A Scottish Wedding!

A few months back a wonderful couple, Lauren and Neil, contacted me about designing a map for their wedding in Edinburgh Scotland! As a first generation American from Scotland I was so excited. I have a few Scotland wedding maps in my portfolio, but they wanted to do something very different. They had my design printed on leather for all the guests! The idea being that the maps would be very unique and durable in the wet weather of Scotland. Looks like the rain held off in the awesome wedding party photo! Anyway, the map turned out awesome and I created a welcome card along with custom door hangers (or Do Not Disturb signs) for all the guests that stayed at the castle they rented out... Yes, that was the word castle, more specifically the Fasque House in Fettercairn, Scotland, about 30 minutes away from my mothers home town of Montrose. The wedding and everyone in it looked simply amazing, and I'm not the only one to think so... The wedding was featured in Brides Magazine! Check out the link below and the awesome shots I got of the map from Lauren. Such a great couple to work with and so cool to have my designs featured in Brides. Just can't stop looking at the photo's!

Photos by John Konkal

Custom doesn't have to break the bank...

Just because you are working on a budget doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice style. In my spare time I have been creating unique stationery from save the dates to signage for my digital download shop. Need a unique invitation or save the date, no problem, just provide me with your specifics and I will modify the invitation or save the date with your location, date, and time. Need signage, bridesmaid cards, etc., just browse my digital download shop. If you need more custom invitations, save the dates, wedding maps, or whatever your little heart desires; I have very reasonable options throughout my shop. I pride myself on providing options for the most lavish wedding to the most intimate of gatherings. Just contact me and I will create something that matches your style.  If you’ve got a crazy idea that you would like to try for your wedding, email me! I will never (or may) tell you that you are crazy, but it will always work because it is YOU!

An Engagement Story

After designing hundreds and hundreds of maps and invitations over the years I have seen my work used used in many fun and unique ways, but this was a definite first. It ranks up there with one of the coolest things I was apart of. A few months ago, I was contacted by a sweet woman looking to help her soon to be son-in-law propose to his long time girlfriend. He wanted a vintage style map outlining all of their firsts as a couple in the city that they love, Manhattan. His plan, and may I say an awesome one, was to hang my framed custom map, printed on lush paper, in the famed bookstore, Argosy. Don't worry, he got the owners permission! He and his girlfriend would casually stop in, like they normally would, to browse some of the cool vintage books, maps, and artwork this shop is known for, except this time it would be different. One of the maps would stand out amongst the other art pieces in the shop. There he would get down on one knee and propose to the love of his life in front of a map highlighting their firsts together. He would hire a professional photographer to capture the moment. Sounds like a great plan huh? Well I am happy to report that he pulled it off and she said "yes!". How could she say anything but? I am so happy to be a little part of their history and honored  that I was entrusted to capture their past. Here's to their future and I'll always be here to create anther piece for all the firsts to come. Check out the lovely photo's they sent me of the day!

The happy couple!

One of my favorites

I meant to post these pictures a while back and perhaps some of you may have seen them on Twitter, but I was lucky enough to create a wedding map for Lara Yunaska (Trump) and Eric Trump for their wedding last month. Lara was so sweet to work with and I think it showed in the map I created. The wedding looked amazing and it was one of the largest weddings I have done to date.  If you haven’t seen the photos of their wedding, check them out. Best of luck to the happy couple.

Save the Dates, Invites, and Snail Mail

An engagement is an exciting time filled with planning, choosing wedding bands, showers, registering, and anxiety, but all too often the public declaration of your impending nuptials is overlooked. A properly crafted save the date card and subsequent invitation lets your guest know how special that day will be. It isn't just about where, when, and where you are registered...  Take some time to share through words and visuals what that day will mean to you on paper via the good ole postal service. We are bombarded with e-mails, texts, Evites, Facebook posts, Twitter feeds, and mass mailings, so when someone takes the time to write a letter or send an original card people take notice. Snail mail may be going the way of the horse, but who doesn't love a ride in a hansom cab? Think about the last time you got a handwritten letter or card from someone. How did it make you feel? Did it feel more personal? Were you surprised? I bet you read that letter more than once and probably kept it for quite a while. Give your guest that special feeling on the walk back from the mailbox, feel the anticipation of the excited phone calls you will receive, and know that you have set the tone for how special your wedding day will truly be. Remember, your wedding is a very special event that doesn't just start when you walk down the aisle. Make your friends and family feel special, and in-turn they will make YOUR wedding a day a memorable one. And one day while your relatives are solving US foreign policy in the kitchen you'll go through your mothers cluttered old hutch and there will be that invite, not stored on a cloud or on a thumb drive, but there in your hands and it will take you back to better days. 

Here are 5 ways to make your invitation or save the date special:

1) Incorporate wedding themes, color schemes, and interests (Customize)

2) Print on a thick linen stock

3) Hand address (excellent penmanship is a must!) or use a calligrapher

4) Use nice envelopes

5) Use unique or customized stamps

Family Business

This past Wednesday our family (CW Designs) took a field trip to The Alexa Machine Company in Dallas to watch one of Carol's designs screen pressed for the first time. A while back Carol and I started thinking about creating a map that highlighted some of the awesome places to eat on the Square in McKinney, TX. Carol spent months going over layouts, concepts, and materials while I offered my occasional two cents! Finally, last week we had a layout and concept that we liked. Carol always wanted to have one of her designs screen printed on a tea towel, clearly her first generation Scottish roots were at play. We looked around the Dallas area to find a shop that would best fit our needs and were rewarded when we found the people of The Alexa Machine Co.

The Alexa Machine Company is a small family business that services small businesses like CW Designs. Roseamber and her husband, Jan, own the small shop located in a nondescript business park in North Dallas, but their work is anything but nondescript. They are truly dedicated to their craft and take pride in bringing an artists vision to life. They've worked with bands from all over Dallas, small businesses, and even some of Dallas' best know artists.  Besides being kick ass at what they do, they are down to earth people who know the challenges a small business faces. We spent the morning talking about pigments, Jan's former life in metal bands, and discussing the leap of faith it took to do something they loved.  It was a pretty great morning and it reaffirmed our efforts in making CW Designs a full on family business. Owning a small business has made us acutely aware of where our money goes and who it goes to and when Carol and I were watching Jan and his assistant set up the press in an increasingly warmer garage while humming classic rock tunes I saw where our money was going and it made me smile.

This map only highlights a small portion of what makes McKinney a great town. We hope that you'll support all of the great small businesses in McKinney because that's what makes it special and why Money Magazine rated it the #1 place to live in America. Small businesses across the country are what makes this country great and we appreciate every order from newly engaged couples, small businesses, real estate agents, and wedding/event planners from all across the country and the globe. Your money goes to helping us achieve our goals as a small business and to provide for our children.

The final result!

Support a small business on ETSY, buy from artisans, and shop at your neighborhood grocer. Should your travels ever take you to the burgeoning outpost of McKinney, head to the Square and shop, have a drink, and eat a fantastic meal, all while knowing you are helping a small business and a family. Oh, and buy a tea towel to remember your trip.