Fig and Kraft

It's been a very busy few weeks around here, but I took a break from the printing and packaging last week to work on these new block printed wedding invitations.

I designed these with a floral border and lined envelope which were carved from two separate linoleum blocks. I block printed the design in a dark magenta ink, and then digitally printed the text in a light grey. To tie it together I used a kraft envelope for the main invitation, and then a coordinating dark magenta envelope for the reply envelope. I love the way it came out, perfect for a late summer wedding!

Henna-Inspired Floral Wedding Invitations

This is a custom wedding invitation I worked on for a couple getting married in California this fall; the bride is Indian and her fiance is not, so she wanted something Indian-inspired without being too literal. I went with a burnt orange color palette to reflect the fall wedding as well as the Indian inspiration, with a bold floral border on the invitation and the envelope liner.

The border was inspired by the florals used in henna, with the small lines and details that are seen in henna designs. The whole thing was then tied together with a bright red ribbon to add one more pop of color to the invitation suite. Perfect for a fall wedding!

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the bride and groom.

Wedding Sketches

Working on some sketches for a custom wedding invitation this week; I love the way the second flower came out so much I'm thinking of turning it into a block print.

When I work on custom designs or non-block-prints, I usually draw them out by hand and play with pens and sharpies to get the design right, then scan it in and adjust in Photoshop. The corner drawing below is for an envelope liner like this one; I think it's going to look beautiful!
 

Introducing Custom Wedding Invitations!

Today I am sharing a block printed wedding invitation I worked on this winter for a summer wedding in New York. It was a custom project designed for the bride, who had an exact idea in her head of what she was looking for. I've been so excited to share this project since I worked on it in December!

This suite was designed for Catherine who wanted a William Morris-inspired invitation to match her teal-and-blue farmhouse wedding. Each invitation is block printed in two colors, and the RSVP card has a single color print.

Catherine provided me with a few pieces to give an idea of her theme, plus a William Morris print she was using as inspiration for the wedding. From there I worked on the design, carved the printing blocks, and printed each invitation by hand. I was so happy with the way they came out, and Catherine loved the finished invitations.

Since this project was such a success, I am now starting to take invitation orders! If you are interested in custom block printed invitations send me an email at hello@katharinewatson.com. I have just a few spaces open for the fall, so get in touch if you are interested in block printed invitations for your wedding! I will be doing both block printed and letterpress invitations, and each suite will be designed from scratch for the customer. All block printed invitations also come with the printing blocks which can be used again, or framed with the invitation. If you are getting married this year and are looking for unique invitations, send me an email!

Custom Poetry Books

l have a custom project to show you today: I've been working on a cover illustration for a book of poetry that will be self-published by the author. We met at the Fenton Street Market a few months ago, and she was looking for a block print to go on the front of each book.

I carved her a rooster print, and then a separate block with the title and name. The letters are tiny, about a 1/4 inch tall, and took about five hours to carve. They are definitely the smallest letters I've ever carved.

Custom Work

One of the things I spend a lot of time doing is custom work, but I rarely remember to take photos. I've had quite a few custom projects going in the last few weeks though, and thought I would share them all at the same time.

Usually, people will meet me at a craft fair or find my website, and ask for a different version of something I already have, or for a specific item for their home. Then there are projects that are almost totally unrelated to my work, but use similar techniques or materials. All of the following projects were commissioned, so someone will send me an idea and I will make that thing for them. Sometimes, the person knows exactly what they want, and other times there is a lot of artistic freedom. Take a look:

These pillows are an example of a project with total creative freedom; she asked for two pillows, and I decided to go for white patterns on navy. I love the way the white ink stands out, and might have to make one for my own couch.

I'm planning on adding a few of these to the shop for Christmas.

This fabric was for one of my favorite customers (my mom). While she was helping me at the National Stationery Show, she fell in love with the white flowers on blue, and she's going to use the fabric to reupholster a foot stool. Hopefully she will let me share pictures when it's finished.

This huge painting was a really fun project to work on: it is 40" x 60" and was commissioned to hang in a specific place in an apartment. She liked the smaller canvasses I have at craft shows (like this one) and wanted to turn it into a big statement piece. I love the way it turned out, and it was really nice to work on a large scale again.

I also worked on a series of monogrammed tote bags for a family that each got one in a different color. I started selling these at Arts on Foot in September, and have been making custom ones since then. I really like the look of the different letters printed all together:

This last project is completely different than something I would normally do, and was commissioned as part of Hoff's Harmonica Cases. This was the second harmonica case I have made for him, the first one was a block print on fabric, and this time he wanted to make a case out of the actual block. Hoff comes to all the craft shows in DC, so he updates me regularly on his Harmonica Case Project. I love the idea of commissioning hundreds of different artists to make the same thing, and seeing what different ideas they come up with.

Do you have an idea for a custom project? I won't be doing any custom work between Christmas and April, while we are traveling in Asia, so let me know now and it can be finished in time for the holidays! I would love to hear your ideas!