SwellMail Designs

Memories of my Dad

2011-04-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

Today is my Dad's 51st birthday! I called him bright and early this morning to wish him a happy day, but because I'm a good daughter I spared him from any singing. For now. Last year on his 50th birthday, my lovely stepmom threw him a huge surprise party! All of his friends and family came out and we had so much fun eating, and laughing, and telling stories of all the silly things my Dad has done in his life. It was a perfect day. Prior to this event, I spent a lot of time emailing and calling everyone to secretly send me photos of my Dad and write a short memory they have of him. Thanks to some inspiration from Inchmark, I collected them all in a cute little 50 page book that everyone signed at the party.

This memory book was a huge hit! My Dad, showing a strong sentimental side in his old age, loves it and I know has flipped through it numerous times since. It makes me smile knowing that he has touched so many people in so many different ways. As ornery as he is, I know he is a great man with a huge heart and I admire and love that about him every day. Happy Birthday to the best Dad ever!

(Page 31-32: My stepmom's entry. Photos of their marriage and when they renewed their vows)

Caroon Christmas

2011-02-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

The Caroon family is one of my absolute favorites to work with! Sweet Sydney and her Mama are such a pleasure and always so much fun! Mrs. C has such a creative eye and a love of bright colors. This past Christmas they signed up for the Holiday Festive Mini-Shoot with beth marie photography. Sydney's photos turned out so cute and when it was time for me to design a Holiday card, the Caroon family had actually fallen in love with the Holiday flyer I made for the event and requested something similar. So perfect! The colors and design went lovely with Sydney's new photos and I couldn't be happier with the result. Thanks so much again ladies!!

Wedding Invitations: Brighton & Kurt

2011-01-17T20:53:00.000-08:00

(formal invite on white with deep red matte, digital printing)

(front: photo w/ custom monogram, back: rsvp website info)

(complete suite: invitation, reply card, thank you card)

{photos by bethmarie photography}

Brighton & Kurt were married this November at Post Oak Lodge. I love the deep reds and purples that Brighton chose for her wedding! It was such a pleasure meeting and working with Brighton and her father who is a graphic designer in California. It was great hearing his input and praise. Thanks Brighton and Kurt for letting me be a part of your special day!

Sunday at my desk.

2010-11-14T14:31:00.000-08:00

My desk is constantly messy. I really do try to keep it picked up, as its actually the dining room that all three of my roommates have to look at! But usually it just gets away from me.

1 | A sweet sample pack purchased from MaeMae Paperie. (She's my hero). Some custom rubber stamps for Jessie. And a very kind thank you from Rachel, complete with a PF Changs giftcard. Yum!

2 | Some notes for my latest project!

3 | Some christmas card brainstorming.

4 | My inspiration board! See that adorable Air Mail envelope? I picked it up for only a quarter at a stamp store at 31st & Yale. I actually went in thinking it was a rubber stamp store, but was surprised to find gorgeous vintage stamps and a sweet old man that knew all about them.

Color Inspiration

2010-11-09T07:33:00.000-08:00

I'm totally loving J.Crew's Spring 2011 collection. Aren't the colors great!?

(via)

I'm currently in the midst of Christmas cards and now all I can think about is Spring!

Go Vote!

2010-11-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

Have you voted yet today? If not, you better hurry! The polls are only open for a few more hours.

And while you have voting on the brain, check out this adorable election themed party on The Sweetest Occasion. I love Ike's cute little bowtie and hat!

The fun ballot themed invitations by Simple Song Design were a perfect start to this fun party. You can see even more election decorations and sweet treats on Real Simple.

(photos by Kate Headley via Real Simple)

Big Top Birthday!

2010-10-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

Miss Katy Lue celebrated her birthday back in May with a fun carnival themed party!

I added some stitching to the bunting just for a little extra fun!

Katy Lue's mom found me at the Sunnylane Family Church back in the Spring. I was so excited to be a part of her carnival party and to work with such fun people! Katy Lue's mom is pretty creative herself and makes some adorable custom hats.

SM Giveaway!

2010-10-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

Good Girl Gone Glad is hosting a SwellMail giveaway! Yahoo! Head on over to GGGG's shiny new blog to find out more details about how to win your very own customized rubber stamp! Perfect for sending a lovely letter or those joyous Christmas cards!

DIY Bridesmaid Cards

2010-09-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

Last month a friend from college contacted me and wanted a fun way to ask her best friends to be her bridesmaids! She loved Anna of Rifle Design's adorable paper doll idea, so we went with it!

(please excuse my messy desk and the low quality iphone photos. my camera is broken .)

I hand cut each row of paper dolls, their dresses, and their hair.

For complete instructions, head on over to Once Wed!

I designed the message on the card to be hidden at first glance. Each chain of paper dolls fits perfectly over the card hiding the exciting message that's written in her dress underneath. The paper doll chains were a HUGE labor of love, but turned out to be such a fun and girly touch that it was totally worth it. I had fun making them!

Thanks Bobbe and Jon! And congratulations on your engagement!

WOWeeee!

2010-08-25T15:23:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday I was very lucky to work with the sweet and talented Lacy of Scissortail Events! Lacy was a participating event planner for Tulsa's WOW (Wedding OpenHouse Weekend) at Bridle Creek and came to me for help with her tablescape design. After many design discussions, Lacy decided on going with several paper pieces including menus, place cards, and centerpiece wraps!

I love love the way the lime place cards turned out! Lacy's design was so fresh and sunny. A perfect ending for the summer. I also designed a coordinating invitation set based on the fabric she chose for the napkins. The color scheme was so cheery and lit up the whole room!

(all photos by Destiny Photography)

Scissortail Events did an amazing job on the table design! All of her time and hard work really paid off. I am so happy to be part of such a wonderful event and wonderful design! For more photos, please visit our facebook page!

Holiday Special 2010

2010-08-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

I know it seems early, but Christmas is approaching fast! Have you thought about taking your holiday photos yet?? Well to help you out, SwellMail Designs is teaming up with beth marie.photography for a festive mini-shoot and holiday greeting card special!

beth marie.photography is booking mini photo sessions at a discounted rate and SwellMail is offering holiday photo-cards at a discount to all bmp clients! Yay! Photo session dates are limited and filling up fast so hurry and book your appointment with Beth today.

Mini-Shoot Details:a 30 minute photo session for you and your loved ones.your choice of an urban or rural setting.and 10-12 edited full resolution images on a disk.
all for only $70.00!
(with the additional purchase of holiday photo-cards from SwellMail)
Mini-Shoot Dates:
Saturday, September 25 - Urban3:45 pm, 4:30 pm, 5:15 pm, 6:00 pm
Sunday, September 26 - Rural3:45 pm, 4:30 pm, 5:15 pm, 6:00 pm
(if you are very interested and the dates are not convenient for you, please shoot beth an email: beth@bethmariephotography.com)

Holiday Photo-Card Details:bmp mini-shoot clients will get to choose from five different greeting card designs. Cards are double-sided, flat, and printed digitally on heavyweight white cardstock. Choose from matte or glossy finish. Orders will be ready within two weeks.

Holiday Photo-Card Pricing:

25 cards for $31.25

50 cards for $60.00
rounded corners can be added for $5.00

Checks and credit cards (via PayPal) accepted.
Have something in mind completely custom and designed just for you? SwellMail loves custom orders! Please contact us for more information: jenni@swellmaildesigns.com

Holiday Photo-Card Design Options:

"Sweet Christmas"

"Oh Holy Night"

"Let it Snow"

"Elegant Holiday"

"Ho Ho Ho"

Life's More Fun When You Dress It Up!

2010-08-12T18:32:00.001-07:00

My niece, Rori, turned 2 in June and her very talented Mommy planned a dress-up birthday party to celebrate! During the planning process, she informed me on her decorating ideas: a wall of mirrors, paper garland, and tons and tons of fun dress-up items for both boys and girls! (As much as Rori loves her girly purses and clothes, she didn't want her boy cousins to feel left out. She's very polite)

And so to keep it gender friendly, I designed the party invitations with the wall of mirrors in mind. Keeping it simple and colorful. All the ladies on the invite list received a handheld mirror shaped insert, and the gentlemen received a mustache on a stick (not shown).

(photos via bm.p)

For a little extra fun in the mail, I wrapped the invitation in a hand sewn paper garland to match the garlands that would be used at her party. I had a lot of fun making these invites and am always so pleased to see them fit into the party theme so perfectly! To see more of Rori's 2nd birthday party, including the yummy cookies I made...click HERE.

Wedding Invitations: Mackenzie & Leon

2010-06-18T12:08:00.001-07:00

I've been saving this pretty suite for so long to show you. My dear, sweet friend Mackenzie is getting married this weekend and I'm so excited for her! Mac asked me to do her invitations last year and of course I said yes! I always enjoy doing invitations and announcements for friends because its so much easier to capture their true personality. After they were all printed and I began assembling them, I took a step back and realized exactly how much these invitations resemble my friend. The colors, the pattern, everything, screams Mackenzie! And that is the exact reason why I love doing what I do.

Congratulations Mackenzie and Leon!! I can't wait to spend your special day with you!

A Swell Giveaway!

2010-06-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

Today, Jesse from Good Girl Gone Glad is featuring another giveaway! This time from yours truly!! Please visit Good Girl Gone Glad to enter to win these cute personalized notecards! The contest ends Sunday and the winner will be announced Monday. Good luck friends!

Jesse will be featuring other fabulous giveaways the remainder of the week, so be sure to follow her blog for those!

A {bmp} Giveaway!

2010-06-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to share with you a giveaway for my talented sister over on Good Girl Gone Glad! Please visit Jesse's blog and enter to win a free mini session or 50% off a full session from Beth Marie Photography!

Also, check back on Good Girl Gone Glad tomorrow for a SwellMail giveaway. Yay!

Sunnylane Craft Fair

2010-05-11T13:31:00.001-07:00

Last month I participated in my first ever craft fair!! A lovely client (Thanks Lindse!) invited me to grab a booth at the Sunnylane Family Church craft fair in Del City, and I'm so glad I did! I had a lot of fun and met many sweet and talented people. Now that I've accomplished one craft fair, I am ready for more!

This is my colorful booth the night before the fair.

I made the bunting out of scrapbook paper and some good ol' twine.

I purchased the cute linen fabric at Joann's. 50%off. Woo woo!

I used the small chalkboards, purchased at Michael's, to write prices and such.

All of the cards and invitations were designed by me for other clients, but I can definitely design something special to fit your next celebration!

The pinwheels are handmade and can be customized in any color or size. They are adorable for birthdays and showers!

Thanks to Meme for letting me borrow some supplies! and to Tiff for making the trip and keeping me company for 2 days. You're the best!

mothers day cards.

2010-04-27T21:42:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day is sneaking up fast!! (May 9th!) Have you bought your Mom anything pretty yet? She deserves it!

SwellMail Designs has two Mothers' Day Cards to offer! Each card is $2.50, digitally (flat) printed on white Classic Crest, includes a white envelope, and is blank inside to write your own sentiments.

If you would like one, please shoot me an email and let me know your preference and we can make payment arrangements. Thanks!

swellmaildesigns@yahoo.com

T-Shirt Design

2010-04-13T16:31:00.000-07:00

Here is the t-shirt I designed for our upcoming Family Olympics! This image is shown on the green shirt, but the other team colors will be blue and orange. They will all have a navy graphic.

Family Members: Be sure to get your t-shirt size into me asap so I can order them in time!

Update: There are 28 people in our family, not 27. Oopsies. Luckily I caught it before printing!

Sydney's Birthday Invites!

2010-04-09T02:38:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Sydney turned two last month and her mama asked me to design the invitations for her Spring themed birthday party! After having her two year photos taken by bmp photography in her adorable rain gear, they came to me for help to get the party started. I designed a simple photo card with Sydney's name and age that could be kept long after the party was over. I added a wide belly band with the party information and flowers to match her rain coat. I stitched up the edge of the belly band with some pink thread; my favorite detail!

I love the idea that Sydney's family and guests can throw away the belly band after the party is over, and still have a fun little photo of Sydney to hang on their fridge!

I also created this 5x7 photo collage for Sydney's mama. She wanted a few to pass out to other family members.

For more photos of Sydney, check out the bmp photography blog!

oh. my. lanta.

2010-04-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I have a love of paper and design. So it shouldn't surprise you to know that I am constantly checking out invitation sites, blogs, and Etsy accounts for inspiration every day. While I love doing any kind of invitation or announcement, it's the personalized, one-of-a-kind, think-outside-the-box designs that hold the biggest place in my heart. This morning while perusing around on the web, I came across this glorious wedding invitation suite by Rifle.

Pretty, huh? Now look closer......

The wedding invitation is HAND SEWN. Wowee!
Anna of Rifle Design actually hand embroidered the floral design and then painted the lettering.

{the map insert}

{a work in progress shot}

She then scanned the image at a high resolution and had prints made. How much more creative and out-of-the-box can you get?! I just love all of Anna's work, but she has amazed me on this one. It is a true labor of love.

One that I'm excited to try for myself! Perhaps for some Mother's Day cards....

Baby Shower: Green, Yellow, & Brown

2010-03-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

These baby shower invitations were done with only one request: green, yellow, and brown to match the baby's room. I had been wanting to use the idea of combining various patterns so I thought what cuter shape than a baby rattle!

I also did a frame matte in the same colors to hang in the baby's room. If you are a friend of mine on facebook, you can see it here.

Responde Sil Vous Plait

2010-03-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

"My experiment arose from plans for an evening of food, drink and literature, with readings by myself and two other writers, at a restaurant. Not exactly a drop-in-if-you’re-around kind of thing, so I asked friends to R.S.V.P. My initial message brought in a dozen responses, and the follow-up a few more, but days before the event I had a paltry 23. Not 23 who planned to come, but 23 who had bothered to respond. Half my invitees had blown me off. Why? I wasn’t peddling life insurance, after all." -Rand Richards Cooper, The New York Times.

I must admit, I was not always an RSVPer. I have designed many reply cards in my life, but only once, recently, have I actually been in charge of the RSVP list. I threw a bridal shower for a friend last year and recieved many replies in which I was very thankful for. Being on the other end has definitely helped me see the light! Party planners need to know if you will be there. They need to know how many seats to save for the dinner party, how many cupcakes to bake for Emily's 3rd birthday, how many bottles of wine to buy, burgers to cook, etc. So please read New York Times columnist, Rand Richard Cooper's little experiment. Are Americans just lazy? Or is it really that we're too busy?

And please RSVP.

Bridal Shower: Lacy

2010-03-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

Lacy and David were having a very country wedding with a relaxed atmosphere. I wanted Lacy's bridal shower invitations to still keep to that country theme, but also stand out. Foregoing the typical horseshoes and boots ideas, I added a feminine country touch by mimicking a cross stitch pattern. I like to call it Granny Chic. I spelled out several wedding related words with the cross stitch pattern and even added in the names David and Lacy for a personal touch!

A little secret...

2010-03-11T11:05:00.000-08:00

Wanna see what I've been working on lately?? It's a little secret project for my Dad for his 5oth birthday. Shhh! Lucky for me, I can post these secrets on my blog because my father is very 'computer challenged,' to put it nicely. (I had to show him how to use the shift key to capitalize the first letter of his name last week. Seriously.) So he has probably never even heard the word blog.

Here's a small part of the project....

I'm still playing with colors. It's hard to design for yourself because there's no one to give you opinions or tell you yes or no! I always value opinions. What do you think about it so far??

A Bridal Shower

2010-03-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I am SO ready for spring. I designed these beauties with just the right colors and a little spring shower to help get me in the mood!

The Invitation That Started it All.

2010-03-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to finally have beautiful photos of many pieces of my work to share with you over the next week or so! Thank you, bmp photography! My own photography skills just weren't cuttin' it. I decided that I would start it all off with an invitation design that is very dear to my heart for many reasons.

My very best friend, Michelle, asked me to do her wedding invitations while I was finishing up my last year in design studio. Not knowing much about printing and paper options at the time, I accepted the challenge and still think they came out rather nicely with what I had to work with. Two days after I graduated college, I was leaving to study in New York and DC for a couple weeks and then headed to Europe for two months. I remember the night before I left I stayed up till 2am to finish printing them on my old HP inkjet. At the time I had the basic one black ink cartridge and one color ink cartridge, but since I was only printing blue.... I went through a TON of color cartridges only using one color. I printed the entire folder/pocket on one sheet of paper but didn't have time to cut and fold them. I knew she would be lost as to how to assemble the invitations so I did one as an example, drew her a color-coded instruction manual (cut here, fold here, etc), and packed them all up for my mom to ship to Texas the next day.

When I returned home from my travels almost three months later, I found out that Michelle had cut out a few invitations, messed up a few more, and then shipped all of them to New York for help from a fellow design classmate and friend. It still makes me laugh to think that these little pieces of paper went from Oklahoma, to Texas, to New York, back to Texas, and then most of them back to Oklahoma!! And they still looked great! I received many compliments about them and that's when it all clicked... I love making invitations! But it wasn't till even a couple more years and a big nudge from my sister that I actually began steadily designing invitations and announcements. And now, there's no going back!

Michelle wanted something simple and classic for her wedding invitations. I suggested the folds and pocket and she trusted me to "do whatever". One thing I incorporated that is very personal to Michelle and Gentry is the lyrics from a song.

in your heart and in my soul.

The band No Justice got their start in our small college town and specifically wrote a song for the couple. During their relationship, Gentry was stationed in Iraq for a year and gave Michelle a heart shaped necklace before he left. When Gentry returned home for R&R he surprised Michelle with the song, Heart on a Chain, that No Justice had written specifically for them. Gentry proposed to Michelle that very same night!

Michelle and Gentry's invitations make me smile every time I see them. They make me laugh when I think about how many ink cartridges I wasted, how many cities they travelled to, and how I spelled 'marriage' wrong and no one told me for 2 years. To me Michelle's wedding invitations are a reflection of all the memories and friends I made in college and how much I've grown in my stationery business just in the past couple years. Thank you all for helping me learn and grow with every design.

My Valentine

2010-02-12T07:02:00.001-08:00

This is the Valentine I designed for my favorite boyfriend.
Printed on Classic Crest (with my ol' trusty inkjet).

Once again, please excuse my poor photography skills. The colors in this photo are horrible and don't do the card justice. If only the sun would come out in Oklahoma so I could take pictures with better lighting!!

I miss you sunshine.

monkeyin around...

2010-02-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

This is an invitation I did this past summer for a jungle themed birthday!

Cancer Awareness

2010-02-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

My very best friend in the whole entire world, Michelle, has started a fundraising page through the Colon Cancer Coalition. She has recently lost an uncle to colon cancer and is currently encouraging and supporting her mother as she too fights colon cancer.

Michelle and her husband will be participating in the Get Your Rear In Gear 5K walk/run in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. She is also taking donations for the Colon Cancer Coalition and has almost reached her goal! If you would like to donate to the cause click HERE or if you would like to learn more about the 5K or cancer education and how to protect yourself please visit THIS site.

The event is bigger than just a message for colon cancer though. It’s a message for all of us to take action, lead longer healthier lives, go to the doctor regularly, to listen to our bodies when something isn’t right, and to get the right answers, regardless of age.
-Michelle

And as always, saying a little prayer can help in the biggest way.

2010 changes.

2010-01-25T15:01:00.001-08:00

There have been a lot of bittersweet changes this month with SwellMail. Beth, our lovely photographer and my favorite sister, has decided to concentrate all her spare time on her photography business. Therefore, I am taking full responsibility for SwellMail Designs! But don't worry, Beth will still be in the picture (no pun intended) when it comes to photo-cards. All photography for photo-cards will be done through bmp photography as she is still going to offer a very small photo session to SwellMail clients. Plus, any clients that she refers to me will receive a discount on their photo-cards!

Also, SwellMail is extending its design services to all invitations, cards, announcements, business cards, or whatever! Photo or not! I am very excited about this change and look forward to lies ahead and the unlimited design possibilities.

Currently I am working on two different wedding invitations and last week I finished up a portfolio cover for a professional wakeboarder! I am also changing up the pricing a little, nothing too drastic. I will post SwellMail's new price list in the next week, along with some finished products that I've had laying around for too long!

Thanks to all our past and current clients for oppurtunity!
If you have any questions please email or call me at 918-230-1644
SwellMail Designs email address has not changed: swellmaildesigns@yahoo.com

xoxo, Jenni

Haiti Help

2010-01-13T14:25:00.001-08:00

My thoughts have been on Haiti today and the horrible outcome of an earthquake that hit

yesterday afternoon. I came across this link on one of my daily reads and want to share it with

you. I encourage you to help by either donating time, money,

or even simply praying for victims in Haiti.

{source}

missing summer.

2010-01-11T13:57:00.001-08:00

The weather has warmed up a little today.
At least I won't need a parka to go outside this week.

I'm really starting to regret those wishes for a white Christmas,
because well.... the white we got on Christmas hasn't left yet!

So in memory of sunshine, warmer days, dips in the pool, and flip flops, I'm giving you one cute little girl and her love of the the ocean, fairy tales, and little mermaids.

Thank you Koenig family for letting us be a part of you birthday celebrations once again!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a fun and safe Christmas and is enjoying the new year! Happy 2010!
Please be sure to check out Beth's photography blog for more of her work outside of SwellMail.

{source}

Christmas Ornament Card

2009-12-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

At last, I am posting the King's Christmas save-the-date! We had so much fun designing it and loved the way it turned out. What better way to wish someone a special holiday than to be a part of their Christmas tree! Each card can be cut out and hung from the ribbon that is included and tied to a Christmas tree.
- {front card design without ribbon}

{back card design without ribbon}

The back of the card wishes everyone a merry Christmas and also serves as a reminder to save the date for their wedding in July. The text was designed so that when it is cut out, it becomes the backside of the ornament.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Hastings Holiday Session

2009-12-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

The youngest Hastings member is at such a fun and rambunctious age that Beth decided what better place to do their family pictures than in the park. He is definitely all boy and loved covering his mom and dad in leaves. The photos turned out great and we had so many good ones to choose from for the Christmas card. Here are a few more favorites that we wanted to share with you.
Thank you so much, Hastings family, for giving us the opportunity to photograph and design your Christmas cards!

Oh What Fun!

2009-12-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've been having some issues with the photos I took of The Kings' Christmas save-the-dates (which is why Beth is the photographer and not me). So, I'm gonna keep you in suspense a little longer on how those turned out.

In the meantime, here are the fun Christmas cards we did for the Hastings family. We hope you like 'em! Happy Holidays!

King E-pics

2009-12-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of our favorite from the King's engagement photos. These photos were used for a Save-the-Date Christmas card that I'll post at a later date. So check back soon!

underneath the mistletoe last night...

2009-12-02T16:36:00.001-08:00

thanksgiving

2009-11-25T11:23:00.000-08:00

Ribbons have been tied, packages mailed, and we are still busy finishing up our last Christmas card order just in time. I have plenty to show you in December, but I wanted to wait till after Thanksgiving. After all, every holiday deserves its time to shine! Unfortunately we didn't have any orders for Thanksgiving cards or invitations, but I still wanted to share this one by Wiley Valentine. They design beautiful non-photo paper goods that inspire me every day. If you want to see more of what they do and what inspires them, check out their blog.

isnt she cute? makes me want to bake a turkey in my high heels.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! Please travel safely and be sure to count your blessings.

a sneak peak

2009-11-19T10:54:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to share a little glimpse of what we've been up to.
It's going to be a busy busy weekend!

home sweet texas

2009-11-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

"Sometimes right back where you started from is right where you belong."

This quote by Curly Girl Design seemed to fit my life perfectly when I graduated college and moved back to Tulsa. I had never planned on moving back home, but due to the economy and my laziness on finishing my portfolio, home is right where I ended up... and exactly where I belong after all. This same quote came to me again when a college friend, Jennifer, asked us to do her moving announcements. Originally from Texas, she was finally returning to her home state after accomplishing veterinary school in Oklahoma and an internship in Arizona. When I thought of Jennifer I thought of her boots and horses and all things Texas that she missed so much. I wanted these announcements to reflect her personality and have a western feel. The map shows her journey from Oklahoma to Arizona and back to Texas... where she belongs.

oh, baby!

2009-11-12T11:19:00.000-08:00

custom tattoo inspired baby announcement.
I think it turned out sorta Ed Hardy-esque. Only cuter.

ps. notice this baby isn't even born yet? we get way ahead of ourselves sometimes. ;)

a Bunch of love.

2009-11-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

This past month SwellMail had a very special order from one of my best friends. Kacy has been a very important person in my life since 6th grade, so I was tickled pink that she asked us to create her marriage announcements/invitations! Josh and Kacy Bunch were married on October 10th and celebrated their 10th year together. Wow! Congrats guys! They wanted the invites to be casual and fun to reflect their personality and to also have a 'handmade' feel. We left the front fairly simple with a big photo to show off their beautiful faces. Then we hand-stamped a swirly pattern over the corner of the photo. We also used an ordinary office stamp to stamp on the date of the reception on the back. Kraft paper envelopes and custom labels helped the whole design come together. Thank you so much Kacy for allowing us to be a part of your special celebration. We had so much fun doing the photo session and going through the whole design process with you!

Attention facebook fans!! Over the next couple weeks I'm going to be posting our previous work that is already being enjoyed by those friends of ours on facebook. So please stick with me and I promise we will have new designs to show off just in time for the holidays. If you're not already a facebook fan... then what the heck are you waitin for?! Also, I'm still trying to figure out this whole blogging thing, so forgive me for any mistakes and those teeny tiny pictures I posted before. I think i have the photo uploading figured out for now. But no promises people...

update .... apparently i am still having trouble with image sizes. i will be messing with the layout throughout the day so if you can't see the post or some of the images, i apologize and will get it fixed asap. if you have a minute, leave a comment and let me know if you can see the images or if they are cut off. thanks!

xo
Jenni

thirsty?

2009-11-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

how 'bout a nice refreshing glass of iced tea?

we have everything you need...

a lemon.

some sweet-n-low. (we're watching our figures around here.)

and a tea bag. duh.

(sock monkey not included)

A special thanks goes out to Nate who is always a good sport and puts up with all the crazy ideas and shenanigans that Beth and I come up with. But mostly Beth.

Nate, thanks for always keeping a smile on your face and for letting me draw yellow dots on your cheeks. When life hands you lemons, you always make lemonade... or tea.

i love you like...

2009-11-03T06:23:00.001-08:00

Good morning swellmailers! I hope everyone survived the weekend and gots lots of yummy candy :) I just wanted to share a little notecard with you that we designed for our friend, Amanda. Isn't is cute?! Come back soon, I'm posting pics of mine and Beth's creative last minute Halloween costumes!

happy fall y'all!

2009-10-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

the leaves have turned to pretty fall shades, pumpkins occupy every porch on my street, and the holidays are quickly approaching! fall is my favorite time of year and always puts a smile on my face. i just wanted to wish everyone a fun and safe halloween and let you know that our photo sessions are completely booked until next year! wow! we are so blessed to be busy with our creative passions, but are regretful that we cant help more people with holiday photos this season. please start thinking about those birthdays and events that are coming up in 2010! we look forward to hearing from you!

ellemenopee.

2009-10-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday! I just wanted to share a charming little site with you. Being a huge fan of fonts, I've grown quite fond of typographer and illustrator Jessica Hische. She has recently started the Daily Drop Cap which features a new letter every day! Hooray!

sweet treasure.

2009-10-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

This past summer SwellMail had tons of fun designing pirate themed invitations and announcements for the Barks family. After Charlee Kay's arrival, Beth photographed her in a treasure chest complete with jewels and a cute striped head scarf. Adorable!

abigail's big day.

2009-10-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

custom printed birthday invites with banner sewn on.

xo,

Jenni

drum roll please....

2009-10-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hi loveys!
After months of designing and test printing and cutting and re-printing, we have finally worked out (most of) the kinks and are excited to start blogging about SwellMail! We have a lot to show for our hard work over the past months from birthdays to babies, new homes, weddings, and more! This month we are concentrating on several Christmas ideas. Beth has been crazy busy with photo sessions, so if you're wanting to schedule some family pics then you better get your rear in gear and call her! I've been finishing up some shower invitations and am eager to start on card designs for the holidays. If you are interested in ordering custom invitations or cards for any occasion or if you have any questions regarding SwellMail, please let us know. you can reach us by email at swellmaildesigns@yahoo.com

Also, keep an eye out for future posts that will include our past work, some of Beth's photography, some cool stuff we design just for fun, and all kinds of creative things that make us happy.

Happy Fall!
Jenni.