And for the perfect tag, turn your attention to this DIY by Sherry of The Charm of Home.

Using polymer clay, store-bought seashells and beach accents, sand paper, a cookie cutter, and rustic string, she was able to make these gorgeous beach-themed gift tags.

Aren’t they beautiful? The great thing about this is that you can easily modify the project according to the “theme” that you’re going for. Using a cookie cutter or molds with different shapes and designs, you can easily make a batch of tags for a kiddie birthday party, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and other occasions.

DIY and Photo Source: The Charm of Home

The post DIY: Beach Motif Polymer Clay Tags appeared first on Ecka & Pecka.

Her latest work was for the ARTAQ Festival. With the help of many schoolchildren and just about anyone who wanted to fold origami, around 30,000 pieces were created for the completion of two installations. Check out the product of their hard work below:

Breathtaking, right? If you want to see more of Mademoiselle Maurice’s work, go HERE. And don’t forget to get to know the other paper artists we have featured here on Ecka & Pecka.

The post Mademoiselle Maurice’s Origami Street Art: Combining Paper Crafts and Causes appeared first on Ecka & Pecka.

Here are 12 that we think will hit the spot:

Laura Macchia - Minimalist, sweet, and straight to the point. Gray and red always work, too.

Man vs. George Design - An adorable card from one of our favorite greeting card designers.

Paper Wheel - Hmmm letterpress goodness. I love the simplicity and general air of approval.

Ecka & Pecka - Truly, what a difference a day makes.

Pheasant Press - Reminiscent of the trendy chalkboard aesthetics. Lovely typography, too.

Egg-A-Go-Go - How gorgeous! You may also want to stock up since this is quite a versatile congratulatory card.

Green Bean Things - Cute illustration and clever tagline and 3D, too!

Define Design 11 - Another knot design in simple blue and white. Perhaps for the couple who had a beach wedding?

Print Smitten - Because owls are always popular.

Design Parlour - Ha! Will especially be more relevant if you were present at the joint bachelor and bachelorette party and the couple partook in beer and shots.

Fair Morning Blue - Straight to the point but still quite lovely.

Little Low - How adorable are the illustrations? The vintage style calligraphy is beautiful, too.

The post 12 Delightful Cards for Congratulating Newlyweds appeared first on Ecka & Pecka.

Today, we give you Aled Lewis and his work involving video game characters in real photos:

The reason behind the series? “As a kid I would become completely immersed in these crude pixel environments and they would seem very real. I thought it would be fun to try to express how gamers see these worlds,” Aled Lewis shares.

I admit that I was never enamored with these games and their pixelated characters and environments when I was younger. However, if they actually did have real photos as background, I might have just picked up a controller once or twice to battle it out with my cousins.

If you are a true fan of these old school games, though, you might want to order prints of these photos. You can get them HERE. And while you’re checking out the artist’s work, you might want to look into his greeting cards, too.

The post Video Game Characters in Real Photos appeared first on Ecka & Pecka.

Thankfully, apart from the unquestionably awesome new season, we can also expect something fabulous to coincide with its UK airing. I am referring to these licensed Downton Abbey fabrics that Andover Fabrics is set to release this November. These were designed by Kathy Hall.

The patterns below show Mary, Sybil, Edith, and the Dowager’s collections. Also included are four additional designs (first photo) that beautifully represent Downton Abbey, not just its admirable and beautiful ladies.

I find myself drawn to the Dowager’s collection. Probably because she is my favorite character in the show and also because I think the violet and gray tones of her collection will be great for making bags. From Lady Mary’s collection, I love THIS. I imagine that the atmosphere would somehow resemble that pattern when she finds a possible new love in an old friend (spoiler alert, sorry!).

The post Andover Fabrics to Release a Line of Downton Abbey Fabrics appeared first on Ecka & Pecka.

Case in point, this darling wall art made of baby shower greeting cards:

This DIY is brought to us by the beautiful Veronika of Veronika’s Blushing. She got these cards from baby showers and decided to make wonderful wall art out of them.

You simply cut heart shapes out of the covers, arrange them in a frame, and hang. Another variation is to use a shadow box instead of your typical frame. This way, you can score the center of the hearts and display them in a 3D-like manner, with the outer flaps floating. And speaking of floating, instead of hearts, you can do butterflies!

DIY & Photo Source: Veronika’s Blushing

Also, in case you’re looking for great and funny baby shower and new mom cards, check THESE and THESE out.

The post DIY: Nursery Art Using Baby Shower Cards appeared first on Ecka & Pecka.

Yummy, yes?

For those who are not in the know, Moleskine produces items other than their famous notebooks. The note cards above, for instance are “high quality card covers with speckled, cross-cut or smooth textures” with ”4 or 8 inner pages of acid-free paper with Singer-sewn stitching, giving you more space for your words and sketches.” So basically, they are for writing and doodling messages. They are also for making recipients smile because of their oh-so-lovely colors.

The new colors are almond white, iris blue,frangipane yellow, peach blossom pink, persian lilac and tea green.

Buy HERE or HERE.

The post Moleskine Messages Go Pastel appeared first on Ecka & Pecka.

If you click on the logos below, you will be taken to the interviews we conducted with said greeting card/stationery company.

The post Walk the Show! (The National Stationery Show) appeared first on Ecka & Pecka.

Can you tell us more about how you create your cards? How does a team of two artists come together to create beautiful stationery?
We met in architecture school where we had experience working together in class and on competitions. We knew we shared a similar aesthetic long before the start of Plane Paper, but it was our devotion to design that pushed us to make our pastime a business. We love brainstorming over a glass of wine or a Dark & Stormy! Our best work is often a collaboration, starting in one person’s head and completed with the other’s hand.

What is your workplace like?
We tease that we are in a long distance relationship, each working from home offices in different cities. As such, we rely on G-chat, Dropbox, and video conferences to share ideas and collaborate on files. You might say much of our workplace is in the cloud…

Mishayla: I am currently working at the dining room table. I am a very messy worker: the table is covered with at least four sketchbooks, thousands of scraps of trace paper with scribbles on them, and lots of pens and markers! And, of course, my laptop.

Virginia: I like to work between the computer and my sketchbook. Because laser-cutting is such a finite medium I love balancing this with hand drawn lettering or illustrations, to later be input into AutoCAD. I also love to collect tons and tons of inspirational images from all areas of design- interiors, web-design, magazines, photographs, and more.

What is your least favorite thing about running a stationery business?
We are both designers by nature, so the creative side comes more naturally. It is the business side of day-to-day operations that are less enjoyable. But, when you are a small company just starting out, you have many hats to wear, so we try our best to embrace all aspects of owning our own company and continually push Plane Paper to grow.

What do you love most about it?
We love that our ideas create a tangible product. Stationery is meaningful to give and receive and it’s amazing that our creations can reach so many people. Opening a box of freshly-cut cards is very rewarding after the many hours spent sketching and designing.

Your cut-out products are divine! Where did you find inspiration for the collection?
Having utilized laser-cutting technology throughout our time in architecture, we wanted to introduce something new and unique to the stationery industry. We find inspiration in everything from textile patterns to vintage botanicals and posters to typography and favorite expressions. We also like to play with three-dimensionality and layers – a nod to our roots in design. This can often spark ideas such as our pop-out salutations or tri-fold cards that begin to tell a story.

We love your laser cut Christmas ornaments? Any plans on producing other decor for the home?
Yes! We are focusing on our paper products now and will be introducing some new products at the National Stationery Show, including new tri-fold pop-outs and 2014 calendars. We definitely have future plans for home goods, so make sure to keep an eye out.

What is the most memorable custom wedding invitation that you’ve ever made?
Mishayla: One of my favorite custom pieces we have done was our NYC save-the-date card. The couple was a lot of fun: they knew exactly what they wanted, but gave us lots of creative freedom. It is a navy blue tri-fold card with the NYC skyline cut out along the top and white screen printed text along the bottom. We did custom purple envelope liners with white splatter paint to mimic a starry sky so that when you open the envelope the laser-cut skyline sits against the sky.

Virginia: Working on a custom-suite for one of my closest friends was very rewarding and fun! Inspired by the Gulf Coast of Florida, we incorporated letterpress, the highlight: a blind-pressed sand dollar; a laser-cut coral belly band; and a vintage inspired, watercolored map. The combination was unique and very tactile while also whimsical.

If you could design wedding invitations for a celebrity couple, who would you pick?
We would love to do a renewing of vows for Judd Apatow & Leslie Man, hands-down. The concept of doing vow renewals would push us to do something out-of-the-box, and of course, they would be fun and hilarious collaborators. Or Ellen and Portia de Rossi. Because they are awesome.

—

Thank you, Virginia and Mishayla! Again, your products are divine. 

The post Virginia Dreisbach & Mishayla Schmidt of Plane Paper: Our best work is often a collaboration appeared first on Ecka & Pecka.

Why Screech Owl? Can you tell us more about the name of your company?
For years, there were a family of screech owls that lived behind my cottage in Michigan. I witnessed their lives and behaviors for years and grew very fond of them. I was devastated one summer when a pigeon hawk came to town and cleared them out. Thankfully, by the end of the season, they returned. The following year they grew their family to a total of 5 screech owls.

What made you decide to establish a stationery business?
I have always loved paper goods and sending hand-written notes. Being an illustrator, I thought I could offer a range of cards that a customer like myself was seeking and play a small role in the act of giving thanks.

Where do you make your wonderful illustrations? Do you have a studio?
I do have a studio and rarely spend time there now that I have a 9-month old. I draw and paint with my son Finn nearby. He is my greatest inspiration and my best assistant in that he reminds me to put work down and play!

Where do you find inspiration for your work?
I derive inspiration from all things natural. I have the greatest admiration for animals! Currently I have a partnership with Panthera and give proceeds of products to their organization in an effort to protect the future of Big Cats. I couldn’t imagine my son living in a world where there are no wild tigers or lions.

Do you experience “artist’s block” How do you deal with it?
The way I get through blocks is generally to stick with things. I tend to think that when I am blocked that I am actually really close to something. If I persist, I almost always get to the other side.

Your illustrations read like storybooks. Any plans on publishing a compilation of your beautiful work?
So glad you asked! My first children’s is actually available now for pre-sales on Amazon. I created a book called Patchwork Helps a Friend and it is a part of a series of books that is published by PowerHouse Arena and distributed by Random House. You can see the book HERE.

We love your lifestyle merchandise. What other new items will you be releasing under this category?
Thank you. For right now, we are expanding our line of posters which have been well-received and which I really enjoy making. As far as a larger expansion, I basically license designs for products for other companies as my main trade which include products like textiles, furniture, toys, household objects, etc., so I probably won’t be adding to much to this category for Screech Owl specifically. I try to keep Screech Owl Design as mostly a paper-goods products company and create all other work under my name. I have so many ideas and tend to reserve them for the companies I partner with.

Any advice for painters or illustrators who wish to enter the print goods industry?
I would offer to do what you love and stick with it for a while. I am a believer that if you stay focused and concentrate on something long enough or see what needs to be adjusted over time that you will see that “thing” take on a life of its own. It’s a practice and over time, one can get really good at something.

—

Thanks, Jacqueline! Best of luck with the book!

The post Jacqueline Schmidt of Screech Owl Design: Playing a small role in the act of giving thanks appeared first on Ecka & Pecka.