Alesia Zorn Calligraphy

Dream Wedding Giveaway at Abernethy!

I am so excited to be part of the Abernethy Center's Chapel Dream Wedding Giveaway!

Abernethy Center has 2 beautiful gardens and a lovely ballroom - and now they're building a chapel on their beautiful grounds.  To celebrate, they're giving away a dream wedding and I'm so happy to be contributing envelope addressing for invitations provided by The Wedding Cottage, and then table markers & place cards for the day of the wedding, which will be coordinated by Champagne Weddings & Events.

To find out how you can enter, go here!

Sweet Dreams Weddings & Events

I'm tickled to be mentioned on Sweet Dreams Wedding & Events blog today!  We shared a lovely bride named Tara, her wedding was just GORGEOUS!  I'm really happy to have had a small part in it with the seating cards - silver on eggplant - and the table markers, which was love in several languages.  You can see the blog post with more incredibly lovely photos here. 

It's going to be a fun reception!

I was very fortunate this year to work with a great bride who is a fellow Massachusettsite.  We've had a great time talking about things Back East, such as her fiance & his "married into it - Red Sox fan for life" tee.  And we had a wonderful time putting together things for her reception.

Amy's getting married in Vegas and my thoughts turn once again to becoming a wedding crasher.  Her colors are rich jewel tones, focusing primarily on red & purple.  How lush! 

 

Her blank escort cards were provided by the hotel - the writing space was a bit teeny but totally doable.  These are the unfolded fronts, the table assignment is on the other side.  I alternated names by the tables between red & purple, when they're all set up the color pattern will be random. 

Here are the wicked* fun table numbers - I had so much fun doing them, first the number spelled out in red watercolor, then the numeral on top also in watercolor.  The watercolor paper was then mounted onto a fabulous metallic purple cardstock.  I want to use this cardstock for wallpaper - and I'm not even a big fan of purple.

Amy also asked me to make a sign for their guest book.  Of course I had to use metallic purple ink - it's Las Vegas, baby!  The phrase is in quotes because they're providing their guests with a photo guide book to Las Vegas (see! more fun!  I want to go.)  She provided the really lovely frame & mat, it'll be great for a wedding photo later.  (I took this photo at The Bridal Loft before Amy came to pick up.  If you look in the reflection you can see some of Bead Alex's gorgeous jewelry.)

 Last but not least, Amy wanted me to write out quotes that she would post around the room at the reception.  They ranged from the sweet A.A. Milne quote "If you live to be one hundred, I want to live to be one hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you" to the more pragmatic Groucho Marx - "I was married by a judge.  I should have asked for a jury."  Ah, the sentimentality of my homeland.  The writing is in red metallic ink, mounted to purple cardstock with little gold corners.

I had a wonderful time with Amy and I think she did with me, one of her last e-mails to me said:

"Can you do calligraphy for just random things in my life, grocery lists etc, I don't want this to be over!"

Have I ever calligraphed a grocery list?  No.  Will I?  Of course!!

*It was also fun to speak my native tongue - like using "wicked" instead of "very."  I'm sure I also dropped an "r" here and there and words cannot tell you how lovely it was not to be picked on for saying "AWrange" instead of "ORange."

Ready For A Good Time

Look at all these table numbers ready for a good time!

I was so excited to be asked by Abernethy Center to participate in their upcoming tasting for some of their 2010 brides. 

The fun started with the envelopes for the invitations, which came from The Wedding Cottage.  In my guise as the best advertising on why one should hire a professional photographer & not do it themselves, here's a picture I took right before the invites went out the door.  The floral is a rich, luscious purple which I mirrored on the envelopes with brush script. 

Then I got to work on the table numbers.  The colors for the event are lovely - champagne, ivory, gold and pink!  I was given free reign to do whatever I wanted with the table numbers so I gave myself the challenge to do something different for each one.  It was so much fun - and took 2 hours to clean up my studio now that everybody's ready to go!

Thank heavens there will be a professional photographer on site and I will swear undying loyalty for professional photos of the table markers in their natural habitat.  There'll be calligraphed buffet cards as well, I've got my fingers crossed I can get those shot as well!

Fun Times with Blush Bridal & Zenith Vineyard!

Part of this week is about an event at Zenith Vineyard.  They're having a tasting this weekend, and they're showcasing tablescapes done by planners for the event.  I'm honored to have been asked to contributed a few things.

This table I'm writing about today was designed by Amy Nuttman, owner of Blush Bridal Consultation Group.  She sent myself and the florist an e-mail with a sample of these gorgeous linens and told us the theme was "Asian Autumn."  Amy knows me soooo well, because later in that e-mail she wrote:  Alesia -- I just KNOW the wheels are already spinning in your head!!! I would LOVE for you to do whatever you wish with this theme in mind! :-)  My only instructions were to do place cards (maybe something with chopsticks), a table marker and a participants sign.  Viola!

I LOVE this table! This linen, chocolate brown with golden chrysanthemums gives me the shivers (in a good way.)  I want clothing made of of this!

A closer look takes us to this stunning floral centerpiece done by Francoise Weeks.  Click on that photo, I made sure to enable the pop up so you can get a closer look - really, "stunning" keeps coming back to me time & time again.  Francoise's work frequently has woodland elements, it's very Northwest!  Please check out her website and blog - she teaches classes and has note cards featuring her gorgeous arrangements. 

I love my #8, I wish I could take all the credit for it but I think the credit belongs to my Muse.  The number is very auspicious in several Asian cultures so I knew that had to be the table marker.  "8" is a very sensuous number, it's all curvy and lovely, this one with one strong stroke, the next brushy and airy.  My friend Sue from the UK just this week asked about working "in the Zone" on her fb page.  That "8" came from that zone - I had a stack of paper standing by to do several versions but I only needed the one.  More serendipity... I walked into my favorite cheap-frames-fast boutique, Chez Dollar Store, saw those 2 and knew that was it.

When Amy said Asian theme and place cards the image of these little sleeves popped into my head.  Off I trotted to Anzen, the Asian market in my neighborhood to find pretty chopsticks - then I had an idea to find chopstick holders and that mystical Zone thing - maybe The Force - was with me.  See the 2 little yellow triangles at the top & bottom of the place card?  They're the tips of the wings of little ceramic "origami" cranes.  1000 origami cranes are symbols of long life and good luck, who doesn't need a little more of that going for them?! 

UPDATE: I get so carried away by "the pretties," I need to do a better job editing!  If this re-publishes it's because I had to make a few tweeks.

Calligraphy released in the wild

Hurray!  More professional photos!  This go-round is from David Barss.  When I first met David we had a discussion about table markers.  He usually removes them from the tables when he takes detail shots.  I was thrilled beyond the telling that not only did he leave this table marker on the table, this photo also appeared in the slideshow on his blog.  I scared the dog & cats when I saw the slideshow, I hollered out "David, you ROCK!!"  As you can now see for yourself. 

   I love the photos of all the escort cards lined up, ready to go off into the wild and have a great time!

The different colors on the escort cards are not just pretty, they serve a purpose.  This was a plated reception, the colors on the card told the servers which entree had been ordered.  On the list of nit-picky things that make me crazy, little "B"s for beef or "C"s for chicken on an escort or place card are so out of place.  There are more tasteful ways to get that idea across.

This was a very fun job, the cards are so flourishy and lovely, a big thank you goes out to Soiree Special Event Planning for sending this my way!

I almost feel like a fairy godmother!

I have a bride getting married on Saturday who I've worked with for months now, first on her wedding invitations and now on her escort cards, table markers and signage for The Big Day.  The following was part of an e-mail from last week:  Thank you for helping our wedding day feel like we are part of our own fairy tale! :) I'm looking for my wand right now.

The e-mail was about the table markers and working vine work into the lettering so it looks like vines on a wall.  I did some pencil sketches with vines throughout all the lettering and it was cool, but very hard to read which defeats the purpose of the table marker - instead I kept the vines to the leaves...

If you look closely, the leaves on the vines are heart-shaped, I wanted to keep it romantic and fairy-tale-ish without being "twee" (that's a word I learned from an Aussie friend and I love it!)  The table names are the names of places in the Oregon area, aren't we lucky to have falls and a town named "Bridal Veil?"

The pieces below are little escort envelopes, inside are the seating assignments.  These would be for the bride and groom who are appropriately sitting at the Bridal Veil Falls table.

It'll be bittersweet to send this job out the door - it was fun and Evelini's been a delight to work with.

*That's* what I'm talking about!

In mid-June I has a post about place cards & programs I did for a wonderful client.  As often happens, the photos are done by me with my remedial digital camera and my remedial skills.  I make no bones about being the perfect advertisement for why one should hire a professional photographer for their event instead of using their uncle/cousin/best college bud/remedial-skilled laborer.  There's a reason they're called "professional."

Here are photos from the actual wedding, the photos generously shared by Paul Rich Studio.  I happily share them with you so you can contrast and compare.   Truly, hire a professional photographer - as well as a professional calligrapher, of course!!

See? and once my work is released into the wild there are lovely touches, like rose petals!

And I completely forgot about the table numbers!  (I'm becoming militant about table markers, there's a post on that building up inside me ;-)

Again, my work looks so much better after it's been released into its natural habitat (and this habitat was coordinated by A Swank Affair - and they aren't kidding when they say "events with style.")

The wedding ceremony was held at The Grotto here in Portland.  I had to share this breathtaking photo with you just 'cuz... really, how beautiful is this?!

I miss this bride!

I'm so excited!  I got a disk of photos from Stewart Harvey & Associates loaded up in the computer.  They're beautiful photos from the wedding of a delightful bride I had the pleasure of working with from her save the dates in November through the wedding this spring.  The photos are of the work I did for the wedding and reception...

   I designed a monogram to be used for the elements needed the day of the wedding.  These are the programs for the church.  The monogram was printed on a sheet of vellum, the program on text weight paper and the two tied together with the ribbon.  I provided the camera-ready artwork, the bride took care of the rest.

The monogram made it onto the menu as well.  If you've read past posts, this is the menu that featured my newest obsession, lavendar-pear cake.  The lettering for the menu is the flourished formal script I've been working on this year, in the monoline option.  I used it for the names of the menu items, but did not use the flourishes in the item description to help keep things more legible.

I also did the table numbers and escort cards, seen below.

I really enjoyed working with this bride and after working together so many months, I miss her!  The last time I saw her she gave me a big hug and said she's see me again, someday she'll need baby announcements.  I'm ready for her!

Menus for "Pimp My Warehouse"

I was asked to produce buffet card menus for the monthly ISES (International Special Events Society) meeting.  It was held in a car warehouse, the theme being "Pimp My Warehouse."  It was the coolest thing possibly ever.  There was an area of the warehouse separated by pipe & drape - the drape being chocolate brown velour.  I walked into the grooviest lounge space, with couches, cocktail tables, big plushy chairs - all in brown, red and white.  Very urban and very groovy!

It was my tortuous pleasure to do the menus that sat on the buffet tables.  The caterers were Premiere Catering, who I've raved about before - and I'll rave about them again.  The food was fantastic, as I commented on my facebook page, I wouldn't want to live in a world without Premiere Catering.

The meeting's theme was also very fun, I had a great time with the menus...

Here's a scan for a close up.

I lettered the menu on white watercolor paper.  I did the little red squares with red Inktense watercolor pencil, the lettering is done with a pointed pen in walnut ink and is based on Frank Lloyd Wright's Exhibition type.  The menu was mounted on the dark red squiggly 8.5x11 inch backer card with foam tape so there was some dimension.  The four red squares in the corners are also the red watercolor pencil, with free-form calligraphic marks made with the same pointed pen and walnut ink and mounted with foam tape as well. 

There were 2 different menus.  I'm going to be a bud and only tempt you with one.  Trust me, it was goooood.

I certainly enjoyed creating little works of art and do my small part to pimp the warehouse!