Texas Monthly Ad

Championship Hearts Foundation is a nonprofit offering free heart screenings to high school athletes in Texas. Did you know that Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a serious heart condition that affects 1 in 500 people?


I've worked with Championship Hearts Foundation for the last five years, designing their business cards, brochures, website homepage, posters and invitations. Recently, I was hired to help them create a campaign to raise awareness of their cause.
 
Each advertisement I designed has the tagline "Play it safe" with a photo displaying a photo of a high school sport such as soccer, football, track, band and cheerleading. We kept it simple and to the point with the wording, colors and image. This month, the soccer ad I designed is displayed in Texas Monthly magazine and the back of the HEB magazine. Last year, it was on the jumbotron at the University of Texas-Austin football game. 
 
This is such a worthy cause and I'm thrilled to be a part of it.  If you have or know a high school athlete, be sure to get a free screening through Championship Hearts Foundation. It may save a life.

Texas Monthly ad (on newstands now):
 Graphic Design by The Inviting Pear (http://www.theinvitingpear.com

The Inviting Pear is a graphic design and stationery studio, specializing in custom, made-to-order wedding invitations & stationery, birth announcements, holiday cards, and corporate logos & branding.

Shop Printables at http://www.theinvitingpear.etsy.com
Join Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Inviting-Pear/194480436773
Visit Our Blog at http://www.theinvitingpear.blogspot.com

Labels: advertisement, austin texas, Championship Hearts Foundation, custom corporate, Graphic design, Shannon Ferguson, texas monthly magazine, the inviting pear

Posted by invitingpear at 11:57 AM 0 comments

Mardi Gras 70th Birthday Party

How will you celebrate your 70th birthday? Mike is going all out with a weekend birthday celebration, mardi gras style! Not only is the party going to be held at Austin City Limits Live, but it's from 7:00 to midnight. Now that's one cool 70-year-old! I can hardly stay up until 11:30. Man, I feel old!

The custom designed invitation is printed in full color on metallic paper and affixed to red and pink metallic backings. The Friday and Sunday party invitations with the response card are staggered in the pocket. A family crest monogram was created and printed on the seal that closed the pocketfold. The envelopes are lined with custom-printed gold liners. And finally, custom postage stamps were designed with Mike's photo and mardi gras mask.  Now that these are in the mail, it's time to celebrate!

I've already blogged about the laser-cut save the date but here's another photo of it to get the vibe of the party. For additional information and photos on the save the dates, please visit
http://theinvitingpear.blogspot.com/2011/11/mardi-gras-ball-save-date.html

 Custom photo postage:
 Custom envelope liner:



Graphic Design by The Inviting Pear (http://www.theinvitingpear.com/)
Referred by Suzanne Court Catering & Events

The Inviting Pear is a graphic design and stationery studio, specializing in custom, made-to-order wedding invitations & stationery, birth announcements, holiday cards, and corporate logos & branding.

Shop Printables at http://www.theinvitingpear.etsy.com/
Join Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Inviting-Pear/194480436773
Visit Our Blog at http://www.theinvitingpear.blogspot.com/

Labels: austin city limits live, austin texas, birthday invitation, custom invitation, custom pocketfold, mardi gras, Shannon Ferguson, the inviting pear

Posted by invitingpear at 10:10 AM 0 comments

Laser cut invitations

When Austin-based company, Bazaarvoice, approached me to create an exciting and unique invitation to get the attention of executives (who receive hundreds of invitations in the mail), my brain was on full speed. I had so many ideas! After some discussion, we chose to go with intricately cut invitations as the conference was named "Provoke". We wanted to provoke the recipients' senses in every way.

We chose a beautiful duplex metallic cardstock with navy on the front and silver on the back. I created gears as the design image and kept the fonts bold and modern. This was definitely a labor of love (as it entails a lot of behind the scenes work in Illustrator) but it was well worth it. I am thrilled with the end result...and so is the client!






































Graphic Design by The Inviting Pear (http://www.theinvitingpear.com/)
Printer: Austin Laser Art

The Inviting Pear is a graphic design and stationery studio, specializing in custom, made-to-order wedding invitations & stationery, birth announcements, holiday cards, and corporate logos & branding.

Shop Printables at http://www.theinvitingpear.etsy.com/

Join Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Inviting-Pear/194480436773
Visit Our Blog at http://www.theinvitingpear.blogspot.com/

Labels: Austin, austin texas, corproate invitation, custom invitation, laser cut invitation, metallic paper, Shannon Ferguson, the inviting pear, unique corporate invitation

Posted by invitingpear at 10:07 AM 0 comments

Hollywood Glamour

My client, Kendall, was on American Idol so naturally we created concert tickets for her save the dates. You can read more about these and see photos at http://www.theinvitingpear.blogspot.com/2011/09/concert-ticket-save-date.html.

For her invitations, she wanted a vintage Hollywood glamour feel with aspects of art deco (since the wedding will be held at the historic Driskill Hotel in Austin). To incorporate both styles, I designed decorative scrolls in gold with the wording in an art deco font in silver. Their names were highlighted in an elegant and sophisticated script font. To make the gold and silvers really shine, we had the invitation, reception card and response card thermography printing. This raised printing style created a cool look with the scroll design.

To finish off the set, we backed the invitation with a gold metallic cardstock and a blush pink metallic cardstock. This added weight to the invitation and really made the 6" x 9" size "pop". I can't wait to work on the reception stationery!

Save the date concert ticket:


 Invitation set:






































Graphic Design by The Inviting Pear (http://www.theinvitingpear.com/)
Wedding Planner: Liv, Liv by Design

The Inviting Pear is a graphic design and stationery studio, specializing in custom, made-to-order wedding invitations & stationery, birth announcements, holiday cards, and corporate logos & branding.

Shop Printables at http://www.theinvitingpear.etsy.com/
Join Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Inviting-Pear/194480436773  
Visit Our Blog at http://www.theinvitingpear.blogspot.com/

Labels: art deco, Austin, austin texas, concert save the date, custom invitations, hollywood glamour, kendall beard, liv by design, Shannon Ferguson, the inviting pear, thermography printing

Posted by invitingpear at 10:14 AM 1 comments

Spare the Date!

Engagement photos at a bowling alley with a Mad Men feel? Yes, please! When Lauren, wedding coordinator at Austin In Style Weddings and Destinations, approached me with her vision, I couldn't have been more excited. I mean, Lauren and Rob met bowling! How perfect is that?

I designed save the date magnets that stated "Spare the Date" to play off of the bowling theme. Using retro fonts and a modern pattern, we updated the classic (and sometimes traditional) save the date magnet. I mean, really, how could I go wrong with this lovely engagement photo?!




































Graphic Design by The Inviting Pear (http://www.theinvitingpear.com/)
Photography by SMS Photography
Venue for photo shoot: The Highball

The Inviting Pear is a graphic design and stationery studio, specializing in custom, made-to-order wedding invitations & stationery, birth announcements, holiday cards, and corporate logos & branding.

Shop Printables at http://www.theinvitingpear.etsy.com/
Join Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Inviting-Pear/194480436773
Visit Our Blog at http://www.theinvitingpear.blogspot.com/

Labels: austin texas, bowling save the date, mad men, photo save the date, retro, save the date magnet, Shannon Ferguson, the inviting pear

Posted by invitingpear at 12:47 PM 0 comments

Engaged at The Domain

It's always such an honor to be asked to participate in helping a wedding consultant realize his or her vision. So when Liv with Liv by Design asked me to design stationery for a room she was creating at Engaged! in Austin at The Westin at The Domain, I was on board. The wedding room was appropriately named, "Metropolitan Green."

Liv was inspired by a sophisticated garden party on a modern New York rooftop and bringing that concept into Austin. With that in mind, I created an invitation suite that was romantic and modern, yet had an industrial feel. To establish these seemingly contrasting styles, I used a metallic color palette of gold, silver and peaches and I had the invitation laser cut out.

To start, I designed a gate image to play off of the garden feel. To soften the modern laser-cut look, I affixed the invitation to a peach textured metallic backing and tied a satin ribbon in vintage gold around. The silver metallic envelope was lined with a shimmery gold paper with a laser cut "S" monogram. The response and accommodations card incorporated a beautiful calligraphy script and carried on the garden gate design.  
 
For the table cards, I used the same metallic papers to create the modern, industrial feel with a romantic "S" monogram and gate design. The menus were printed on belly bands that wrapped around the guest's napkins. The place cards, which assigned seating, were created out of layered cardstock and affixed to a wooden pick for a modern take.
 
To add a little fun to the stationery, I created signs for the bride and groom's reception seats. The signs stated "Mr. Right" and "Mrs. Always Right" (perfect photo props!). Finally, I created tags for the jugs of rosemary lemonade and peach tea (a perfect garden party complement). Hope you enjoy the pics of this beautiful inspired room!
 
If you are interested in a laser cut invitation, please let me know. I'm always interested in designing and creating unique wedding invitations and stationery!














To purchase these printable photo prop signs, please visit http://www.etsy.com/listing/91442305/mrs-always-right-photo-prop-signs-for


Stationery & Graphic Design: The Inviting Pear / Concept and Design of Room: Liv by Design / Florist: STEMS Floral Design / Catering: Primizie Catering / Photography: Lisa Hause at Studio 563 / Cake: Simon Lee Bakery / Linens: Peggy Poling Designs / Rentals: Marquee Rents / Farm Table: Good Life Furniture Collection / Vintage Rentals: Revival / Music: Mandy Rothenberg / Lighting: ILD Lighting / Printing: Austin Laser Art

Shop Printables at http://www.theinvitingpear.etsy.com/
Join Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Inviting-Pear/194480436773
Visit Our Blog at http://www.theinvitingpear.blogspot.com/

Labels: austin texas, Austin Wedding Day, custom invitations, domain, engaged, laser cut invitations, liv by design, Shannon Ferguson, the inviting pear, vintage wedding

Posted by invitingpear at 11:52 AM 0 comments

12 Ways to Say Thank You

I'm excited to be featured on Earth Grains Website on 12 unique ways to say "Thank You". Enjoy!

http://www.grainsofearth.com/12-ways-to-say-thank-you/



To purchase these printable signs, please visit http://www.etsy.com/listing/82650876/wedding-thank-you-signs-for-photos

The Inviting Pear is a graphic design and stationery studio, specializing in custom, made-to-order wedding invitations & stationery, birth announcements, holiday cards, and corporate logos & branding.


Shop Printables at http://www.theinvitingpear.etsy.com/
Join Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Inviting-Pear/194480436773
Visit Our Blog at http://www.theinvitingpear.blogspot.com/

Labels: austin texas, earth grains, Shannon Ferguson, thank you notes, the inviting pear, unique thank you cards.

Posted by invitingpear at 5:12 PM 0 comments

Stationery Trends Magazine Profile

I'm extremely excited to be featured in Stationery Trends Magazine's e-news for January 2012. Enjoy finding out a little bit more about my invitation designs (oh, and me!).

http://stationerytrendsmagazine.com/etrends/2012/JAN_2012/WEB_ST_JAN_12.html

The Inviting Pear is a graphic design and stationery studio, specializing in custom, made-to-order wedding invitations & stationery, birth announcements, holiday cards, and corporate logos & branding.

Shop Printables at http://www.theinvitingpear.etsy.com/
Join Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Inviting-Pear/194480436773
Visit Our Blog at http://www.theinvitingpear.blogspot.com/

Labels: Austin, custom invitations, graphic designer, Shannon Ferguson, stationery trends magazine, Texas, the inviting pear

Posted by invitingpear at 3:12 PM 0 comments

Happy New Year!

Instead of mailing out holiday cards before Christmas this year, I decided to send out New Year's cards. That way my card wouldn't be lost in the holiday mail. I like to thank my vendors for their referrals and their support of my business throughout the year and a card sent in the mail is the perfect way. Isn't it nice to actually get something in the mail and not as an email?!

This year, I designed a secret message card. My message was hidden and could only be revealed with the decoder glasses that I included. The banner printed on the top of my card said "Reveal the magic of the season." By putting on the glasses, you can reveal the following: "The Inviting Pear's New Year's Resolution: To see more than you! Merry Everything. Happy 2012." The text was shaped as a Christmas tree and the design image included partridges in a pear tree...a fun play on my company's name, The Inviting Pear.

I hope all enjoyed receiving these in the mail. Everyone loves a little secret message and it's always fun to remember your childhood with decoder glasses, right?!

Happy New Year, everyone! I can't believe it's 2012 already.






This Photoshop file shows how the card looks once the glasses are worn and the message is "decoded". Of course, I couldn't completey recreate it but this gives you an idea.
Graphic Design by The Inviting Pear

The Inviting Pear is a graphic design and stationery studio, specializing in custom, made-to-order wedding invitations & stationery, birth announcements, holiday cards, and corporate logos & branding.

Shop Printables at http://www.theinvitingpear.etsy.com/
Join Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Inviting-Pear/194480436773
Visit Our Blog at http://www.theinvitingpear.blogspot.com/

Labels: 3-d save the date, austin texas, Corporate Holiday Cards, decoder glasses. secret message, invitation, new year's card, Shannon Ferguson, the inviting pear, unique corporate holiday card

Posted by invitingpear at 9:15 AM 0 comments

Holiday Cards

Did you send out a holiday card this year? Or did the season get away from you? I was so busy in December that it was difficult to even think about sending out holiday cards. To save time, I created a bullet list of our "Year in Review" instead of a long letter. It was much easier to write and get in the mail in time for the holidays. It's always nice to check off something on the "to do" list. Lucky for you, it's not too late to send out "Happy New Year" cards. You can check out my printables (which can be easily changed to whatever you want it to say) at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/theinvitingpear?section_id=7352914.  Happy 2012!




Holiday Card Design by The Inviting Pear
Ziem Photography

The Inviting Pear is a graphic design and stationery studio, specializing in custom, made-to-order wedding invitations & stationery, birth announcements, holiday cards, and corporate logos & branding.

Shop Printables at http://www.theinvitingpear.etsy.com/
Join Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Inviting-Pear/194480436773
Visit Our Blog at http://www.theinvitingpear.blogspot.com/

Labels: austin texas, Christmas, custom holiday card, Custom wedding invitations, holiday photo card, photo card, Shannon Ferguson, the inviting pear

Posted by invitingpear at 10:50 AM 0 comments