Inspiration: Vegetables

I love using everyday items in unexpected ways!  Vegetables are so often overlooked as being boring.  But they can be so beautiful and colorful.  They bring a different texture and feel to events than flowers.  I love the idea of using veggies in place of more expected elements – like on the “sweet table”, in the bouquet, and as “bunting”, and I couldn’t resist including my use of them to bring interest to the baby shower table!

Vegetables Wedding Inspiration Board: Events by Elisa

Photo credits (clockwise from left): Seed Packet Invitations, Boutonniere, Buffet, Bunting, Escort Cards, Cabbage, Tomato Favors, Artichoke Centerpiece, Garden Box, Bouquet,

iROCK Logo Design

About a month ago, one of my friends sent an e-mail out to our group: “I need a logo TODAY – can anyone help?”  She’s a teacher and their school was doing STAR testing.  They wanted to play off of the Apple “i” products (“iPod, iPad, iMac, etc.) and incorporate a bulls-eye target to encourage the students to reach their target score.  The logo had to be easily printable on a one-color tee shirt and translatable to posters.  And done that afternoon.

As Barney Stinson says on How I Met Your Mother, “Challenge accepted!”

I worked for a few hours to put together a basic design and sent it off to her, and it was just what they needed.  Uncomplicated, using all the pieces they needed, and easily translatable between media.

They used it for the whole testing campaign, which is now over.  I think it makes a pretty cute shirt, as far as school shirts go!

iROCK tee-shirt, Logo Design by Events by Elisa

And here’s the poster:

iROCK poster, Logo Design by Events by Elisa

Custom Wedding “Cirque” Poster

I wish I could have done two things at once this past weekend – I would have coordinated this wedding in addition to being the Matron (eep) of Honor!  At any rate, I was able to help out with a lot of the crafts (and have a renewed love for paper mache!) and design the basic printed materials.  Unfortunately as I had other duties, I didn’t have a chance to photograph the bar menu and info tags, or the hand-made domes the bride so painstakingly painted.  But a friend of the bride sent me these two excellent photos (better than anything I took!) of the Welcome and Photo Zone posters I made as a special gift for the bride.  They measured 20×30″ and were mounted on foam core and brought a lot of fun to the party!

The design is all original – from the scroll to the tent, all made with a few (okay, a lot) clicks of my mouse.  I love the look, too – a sort of vintage circus poster in the Cirque du Soleil colors (the bride’s cocktail hour had a Cirque theme)!

Welcome to Cirque du Cabaza - Events by Elisa

Cirque du Cabaza Photo Zone Instructions - Events by Elisa

Vintage Children’s Book/English Garden Baby Shower!

I loved designing this gorgeous Vintage Children’s Book/English Garden-themed Baby Shower!  The hostess and I worked on the details for about two months and I’m really pleased with how it all turned out!

This party featured lots of lovely details and used LOTS of my event inventory, including my new beverage dispensers and thirty mason jars.  In addition to some of the hostess’ own serving pieces and my event inventory, I used lots of pieces from local thrift stores and the swap meet, some handmade goodies like bunting and poms, and flowers from Trader Joe’s!

Sweet Table with Homemade Bunting - Events by Elisa

Themed Cupcakes by Sweeter by the Dozen - Events by Elisa

Scones Table - Events by Elisa

Savories Table - Events by Elisa

Homemade Tissue Pom - Events by Elisa

Garden Box Display - Events by Elisa

For more photos, check out my Facebook page!

Pretty Book-Themed Baby Shower Invitation!

I have been waiting to share this one with you for a while!  I absolutely adore this custom-created Baby Shower invitation, featuring completely original artwork based on the characters of A. A. Milne (illustrated by E.H. Shepard) and Beatrix Potter!  The characters from both authors are sitting down to a beautiful picnic and tea!  I absolutely loved this beautiful invitation – and creating it was a great reminder that the creative process is all about collaboration.  I’d come up with something completely different and had a sort of vague idea of an alternate invitation.  When the party’s host saw my alternate invitation draft, she told me to run with it – and offered some crucial ideas about how to make it better (namely, add more characters!).  The result is one of my favorite projects EVER!

Baby Shower Invitation Featuring Custom Artwork - Events by Elisa

Check in tomorrow to see photos from the shower itself, or visit my Facebook page!

Pretty Peacock Bridal Shower!

You may remember this post, where I shared the original artwork that went into my friend’s bridal shower invitation.

Well, the bridal shower was last weekend, and it turned out beautifully, and I wanted to share some photographs with you!

A very blue sweet table! - Events by Elisa

Love is Sweet! tags, Events by Elisa

A peacock wishing tree with custom tags - Events by Elisa

Peacock Wishing Tree with tags - Events by Elisa

All of the jars, the wishing tree, the crystals, and the large peacock are all available for rent through Events by Elisa, too!

Logo Design: Sweeter by the Dozen

Last week, I got the opportunity to get a cake from my friend Jessica’s new bake shop, Sweeter by the Dozen.  In exchange (well, actually, just because I ❤ her), I custom-designed her a logo for her business!  It’s all finished and it looks so pretty!

Sweeter by the Dozen LOGO by Events by Elisa

Do YOU need custom business cards, announcements, or a logo?  Email me for a quote!

Events by Elisa’s Etsy Shop!

I’ve had an Etsy account for a while – I positively lived on that site while I was planning my own wedding – and have had in the back of my mind that I might put a few of my designs up for sale.  Well, two nights ago I was playing around with Sculpey.  I’d planned to do moustaches and other photo booth props for my May bride’s wedding and was looking for cardboard, but the craft store I had didn’t have stiff enough paper, so I got Sculpey instead (yeah, I know, even to me that logic doesn’t really make that much sense).

All I can say is I’m so glad!

I opened up my Etsy shop this morning with a few paper designs (I’ll be adding more as I make them, but the ones on this shop will be easily customizable and pretty standard, as opposed to the completely custom ones I’ll be creating for you if you contact me directly) and a handful of the 20-ish props I have finished.  I have a few more that need to be made, but I had to go back to the store for a Sculpey run!

My favorite is this one, a handmade Rolling Stones tongue:

Rolling Stones Tongue Photo Booth Prop - Events by Elisa

I’ll be updating the whole shop within the next few weeks, including all of my props and some fabric bunting.  I can custom-make orders for you, too.  Of course anyone who rents my photobooth props for their wedding or event will actually get the use of all of my props included in the price tag!

To stay on top of all the great things in my shop, check out http://www.etsy.com/shop/EventsbyElisa.  While you’re there, “favorite” me! 🙂