printed sheet}

then all you need to do is print or have this file printed on bright white card stock and then cut them to size... et voila! you have your own DIY personalized stationery, that you can print and re-print when you need more! these listings don't include envelopes, but this way you have the freedom to pick out your envelope colors that suit your personal preference!

:: remember ::

you can have the colors customized, so if you like a design but prefer different colors not a problem!

i know there may be some out there thinking, "hmmm, but what if i don't have the time or don't want to DIY but i want to order some of these?" ... not a problem, i'll be adding listings soon too for the printed versions of these designs that will come with envelopes too! so keep your eyes open for those additions to the shop in the near future!

also, i've added some new rubber stamp designs too!

after many requests for circular return address stamps, here are my first three design offerings!

:: the custom circle address stamp ::

i'm torn between them all, i love the hand drawn look of the {wreath} boarder, but i'm always a sucker for anything preppy so i love the {double stripe}, and the {retro} is too cute!

next is a different take on the address stamp, i give you

:: the Modern address stamp ::

now, this is one of my new personal favorites! the preppy circle monogram stamp was SOOO incredibly popular right before Christmas that i had to design a more whimsical + eclectic monogram stamp offering, and here's what i came up with!

the

:: custom calligraphy monogram stamp ::

here's a photo i snapped of the finished stamp, these stamps are great for embellishing stationery, envelopes or even gift tags like the one shown below.

and here's the solo initial version of the stamp

:: the custom calligraphy initial stamp ::

and some of the letter samples, to view the rest of the letters please visit the listing!

ok, so i think that's enough updating for one night, good night everyone and stay tuned, another fun new project announcement is coming VERY soon =)

happy new year!

2012-01-12T23:46:00.000-08:00

hi everyone, i'm still alive here... just trying to get some really exciting new things wrapped up for a new line that i've been working on for jdv paperie! in the mean time i wanted to post this fun etsy treasury my XOXO stamp was featured in {second row right side}... super cute items in this treasury!

i'll be back to share more of what i've been working on... but in the mean time go check out my shop, i have some fun new stamps available, and more to come soon!

{inspiration} from Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T23:34:00.000-07:00

not to sound dramatic, but today is a day that will be remembered by many due to the passing of Steve Jobs... he no doubt has touch many of our lives through some capacity of Apple's innovative technology. i ran across this great quote from the commencement speech Jobs gave in 2005 at Stanford. sadly it took his passing for me to stumble upon it, but it was inspiring nonetheless. his words really encouraged me, as i am working to build my own little business, so i thought i'd create and share a 8.5 x 11" sign for my readers to download and print at home. i hope you enjoy it =)

if you'd like this inspirational sign in another color scheme just email me at JDVpaperie@gmail.com and i'd be happy to shoot one to you.

Steve Jobs' Stanford Quote

:: 10.27.11 revision ::

a reader asked for this quote in a pink + red color scheme, thought i'd share that option with you too!

you can down load it in {pink + red here}

i pray that Jobs' wife and kids find comfort and strength during this time of loss in their family.

recently

2011-09-14T23:28:00.000-07:00

so i know i've been slacking on posting, this summer was such a whirlwind!

but i thought i'd swing by real quick to show some luggage tags i made for a recent bridal order - the bride had a travel themed wedding so what better than to get her girls matching luggage tags! fun huh?

and here are the back sides of the tags... do your friend's move a lot? her's do so she just used their cell number and email addy... great call!

now you might notice a HUGE difference in the image quality of the luggage tag photos and these earring shots... i got a new camera and i'm having so much fun playing with it... i still don't really know what i'm doing but i'm trying =)

here are some earrings i sent out to a client's friend for her birthday... this reminds me i really should go update my shop soon... i've just been taking a breather, hence the reason there isn't much listed right now in either of my shops!

i love these baroque crystals and the simplicity of this style of earrings...

not to mention the color is great as we head into the fall season

oh and here's a picture of the Misters {as i like to call her} hanging out under my worktable... sorry had to post cause she's just that darn cute!

i hope you're having a great week... i'll be back with more goodies soon!

{September printables} free birthday + anniversary planning pages

2011-09-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

hey readers!

i'm happy to announce that i have a free gift to y'all today... for a long time now i've been Pinning lots of mommy binders, household planning binders, etc. on pinterest. i love, no ADORE organization, however i'll be the first to admit that when it comes down to getting the job done it's always easy to find something else to do! so i figured with my business craziness easing up, kids going back to school {though i don't have any of my own}, summer coming to a close, and football season starting {go trojans!}... it felt like a natural transition to begin this quest to get myself organized! i thought i'd ease into getting a household binder created by beginning with something fun... some printables to help track birthdays + anniversaries of your friends and family. and since i'm such a big fan of summer i thought i'd keep it fun by using chevrons and bright colors to help savor the little bit of summer we have left!

so here they are... oh and i'm still learning how to use my snazzy new awesome big-kid camera, so be kind =)

pool blue + light charcoal grey for January - March

pool blue + bright yellow for April - June

pool blue + strawberry pink for July - September

pool blue + chartreuse for October - December

close up of all the date lines

think these will be helpful for you, go ahead and download them here!

i printed them front + back on 100lb card stock, so the jan-march is on one side with april-june on the back and then the same for the later months... i did however learn my lesson after i started to fill in the dates! i goofed and wrote one on the wrong month and can't white it out very easily, so my advice is print them front + back on cardstock then LAMINATE THEM so then you can write with a dry erase marker just in case you goof like i did!

if you'd like the colors customized i'll be offering these in my jdv paperie etsy shop soon along with lots of other pages to add to this binder i'm creating! wanna create one too? keep following along and i'll be offering some more freebies for your binders too!

happy organizing everyone

{shower goodies} oh boy + mustaches

2011-08-30T22:42:00.000-07:00

howdy folks! i bet you thought i had forgotten about you... nah i totally haven't, i just have been trying to keep up with all the events and custom orders i've been working on this summer, it sure has made my summer sail by {BOOO}!

anyhow this summer I had the opportunity to create some finishing touches for a shower one of my girl friends hosted... i'm still waiting to get photos from the shower, but here are some of photos i snapped from my ipad since my camera wasn't charged {if that tells you anything about how crazy things have been, i didn't even have my camera charged, ahhh!}

ok, now onto the goodies:

they wanted a blue, black and white color scheme

that used the so cute mustache motif that's popping up everywhere!

i created a name sign in honor or the new little guy that's on his way

she also wanted to use the "oh boy" expression so we used it for the banner and I snuck some mustaches in too to make the banner more interesting...

{please excuse my glass used as a weight, ahem...}

also, the colors appeared a little faded in these shots, i usually don't snap pics in the AM, however i had to that day, so you'll see the true color in the photos of the cupcake flags + favor tags

my friend wanted another banner but didn't want a saying on it,

so i just created another banner with more of the cute paper i used for all of these goodies...

what a great way to add some extra color to your party!

and here are the oh so cute and spunky cupcake flags... i just died when i found the blue + white herringbone paper in the middle as well as the blue colored graphing patterned paper... and who am i kidding all the paper i used was too cute! ... and yes i fall in love with all of my projects =)

my girlfriend also got ambitious and made chocolate mustache candies as guest favors, so i whipped up these fun and coordinated favor tags to tie onto the bags!

i would love love to create some invites to go along with this fun theme, and if you are in need of a mustache party for someone you know feel free to shoot me an email and i'd be happy to whip up something fun like this for your party! jdvpaperie@gmail.com =)

{lately} "oh baby" shower goodies

2011-06-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

i love when i get to work with prior clients again... here are some baby shower invites my former bride Marci asked me to create for her sis' baby shower this weekend! they aren't finding out the sex of the baby so we used a fun color scheme of aqua, lime and brown and used the expression "oh baby," as well as lots of different style fonts {which i love doing, since i'm obsessed with fonts}.

btw, i know i'm partial and all, but i just love the return addy for the envelope!

here are a few close ups of the invites...

since both mommy + daddy are teachers they asked that guest bring books, so this baby should be stocked with bedtime stories after he or she is born!

also, i just love the name of the venue where they're having the shower...

with a name like "the lunch box" it's gotta be a pretty darn adorable place!

Marci also wanted some special decor touches for the shower...

here's the paper pennant banner i created

close up... love the bingo looking paper i got to use for the letters

and... another shot =)

she also needed a spot for guests to drop off their gifts... so she rented this vintage frame with chicken wire and i created another quasi-sign that said "gifts"

close up of the papers, and the corner treatments i used

and lastly, she had me create these adhesive "bookplates" for guests to stick inside the cover of the books they were bringing for the baby... and when the little one gets older they can read who gave them the book, on what date, and read a special note to them!

{sorry folks, forgot to snap a photo of these after i printed them, so a digital proof is the best i've got} =/

i can't wait to see how the shower pulls together, after all the hostess has some pretty crafty plans in the works! good luck Marci, and i hope your sis has a blast =)

ps... i'd love for someone to give me a reason to design a femme version of these invites... hint, hint!

new item for JDV! {decorative vinyls}

2011-03-31T17:03:00.000-07:00

yep, yet another new thing that i've started creating and designing, i'm still playing around with my new Silhouette vinyl cutting machine and learning the ropes but here are some of the new fun things i've created with it!

yes, i know i've shown this before from the Chanel baby shower... but i used my Silhouette to create the "Chanel-esque" font for this decorative frame.

i had posted a photo of the next project to my facebook page, but here's the back story:
after looking around our place to see what i could embellish with vinyl, i realized after we threw out the junk food we used to keep in these glass jars... i thought hey, if they're going to sit empty, they might as well look cute!

and since i didn't know what was going to go in them i just decided to number them... and hey they look cute, so it works! the protein powder was a little easier to figure out what to do with it.

. . . . .

and yes i did figure out what colorful things i could put in the jars rather than "carbs" which we've eliminated from our diet... i was cleaning out one of our cupboards and thought we have SO MANY tea packets {and the boxes take up so much space}, so that's the one on the left... and all of my fun cupcake liners {since i'm not doing much baking right now} i thought i'd display them for me to enjoy even though i'm not enjoying one of my favorite junk foods {cupcakes}, at least i can enjoy the color!

... that's what i keep telling myself at least...

next i created this monogramed plate - just picked up this super cute Ralph Lauren plate at TJ Max, then did the "B" for our last name & did a second {darker} vinyl for the year we were married!

looks pretty dern {yes dern} cute mixed with the hub's law books and my blue coral {which is in a cloche on the shelf to the right of it} didn't include it in the shot, sorry!

close up... and yeah i shot these at night so excuse the lame shadows everywhere

and then this frame was a gift to a mommy to be who loved the Chanel shower i had been apart of, so i created this one for their sweet new addition coming May 18th {or sooner}.

yep, this one's a vinyl too!

the great thing about this new cutter of mine is that i can cut vinyl, paper, cardstock, and heat transfers for t-shirts, bags, or any fabric really!... and even better, since i'm obsessed with my font collection, this cutter works with my whole font library! i just can't wait to create more uniquely personalized vinyl decor pieces for you all!

...ok, now it's back to work for me...

i didn't forget about you all!

2011-03-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

how on earth has it taken me so very long to sit myself down for a blog update...? i guess it just reflects on the level of "busy"ness since the start of the year {which i'm very thankful for}!

so without further ado here's a photo update of what i've been up to business-wise since i've been gone

:: :: a close friend's lingerie shower :: ::

the invite

the bride & us bridesmaids with one of my custom banners

custom signage & glittered clothes pins

custom napkin ring wraps

:: :: the wedding pantry february window display featuring my printables :: ::

cupcake flags: part of my first printables line in my JoiedeViePaperie etsy shop

glittered coffee filter pom = a labor of love

look at these fabulous glittered clothespins {sigh} oh and one of my new printable banners

and a coordinated wedding sash to go along with the paper goods i created

:: :: a very pretty Chanel inspired baby shower :: ::

custom frame and vinyl text to look like the Chanel No. 5 logo

love that the mommy Kacee Geoffroy will use this as decor in the nursery!

one of my favorite Coco Chanel quotes

coordinated "notes to Peyton" that were clipped to the Eiffel Tower with glittered clothespins

{noticing a trend here with the clothespins?}

signage for the fragrance station, yes i said fragrance station...

...what better for a Chanel themed shower?!

and since doing that shower, i've gotten so much positive feedback from clients wanting to put their spin on the Chanel shower, so i've started creating a "Chanel inspired" printables line for my paperie shop!

also thanks to popular demand, i'm creating these cute decorative frames for other mommies to be!

this one is for a new baby that'll be on her way soon and has a pink, white & grey nursery

{can we say hot new color pallet for little girls right now?!}

we realized that "sweet ava jayne" can be sung to the tune of "sweet caroline"... oh oh oh!

yeah, this baby now has a theme song =)

i've also been working with another one of my {repeat offenders} i mean, favorite clients, thanks Linds!

on this cute black, white, and lime green shower invite for her soon to be sis in law

we also did cute lingerie shower/bachelorette invites, but i'll have to photograph those for you, and i'm currently designing a whole bunch of fun goodies for the showers & bachelorette party!

and on that note, i've gotta get back to work... if you're bummed about me not updating my blog very often, hop on over to my facebook page to see what's going on day to day!

:: :: photo credits :: ::

my friend's shower images - andrea gene photography

the wedding pantry images - marcella treybig photography

chanel shower - alice hu photography

what i'm currently obsessed with...

2011-02-16T01:02:00.000-08:00

... i'm obsessed with these little beauties! crepe paper carnations... aren't they just the sweetest, most delicate little things?!

although i'm not the biggest fan of their live counterpart, i just ADORE these and must learn how to make them ASAP!

i guess i know how i'll be spending my afternoon tomorrow ... =)

valentines do-it-yourself printables

2011-02-11T22:02:00.000-08:00

recently i had the opportunity to style the windows of a local bridal shop: the wedding panty... and it just so happened that i was able to incorporate my recent valentines diy printable files into the designs {with a little customized tweaking}. if you're in need of some quick, easy and cute valentines decor, check out these printables... without further ado, i think the images pretty much speak for themselves, enjoy the colorful eye candy!

{printable cupcake toppers} find them in my shop here

they can be customized too... like this cake topper that says la-la-love!

again, the flags are customized as dessert tags letting guests know in a cohesive way what the item is

more custom dessert tags

i crafted two interlocking paper heart chains to swag behind the hutch that houses the dessert display

{a close up of one}

in love with the perfectly matching aqua colored french macarons

{thanks Jay's}

in the other window we made little love notes, which are a fun alternative to a guest book

a close up of the coordinated bridal sash to match the style and colors of the widow displays, i can customize materials to ensure your vision is tied throughout your look too!

the ball jars tied in perfectly color-wise...

i also crafted these coffee filter puffs and adorned some with aqua gliter, so worth it!

close up of the glitered clothespins holding the custom "love notes" banner

which you can find in my shop as the "be mine" printable banner

love notes window

dessert display window and a view of the desserts

custom vinyls: coming soon to my etsy shop too

all you need is love....

...love is all you need

i'll have more diy printables coming soon to my etsy paperie shop!

{photo credit} marcella treybig photography
{sweets} mary lallande at jay's catering, they're the best!

it's a new year, time for new fun things!

2011-01-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

i've decided that 2011 is my year to really grow and invest more time in my paper goods and my etsy paperie shop! the first of new items i'll be offering in my paperie shop are some fun DIY printables for Valentines Day... i've listed some fun decorative party circles and a cute "be mine" banner to match!

but... you're in luck, i've also decided to treat my readers to some fun coordinated mini cards to match the new printables i've listed in the shop!

you can download the mini cards here

these fun little cards were inspired by a exciting opportunity i'll be apart of in february... more details to come on that next month. anyhow, i'll leave you with the inspiration board for next month's event... i'm so bad with secrets... =) hope you like it!

inspiration board created by my other business - Blair Britt Events

thanks for stopping by!

Easing into 2011...

2011-01-03T23:38:00.000-08:00

during my hiatus i took some time to catch up on some of my favorite blogs... and found some new ones too! here's one in particular i just have to share with you all

:: :: :: eighteen25 :: :: ::

there are so many great tutorials, DIY projects, and fabulous downloads - these blogging sisters are such an inspiration, i just couldn't pass up sharing them with my readers!

happy new year! i'll be back soon with some new fun things =)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T13:37:00.001-08:00

i hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas! here's the Christmas card i designed for us this year... sorry i couldn't send it to each and everyone of you... so i hope this will do!

i'll be off the grid for the next week, enjoying a little break with family and friends!

have a happy New Year!

all i want for Christmas...

2010-12-25T02:58:00.001-08:00

i blogged my favorite things over on my events blog... i wanted to invite all my JDV readers over to check it out here: Blair Britt Events

{special order} custom necklace for a cause

2010-12-21T18:24:00.000-08:00

a few weeks ago a sorority sister of mine sent me an email asking me to make a very special necklace for her mom... she asked me to make the following necklace because her mom had been in remission from battling melanoma, and then recently found out that the melanoma was back and now her mom is in the middle of cutting edge treatments to knock the cancer out again! she said that her mom's tag line is "hope." she wanted something that she could wear throughout this new chapter in fighting this cancer... so we did a stamped disc with her inspirational word, this way she could wear it always, during treatments, on the good and bad days... and to remember there is hope!

we did the green stone because that's her mom's favorite color...

i really was honored she asked me to make this for her mom, it was especially meaningful to me because this past summer my mom was diagnosed with lymphoma. a good part of summer was spent visiting my mom's FABULOUS doctor, playing chauffeur to and from chemo treatments, and of course shopping on the good days! Cancer is such a scary word to those who haven't dealt with it personally or observed it firsthand with ones you love. While it's not a walk in the park, it is something that builds family unity, and in our family's case strengthened our faith in God too... He really blessed my mom and our family in that she never lost her hair, never really was sick from chemo, and a few weeks back we found out my mom is in remission already!

i'm praying that my friend's mom can stay strong and have faith & hope that she will be healed... and i hope that my little contribution will be one that will help keep her spirits up through this chapter in her family's lives.

holiday madness! {sort of}

2010-12-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

i will say that i love the holidays... i love them A LOT! but at times working in an industry that has such large mood swings with the seasons can be difficult. i think the holidays are naturally such a busy time of year and on top of the regular hustle and bustle i run around like a crazy woman sometimes trying to reply to client emails, picking up supplies, dropping items off to my printer for holiday cards, going to the post office, fed ex, etc {that last one being my least favorite part}.... i sacrifice sleep, time with my husband {which thankfully he is pretty tolerant of}, and sometimes a little bit of my sanity...

i promise i'm not griping!

.... but when i see custom projects completed, hear the excited responses from clients, and get feedback from my readers and facebook fans - it makes it all worth it! making a client's day makes me so happy, there is something so gratifying about creating to help produce joy in another's life.... and that is why i do what i do. sometimes my friends and family tell me i'm crazy, and maybe i am a little bit =), but i'm crazy about what it is that i do. i'm crazy about creating!

here's a little eye candy from a few things that i've shipped out this week...

:: :: a monogram/ mommy necklace :: ::

mixed metal of gold and silver,

the gold tag is stamped with the mom & dad's married monogram & anniversary date

the little silver disc has a hammered texture and then is stamped for their son's initial!

:: :: italian christmas banner :: ::

for my parent's to gift to a christmas party hostess

{i left it unstrung because my mom wanted to choose her ribbon}

... don't you love the glittered letters?

:: :: custom luggage tags {modern style} :: ::

for a friend/client to gift to her brother's fiance and girlfriend

{one loves purple and lime green & the other is a TCU cheerleader, hence the purple & white}

{i didn't get the best shots of these because i took them at night, so hence the flash on the casing}

:: :: sorry for the blur, i don't want her getting solicited :: ::

:: :: address side for the TCU tag :: ::

more goodies to come!

and thanks everyone for the christmas orders =)

{blog love} JDV hair accessory on Style me Pretty today

2010-12-13T22:23:00.000-08:00

... one way to brighten up a monday is being emailed that a client's wedding was featured on Style me Pretty! and what a great surprise today thanks SMP =)... too bad i've been crazy busy all day and away from my computer most of the day, so i'm just now posting about it. even though my role as a vendor was pretty small in relation to the amazing photography, the gorgeous decor details, and of course Whitney {the beautiful bride}, i was very honored she asked me to create a custom hair piece for her and a headband for her cute lil' flower girl {and an oh so stylish one at that}!

a few months back Whitney contacted me to create a custom hair piece for her wedding day, she had emailed me this photo as inspiration, a hairpiece totally comprised of vintage brooches and other jewelry pieces.

after seeing the style lace wedding dress she had chosen, i knew i wanted to soften up the hairpiece by incorporating some vintage looking lace trim... so i scoured some local vintage shops and went online to find the perfect little floral jewelry pieces to create these! once Kacee Geoffroy worked her hair and make up magic on Whitney those little hairpieces in my opinion complimented her bridal style just perfectly. {i might be biased though} =)

after seeing Whit's wedding photos, i am totally in LOVE with Wildflower Photography's work too, here are a few of my favorite shots they captured!

as this was a one of a kind piece i created for Whitney, and since my custom items are made to order, you won't find them in my etsy shop - if you are interested in a hair piece like this, please feel free to email me directly and i would be so happy to create the perfect accessory for you! JDVdesign@gmail.com.

and of course thanks to Whitney for allowing me to help accessorize her on her wedding day! =).... those two other pretty ladies on each side of her are her sisters, and the one on the left is her big sis Morgan, i'll be showing you Morgan's wedding invites pretty soon! so thankful i get the opportunity to work with this fabulous family again! =)

{holiday} custom typographie style christmas cards

2010-12-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

hi everyone!

sorry i've been lacking in the blogging department recently... but i do come bearing photos for you in an attempt to make up for it! this is not a "oh-woe-is-me story" but please excuse my absence as i was rear-ended the week before thanksgiving, i'm fine, but it's been a lot of shuffling my car to the body shop, to the dealer to repair other non-related issues, entertaining the idea of selling this one and buying another one, research, car shopping and test-driving, all of this on top of life and everything else that goes on this time of year with the holidays... so needless to say i haven't had a ton of time to blog. so i'm sorry i've kept my readers hanging... but i've been trying to catch {or at least deal} with this curveball that's been thrown at me... i really hadn't been thinking about buying a car until my accident. anyhow, that sums up where i've been the past two and a half weeks!

now on to the Christmas Cards...

here's one of the recent christmas cards designs i finished up for a couple celebrating a new baby on the way in 2011! however i can't reveal the whole thing as they are friends of our's and i know that they aren't in the mail quite yet! =)

what i can say is, we centered their photo and i designed a "frame-like" boarder around their photo using different fonts, colors, and words that represent Christmas time...

it was so fun to mix up the lime and evergreen colors with the cardinal red and all the eclectic fonts!

we paired them with kraft recycled brown paper envelopes {think trader joe's shopping bag color}, then i designed and had a custom rubber hand stamp made for them {with their family name and address} to use for their Christmas cards and any of their other social stationery, all they have to do is change up the ink color and it'll become a totally different stamp!

if you are interested in me designing Christmas cards for you, the cut off to order them is quickly approaching on Sunday, December 12th! email me at JDVpaperie{at}gmail.com if you're interested

{new paperie item} more colorful luggage tags

2010-11-22T14:51:00.000-08:00

introducing the Bamboo luggage tag line!

these will be going in the paperie shop soon... and remember you can totally customize the color scheme of the background, text, and the shape around the monogram.

right now i have them listed for $7 for one tag, but soon i'll be offering 2 tags for $12

{since we all know that us gals don't just pack one bag when we travel!} =)

what a great gift idea for Christmas or even for a newlywed's luggage... and yes, if you're wondering, i can make these in styles that would appeal to guys! just email me and i can set you up with a custom design!

{new paperie item} 4 custom address stamps listed

2010-11-21T23:31:00.000-08:00

just wanted to stop by to give you all a quick update about 4 new stamp options just listed in my paperie etsy shop... these would make great christmas gifts for any new home owners you might happen to know, or some newlyweds sharing their first home together, or even for yourself to adorn your christmas card envelopes.... that's how these designs came about actually! some christmas card clients wanted a custom address stamp to use for their christmas card envelopes... i fell in love with all four designs so i thought i'd offer them in the shop!

the great thing about these stamps is that they do it all! use it to stamp blank business cards, use them on letterhead, or even blank stationery cards. the fabulous thing about rubber stamps is if you get bored with your paper or ink color you can easily change those out to keep your info and look fresh and unique!

here there are -

:: :: the Sassy :: ::

:: :: the Rustic :: ::

:: :: the Traditional :: ::

:: :: the Formal :: ::

happy shopping!

come shop and see me this weekend!

2010-11-17T08:04:00.000-08:00

hi everyone! i wanted to share this weekend's holiday boutique info with you... i'll be selling my goodies at the Wedding Pantry in old town Tustin this saturday, along with some other vendors from 10am - 2pm. come see some one of a kind items i've created exclusively for this weekend's boutique! also, the taco dawg food truck will be there to serve lunch! if you're free come by and get some of your Christmas and/or wedding shopping done!

ps. due to prepping for for the boutique and due to a car accident recently in {yes i'm fine, a little sore, but happy to be safe} i'm going to put my 30 day blog challenge on hold till i make it through this weekend, so please check back next week as i'll start the challenge back up again.

Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name.

2010-11-14T01:30:00.000-08:00

well, in short the name of my blog is the name of one of my two businesses... Joie de Vie Jewelry, Accessories, & Paperie. now if you want the "Blair" version of the reason i named my business Joie de Vie keep reading....

in high school i chose to take french classes rather than the ever so popular spanish classes, it was a way to bump my way up on the list of students who had applied to my high school, since there was a long waiting list of people wanting to attend. they figured living in so cal, most people would want to take spanish, however, since my mom and brother had both taken french i fancied the idea of speaking french like them... i always loved how fancy french expressions sounded, especially one in particular: "Joie de vivre".... here's what wikipedia say's about it:

Joie de vivre (from the French joie, "joy"; de, "of"; vivre, "to live, living"; "the joy of living") is a term sometimes imported into English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life; an exultation of spirit. Joie de vivre

"can be a joy of conversation, joy of eating, joy of anything one might do… And joie de vivre may be seen as a joy of everything, a comprehensive joy, a philosophy of life, a Weltanschauung. Robert's Dictionnaire says joie is sentiment exaltant ressenti par toute la conscience, that is, involves one's whole being."^[1]

In English common usage, the phrase is sometimes corrupted to joie de vie. ^[2] This would translate to "joy of life" or "zest for life," rather than the more affirmative "joy of living." Joie de vive is another common spelling error.

i believe that living life to the fullest is the only way to live it! so, this quickly became one of my favorite french expressions... however, when it came time to name my business, the domain "joiedevivre.com" was taken by some darn San Fran hotel chain {and they took JDV.com too} but that company deserves it because their hotels are pretty great! so i decided to be one of those "english speakers who corrupted it to Joie de Vie." =) my goal in my business was to create and do things that would help bring joie or joy to my client's lives! and that's how and why Joie de Vie was picked for my business and blog name!

oh and if you are wondering how the heck you pronounce it... sound it out: Jwah-duh-vee =) bet you didn't think you'd get a french lesson out of this post!

Day 1:Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts.

2010-11-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

introduction eh?

well, my name is blair britt, it used to be blair schron when i started this blog... funny thing is my older brother's name is britt schron, it was totally normal when i was blair schron... then i married a man with the last name BRITT... creating an ongoing joke in my family about me being "blair schron britt" and my brother being "britt schron"... and on facebook it's even more confusing.... ok enough with confusing you about my name =)

justus and i at a friend's wedding in september

i'm blair britt, i married my husband justus over 2 years ago and we live in orange county, where i was born and raised, and hope to live for a long time to come! we have a circus {as we like to call it} that consists of 3 animals: Sparky the handicapped goldfish who has been in our care, for better of worse, for more than 6 years now.... there's Chi Chi the chinchilla that i acquired a year after Sparky, thinking a chinchilla would be the PERFECT pet while i was still in college, needless to say, she's really fluffy and soft, but not like having a dog or cat. Third and finally we have Misty our ragdoll, fluffball, and totally gorgeous cat. she is so spunky, acts like a dog half the time and is our little buddy, she gets the royal treatment and yes she is the favorite of the three, sorry Sparky & Chi Chi!

my 15 "interesting facts" + 1

no. 1 - in case you haven't noticed, i don't like to capitalize unless i'm trying to make a point, i'm not the best proof-reader of my own work {hence typos occasionally}, also i'm not the greatest with punctuation, but i still write regardless.

no. 2 - if you asked J, he'd tell you i'm a busy body, if you ask me, i'd say i have creative A.D.D

no. 3 - i own two small business: Joie de Vie Jewelry, Accessorries, & Paperie and Blair Britt Events

no. 4 - i started my college career at Long Beach State as a graphic design major, and i ended up graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in sociology {which now i wish had been graphic design} oh if only i knew then what i know now.... =)

no. 5 - i'm missing both of my upper lateral teeth and have had two fake teeth on a bridge for 10 years now

no. 6 - i'm the youngest of 3 kids, my older brother Chris is 40, Britt the next oldest is 36, and i'm 27 - quite the generational gap {and yes i was planned}

no. 7 - i love the idea of reading books, but i always ruin them by reading the last page when i'm about 3 chapters in, i always want to know how it ends... i guess to determine if i should keep reading

no. 8 - i have 5 nephews, so the pressure's on for us to have a girl when we start a family

* * * * are we having fun yet?? * * * *

no. 9 - i used to do extra work in college - you can see me in the movie Dare Devil, the OC, the first episode of CSI Miami, and the short lived show American Bandstand.

no. 10 - i'm right handed but i shoot a basketball better lefty

no. 11 - i am VERY random, just ask my friend's about the voicemail i leave them

no. 12 - i am a realtor, just not working in that industry anymore

no. 13 - if i could live in another generation it'd be in the 1950's - post war, everyone living the good life, cute fashion - c'mon the poodle skirts and saddle shoes, suburban life, great music!

no. 14 - i am an insomniac yet i love sleep, i never can get enough of it, but maybe that's because i stay up all hours of the night....

no. 15 - i'm looking forward to being the kind of mom mine is to me {love her}

plus one -

i love to create. the reason i said earlier that i have creative A.D.D. is that not a day goes by that i don't have a new creative project on my mind. i'm constantly thinking about, planning or dreaming up ways to create something i've seen or an idea i have mapped out in my head and it's just waiting to be brought to life. i'm the kind of person that if i think i can make it rather than buy it, i will... and i mean that in the most humble way =) i believe that God gives everyone gifts, sometimes it takes us longer than others to know what those gifts are... and i believe i was given the gift of creativity. i love to create beautiful things, whether it be a necklace to adorn a bride on her very special wedding day, or the paper goods to announce the arrival of a couples' most precious first born child, or it could even be creating and producing an elaborate design theme for my clients' wedding day - i take great pleasure in them all! i have such a passion for using my creativity to make people's lives more enriched and joyful, and if i can succeed in serving others in this way, then my mission in life is being accomplished.

see you tomorrow!

30 day blog challenge

2010-11-12T01:44:00.000-08:00

in an attempt to become a better blogger and to help my readers get to know me a little better, i'm joining the party... the 30 day blog challenge party! ok, well maybe it's not a party... but it can be if you'd like to join me! i visited a friend's blog this week and thought "wow, she's on top of it, explaining the name of her blog, things about her, really fun stuff...." then i scrolled down to find the reason behind her well written and well thought out posts... she's doing the following 30 day challenge... and i've decided i would like to do the same {thanks Ash for the inspiration}! to all my blogging friends, i invite you to join in the challenge or the party, whichever you'd like to think of it as.... if you decide to do it, let me know because i'd love to follow along!

i'll be back tomorrow with my first post of the challenge!

If you do want to follow along and do the Challenge, too, here are the topics:

30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 1:Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts.
Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name.
Day 3: Your first love.
Day 4: Your parents.
Day 5: Your siblings.
Day 6: A picture of something that makes you happy.
Day 7: Favorite movies.
Day 8: A place where you've traveled.
Day 9: A picture of your friends.
Day 10: Something of which you are afraid.
Day 11: Favorite T.V. shows.
Day 12: What you believe.
Day 13: Goals.
Day 14: A picture you love.
Day 15: Life motto/inspirational quote.
Day 16: Dream house.
Day 17: Something you're looking forward to.
Day 18: Something you regret.
Day 19: Something you miss.
Day 20: Nicknames.
Day 21: Picture of yourself.
Day 22: Favorite city.
Day 23: Favorite vacation.
Day 24: Something you've learned.
Day 25: Put your iTunes on shuffle; name the first ten songs.
Day 26: Picture of your family.
Day 27: Pets.
Day 28: Something that stresses you out.
Day 29: Three wishes.
Day 30: A closing picture and something of which you are proud.

{recent project} baby samantha's birth announcement

2010-11-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

yep, another recent project! i've been so behind on my blogging and i know how much my readers enjoy seeing what i've been up to, and it's no fun when i'm not updating the blog, so... consider this week me trying to make up for my lack of eye-candy filled posting in the past few months...

now, i'd like for you to meet Samantha Grace.... =)

miss SG, as her mama lovingly calls her is the cute little bundle of love of two of our college friends, SG's daddy and my hubs were fraternity brothers, and his wife and i became pals back at one of their fraternity formals... this mommy and daddy duo are just wonderful people and i know they are going to be an awesome parental team to this sweet little lady! and of course they'll raise her right... to cheer on the Trojans of course, Fight On! .... sorry, had to get that out =)

SG's mommy has a blog of her own {OC Goodmama}, and we used the background pattern from her blog as the inspiration for the pattern of the announcement, but we bumped the pink up to more of a fuchsia to match the little headband SG is sportin' in her photo! Then we paired the boldness of the pink with the grey text and envelopes, and i just love the way the custom return addy pops off the envelope!

:: :: :: SG's close up :: :: ::

:: :: :: text close up :: :: ::

:: :: :: close up of the whole she-bang :: :: ::

if you happen to be in the market for birth announcements for a new addition, or maybe you need 1st birthday invite, these could easily be turned into those! i just love this mod pattern and would love to create these for you, change up the colors, make matchy cupcake flags, goodie bag toppers, i'd just love to work with this pattern again! you can shoot me an email at JDVpaperie@gmail.com

this is another item that i'll be listing in my new Joie de Vie Paperie etsy shop, so keep an eye out!

{recent project} baby girl shower goodies

2010-11-10T00:39:00.000-08:00

recently i had the opportunity to create few custom items for a lovely prior client, who i not only had the pleasure of working with on design projects for her wedding,

but i also coordinated her wedding day too!

so i was stoked when i heard from Melissa and that she was hoping i could a make a few colorful touches for a baby shower she was hosting. she sent me this photo of the bedding the couple was using in their new little girl's room as inspiration for a banner, a welcome sign, and some cupcake toppers.

here's the sign i created to hang from the front door to welcome guests to the shower, i just love how colorful it is!

close up =)

here's the coordinated banner...

i really wish i had a better place in our house to photograph banners, alas i do not, so our tv console will have to do!

close up of ribbon detail and the oh-so-cute dotted paper!

and here are the cupcake toppers... we did the 3 different colors and phrases for a little variety

thanks Mel for the order... i can't wait to see more pics from the shower!

if you are interested in custom items such as these, feel free to shoot me an email at JDVpaperie@gmail.com and we can work on the perfect details for your event!

also, i'll be listing these items in my new etsy shop Joie de Vie Paperie, soon so you can order these very items for your upcoming party!

We have a WINNER!

2010-11-07T01:42:00.000-07:00

ok, so i'm a little behind on announcing who the winner is of the JDVpaperie stamp giveaway... we had a busy day today with the USC football game... which we won, woo hoo! ok, enough about the game....

the winner is **Mrs. M**

yay, and congrats on your new stamp... i'm sure you will love it! I want to thank everyone for participating in this giveaway celebrating our new paperie shop opening... please keep an eye on it as i'll be adding quite a few fun paper goods this week for the holidays!

also, if you aren't the winner, think again, i'd like to offer those of you who entered the giveaway and didn't win - i'm offering 30% off the stamp in my etsy shop to say thank you for entering the give away {offer good through Sunday, November 21st}

upon check out just add a note saying you entered the giveaway and i'll go ahead and refund the 30% back for the giveaway discount!

also, a huge shout out goes out to meredith m for her rockstar tweeting about this - thanks so much, i wish i could give out a gift for the PR =)

Announcement and a GIVEAWAY!

2010-10-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

ok folks, i'd like to make an announcement.....

this has been a long time coming, but as you may know i design paper goods {anything from wedding invitations, to personalized paper banners, cupcake toppers for 1st birthday parties, and even rubber stamps} however i don't really focus on promoting those things in my current etsy shop - Joie de Vie Jewelry.

so... i decided it's time, it's time for me to announce that Joie de Vie paperie now has it's very own home!
and to celebrate the new shop i am giving away one of my favorite things right now... you have the opportunity to win your very own JDV custom monogram rubber stamp! which also happens to be the first item i've listed in the new JDVpaperie shop.

and here are some photos for your viewing pleasure . . . . .

you can use your new stamp on gift tags, business cards, or . . .

or stamp it in platinum on a nice navy envelope and why not coordinate some thank you note cards . . .

you can even have your married monogram created and use it to DIY your upcoming wedding with you and your soon to be hubby's married monogram... why not stamp your favor tags or bags?

while this stamp may be small at 2 x 2 inches, it sure is mighty, and will be a welcome addition to anyone's stationery collection... not to mention it'll look pretty darn cute sitting on your desk!

*here are the details to enter the giveaway*

1} please comment below with the 3 initials you'd like your stamp to have... in order =)

2} i'd love to know who's initials you'd like on the stamp - "my own," "my new married initials", "mine and my hubby's," or "hey, i think i'll give this to some newlywed friends getting married"

3} you can get up to 3 extra entries by doing any of the following things:

* blog about the giveaway

* tweet about the giveaway @JoiedeVieDesign

* post about the giveaway on Facebook

4} to get your extra entries, please come back and comment again with a link to your tweet, and Facebook or blog post.

{just make sure to make them individual comments to get the credit for each of them}

{~~the giveaway ends on Monday, November 1st at 11pm PST~~}

~~{GIVE AWAY extended! now ends on Wednesday, November 3rd at 11pm PST}~~

Giveaway now closed!

please check back saturday afternoon for the winner...

the winner will be determined by a random number generator

stopping in to say hello!

2010-10-23T02:21:00.000-07:00

things are finally winding down a bit for me, i've ben doing lots of creative and very custom projects recently, so i've just been terrible about blogging {but i have been updating facebook with my recent projects}. if you ever feel like i've abandoned the blog just visit me on FB for what i like to think of as my "mini-blogging" place.... does that count?

any-who, i stumbled up this photo tonight, and fell in love with the way these necklaces are displayed on the glass cloches! loooove...

i found this image on Jennifer Rizzo's blog and from her site i found another fabulous blog written by Dusty Lu, i love finding new inspirational blogs!

i hope everyone is enjoying fall,

{new paperie item} colorful luggage tags

2010-09-27T00:26:00.000-07:00

now i'm still in the process of producing some more of these guys to show off as samples, but here's the first one... i joked on the JDV facebook page that my samples would go out to my friends with upcoming birthays, well, Meagan is the lucky first recipient! she's a newlywed who will celebrate their 1at month anniversary and her golden birthday tomorrow, so who better to create the first sample for? =)

and yes Megs, i used your married name, gotta start getting used to seeing it on everything!
love you and happy birthday a day early!

front side

back side

these tags are laminated in a thick plastic to help them stand up to the beatings TSA gives your checked baggage, but they are cute and can certainly be colorful enough that you won't mistake your black suitcase for one of the hundred and something that had been checked onto your flight too!

i will be designing mr. & mrs. ones in the future, but i'd like to show off a few more cute custom designed ones first!

these make a great little gift for the person who has everything, or if you just need a little something gift-wise! feel free to drop me a line if you're interested jdvpaperie{at}gmail.com

ps. sorry the lighting was horrible since i took them tonight =/

Bella Collina event invites

2010-09-23T01:17:00.000-07:00

wow!

i just got home just a bit ago from a gorgeous event at Bella Collina Town and Golf in San Clemente, it was hosted by one of my favorite people, Mary Lallande, of Jay's Catering, and sponsored by many other wonderful vendors! in my last post i gave a little peek at some top secret invites i had been working on, well those were for tonight's event... they really had an awesome turn out, the Bella Collina dining room was filled with event professionals ranging from event planners, to musicians and entertainers, photographers, and even some other local wedding venue professionals.

recently i commissioned a photog friend of mine Marcella Treybig Photography to shoot my growing paper goods collection.. and luckily i had just finished the Bella Collina invites in time to have them captured on film. and if you've followed my blog any length of time, or even have just looked at my photos, you know that was a good thing since i really don't have a clue how to use anything other than a point and shoot camera. =) {yay me!}

anywho, here's how they turned out....

the outer envelope... i have to say, calligraphy always makes invites feel that much more personalized

then i collaborated with the calligrapher to create a digital image of her calligraphy for the return address, which i then had printed on the back of the envelope flap - unifying the typestyles

{this is a great idea budget-wise, a digital calligraphy file can make the

same statement as hand written for items that need to be reproduced}

here's the whole suite:

we used stardream opal inner envelopes, which we lined with this GORGEOUS gold metallic Fiori Italian liner, the main invite incorporated custom calligraphy elements mixed with an all caps font and digitally printed on a textured cardstock {again digital printing is a very budget friendly option}.

then we mounted the invite card on a bronze stardream backing.

{and in case you haven't seen stardream before, it has a wonderful shimmery, opalescent sheen to it}

and we included a two sided smaller insert to list the participating event sponsors and on the backside, the card introduced the guest speaker for the evening... which was Thea Lignos-Hargrove.

{the editor of Your Wedding Day Magazine}

and just because i LOOOVE that liner so much, here's one more shot of it =)

you may be thinking... these aren't wedding invites? well, if so you're right, but for me the objective was to create these event invites in the fashion i would for any of my wedding clients, so if you happen to love this style/design, please let me know and i'd be happy to provide you with an estimate for a comparable design suite!

a big shout out and thank you to Katrina of Calligraphy Katrina for lending her talent and time to collaborate on this project, and if you are looking for a talented calligrapher - you will love her work!

{sneak peek} exciting upcoming project

2010-09-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

i just have to show off these gorgeous liners from a project i finished up last night... the paper is none other that this gorgeous italian paper by Rossi 1931

i can't tell you what these are for other than to say they're for an upcoming event!

sorry for the crummy phone photo...

i am so honored to have the opportunity to participate in this event, and i am so stoked to know that my work is going to be placed in the hands of some of my wedding industry heros and some other big shots in the industry... what a HUGE blessing for me!

i promise to post the finished product once i can share them, without ruining anything... man, i'm terrible with staying hush, hush about things. and yes i always ruin surprises i plan for my hubby, he always knows because excitement just kills me =)

{follow up} custom collage necklaces

2010-09-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

wow, i'm amazed at how crazy this wedding season turned out to be, crazy busy, but absolutely amazing all the opportunities that have been presented to me... but to start catching y'all up on all of my projects from this past wedding season, i figured i'd start you off with the follow up to the sneak peek i showed of the custom collage necklaces i had been working on back in june.

if you don't remember them you can see the sneak peek post here.

so... it's no secret that i work on jewelry while i hang by the pool {it's a rough life designing jewelry sometimes} =)... here's a gratuitous pool side day designing and prep'ing

and here's another photo as i was finishing up the necklaces

and here they are being modeled by the bridesmaids on the wedding day... also i did create some earrings for some of the other bridesmaids with different dress necklines.

if you're wondering why some had earrings and some had necklaces, it's because the bride let her gals pick from varying necklines of their dresses {great idea imo} so she did earrings for the BMs with higher necklines and necklaces for the gals with strapless necklines... what a great way to naturally create some visual interest and variation between your gals' styles and looks!

if you're wondering why you don't see pieces like this in my etsy shop, well... that's because while i love doing work like this, it's really difficult to create, list, and successfully sell pieces like this in my shop. these are such custom pieces that if you're interested in having me create something similar, i'd love to chat with you about it! i'd be happy to chat about colors, metals, components, etc... and would love to create one, three, or as many as you need of custom necklaces!

you can contact me at JDVJewelry{at}gmail.com

decisions, decisions

2010-07-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

i find it funny that at times i can go back and forth in my brain about what to some may seem like a minor detail... such as deciding between two fonts.... i need an open-faced font for an upcoming wedding invite order and i'm down to these two... i know i probably sound nuts, but hear me out! =)

font #1} love it's lined counterpart {view here}, it's chunky, kinda masculine

{making it a great balance to some of my more feminine *bridal * fonts }

however the downside to #1 is that it doesn't come with lowercase options, and if you've followed my blog, or known me long, you know i don't particularly like to CAPITALIZE much! hence the dilemma...

font #2} it has lowercase characters!!! but it's a little less bold compared w/ font #1...

it's a sleeker font, yet not nearly as masculine as #1....

oh boy... decisions decisions =)

coming out of hiding...

2010-07-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

no, i haven't forgotten about all of you lovely folks who follow along... i've been just swamped {in such a good way}

here's what i've been up to:
  * did full event design & coordination of a gorgeous {even if i say so myself} wedding back in june
  * my other biz, Blair Britt Events was featured on Amy Atlas' blog, and it was not just one post, but 3 individual posts about my june wedding {yippee!}
  * been really busy with lots of custom orders {mostly paper} *photos to come*
  * traveled to a Park City family wedding and then to a friend's gorgeous wedding in Santa Barbara last weekend!
  * also, it was during this time we learned that my momma was diagnosed with lymphoma, so that's   been a whole new adventure in my personal life...
  * i'm also helping a long time/dear friend finalize her august wedding details... for 8/28

wow, when i summarize the last 2 months of my life like that, it doesn't sound like a whole lot... but, hopefully all the pictures i'll be sharing will make up for my absence. =)

{real weddings} stasia & john - 5.15.10

2010-06-11T02:49:00.000-07:00

last month i had the pleasure of working with a fabulous client... i'm always blown away and super humbled by the fact that potential clients from all over the place find little 'ol me online. people that if it weren't for this blog, my etsy shop, and of course God, i would never have had the opportunity to work with! and Stasia was one of those clients... her friend found some previous work of mine that she passed along to Stasia and she became interested and we got to work to get some custom hydrangea napkins made.
.... then, she thought, hey, what about incorporating escort cards, table numbers, menus, and what the heck, why not programs too! so that's exactly what we did... they all used the blue color scheme and/or the hydrangea design Stasia had been so interested in.

- and here's how Stasia and John's wedding goods turned out in Charleston, SC -

escort cards tied to favors... if you look closely you'll see the hydrangea =)

the napkins that started it all

programs: i love this design - modern, simple, yet visually very interesting

table numbers... there's that hydrangea again

notice the menus at each place setting adorned with the motif of the day

and here's two photos for fun

fyi: i visited Charleston last summer... what a wonderful place to get married, so much charm and hospitality there... and truthfully, i had a touch of wedding envy when she

told me where her nuptials would be taking place!

stasia and her dad, i'm always touched by father/daughter wedding pics... gotta love Charleston, SC - beautiful churches... EVERYWHERE!

and look at that bow! don't you just love the combo of the bow and the buttons?

i'm such a sucker for buttons on wedding dresses, i feel it adds just a little touch of nostalgia...

thanks again Stasia,

i'm so glad you were so happy with your wedding day paper goodies!

: : : photos courtesy of Kate Fine Art Photography : : :

find her on Facebook

{sneak peek} custom collage bridal jewelry

2010-06-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

one of my brides just adores the collage-y style chunky necklaces floating around all over etsy, yet couldn't find anything that she loved, or loved her budget! so... since she's friend of mine as well, we made a trip to a few spots to look for some individual pieces that would work well together if taken apart and reassembled - i love when my clients challenge me to think outside the box and allow me to do something totally new... even for me.

so i'll be using these earrings as a focal piece for 5 bridesmaids necklaces

these chains below will be mixed in with some beautiful crystals

{unfortunately the crystals weren't photographing well, so i'll show those when the project is finished}

and these pearls and glass beads with be worked into the necklaces as well!

and the remnant beads... because no doubt i'll have left over goods, i'll be using for some bridesmaids earrings & and a MOG necklace!

can't wait to see how this project turns out =)

memorial day... a day late

2010-06-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

i meant to post yesterday to wish everyone a happy memorial day and kick off to summer, alas, i did not, so.... i'm sharing this with you today!

memorial day means a lot to my family as my dad was a marine, his younger brother a retired Jag Corps Judge, and his older brother a Marine Corps Colonel {who passed away when i was about 10} so service is not taken lightly in my family, rather, it is honored and respected. regardless of your politics i think we can all agree that the selflessness service people

demonstrate going to serve our country is highly respectable, simply because they are doing something we are not either able or capable of doing.... and that giving of themselves is why we get to spend memorial day with our family & friends, at the beach or pool, BBQ'ing, shopping the sales, or just laying low... so thank you for protecting us and serving so that we can continue to enjoy the freedoms we cherish so much!

here's a photo i saw on photographer, Jessica Claire's blog awhile back... that brought me to tears.... i have to say, dress uniform and those rings boxes... that photo is just so amazing & special to me!

i posted this quote to my facebook page yesterday, and regarless of if you like this guy's politics, he's and Ohio guy {which is where my dad's from} and i think he said it perfectly... why we celebrate memorial day!

Today we remember & honor the sacrifices that have made America the freest,

most prosperous nation the world has ever known. America’s warriors, past & present,

who have fought for the survival of liberty and the forward march of freedom.

To all who've given their lives for our country, & to those of you serving

in our Armed Forces today, may God bless each of you.

{thanks John Boehner for the quote}

i hope everyone enjoyed your holiday!

welcome to our new look!

2010-05-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

i'm so excited to finally have the blog i've been dreaming of! and i'm soooooo thankful i finally had a chance to work with ellie of rainy day templates on the facelift of my blog... not so much a new blog per se, but a little TLC and reorganizing, which in my opinion was highly needed!

i hope you enjoy the updated look and the ease of navigation now, i know i {heart} it! and just heads up, there will be a little bit of tweaking and rearranging going on in the near future as i find a home for some of the old features of the site....

thanks for stopping by!

{just around the corner} wedding season custom orders!

2010-02-28T22:19:00.000-08:00

while i'm knee deep in baby shower, wedding save the date, and wedding invite orders {on top of my normal jewelry orders & inquiries}, i'm so thankful to be one step closer to doing what i love full time! while i'm still working a day job, i have been getting more requests for custom goods for your weddings and special events! and for that, i'd like to thank everyone for taking the time to take notice of what i'm doing, and attempting to do! =)

since things do get so busy, i haven't really had a chance to get any of these custom projects listed in my shop! but i wanted to show them to you so you know that the sky's the limit to what i'd be happy to create for your special event!

as i'm sure most of my readers are well aware i make jewelry & custom gocco'd cocktail napkins such as these:

but i can coordinate your napkins through to say your escort or place cards like this -

or i can design welcome itineraries to adorn your out of town bags for your desitination wedding, such as this one for a friend and st. louis bride

or i can simply design, print & gocco detail your wedding fan programs for an

upcoming vineyard wedding -

want some cute and coordinating drink flags, why not?

or maybe you have your invites ready to go but want a fully coordinated paper goods suite designed around your fantastic malibu ranch venue...

{below: custom wine label menus, escort cards, and reserved seating cards}

maybe it's just me {and i'm pretty obsessive/ detail oriented}, but how wonderful is it when there is so much attention to detail that everything flows naturally and wonderfully in each successive area of a wedding starting with the cocktail napkins & drink signs during the pre-ceremony beverage time, to the parasol signs entering the ceremony, then you grab program & your reserved seat, and finally after the ceremony you find your escort cards, head to find your table number sitting atop a wine bottle with a custom label that serves as your dinner menu, and then you get up to the bar to grab a drink to find a custom cocktail menus placed at the bar to aid your beverage selection.... now that, in my opinion is a well planned and thoroughly thought out event! and i can help you do that too... any creative project, the sky's the limit, if you can dream it, i'm willing to create it!

while i do get swamped... i am so thankful for my friends, family, and fans support, encouragement, referrals and business! being a small business owner ain't easy and is certainly challenging, but i love it, and it's a dream come true - and someday {and i really mean it} i will be so blessed to be able to do what i love full time! so hang in there if you're working on an order with me, please be patient, i am a one woman gig, and i want nothing more than to create something perfect for you and i'm so thankful that you're supporting my lil' business!

*blair

{custom paper goods} lacy lingerie shower invites

2010-02-21T19:25:00.000-08:00

here's a custom invite suite that was sent out this past week - take a look...

below are the front and back views of the custom wrap around labels i created for the invites - love the lacy edge detail {what a great way to use one of my martha edge punches}!

above is the overall view of invite and envelope... as you can see lace was the inspiration for the suite, since these were invites for a lingerie shower we found a pretty lace trim which i used to line the left edge of the actual invitation. also the bride-to-be's wedding will be incorporating cornflower blue, so we kept it in that bride's classy color scheme.

detail shot of the text... they're throwing her lingerie shower while they in Palm Beach for the bride's bachelorette weekend... sounds nice and sunny!

if you have a custom idea in mind for anything from wedding, to bridal, or baby shower invites - please don't hesitate to shoot me an email {jdvjewelry(at)gmail(dot)com}, i'd love to work with you to help turn your paper goods dreams into reality!

happy valentines day...

2010-02-14T18:32:00.000-08:00

we're just relaxing after hosting a small group of friends for valentines dinner, dessert and then went bowling last night... it was a fun night, but we're beat, i hope everyone enjoys what's left of valentines day and their long weekends!

here's a little love from last night
Justus, Misty kitty & I

she's not too stoked about the photo

{sneak peek} what i'm working on

2010-02-13T10:03:00.000-08:00

i just wanted to give you all a behind the scenes look at something i'm working on...

it's lacy....

and nope, it's not a new accessory...

it's another invitation set...

i'll share more as soon as they're finished and in the mail! =)

it's that time of year {save the date season}

2010-02-10T22:03:00.000-08:00

here's another save the date set that i just finished up for some great friends/clients - i have the honor or collaborating with them to not only day of coordinate their wedding, but i'll also be helping to design their big day...

so here's our starting point - a very anthropology/ vintage inspired save the date!

i absolutely love the colors they're incorporating - lots of blues, teal, and corals.

here's a shot of the vintage floral detail i gocco'd on the corners of all of their STDs

another angle...

it's always bittersweet packing my paper goods up to go to their new homes... it's amazing to work with clients to create their vision on paper... you chat about options, go through the revision process, and then it's time - you get the final approval to print....and to see it on the computer screen isn't nearly the same as finally holding a stack of the finished product in your hands, i'm really blessed to be able to create for others!

while packing these up i opted for this cotton crocheted ribbon instead of my usual bakers twine and after showing these to marci {the bride} we might be incorporating this same ribbon into their invitation suite since it helped add to the vintage feel!

btw - if you're wondering who their photographer is, it's none other than Hugh Forte - looking forward to working with him in June! also, if you'd like to see a few more photos from their e-pic shoot you can mosey on over to my event planning blog Blair Britt Events to view them.

{shop update} new earrings coming soon!

2010-02-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

just wanted to give you all a sneak peek at some of the new earrings i'll be posting in the shop

{slowly, but surely}.

hope you had a relaxing day - i know we did and we for sure ate lots of yummy food!

ivc flea market

2010-02-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

just a little announcement folks... i will not be at this sunday's flea market, being that it's super bowl sunday we decided to opt out, since we thought it might not be the best day for traffic, probably a decent prediction. but we are aiming to be at the march 7th flea market, so we hope to see you there!

27 it is...

2010-02-06T02:45:00.000-08:00

well, last week i celebrated my 27th, another year of life, but it was a little bittersweet due to the fact that a family member passed away... so its been a time for reflection and celebrating life... something i learn and appreciate more with each passing year is just how precious life and loved ones are. i think it's so important to cherish each day with friends and family and to appreciate what God has given you.... ok enough with my melancholy monologue, i'm a big softy at heart...

back to my post - on my actual birthday i headed into downtown LA with my mom {what a great shopping buddy} for some quality time and to get some much needed items that i can't get locally in orange county. we had high hopes of making it out to tai pan trading in ontario, if you haven't been there GO! alas we got stuck in a ton of traffic leaving LA, so we bypassed and met my dad, bro, SIL, and nephews for a looong dinner, but that's another story!

while in DTLA i picked up some fun new things for future accessory ideas...

very bling-y & will be very bridal!

my mom also bought me this awesome orchid arrangement while we were in the flower district

- love it!

after our big day and lengthy dinner {but great quality family time} i finally made in home in time find my jet-lagged half asleep hubs at home with my second floral gift of the day... my all time favorite roses!

what a guy...

the following night my friends and their spouses joined us out for a fun night at a local deli & piano bar - and we were pleasantly surprised that the food was great, with huge portions, and the music was great too! i highly recommend the Derby deli & dueling piano bar in Mission Viejo,
for all of you in orange county!

here's a photo of the girls from that night

and here are my birthday gifts to myself:

a two tone bracelet with silver chain and gold hammered circles at the center of the bracelet, got lots of compliments on this one, so i think this could be making it's way to the shop soon!

i also made myself some big and sparkly earrings for the evening too:

these are a gold webbed component with golden shadow swarovski teardrops along with what i like to call gold disc balls... this photo doesn't even show off how sparkly these earrings are!

while this past week was a crazy one, i'm glad it's passed and we're moving on with this new year and i hope 27 is a great year!

this past week in pictures . . .

2010-01-23T00:28:00.000-08:00

so this week started off with finishing up these gocco'd save the dates for Amy & Derek... love the way the turned out... they're wedding is going to be so chic with varying shades of green & white to make up their color palette.

there, moved the tag so now you can see the text at the top!

the work in progress - 100 std cards & 110 envelopes and

throw in a few left over christmas decorations...

shipped out these twinsies to a very thoughtful husband/son-in-law

they are matching stamped mommy & grand mommy necklaces for two lovely ladies in his life

tried out some new baked goods this week when i was rained in on wednesday, actually i just had no motivation to go out in the downpour on wednesday! these were a hit, coconut-blueberry cream cheese bars - yummy! look like they're a funny yellow in the photo, but the weren't, hmmm... recipe here

and the finale of my week...

made this evening by moi - a bibbed rhinestone & swarovski necklace!

i've been dying to make one but haven't wanted to back it on felt, it didn't seem pretty enough on felt... so i opted for netting which provided a "floating" appearance. i just love it and can't wait to wear it and make more, i'm debating if i should list these in the shop? i just love that it can be worn with jeans & a plain T or w/ a sassy black dress, oh the possibilities!

wow, what a week! now it's time to hit the rack... i have a client/venue visiting day bright and early in the morning... g'night all

i've got sunshine....

2010-01-19T22:15:00.000-08:00

on a cloudy day {ahem, gloomy, crazy stormy day in orange county, ca}!

love this print from etsy seller faroushe... she's been the featured seller on the front page of etsy the past few days, but i found her work about 6 months ago and love all of her quirky yet pretty items! if you need a little sunshine for yourself you can find this print here.

i hope this helps brighten and warm up your day,

{blog love} my sparrow

2010-01-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

about two weeks ago my mom and i visited the IVC {irvine valley college} flea market on the community college campus... and were really surprised at the quality of vendors! it wasn't crazily overwhelming the way the rose bowl flea market is, and it's about a quarter of the size of the long beach flea market... but it was super manageable, and an enjoyable market to walk. we were really surprised that it wasn't hit or miss with vendors either. before heading over to IVC i did a little online research to see if any of the vendors were bloggers or had an online presence... sure enough i found one such vendor: My Sparrow.

it was about halfway through our time there that we found ourselves in her booth ooo'ing & ahh'ing over a glass cake stand with and elongated pedestal... then i recognized her note cards, and the necklace she was wearing... and then i realized hey this was the gal from my research! Christina and i stood and chatted for a good while about our etsy shops, blogging, and online business in general {it is so nice to chat with others tending a shop in the online marketplace}.... after about 15 minuets had passed, i realized my mom had moved on to another row and was circling back to find me in the same spot she left me! It was so great talking with her, she's a sweet gal who loves what she does, and man i wish i had all the money in the world so that i could take one of everything she sells, she really has great stuff to offer both in her

etsy shop and in her own online shop.

Christine sells a variety of wonderful goods, sine she's an interior designer by trade so she offers lots of decorative pieces, pillows, furniture, but she also has some wonderful accessories & jewelry too... here are some of the goodies that caught my eye!

hand blown champagne flutes - aren't all the different styles great?!

footed champagne flutes - again, love the variation of they styles

and how cute are these little bird paperweights? don't you think these could be fun little accents for around a woodland themed wedding cake....?

oh... and this, the possibilities, one for my kitchen, one for my arts and crafts supplies... i could think up many uses for this great galvanized tiered wire storage baskets!

go check her out!

website: my sparrow
etsy shop: my sparrow
facebook: here
twitter: mysparrowcom

{creative time} diy cake stands

2010-01-15T10:25:00.000-08:00

a few days ago i got a little break in between working on orders, running errands, etc. to make something i had been wanting to make for awhile!

like what you ask? well, diy'd cake stands similar to this photo inspiration i found on apartment therapy

i finally found these super cute plates at cost plus {in our blue color scheme} and for about $1.50 a pop! and i used some glass candlesticks to create the pedestals. here are some photos of how they turned out!

i bought both a dinner plate and salad plate so that i could stack them like so...

i love that the two plates don't have the same pattern, but still compliment one another

if you're interested in creating something similar, i found the easy tutorial on design sponge, and seriously people i takes maybe five minuets to stick the candle sticks to the dishes, and the rest is just drying/ set up time for the epoxy... really really easy crafting idea!

i just wonder if i should test out a few of these in my shop? =)

shopping adventures

2010-01-08T23:12:00.000-08:00

it's no secret that i'm always on the look out for unique and fun decorative
accessories for around our place or for upcoming clients' weddings... or both! =)

here are some fun things i found the other day while perusing the aisles at cost plus...
which is quickly becoming one of my favorite stores... check these out!

fleur de lys

doesn't that iced tea look so pretty in this glassware? imaging what else you could do with these... put a votive candle in the short one... or fill the stemmed one with a little h2o and a floating candle, or a stem of fluffy white hydrangea... endless possibilities and at $3.99 that's a pretty darn good price.

and don't they kinda remind you of these? these were from a photo shoot that JL Designs did a few months back, but up until this point i had only seen these cups at anthropology for $6 per cup that's a whole $2 cheaper at cost plus!

they also come in a pretty blue!

fleur de lys {blue}

and these cuties actually only came in the clear glass, that i saw, in the store... but online they come in this cute plum color... still only $2.99 - $3.99

dot glassware

i'll probably need to get some of these to use for our upcoming valentines

get-together we're hoping to host.

happy shopping people!

{shop update} new necklace

2010-01-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

well folks... i've been wearing this and taunting people by not having it listed in my shop... this necklace is what i'd like to think of as the sister style to my eternite necklaces.

so here it is: the infinité necklace

and just to give you an idea of it on:

i've been wearing this necklace daily for about the past two weeks and it goes great with any outfit... would also be a great option for your bridesmaids!

*Blair

what else i've been up to

2010-01-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

so i've been getting more and more orders for custom handstamped necklaces and here are some of those that were christmas orders...

below left was created for a friend - she wanted her husband & her initals for Bill & Brenn, another tag that said "faith," and a small gold tag with a paw print for their golden doodle Ralph, i love that it's a mixed metal necklace, silver and gold tags dangled on a gold chain... this way you can wear it with anything!

below right was for her MIL - S stamped on a gold tag for her initial and since she loves all things horses we did a horsehoe charm.

this next necklace was for her dear friend, obviously the L is her inital, and the giraffe has a special meaning since her friend has done humanitarian/mission work in Africa she wanted something to represent that - and when i found these cute little charms, we thought they were perfect!

and yet another mixed metal necklace.

this one was a necklace created for one of my bro's wives... their initials are stamped on a copper tag layered on top of a sterling silver tag with each of their boys names - zek. luke. & daniel... and of course a paw print for their pets and the dogs they breed.

this next one you may recognize from posting a few months ago, i made this for my other SIL lisa awhile back, but for Christmas i gifted her the middle tag that says Prov. 31... this is significant because everything she touches with her hands is blessed, from interior design, to sewing, cooking, even her cleaning & organizing skills! she's a great mommy to my nephews and in my opinion a Proverbs 31 woman - which if you're familiar with the chapter it speaks of a Godly wife, woman, and mother, but this was specifically in reference to "she works with her hand in delight" and lisa truly does!

this tag addition also is a great idea, once you have a necklace you don't have to stop there - you can add to it at any time, when you hit a milestone, have a baby, or discover a verse you really love... i can figure out a way to incorporate a special idea or meaning into your necklace.

this next necklace was for my MIL - a tag for my hubby and her son Justus, and his brother Josh, and then a tag for Sammy the dog {her fur kid}

if you have a custom stamped necklace in mind, feel free to contact me jdvjewelry{at}gmail.com and we can work together on a design!

from one holiday to the next!

2010-01-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

i've been working on lots of new projects in my absence, and i will be slowly adding these fun banners to my etsy shop... wouldn't this be cute for a valentines party? or to have hanging for your romantic dinner for two?

this banner is also up for grabs in my etsy shop too!

i used red card stock to make the scallops {which measure 3.5" in diameter},

the letters are made from kraft paper which has little black bicycles screen printed on it,

they are all strung on a cute black & white ribbon.

and at each end of the banner i tied little bows to finish it off

if you would like a happy birthday, anniversary, or even custom wedding banner made, please feel free to contact me and we can work together to create something special!

hello 2010!

2010-01-04T22:54:00.000-08:00

happy new year to you all!

i hope your holidays were filled with relaxation, family time, and fun... i know we certainly enjoyed our's - around thanksgiving we got the glorious news that J passed the california bar on the 1st try, so yes, i'm official married to an attorney! then in december we celebrated my dad's 65th birthday party topped off w/ him bowling 5 strikes in a row at his b-day shindig {can we say senior hobby?}. christmas eve was spent with my whole crazy & wonderful family playing games, talking, and reflecting on the meaning of Christmas. Christmas day J and i were off to SLC {his hometown} to visit his family for a few days and test our well adjusted so-cal thin-blooded bodies in the 9 degree cold of Utah! i'm pretty sure at least half our time was spent playing board games, the rest was filled with good food, and spent visiting his buddies.

{our gocco'd 2009 christmas & new year's card}

as i look back at the past few months {and year} i feel as though i've traveled to the moon and back! many of last year's endeavors turned out to be rewarding and educational additions to this chapter in my life; teaching me much about myself, being a wife & daughter, being an entrepreneur, and the list really could keep going... but i will admit, despite the fact that JDV and my other biz Blair Britt Events have really come to life, i need to do more and grow them both into more. as i look at my past few posts since my giveaway i feel as though i've been a really lousy blogger... sure i've focused on twitter and my facebook page more than my blog, but my blog is what so many clients & friends have said they enjoy... it's my journal of this journey as a business owner that i love to share. and since i work best when i know i'm accountable for something, in writing...

my goal this next year will be to try my darndest to blog twice and post one new item in my shop on a weekly basis in 2010! they may not be my typical legnthy posts, but i WILL post =)

now i'll leave you with our christmas eve setting at my bro & SIL's home...

isn't that beautiful?? they're great at entertaining, not to mention my SIL is a FANTASTIC interior designer - they've graciously hosted many of our family holidays! we love going there, & i'm sure you can see why.

here she and i are goofing around in front of the trees - tippy toes!

{playing catch up} lucia's order

2009-11-29T11:04:00.000-08:00

awhile back i was contacted by a bride, just like many other convos go on in my etsy shop - little did i know until some back and forth emailing that this bride was Lucia of Utterly Engaged {the e-mag} and d*lsh designs. she had asked that i make some custom wire written necklaces {similar to my l-o-v-e necklace in my shop}. so we did four necklace all in her girls' names. giang, henny {her biz partner}, cecile, and sherry, and here's how they turned out.

here's a photo from d*lsh design's blog of Lucia and her new hubby on their wedding day... congrats you two!

if you would like something custom created for a special person, feel free to email me at jdvjewelry{at}gmail.com and i'd be happy to work with you to create a unique and special piece!

i'm baack!

2009-11-29T10:49:00.000-08:00

so... i know it's been a few months, i've been really busy and haven't forgotten about you all who follow my blog - i've just been trying to get my feet back on the ground, which is slowly happening!

since my last post i coordinated my first official wedding {i'll be sure to start blogging the photos soon}, but, also my hubs and i found out some great news... he passed the CA Bar exam on the first try - yep that means as of this thursday's swearing in ceremony, i'll be married to an attorney! it's been such a long journey in which i feel like i've been his "wingman" on, from all the law school final exams, Bar prep study classes, and 3 months of studying like a crazy person... it's all paid off and he's now crossed the finish line on this part of the journey! i'm so proud and so thankful that his hard work was rewarded, and i can't wait to see what's in store for him and us down the road. also, congrats to anyone else out there who just went through what my hubs did, and was fortunate enough to pass!

ok now down to business.... =)

sorry for my absence

2009-09-22T00:47:00.000-07:00

i've been away for a little while since i've been doing a lot of work on my "other" business... Blair Britt Events. it's my other pride and joy... event design and wedding coordination, which i now offer as a service to my clients... any-who... i just coordinated my first client's wedding this past saturday at saddlerock ranch in malibu, ca - and i really can't wait to show off the day... but i'll have to wait to do that... i'll post as soon as i have the pro photos!

but in the mean time take a sec to visit my new {other} blog: BlairBrittEvents and follow my other twitter profile {twitter.com/blairbrittevent}, find us on facebook too!

{announcement} giveaway winner!

2009-08-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

alrighty... so the winner is:

Nicole-Lynn of Seaside Smitten blog - she won the item of her choice:

the petite wishbone necklace

Nicole-Lynn - i will be contacting your shortly to get your shipping info

CONGRATULATIONS you have your necklace for your engagement shoot!

and to everyone else who entered the giveaway - thank you so much for the participation! and please stay tuned for more opportunities similar to this in the future... also, i'd like to offer you the opportunity to go shopping with a 20% discount for entering the giveaway! upon check out just enter "giveaway" and your comment number to let me know you had participated in the contest.

{recent project} calligraphy inspired paper goods

2009-08-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

when this next bride, julia, contacted me it was gocco an order of rehearsal dinner napkins - then it turned into cocktail napkins for their wedding and their coordinating thank you notes too!

here's how they turned out -

100 dark teal napkins

{sorry the flash bleached the color out a bit}

gocco'd w/ metallic gold using the monogram and design from their rehearsal invites

this photo's a way better representation of the true color of the napkins!

julia approached me with idea of gocco'ing wedding napkins

using some custom calligraphy from etsy seller emililies

{she also worked on my new branding i'll be showing off soon}

100 of these are done on a great fall color - plum!

and then 100 more in ivory - this is a close up to show off the shine from the metallic ink

and last but not least - her pretty and personalized 60 wedding thank you notes

in soft white {aka ivory}

my very first JDV jewelry blog giveaway!

2009-08-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

i am so thrilled to have hit the 200 "hearts" mark in my etsy shop, so... in honor of that event i thought i'd

host my first EVER giveaway on my Joie de Vie Jewelry & Accessories blog. . .

i'm offering the opportunity to choose ANY jewelry or accessory piece from my shop!

here are some of my favorites

petite wishbone necklace

la femme earrings

petite personalized initial stamped necklace w/ charm

belle earrings w/ ivory coin pearls - great for the bride

macrame necklace w/ amazonite stones

{how to enter}

{step 1} visit the JDV jewelry & accessories shop here - find your favorite item, try even looking through my prior sales for additional ideas!

{step 2} come back to the blog and comment under today's post noting which jewelry or accessory you would love

to call you very own. . . just be sure to comment before AUGUST 21st!

{step 3} check back in ONE week to see if you were randomly chosen to receive a free

joie de vie item

{remember} you can pick ANY jewelry or accessory piece in my shop - now go! =)

and good luck!

*email me if you'd like to sponsor a future joie de vie jewelry & accessories giveaway on your blog*

jdvjewelry{at}gmail.com

{custom paper goods} wedding weekend agenda inserts

2009-08-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

here's a recent project for one of my current brides allie, she approached me awhile about gocco'ing some of her wedding paper goods and one of those items was an additional insert for her wedding invitations... her invites had a dandelion motif so these scalloped inserts are perfect in keeping with that silhouette. here they are - gocco'd in gold ink

and here are her invites assembled and ready to head off to her guests

thanks allie for sending the photo of the finished product! =)

i'm back... again - i really could get used to this traveling thing =)

2009-08-09T01:28:00.000-07:00

hi again everyone! i know its seems as though i've been away from the blog for awhile, and, well, admittedly i had been trying to keep my head above water in july... it was a crazy month with my hubs taking the CA bar exam, trying to prep for our vacation for our first anniversary, and get all my clients orders on track and shipped prior to leaving! in short - it's been a whirlwind past few weeks! =)

now we're back to reality, i'm back to blogging, and i really have so much to show, tell, and catch y'all up on!

i'm so happy to announce that this starting this friday {august 14th} i will be hosting my very first jewelry give away on my blog... i'll post more details toward the end of the week, but i'm very excited to get some of my new goodies listed in the shop which will make the give away even more exciting!

oh and here's a pic from the san diego leg of our anniversary trip - in the lobby of our gorgeous hotel - the us grant in the gaslamp district... if you haven't been... GO! it's UH-mazing

{recent project} napa wedding paper goods

2009-07-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

congrats to ben and darcy! this couple just got married up in napa yesterday... so in honor of their wedding i thought i'd show you what we worked with them on.

first i'll show you a little behind the scenes work on these programs -

here's 175 x both sides of the programs, so what you're really looking at is 350 pieces i gocco'd

prior to turning them into programs!

and here's the finished product!

it was an outdoor wedding so i worked with darcy to design these fan programs,

which were meant to help guests keep cool in the late afternoon sun.

{they also make great sun visors too}

front side:

ceremony details and cranberry colored scroll design

back side:

wedding party and a special note from darcy & ben

w/ the scroll detail once again

we also tied the scroll detail through to their guests' place cards

-which were printed on opal stardream cards for an added shimmer

if you're interested in personalizing your wedding day paper goods or other items - i would love to hear from you! this is just a sample of the ways i can help design your event and accessories which can be customized so that your wedding day style flows seamlessly throughout the entire event!

feel free to contact me via emai: JDVJewelry{at}gmail.com

of convo me through my etsy shop!

{blog love} etsy item of the day

2009-07-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

i'm a few days behind... but i wanted to say THANKS to Jackie over at "etsy item of the day" for featuring my petite wishbone necklace on her blog and for tweeting about it too! you can follow her {@EtsyToday} via twitter.

go check her out, she has lots of great, unique finds on her blog...

thanks again jackie =)

{month in review} july highlights

2009-07-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

man, this summer is really sailing by! and it's been a few weeks since my last post, hopefully all that i have to show you will make up for my lack of posts... it's been a crazy past month of custom orders and other fun new items - so without further ado, here's what i've been up to....

citrus bridal shower invites:

*sorry for the privacy blurs*

the invite was gocco'd in metallic gold - lime - and yellow

and the envelope had the hostess' return address gocco'd in gold on the flap

w/ a slice of lime on the front side of the envelope

i just adore the cute and playful font we used to highlight the bride's name!

if you check out the bottom right corner that font was used to subtly highlight

the request for recipes for "katie's cook book"

i also gocco'd coordinating thank you notes that the hostess plans to give the bride at the shower - making thank you note writing that much easier and cuter! =)

if you happen to like these citrus summery thank you notes - they're be available in my shop

{blog love} wishpot wedding blog - my guest post

2009-07-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

ok, ok, so i'm a few days behind on this - but a little while back Christine @gift_girl {you can follow her on twitter} contacted me about doing a vendor guest post about jewelry on wishpot's wedding blog- i was so honored to even be asked to tell what i do!

so this past week my guest post went live... you can check it out here

and what's blog post without somethin' to look at... here's one of the weddings featured... it's my own =)

{shop update} add headbands to the list!

2009-07-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

well folks, i adore a cute headband - however, every time i see one, i've thought...

i could make that! so that's what i've done... here's a small group of the headbands i've made and will be posted in my shop over the next few days. i think they're just great for summer too... don't feel like making your hear look great? just throw it back in a pony and top it off with one of these guys!

i hope you like them =)

new orleans

skinny headband wrapped in pink satin ribbon - adorned with guinea feathers -
finished with b&w stripped satin ribbon

dixieland

wrapped with red satin ribbon - adorned with feathers -

and finished with a petite white and denim ribbon.

nassau

wrapped with a light pink satin ribbon - adorned with guinea feathers -
finished with a petite lime green satin ribbon.

bora bora

wrapped in hand dyed mokuba silk ribbon {purple, teal, and white} -
adorned with feathers - finished with a petite gold metallic ribbon

chinoiserie

wrapped in a fun and colorful satin ribbon - adorned with guinea feathers

- finished with a petite coral satin ribbon

nile

wrapped in a light blue satin ribbon w/ a gold metallic finish - adorned
with feathers - finished with a petite gold metallic ribbon

aegean

1/2" headband wrapped in purple grosgrain ribbon - adorned with feathers

- finished with an petite electric blue satin ribbon

vert

1/2" headband wrapped in b&w stripped satin ribbon, peacock feathers,

and finished with a petite lime green ribbon

safari

wrapped in brown grosgrain with orange stitching -

adorned with various feathers - finished with a petite orange satin ribbon

off to renegade!

2009-07-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

sorry for my lack of posting since i've been back, but i've seriously been trying to play catch up!

i'm stoked today because i'm heading up to the LA Renegade Craft fair! it's on today and tomorrow and get this - you just have to pay to park, admission is free!