More and more, I am asked to design full invitation suites.  I am able to play every role in the execution of the suite – from concept, to design, to managing the printing, to addressing the envelopes, to mailing the invitations.  I am loving the creativity in this type of work, and it is so rewarding to create a suite that sets the tone for a wedding and that my clients love.  I think invitations with a hand lettering focus can be so beautiful.

Here are some of my recent favorites!

This invite is for an upcoming New Year’s Eve wedding with MStarr Event Design.  We made it especially festive with gold foil, pops of hot pink, and custom confetti from The Confetti Bar.  They actually laser cut my brush lettering into little confetti pieces.  I was blown away with how awesome it came out.

The envelopes were vellum, so the confetti and the gold flecked tissue wrap showed through, just beneath the address.

I couldn’t be happier with the way these turned out, and can’t wait to do the day of pieces to coordinate.

This suite was for a beach wedding in the Bahamas, and I also love the way it turned out.  Everything was printed in gold foil, and then we hand dip-dyed each envelope and watercolored the corners of each RSVP card.

Each RSVP card was completely unique. (I purposely made them all different even though guests would just see their own – I guess I just did it for myself and for the bride to see!)

It is always such a thrill to see my lettering pressed into paper with gold foil.

Another recent favorite was this invitation for another MStarr Events wedding at The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.  I used the brushstroke motif repeatedly throughout the suite, and brush lettered calligraphy to give it an artsy, modern feel.  The invitations were triple weight, everything was gold foiled and letterpressed – it was unbelievably luxurious!

I also designed the rehearsal dinner invitation, using the same brush lettering for the couples’ names, but with a more simplified design.  This was printed in the prettiest rose gold foil, and had a kraft envelope to dress it down a bit.

A recent Save the Date design was another favorite.

So simple, yet striking.  I loved the bride’s idea of highlighting the date of the wedding since that’s technically what a Save the Date is all about.

In this suite I designed watercolor illustrations of olive branches throughout.  It was so pretty and luxe, with letterpressed olive calligraphy and that sweet watercolor envelope liner.

And this suite for a wedding in Mexico was very charming, all tied together with a crocheted ribbon.  I loved the mad libs reply card that the couple included.  White foil on kraft is always a winner.

Can’t wait to show you more suites that are in the works!

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.  I blogged last year about my own losses – 5 in total, 2 of which were late in my second trimester – under the hashtag #letstalkaboutloss and offered some prints for sale as well as free wallpaper and tattoo downloads of the prints.  At the time, I was seven weeks into another pregnancy, terrified of the outcome, and although I was very happy with the way the prints came out and overwhelmed by the response, I felt a little funny espousing being completely honest about pregnancies from minute one while feeling I couldn’t be completely honest because it was all just too much to handle.

This year, after the birth of my “rainbow baby” in June, I was ready to commit my full heart to another project, and just as I was trying to decide what to do, Dr. Jessica Zucker, a writer and psychologist specializing in women’s reproductive and maternal mental health, who last year started the #IHadAMiscarriage campaign, commissioned me to create nine designs for her line of cards for pregnancy loss that is launching today.  I saw it as a perfect project that touched me so deeply – I could help to create cards that are so lacking in the marketplace today.

The hope is that these cards help normalize the grieving process and the conversation about pregnancy loss, and offer up an easy way for someone to reach out to a loved one.  Dr. Zucker’s words ring so true to those that have experienced losses.  They don’t beat around the bush.  They are honest.  They admit mistakes (that friends and family of people who have had losses so often make.) Sometimes they are even a little funny.  These are the cards I wish I received.

See all nine and purchase the cards here.  (It’s never too late to send one, either.)

I have some exciting news!

I’ve been chosen as one of 9 instructors for The Modern Calligraphy Summit! It is a series of online calligraphy courses that are taking place February 22 – March 5, 2016.

It is an unprecedented event and a great way to quickly further your calligraphy skills.

My course is “Layouts for Envelopes and Beyond,” and the other (very illustrious) instructors will be teaching great classes such as Beginning Calligraphy, Brush Lettering, Flourishing, Floral Embellishments, and much more. Live office hours, handout PDFs for each course, and many other goodies are included.

ALSO – enroll through my link to receive a very exciting calligraphy tool that has dramatically changed my business!

I started making liners years ago, out of cardboard with an exacto knife, to use on dark envelopes. They never lasted long because they would rip, or get wet from ink and distort. About 6 years ago, I decided to have them professionally made. They work great and are a huge time saver!

I’ll send you two liners in different sizes, plus 3 silky smooth Plike envelopes, so you can try them together! A $40 value.

Also, I’ll show you exactly how I use them in my Envelope Layout course during the summit.

Early enrollment is open.

Sign Up Now

I often get so caught up in sharing all of the wedding work I do that I forget about sharing all the logos I am designing.  I really love this work.  It is a chance to work closely with clients who are very invested in creating a final product that they really love, since they plan on using it for years to come.  It is so rewarding to hear from clients who adore their new logos, and are so excited to use it for all of their branding.

Typically, the process is pretty straightforward.  Clients usually have something specific in mind, based on my lettering, and I create a few different versions of that vision.  Then we refine it by combining versions, deleting parts, adding elements, etc.  It usually takes a couple of weeks from start to finish, and then clients receive a vector file of their logo to use as they would like.  It is so fun to see what they do with it on their websites, business cards, and other collateral.

Here are a few recent designs.  Some show the logo in use and some are just the original black and white versions that I sent the client, since they have not yet been put into play.  I really love them all!

Illustration for Moon Canyon logo by Jess Rotter

Over the past year or so, I’ve been selling a lot of products through my blog, but it has become increasingly difficult for people to find these products since I keep adding things, so I have finally created a shop.  It’s about time, right!?  (Since I’m technically on a “maternity leave” – my second son, Theo, was born a month ago – I’ve had a little extra time on my hands to put it together.  I realize that sounds ironic, but taking care of a newborn is nothing compared to working as a calligrapher full time!)

Anyways, check it out!  You can find all of the prints that I have created, a few different cards, custom address stamps, and two versions of custom stationery.  Also, there is a Wholesale page with a form to fill out if you have a retail business that would like to sell my products.  I will be adding products regularly, so make sure to keep coming back to see the additions.  (I will also post new additions on Instagram, if that makes it easier for you to remember.)

Actually, two brand new products are in the shop already.  I have some new yellow letterpress thank you cards and a new print that makes a great baby gift – “How Wonderful Life Is Now You’re in the World.”  (Photos are below.)

Stay tuned for more holiday prints, some new cards, upcoming workshop announcements, and some cool new tools for calligraphers.

I’m excited!  Hope you like!

1. White on navy – always a stunner.

2. Olive watercolor brushed envelopes for Regas Studio.

3. Vows for a first anniversary gift.

4. Brushstroke escort cards for Bliss and Bone.

5. Pitbulls and Posies laser cut names for the latest ARC Workshop.

6. NEON baby age markers.

7. Envelopes for my 2014 holiday gifts.

8. Brush-lettered envelopes for Pitbulls and Posies.

9. My copper-foil “GRATEFUL” cards.

10. Personalized letterpress stationery.

Mother’s Day is coming up again and I still have a few of these prints I made last year for sale. NEON?  ELVIS?  What more could your mom want?  It’s an 8 x 10 digital on thick white cotton paper, and I still love it as much as I did a year ago.

Order here.

When Amber Moon from Pitbulls and Posies asked me to contribute to JoJo and Eric’s spectacular wedding, I was honored.  They have a very special and touching story, and the wedding was fitting for such a story.  You can read all about it in the Fall 2014 issue of Martha Stewart Magazine – Los Angeles father of 3 young kids meets New York stylist and they pretty much immediately become a family…kind of like a story-book.

The wedding featured an all-star cast – planned by Lisa Vorce Co., photographed by Elizabeth Messina, JoJo’s dress was designed by L’Wren Scott just before she passed away, florals by Mindy Rice, and of course the aforementioned Pitbulls and Posies.

There was A LOT of paper involved, from save the dates, to programs, to escort cards, to menus, to basically anything else you could possibly think of that could possibly involve paper, and I added spot calligraphy or hand calligraphy to most of it. The suite was impeccable and very stylish, and I loved adding an “intentional splatter” to the brush calligraphy envelopes. I’ll just let these incredible photos by Elizabeth Messina speak for themselves.

Pretty spectacular, right? A (very belated) congratulations to JoJo and Eric! (In fact, so belated that they have already added a baby girl, Goldie, to their family – it really is like a fairytale!)

I’m excited to announce my next weekend of calligraphy workshops in Los Angeles – a Beginner Workshop on Saturday, March 7 and an Intermediate Workshop on Sunday, March 8.

I was amazed (and very flattered) that the Beginner Workshop sold out in just over 24 hours, after I sent an email to my mailing list.  But there are still a handful of spaces in the Intermediate class.  If you want to sign up for the mailing list so that next time you’re one of the first to hear, fill out my contact form and click the box next to “Email me.”

These are set up a little differently than most other workshops being offered now.  I’ve found that in a 3 hour class we barely scratch the surface, so I wanted to offer this longer and more comprehensive format.  Both will be 4 1/2  hours (10:30 am – 3 pm) and include a full lunch and cocktails to loosen up our writing arms!  In the Beginner Workshop we will delve deeply into the basics of pointed pen calligraphy, and in the Intermediate Workshop we will do more of the fun stuff such as flourishes, color, gouache, and some brush-work.

They are actually designed to work together, so even if you have never picked up a calligraphy pen before, you could take the beginner class on Saturday and get comfortable with using a pointed pen, and then take the intermediate class on Sunday to play with all the fun stuff.

I like to view these workshops as not only learning opportunities, but kind of like fun (usually girly – although we love it when men join in the fun!) parties – so it becomes an “experience” as well.  That makes it a great birthday present for a friend, or bachelorette party idea, etc.

Beginner Workshop
Saturday, March 7, 10:30 – 3
$225
You’ll receive a package of beginner materials including nibs, nib holders, paper, and ink.
Lunch and cocktails included
Location: Studio City, Los Angeles
Sign up: SOLD OUT

Intermediate Workshop
Sunday, March 8, 10:30 – 3
$250
You’ll receive a package of intermediate materials including nibs, nib holders, a brush, paper, gouache and ink wells, and colored ink.
Lunch and cocktails included
Location: Studio City, Los Angeles
Sign up: SOLD OUT

OR, sign up for both classes for $400: SOLD OUT

***To sign up for the wait list, or if you want to be notified of future workshops, send me a note through my contact form.

Below are a few photos from my Fall Workshop – since unfortunately I never got around to devoting a full blog post to that one…oops.

(Everyone looks very serious, but I swear it’s a really fun time!)