Goodbye Invites!

I took my invites to the post office on Friday. It was more complicated than I expected. We had some flash flooding that day and the first 5 routes I took had water flowing over the road. I finally made it there, by going to the neighboring town and coming from the opposite direction.

Check it out: 100 invites!


Once I finally made it to the post office, I said goodbye to the invites. I expect most people will get theirs today or tomorrow. I can't wait to start getting RSVPs back!

Invitation Design

I originally designed this invite last summer. I loved the idea of having a big bright sunflower somewhere on the invite, and by just using part of the sunflower, I think it makes the invite look really modern. My design has changed a little bit. I found a prettier sunflower a few weeks ago, but the yellow was just a little too light, so I had the printer darken it just a little, too make it more of a golden yellow.

Here is my final design, if it looks a little funky (especially the map) it's because I took out all last names, city names, and highway numbers to be internet safe.

They are finally done!!!!

My invites are done! I owe ALOT to my fantastic bridesmaids!

Because I live so far away from the printer and would not have been able to even pick up the invites until this weekend, my sister-in-law, Hilary, and her mom, Denise, picked up the invites and inserts from the printer last week and put them all together for me! They cut all of the yellow backing to size, then taped the invites to the yellow backing and taped that yellow backing to the pocketfold, and they also put all the inserts in the pocket! All 102 of them! They are lifesavers!

After I picked up the invites from them, another of my bridesmaids, Shannon, came over to help me with the wax seals. She did the wax dripping (and suffered many burns, what a great friend!) and I did the stamping. I'll admit, none of them looked perfect, but Shannon likes to remind me that gives them character!

Just a quick review, this link shows how I made the pocketfolds.

Here is the pocketfold filled with the invite and inserts. I will post my design of each of the parts of the invite once I make them "internet safe"

And a finished invite, including the wax seal.

And a close up of the wax seal, so you can see the J & M. I bought this wax stamper when we were in Rome last summer, at a little paper store that was literally RIGHT behind the Pantheon. I've always seen the fancy script initial, but I loved that this one had both of our initials, and wasn't in script.

Thank goodness they are done! I have them all in envelopes and all envelopes addressed with stamps. I just need to seal them and drop them off this Friday!

So exciting!

Did you wear green today?

I wore my green today! No pinching here!

I finished up my pocketfolds tonight! 95 pocketfolds cut, scored, folded, and taped.


Now I can concentrate on finalizing my invite design and inserts.

On a side note, Walmart is selling big beautiful sunflowers, so of course I had to pick up a couple of bunches. Don't they look just great?

3 days until Jake is home, and 108 days until the wedding!

Baby, it's STILL cold outside!

Another ice day = another constructive wedding planning day!

I've been working on the pocketfolds for my invitations since the paper was delivered. I do just a few at a time so I won't get sick of doing all of them at once! I've been meaning to take pictures of the process to post the instructions, so I'm finally doing that today:

Before I get started, I need to let you all know I did not come up with the pocketfold idea on my own. I'm using the measurements from this blog: Heather's Road to the Aisle.

Supplies:

- paper (I ordered mine from limitedpapers.com. The brand is Beckett Cambric Linen and the color is Blazer Blue. When I ordered, I asked for it to be custom cut to 16 1/8"x 7")

- paper cutter (with an interchangeable paper scorer)

- template for the inner and outer flap ( I made my own)

- bone folder (to get nice crisp folds)

- good scissors

- very skinny double sided tape

Instructions:

First, score a straight line at 3"

next, score a straight line at 5 1/8"

next, score a straight line at 5"

use the bone folder on each of the scored lines to create a very crisp fold

line up and trace the inner flap template

line up and trace the outer flap template

cut out each flap after traced

Here is the entire thing, scored and folded and cut, ready to be taped up
This is what I found to be the hardest and most time consuming part: getting the tape just the right length and in the correct position. This took a lot of trial and error!peel off the tape cover on both sides and fold the flap up
I flattened the tape with the bone folder. Here is the completed pocket, ready to be stuffed:
All folded up:

Of course, it looks quite plan right now, but I will be adding the actual invitation, and inserts in the pocket, as well as some kind of embellishment on the outside. I'm thinking possibly a sunflower or monogram, or a combo of the two!