Fab Vendor Monday - { Celeste Designs }

August 31, 2009


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This week i'd like to focus some attention on another wonderful twitter friend of mine, Celeste of Celeste Designs. She and I have collaborated on some projects including the NFL Celebrity Wedding of Shantrell Moore and Tramon Williams of the Green Bay Packers! She is a fabulous stationery designer so I wanted to highlight her and learn more about her. Read on!




Name: Celeste C. Smith

Company Name: CelesteDesigns

Website: www.celestedesigns.shutterfly.com

Blog (under construction!)

Email: celestedesigns@ymail.com

Established: August 2000

Employees:

Just me! With the occasional assembly helper or set up assistant

Pricing:

Everything is custom, so I create designs to fit my client’s needs and budget

Serving areas:

Anywhere as long as we can email or talk on the phone

Services offered:

Custom Graphic Design and Handmade Stationery

Complete Custom Stationery Sets, Logos and Monograms, Bottle and Favor Labels, Inspiration Boards… also photo editing and twitter backgrounds!


How did you get started doing stationery and graphic design?

I have always dabbled in design for fun, but after creating invitations for my own wedding I started getting requests to design for others and before long my advertising agency turned into a design studio and I started getting paid to do something I loved!

How long have you been a designer?

Almost ten years…wow, time flies!

Describe your style:

Hard question for me because I work so much toward capturing the style of my clients! I love to work with photos and custom artwork or monograms so custom details are a common theme in all my work. I love the idea of creating things so personal people will want to keep them!

Do you do have any other jobs or do you just design?

Everything I do is somehow related to graphic design, most of the time it is wedding and event focused, but I also have corporate design jobs and work for a variety of clients, for example I recently designed a book and champagne bottle labels for a high school reunion.

What else would you be doing if you were not a designer?

You’ve got some great questions! Another hard one… I love creating, but if I totally changed careers I think I would work with children somehow as a teacher or special needs therapist.

What is something that few people know about you?

I am a bit of a twitter addict! Though my twitter family gets it…those that don’t tweet wouldn’t know it… until they try it and get hooked themselves of course! @celestedesigns

Do you have any advice to offer engaged couples or those planning a special event?

The day is already special because of what it means to you, so make everything about it personal and special! You can find a way to customize every detail of your wedding and make it an event that represents you! Enjoy the process and the day by finding talented people to work with that will bring your vision to reality.

For planners, if you haven’t found a custom designer – find a good one!! After one event I guarantee you will choose custom design all your events! We can make you even more fabulous at what you do and a star with your clients, even weddings with smaller budgets look expensive with custom stationery and details.

Would you like to say anything about your friends at Creative Custom Card Boxes?

You guys are fabulous! I now refer all of my clients to your site and think your Card Boxes are such a special way to customize a wedding or event! I love that you can customize the colors and design to fit their theme and budget and I can’t wait for the next wedding that I can collaborate with you on!

Have anything else to share with our readers?

I truly love what I do and value my relationships with my clients and also other vendors and planners!

I work closely with planners and clients online and in person to custom design their entire event. From a logo and inspiration board to set the tone ~ to all of their stationery needs. I’ve worked with all sizes of events and budgets. The list of items I can customize goes on and on! Save the dates, invitation sets (complete sets include: invitations, enclosures, addressed envelopes, assembly and even mailing service), announcements, wedding programs, favor labels (if it can be wrapped or tagged we can customize it!) table stationery (menu, reception programs, table numbers, placecards and table signs). My most popular favors have been custom bottle labels with photo or logo, photo candy labels and favor tags.



Thanks so much Celeste for sharing your company and vision with us. We love to work with you and can't wait to collaborate on more projects in the future!


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CCC News - Our First Bridal Expo: A Rousing Success!

August 25, 2009

The first ever Bridal Expo for Creative Custom Card Boxes was a rousing success! We were so pleased to meet so many happy couples ready to plan the heck out of their upcoming weddings! The response we got from brides and their fiances, family, and friends was absolutely unbelievable! They LOVED our products! (we secretly knew they would). Our Joeleen (ivory 2 tier with pearls) sample was such a big hit that we almost had a bride buy it on the spot!

Here are a few pictures we took of our table at the big event!









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Real Wedding - Leydiana and Luis

Cathy Scerbo of For Your Event Planning came to us to create a special Creative Custom Card Box for her Damask and Yellow wedding coming up. She wanted us to incorporate the damask fabric she was using in the decor of the event and of course we were up for the challenge. Here are some pictures taken by the lovely Cathy of the bride and groom and the gorgeous Card Box we designed and hand crafted for the happy couple!








And the happy couple!




Congratulations Leydi and Luis! Thank you Cathy for sending us the beautiful pictures of the super swanky event!

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Fab Vendor Monday - { Ten23Designs }

August 23, 2009




This week we'd like to introduce you to Lauren who owns and operates Ten23Designs. We met her on Twitter and think her work is really unique and a great way to personalize any party decor. Her designs can be used in home decor as well. I love her ideas and just need to think of a way to use something from Ten23Designs in my own home!


We asked Lauren to answer a few interview questions for us and following are her responses:


Blog / website: www.ten23designs.com

Etsy shop: www.ten23designs.etsy.com

Custom orders always taken via e-mail @ designedbylauren@yahoo.com (I love custom orders)

1. How did you come up with your business name? Ten23 is my birthday... October 23rd. :o)

2. How long have you been in business? I opened my on-line shop last August on the 22nd.

3. What inspired you to start your creative business?

My own wedding... There were a lot of things I wanted (I love personalized things) but they costed too much money. So I wanted to make these personalized items for people at affordable prices.

4. What is your favorite wedding or party trend right now?

Bright colors... I love these bright colors that came out this summer; the yellow & dark pink, orange & turquoise, bright blue & lime, etc.

6. Do you have any favorite wedding, party, or handmade related blogs or websites that you'd like to share?

I like www.brendasweddingblog.com I think it is a great resource for many elements of planning a wedding & she has great giveaways.



Thanks so much Lauren for sharing your fabulous decals with us. We love your work and hope to work with you in the future!



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Card Box Creations - Burgundy and Gold: Rich and Warm

August 16, 2009


Our client sent us swatches of her wedding colors in the mail and we happily matched her burgundy and light gold Creative Custom Card Box as best as we possibly could to her swatches. Don't you just love the rich colors and the pearl monogram?! Even the card slot was done all by hand placing each pearl! So rich!











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Card Box Creations - Ivory and Sweet Chocolate

August 15, 2009

We created this lovely 1 tier Creative Custom Card Box for Teresa in Ivory with Chocolate Brown ribbon today. We think it is so elegant and sweet!




We included our custom Security Closure for her as well!


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Card Box Creations - Rett Syndrom Awareness Donations Box

August 14, 2009


Ketty of Detail Diva Events contacted us to create a custom Donations Box for a very special fundraiser event for Rett Syndrome Awareness coming up on August 22, 2008.

We created this lovely 2 tier round Creative Custom Card Box in lilac and beige with hand placed pearl lettering for this great cause. We look forward to attending the event and meeting Ketty!




We included our Security Closure to ensure that all donations are kept safe and secure, in style of course!





Here's some more info on the event:

"An Evening of Rett Syndrome Awareness"
at
Cafe Iguanas
Saturday, August 22, 2009 from 6:00 to 10:00
240 West 54 Street
New York City, NY
Admission: $25.00
Special Guest Speaker: Dr Anthony Horton, Chief Scientist Officer
International Rett Syndrome




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Our Fabulous Friends - Introducing Fab Vendor Mondays!

August 13, 2009


I'd like to introduce a new weekly feature on the blog where we highlight our fellow creative wedding vendors on Fab Vendor Mondays! What better way to start the week than by discovering a new product or service to help you personalize your wedding or special event?!

We love all creative wedding and party vendors and would love to hear from you!

If you'd like to be featured on Fab Mondays all we ask is that you email us at
Marni (at) creativecustomcardboxes (dot) com and we'll send you a short questionnaire. We also ask that as a small favor you display our button on your blog or website.

We look forward to learning all about you!!

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Card Box Creations -Bright in Blue and SIlver



Jennifer came to us with a very specific idea of what she wanted for her 1 tier Creative Custom Card Box. We wanted to get it perfectly to her specifications so we drew a very rough sketch for her to approve.

She wrote us back some with just one change and we were happy to make this sketch into reality for her!









We included our new optional Security Closure for her as well.



As you can see our Creative Custom Card boxes are beautiful from every angle! Even inside; we hand paint them inside and out!



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Card Box Creations - Tiffany Blue "Guest" Wishes


Check out our newest "Guest" Wishes Box by Creative Custom Card Boxes! This is a great substitute for the traditional wedding guest book and a great way for guests to leave advice and wishes for the happy couple! Use it a bridal shower to collect advice and wishes too!



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Card Box Creations - Watermelon and Grape: Summery Sweet


What a sweet color combination. Fun and funky in Watermelon with Grape double faced satin ribbon, this Creative Custom Card Box features a 3 letter color matched monogram on the front of the bottom tier.



We included our Security Closure on this Creative Custom Card Box as well.


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Card Box Creations - Introducing NEW Guest Wishes/Blessings/Advice Boxes by Creative Custom Card Boxes!

August 12, 2009

We are happy to introduce our new line of Creative Custom Card Boxes "Guest" Wishes/Blessings/Advice Boxes!

A "Guest" Wishes or Advice Box by Creative Custom Card Boxes is a wonderful way to collect Best wishes and/or advice from guests at Baby Showers, Bridal Showers, and at the wedding itself. This lovely alternative to a traditional guest book can be even be made as a mini-replica of your Creative Custom Card Box used to collect and protect your wedding or shower envelopes and gifts!

After the Shower or Wedding, some like to take out all of the notes from guests and read them and others take a few out little by little. We suggest that Newlyweds take out the notes and read a few to each other every year on your anniversary!

Here is one we just finished for Matt and Andrea! They already bought a card box but their friend Erin wanted to give them something to collect best wishes from their guests as an alternative to a plain guest book. We love the shimmery black hand painted finish, the silk gerber daisy, and the touches of red and crystals!






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Card Box Creations - Ribbons and bows; Modern Elegance

August 11, 2009

We're really proud of this 3 tier Creative Custom Card Box! Its one of our most ambitious designs to date. This 3 tier round masterpiece features hand-placed crystals on the top tier as well as a crystal monogram on the front of the bottom tier. We added a sweet little red bow at the top and hand-placed thin ivory ribbons to create stripes along the middle tier.

It was a great deal of work but so worth it to make our customer happy! She told us that it reflects her and her fiance's style perfectly. Yay!!



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Card Box Creations - Chocolate and Pearl I DO Cake table letters

August 10, 2009

These Curlz I DO letters by Creative Custom Card Boxes will embellish the wedding cake table at Tammi's daughter's wedding and we're so happy to have hand crafted them for her special day!







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Card Box Creations - Pink Polka Dots

August 9, 2009


Megan contacted us for a 3 tier Creative Custom Card Box in Black and white with hot pink polka dots, and a hot pink Bow. She was VERY specific about what she wanted on her Card Box and we followed her instructions to a 'T'!

We hand painted the polka dots on the middle white box. Each letter is hand glued to the box as wel!






We added our new security feature, the CCC Security Closure, to the back her CCC as well.




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Card Box Creations - Teal and Silver Sweetness

August 5, 2009



We loved working on this wedding Creative Custom Card Box with a handpainted teal finish, Silver ribbon and handpainted monogram near the card slot. What a great color combination..unexpected and chic!





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CCC News - Pink & Silver Creative Custom Card Box Featured on Inventing Weddings!

August 4, 2009


We're so excited to find that one of our large 2 tier wedding Creative Custom Card Boxes has been featured on Inventing Weddings as part of a "Ballet" inspired Inspiration board! We think the color combination of pink and silver are just lovely and this inspiration board really shows some great wedding ideas using these colors!

Check out the full post at Inventing Weddings!






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CCC news - Our First New Jersey Bridal Expo! Come meet us!

August 3, 2009




We're really excited to announce our first foray into the Bridal Expo world! We will be displaying some beautiful samples of our hand crafted and hand painted Creative Custom Card Boxes as well as our Custom Cake Table Letters.

We'd love to meet you! Bridal shows are a great way to see our products and their quality workmanship in person! And besides, maybe you'll get a little something to take home with you! (hint, hint...giveaways...hint hint)

Wedding Vendors, we'd love to meet you too! Stop by our table and say "Hi"!

Here's all the info on the show!

August 19th
Morris County Summer Wedding Showcase Bridal Expo 6:30PM - 9:30PM
At The Holiday Inn Parsippany
707 Route 46
In Parsippany, 07054


Click here for more info and to pre-register to attend.





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CCC News - New Optional Security Feature: Creative Custom Security Closures


At Creative Custom Card Boxes we take a great deal of pride in hand crafting card boxes that will keep your gifts and cards safe and secure while also matching your decor and style of your wedding. Each Creative Custom Card Box already has built in features that keep your gifts secure. Namely, each card box is 'hinged' from the front by attached ribbons so that no one can just lift off the top of the box and reach in to grab something.

We've now added an option that can help not only keep the entire box even more secure than it already is but also looks decorative! Our new optional Creative Custom Card Boxes Security Closure does just that.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks to our website for big changes in our range of products and Card Box embellishments/features!







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CCC Real Wedding - An Irish Themed Wedding

August 2, 2009


Alicia contacted us recently after her July, 20th, 2009 nuptials to send us a few pictures from her celebration of love! Thank you Alicia!

The Irish Themed white and green round Creative Custom Card Box with a 4 leaf clover charm on the gift table


The happy couple!



We love to post pictures of our clients' weddings and events! Please make sure to email us at info@creativecustomcardboxes.com with pictures so we can post yours as a "CCC Real Wedding"!!!



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Card Box Creations - Ivory with Antique Gold Ribbon, Simply Elegant

August 1, 2009


This is a simply elegant design of our affordable 1 tier square wedding Creative Custom Card Box! The classic ivory and antique gold combination are just perfect together don't you think?









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