cocktails & cookbooks

After a little sketching and concepting, we cooked up a new shower invitation for a client last week. The hosts wanted to throw a kitchen & stock the bar so we came up with Cocktails & Cookbooks. Kinda fun and the illustrations we created could even stand alone. Check 'em out & they're in the shop as well!

martha, lady bird, and vintage stamps

Y'all know we love stamps. We practically hoard them, waiting until the right invitation comes along just begging for that perfect collage of stamps (new or old). It all goes back to a Martha Stewart article about using vintage stamps and artfully arranging them. It was an ahh-ha moment in the office for sure! Martha is one crafty lady and we adore her.

Anyway, the Postal Service just reissued these original 1960s stamps honoring Lady Bird Johnson. Originally engraved and adapted for printing today in offset lithography, they would be so lovely on a spring invitation. Hmm… stashing these away for now, but they will certainly be put to good use very soon.

Here's some other great examples of mixing and placing stamps creatively.

last 3 images from 100layercake & plurabelle

Americana Music 2013

This will be the 7th year Tenn Hens has partnered with the Americana Music Association. Each year we come up with a new design for their annual conference & festival. Something colorful, and fun, and reflective of the the music they represent. We create all their advertising, marketing, and promotional pieces, and do it with glee! It's truly a dream job. For 2013 we painted textures and patterns with a folk art feel.

painted ponies, flowers, cocktails, and sunsets

February has already kept us busy around the studio lately. Some pretty exciting weddings coming up + etsy shop orders. Currier's been painting ponies and illustrating borders, while Bonnie's been sprucing up her Dallas digs. The weather is changing every day from hot to cold as buttercups are blooming from the garden outside. Tiny touches of Spring. Inspiration is everywhere it seems.

albert hadley

Last year we got the chance to work on a library invitation in Nashville featuring work from Albert Hadley (a Tennessean). I actually wasn't familiar with his interior design work, but once I delved in I was in awe. He designed this knock out red-lacquer library for Brooke Astor that became pretty infamous. He was full of personality and loved pattern & color. Anyway, I went back to the invitation after I saw this write up on Interior Canvas (a very cool blog about all things interior design in Nashville). The Antiques & Garden show is doing a tribute to Albert Hadley this year. Looks like a great show - very colorful, just like the Mr. Hadley.

{ sketch by Albert Hadley + red thermography }