77 | Looking forward to 2015

It’s been 10 years since I printed and cut my first set of stationery, 7 years since I launched the first version of lotusandash.com (a blog), and 2 since I launched this version of the site. It’s also been a week since I made one of the biggest decisions in my life so far — one that is sure to see a lot more paper and design from LOTUS&ASH come into the world. I’m excited. Very excited.

2015 is going to be a good one - there's a lot of work to be done - and I’ll keep you posted here as the adventure unfolds.

For now, here’s a look back at 2014 – a journey that included the pleasure of working with a record of eight (8!) couples on their wedding paper suites, a paper journey to Japan, and continuing to work with the most passionate small business owners.

- some highlights -

map-wrapped letterpress invitations for a sonoma wedding

map-outside

map-inside

incorporating watercolor into this “desert meets san francisco” chic wedding

watercolor_ca_1

escort_cards

planning a “beachelorette” and designing the wedding paper suite for one of my closest and dearest friends

beachelorette-2

10462619_10101112883055233_419035319661045915_n

juliet-save-the-date

la_map

completing the projects for 8 weddings at the end of summer

wedding_complete

… and celebrating with a trip to ojai

ojai_watercolor

visiting morita washi paper in kyoto

morita

exploring naoshima and solo time with yayoi kusama’s pumpkin and monet’s lillies

naoshima_1

naoshima_2

the first print with my evolution press … and the promise of using a real press in 2015

evolution_letterpress

These are just a few of the things that have made 2014 memorable — and, safe to say, the best yet. 2015, here we come.

72 | Twenty Twelve: A Year in Review #tbt

  In the past year, I have taken a liking to #tbt. Let's explode that hashtag: throwback thursdays is a phrase older than instagram, but has been popularized by what the Amaro filter can do with that old picture of you with braces, headgear, retainer, __(insert awkward orthodontics here)__ that you love to hate. Is it because I live for nostalgia? Yes. Is it because I can never see too many of my friends with bowl cuts? Most definitely. And so, on this last #tbt of January, I think it's a good time to have a throwback to the prior year, and offer a look into what kept me away from posting on L&A.

01.

kentucky

 Became a Kentucky Fan.

02.

la

Embedded in Los Angeles

03.

birthday

Returned to San Francisco. Received by Nettie's with open Cornbread arms

04.

museum

Visited the American Museum of Natural History  for the first time.  Experienced delicious, retro typography and dioramas.

05.06.07

wedding2

wedding1

wedding3

helped launch this site and made wedding invitations by candlelight

08.

apartment

found this apartment

09.

abudhabi

wore my first kandura in Abu Dhabi

10.

hongkong

Halloweened in Hong Kong

11.

malaysia

Explored Penang and Bangkok.

12.

christmas

cooked brunch for my family on Christmas.

Twenty twelve was amazing. So many sights seen, so much done, so many laughs shared with friends and family. But of all the sights seen, the TCDC (Thailand Creative & Design Center) was the most incredible. Wall to wall design books, magazines, textures, and materials. I would travel the world and back just to spend the afternoon here:

design

Onwards and upwards with 2013!

68 | Perfect Complements

design spotlight: newlywed stationery - caitlin and patrick

There are few better ways to celebrate a marriage than a new stationery set for the couple. (Indeed, I'm a little biased). But, when the opportunity arises, L&A sees it as the chance to create a design that showcases the personality of a couple, as individuals and together.

commissioned by the maids of honors (MoHos) for caitlin and patrick, the newlywed stationery is a set of 5 designs printed in all black on thick, off-white paper that show just how much caitlin and patrick are meant to be (even celebrating their college rivalry)!

her bubbly to his beer

her stanford to his cal

her salty to his sweet

the jackie to his jfk

her pumps to his loafers

. . .

congratulations & happy writing to the newlyweds!

65 | Day Two - Tess & Kieran

design spotlight: the wedding invitation suite of tess & kieran

LOTUS&ASH designed and hand-crafted the invitation suite for a beautiful wedding in August. Nothing short of one-of-a-kind would fit this unique couple –  Stanford alums with a passion for good food, good beer, and good fun. (And the primary reason why we all became fast friends)

The event was a four-day weekend in Lake Elkhart, WI, centered around a ceremony and reception at the Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan. The couple exchanged vows on the site of the childhood library of the father-of-the-bride, where he had earned top-notch bookworm bragging rights years before walking his daughter down the aisle.

The places and wedding activities were deep with family history. Capturing this and the excitement and fun of the weekend as well, the invitation suite featured:

A whimsical Save the Date postcard, inspired by a New Yorker cover loved by the couple.

An 8 page Wedding Invitation Booklet

with envelopes  lined with pages from an Antique Mother Goose Book...

The inside cover featured a dedication to family and friends

…page two highlighted the weekend events

and a hand-drawn map of the area followed.

An old school Library card marking the milestones in the couple’s relationships so far served as the perfect reply card:

The cover (complete with gold foil stamp) was printed by Oscar Printing in San Francisco, and each page and envelope was printed by L&A.  250 Booklets were hand-sewn over an entire weekend.

The ceremony and reception were complemented by matching programs and menus.

(photo by anna page photography)

Last but not least, the (paper) love continued on letterpressed stationery, printed on thick Crane Lettra.

The wedding suite was a paper pinnacle for LOTUS&ASH, and one of the first of many to come...

64 | A Week of LOTUS&ASH - Day One

How do I say this… the right way?

It’s – err – been a while. I’m sorry I’ve been out of touch. The past three months have been filled with the demands of the full-time job, travel from coast to coast, and producing amazing paper and design (and not having enough time to post about them).

I know it’s not an excuse. It’s just an explanation.

However, LOTUS&ASH is not one to offer an apology without a resolution. And so, I present to you: A Week of LOTUS&ASH

The week will be jam-packed with the blitzkrieg of blog posts that have been sitting in my drafts folder, so that we can catch up, make amends, and move on.

Highlights include:

• DESIGN SPOTLIGHT: The Garton/O’Connor Wedding Invitation Suite
• Identities upon Identities, dreamed up in collaboration with new partners over the past year
• A sneak peak at the Holiday Line
• 24 Hours in Tokyo for the Paper Lover
• And much, much more…

In the meantime…

For being so patient with me.