It’s always tough, but this month’s judge, Kate Reeves Robertson from The Story of Us, chose @erikarax as our sixth 7 Vignettes champion.
“It was a gorgeous week of sublime hues, fab framing and organised chaos, but it was the elegantly restrained frames by Erika that caught my eye and inspired my imagination every day,” said Kate. “Clean, refined and simply beautiful.”
I loved the simplicity of Erika’s pictures too, and discovering her lovely blog was an added bonus.
Congratulations, Erika! You get to work with Kate to create your own custom stationery set. I have to admit, I’m jealous!
I just have to share my wedding invitations with you now they’ve all safely arrived to our guests here and overseas. I am so in love with them. I really can’t imagine anything better (other than a letterpress version, which I couldn’t afford). I worked with the ever patient Kate Reeves Robertson at The Story of Us to create my dream invites and the perfect start to our big day countdown.
The white on navy invitation (with polkadot reverse) is for the UK post-wedding lunch we’re having at the end of our honeymoon in November. We had to make it different to the white wedding invitation, as some people were sent both. We also had an insert card with a striped back, an RSVP postcard, a fuchsia envelope seal and a tag with our wedding website details on the reverse.
When I received my printed goods back from Kate, I almost shed a tear. You dream about getting married for years (I wasn’t one of those girls with a scrapbook and all, but I won’t lie and pretend I hadn’t imagine what my wedding stationery might look like, being a paper nerd). Putting them together in the right order, addressing the envelopes (Damian’s job), inserting the envelope liners and getting the right stamps for overseas and domestic mail was a much bigger job than imagined and saw our dining table become a production line for three solid nights. (Top tip: use post-its!) It was fun though, despite the sore necks.
Pinch punch first of the month, it’s 7 Vignettes time again! And it’s my birthday today. Happy birthday to me! Don’t forget, the awesome prize is your own personalised stationery set by The Story of Us, so give it your best shot!
Everything you need to know for this month is here, and about the photo challenge in general if you’re a newcomer (welcome!) is here. Best of luck!
7 Vignettes is just a week away! Yay! It starts on 1 July, which just happens to be my birthday, so let’s make it one big instagram party! Our judge and sponsor this month is Kate Reeves Robertson from The Story of Us, who make amazing stationery and wedding invites. They happen to have just done mine and Damian’s and we could not love them any more! (I can’t show you them just yet as some are winging their way to England and I don’t want to spoil the surprise for our guests).
Anyway, the winner of this month’s challenge gets a brilliant prize: their own custom stationery set, designed from scratch (they don’t do templates!) by Kate herself. If, like me, you believe in the power of the handwritten note, the ‘just because’ note, the ‘I think you’re awesome’ note and the thank you note, you’re going to love this! Kate’s work is really special and often includes elements of handwritten calligraphy combined with her graphic design.
Kate is a big fan of 7 Vignettes and the top photo above is one of her own previous entries. She is very excited to be judging next month!
Kate Reeves Robertson
And here’s the list in advance. I hope you like it and I can’t wait to see what you come up with next month. Note the birthday-themed theme for 1 July, not that it’s all about me or anything!
You need to use the #7vignettes hashtag and tag Kate (@story_of_us) and I (@interiorsaddict). You must submit all 7 images by midnight on Sunday 7 July and be an Australian resident to be eligible to win the prize. The prize comprises the design and print of 25 notecards with envelopes worth $260. Everything else you need to know can be found here.
This is dangerous. 20% off everything at Papier d’Amour in Sydney (its Double Bay store, its new MLC Centre popup shop and online) for four days only, from today.
Even if you’re not into stationery (hello, what’s wrong with you?!) you might take the opportunity to pick up the latest Kate Spade iPad case or phone cover, or some paper pompom decorations.
Last month I was thrilled to be invited to the first ever Start Up Salon (“a meeting of online mavens for women doing awesome things in the creative and online world”) and the launch of a lovely new blog called Ooh! by gorgeous sisters Kate and Lu Reeves. Lu is an interior designer and Kate is my almost-neighbour and the talent behind my wedding invitations (which must remain secret for a little longer) at The Story of Us.
Kate and Lu are the kind of glam domestic goddesses who make people like me, who are, shall we say challenged in the kitchen, feel inadequate. Luckily they are delightful and really nice girls, otherwise I would hate them…
I have a bit of a stationery habit and having just signed off on my own wedding invitations I’ve become more than a little obsessed with all things paper! So I’m excited about the Papier d’Amour popup opening at Sydney’s MLC Centre next week. Its focus will be on creative workspaces and, as I’m also in the middle of transforming my own home office, I’m always keen for some tips.
As well as watching a variety of fun demos over the five weeks, you can also check out Papier d’Amour’s new bookcloth range (pictured), perfect for the stylish home. The boutique Double Bay stationery and gift store will open its popup on 6 June for five weeks, and every Thursday evening there’ll be a different demonstration. There’ll be plenty of gorgeous goods to browse and buy too, including art by Melbourne’s Emma Cleine of Lumiere Art + Co and paper artist Samantha Gazal.
It was only a matter of time if you ask me! It’s such an obvious fit, from gorgeous stationery, to home organisation and photo frames, through to homewares, and here we have it: kikki.K homewares!
Let’s face it, kikki.K products have been making our homes, especially our home offices, look good for years already. Now we can add a little Swedish design to our kitchens and dining rooms too!
You could have all sorts of fun playing stylist and displaying your favourite things in one of these 'museum boxes'
You all wanted to know when you could get your hands on the new pieces when I went to the Samantha Wills stationery and homewares launch the other week and I’m pleased to say the answer is today! The complete range of homewares isn’t available yet, but some of them are, and the gorgeous stationery is. My favourite is the museum box, priced at $199.
You could have all sorts of fun playing stylist and displaying your favourite things in one of these ‘museum boxes’
Samantha Wills at the launch of her new ranges yesterday
Seasonal Concepts in Redfern was the picture perfect venue for the launch of Samantha Wills’ new homewares and stationery ranges yesterday. The glamorous former model, who now lives in New York, revealed hand carved wooden place mats, display domes and glass museum boxes as well as pretty stationery with illustrations by Kelly Smith of Birdy & Me.
Samantha Wills at the launch of her new ranges yesterdayGlass domes on top of the round version of the placemats
Jewellery designer Samantha, who started with costume jewellery before moving onto bridal and fine jewellery, launched a jewellery chest earlier this year, which started something! She said the extension of the brand into stationery and homewares was very organic and came largely as a result of customer feedback, which she is known for embracing via social media. She has long been obsessed with stationery (bring back handwritten letters in the mail, yeah!) and collaborated with Kelly Smith to create the three card designs with feminine, yet empowered, imagery.
I’ve spent a lot of time on Etsy this week, getting inspiration for wedding styling, favours, stationery, you name it! Etsy is becoming THE place for wedding stuff. You can even buy FOOD on Etsy. Did you know that? Anyway, today’s Etsy Tuesday isn’t strictly homewares, but it is very cool stuff.
You’re going to thank me for this one, I’m sure of it! Bespoke Letterpress produce all kinds of divine prints, stationery and invitations and they’re selling loads of their prints, even limited editions, for just $20 with free shipping! Squeal! It’s almost too much for this girl who loves letterpress, typography and paper products in general!
I bought this lovely yellow one for a friend (when it was full price of course) a while back and she loved it. Go on, treat yourself!
You can find the Bespoke Letterpress Boutique sale online here.
Just look at this beautiful styling work by Mr Jason Grant in his latest collaboration… with Officeworks! Doesn’t it look divine? He’s styled the store’s entire summer range, in which he has his own collection for the first time. How exciting. These photos are typical of Jason’s mismatched, retro, colourful, relaxed vibe, seen regularly in Australia’s top interiors magazines.
Check it all out at the Officeworks website. I know what I’ll be picking up when I next stock up on clipboards… Just like cushions, a girl can never have too much stationery 😉
Love your work, MJG!
Read my previous interviews with former Real Living style director Jason here and here and check out his revamped website here.
