We finally have some sunshine around these parts, which reminds me that it’s summer. I really do need a reminder, given the weather that we’ve had lately. I spotted the perfect summer-y DIY over at Once Wed last week, and since I’m finally feeling the warmer weather and sunshine, I had to share it here.

Anna Bond of Rifle Design, creator of fantabulous illustrated wedding invitation designs, shows us how to make an oh so pretty lighted paper garland, perfect for outdoor weddings, parties, and even a spiffy barbecue. Head over to Once Wed for the step-by-step tutorial, and have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

images from Once Wed / Anna Bond

I’m digging this line of “rescued paper” notebooks and gift tags by Toronto based stationery shop, Oh So Good. Not only are the notebook covers made from recycled materials — including the snazzy faux bois vinyl covers shown below — but all of the notebook pages are recycled paper, including a variety of grid, lined, colored, and outdated day planner sheets, all in one notebook. Now that’s what I call recycling!

images from Oh So Good

I adore lettering artist Crystal Kluge’s work, and I was so excited when she gave me a heads up about her latest releases, Nelly Script and Nelly Script Flourish. Drool … I absolutely love the hand drawn look and romantic feel of both, and I think that they would be at home on any elegant card or invitation. And, if you don’t have room in your wedding budget for custom calligraphy, I think that either font would be perfect for envelopes and/or labels. Available at MyFonts and Font Bros.

Crystal has also created the darling cootie catcher featuring Nelly Script (above), available as a free, downloadable PDF over at her site, Tart Workshop. Thanks for sharing, Crystal!

images from Tart Workshop

I recently found out about a new to me stationery shop called Papergrain Stationery Boutique. The online shop is located in the UK, and its mission is to be a showcase for many of the most stylish personal stationery being created today. Papergrain’s emphasis is on indie brands that can’t be found on the mass market, and I definitely love the sounds of that!

Browsing through their pages of oh so lovely stationery, notebooks, and greeting cards, it was definitely hard to pick favorites, but a few lines jumped out at me, including the Darling Clementine cards shown above. I just love those retro-inspired animal/circus illustrations!

Two of my other favorites are the beautiful laser cut cards by Rob Ryan (top, below) and the pretty, whimsical illustrated cards by artist Nila Aye (bottom, below). You can see all of the cards that they offer over at Papergrain’s website, and they deliver to many countries worldwide, including the US:

images from Papergrain

images from Minted

I’ve been a huge fangirl of Lab Partners since I first saw their awesome retro modern illustrations, and I had to try and (unsuccessfully) hold back squeals of delight when I saw their new line of cards for Lagom. The series features a wonderfully stylish dachshund called Monsieur Boudin on his Parisian adventures. The only downside for those of us not in the UK or Europe is that Lagom does not ship to us. Quite the bummer, but I’m holding out hope that Monsieur Boudin will eventually be available in some form to all of us. Until then, here’s a taste of Monsieur Boudin:

images from Lab Partners

I just love the look of hand drawn elements in design, and A Print a Day’s newest brush and stamp set, Doodles & Lace, will help you achieve this look, even if you don’t draw. The hand drawn set features 3 lace edges, 1 frame, and 1 doily, all available in both Photoshop and Illustrator compatible versions. The set is just $3.00, so it’s very economical, in addition to being so pretty.

Doodles and Lace brushes in use:

images from A Print a Day

Paper shaped like fruit is, like, the cutest thing ever, isn’t it? These apple and pear shaped sticky notes by D-Bros would be at home on any office desk, and I’m loving that they have cores and stems and come in the foam padding often seen in the produce section at the grocery store. You can purchase the sticky notes here. What a clever idea! - found via Design Collector

images from Kök (Japan)

Spark Stationery has a sneak peek of the first invitation set from their 2010 Wedding Love Album, which will focus on bold use of color and materials. Mallorca, the new set, evokes a tropical setting, with bright aqua blues and golden yellows, and the letterpress printed tone on tone image on the pocket fold envelope (bottom) is truly original.

Spark has much more wedding invitation eye candy over at their blog, including the Peaceful Winter invitation set shown above. The woodgrain paper used on the custom pocket fold envelope is absolutely swoon-worthy! I’m also digging the Gone Country set, which features fabric inspired patterns and elements:

images from Spark Stationery

I’m so excited to see the relaunch of The Inspired Bride. Maddy has been a great blogging buddy for a while, and I’m so jazzed to see what a wonderful job she’s done in putting together the new site. The new design is, of course, impeccable, and I’m in love with the logo, which features calligraphy by Emilie Friday.

The most exciting part about the new Inspired Bride is that it’s absolutely packed with new and returning features (inspiration boards, the invitation of the week, color palettes, DIY projects) to inspire not just brides, but anyone who loves color, pattern, and image. New features include a directory of design elements for non-commercial use, and a vendor directory that will be ramping up over the coming days and weeks. Congrats, Maddy!

image from The Inspired Bride