Kiss and Punch Designs

More Blog Love on PaperCrave

2012-02-01T07:42:00.000-08:00

Our 80s inspired 8-bit Valentine got some more blog lovin' over at Paper Crave! Check it out and get your cards today while there's still time!

8-bit Valentine's Day Card on Charlotte's Fancy

2012-01-25T23:32:00.000-08:00

Honored to be in such great company on a Valentines Day Card Roundup this week in Charlotte's Fancy! Thanks so much, Molly!

Photo Save the Date Postcards

2012-01-24T08:26:00.000-08:00

Photo Save the Date Postcards are a great way to save money on wedding these days. They can be just as creative and design worthy.

Here are two postcards from the last year or so....

I also did some Photoshop work here to make the image warmer to fit in with the fall wedding colors.

This photo hardly needed any Photoshop work as those purples were all natural!

New Valentine's Day Cards

2012-01-22T23:17:00.000-08:00

It's the Season of Love... Time to get your Valentine's Day cards for your sweet! First up is a card with our favorite owl, but this time for Valentine's Day.

"My Heart is Owl Yours" is available now on etsy and Felt and Wire.

Next is our retro flashback card...using a fun 8-bit pattern.

This 80s loving card is available now on etsy and Felt and Wire too.

For those planning engagements or other big occasions this Valentine's Day, don't forget our "You're the One" card...

Have a happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Chevron Holiday Card / Moving Announcement

2012-01-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012, all y'all! Wow, last year zoomed past us quickly! And it's our first Friday the 13th of the year. I realize I am behind on posting many of our latest projects, which I will attempt to do in the next few days.

First is a holiday card and moving announcement I did for a local law firm. We wanted to keep the colors non-denominational but still in the holiday spirit. We chose a beautiful soft gold and a gun metal metallic color. We also redesigned the logo as well.

In addition, we used the same gold to letterpress the return addresses on matching Pearl White Crane Lettra envelopes.

I love how the chevron pattern and colors came out. I have a feeling we're going to see a lot more gold this year. I know it's Tangerine Tango according to Pantone, but I think we'll see a ton of metallic too.

Until next time....

More Blog Love on Charlotte's Fancy

2011-12-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is getting their holiday shopping done! December is quickly going by, just like the rest of the year! Our QR code holiday card got some press on the fun Charlotte's Fancy blog which I love to follow. The write up is so sweet (I love the title!) and Molly also gave props to Lil' Tyke in the YouTube video too.

Thanks so much, Molly! Don't forget these cards are ready to ship...please visit our etsy or felt and wire shops today!

More PaperCrave Love...

2011-12-07T22:56:00.000-08:00

Our textured Hanukkah card is featured on Paper Crave as No. 12. Happy happy dance!

Paper Crave Holiday Card Roundup

2011-12-02T23:20:00.000-08:00

Our QR code holiday card is featured on December 1st's holiday card roundup by Paper Crave! Lovely to be in such great company. :)

A Special QR Code Holiday Greeting

2011-11-26T09:35:00.000-08:00

I'm super excited to share with you this special holiday card and video that my husband and I have been working on since the end of summer. (Jewels Chase and my sister Christine helped too)

I wanted to find a less boring way to use the QR codes that have been popping up everywhere in magazines, billboards and posters. When the card recipient scans the QR code with his or her smart phone, a special holiday video starring my Yorkie Lil' Tyke pops up.

Imagine sending this innovative and unique card to a loved one this holiday season, especially if you are giving a new iPhone, iPad2 or smartphone as a gift! Such a great complement to a techie gift.

On sale now at my etsy shop or Felt & Wire. Get yours today!

Here's the link to the actual video. Hope you enjoy it. I'm so incredibly proud of my smart little Yorkie Lil' Tyke!

Happy holidays everyone!

Sweet Holiday Wishes

2011-11-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

Here's a new holiday card now on sale on Felt & Wire and etsy. It must be that I've had way too many cupcakes on my mind as I've been pinning cupcakes and sweet goodies on Pinterest since September! Gotta love that site...so much inspiration for anything and everything.

Stay tuned for another very special greeting card which will be out in a matter of days! Happy holidays, everyone!

It's Oh So Beautiful to Be Mentioned...

2011-11-10T10:39:00.000-08:00

I was having a rough Thursday morning until I took a peek at today's Holiday Card Roundup on Oh So Beautiful Paper. Why, hello there, Happy Hanukkah card and Happy Holidays card.

Thank you, Nole, for the love. It's so amazing to be in such great company with so many talented designers and letterpress printers!

These cards are available at my etsy shop as well as Felt and Wire. All the best this holiday season everyone!

Twitter Inspired Birthday Card

2011-11-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

I love Twitter. I'm sad I didn't invest more time in it when I first signed up. But now, you cannot keep me away.

My favorite part is being able to connect with people within the stationery industry as well as the wedding industry. I love them both and it's fantastic to see how so many friendships have been built through this social network.

This is my ode to the Twitteratti, the Twitterverse, ...I can come up with a lot more! :)

But seriously, this letterpress birthday card is meant for either your Twitter friends or someone you know who is a Twitter aficionado. The card is available in both of my shops, Felt and Wire and etsy.

On the back I also put my handle in case you feel so inclined to follow me. A similarly styled thank you card is coming too! Happy tweeting everyone!

Hello Kitty Dessert Table Inspiration Shoot

2011-10-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

Lina Wallace of A Stunning Affair contacted me awhile ago to ask if I'd help with some paper goodies for a dessert table inspiration shoot she was doing with photographer Krista Mason and A Sweet Design bakery. I got to do another bunting project, my favorite! :)

Another favorite of mine is Hello Kitty so of course I was thrilled to help! Check out these HK bowties for the strawberry sodas. I love how these turned out.

So many edible goodies too! I made Hello Kitty shaped table cards for all of the desserts to match the bunting sign.

Lastly, check out these adorable flags for the cookies and cream cake pops! We also did a Candyland themed dessert table as well. Cannot wait to see how those photos turned out! All photos courtesy of Krista Mason Photography.

Coral and Chocolate Letterpress Wedding Invitation & Map

2011-10-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

If you saw our YouTube video from the summer, you would have seen these invitations from computer image to actual printing process. The bride and groom wanted a modern and clean look for their wedding "logo" and loved the idea of a sunburst.

The Monterey map includes detail for guests who wanted to do the 17 mile drive, the Monterey Aquarium and other local elements from the area (check out all of the golf courses!). This was definitely a fun project to work on and I love how the map turned out in Adobe Illustrator. It is even more incredible and impressive in letterpress form!

As the final touch, we rounded the corners for the invitation and map. We also flat-printed thank you cards for Alice and Matt, in addition to escort cards. Unfortunately, we were not able to attend the wedding so we missed out on how the escort cards came out. Hopefully we will see some pictures soon!

More Press...Letterpress Hanukkah Card Featured on Glo.com

2011-10-04T23:01:00.000-07:00

Sooooo exciting! Our letterpress Hanukkah card made it onto glo.com today! The feature is on top holiday cards for 2011. These cards are available on etsy.com and feltandwireshop.com. Check out the link: http://glo.msn.com/living/best-holiday-invites-2011-7467.gallery?photoId=63685

New Letterpressed Owl Birthday Card

2011-09-14T23:17:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to do something with a cute owl for some time. But it had to be more than just an owl on a card!

Always have to throw in some wit at every opportunity. :) Ask my mom, she'll tell you all about it! haha

Close up of the back of the card.

Get yours today on etsy.com or feltandwireshop.com.

Wow...Tiny Mention in an Uber Publication

2011-09-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

Have to thank my lucky stars for the mention of my Facebook inspired congratulations card in August 25th's Wall Street Journal article about Stationery's New Followers by Katherine Rosman: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903461304576527061695101804.html?KEYWORDS=katherine+rosman#articleTabs%3Darticle

It's unfortunate that the card wasn't shown, but love love love the mention anyway!

Feltandwireshop, by Mohawk Fine Papers, where our cards are available for sale, also posted the story in their newsletter. Thanks for the love. http://www.feltandwire.com/2011/08/25/p-s-elegant-stationery-returns-per-the-wall-street-journal/

It's such an honor to be mentioned with others in the industry. Kiss and Punch has come a looooong way and I'm so grateful. What's next? I cannot wait to see!!! :)

Safari-themed Baby Shower

2011-08-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

Because baby Carter's room is a jungle theme with elephants, we decided to go with a safari shower invitation to match. The envelope liners matched the zebra print from the invite.

Wrap around labels are so fun and versatile. :)

Close up of the invite. Yes, it was a 8 hour celebration!

My favorite part of this suite was doing the bunting for baby Carter. Scalloped paper and chipboards, with light blue striped twine to match. This came out SO cute.

Brittoney says she is keeping this bunting for little Carter's room. :)

New Inspirational Print

2011-08-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

Red and Black

A print to celebrate the best decision you ever made...or to inspire you to achieve it. This has been my personal mantra since I started Kiss and Punch Designs three and a half years ago.

For me, this is up in my studio today to inspire me to do this full time. I am still a slave in the corporate world, working as in-house counsel for a major car company. It's blood, sweat and often tears during the day, then at night I let my right brain take over. It's amazing how much pleasure you get when you just make things or do things you love. It's true, that it really doesn't feel like "work".

My dream is to officially retire from the law practice this year and start doing what I love full time, every day and let that left brain of mine retire too.

Aqua and Brownish Gray

8 x 10 flat printed. Sorry frame not included. Get yours today on feltandwireshop.com or etsy.com!

Changed Status Congratulations Card

2011-07-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

Have friends or relatives who just got engaged or married?

Don't just send a FB comment on their wall. Congratulate them with a unique card in the spirit of Facebook. C'mon, be old fashioned for once. ;P Before you know it, our kids will have no idea what paper even is! (Yikes).

On sale now on feltandwireshop.com or etsy.com. More cards to come!

First YouTube Video on the Letterpress Process

2011-07-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to share our first YouTube video. I thought it'd be nice to show everyone how the process of creating greeting cards and custom stationery works for letterpress printing. Coincidentally, the bride for this wedding suite works for YouTube, so it's perfect! :) Thank you SO much to Michael for letting us into his print studio and my husband Mark for shooting and editing the video. And of course, congratulations to the bride and groom, Alice and Matt!

Our next series will be a discussion about color. Stay tuned!

How Do I Love Thee

2011-05-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

In a million ways! LOVE the new business cards.

I designed the 2.5 square card with 3 runs, blind letterpress, dark aqua and warm grey.

I couldn't make up my mind about what type of paper, so we have some in 110lb. and some in 220lb. That baby is thick!!

New cards on sale on etsy.com

2011-04-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

For the Sheen-inspired folks, here's a winning card for that special someone:

Colors are a deep coral and brown. Cards are blank inside.

Perfect for congratulating someone on a promotion, graduation or some other life accomplishment!

A fun little card that's definitely unique! :)

Miss you already cards

2011-04-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a single color letterpress card in soft pink.

Cards are 4bar size and comes with a recycled kraft envelope. Get yours today from etsy.com!

Business card for Meredith Green Designs

2011-04-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

A classic design for an interior design business.

These colors are gorgeous together. <3 it. Stay tuned for my own business cards and Meredith's Monteverde Fiori! Have a great Tuesday. :)
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Just Playing Around

2011-03-31T07:01:00.000-07:00

The Royal Wedding invitation was a snoozer so thought I'd try a quick hand at it.

Let's hope the wedding is a little bit more interesting than their invite!!

The Ultimate Love Card

2011-01-28T00:05:00.000-08:00

If you've found the One, this card is for you...better yet, it's for them! ;) Perfect for Valentine's Day, your wedding day, engagement, or just for the heck of it! On sale on etsy.com.

Red ink and blind letterpressed with a kraft recycled envelope.

2010 Holiday Cards Now on Sale on Etsy.com!

2010-12-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

Get yours today!

Hanukkah Cards

2010-11-05T23:58:00.000-07:00

On sale at etsy.com now! Remember Hanukkah is early this year!

Single Color Birth Announcements

2010-11-03T23:45:00.000-07:00

For Anderson's baby announcements, we used navy blue to compliment his adorable photo.

Here's the mailing labels also created in navy on recycled kraft envelopes.

When folded, the announcement began with a fantastic quote.

Close up of the baby 411!

A classic design for a lovely announcement.

Logo for new non-profit organization

2010-09-01T23:43:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to help create the corporate identity for a new youth-centered non-profit organization in San Francisco.

Business card

2010-08-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

For this business card, since Stephanie is a psychologist specializing in human development, we came up with the concept of the growing tree. I initially did a tulip blossoming, but decided to do the tree which would be more unisex.

Letterpressed Baby Shower Invites

2010-04-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a baby shower invite done for a soft purple and bright yellow themed party. I added texture to the flowers for a more interesting letterpress effect.

I love how these turned out. These could easily be used for save the dates, bridal showers or wedding invites!

Museum Wedding Escort Cards and Table Tents

2010-01-28T18:40:00.000-08:00

This was a true labor of love. The bride wanted to use artwork for tables and escort cards since the venue was the Balboa Park Museum of Art.

The artists we used included Picasso, Rockwell, Degas, VanGogh, Parrish, Michaelangelo, daVinci, Rembrandt, Renoir and Dali.

Holiday Card/Announcement

2009-12-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a piece I did which turned out better than I had imagined. Because we thought a recipient might want to keep the picture of Maddy, I used corner punches instead of using adhesive to attach the picture. Plus this is a lot cuter than using boring photo corners!

Close up of little Maddy! :)

The corner punches turned out so nice, I added it to the text portion as well.

And to seal it all, a personal pink and silver sticker. ♥

November wedding invitations...

2009-12-17T20:03:00.001-08:00

The blog has been slipping, I apologize! But that's mostly because I've been focusing on Facebook (and Twitter when I remember). Look up "Kiss & Punch Designs" there if you haven't already become a fan/follower! :)

To save on paper, I created a self-containing pocketfold. On the back of the pocket where the RSVP postcard went is the actual invite.

These gold invitations were done for a gold, silver and bronze wedding in November.

Company logo design

2009-01-20T21:53:00.001-08:00

Now that the wedding festivities are over (finally got our thank you cards out - post coming soon!), I am back in the saddle and ready to blog again!

Last spring a family friend, Liz, started a custom pet bed business. She asked for some help coming up with a catchy name and so after tossing a bunch of ideas out there, I came up with "Pawp Star". Pretty cute, huh? Afterwards they attended a trade show in Orange County and I had to come up with a logo for them. I had 5 or so designs but ultimately Liz chose this design which came out nicely on their business card. They created a large banner sign showing the logo too. Needless to say they were a big hit!

Thanks to my husband Mark for taking such great pictures of the beds! :)

Riiiiiiiiiiiings!

2008-07-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

It has been tough keeping up with the blog since invitations took over my life for about 3 weeks. The fun is not even over either! We have many missing RSVPs some of which meant that certain people didn't even get the invite! Oy. We'll post invites soon... In the meantime, yesterday we went shopping for rings in downtown LA at the Jewelry District.
I knew I wanted something low profile that was micropave or delicate at the very least. No monster bands for me! Mark preferred rings with some unique quality....

Here is what I ended up getting (we both got rings from Icing on the Ring Here is mine, a little out of focus:
And Mark's ring in Palladium...

Can't wait to get LOST in the South Pacific

2008-06-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yay, we finally have our honeymoon booked! Cook Islands here we come! Mark took on the daunting task of picking a location. Too many choices, but I think he did a fabulous job.

I am a huge LOST fan so going to the South Pacific was a great choice. Maybe I will find the island! Oh wait, that's right...John Locke and Ben moved it! Hee hee

Anyway, after this wedding planning 12 nights away will be so freakin' fabulous, I can't even tell you. We will spend 7 nights in Rarotonga...
And then 5 nights in Aitutaki which will be AMAZING! The Aitutaki Lagoon looks so surreal...

Can we just skip the wedding part and go right to the honeymoon? :)

I heart eBay

2008-05-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

These puppies came in the mail yesterday and I have to say that I was thrilled. Can you believe I won these for $8.50? (No one bid against me). I have never had so much eBay luck! :) In fact, it cost more to ship them to me from Illinois. Needless to say, this is one wedding bargain I will relish in for quite some time. More times than not it feels like "wedding bargain" is an oxymoron, especially if you're getting married in Los Angeles!

Flippin' and a Floppin'

2008-05-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

So wedding shoes are not coming along so hot. The nice aqua shoes I found at Zappos (see previous post) was a little too big on the strap part. Really cute, but if I went down a half size, it'd probably be uncomfortable. Mark was a little taken aback by the aqua color in the first place...to which I responded, "You are not going to see it anyway!" This statement got me thinkin'...it's the end of August should I just go with flip flops? Bling it up a little then be done with it!??

At Long Last...the Save the Date Cards for Public Viewing

2008-05-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

The envelopes matched the aqua waves perfectly! I only hope the invitations turn out just as nice! Letterpress is so very beautiful.

Are you KIDDING me??!!!

2008-04-30T17:42:00.001-07:00

They may be only $18 each but I don't know anyone who "budgeted" for Wedding Toe Rings. Give me a friggin' break!! By the way, I apologize for the feet in your face. :) LOL

Signature Cocktails

2008-04-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

I heart the idea of a signature cocktail for the wedding, but to be honest I can't say that I've ever had an aqua colored or a blue drink for that matter! In fact I once had a nightmare that I got violently ill after drinking a blue concoction! But that doesn't mean my guests can't enjoy some Aqua Magic. Now off to find some drink recipes...(Picture courtesy of Cynthia Martyn Events) (Picture of Brides.com) (Blue Mojito picture courtesy of Cocktailtimes.com)

How About Something Blue?

2008-04-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you, using aqua as a wedding color has been a bit of a pain in my side, but whenever I see it....I LOVE it! So what better way to tie in the something blue tradition than with some blue [satin] shoes!! I just ordered these from Zappos. Let's hope they are comfy or they are going right back!!

Keep Mark Away From Projects!!

2008-04-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

This is the cute cardbox I made for my friend Petty's wedding at the end of March. Unfortunately, the night before the wedding, Mark backed the car seat into it and it was never used. Still a great DIY project. I ended up just buying ours. A little scared it'll happen again?? You betcha! Sorry Mark, I love you! ;P

Fortunately, not ALL was lost for Petty's wedding. I did handwrite all of the names for her placecards. They turned out pretty nice, huh?

Wedding Hairstyles & Makeup

2008-04-06T12:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had my first hair and makeup trial run with Mariah Nicole. Here are the results. Maybe back in the 80s and 90s I was a huge fan of Aqua Net, but I can't say the same today. WAY too much hairspray for my taste. Not exactly the same, right? I have to say that my initial idea was maybe not the best. The back was pretty but there was SO much hairspray in the front that even if you couldn't see my roots before you definitely could after. So now I'm thinking of doing something different...
Maybe pinned back a little or a low loose bun with curls on the side.

As far as makeup though, I like the natural look she did. The coverage was great throughout the night. I think I may want to add some shimmery smoke or green color on the actual day.

So Many Choices for Cake Designs

2008-03-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Since the beginning I think I've been looking for the perfect cake design for our wedding cake. How can I NOT think about it, it's on every cover of Martha Stewart Weddings! :P In any event, I think something creative and elegant will best suit us. No crazy all white cake for us. *YAWN* Boring!

APRIL 3RD - We had our first cake tasting at Torrance Bakery. While I liked some of the cake selections, I didn't like how the extra cost of "designing" our own cake would be as much as $7 a person more. Isn't that ridiculous? Plus there's no telling if they are even capable of creating something so "artistic". We'll be trying some other bakeries as a result.

Mother of the Bride dress

2008-03-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

This is the only picture I could find of the dress my mother will be wearing and it definitely looks a lot different on her....plus hers is a pretty champagne color!!!

Creative Photographer...

2008-02-29T08:08:00.000-08:00

We hired The Image is Found months ago for photography....but it's always great to keep up with their blog for current photos. I can't wait to take our engagement photos!!! :) Check them out at theblogisfound.com

Finally....Bridesmaid Dresses! ;)

2008-02-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, so all of my creative energy is going into the wedding. Do you blame me?! :) Once I got my dress I immediately turned to the bridesmaids. (Sorry....can't post my Alvina Valenta dress because Mark might see it!) I didn't want the girls to spend a fortune on dresses they'll probably never wear again (Have you seen 27 Dresses?) so we turned to David's Bridal. This dress in Pool will have a white sash instead (so they end up looking like Tiffany wrapped boxes!) I think it'll be cute. We may end up shortening it as well...the skirt is a bit long.

I plan on having the girls carry white flowers with their aqua dresses. I'm debating whether to have each with white roses or to change it up (one with roses, one with hydrangeas, etc.) I plan on having a colored bouquet. btw, designer http://cynthiamartyn.typepad.com has some beautiful wedding designs and florals! :)

STAY TUNED...our Save the Date design has been finalized and I'll post it as soon as they start going out!

Creating for the Wedding

2008-01-21T19:49:00.001-08:00

This blog is becoming more about my personal life, but rest assured I am diligently working on my save the date cards for my upcoming nuptials. In the meantime, enjoy my embarrassing photo right when we got engaged! :)

Here are some of the pics from the upcoming issue of a bridal magazine we'll be in. We've decided to go with a lighter aqua or perhaps tiffany blue sticking with a brighter red.

1001 Places to Go Before U Die

2008-01-04T21:07:00.001-08:00

Pretty sad that I've only been to 8% (though I didn't include all of the countries we went to when I was a toddler). Still...this traveling of mine needs some work! :)

My First Letterpress Run

2007-12-24T11:05:00.000-08:00

After having my Kelsey 5 x 8 press for 10 months I finally got around to making my holiday cards. I had 6 snowflakes made as photopolymer plates, but stuck with these two. [Click on each photo to see a larger image]

I love the Celtic element of the snowflakes. Definitely not your traditional design. I have been making my own Xmas cards for years now, in a later post I'll show some examples.

I thought the gems in the middle of the snowflake gave it a personal touch. Not too bad for a first shot at the press.

And thanks to Mark for taking these photos... and giving me the snowflake punch for my birthday. It added another nice detail to the envelopes. Happy Holidays!