Copper Willow Blog

Staining with wine

2010-03-15T22:14:00Z

Drinking wine is divine. Stain paper while drinking wine, that's a fun evening! This invitation was designed for a same-sex couple getting married in Napa in May. We used our 2 ply museum board in a 6.25" square. Any red wine will work for the staining show here. Flick wine at the board for random droplet placement and each invitation is unique! After pressing with charcoal soy ink, each invitation was accented with a silver thread.

Our Grand Re-opening - Part 2

2010-03-08T06:18:00Z

Thanks to all who participated and came to support our event!

styles by brenda

Our Grand Re-opening - Part 1

2010-03-07T05:55:00Z

Our opening event to celebrate our new location in the Culver City arts district was held on March 1st. We had a great time, met a lot of new people and we were privileged to show off some amazing wedding designers and vendors. We took so many pictures, we're breaking up a post into 2 parts. Here's our set-up and vendor display:

s
gowns by puridee

june 15 jute bags

la bella gem

kara frans photography

gotta have smore

fold paper flowers

culinary delight catering

annatarian dresses

Coral

2010-02-26T22:31:00Z

This invitation suite was designed for Small Field Papers. The bright papaya and copper soy inks were complimented with a vellum overlay and natural recycled paper twine. The reply card featured a blind press of a portion of the coral. Several lines were accented with a draft of hand calligraphy and the envelopes lined with a metallic copper paper.

Our Grand Re-opening Soiree!

2010-02-18T17:47:00Z

Seersucker

2010-02-18T06:38:00Z

Jessica gave us a few guidelines for her wedding vision - stripes (think seersucker), navy and green, an aspen leaf, and a monogram. Add all components and stir! The 4.5 x 6.25 save the date is pressed on our 4 ply board in navy and apple and paired with a deep navy envelope. The navy seersucker stripe is going to be a major design element for her wedding style, so the stripe background and liner will be the guests' first impression of that motif. Look closely too at the aspen leaf - the couple'd initials, J and B are in there!
Each envelope was finished off in white address calligraphy.

Beautiful Oak

2010-02-18T05:48:00Z

I just fell in love with this little oak tree. Just a petite silhouette, but so sweet and elegant. Used in both copper and dark papaya throughout the suite, I just can't get enough of that tiny oak!
This wedding set was a continuation of a duplexed save the date we pressed in November. The reverse is a flat print pattern that is duplexed to the back side of our most luxurious 4-ply museum board. Yum.
The envelope is splashed with a copper luster liner and the invitation is wrapped with a narrow belly band to complete the design.
The final detail was the deep papaya edging on the side of the invite. Each invitation was painted by hand.
But back to that tiny oak...

Pretty Packages tied up with string

2010-01-24T07:09:00Z

We just shipped this lovely set of wedding invitations out to Jot in South Carolina. I just couldn't resist snapping some shots of the tied up stacks of invites. The soft handmade paper with deckle, muted tones of the charcoal ink and the natural colored twine just looked so sweet on the table!

Copper Willow has a new home!

2010-01-18T06:03:00Z

Lately, blogging has been left unattended in our Copper Willow world because we're moving! Behind the scenes, we've been packing, shopping, renovating, and plotting all kinds of goodies for our brand new space. It's been a whirlwind, but we see a light at the end of the tunnel and we're so excited to open our doors February 1st!

We're now located in the arts district of Culver City at 8530-B Washington Boulevard, just a couple of blocks from Helms Bakery. We're so delighted to be joining the flourishing area!

Here's some pictures from our moving adventure - our machinery in transit!

Copper Willow in LA Times!

2009-12-01T19:04:00Z

A duplexed pattern makes perfect

2009-12-01T03:01:39Z

Tis the Season for...save the dates! As the holidays consume most of us, some lucky girls are receiving proposals! So while all of us are celebrating the season and eventually falling into the post-holiday months, those same gals are planning that wedding...and one of the first things they can do after booking the site is telling the guests to save the date!
The paper products really do set the tone for a wedding. This newly finished project for Circle the Date is a beautiful first glimpse. The wedding invites will carry the same theme. Each piece is pressed on our 2 ply cotton linter museum board with dark papaya and copper inks. The reverse side was actually flat printed separately and adhered to the back of each piece of board. The edges of the board and paper "sandwich" were then trimmed to create a unified piece. The envelope is made from recycled brown bag, pressed with a darker copper ink.

Photo printing on cotton

2009-11-26T02:11:00Z

Just shipped out - a lovely tea-length photo holiday card. The client supplied Small Field Papers with 3 photos and the coloring went from there. Each card is flat printed on 80 lb soft white cotton linter paper. It is always difficult to find a digitally certified paper that is uncoated, and therefore eco-friendly. This paper has been a staple of ours from day one and helped achieve beautiful, bright colors for these sea-side pictures. Each card was backed with a non-metal based piece of silver cardstock and accented with a small diamond crystal. A pretty piece that is both unique and personal!

Our next green effort - Linseed oil inks

2009-11-21T06:48:00Z

In our quest to deliver the highest quality and most environmentally responsible stationery to our clients, Copper Willow proudly announces that we are changing to EcoPride ink. We currently use soy-based inks, and we will be converting our palette to linseed oil based inks. Linseed oil is a product of the flax plant, a North American native plant that grows with low water and little or no fertilizer. The ink provides beautiful coverage with less waste product due to skinning (ink drying out at the top of the ink can). As of today, our palette is 20% linseed oil and we anticipate that the entire palette will be converted by June 2010.

Here are a few more facts about our ink:

-Use a combination of vegetable oils, including linseed oil with a minimum of 45% of renewable resource content as calculated from accumulated data on the ingredients contained in the product

-Contain less than 3 percent petroleum distillates.
-Contain no more than 5% Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Test Method 24, or as calculated from accumulated data on the ingredients contained in the product

-meet Council of Northeast Governors Coalition (CONEG) regulation for packaging, with a combined heavy metal total of less than 100 ppm of mercury, lead, cadmium and hexavalent chromium

Just one more way that Copper Willow is working for a greener future!

Copper Willow & Livingreen Event this Saturday!

2009-11-18T02:16:00Z

This Saturday, November 21st, we'll be teaming up with Livingreen for a special holiday photography and holiday card event. Visit Livingreen in Culver City or Montecito anytime from 12 - 6 pm for some one-stop shopping! Photographers will be on hand and then that picture can be used to order a custom eco-friendly holiday card with us! Boxed product and our custom albums are on display in the Culver City, Montecito and Santa Barbara stores through the holiday season.
Read more details at the Livingreen news and events site!

Holiday Stationery Promotion

2009-11-06T02:30:00Z

Green Idea #3 - Bamboo Towels

2009-10-31T06:11:00Z

Bamboo has become the "super plant" of the home goods industry. You can make pretty much anything out of it. Furniture, cutting boards, flooring, linens...and of course bath towels. Towels make it onto every engaged couple's registry list. I was married in 2004 and I am no longer using the bath towels I was given. They've been worn, frayed, and are now kind of scratchy. Bamboo is the most durable hard wood and that makes for strong towels. That got my attention. Bamboo feels silky and becomes soft and luxurious when combined with organic cotton fibers. A strong and soft towel! We are really getting somewhere here. Bamboo fibers are anti-bacterial and fast drying...we're creating a super towel! And of course, bamboo is super green - grows fast to renew quickly and emits 35% more oxygen into the atmosphere than a similarly sized forest of trees.
I'm sold. The good news? Bamboo towels are pretty easy to find. I picked Soft Forest towels to mention because they also write a very informative blog. Check them out!

http://sc41.com/home-source-bamboo-bath.shtml

Green Find #2 - Green Pots

2009-10-29T04:48:00Z

When I imagine my ideal kitchen, it always includes a large island in the middle with pots and pans hanging overhead. After getting a peek at the deliciously colored Greencookingpots, I'm convinced some day those pots will be the hanging in my kitchen!

Greencookingpots are made of chemical-free enameled cast iron, a greener and healthier alternative to stainless steel. And on top of that, the price is right. So put them on your bridal registry and add them to your holiday gift list!
Check them out at http://greencookingpots.com

Bling Holiday Cards

2009-10-19T05:22:00Z

Here's a peek at 3 of the 8 designs from our Bling! Holiday card line. Each card is a petite 3.5 x 5, letterpressed on recycled clothing paper. The cover greeting is enhanced with a single Swarovsky crystal. The cards are packaged in sets of 8 with red or silver envelope. Buy online here!

http://shop.copperwillow.com/category.sc?categoryId=25

Flourish Holiday Cards

2009-10-12T06:30:00Z

We've officially hit October! In most large department stores, the holiday items have been creeping out for a month now. We still have Halloween to go, but it's time to start talking about Copper Willow holiday! Shipments have been going out to our retail stores, holiday custom albums are in place and our studio is armed for creative design work!

As the holiday near, we will count down the days with holiday card features, starting with our Flourish boxed greeting cards. These cards are folded to be 4.25 x 5.5 and letterpressed on 300 lb. textured cotton linter. Each design is original hand calligraphy, pressed in gold, olive or merlot inks. Each boxed set of 8 is complete with gold luster envelopes.

Buy online! http://shop.copperwillow.com/category.sc?categoryId=26

Falling Leaves

2009-10-03T17:12:00Z

A Fall wedding for an Autumn posting!
Letterpress has become all about impression. Not just the impression on the guest receiving the invitation, but the actual plate impression into the paper. Printing with ink does show this off, but blind impressions play with the press in an entirely different way. Really digging into the paper, allowing the light and shadow to present the image...it's graceful, beathtaking and unique to letterpress.
Amy Cooper's invitation features blind impression at its best. The 6x9 invitation is our 2 ply museum board, fast becoming my absolute fav.! With eggplant and sweet pea inks throughout, the blind press becomes an eye-catching accent. Using the blind impression on the belly band creates a soft, textured element that doesn't take away from the beautiful invitation beneath. The belly band is also function of course - all of the insert pieces could be held to the back of the invite under the band.

In the end, blind press gives the invite that "oohhh" element and every guest will surely run their fingers over the impression.