Paper Hounds

unlikely valentine...

2012-02-02T16:19:00.011-05:00

Happy Thursday guys & gals!

Wanted to share a few non-traditional valentines day cards today. Thought they'd give you all a good laugh and give you a little motivation to think outside of the box for your valentine this year :)

We love these letterpress greeting cards from Dude & Chick Letterpress because they're fun and funky, and the perfect way to say I love you in just the right tone to just the right person.

See what I mean? Write a sweet note that's personal and full of fond memories in one of these suckers and you're sure to have your lovebug smitten.

Pair your card with a yummy Sydney Hale candle for him to burn by his bedside, or a beautiful Rifle Paper print for her to brighten up her bathroom and then you're in for some serious lovin'

:) If you can believe it, I may have more up my sleeve tomorrow. I know - ridiculous!
Happy Thursday pals xoxoox
Lizzy

last day of January...

2012-01-31T10:10:00.009-05:00

How appropriate that on the last day of this first month of 2012, it's snowing!! Just love those fluttery flakes up in the sky today :) Something about breathing that fresh, crisp air in on an early morning that just does it for me!

I'm packing up a little box of valentine surprises for my love bug this morning and wanted to share a bit of our greeting card love with you! I had the hardest time deciding, so I think I'm going to write him a card for every day between now and valentines! Extreme? Well, maybe... but I do work at a stationery shop, so probably not the CRAZIEST thing I will ever decide to do!

Eggpress is always one of my favorite lines this time of year. They're always so playful and quirky!

And I mean, when do I not rave about LOVING Rifle Paper Co.'s designs. They're SO FLIPPING GOOD!

I always really love the paper stock and ink colors from Yellow Owl Workshop too. Their cards are always simple and to the point, but printed in these really rich, vibrant colors. What's not to L.O.V.E.

And this is an old-timey favorite from Fine Day Press that we sold out of so quickly last year! Love that purple and red combo!!

Get yours now and get them in the mail :) Always better to be too early than extra late!

xo Lizzy

P.S. Walk and drive carefully out there too folks, it's a bit slippery!!!

a little treat...

2012-01-20T11:11:00.003-05:00

Good Morning Gals and Pals!

Liz here - blogging from the front desk of Gus and Ruby Letterpress today. Gazing out the windows of the shop today, things are looking pretty beautiful outside. The bright sunshine and tufted snow piled up along the edges of our sidewalks really gives the downtown square a little extra something, and the crisp air that is so refreshing this time of year in New England always breathes gets my cheeks rosy and makes me smile. I hope that many of you are feeling the same way, excited at the prospect of a weekend spent outdoors with kiddos and loved ones enjoying just what our state is about in January - WINTER!

For those of you who may be planning on staying inside this weekend, snuggled up by the fire (which also is sounding quite lovely to me right about now), I've got a little bit of product love for you today.

One of my favorite additions to shop last year was these super fun individual mugs that demonstrate the super-fine and ultra-vibrant designs of the papercutting artist, Rob Ryan.

But for valentines this year, we thought it might be nice to try this mug pair, which has me reeling. I want a set so bad - that rich peacock and tomato red combo - just fantastic!

Perfect mugs for a hot cup of cocoa for you and your sweetie pie, don't you think?!

Hopefully some of you will have a chance to grab a set to enjoy at home, but for those of you who might prefer to marvel at the incredible craftsman behind the designs (because you already have a collection of mugs that seems excessive :) check this link here:

http://vimeo.com/30265328

I honestly could watch on repeat for HOURS! He's incredible and such an inspiration -

Happy weekend and lots of wintry love from all of us here at the shop!

ox Lizzy

photos courtesy of Wild & Wolf

Liz & Zach: A Paper Flower Wedding!

2012-01-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! We're sorry it's been so long since we posted some pictures of our custom work. We took a break with the holidays, but promise to keep you updated biweekly with posts about our favorite 2011 projects as we settle in to 2012.

One of the most creative weddings we were a part of this past summer has to be Liz & Zach's paper flower-themed extravaganza! Not surprising that the genius behind this affair was none other than our dear friend/employee, Liz of Paper Posy Designs!!! She worked with Kate Parker Designs, who handled the real flowers, planning and coordination.

When Liz & Zach first came to us they fell in love with my wedding invitations (big smile), but they decided they wanted a full pattern of dahlias to cover the invitation with the type printed over them. Their color palette was a beautiful combo of of ice blue, coral and charcoal gray! While the invitations were gorgeous I think my favorite piece was the Mad Libs - inspired guest book! Take a peek at the paper pieces below followed by my FAVORITE Paper Posy installation to date!

The invitation suite including their 2-sided, duplexed program:

Kind of in love with the chartreuse green, cross-hatch fabric we shot this on:

Love the pop of the coral striped liner!

We printed the invitation on 220# duplex and edge painted them in the coral ink - LOVE!

Can you believe how beautiful this arbor is that Liz made? All of the paper flowers were assembled by hand as well as the wire lettering that says "let love grow"

The Mad Libs I was referring to:

Ridiculously awesome lobster-themed cakes by Wild Orchid Bakery:

The happy couple!

See more of Liz & Zach's beautiful wedding here!

{Invitation photos by Brea McDonald, others by Hitched Studios}

to go with your twine...

2012-01-12T15:25:00.007-05:00

January is always a slower month for us retail-wise, so it's a wonderful surprise on a week like this to receive another bright and beautiful shipment from a company we haven't had in the shop in a while! Pikku wrap sheets are just beautiful - simple and bright and perfect for wrapping up goodies for men and women - the bold designs are great for the little detail of Divine Twine, too! I have it in me (I think) to copy the baubles pattern onto the interior of my linen closet (it's exposed to the bathroom) and hand-paint it in white and offwhite... I'll keep you posted on that project :)

http://www.cakeeventsblog.com/2009_08_01_archive.html

For now, you'll just have to enjoy the wrap sheets and maybe grab one or two to use as drawer liners or framed artwork for your walls at home! We hope you enjoy the punch and pizzaz that Pikku delivers as much as we do - and here's to a superrrb weekend for all of you!

http://www.pikkuwares.com/

lots of love,

Lizzy

how divine...

2012-01-12T11:28:00.006-05:00

It's a crumby rainy morning here in Portsmouth, but I just opened up a shipment of Divine Twine and had to had to had to share! How sweet is their new cotton candy pink and cherry red double weave twine? I love love love it and will be using it for our Valentines window display next week :)

We have handfuls of customers who come in and love these rolls of cotton twine, but many aren't quite sure what they would use it for. 500 yards is a lot of twine, let me tell ya! And sometimes you have to think a little further outside of the box when divine twine is concerned :)

If I had an extra hour in my day every day, I'd be workin' out these projects with our lovely spread of cotton twine for sure.

Line 'em up for giftwrapping and card-making projects. That bright and lovely rainbow against kraft paper or newsprint... so so fun and sure to bring a smile to anyone's face upon receipt!

For balloon strings?! Come on!!!!

Bind up a bundle of cards and your favorite little memories for your kiddos to have as they get older. Or collect all of your love notes to that special someone and make up a booklet for them with photos for Valentines or your anniversary!

Grab a few sweet pastel colors for the kiddos to make friendship bracelets with (awesome indoor activity or favor for them to give to their friends after a birthday party!)

For loaves of homemade bread or bundles of cookies - give these away to your neighbors or as favors at a bridal shower or wedding! Perfectly sweet with a little parchment wrap underneath!

Don't you just want a roll in every color? Green Apple! Oyster! Lemon and Aqua!

We'll have the pink and red combo for the valentines holiday, but otherwise you can grab up any of the awesome Divine Twine colors year round at the shop! Hope this leaves you feeling a little more inspired than before ;)

Happy Thursday pals, and let's talk soon!

Lots of love,

Lizzy

(photos courtesy of Whisker Graphics, Avery & Augustine, Teri's Place, Eight South Oak, Tamryn Kirby, and Urban Comfort)

Spotted: Elizabeth & David's farm wedding in NH Wedding Magazine!

2012-01-11T10:59:00.005-05:00

We love spotting our clients' weddings in magazines! There is just nothing better than seeing the beautiful photos of our incredible clients' big day in all the hi-gloss glory of print :)

You all remember Elizabeth & David and their farm wedding themed stationery, right? We had a blast with the design of their save the date and then collaborating with talented illustrator, Nate Duval, to create a whimsical, inspired invitation suite. And, while we are smitten with the pretty paper details, it was the bride and groom, E&D, who made this project one of our favorites. These two lovebirds, and their families, are just about the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. We had the best time going through the design process with them and even had a whole slew of their family and friends at the store for an afternoon assembly party. From start to finish, it was a wonderful experience.

Well, great news!, their gorgeous wedding is featured (hello, cover spot!) in the new issue of New Hampshire Wedding magazine. Hooray! As you'll see, their wedding was sweet, rustic, beautiful and personal. Everything you could want for a couple like Elizabeth & David.

Check out the web-ified version of the magazine spread HERE and below.

Working with a stationer: why it's the WRITE choice ;-)

2012-01-04T11:15:00.006-05:00

(New invitation designs from some of our favorite designers - top 2 from Smock, bottom 2 from Dauphine. We have lots of new designs and albums to check out!)

First off, let me wish you all a very happy New Year! 2012 is going to be a gem, I can already tell :) Secondly - I can't resist a good pun in our blog titles. It's my weakness. Finally, we apologize for the radio silence here on the blog this past week, but we're back on track and will be back to blogging regularly now that the holiday nuttiness has passed.

The winter months tend to be pretty bustling 'round these parts as all you blissful 2012 brides and grooms get cracking on wedding stationery. We just love, love, love working with so many couples to create the perfect paper details for their big day and our appointment schedule is already booking up fast (so call or email pronto if you need to schedule yours!).

To start things off for the 2012 wedding season, let's chat about the value of working with a stationer. It's a topic near and dear to our hearts (duh!) and one that we think is of real importance for your planning lovebirds out there.

Choosing and/or designing your wedding stationery, from the save-the-dates to the invitations to the menus and seating charts, can be a daunting task full of questions and details. Working (in person or over the phone/email) with an expert invitation retailer or designer can make the process inspirational, celebratory and seamless - the way all your wedding planning should be!

The Internet has opened a Pandora's box of available information, inspiration and services for the bride(s) and groom(s)-to-be. Scouring the 'net can be a fabulous way for the savvy betrothed to get inspiration, follow trends and begin his/her research on paper products. But, purchasing wedding stationery online can be a risky choice for many couples. Paper products are both visual and tactile; it is incredibly hard to truly know the quality of printing, paper and color from a computer screen. While the Internet has made many things easier and faster, nothing beats meeting with an expert in person to work through all the details, tips, tricks, etiquette and creative ideas that go into planning the perfect suite of wedding stationery.

There are so many benefits to working with a real, live invitation retailer or designer. Being able to meet with and speak to a real person about your specific needs, special circumstances and wishes can make all the difference in your final package. Just a few benefits include:

1. Personal Attention - Every bride and groom deserves to be treated like royalty! You only get married once, so why not enjoy each and every part of the wedding planning process? Wedding invitation retailers and designers will welcome you into their studios and stores for a personal one-on-one consultation to discuss all your stationery needs. Having the undivided attention of a stationery expert is the best way to ensure that your vision is truly understood and executed. Additionally - as with all your vendors - working with a retailer/designer means that he or she will have your back for all things paper. No invitation website is going to provide endless inspiration and tips, comb through your invitation wording and make grammatical suggestions or point out the small typo on your return address. Your invitation retailer is there to be your advocate as you navigate through the world of wedding stationery and make sure you are comfortable and happy throughout the process. Retailers are able to "talk the talk" with designers and make sure that what you hope and wish for is exactly what you get. We become friends, confidants and trusted vendors for our clients and will stop at nothing to make sure he or she is jumping for joy when his or her invitations arrive.

2. Expertise - Invitation retailers and designers are experts in all things paper. We have done it all, seen it all and have learned from each and every package that we put together. From tips on wording and design trends to tricks about assembly - invitation experts are there to help you make the best decisions for your paper products. Inviting Aunt Jenny and her ex-husband that she is now dating again? No problem - a talented stationery retailer or designer will advise you on the proper way to address her envelope! Wondering when exactly you should be asking for your reply cards to be returned? We'll explain the entire process in detail and help you schedule all the important dates along the way.

3. Personalization and Creativity - As with any wedding vendor, invitation retailers and designers spend their days working with brides, grooms and families to come up with creative, unique ways to set the tone for their big day. We have creative ideas and suggestions that you may not think of yourself - from fun DIY embellishment projects to fabulous color palates and trendsetting typesetting. A good retailer or designer will enjoy bouncing around ideas, helping you find your vision and voice and showing samples of other wedding stationery suites to get the creative juices going! No bride or groom should be limited to only a few choices in font and color for the customization of their stationery suite. With the help of a savvy invitation expert, you will be able to craft a package that truly reflects your style and the tone of your big day.

Perhaps most importantly,

4. The "see and touch" experience - Have you ever ordered a dress online that looked adorable and then had it arrive at your door with less-than-stellar construction and made of cheap fabric? Choosing any product, invitations or otherwise, online can be a tricky thing. Computer screens all show color differently (so you might look at a dress and see lime green and I might look at that same dress and see emerald) and it is impossible to judge paper and printing quality online. With clothing, you can usually return your product and get your money back. But, ordering custom wedding stationery online means those invitations can't be returned - no matter what your satisfaction level is when they arrive at your doorstep. Working with a retailer in person allows you the opportunity to touch, feel and scrutinize paper, color and printing before you make any decisions. What does 90lb paper feel like versus 110lb paper? Can you truly tell the difference between digitally printed and offset printed pieces? What color will match your bridesmaids dresses? Do you like the texture of bamboo paper? You'll never be able to answer these questions through a website. Meeting with an invitation expert will allow you the very important opportunity to see and touch various invitations and talk in detail about your questions and needs. You'll browse through albums of designs for the perfect font, hold in your hands three different weights of paper or pick an exact color from a PMS swatch-book. Really, there is no substitution for seeing things in person.

Choosing your wedding stationery is an important part of setting the tone for your event. Bring your trusted friends and family to your consultations and enjoy the entire process. The time and effort you put into the all planning and details will pay off when you finally hold your invitation in your hands for the first time. It's a pretty powerful experience!

Merry & Bright

2011-12-23T14:17:00.006-05:00

(We're dreaming of a white Christmas. Alas, it's but a dream here in Portsmouth, NH!)

As we here at Gus & Ruby Letterpress prepare to join friends and family for various holiday celebrations this weekend, we want to take a moment to wish you, our cherished friends, customers, family and colleagues a most joyous holiday season. We hope you are enjoying the bustling streets, broad smiles, and the generosity of spirit and time that goes along with the holidays. We hope you're curling up with a cup of hot cocoa, sneaking a smooch under the mistletoe, sharing memories with those you love and reflecting on the wonderful things in your life. We certainly are.

This year and this season, in particular, we have been humbled and amazed by the kindness and spirit of our community. Thank you to each and every one of you for enriching our lives with your friendship, creativity and support. We truly appreciate it.

From the bottom of our hearts, happy, happy holidays to you and yours. May your days be merry and bright this season and throughout the new year!

Love,
Samantha, Whitney & Liz

HOLIDAY HOURS:
Friday, December 23: 10am-8pm
Saturday, December 24: 10am-4pm
Sunday , December 25: CLOSED
Saturday, December 31: 10am-4pm
Sunday, January 1: CLOSED

2011 Gift Guide: For a Yankee Swap ($16 and under!)

2011-12-13T15:55:00.004-05:00

We're back! And not a moment too soon. Today, we've found you the perfect gifties for a Yankee swap, office party or grab bag: you know - fabulous, but financially prudent. ;-) These gems make the perfect choice for a swap gift: they are fun, practical, perfect for just about everyone and all under $16!

(Click to enlarge)

1. Tweeter canvas ornaments (various colors; $11)
2. Travel alarm clock ($10)
3. Divine Twine bakers twine (various colors; $16)
4. Hand-poured soy candle travel tins (various scents; $6-$14)
5. Genius Deck: 75 Riddles and Conundrums ($13.95)
6. Envirosax reusable shopping bag (various designs; $9.25)
7. Foodie Flashcards ($14)

And, believe me, this is just the tip of the iceberg as to how many perfect little gifts and stocking stuffers we have in store. Definitely worth a trip in!

Don't forget to check out our other Gift Guides here:
For Her
For Him
For a Host or Hostess
For a Kiddo

Holiday Parties...

2011-12-08T14:12:00.009-05:00

Hey pals,

I'll have some new product news for you tomorrow, but I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you all that the holiday season is speeding along, and we still have a handful of goodies that can help you prepare for throwing an awesome cocktail party or gingerbread making challenge right at home with all of your loved ones!

Just come into the shop and follow these simple steps:

Step #1: Grab a pack or two of invites and get them in the mail!

Step #2: Deck those halls. You're going to need some super cute fireplace matches to get that pile of logs a blazin' and letterpress printed coasters to really jazz up the table-top for your guests. Maybe adorn your door with a beautiful paper flower wreath, or use the paper poinsettia kit we have to make individual napkin rings for each of your guests. And you should probably grab a Gingerbread Architect guide too - those houses don't just build themselves, don't cha know?!

Step #3: Bake up some adorable, homemade holiday cookies and bundle them in cellophane with these beautiful gift tags! After all, who doesn't love leaving a good party with a treat for later?

Then all you have to do is get yourself all dressed up, put a big smile on that beautiful face of yours, and greet all your pals as they arrive at the door! Easy as 1, 2, 3!

For more holiday party tips and accessories to get the house ready for guests, come by the shop and chat with us! We love to help dream up decorations, especially when it comes to the holidays.

Lots of love,

Lizzy

2011 Gift Guide: For a Kiddo

2011-12-05T12:38:00.006-05:00

Happy Monday, darlings! I hope you all had a super fabulous weekend full of holiday soirees and laughter. Today, on the 2011 Gift Guide, we're helping you find the perfect treat for the kiddo(s) in your life. Shopping for children is the best, isn't it? Who doesn't love an excuse to look at toys and books and treats!

Some of our favorites this year:

(click to enlarge)

1. The Pretty Cupcake Kit: liners, flag toppers and recipe & decorating book ($19.95)

2. Talking Bubble Sticky Notes ($5)

3. Paper & Craft: 25 Charming Gifts, Accents & Accessories to Make from Paper ($18.95)

4. Oversized mechanical pencil (various colors, $2.50)

5. Watercolor postcards: a portable studio ($19.95)

6. Letterpress musical instrument notecards ($19)

7. Rubber stamp set in printed muslin bags (various styles, $19)

8. Printed canvas sunglass case (various styles, $20)

Pretty cute, if you ask me! And, as always, that's just a sampling of what we have in store. Stop in for a looksie :) And don't forget to check out our other gift guides:

For Her

For Him

For the Host or Hostess

make your list and check it twice...

2011-12-02T17:18:00.011-05:00

Hi there folks!

The day's almost through, and we've been throwing all sorts of great gift ideas your way this past week - but I wanted to give a little bit of snail mail love to you all this evening! With the holidays fast approaching, everyone is scrounging for their holiday cards and trying to get everything addressed and out the door. I've wrangled up a good assortment of boxed and individual holiday cards to share with you today (some of my personal faves - both sweet and a little sassy) in the hopes of inspiring you to get your mail organized early this year. So start that list and check it twice!! It's always nice to give a shout out to your loved ones this time of year - wish them well and a fruitful 2012 :)

I must say, I'm always quite partial to the palette and quirky designs of Eggpress. Especially that "Peace and Love to All" card with the tree made from neon doves. So fab!

And these super crisp letterpress designs from Dee & Lala are always a unique take on holiday greetings. Each design is so pitch perfect and their colors are always vibrant and punchy!

We know how much you love Zeichen Press. Those three wise men are such funny guys ;)

And then there's the super hilarious Uncooked greeting cards. These keep our custies hunched over in stitches laughing all day and are always the perfect card for that someone you know...

And I love these sweet pop-out chipboard cards from Smudge Ink that act as a card until you remove the perforated ornament that's printed at the center :) So sweet!

There are so many good holiday cards to share this year, it's hard for me to pick my favorites - but this is a great start! And of course, if you're feeling rushed it's still not to late to order one of our custom stamps to expedite the addressing process! Paperwink's cut-off is December 4th - so be in touch soon if you want a custom stamp made for the holidays!

And we'll be back with more gift guides and holiday goodness next week! Thank you all, per usual for your continued kind words and visits to the shop, and we'll see you all around soon!

Lots of love,

Lizzy

2011 Gift Guide: For the Host or Hostess

2011-12-01T12:36:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite parts about the holiday season is being able to attend fabulous holiday parties and get-togethers with my friends and family. Is there anything better than getting dolled up to laugh, sip festive cocktails and nibble delicious bites with pals around a Christmas tree? I think not.

So, why not bring a little somethin' somethin' to the host/hostess with the mostest to show them how much you appreciate the invitation. These gems should do the trick:

(click photo to enlarge)

1. 5-piece wine-bottle accessory kit ($28)
2. Recipe cards (various styles, $14)
3. Variety pack of foodie-inspired greeting cards ($26)
4. Floral coasters (various styles, $19)
5. Sail-cloth wine tote (various styles, $28)
6. Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi ($35)
7. Hand-poured soy candles in holiday scents (various scents., $20-$40)
8. Environmentally friendly (and beautifully scented!) hand soap and lotion derived from biofuels ($17-$30)

Of course, we also have loads more goodies in store and plenty of stunning Thank You cards to send along post-party. So, throw on your sparkliest baubles, gussy up and we'll see you under the mistletoe!

2011 Gift Guide: For Him

2011-11-30T10:24:00.006-05:00

We're back! And, today, we're talking about gifts for the fellas. Guys can be so tricky to buy for, so we've done the dirty work and sniffed out all the best gifts for the men in your life. From the entertainer to the artist to the man's man, we've found the perfect thing to brighten his holiday.

(click to enlarge photo)

1. "Quality cuts of meat" place mats - set of 4 different butcher diagram place mats ($45)
2. Letterpress printed correspondence set (various styles, $20)
3. "Good Grief" glass tumblers - set of 2 ($30)
4. Retro 1951 classic rollerball pens (various colors, $24)
5. Old Man Drinks book of recipes and lore ($14.95)
6. Pantone ceramic mugs (various colors, $16)
7. Denim laptop case by Thomas Paul ($68)
8. Print Workshop: Hand Printing Techniques book ($19.99)
9. Triple-milled, fragrance free oatmeal soaps & ceramic soap dishes (various styles, $20)
10. Cardboard animal busts by Cardboard Safari (various animals, $62-$65)

And, of course, there is so much more. We really did some serious hunting this year to make sure we had goodies for all our favorite guys in addition to our favorite gals. So, be sure to stop in soon to find the perfect goodie for the lad on your list!

2011 Gift Guide: For Her

2011-11-28T15:00:00.007-05:00

Hello lovelies! Happy Monday.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be posting our fabulous Gift Guides to help you find the perfect present for all the friends and family on your shopping list.

To kick things off, let's talk about gifts for the women in your life! From wife or girlfriend to mother, daughter or lovely office-mate, these goodies are sure to delight the gals in your group. Better yet, ladies, help out your loved ones and send them in with some notes or directions to chat with us (we love to help with shopping needs!), and we'll be sure to point them in the right direction to fill all your Gus & Ruby desires.

(click photo to enlarge)

1. Sea Bags - totes and clutches made in Portland, ME from recycled sails (variety of sizes/styles $26 - $195)
2. Botanical wall calendar ($23)
3. Heirloom hand-turned wood recipe box with recipe cards ($130)
4. Rob Ryan cut-paper-inspired set of 4 plates ($44)
5. Aquiesse hand-poured soy candles (variety of sizes/scents $22 - $40)
6. Decorate: 1000 professional design ideas for every room in your home ($35)
7. Freya Art prints ($48-$76)

Of course, this is just a SMALL sampling of the many fabulous gifties we have in store; so, be sure to stop in soon for the full shopping experience! We are happy to take phone/email orders and ship product, too, so phone is fine :) Hope to see you soon and stay tuned for more gift guides and holiday ideas!

xoxo,
The Gus & Ruby gals

Thank You!!

2011-11-25T15:40:00.002-05:00

So just a quick little post for today pals, because the shop has been busy busy!! But I wanted to give a HUGE SHOUT OUT to all of the vendors who participated in our Black Friday and Small Business Saturday giveaways! We had such a blast getting these giveaways pulled together, and I can't even explain how awesome it was to watch all of our lovely customers today win big!! Their smiles and laughter made the work (and the donations) feel so worth it.

We constantly rave about how great you all are (because you're the best!!) - but today, we send our amazing vendors a very special thanks for taking such incredible care of all of us! Without you, the shop would not be what it is, and without all of you, there would be a lot less beautiful stuff out there in the world! Keep doing what you do best - dreaming, creating, and inspiring! We love you from the bottom of our hearts!!

100% hand-poured soy candles from Aquiesse

Letterpress printed holiday greeting cards from Dee & Lala

Metallic holiday gift tags from Fig. 2 Designs

Page flags from Girl of All Work

Hand-printed red sparrow ornaments from Hammerpress

Orla Kiely notebooks and pencils from Libretto

Boxed holiday cards and letterpress coasters from Mr. Boddington's Studio

Gift tags and holiday greeting cards from Rifle Paper Company

Boxed, letterpress printed holiday cards from Smock

Letterpress printed holiday greeting cards from Sycamore Street Press

100% cotton twine from Whisker Graphics

Holiday greeting cards from Yellow Owl Workshop

We're trying to dream up how we could possibly top these giveaways next year :) it'll take some real brainstorming on our part, for sure!

Happy Friday - and here'e to the rest of this beautiful holiday weekend!

See you around,

xo Lizzy

So much to be thankful for.

2011-11-23T12:00:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love this holiday because it rings in the holiday season -my favorite time of the year, as most of you know! - and, more importantly, reminds me how much I have to be thankful for in my life. Also, it's all about food. And, I can really get behind a food-based holiday.

Whitney, Liz and I would like to take a moment today to say a truly heartfelt THANK YOU to all our dear customers, clients, fans, families and friends near and far. We are continuously humbled and inspired by your incredible friendship, creativity, and support. Thank you for giving us amazing ideas, for encouraging us and for continuing to shop local and supporting small businesses like ours. We are amazed at our incredible community who comes together for so many important causes throughout the year and who show what they are made of during trying times. It's pretty incredible what our community can do.

We are wishing you all a most joyous Thanksgiving full of comfort, coziness, delicious food, raucous laughter and lots to be thankful for. Thank you, again, for everything. We are so lucky to have you all in our lives and we truly appreciate your support and business.

Gobble, gobble!

Love,

Samantha, Whitney, Liz, Gus & Ruby

PS: We hope to see you this weekend for our Black Friday /Small Business Saturday Event (check out details HERE) and throughout the season!

poisonous leaves...

2011-11-19T13:06:00.006-05:00

Just a little tidbit for you all - we just received our shipment from Set Editions, a new line of products by the lovely and talents Alison Riley. The company was founded in 2004, and offers letterpress printed cards, foil stamped postcards (which are DIVINE) and all sorts of other goodies! What we love about Set though, is how amenable Alison's designs are to the everyday snail-mail sender (because for us, that's what good stationery is all about!)

How can you not adore that foil stamping on chipboard?!

And who doesn't want to receive a quick and informational greeting card that demonstrates poisonous leaves found in the woods? :)

Set Editions also came up with these clever rocks glasses that we'll be carrying for the holidays. What a perfect gift match up with our Old Man Drinks and Art of the Bar (not that anyone is thinking about holiday shopping just yet ;)

Hope you guys are all gearing up for an awesome Thanksgiving! We're really excited about the upcoming week and have big plans for you on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for updates on our facebook page and blog!

Big hugs and loads of turkey-lurkey love!

Lizzy

Holiday Season Kick-Off: Black Friday & Small Business Saturday at Gus & Ruby!

2011-11-17T16:11:00.006-05:00

(Photo courtesy of Mark Davidson Photography)

Join us the weekend after Thanksgiving as we kick-off the holiday season! Both days, we'll be giving away AMAZING, super-stuffed goodie bags to 15 lucky customers**. Trust us when we say that you will definitely want one of these goodie bags. Our favorite vendors went above and beyond in helping us fill these with incredible paper goodies!

Black Friday:
- We'll open early at 9am and will have coffee, donuts and holiday treats for you early-bird shoppers
- 10% OFF your entire purchase when you mention our email, Facebook, Twitter or blog posts about the event.*
- The chance to win one of 15 super, stocked goodie bags full of G&R favorites and holiday treats.**
- Receive a 15% off coupon to use throughout the season.
- Fabulous gifts, stocking stuffers, holiday cards and lots of good cheer!

Small Business Saturday:
- Use your AMEX card on Saturday, November 26 at any small business/local shop and AMEX will give you a $25 statement credit (that's FREE money!) Register your card and read details HERE: facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday and https://sync.americanexpress.com/sbs2011
- 10% off your entire purchase when you mention our email, Facebook, Twitter or blog posts about the event.*
- The chance to win one of 15 super, stocked goodie bags full of G&R favorites and holiday treats.**
- Receive a 15% off coupon to use throughout the season.
- Fabulous gifts, stocking stuffers, holiday cards and lots of good cheer!

We ho-ho-hope to see you there!!

Glad tidings,
The Gus & Ruby gals

*Excludes custom/special orders and gift certificates.
**1 chance to win per customer, per day with purchase.

cripsy crunchy...

2011-11-11T15:58:00.011-05:00

So today was it folks - mother earth's reminder that the summer is officially gone. The wind was crisp and tunneled through town tossing all of the crunchy leaves around at people's feet. The sun poked through the clouds though, and reminded us that we still have a few bright days before winter really sets in. I love it - I live for this weather, for the turn to winter, and for the holidays. Something about the excuse to walk around the house in bulky wool sweaters and striped socks... my Minnetonka moccasins... the way the sun sets in the stark new england sky. Yup yup yup, it's my jam for sure!!

When this time of year rolls around though, I start to think about holiday plans and which of my friends and family I'll be seeing. What mom will be making for Thanksgiving dinner, and what little presents I can send to those who I love who won't be around Londonderry for the holidays. Lucky for me, the shop is an awesome place to collect those kind of goodies. Check it:

What mom or g-ma wouldn't love for you to bring placecards for the Turkey-Lurkey dinner table? These adorable designs from Mr. Boddington's Studio are some of my favorites (I especially love the chevron detail to the turkey's plumes!)

Of course there are also the sweet designs from Rifle Paper that could add a special touch to your feast too! My pops is probably getting the "Give Thanks" card because he's the best and deserves a thank you every day for always being such an incredible handy-man and role model. Plus, without his craftiness, the ladies would still have an un-wallpapered, epoxy covered back room :)

When it comes to hostess gifts though, I love to be practical about things. A beautiful card with a little note... of course! And a primly wrapped package with something delightful inside - like a candle they can burn that day, or a tea towel to help with the feasty clean-up. Or a flask to keep them going through the festivities!

Sydney Hale Co. candles

hand poured, 100% soy from Virigina

Letterform Foodie Tea Towels & Greeting Card sets

Izola Five and Three Ounce Flasks

So pull your thoughts together, get your plans arranged and come buy some gifties with us! We'll even wrap 'em up all pretty for you, it is holiday time after all!

Have a great weekend pals, and we'll see you around.

xo Lizzy

Restaurant Week 2011

2011-11-10T14:58:00.004-05:00

Happy Thursday! As most of you know, last weekend through the end of this weekend is Restaurant Week here in Portsmouth. As most of you also know, dang do I love good food! And I love this town. So, it is only natural that I'm a huge fan of Restaurant Week! So far this week, I've had the great pleasure of eating at Mombo and Brazo and tonight I'll be dining at Cafe Mediterraneo. I'm a lucky duck, aren't I?

Folks from near and far have been coming into Portsmouth this past week to enjoy incredible fixed-price meals from the areas best restaurants. At $16.95 per person for lunch and $29.95 per person for dinner for a 3-course meal, it's a pretty awesome deal and a great reason to try some of those restaurants you haven't tried just yet.

When I first moved up to Portsmouth from Boston/Cambridge four years ago, I feared that I'd miss my foodie hangouts in the city. But, let me tell you, the caliber of cuisine in and around Portsmouth is truly spectacular. I'm consistently surprised and delighted with the inventive food and drink available here in our wonderful town. So, yourselves a favor and get out to a restaurant this weekend for some yums.

Also - we are staying open late (till 9PM) tonight, tomorrow and Saturday nights as are many other fabulous stores in town. So, have some good food and do some shopping. It's the right thing to do :) More info on Restaurant Week HERE.

Bon Appetit!

Oh, one more thing. How delicious does this Fall inspired cocktail sound? Must try soon!

(Pumpkin & Apple Cider Fizz - from Kitchen Konfidence)

Dylan & Kristy's super rad, type-driven invitations

2011-11-08T14:46:00.003-05:00

Here at Gus & Ruby Letterpress we LOVE designing and printing custom wedding invitations for our super awesome clients, but we also enjoy letterpress printing for many of the super talented designers that reside in the greater metro Portsmouth area. It is so much fun collaborating with artists as they dream up designs for their very own wedding invitations knowing that we get to make the finished pieces come to life for them!

The first couple we ever collaborated with was the fantastically rad duo of Dylan Haigh & Kristy Martino, known now simply as HAM (Haigh and Martino), who moved to Portsmouth in 2009 on a bit of a whim after leaving their design agency down south. I was obsessed with these two immediately, mostly because they seemed so cool in their skinny jeans and retro glasses, but also because the colors they had chosen for their wedding invites were warm red and yellow with pops of black and teal. Nobody E V E R picks colors like that for wedding invites. They even brought Pantone chips with them. Enough said. The two were working on designs for their save the dates "together", which hilariously consisted of them each arguing their case as to why their design was better than the other's. Yet there was no arguing. It was kind of mind blowing.

Anyways, I could go on and on about these two, but I'll get right to their awesome designs. We printed on 220# duplex in fluorescent white to make their bright colors pop as much as possible. I honestly can't remember who's design "won" and/or if the final designs were truly a collaboration of both of their talents, but it doesn't really matter because they were super duper awesome and pretty cool to print.

Here is a detailed shot of the save the date (how flippin' cute is that?):

Full shot of the No. 10 (approx. 4x9") save the date:

Here is a pic of the whole suite:

Custom gatefold printed in black ink on kraft paper that housed the invite and reply card:

Invitation:

Outer envelope:

Love the reply postcard:

Super bright envelopes! Wouldn't you love receiving this in the mail?

Not quite sure what this is, but I like it:

Whole suite:

Pretty cute right? Dylan & Kristy saved money by printing each piece in 1-color, printing their own gatefolds and stickers and using a reply postcard rather than a reply card and envelope. Since joining their lives together in holy matrimony, the two have founded their own design agency, appropriately named, HAM. Check out their work and musings:

Haigh & Martino Website
HAM Blog

All photos by HAM
Design by HAM, Letterpress printing by Gus & Ruby Letterpress

the dirty life...

2011-11-04T13:00:00.000-04:00

Afternoon folks....

I told you I'd be back :)

I was feeling compelled to share a little more product love for you today, but to give you a bit of backstory on my inspiration for this post...

For the past two weeks I have been reading a book called The Dirty Life and it has me all in a tizzy. It's got me thinking about organic food, about the idea of farming as a lifestyle choice, and about the talent that it takes for a human being to write such a beautiful and enthralling story about refocusing their life and finding a new calling.

If you haven't heard of it already, I would highly recommend it. The author, Kristin Kimball left her life in New York after meeting the man who would become her husband and right hand man (or more appropriately, she became his right-hand-woman) on Essex Farm in northern New York. The story really pulls you in as you have the opportunity to read about how their relationship started, why she decided to leave her life in the city, and the struggles she and her husband went through to turn a huge piece of land into a living and breathing farm that now supplies 150 humans with delicious, organic produce, meat, grain, and dairy products. Isn't that incredible to think about? They have become an all natural food market for 150 human beings. 150!

(photos courtesy of Kristin and her husband, Mark, working the land on Essex Farm)

But anyways... the reason that I brought up the book, and my interest in it, is because we have some new goodies in the shop that sort of relish in the same vein. Us girls here at Gus & Ruby Letterpress, we really love the idea of buying local - we jump at the opportunity to take a trip to the farmer's market for fresh produce, and adore the fact that we can buy products for you kind folks that have been made with lots of love here in the US of A, by talented craftsmen and designers. So when we came across Further, Claudia Pearson Illustration, and Simrin, we had to take advantage of the incredible work they do and get their goodies in the store ASAP!

Further is a new line for us and the story behind the product is a really incredible one that involves a man named Marshall who drives a bio-diesel fueled automobile. Marshall spends his days collecting depleted waste grease from some of Los Angeles' fanciest restaurants, and originally was converting it into bio-diesel for his car. Pretty clever guy... right?!

Well one day, Marshall's wife caught him in the garage at his make-shift laboratory and told him that things had to change - the byproduct of the distillation of the grease that Marshall was working on was building up in barrels. But this byproduct, glycerin, still hadn't seen it's shining day because it wasn't until Marshall's wife put the kabosh on his utilization of their garage space that Marshall decided to take things one step FURTHER... (get where the bizzy name comes from?!)

Marshall started bottling the glycerin as hand soap (with the lovely addition of natural oils like bergamot, olive and exotic grasses), and returned it to the restaurants from whence the depleted waste grease came. Now the restaurants had soap to wash their hands - and Marshall's wife had a clean garage!

Now we're carrying Further hand soap, hand lotion, and candles, and we LOVE THEM! The simple packaging and lovely scent that they emit is just right - not too floral, and not really spicy either.

I just love this stuff - it's the perfect fit for any kitchen or bathroom (and I think a great gift for Moms & Dads who so lovingly spend their time making us delicious meals when we go home to see them!)

And maybe you should pair the soap with a lovely little tea towel?

Claudia Pearson Illustration is one of my all-time favorite lines that we carry in the shop! (I feel like I say that a lot - but I suppose that that's a good sign, right?)

This year, we will have Claudia's hand drawn lovelies in calendar form, but also in these super sweet tea towel sets. I think that her work is so playful and bright - it's just the best!

Claudia also came up with this super-adorable collection of hand-drawn recipe cards. As a set of 12, these are such a great gift for the food-lover in your family! Each one has a unique design printed on the front (with matching recipe on the back), and the quality of Claudia's work is definitely frame-worthy! The assortment and color palette would work as a great little installation of artwork in your kitchen, and all of Claudia's designs are focused on buying seasonally and locally!

And we know it's a bit of a stretch for our usual offerings, but we fell in love with these hand-screen printed jute placemats from Simrin. This time of year, everyone is getting geared up for family and friend gatherings around the house, and I think that either of these place mat sets could be an awesome touch of whimsy with your regular holiday decor!

These could be the perfect little bundle to stick in your daughters stocking for her college apartment, or first home! Just roll the set of 4 up with some red satin ribbon, and you're good to go!

Well, I think I've rambled on for long enough today. I hope you all are gearing up for an awesome weekend (complete with a trip to visit us at the shop to see some of the newbies we chatted about today!)

Enjoy this lovely sunshine, take care of yourselves, buy local... and come out for Portsmouth Restaurant week!

Lots of love -

Lizzy

Steals & Deals: Vote during the Nov. 8th elections and receive FREE invitations from Bella Figura!

2011-11-01T14:10:00.003-04:00

We love Bella Figura. Adore them, really. And, we also love active participation in our government. And so does Bella Figura.

In fact, they are so passionate about encouraging people to vote that they are offering 25 free invitations* sets on any orders of 75 or more to all brides and grooms who are able to show a picture of themselves voting in the upcoming Nov. 8th election. Pretty awesome, right?

So - go vote and then let us know by sending us a picture of you at the polls and we'll apply this rad promotion to your order and you'll get free invitations! Easy peasy.

*The details: Orders must be placed no later than 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, November 30. A photo is required to take advantage of this offer. “Invitation sets” are considered the invitation, reply card or postcard, and coordinating envelopes — no substitutes. Additional insert cards, such as direction cards or accommodation cards, do not qualify.

hunkering down...

2011-10-28T16:46:00.010-04:00

So it's Friday evening.

A chilly, brisk evening - clear skies, beautiful sun going down here in Portsmouth... the kind of evening that makes you love living in New England (Or makes you hate it, as the case may be :)

I love this change in the weather. It makes me want to stay in the house - cook and bake - snuggle up and enjoy... and then take a stroll around town before bed. Something about bundling up that just really gets me going.

Today I had the chance to unpack and merchandise some really lovely new housewares and gifties, though... which now means that I'm on the 'i wanna renovate and redecorate my house' train. A perfect time of year to do so - get a little festive about it...

Most of these products are new for us at Gus & Ruby Letterpress. Everything from denim laptop cases to oatmeal soaps, and screen-printed burlap placemats to tobacco pouches :) We are really trying to get some beautiful new product in for you this holiday season; really raise the bar in terms of fabrication and design.

You want to hear more, don't you....

Well then here we go:

You'll see some of my favorite new stationery items from Loop, a Phillie-based company that produces organic and sustainable paper goodies that will literally keep you staring (and drooling). Elissa, the woman behind the hand-drawn designs of Loop is incredible, and her work just makes my heart go pitter-pat. The photog above shows her small jotters and larger lined and unlined journals. We also are carrying her gift wrap sheets and boxed notecards. This stuff is serious eye candy - all printed in a palette of grays and ombres on white stock - i love love love it all!

(photos courtesy of Loop)

Some other fabulousness that you should probably take note of are the super fun and whimiscal Thomas Paul textiles that we are carrying in the shop for the holidays. From fun, canvas eyeglasses cases, to those tobacco pouches and laptop cases I mentioned earlier - what I really adore about this company is that the products are hearty.

(photos courtesy of Thomas Paul)

Super sweet goodies right?! I just want to string those little printed, canvas chickadees all over the place :)

And how do you feel about bars of soap. I know - a little old school, right? But honestly, who doesn't dream of a big, bright bathroom with a beautiful bar of handmade, oatmeal soap and cozy hand towels just waiting for them at the sink! I certainly do... and if you've never had that dream before, you should put it on your To Do Dream List, because it's the best!

We couldn't pass up these 3-packs of soaps from Izola this year. Oh... and we have flasks now. Yeh, you heard it - 3 and 5 ounce flasks that are round and cute, and even the lightweight in me wants one. You should really get over here to check these suckers out!

(photos courtesy of Izola)

There's more to share... so I'll be back soon.

But for now, enjoy your weekend. Hunker down. Relax. Snuggle. And when you are looking for some inspiration, come see us at Gus & Ruby :)

Lots of love,

Lizzy

Holiday cards by Dauphine Press

2011-10-27T14:22:00.009-04:00

We are HUGE fans of Dauphine Press and love love love showing both their Coral album and the new album (more on that soon....holy cow. I'll leave it at that) of wedding invitations. So, when the fabulous Dauphine team sent along a little holiday album, we were just delighted. As is the case with all that Dauphine does, the designs are absolutely adorable, fabulously customizable (you can change colors, fonts, layout, etc.) and beautifully letterpress printed on textural 100% cotton paper.

And, it gets better! Order your cards or soiree invitations with Dauphine this holiday season (through January 1, 2012) and you'll receive FREE matching letterpress gift tags* as a gift from Dauphine to you! Amazing, right?

Check out some of the gorgeous designs below. Because many of these designs are hot off the press, we only have photos of a few and PDFs of the rest - but trust us when we say that the printing is to die for.

Example of a super cute photo card and then the matching gift tag that you'd receive for free:

And another example of a sweet photo card (remember, this would be beautifully letterpress printed in real life!) and matching gift tag:

So, give us a ring on the telly or drop us a line and set up an appointment ASAP to come check out this gem of an album. It's time to get started on those holiday to-dos; and, with Dauphine, you'll have the cards to beat this holiday season!

Ta ta!

(All photos and PDFs courtesy of Dauphine Press)
*Free gift tags will be printed on the same stock, in the same color palette and in the same quantity as the corresponding holiday card order. Embellishments such as foil stamping, die-cutting or back patterning are subject to additional charges.

Thanksgiving Inspiration

2011-10-25T13:34:00.006-04:00

Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away but no need to worry because we just got in the most adorable fill-in invitations and tented escort cards from Rifle Paper Co. to help get you inspired!

photos courtesy of Rifle Paper Co.

Even though I'm married now and have a home of my own, A.K. and I still jet up to Wolfeboro every year to have Thanksgiving with my family. My mom is such an amazing cook and puts together quite the feast. I know the time will come someday when we host dinner at our house and I have a feeling I will spend way more time on the decor and table details than I will on the food. Below is an inspiration board I put together based on the above invites and escort cards. I love love love the rich color palette and and rustic details.

Stop in soon to pick up a box of invitations and set of place cards!

Photo Credits (Clockwise from top left): DIY mulled maple syrup favors, hand-calligraphed flax napkins, adorable outfit, cucumber-rosemary gin & tonics, gold calligraphy, turkey & gravy, place setting, tomato, plate details, bacon stuffing, gorgeous centerpiece

Finger Lickin' Friday: Maison Laduree

2011-10-21T14:57:00.007-04:00

(Little beauties. Found on La Tartine Gourmand)

It's been a long time since I've written a Finger Lickin' Friday post. Too long, really. But I really couldn't pass up the opportunity today to tell you all about my trip to Maison Laduree in NYC and the deliciousness that ensued.

Maison Laduree, as most of you likely know, is a world-famous patisserie that originally opened in Paris in 1862 as a tea salon. The shop(s) has become one of the most talked-about sweet-spots in the world thanks to the incredible confections that they make - most notably their french macarons - and their stunning brand design (well, for design geeks like me, that's one of the reasons I love Laduree!).

(Hello, adorable packaging. Picture found on Lobster and Swan)

French macarons are delicate little cookies made of ground almond and a meringue-like egg white batter sandwiched together using a myriad of fillings such as ganache, buttercream and jam. They are frustratingly finicky to make: too much mixing (the macaronage - the most important step) and you get wide, flat wafers. Too little mixing and they puff up. Too hot and they crack. Too cold and they don't get their little feet (the ring of bubbles along the bottom that signifies a well-baked macaron). I've attempted them myself to no avail. I'm a bit of a haphazard chef, so the finesse that these require isn't totally suited to my abilities (or lack thereof!). But, dang, if they aren't delicious!

(Beautiful Laduree box and delicious macarons. Found on Fashion + Class & Jetlag)

In any case, this past August, Laduree opened their 1st US location. The beautifully decorated shop is located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan and has made quite a splash in the NY sweets-loving scene. So, obviously, this past weekend while visiting my wonderful older brother in NYC (for his birthday! Happy Birthday, Alex!), I knew I had to make a trip to macaron mecca. On Sunday afternoon, we set out from the hip East Village to the decidedly more fancy-pants destination of 70th and Madison Avenue. Having been a far-away fan of Laduree for some time while never having actually tasted their goodies, I was giddy with excitement. While I knew that the opening had drawn crowds, I was not prepared for the 30+ minute-long line that we found upon our arrival at 4:30 in the afternoon several months after the grand opening. People really want macarons, it seems. We debated for a moment just throwing in the towel, but I knew I would regret not visiting so we settled in for a little people watching and mingling. Alex is a pretty great big brother.

(Waiting in line to get into the shop.)

It was a long wait for a 1.4" diameter cookie, but I'm happy to report that Maison Laduree did not disappoint. We got a sampling of flavors that included Pistachio, Salted Caramel, Blackberry, Coconut and Chocolate and they came beautifully nestled in an adorable little box. The macarons were the perfect mixture of delicate crunchy shell and soft, chewy inside and creamy, luxurious filling. The flavors were balanced and mouthwatering. And, while not cheap ($2.70 per plus the cost of a box if you don't want them in a wax-paper bag), they did live up to the hype in my mind. I'm already dreaming of my next visit!

(Inside Laduree)
(Me with my prized possessions)

crumby, rainy afternoon...

2011-10-19T15:23:00.008-04:00

It's on days like these that I wish I had a big cozy sofa to nuzzle into, with a hot cup of tea and a yummy candle burning :) Don't you?

The only problem is...

Our candle selection here at Gus & Ruby Letterpress is impossibly wonderful. And I mean - IMPOSSIBLY!!! wonderful. I was just saying yesterday how I wanted to rub my face in one of the candles?! What?! Is that normal? Or are the delicious and perfect floral and holiday scents seriously impeding my senses?

Regardless - I don't care. Because it smells deeeeee-licious here at the shop, and I want to share some of the love - with

All of our candles right now are made in the United States, hand-poured and 100% soy. They burn clean, all the way down to the absolute most-bottomest part of the jar :)

You are all familiar with our Aquiesse candles, which we'll be carrying in great new stocking stuffer sizes this year!

Luxe Linen and Pink Peony are our every-day best-sellers, but Monterey Pine is so popular that last year we literally couldn't keep it on the shelves. The beautiful boxes they come in still knock my socks off. And for those of you looking for a great hostess gift for your Grammy or best friend who's hosting turkey day this year: see Cinnamon Tabac. They'll love you (more than they already do) for it!

A recent addition to our every-day gift offerings here at Gus & Ruby are the crisp and clean designs and scents from Sydney Hale Company. Many of you have already snatched these oober awesome candles up. I love the sleek design and the fact that these could easily be given as gifts to that guy in your life who you never know what to buy for (because those boys always need a little extra hand in the get-my-place-to-smell-fresh department).

Oh, and did I mention they have a candle called Cocoa & Espresso... and it smells like you're baking fresh, delicious, decadent chocolate chunk cookies... from scratch.... in your own oven... seconds after it's lit. Right - you want this candle now, don't you :)

For those of you trying to diet before the holidays. My sincerest apologies. This candle will not help you fix your cravings for delicious homemade cookies. Maybe you should try the Grapefruit & Orange?

Just a thought...

And because I'm feeling extra generous, I'll let you know that we also have our holiday Paddywax scents in! In both small, ceramic jars and diffusers these home scents are really wonderful. How they manage to get the smell of Snow right is beyond me... but this is the candle I was trying to stick my face in yesterday. So I'll warn you, shop with caution when you find these goodies.

Don't even try to tell me your closet couldn't use a little something special and fresh this winter. These diffusers are just the trick! And what pitch-perfect packaging!!

Anyone wanna' come over and snuggle up with me?!

xo Lizzy

Trick or Treat

2011-10-17T17:39:00.001-04:00

Who sends Halloween cards? No clue. Who should you send them to? Don't ask me. But how can you resist these? You can't. This is the best selection of Halloween cards we've ever had, which is really saying something since this is now our 3rd year celebrating this creepy, but fun holiday. For real though, you should totally pick up a couple and drop 'em in your kiddos' lunch boxes (Halloween does fall on a manic Monday) or send one to your college bestie who (or is it whom?) you've been meaning to write. She'll love this one:

{Mr. Boddington's Studio}

And the kids will get a kick out of this:

{Egg Press}

And this one is too cute to pass up (how fun would it be if you got 5 kids to dress in these exact costumes, took a photo and then framed it next to this card? The answer is ridiculously fun):

{Rifle Paper Co.}

{Mr. Boddington's Studio}

For you love birds:

{Mr. Boddington's Studio}

{Two Trick Pony}

{Dee and Lala}

No pressure or anything but these cards are going quick and once we sell out, we're out. But fear not, our Turkey Day cards are just as cute. And don't even get me started on Christmas.

Inspiration: 2012 fashion shows

2011-10-12T10:55:00.004-04:00

(Photos above found via The Sartorialist)

I wouldn't consider myself to be a devoted follower of couture fashion (who has the time?!?), but I sure do love a good fashion fix every now and again. So, when I stumbled across these incredible 2012 shows on the blog of our pal & super talented calligrapher, Mara, of Neither Snow, I just had to share them. Talk about inspiration!!

I am swooning over the clothes, but really what I'm gaga for is the show /set design of both shows. I LOVE the all white under-the-sea stage for Chanel and the carousel concept for Louis Vuitton. Both are just genius!! It's amazing how inspiration can come from just about anything.

A few snaps from the LV show:

(1st 2 photos above found via The Sartorialist, 3rd photo found via Fashionising)

To really get a sense for how it all unfolded, check out the videos of both shows:

HERE

and

HERE

And definitely peek at the Sartorialist post about the LV show. It's amazing eye candy. Enjoy, you fashionistas, you!

Fall Hours at the shop

2011-10-10T16:19:00.000-04:00

Oh Sydney...

2011-10-08T11:00:00.004-04:00

To say that I have been busy inventorying and merchandising lately would be a gross understatement. In the past two weeks I have unpacked and swooned over the sweetest gifties and greeting cards! From party design & home decor books to perpetual agendas, calendars, and the most beautiful candles!! We've been working really hard lately to focus our attention when it comes to purchasing - and I've been brainstorming on how to revamp the shop a bit in terms of fixtures. The fact of the matter is that the three of us LOVE LOVE LOVE the vendors and products here at G&R, and really want to be sure that our presentation is clear and concise, but that the shop also makes you smile and inspires you :)

With the warmer weather today, I'm feeling a bit thrown though. I was totally ready to start spreading some gift-giving-cheery-40*F evening-loveliness with you today (as holiday gift wrap officially went out on the ladders yesterday!!)... but instead I'm burning a Grapefruit and Orange candle from Sydney Hale Company These candles are 100% hand-poured soy, are made right in the lovely state of Virginia, and I love them, I love them, I do...

And I'm thinking about planting little herbs in our Chewing the Cud fabric buckets...I just can't help myself...

Fall weather... will you please come back? So I can re-focus on seasonally appropriate sweets and treats?! A pail of basil most certainly would not last long this time of year in New Hampshire....

Happy Weekend Folks - enjoy the warmth while it lasts!

xo Lizzy

Linda & Harriet 2012 Letterpress Calendar

2011-10-03T16:45:00.000-04:00

As you know our 2012 calendars have been rolling in and just last week we received our shipment of Linda & Harriet letterpress calendars. We've carried this calendar every year and it is always my personal favorite. This year is no different!

Liz Libré, the artist behind Linda & Harriet, creates a pattern of hand-drawn illustrations that fill the bottom of each month's page. The drawings are always related to the specific month so that you have snowmen to look at in December and whales to admire in July.

The best part about the calendar is that on the back of each month's page there is a layout of a postcard so that when the month is over (or if you're like us it will be when the year is over since we display all 12 months at once for a huge, life-size wall calendar) you can cut off the bottom of the page where the pattern of illustrations are located and send a dear friend or secret crush an adorable postcard. How clever is that?

Can you guess which month is Sam's favorite? She's pretty stoked that not only does the 2012 calendar feature horse shoes, they just happen to be March's featured illustration, which is Sam's birthday month (March 7 in case you want to send cupcakes).

I love the pattern for October. Halloween is just a few short weeks away:)

photos courtesy of Linda & Harriet

The Moveable Type Truck is coming to Gus & Ruby Letterpress!!

2011-09-28T12:05:00.003-04:00

Guess what?! The Moveable Type Truck is coming to Gus & Ruby Letterpress!!! We, truly, couldn't be more excited to host this awesome event. The Type Truck is the brainchild of printer Kyle Durrie (designer and printer of Power + Light Press - one of our favorite lines of humorous greeting cards here in the store). Kyle converted an old Chevy van into a mobile letterpress print shop and has been traveling around the country the past few months bringing printing to the people. Inside the truck, Kyle gives visitors a first-hand look at letterpress printing. You'll have the chance to learn all about the craft, the machines and even try some printing yourself!

So many of you, our faithful, fabulous, funtastic fans have asked to come see our presses in action and, unfortunately, due to the set-up of our print shop, it's not been feasible for us. So, we are so excited that y'all can come by next week and visit the Type Truck to get a good looksee at exactly what we do (even if these aren't the actual G&R presses). Plus, Kyle is totally rad and her work is hilarious and awesome.

The truck will be parked in front of Gus & Ruby Letterpress:

Moveable Type Truck @
Gus & Ruby Letterpress
Thursday, October 6th
4pm-7pm
29 Congress Street
Portsmouth, NH

Also, the event is FREE to the public! So, people, mark your calendars and get ready to get your print on! For more info about Kyle, the truck and her traveling project, visit: http://type-truck.com/about/

See you next Thursday! Can't wait, won't wait!!

(all photos courtesy of the Type Truck)

Gabe & Christa's hand-drawn wedding invitations

2011-09-26T17:52:00.000-04:00

Last week I shared Gabe and Christa's hand-drawn save the dates and I am so excited to reveal their beautiful invitations today! In our initial meeting, G&C had fallen in love with Elizabeth and David's invitation suite because they loved the illustration style and most of all, the gate fold format. They knew they wanted a drawing of Gabe's family home to be the center of the invitation suite so we had the amazingly talented Nate Duval illustrate the house and some structures from around the property including a funky old tree, an old pick-up truck that's always parked in the driveway, the stonewall that separates the lawn from the rocky, ocean coast and the gated driveway that leads to the expansive property. We combined Nate's illustration with my handwriting for all of the text and used the purple and chartreuse inks from the save the date. Here is a picture of the whole suite:

After the twine was removed the gate fold (that featured the gated driveway) opens to reveal the invitation:

A detailed shot of the handwriting:

A detailed shot of the gorgeous house:

My favorite piece was the reply card that featured a couple of Adirondack chairs and the extra big response options, YES and NO!

Another shot of the invitation (left) and the gate fold (right) before it is opened:

An additional card gave guests the wedding website:

And I just couldn't resist sharing a photo of the gorgeous couple, Gabe and Christa:

Pretty cute right? To see more pics of this AMAZing wedding, including some shots of the beautiful work our very own Lizzy did, click here. It was SO much fun working with these two and I am so sad that it's over. They are spending the next year traveling the world (literally a year-long honeymoon) and we hope they have an amazing trip and first year of marriage!

Beautiful photos courtesy of emilie inc. photography.

The early elf gets the mistletoe!!

2011-09-23T15:31:00.014-04:00

(holiday translation: order custom holiday cards early and SAVE!)

(photo above courtesy of Smock)

I know it's only September and just days into the Fall season, but, trust me folks, you don't want to miss these fabulous custom holiday card early-bird specials. For reals. How awesome will it feel to save some $$ and check this off your holiday to-do list? Real awesome.

As you all know, we strive to fill our little shop with the best of the best in the stationery and gift world. And, custom work is an area of particular passion for us. We just love creating the perfect note card, invitation or card for our clients and holiday cards are among our very favorite projects to work on. What's more joyful than receiving personal holiday cards full of cheery messages, darling photos and wishes for the season and year ahead?

This year - we have a few albums of the most lovely holiday card designs to choose from and, as always, you can customize to your heart's content to make one absolutely perfect for you and your elves. From whimsical patterns to traditional elegance to contemporary chic, there really is something for everyone. And best of all, if you order early - there are some pretty sweet deals to be had!

Check out the awesome deals and just a few designs to get your creative juices flowing:

Wiley Valentine

Order 75 or more holiday cards by Oct. 31st and receive 25 FREE!

(photos above courtesy of Wiley Valentine)

Smock

Order your letterpress holiday cards or holiday invitations by December 1st and receive FREE return-address printing on your envelopes (you just pay for the blank envelopes and Smock will do the rest!)

(photos above courtesy of Smock)

The Happy Envelope

Order 50 or more holiday cards by October 31st and receive 10% off the entire order!

(photos above courtesy of The Happy Envelope)

Spark Letterpress

Place your holiday order by October 31 and receive 15% off the entire order!

Place your holiday order between November 1 and November 30 and receive 10% off the entire order!

(photos above courtesy of Spark)

Between the 4 holiday albums and the option for truly custom design & letterpress printing by Gus & Ruby, there is no limit to what we can create for you and yours. Photo cards with a twist? You got it! Letterpress holiday soiree invitations? Of course! Elegant corporate cards? Not a problem.

So, spread some extra cheer this holiday (and save a little $ in your wallet) and pop on in to order custom holiday cards! We ho-ho-hope to see you soon.

xoxo,

The Stationery Elves

Freeze.

2011-09-22T15:44:00.004-04:00

Freeze.

Nobody Move (that includes you Gus, I see you eyeballin' my popcorn)

I've got something to say...

New Greeting Cards in from Oddball Press, Zeichen Press & Sycamore Street Press!!

Come on in and check 'em out on this rainy Monday, they'll give you a good chuckle and brighten your day...

I GUAR-AN-TEE it!

More to come on Friday peeps - new shipments to the shop are PLENTIFUL these days!

xo Lizzy

Pink Pint Night

2011-09-21T16:56:00.007-04:00

One of the things that we love about Portsmouth (one of the many things!) is how active members of this community are in charitable causes and how often we find ourselves attending or, better yet, participating in all sorts of cool events and fundraisers for those causes.

We couldn't be more excited to be participating in one such event - Pink Pint Night - next Tuesday, September 27th. Pink Pink Night is a genius, multi-faceted shopping and dining event that brings together women, local vendors, fabulous food and craft beer all to support a chosen charity. This year, a portion of all proceeds from the event will go to Jaden's Ladder. Jaden's Ladder is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting survivors of domestic violence.

The night promises to be a blast filled with incredible food, delicious beers to sample and lots and lots of shopping!! In addition to the Gus & Ruby team, there are gong to be some seriously fabulous vendors to visit including these Gus & Ruby favorites:

Joya Beauty

Wild Orchid Baking Company

Linda Taylor

Delia's

So - how could you pass up a night of fabulous shopping, girl-time and delicious food and beer that all support such a worthy cause? It's win-win and you can buy your tickets HERE. Hope to see you there!

Gabe & Christa's hand-drawn save the dates

2011-09-19T15:34:00.000-04:00

Gabe & Christa came to us last fall to discuss custom save the dates and invitations for their August 2011 nuptials at Gabe's family home in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. These 2 make the most adorable couple and we were immediately head over heels with them and their idea for having custom illustrations of the house and its surroundings be the center of their invitation suite! Nate Duval drew this awesome tree that sits on the lawn outside of their house and I wrote out all of the save the date info by hand. We letterpress printed the piece in a bright, chartreuse green and purple and adhered it to a matching purple card stock. The custom liner featured a pattern made up of leaves.

Check back next week as I will be posting pictures of the fabulous invitations and a few of our favorites of the happy couple from their wedding!

All photos by Brea McDonald Photography.

Calendar Round-Up... 2012

2011-09-16T14:15:00.016-04:00

Hey there guys and gals. The crisp Fall air hit Portsmouth this morning, and boy oh boy am I thrilled about it. Got to pull out my leather boots and scarves. And tights! I just couldn't be happier. The Fall brings all sorts of loveliness to New England, and to coastal New Hampshire. We hope to still see you all out and about, visiting our beautiful town (and maybe having to bundle up a bit due to that fabulous coastal breeze!).

This past week has been crazy at the shop (you'd think that things would tone down for a minute now that beach season is sort of out... but not so much here at G&R!!) We're starting to get holiday goodies in and will have a display out for custom holiday cards next week :) But before we put the cart too far ahead of the horse, I want to talk a bit about 2012 calendars. I know that I have been a-chattering about a few of my favorites, but now that almost all of our calendars for 2012 have arrived in store, I can't help but want to share! So here it is, a little calendar round-up for your viewing and organizing pleasure.

Last year everyone was looking for calendars with boxes - so this year we are carrying two wall calendars that offer that layout. The newbie is from Fine Day Press. It's watercolor designs are whimsical and bright, and what I love most about this calendar is how beautifully composed it is. It really reads like a piece of artwork on your wall, and just happens to double as a handy dandy calendar too!

As with many of our calendars, the talented folks at Fine Day built this calendar so that you can clip the calendar grid off at the end of every month and use the watercolor designs as prints. Gift them away or hang them in your home - but regardless of what you decide to do with them, we think you'll really love this calendar and get lots of use out of it!

Our other grid-style calendar hails from our upstairs neighbors at BG 2770 Designs. This calendar is always one of my favorites in the group because of it's saturated colors and organic design. My mother used to doodle swirls and shapes all over large sheets of paper for me to color in with my 24 pack of Crayolas when I was a kid - and while my work at that age probably looked like child's play compared to these lovely calendars, I still get that nostalgic feeling every time I see them!

We of course had to bring back the Paper Source calendars this year, as they were a customer fave in 2011! As many of you may recall, this wall calendar has patterns on the back of each page that you can cut out after the month is over and turn into file folders and pillow gift boxes - SO CLEVER! - and a great holiday gift for those of you who like to get your shopping done early!

For 2012 Waste Not also designed an awesome desktop letterpress calendar for Paper Source that I can't get enough of! It's the perfect pop of color and design for any workspace!

Snow & Graham's wall and desk calendar were each a huge hit for us last year as well. See their 2012 designs below...

Love those rainbow raindrops - don't you?!

You've seen our two lovely calendars from Rifle Paper Company, but I'll share them again. Because they deserve it. And so do you :)

This full page print is one of my favorites for sure. Each design by Rifle is hand-painted, and then printed right in house. Imagine this beaut hanging on the wall in your kitchen - by the phone so you can reference it, but framed because it really is a piece of art!

And I swoon over the soft pastel palette of the Botanicals 2012 calendar by Rifle. It demonstrates the traditional number grid on each page, but is really kicked up a notch by each unique, seasonal floral design. This is another calendar that could easily be cut apart and used as decorative prints after the year is over!

The last two calendars I'll share today are great gifts for the men in your lives.

Now don't get me wrong, they'd be great gifts for men AND women, but I think they have a particularly masculine feel that can be difficult to find in artisan printed and designed calendars! (Sorry to be a bit sexist here, but we have such a hard time finding great grabs for men, and so I feel like I have to announce to the world that we've cracked the code calendar-wise this year! :)

You've seen our super cute doggy desk calendar from The Found which has 12 unique pup-tastic illustrations, one for each month:

But then there's this newbie. This super awesome calendar could duo as a desktop or wall calendar, letterpress printed by Old School Stationers. I love the organic color palette and the fact that all of the designs are sort of natural and "Big Fish" inspired :)

Love the root veg page for September and that stark black crow on the October page!

So there it is - for now at least :) Some of our most lovely ways to keep you and yours organized and up-to-date in 2012! Pop by the shop soon so you can pick from our best selection, and let's talk soon about the other beautiful calendars the we have coming!

Great!!

Lots of love and some big Fall-time wooly sock hugs from us here at G&R

Lizzy

Spotted: Abi & Ryan's wedding on the Mark Davidson Photography blog

2011-09-14T15:14:00.004-04:00

Whenever a bride or groom comes to pick up the last of their finished wedding stationery, it's such a bittersweet feeling for me. I love love love watching them delight over the printed pieces and, of course, share in their excitement; but, I always feel a tinge of sadness that this portion of our project together has come to an end, too. We have been blessed with the most amazing clients, so lots of these couples become not only clients but friends over the course of our project. So, I always remind them to send photos of the big day and to stop by whenever they are in town so we can catch up.

As you can imagine, it's a sweet perk to the job when we get to see our lovely friends celebrating like mad and also when we spot some of the lovely paper goodness in their photos, too!

Abi & Ryan are two of the nicest people out there and we had a blast working with them to create a beautiful, preppy suite through one of our favorite albums, Gilah Press & Design. The celebration was planned by our dear friend and wedding-maven Kate Parker and captured by our talented pal, photographer Mark Davidson. Check out a few snaps below and then head over to Mark's blog for the full post.

(all photos courtesy of Mark Davidson Photography)

9.10.11 love

2011-09-10T10:25:00.005-04:00

Happy Saturday, lovelies! Just popping in to say Happy Wedding Day to all our fabulous 9.10.11 couples. And, dang, are there a lot of you! It's a great day for a wedding here in New England (and everywhere, really, because, hey!, what isn't a great day to marry the love of your life?) and we are wishing you all the best. Enjoy every moment.

Have I mentioned recently how much I love my job? Because I do. I love weddings,. I love happy couples. I love celebrating the important things in life. Really, what it comes down to is that I love love.

And, I LOVE these:
An inspiration board after my own heart (the ceremony site!!? I die.):

(via Once Wed)

A super romantic, woodland-nymph-esque wedding. Check out the whole post (via Once Wed) HERE.

(Photos by Glen Allsop, found via Once Wed)

Woo hoo!! We're winners!

2011-09-07T12:34:00.006-04:00

Hey y'all! Guess what? We recently won the 2011 Bella Figura Design Contest! Pretty rad, right? We thought so! Check out the post HERE. Bella chose the two designs above that we did for our fabulous clients, Sarah & Peter, as their winning custom design. We couldn't be happier!

As you all know, we adore working with clients from near and far to do completely custom letterpress design and also to customize designs from albums from some of the country's top design companies. From the start-from-scratch custom design that we offer to working off an album design, one of the things that Whitney, Liz and I really bring to the table (if I do say so myself) is creativity and a can-do! attitude when it comes to customizing. We love love love listening to clients describe their vision for their event(s) and then translating those thoughts into paper perfection. For many brides and grooms to be, sometimes the trickiest part of looking through wedding invitation designs is envisioning just how they can change things to reflect their unique personalities and events more closely. Well, that's really where we come in and what makes working with us such a fun and collaborative process!!

During a private appointment, we'll talk about all the lovely details that make up you both, your event and your aesthetic. From there, we'll help you navigate the ins and outs of customizing and designing the perfect suite. We love brainstorming and helping clients come up with the best solution for any number of challenges and our backgrounds in design help us visualize all sorts of options that you might not think of on your own.

Take the contest-winning design we created for Sarah & Peter, for example. We started with this invitation as inspiration (the Harbor Beach design from Bella Figura):

And ended with this:

Sarah & Peter wanted to do something nautical-inspired, but didn't want to go the typical motif-themed route. So, using colors and some captain-inspired fonts, we turned a preppy nautical suite into a hip seaside-ready invitation perfect for their swanky Maine affair. Sometimes simple changes like fonts and colors can really turn things around!

And, this is just a small example of how customizing a design can turn a good start into EXACTLY!! Design is what we do. It's what we love and it's our greatest strength when it comes to helping you get the paper suite of your dreams. o, contact us to set up an appointment and let the fun begin!

hello@gusandruby.com
603.319.1717

(all photos courtesy of Bella Figura)

Letterpress giveaway for Fashion's Night Out!

2011-09-06T12:03:00.005-04:00

This Thursday, September 8, from 5-9pm, Gus & Ruby Letterpress will be celebrating Fashion's Night Out with fabulous after-hours shopping and a super letterpress giveaway! With any purchase during the event hours, you'll be entered to win 500 1-color letterpress printed calling cards or 100 2-color letterpress printed flat note cards from Bella Figura. Pretty great, right?

As you all know, we are totally smitten with Bella Figura. Their sumptuous custom-made cotton paper and truly amazing variety of designs make our hearts sing.

Every stylish guy and gal should have some personal stationery (to write thank you notes for all the swanky cocktail parties you attend, obviously), so it seems only natural that we'd get you fashionistas set up on Fashion's Night Out.

And, we're not the only ones in Portsmouth celebrating this international fashion event! Visit www.FashionsNightOutPortsmouth.com for info about all the shops participating and the fabulous give-aways and events happening around town.

We can't wait to see you Thursday and, who knows, you may win yourself some beautiful custom letterpress stationery!

(all photos courtesy of Smock & Bella Figura)

Morning Guys & Gals!

2011-09-02T10:52:00.013-04:00

Hey there you - you lovely people... enjoying your lovely long weekend... in this beautiful sunshiny weather.

We've been getting LOTS of new lovely in at the shop over the past few weeks - but I specifically want to talk today about a few new goodies w've recently received for all of you back-to-school, jazz-up-that-home-office fanatics!

As many of you have already noticed, we have the first of our 2012 calendars hanging around the shop. After having an incredible calendar season last year (we are so lucky to have such fab vendors!!) it only made sense to expand our offerings this year. My favorite desk calendar so far is this one from The Found.

Each month has the sweetest little designs of different pups - they sort of have a collaged quality and are very unique. We already need to place a re-order and they've only been in the shop for about a week!!

And it's a toss-up for my favorite wall calendar. I can't get enough of Rifle Paper Co. lately, and really love the light, perfect palette of her Botanicals calendar. I'd want to cut the pages out and frame them for my powder room (if I had a powder room) at the end of the year :)

For those of you who have headed back to school, or who have kiddos who are back in the classroom this fall. These goodies are for you - to help you keep cool, calm, and collected during the rush of the academic year.

We recently ordered Paddywax's Library Collection for the shop - just to try some new everyday candles and diffusers. These are 100% hand-poured soy and come in the most beautiful little canvas covered boxes. What I love about these candles though is their comfy-cozy scents. Each scent is fashioned after a famous author, and their mix of floral and spice is just perfect to get you ready for the crisp leaves and blustery days that we have ahead! (Can you tell I'm hankering for it to officially be Fall?)

We also have some lovely little glass jar diffusers that mimic the Library scents - perfect for those of you who aren't big candle burners!

New page flags are in from Girl of All Work, perfect to use to keep your place in that new novel you started or to mark that roasted vegetable ratatouille recipe in Food & Wine magazine. Or for those of you heading back to school, these page flags work wonders when it comes to demarcating important text or quotes for paper-writing and studying purposes. Think of how much neon highlighter ink you'll avoid - and how pristine your books will look when you go to sell them back at the end of the year!

So imagine yourself - planning out your week and marking up your new calendars with lunch dates and business appointments, coming home to a beautifully scented candle, a good book (marked with your page flags!), and a cup of spiced cider. Yes I said spiced cider. And I was thinking a little pumpkin whoopie pie too. Summer's just about over pals... let's face it.

And who wouldn't want cider and a snack off of these pretty ceramics by Rob Ryan?

:) Alright, alright... enough, enough. I know you're all bummed that the summer's coming to an end. But with all of these beautiful goodies, how could you not be pumped for getting back to the grind?! I'm going to make a list in my beautiful new Russell & Hazel Agenda of all of the things I'm looking forward to this fall!

Ok, I'm done. Sorry... :) sorta...

Talk soon dearies!

XO much love,

Lizzy

Wedding Day Stationery: Escort and place cards

2011-08-24T09:12:00.010-04:00

(Above photos courtesy of Bella Figura)

So, now that you have gorgeous programs that are cohesive with your beautiful invitation suite and you've set the bar at your wedding for beautiful paper, what's next? Well, after the ceremony, many couples have a cocktail hour or brief interlude between the ceremony and the reception/meal/party. It is during this next phase of the event that you'll want to direct guests to their tables at the reception using escort cards. Escort cards literally escort your guests to their table and should continue the design and cohesion of your wedding day paper to give a polished, pulled-together look.

(all photos above courtesy of Bella Figura)

There are all sorts of fun ways to display escort cards; you can direct guests using lines of tented cards or cards strung up on twine tied between trees or frames full of pinned-up cards. The options are kind of endless, but it does take some creativity so don't leave this detail to the last minute. The best displays take a bit of forethought and planning.

(Above photos: first 2 courtesy of Bella Figura, third photo by Michelle Van Tine Photography found on Style Me Pretty, fourth photo by Lori Studios found on Style Me Pretty.)

Once your guests find their tables, you'll need place cards if you are doing assigned seating at each table. These little cards show guests exactly which seat is theirs. Flat or tented, they should be displayed at each setting for clear visibility.

(Above photos: first photo by W Scott Chester Photography found via Style Me Pretty, second photo by Olivier Lalin found via Style Me Pretty)

As Whitney mentioned in the last post on wedding day stationery, the first step to creating a polished suite of wedding day paper is making an appointment! Give us a call or shoot us an email (hello@gusandruby.com) and we'll set a time to sit and discuss all the lovely details for your big day!

Wedding Day Stationery: Programs

2011-08-23T14:00:00.001-04:00

Once your invitations are sealed and delivered the paper party isn't over just yet! Most brides and grooms have paper needs for the day of the wedding that can include anything from programs and menus to table signs and favor tags. Often our couples aren't sure what they need until they get closer to the big day (usually about 6 weeks out) so normally we don't start working on these pieces until after the invitation suites are all wrapped up.

Samantha and I find that most couples don't know what information should go in the program and if they need a menu at each guest's seat or just one at each table. The questions go on and on. So we decided we're going to take some time over the next week to explain the different pieces you might need for the day of your wedding, what type of info goes in each piece and how you might use them.

Wedding programs seem to be, by far, the most popular type of wedding day stationery that our couples need and usually include:

• the names of the couple, the date and location

• a list of the members of the wedding party which often includes the parents and grandparents

• the order of the ceremony starting with the processional (some couples opt to include the music for this) and then listing out each reading and song, who is doing the reading and singing/playing the music, and ending with the recessional

• a short paragraph thanking their friends and family for all of their support and for being present on their most important day

Of course there is no need to include all of this information. Some of our couples opt to keep it short and sweet and others like to include many more details. We encourage you to do what feels most comfortable for you as a couple rather than worrying about what other brides and grooms are doing. Once the content has been chosen for the program we start brainstorming ideas about the physical format of it. This isn't something you need to worry about because this is where Sam and I step in and offer advice about the best way to deliver the information to your guests and about the costs of all of the options.

This "fan" style program is a super easy DIY project. We can design a beautiful cover that matches your invitations and you can print the rest of the pages yourself. Simply punch a hole in the top left corner and tie them together with a piece of ribbon or twine. Erin and Sam (a 2010 couple) created these for their beautiful orchard wedding last fall:

{photos above by Alexandra Daley-Clark}

Probably the most common style we are seeing this season is a simple flat card with the ceremony printed on one side and the wedding party printed on the other. This piece from store favorite, Smock, is beautifully letterpress printed using the design and ink colors from the couple's invitations:

This booklet style program below from Bella Figura is an ideal format if you plan on including multiple pages of details and information. We can letterpress print the cover on our heavy weight cotton stock and then offset or digitally print the interior pages on text weight paper to save on cost and to keep the booklet from getting overly bulky. This example here has been hole-drilled down the spine and will eventually get tied with a matching green ribbon:

The program below is my absolute favorite of all time. We designed and printed this piece for Ben and Hillary who got married last September in Kennebunkport and we (Sam/Me and Ben/Hill) could not have been happier with the end result! We created an illustration of a mussel and printed it repeatedly on the front using no ink and then also printed it on the 2nd page in navy ink. After die cutting the shape of the mussel out of the cover, the navy illustration on the second page was revealed. We printed multiple pages outlining the ceremony and the wedding party and hole-drilled each page so that we could tie them all together using a beautiful piece of navy cotton ribbon. So pretty right?

{photos by Brea McDonald Photography}

Last, but not least is an example of a folded program with no (added) interior pages. Usually with a letterpress folded program we take a single sheet of paper and print the cover and the inside right page. With the programs below I printed the cover, both inside pages and a piece for the back on separate sheets and then adhered them to a piece of folded purple paper. This assembly added extra texture and substance to the piece and also allowed me to letterpress print both interior pages and both covers without having the normal impression from letterpress printing show through on the opposite sides of the pages. Because we inserted little pouches of petals inside the programs (guests tossed the petals at us as we walked down the aisle has husband and wife) we had to tie the programs shut with a piece of natural cotton ribbon:

{photos by Brea McDonald Photography}

{photos by emilie inc.}

If you're starting to think about your day-of wedding stationery the first thing you should do is to give us a call to set up a time to come in and chat! Don't worry, we promise it will be quick and easy (unlike your invitation appointment:)

Lots to go over....

2011-08-19T16:07:00.009-04:00

Hey there folks... we've got some things to talk about today.

These things that I think we should talk about - they're super gorgeous and terribly beautiful and make me wanna write long letters and keeps journals of all of my lovely thoughts.

These things - they're stationery related. Big surprise right?!
I knew you'd be shocked :)

This lovely lady here is Miss. Anna Bond.

Her lovely little biz (if you really could call it little :) is based down in Winter Park, Florida. It's where she paints - where she dreams - and where she and her helpful hubby have developed and designed a phenominal stationery line. Hers are some of the most beautiful and whimsical notecards and custom invitations I've ever laid eyes on. I love her work. Love. Love. Love.

You can watch a little video of her working hard at Pacing The Panic Room:

http://pacingthepanicroom.blogspot.com/2010/11/do-what-you-love-episode-four-anna-bond.html

What always impresses me about Rifle Paper is how perfectly curated each design is. Every greeting card and print is unique, but they all have a painterly quality because that's where the designs begin. Anna's work has traveled from blog to blog, all the way to the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings and back - and we are really proud to have her goodies here at the shop. Check out some of her newer designs, that we just received in store :) And come check them out in person. Seriously. They're RIDIC.

Yes. Those are our first calendars of the season you see there folks :) They're ready and waiting for good homes.

And, yes. Those are foil stamped, floral notebooks for all of your journaling needs... and you know you've got some journaling needs... especially now that the summer's winding down and you want to record all of your fun adventures and get geared up for school to start in a few weeks.

Thanks for listening, and thank you to Rifle Paper Company for all of the BEAUTIFUL inspiration this week. Getting our stationery order in from NSS was such fun!!

Lots of love,
Lizzy

Spark Letterpress Summer Promotion

2011-08-18T13:56:00.004-04:00

Hello fellow paper hounds! And a happy Thursday to you. Today, I want to tell you about some super fabulous promotions that our dear friends at Spark Letterpress are offering.

Through October 31, 2011, Spark is offering a FREE insert card* when you order any 4-piece invitation suite (invite, printed invitation envelope, reply card and printed reply envelope). This insert card could be anything from a reception card to directions/accommodations insert. Pretty rad, right?

AND, that's not all!

Spark is also offering 15% off* when you order two or more printed day-of pieces. Day-of items might include programs, menus, placecards, gift tags, coasters, table cards and thank you note sets. So, once you mail out your gorgeous wedding suite, we can work together to create all the little day-of stationery pieces that will make your wedding truly POP! Hooray!!

October will be here before you know it, so call to set up an appointment ASAP so we can beginning designing the perfect stationery package to take advantage of these amazing promotions!

*Visit the store or contact us for specific details.