Brenda Walton

Sealed with a Kiss

I recently had the pleasure of designing a very special collection of letterpress greeting cards for Dominique Schurman and Papyrus stores.

The direction for these designs was inspired by vintage typography and printer’s ornaments from the turn of the century…with a contemporary twist. It was immensely enjoyable to work with beautiful fonts and lovely quotes that I’ve been collecting for many years. Printed on the finest quality paper, each card includes postage and an elegant gold adhesive seal.

The elegant Niquea.D correspondence collection containing all thirteen cards is available online and at select Papyrus stores nationwide. 

She Said Yes!

Our dear friend Patrick recently proposed to our god-daughter Clare in a such a romantic manner that it would make William Shakespeare proud.

After a nine year courtship, Patrick knew he had to come up with a pretty creative idea or Clare would figure out his intention before he started. So, over the course of several weeks he devised an elaborate treasure hunt, taking them to five milestone locales in their relationship. (Clare posted the details on her blog, buddy and bella.)

Patrick asked me if I could help create the five clues for the treasure hunt using copy that he emailed me. I had only a few hours to complete them, so I had to work quickly.

The first clue (above) was entitled "Clare's Treasure Hunt". The next four clues (below) each featured a glittered letter, spelling out "LOVE". I decided to use tags as a base for this project, which Doug made using a Sizzix die (which saved a lot of time!).

Starting with papers and embellishments from several of my K&Co collections (Flora & Fauna, Madeline, and Maison), I grouped the tags, stickers, ephemera and ribbons by color and style. It's an easy way to get started, and really helps me envision the finished project. The type for the clues was created in Photoshop, printed and cut into strips, to give the tags a whimsical, ransom-note feeling. 

Next, I connected the tags with brads and added the embellishments and photos. Finally, I attached ribbons and scraps with a touch of glue and some machine stitching. Voila!

Very early the next morning, Clare followed the clues step by step, eventually leading her to a hilltop overlooking Nevada City where Patrick proposed at sunrise. She was completely taken by surprise and accepted immediately.

Congratulations, darling Patrick and Clare! We wish you a romantic and blissful life together.

Lavender and Lace

Earlier this year, my husband and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with friends Lauryl Lane and her husband Sammy. Lauryl is a talented designer and floral stylist, known for her innovative uses of organic materials and refreshing color sensibility. She creates breathtaking tablescapes and environments for weddings and other special events.

Lauryl recently designed floral arrangements for a wedding held at Lafond Winery on the picturesque Central California coast. She creatively incorporated some Flora & Fauna products into her tablescapes for the wedding reception, and  featured photos of them on her beautiful blog.

For the wine barrel tables, Lauryl made lovely arrangements of lilacs, iris, ranunculus and lavender in simple clear jars and bottles. She wrapped Flora & Fauna Swirl Adhesive Borders and Vellum Adhesive Borders around each jar for easy and elegant embellishments.

These borders are intricately die cut, printed on acid-free card stock and translucent vellum, and they’re all ready to apply to any surface!                                                                           

It’s wonderful to see such beautiful and innovative uses for my scrapbooking products. Thanks, Lauryl dear, for your creative inspiration!

See the entire Flora & Fauna collection of papers and coordinating embellishments here.

Home Away From Home

My latest collection for K&Co, Around the World, is now available! Inspired by my personal illustrated travel journals, Around the World is filled with happy memories of summertime adventures.

The Specialty Paper Pad features two each of fourteen different designs, all color-coordinated.

Look for Around the World online at K&Company and locally at Michaels and other craft stores nationwide.

Young at Heart

It’s such a joy to find a letter or card in the mailbox. And it’s even more exciting when that card is handmade.

My dear friend Vicki sends handmade cards for every imaginable holiday, including Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Friendship Day, and even Fourth of July! She lovingly hand crafts sixty cards, writes a personalized note, hand addresses them, and then applies thematic stamps which she collects at philatelic shows. What a beautiful keepsake!

Here’s a sweet handmade card that will be sure to delight your friends and family. Using papers and embellishments from my Flora & Fauna Collection, designer Karen Bulmahn created this easy project. Directions here.