oh yes, i think i might..

[EarlyBird]

Starting the wedding planning the last thing i would have FORSEEN IS DOING MY OWN INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


however! Im a cheap b**** soooo i think might.

advice please??

the basic design is, im going to get a stamp made with the monogram (r). -- i want that to be EMBOSSED without looking like i did it myself.. does anyone have advice?!?!!?

Also, I want my invites to be SMALL.. not super small but maybe HALF the size of a normal invite... I think linen would be SUPER pretty too, although fh will pick the paper...

I also would like to have the "r" embossed on the front of the envelopes for the rsvp and the invite. i think i would have to order my stamp in a couple sizes i guess :)
Do you think thats too much????

also, should i do the embossing before i put the envelopes in the printer or send to the calligrapher?

[cassiopeia]

Few things about embossing ( that I have learned the hard way):

If you are putting anything through a printer (laser - they are hot), do the embossing after, the heat from the printer will melt the embossing (I'm assuming you're talking about stamping with stamp ink and then embossing powder on top).

There are a ton of BEAUTIFUL embossing powders but many of the dark ones leave a bit of dust that then also becomes embossed when you apply the heat; I had the best luck with colored ink and clear embossing powder.

Also, glossy paper doesn't hold the embossing very well (like postcard glossy). The ink doesn't ever really set and it peels off.

And as far as the outer envelope goes you might want to look into an embosser, rather than stamping

http://www.acornsales.com/images/specialty/embosser-6003.gif
http://www.acornsales.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=acorn&Product_Code=6003 - $45

The US postal service does a number on envelopes, not sure how stamping/embossing would hold up.

Good luck! Have fun!

[EarlyBird]

Good thought there with the embossing on the outside of the actual envelope. maybe i will settle for a stamp?! Michael is "in charge" of invitations so when i bring this up he is going to freak, but i will do a mock up and he will see the money we save, and he will love me even more :)

Excuse me while i sound like an idiot, but exactly HOW do you heat up the embossing , also, do you apply the stamp and immediatly do the embossing powder and then the heat?

[cassiopeia]

Not an idiot at all!

I'm no expert by any means but I did buy an embossing gun (like a very direct small hair dryer) for like $17. I have read that you can use a hair dryer but the people at paper source said it blows too hard and not hot enough and it was only $17 so I bought the heat gun.
http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-7331083477943_1998_115126034
they have it here for $19 plus s&h but I saw them at Michaels and AC Moore for closer to what I paid, plus Michael's has those great coupons.

You can do the embossing in steps but the powder has to go on right after you stamp. I did all the stamping/powder then went back and heated them all. I had great results with ColorBox ink and also with the ink that came in the VistaPrint self-inking return address stamp (free, plus $6 s&h). I bought a replacement pad for the stamper in case the first one got dried out, so the ink would always be moist to hold the powder but after 150 envelopes I never needed it.

[EarlyBird]

perfect!! im going to order some samples of paper (like i said, i kind of want more of a linen look and i think that will hold best) Have my mom pick up a heat tool thingy (40% off coupon of course at ac moore) and try it out with a cheapo stamp and some cheap envelopes.

:) I hope it looks good. my big bro offered to hand calligrapher all 100 invites and i hope it doesnt come to that!!

[EarlyBird]

Almost forgot to ask. You know when you get an invitation and there is that REALLY REALLY REALLY THIN PAPER in there? It comes with most fancy invitations (i actually have a couple in my liviing room ) --- i really want that . Do you know where i would get that for the invitations or the name of it so i could search?!

i also have another question.. in an invtiation packet you need---

directions, rsvp card, invitations (anything else?) i was thinking i wanted to do something about our website in there, but FH WOULD FLIP he wants it completely traditional. i was thinking maybe put some exess info on the back of the direction card.

[Kirby]

Where are you getting your paper from? If your haven't decided yet, you should try out paperandmore.com. Their service, prices, and paper is awesome. I wouldn't go anywhere else.

[cassiopeia]

Almost forgot to ask. You know when you get an invitation and there is that REALLY REALLY REALLY THIN PAPER in there? It comes with most fancy invitations (i actually have a couple in my liviing room ) --- i really want that . Do you know where i would get that for the invitations or the name of it so i could search?!

i also have another question.. in an invtiation packet you need---

directions, rsvp card, invitations (anything else?) i was thinking i wanted to do something about our website in there, but FH WOULD FLIP he wants it completely traditional. i was thinking maybe put some exess info on the back of the direction card.
I second the paperanmore recoomendation; they have linen papers, send single sheet samples of everything, and cut to size for you (HUGE plus for me); if you are doing small invitations you will be able to get 400 cards out of 100 sheets of cardstock. I used their Warm White Linen Cardstock for my invitations (as well as a layer of gold cardstock and white coverweight paper).

I think the paper you are talking about invitation tissue, you can google it to see a bunch of places to buy it. Not sure what size you'd want but this was the cheapest I found it at $6.00 for a pack of 25 papers. http://www.formal-invitations.com/envelopes.html :bblol:

[EarlyBird]

they cut it for you?! will that make it harder to PRINT out?
If i design it, am i able to have a place like office depot or something print them out for me?!

[cassiopeia]

Actually, yes, that is a good point. If you have the paper pre-cut you can usually print at home in a inkjet (and some laser, depending on dimensions of cut paper), but I found most professional copier/printers may not be able to take the custom cut paper. If you get the 8.5"x11" sheets you can take them to a printer (I have never used OD/Staples, I looked for a printing/copying place and they did it super cheap for me - I designed the reception cards to fit 4 to an 8.5"x11" sheet, I put all 4 in a word processing doc, then emailed that to the printer, they printed out 40 of them and then cut them - it was about $.05/copy then $2 for the cutting.)

I had my actual invitation cards (that I then mounted on the gold, then Linen cardstocks) printed by www.allready.com; I paid about $85 for 150 4x6 white cards with black thermography (raised/shiny) printing. I was REALLY happy with the price and I think it made the whole thing look a little more professional. They will custom cut any size for you - email them for a quote.

[MrsDM]

I am making program fans for our ceremony because I don't believe the chapel has a/c. Anyways, on the top of the top panel for the fan, I found a stamp with two rings tied with a ribbon and flowers that I am embossing. FH's step-mom and I embossed the stamp this weekend to see how it would turn out. I was so pleased with the result. I've never done it before and it was so easy! Have fun!!