DAMASK ADDICTED

Rammikin has been working on Damask wedding invitations for a friend/client, and quite frankly has had Damask on the brain for the past few weeks. Apparently it's quite popular, considering all the things I've found that feature the pattern. Check out my collection of goodies found online:

1. Invitation (can be custom designed by Rammikin Creative Design)
2. Wall Art by urbanwalls on Etsy
3. Funky iPhone cover by CreateItYourWay on Etsy
4. Party styling by Sandra Downie Event Design
5. iPad covers by Griffin Technology
6. Gorgeous earrings by NauticalWheeler on Etsy
7. Invitation (can be custom designed by Rammikin Creative Design)
8. (wish my camera looked like this!)
9. Vera Wang marketing
10. Before & After shots of a redecorated dresser, by BetterAfter Blog

FRIDAY NIGHT

It's Friday night, time to put the mind at rest and just sit back with a wine and some inspiring pics. (Or in my case, a bowl of ice-cream and some inspiring pics - Day 13 of Dry July is going greeeeeat *sarcasm*!!)

Enjoy these favorite pics of mine:

(All images from Beautiful But Dangerous Tumblr gallery)

DAILY BITS

I'm giving Dry July a go this year. Having always had the month busy with events in other years, this year is finally a little quiet, so I thought - why not?! I started the month with a HUGE day on Sunday - catching up with friends for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and not having ONE drop of alcohol!

9:00am pancakes at the port, then some marketing at Fishermans Wharf

1:00pm jana's birthday lunch with the girls

6:00pm crown & sceptre with the eclairs

LETTER-PRESS

Wedding season is only a couple of months away, which means that invitations are in the works as we speak. I'm getting really busy with wedding invitations this year which is exciting, and I'm starting to learn so many new techniques for invitation design. One of my favourites - and quite an old tradition at that - is the Letterpress print. But how does it actually work? I know that it involves a really, really, really old machine (my printer lady uses a 1923 machine), and that the end result looks so classy and glamourous! But I want to know more. So I have done some research, and wanted to share, for any future brides out there considering this technique:

1. First, a metal or wood plate is made to copy the invitation design/wording etc. The plate is created through the process of etching and engraving. After the plate is made, ink is applied to parts of the plate that need to be printed onto the invite/paper...

2. After the ink is added to the plate, a sheet of paper is placed on top. The letterpress machine then uses a rolling wheel to move back-and-forth across the surface of the paper, leaving an impression

3. After the sheet is pressed, the paper is either hung or laid out to dry. And voila - your letterpress invitations are made!

WIN A SWIMSUIT

Okay so it's 10 degrees outside and the last thing you want to think about are bathers! But this little giveaway by American blogger Bleubird is just too special not to share (and international readers can enter). The amazing vintage swimsuits by Lime Ricki are like nothing you would find in Australian stores - well at least nothing that I could find last Summer. Bold, bright colours, and a mixture of beautiful vintage patterns, with 50's style cut-lines. Warning - these bathers are not for those who love to show off their assets, but instead for the chicks who love to promote the old-days look (how do you write that without saying "look like grandmas", haha I like to think the old-days is about showing off your body in a more classier style)... my favourite is the Stripe Ricki Swim Dress, so adorable! So go ahead and enter on the Bleubird blog if you want to win one of these beauties.