labour of love

Don't think that I haven't actually been busy with "real" work all week – what is "real" work anyway?
Paying? High-profile? Award-winning? Culturally significant? Well, as you may have noticed, this post is far from all that. But this little number felt as important as any other project and was a true labour of love. So, aside from the fact that it is a mere invitation for my youngest daughter's birthday party, I tried to have a little fun and spurred on by Etsy artisan envy, decided to have a go at a project with a personal touch.

I started with a whimsical illustration montage and an even sillier choice of typeface – why is it that a girly party seems to almost demand using a horrid font like Monotype Curlz? I even stooped one step lower and twirled the headline in Photoshop to add frivolity, God forgive me. And I didn't stop there… yes, you guessed it, those shiny sparkles are in fact… rhinestones! (even 4 year-olds can appreciate some good bling), and I gotta admit, they do add something. Atleast I pulled back the reins and used a sober Franklin Gothic for the copy text to ensure that I hadn't totally lost it. Copied on a range of coloured Canson papers, each invite is packaged in a sewn vellum sleeve of alternating colour stitching and highlighted by crepe paper confetti.

It is a whimsical piece, yet provides a fleeting impression of the birthday excitement to come. Also a good reminder not to take life so seriously, that no job is too little and to create beauty at every given chance – it will most certainly always touch people's hearts.