Happy 40th Birthday, Tyler!

Here's a little birthday shout-out to my brother who recently turned 40. In his honor, my sister-in-law Melissa, hosted a fabulous 40th gathering at The Underground, the lower level of Barley's Brewing Company in Columbus. It's an old establishment in the heart of the Short North District—lots of exposed brick, old barrels, specialty brews and tasty pub eats. I love this place.

To jump start the occasion, I designed these party invitations. Soon after, guests started buzzing about the big day and were more than ready to pull off the big surprise for one very special guy.

Flash Mob Wedding

I have to admit, I'm a little flash-mobbed out and fully expected this to be cheesy and impersonal. But, I was wrong! This wedding at the Prudential Center Mall in Boston is quite the opposite. Quick, sweet and so much fun. The smiles all around say it all, and the look on the bride's face at the end is just plain adorable. Very touching and such an affordable idea! This wedding is a one-of-a-kind, and I kinda wish I got to see it in person.

Giddy Ink Holiday Cards Available Now

We are so excited to share these original Giddy holiday cards with you, available exclusively at our store at Minted! It's not too late to snap the perfect family photo and get 'em while they're hot.

Order "Ornaments"

Order "Mouse with Photo"

Order "Snow Flourish"

Order "Simple Wish"

Order "Mouse"

Order "Sledding"

Order "Tree"

Inspiring Halloween Goodness

An avid fan of most things Halloween, I have found myself especially excited to see such noteworthy good design being integrated into the aisles of Halloween merchandise this year. Retailers like Pottery Barn, Grandin Road, Martha Stewart, Target, and many Etsy designers are definitely getting with the program and offering up authentically fun and spooky decor and costumes. And me likey.
Pottery Barn, Etsy, Grandin Road, Martha Stewart, Pottery Barn

I'm particularly excited about the simple pleasure of pumpkin decorating though. Every year, an eager trip to the pumpkin patch seems subsequently followed by blank canvas panic and then some form of last minute spooky face with jagged teeth (I'm guilty of it too.) Get inspired by some of these beyond-the-jack-o-lantern creations. Placement, technique and a little creative thinking take these art forms to a whole new level of style.







Martha Stewart, Greener Home Designs, Country Living, Sunset

Happy Halloween weekend from Giddy Ink!

Happy New Year’s Wedding, Jacque + Chris

It’s the kind of inspiration that makes designers like us drool. A New Year's Eve wedding with all the fixins: a gorgeous couple, silver and magenta sequin, champagne, the Queen City Club (a spectacular Cincinnati venue) and a mother/daughter/groom's willingness to embrace the festive nature of their wedding date. Above all, Jacque and company wanted guests to have fun

and open an invitation that would get them in just the right spirit for a classic winter wedding followed by a glamorous New Year's Eve bash. First, a healthy dose of inspiration.
And then, the goods. We printed these invitations on a heavy shimmery stock to mimic the crystal beads used on Jacque's dress and the centerpieces. Festive scrolling graphics and fonts were inspired by the label of the most quintessential New Year's Eve party starter: a champagne bottle. Eloquently wrapped in a silver belly band printed with the words “It's Going to Be a Ball,” this invitation made you smile the moment it arrived.

Every flourish appropriately captures the spontaneity of falling confetti.

Crystal accents seriously make me want to say “10, 9, 8, 7, 6......”

A reception card with a bang.

Matching escort cards are attached to individual bottles of bubbly. (Yes, those are sequin tablecloths!)

And last but not least, a custom champagne bottle ice luge...a Giddy Ink first!

Honestly, we could hardly keep ourselves from crashing this one. Thank you Rachel at Raenovate for graciously featuring this wedding your blog. Jacque and Chris, thank you so much for the opportunity to design for you. We had a ball.

Photography: Michael Bambino Photography, Flowers: Sprouts Floral Design

Yellena, please.

Arty friends, hold on to your hats. The works of Portland artist, Yellena James, have just tempted me to hide every napkin scrawl and phone book doodle I've ever rendered and sorta liked. Her remarkable works of ink and paint have graced the walls of galleries all the way from LA to the UK and are now tickling the fancy of more than just art snobs. Look for her intricate works to debut (if they haven't already) in collaboration with brands like Rojo Magazine, Keds, Nike, Anthropologie, Adidas and K2 Snowboards.

I need this in my life (and my living room.) You too? Lucky us—prints can be found in her Etsy shop...for a reasonable price too.

Her partnership with period lighting manufacturer, Schoolhouse Electric, is clearly a match made in heaven. Can't wait to see what's next for this artist!

Erin + Shaun: Something Bold

It's not often a couple comes along with style like this. Erin and Shaun's romance began when Shaun (sporting a a pair of black Converse sneakers) asked Erin to swing dance. From the first day, this casual couple strayed boldly from the beaten path, staying true to their retro styles and blissfully offbeat approach to life.

Married in the Ault Park of Roses in September and celebrating their reception at the Redmoor, a 1920s converted movie theatre, Erin envisioned a true vintage-inspired invitation and loved the idea of introducing tattoo-style artistry and essences of pin-up poster art. It was a perfect fit for her avant garde wedding approach and the moody, throwback ambiance of their venues. First, we created a mood board to capture the tone she described and what we knew about the wedding: loves vintage, Park of Roses, loves tattoo art, groomsmen wearing black Cons, 1920s theatre, loves pin-up style.

From this, we created these goodies—2-sided invitation, flat-printed complete with vintage typography and gobs of tattoo-inspired red roses. Charcoal stripes, subtle fishnet patterning, and an RSVP postcard (inspired by some things we picked up in my dad's antique shop) help add an aged look to all pieces to suit Erin’s request for “true vintage.”

A custom envelope lining is created to match the rest of the invitation suite; it's all in the details.

We even topped the RSVP design off with a tiny phonograph to favor Shaun’s love for music and the swing dance that started it all—now this a true original.

Thanks and congrats Shaun + Erin. Here's to a lifetime of breaking the rules.