Category Archives: Paper Goods

I’ll Love You, George Bailey, Until the Day I Die

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GUYS. It’s Christmas time. Which means one thing in our house: Holding out until Christmas Eve to watch our all-time favorite holiday movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” It’s like — the — hardest part of the season for me, aside from staying in bed and away from presents/breakfast/fake TV fireplace on Christmas morning until at least 6 a.m. So it was just a matter of time before my love for Jimmy Stewart infiltrated my work.

I’m so grateful for this time of year. It seems like people remember how wonderful it is to give and receive mail; how much more opening your mailbox to get a letter and picture means than opening your inbox. Even if it’s just a little note, tell someone you love them through a letter or card. Trust me. It’s awesome.

I’m thankful for all God has done this year for my family and in my professional life. We’ve seen more joy in this little house than I can even describe, and it’s impossible to deny how much God loves and cares for his children. Merry Christmas to all of you, and best wishes for a peaceful, gratitude-filled, slowed-down-and-enjoyed new year. Oh, and take a cue from my husband, and spike your eggnog. WONDERFUL.




All Grow’d Up

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My cousin Katie went to college this fall. *Sniff* But, no matter how old she gets, she’s still the best at having a really fun, random time. We’re talking about the girl who had a chocolate fountain at her graduation party. And was one outrageous deposit away from a bouncy castle.

So clearly, the normal graduation party invitation wasn’t going to cut it. To help capture a glimmer of her personality, and all of the fun things she is going to accomplish in her life, I designed around a bucket list theme.

The bucket lists arrived in guests’ mailboxes as scrolls in kraft paper tubes. Inside the tubes were the nitty gritty details and a fun advice card for guests to fill out and give to the graduate before she headed out on her own.





Congrats, Katie! I’m so excited to see the awesome women you’ve become. Good luck in the future. The world has no clue what’s it’s getting itself into :) Love you!

Sarcastic Spooks

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I’m just too excited to show you this next project I’ve been working on, just in time for Halloween. I teamed up with a really talented artist named Richard Richter for this card and print set — an artist who also happens to be my dad!

My dad has a sharp sense of humor, and so was born these darkly funny illustrations. Each one of the set of three features a cute little creepy character, with a reminder that you shouldn’t be fooled by their charms. You can get the printable set of three prints or cards in my Etsy shop.

Happy Halloween!

An Adorable Zombie: But you’ll still have to shoot him in the brain.

A Cuddly Vampire: But you’ll still have to stake him in the heart.

A Cute Witch: But you’ll still have to burn her at the stake.

Here comes the… rain?

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In September, I not only got to help out a darling bride and groom get ready for their wedding, but I also got to attend the wedding of two dear friends. Spoiler alert: they’re the same people! The ceremony was sweet and moving (not to mention memorable), with light rain sprinkles teasing guests near the end of the program. Rain at your wedding is a sign of good luck, and I would expect nothing else for this adorable couple.

I’ve found that doing event stationary for friends’ weddings is both wonderful and incredibly challenging. I feel like the 110% I give to my clients still isn’t enough for my pals. That being said, I give to you the finished product after many hours of tireless work — this outdoorsy and rustic, cream-and-apple invitation wedding suite for Hailey and TJ:



I used ink-drawn fonts and other imperfectly perfect details to bring out a rustic feel for these invitations, with the intention of setting the stage for their outdoor wedding. The hand drawn map gives simple directions to the park and to the hotel. The extra information cards shows reception and registration information, in addition to instructions on how to grow the wildflower seeds embedded in their envelope.

I also designed coördinating wedding programs, table numbers (not shown), centerpiece markers, and favor tags. The little jam jars had the wedding logo on one side and the phrase, “Spread the Love” on the other.



Best wishes, Hailey and TJ!

Mostly treats (okay, and some tricks, too)

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I’ve been wanting to do a seasonal DIY collection forever now, and I thought there couldn’t be a better time than Halloween, aka the biggest home party time of all! I wanted the invitations to be equal parts creepy and clever. Boo-tifully designed, with a touch of wicked whimsy, these invites bring fun and fancy to any October 31st party.

The simple and charming cards open up to a completely customizable inner spread. Simply add your time, date, location and RSVP information, pop in an envelope, and delight the boys and ghouls invited to your party.

You can get the printables online for a limited time in my Etsy store!

Happily Ever After

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In August, two of the possibly most adorable people I’ve ever met tied the knot. And then, when they asked me to help “write their love story…” Well, how could I refuse?! That’s how these storybook wedding invitations were born.

All of the ticky-tack information is included on the book’s title page, along with the title of their celebration. The RSVP postcard was designed to look like a library card, incased in it’s very own library card sleeve.


The invitation opened up to reveal Chapter One: the love story of our couple, written by the bride (with help from her brother!). An old-timey photo helped showcase a little more of the quirky couple’s personality. Chapter Two gave guests directions, hotel information, registry information, and a little background on the ceremony.


Congrats, Sallie and Steven!

Welcome, Lucy!

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Is, is that you?? It’s been such a long time, I barely recognize you! In the five (gasp!) months since I’ve updated this blog, we’ve been growing a bit over here at the Etchison abode. My husband and I added a darling little girl to the club, and we’ve been spending every possible minute cooing over her. It’s no wonder it took me almost three months to get these puppies in the mail.

We wanted something feminine, but not too girlie; something fancy, but not too stuffy. I partnered contrasting type over handmade watercolor for a graphic and rustic pairing. I also made a fun little “L” monogram to celebrate Lucybird’s arrival. Light blue “Hello, Lucy” belly bands held everything in place.



The Rose Suchak Ladder Company

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Happy holidays everybody! Here’s a little sneak peek at the Etchison family greeting this year. I designed some vintage-y cards on a pretty linen paper. Inside the card is a fun photo of me and the hubs dressed up in bunny suits à la ‘The Christmas Story.’ Oh. And some tinsel. Don’t forget the tinsel! Each envelope is hand lettered and unique to the recipient.

Hope the season finds you in good spirits, with family and friends, and looking forward to a bright future!




Destination: Wedding

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A fabulous bride from Colorado tracked me down to work on some airport-inspired destination wedding invitations. With versions going to guests both from Poland and the US, the invitations — written in Polish and English — were a multicultural smörgåsbord.

Each guest received a formal invitation that was modeled after a boarding pass, plus an additional information sheet with itineraries, tidbits, and lodging options. The long invitation pieces were wrapped in an antique map of the couple’s wedding destination, adding a flair of Old World charm and vintage warmth.

I created custom stamps for this project to give a personal touch to the whole suite. An English crest and Polish mail marking tell guests “We hope you can celebrate with us.”


Aaand, away we go!

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I wanted to take something ordinary, and twist a little of the extraordinary with it. Thus was born my latest project: envelope-free, origami-inspired change of address announcements.

Whether you’re moving, going abroad, heading out for a mission trip, or hitting the road for no particular reason: Wouldn’t you love to get letters from your friends and family while you’re out adventuring? These announcements don’t just tell people you’re somewhere new; they encourage the action of letter writing while you’re away.

You can buy sets of these change of address announcements here.