all is calm, all is bright

We wish you a very merry season with family and friends.
* Happy Holidays from Tenn Hens *

silver bells

Tis the season for holiday greetings and our newest design turned out beautifully. As you know, we love letterpress and love it even more when our clients want to use the printing technique. Pharm MD was looking to send out a greeting to colleagues, friends and clients and knew they wanted to use this special look. So Tenn Hens designed a fun, play on their logo and had it printed on thick blotter paper to highlight the imprint.

65th celebration

It was love at first sight with this project. Our client brought in old photos of their mother and one of the frames was incredibly beautiful. It was engraved with little storks on each side and all of her birth information below. All the little details were so precious so we couldn't help using the cute baby stats on the invitation The milestone was her mother's 65th birthday and the children were throwing a big party with friends. Sweet & reminiscent on the outside, and lively on the inside was the idea.

turkey time

Every holiday deserves a little recognition. Thanksgiving isn't one of the holidays you typically receive an actual invitation for, but I for one prefer this over a phone call! It's a special day of family and food to give thanks for. So when we were asked to come up with a really fun invite, Currier whipped up a gorgeous watercolor turkey. Then we adhered the card to some linen fabric and frayed the ends - very festive and Fall. Plus the Macy's Day stamps they have at the post office are simply divine.

a clear vision

I believe we've posted about this project before, but now it's even better than the first go round. Our client, Tenvision, needed to order more tri folds we'd designed for them. This time though, they really wanted to improve the durability of the folded sections and change paper stocks. So, we tinkered around with a couple of ideas and between us and our fabulous printer's suggestions… a new and improved folder was born. It's sturdier to hold the notepad & the un-coated, thick paper we choose showcases the embossed (raised) cover beautifully. The logo was embossed and the word "ultrasound" was blind embossed, creating a beautiful silhouette. We're always open to improvement and in this case, revisiting an existing idea in a new way, produced an even better result.

off and running

We met Jim back when we had just opened Tenn Hens doors in 2005. We were designing a project for CMT, where he was working, and he sought us out recently as he started this new business venture. Running 4 Cover is a Nashville based production company. They represent a group of video directors and also offer an in-house studio. We were thrilled to hear from him and find out he'd gone out on his own. I guess you could say we root for the upstart. After all, it's what we did!

Some clients come to us looking for a little polishing up of their existing brand. In this case, he already had a logo and great looking website. What he needed was to pull together their marketing and create a really cohesive look. Tenn Hens designed business cards, labels and note cards based on his existing look. We wish him much success.

a special treat

The big 4-0 is certainly a reason to celebrate. This particular client had some hilarious photos to work with on her invitation. So we designed a girlie, whimsical pattern in the background, then letter-pressed the hot pink type. Our favorite detail was the luxurious envelopes. They had a slight texture and were letter-pressed as well on both sides! We carried the theme over to napkins and favor tags. Lucky guests received a small box of truffles from The Cocoa Tree in Nashville - yum!

music to our ears

Americana seems to be quite the buzz word these days. The Americana Music Association is really fabulous and it's catching on like crazy around the world. People seem to really respond to roots music and it's variety appeals to so many types of listeners. So we slipped on our boots and headed to the Ryman Auditorium for a magical evening. We were thrilled to see all of the pieces for this years event really come together. And I think the 10 yr stamp was a great way to showcase their anniversary. It's quite a milestone to hit! We tip our hats to the people running the show and to another fabulous year of music.

itty bitty teeny weeny

The latest invitation job Tenn Hens was charged with, was a baby shower for a very close friend. There were no color or design limitations so we really wanted to a less traditional and very fun invitation. And since it was such a close friend, we did a little "styling" for the event as well! We think the result is very sweet.

calling cards

We don't leave them on silver trays in entry ways anymore, but calling cards are still relevant today. Stuck in wedding presents or with a hostess gift, they're a wonderful touch. And we thought they could use a little touch of whimsy. A combination of old textures, scans and watercolors, they take on a personality all their own.





Contact us for more information on pricing and styles.

colorful style

Music City has a unique, artistic style associated with it. Our latest job involved recreating that look for a grand opening invitation. The Hilton Garden Inn opened it's doors a couple of months ago and wanted to celebrate their new location in Midtown. So we created a rustic invitation with lot's of texture on recycled paper. And since we love stamps, the return address fit nicely on the back in a red hue. If you're ever in that neighborhood, check out the hand-painted mural in their lobby - it was created by the Hee-Haw set designer!

client news

Grammy's will be putting Americana on the map : That's the headline on USA Today that jumped out at us this morning. "The building blocks of American popular music are moving into their own home." We're so proud to be associated with such a cool group of folks!

cricket hollow

Even the little details can make a big difference when throwing a party. We created some labels for a summer supper at Cricket Hollow. If you are looking to add some flair to your next soiree just give us a shout!

firecracker hill

Apparently an invitation in a box is one hot ticket lately. Our most recent request was from some friends of ours, who were getting hitched on July 4th, and we happily obliged. The setting was the groom's family farm near Fly, Tennessee - what a cool name! And they call the hill where the ceremony took place "Firecracker Hill." Pretty fitting for independence day.

Elegantly southern, but with a hint of non traditional flare. That was our starting point for the design. We incorporated vintage motifs and played off the intricate metal work on the arbor.

And finally..... the beautiful calligraphy by Ginger English adds the perfect bit of whimsy!

49 & holding

Some people cringe and hide at the thought of another birthday. Others are ready to ring it in with a big bash. This client is the latter! So..... their event coordinator, the FABULOUS Elizabeth James, hired us to create a special invitation to get the ball rolling.

We designed an invitation suite around the theme, "49 & Holding." We found some vintage playing cards (actually in Currier's grandmother's bridge table), then had a bit of fun with the imagery and some clever copy. "The cards are stacked against him… He's over the hill and picking up speed. A big celebration is just what he needs!"

And on a side note: we want to give a a little love to our printer from this job......... Jive. They are wonderful to work with and turn out a great product! Next time you have a printing need, check them out in Cummins Station.

some new branding

Even after many years of continued business success, every company can use a little sprucing up. And that's what Steve Ward and Associates decided they needed for their marketing. SWA is a full service dealer for laboratory furniture, institutional casework and custom architectural millwork. They are a wonderful group of professionals and we were so excited to be a part of their re-branding.

They'd already hired us to create a company brochure and now we were charged with helping them update their brand. We started with their logo. The goal was to create an identity based on their past mark, but with a more modern feel and updated color palette. Next, we designed the stationary which they chose to have engraved. Engraving is such a beautiful, traditional technique that makes each piece feel special. The result… the next generation of Steve Ward & Associates.

the tradition continues

10 must be the magic number this year, because The Americana Music Association is also celebrating their 10th anniversary! The organization is going strong and has some big news:

The Recording Academy will officially recognize the Americana genre next year at the Grammy's! “These are the country’s preeminent artists, who not only pay homage to roots, but truly shape modern music. The Americana community couldn’t be prouder of their decision.”

More to come on this, but here is the logo we created for this year's event that will be held September 16th - 19th in Nashville.

yes, please

At Tenn Hens, we are constantly looking for new inspiration for our design work. There are a few businesses out there that seem to always impress us with their work. Well, to our surprise, two of those companies recently collaborated and the result is fabulous. Anthropologie partnered with Hatch Show Print to produce their latest catalog.

Anthropologie is always producing great looking clothing, but more importantly, their store displays and home goods are to die for. Their styling and knack for funky, cool design is enviable. Then there is Hatch. Not only are they located right here in Nashville, they're also America's oldest working poster print shop. They use handcarved letters and images to create the best posters around. We are in LOVE with their typography & anything letterpressed. Enjoy!

moroccan theme

Sparkling bold colors, belly dancers and star filled tents fit the bill for a moroccan themed party. To set the mood, we created a very colorful and unique invitation. Our inspiration came from the moroccan tents with striped poles and patterned ceilings. They are so chic! And since the party is for an 18th birthday, we knew we could get a little funky with the design. Plus, Currier did the hand lettering on the envelopes which gave these a really cool touch.