IN THE STUDIO // HEARTEN, SPRING2012

Open publication - Free publishing - More bride groom

Hearten is the online magazine of the Independent Wedding Association. The purpose of Hearten is to inspire and educate brides in the Twin Cities metro area. To show them how a non-corporate wedding, done by vendors who are close to their work and care about their customers, can be. We take special care at Hearten to highlight the loveliness, quirkiness and cosmopolitan-ness (if it wasn't a word before, it is now) of Minnesota. I have the great pleasure of designing the magazine. It's more than a pleasure. It's a delight and a passion. I will post more about the specific spreads in the coming days and weeks but for now here's the whole thing. I have embedded a small version of the magazine above but to get the whole experience go to heartenmag.com

Check it out, use it and let us know what you think!

Photography by Emma Freeman Photography

Photography by Emma Freeman Photography

Photography by Studio Laguna

Photography by Jeff Loves Jessica

Photography by Emma Freeman Photography

IN THE STUDIO // OLD SCHOOL PORTFOLIO PLANNING

This is what has been dominating my time lately: my porfolio, both the print and online editions. A lot has changed since this girl looked for a job and so the need for both an online and print/book version of my portfolio is a necessity. Wow, does it take a lot of time and planning. The photo above is a page of layout ideas for my print portfolio.

So far here is what I have:
A professional photo of myself {thanks to Becca Dilley Photography}.

A logo for me as a designer, versus my business:

And so many social media accounts I can barely keep track of them:

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

Linked In

Behance

Pinterest

And, last but not least, here is a link to my portfolio web site:

amyarmato.com

So follow me, like me, check out my work and if you or someone you know needs a fabulous graphic designer think of me!

IN THE STUDIO // NEW LOGO

The last time I wrote I was frustrated by having to design a new logo for myself as a designer vs. myself as a business. Well I did it and I'm very happy with it. Go and see my design portfolio at amyarmato.com, won't you?

INSPIRATION FILE // WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU'RE STUCK

I've been stuck. I have to redesign a logo for myself, me, Amy Armato. So hard. The worst actually. So as a distraction for myself, here are a few places for a bride to go to get unstuck: the above photo was found on Snippet & Ink through a delightful interior design friend of mine, Holly Bayer of Haut Haus (of course I found this image on one of her Pinterest boards).

There are many places to find inspiration boards. The boards from BHLDN allow you to peruse theirs, see other's boards and create your own.

This photo is from Cecilia Levy via Poppytalk. Sometimes you need non-wedding things to get your wedding brain going.

Where do you go?

INSPIRATION FILE // CHURCH BASEMENT WEDDING REDUX

This post started out as a year in review type post. I did a lot of interesting jobs and projects last year and wasn't the best about blogging them. The first work I chose to look at was this photo shoot revisiting the church basement reception popularized in the 1950's and 1960's. This shoot was originally produced for Hearten, the online magazine of the Independent Wedding Association.

I couldn't boil down my work on Hearten or this shoot to a couple images so I'm turning it into an Inspiration File post. There are just too many good ideas that would make for a quaint and personal wedding reception or rehearsal dinner. I adore this invitation suite and though it was created for this shoot, I am just dying for a couple to love it and have it for their wedding. I have highlighted my stationery work for this post, but go and see Hearten for the full spread with more great ideas from this and other shoots.

Credits:

Stationery: Armato Design & Press

Food: Chow Girls Killer Catering

Pie on a stick: Cocoa & Fig

Flowers: Ashley Fox Designs

Apron: Roycraft

Photography: Becca Dilley Photography, Sarah McGee Photography

Alternative Guest Book Ideas

{guests fill out what their recipe for love is and leave a note for the bride and groom}

Recipe Card Favors

Invitation Suite

Guest Book Cards, Recipe Card Favors and Food Tags

Alternative Layout for the Cover of the Hearten Spread

Church Basement Buffet

Minnesota Shaped Pie-on-a-Stick

Floral Centerpiece

IN THE STUDIO // S A L E !

I am offering customers 10% off of my customizable letterpress holiday photo cards through November 6th, 2011. These cards are letterpress printed on 100% cotton card stock with choice of color, font and greeting and include white envelopes and self-adhesive, beveled photo corners. Check out the entire selection here.

Wouldn't these make a great engagement announcement or first-Holiday-as-a-married-couple card? Letterpress is a wonderful match for the artful photography that couples get for their engagements and weddings. Those photos are so special, couples want to share them and a luscious letterpress holiday card is a great way to honor the beauty of such a special time in their life together.

I have also had a number of people use these as a combination baby announcement/holiday card. At such a busy yet exciting time it is a great idea to send one card for both occasions.

These cards are especially nice for two reasons: first, they're letterpress. In a sea of canned photo cards it is so lovely to pull a hand printed piece of cotton paper out of an envelope. It's the best way to express warm wishes, I think. Secondly, and more practically (especially for engagement/wedding and baby photos), the photo is removable for use past the holidays. No more holiday cards stuck on the refrigerator taking up too much space, just the photo. And in the case of the reverse mounted cards the photos are frame size. The sender is not only sending a card but a small photo gift.

To get this great deal order at my etsy shop and then use the coupon code FACEBOOK. If you need larger quantities than what is there feel free to contact me at amy{at}armatodesign{dot}com.

Photo mounted on reverse of card.

Wallet size photo mounted on front of card.

IN THE STUDIO // HEARTEN

Open publication - Free publishing - More minneapolis

I'm so thrilled to be able to introduce to you Hearten, the online magazine of the Independent Wedding Association! This has been a pet project of mine for some time now. We started talking about it last spring, did the photo shoots this summer and wrote, designed and edited it this fall and now it's here! Take a look, won't you?

Hearten {whose tag line is "Encouragement & Ideas for your Twin Cities Wedding"} was born out of a desire to provide Twin Cities couples with education, inspiration and comfort. We wanted a magazine that was more than just pretty pictures {though there are lots of them too}. We wanted real content for couples to go to when planning their wedding from vendors who are close to what they do and LOVE what they do. So while we do have two glorious photo shoots with great ideas AND gorgeous photos, we also have features like "Glossary" which, in this issue, defines the terms used in floral design. Do you know what a pomander is? You will after you read Hearten. There are other great features in this issue that you'll have to see for yourself and there will be even more in future issues.

I will be posting more photos of the stationery I designed for the two shoots in the coming days. I hope you enjoy Hearten as much as we enjoyed putting it together and bringing it to you.

IN THE STUDIO // RUPERT HOBBES

We had the privilege of printing business cards, letterhead and envelopes for a new company: Rupert Hobbes {they're so new, in fact, that they don't have a web site yet but here's their Facebook page. Like them, won't you?}. The design is from Jim Felgate. Did you know that if you have a design already we can print it for you? We can and we do.

"Rupert Hobbes creates heirloom quality product for the luxury handbag, attaché and small leather/personal goods market. Rupert Hobbes does not make products for everyone, but serves those who wish to own enduring design of the utmost quality."

Letterpress was a perfect choice for Rupert Hobbes and we were so happy to provide it for them. The business cards are printed in one color on Pearle Lettra 100% cotton paper in metallic gold ink. The letterhead is printed on natural white Mohawk Superfine paper with coordinating side load envelope again in metallic gold ink. What I love most about the ink is that it is a rich color and even though it is metallic it isn't garish or shiny. It just has a luster that warms everything up. Lovely.

IN THE STUDIO // AS SEEN IN... MINNESOTA BRIDE

There we are on page 34 of the Fall/Winter issue of Minnesota Bride! Our sunflower invitation, reply card and thank you. Oh goodness, I love seeing our designs on the glossy pages of a magazine. And check out the cover! I just love the design, the fashion, the great company we're in. Thanks so much to Minnesota Bride for continuously supporting the great wedding talent we have here.

Just in case you can't read what they had to say about us:

Flower Power

While this style and layout are predetermined, the wording, font and colors can be adapted for your celebration. At Armato Design & Press, even the printing method is customizable: choose from luxurious letterpress, mid-priced offset printing or a PDF file, allowing you to select your own printer. The sunflower design—one of designer Amy Armato’s favorites—mixes a modern mood with a nature motif, a perfect fit for a pastoral wedding setting.
Armato Design & Press, 612.387.4844, armatodesign.com

You can read more about the sunflower invitation here. And here's another feature in Minnesota Bride.

IN THE STUDIO // THE MINUTIAE OF LETTERPRESS

Letterpress // Makeready, Printing, Clean Up from Armato Design on Vimeo.

This time-lapse video shows our pressman, Tim, as he gets the press ready for printing, prints and cleans up. Approximately 70 minutes are collapsed into less than 3. {There is no audio.} The most interesting part of the video is noticing the small things he has to do to print these business cards. The little adjustments to the plate and the ink are all what makes the hand made result so beautiful and so "boutique".

IN THE STUDIO // SUNFLOWER INVITATION

Introducing my new favorite invitation: The Sunflower. I especially love how it is a very modern take on a pretty rustic flower. This is a closely cropped bright yellow and chocolate brown sunflower letterpress printed on 100% cotton bright white paper with a bright yellow envelope that has a full bleed {runs off the end of the flap} cropped sunflower. Of course it can be printed in any color combination you wish {I would love to see it in a deep orange and charcoal gray}. This one was printed for Sharon's big 40th birthday blowout, but wouldn't it make a lovely invitation for a fall wedding?

INSPIRATION FILE // REBUS SAVE THE DATE INSPIRATION

Don't you think this is a great idea for a save the date or game for your guests to play while they're waiting for dinner to be served? Customized for your event, of course. I really don't think I'll ever tire of this design style. Thanks to Steven Heller for constantly finding the best in design history, both remembered and forgotten. Here's the full post.

IN THE STUDIO // UPTOWN MODERN

It was a pleasure to work with so many creative wedding professionals (many from the IWA) on this inspiration shoot for which I did the stationery. Though not the central focus, vendors were encouraged to be as eco-friendly as possible. With this in mind I created a stationery suite that minimizes paper use and maximizes smart design. This is most evident in the invitation which is printed on both sides and is divided in the middle by a perforation. The top of the invitation has all of the pertinent information for the wedding, the bottom has a reply post card. For the back of the stationery, the top of the invitation (the piece that the guest keeps) has directions to the event, the bottom (on the back of the reply) has a return address with postage affixed. This piece does minimize paper which makes the design of the piece that much more important. Great attention was paid to the design of the invitation as a whole keeping in mind what the pieces will look like when separated.
Other paper minimizing features include signs that replace individual place cards and a sweets menu sign. Another minimalistic consideration would be a menu sign. For this shoot, however, individual menus worked better for highlighting place settings.

Thanks to Katrina Hannemann of Studio Laguna for not only organizing the shoot but for taking the gorgeous photos.
It was also wonderful working with the following talented wedding vendors:
Grace Bridal Boutique (now available at Posh Bridal)
Five Event Center
BeEvents
Sassafras Floral Design
JWP Jewelry Design
Heimie’s Haberdashery
Fabulous Catering
Jessica’s Cakes

SHOP // GARNISH

OH MY GOD! How did I just learn about Garnish? I was just paging through the newest issue of Sweet Paul {another "OMG! how did I just learn about..." moment. It seems I've been having a lot of those lately} and saw an ad for Garnish. Oh, it's so nice to have a place to go to for simple but unique {not to mention customizable: Letterpress labels and/or tags anyone?} packaging options. A cupcake in a mini-coffee-to-go-cup? Sold! Lovely wooden spoons for a lovely paper cup full of gelato? Sign me up! Wedding favors that look so cute your guests won't want to open them? Done, done and DONE!

Ok, now I have to get to planning my next gathering so I can order from Garnish. I can't believe I've gone this long without them.