Last year around this time, a bride called and asked me to create an invitation using bandana fabric.  To date, it’s one of my favorite projects, and I have her invitation posted in my Weddings Gallery and on lots of other online galleries!  Part of the reason why her wedding ensemble is one of my favorite projects is that when she asked me to use fabric, my first instinct was to panic.  Using fabric on invitations was new for me, and I didn’t really know where to begin.  But I told her I’d try it out and see what happened.  Well, the results were amazing!  That bride opened a whole world of opportunities for me!

Since creating her wedding invitations, I’ve created many, many more invitations using fabrics, for various events and occasions, and have actually decided to layer my business cards onto fabric.  (Yes, it’s just that great.)  (I’ll post my new business cards on this blog at a later date so you can see just how incredible they are – I dare you to throw my business card away!)

So on my last trip to the fabric store, I saw black and white gingham, and this little lightbulb went off in my head.  Wouldn’t that look awesome with some bright colors – like hot pink and bright yellow?  Maybe with a fluffy bow?  Something super fun…  Perfect!

The result is what you see above.  I created a square, gate-fold invitation using hot raspberry pink cardstock and tied it closed with a fluffy satin ribbon in lemon yellow.  Inside, the invitation is printed on bright white in a casual handwriting font paired with a formal block font.  A layer of black and white gingham sets off the invitation with unexpected flair.

To demonstrate how the look comes together at the reception, I created place-setting menus using the same materials, designed to slide into a pocket-fold napkin.

Also while I was at the fabric store, I saw some light blue and white gingham… it would look great on a birth announcement…  Hmmm.

Invitation & Menu: Dogwood Blossom Stationery