Nail & String Letters {Diy}

Here is a quick tutorial of the wooden nail and string letters I made for our recent gold shoot. By the way, when I say "quick tutorial" I mean it... I hardly took any pictures, and the pictures I did take were with my cell phone. So this is a rough explanation just in case you want to make your own.

#1- Cut your wood boards to any size you want your letter to be, these were about 20"x30" pieces made from 1/2" plywood. I was using these letters I got at JoAnns as a template which made it very easy to know sizing and to trace them.

#2- Stain wood boards if desired

#3- Trace letters on to boards

#4- Spray paint every single nail shiny gold... Oh wait, that's only if you're crazy like me... I suggest skipping this part if possible. :)

#5- Hammer a nail about 1/4" into the wood in all the corners of the letter (see image below), this will give you good starting and ending points. It also helps with spacing your nails.

#6- I used a nail for my spacing, it seemed easier than measuring. Now repeat this step about 150 times and you've got it! For smaller areas where the nail space wouldn't have been even, I eyeballed and adjusted accordingly.

This is what it looks like as things start moving along... pretty little nails all in a row.

#7- Tie your embroidery floss to one of the nails and begin weaving it back and forth, around, up and down, catching all the nail heads as you go. This part actually moves pretty quickly. I believe I used 4-5 threads in varying colors on each letter.

Fill in the gaps and spaces as you go until you have a uniform look

#8- Trim all loose strings and you're done!

Here you have it! I absolutely love the way these turned out. They would be fun to use as a headboard (secured well to the wall), wedding decor, or even over the mantel in your living room.

Here is the final image and how I chose to display them in the photo shoot. They made a really sweet backdrop to our mock engagement party.

I hope the directions weren't too hard to follow. Please leave a comment with any questions you have and I'd love to help you out. 
Also, all of my new blog design is in the works so come back soon for info on that!!

Tutoring Session and Balloons

I'm still in the process of updating my blog from the last 6 months or so. Sorry these are months and months old, but I still wanted to get them on here for anyone that may be able to use them for ideas on projects they're working on. 

This was a fun little project I was hired to do set-design for. It was a workshop for Kristin Rogers Photography. We pulled together 2 different looks for the students to practice on. It was a fun day and I got to meet some really great people.

First up was a bridal look. Lots of balloons in various sizes hung from the ceiling and covering the floor. By the way... blowing up those giant balloons is a nightmare, even worse is trying to tie them! Yikes, my fingers were raw when I was finished!

Second look was an eclectic mix of props. That red chair looks so good in photographs, I love it every time I see it. :)

Here's a collage of some of the girls from that day.

For more pictures or to get information on tutoring sessions, check out this post here.

Here is a list of all the lovely and talented people who worked on this project. I hope we have a chance to do this again!

Make Up – Amy Clarke

Hair – Dianna Lopez

Wardrobe Stylist – Gabby Lewis

Florist –  Floral Design By Jacqueline Ahne

Fashion Model – Mira

Bridal Model – Kiarra Elliot 

White Wedding Magazine {Published}

This post is long overdue but worthy of adding to the blog. The spread was in White Wedding Magazine last August, and needless to say it's super exciting to be part of an 8 page spread in a printed wedding magazine. They wanted 4 bridesmaid looks: colorful, lace, patterns, and white... this is what I came up with. A big thanks to Logan Cole for inviting me to be a part of this.

Here are a few behind the scenes photos and close-up shots of some of the props and decorations used.

In the pattern room I made scalloped pennants and giant ruffled balls

All of the bouquets were really beautiful!

Large hoops hung with fabric and lace.

And here are a few photos of the MUA, hair stylist, and wardrobe stylist working their magic.

I really love doing this so much, and it's extra special working with such an enjoyable group of people!

Photographer: Logan Cole

WHITE Magazine (Australia)

Makeup: Amy Clakre

Hair: Lady Dianna

Stylist: Gabrielle  Lewis

Set Styling: Me

Flowers by: Flower Allie

Models: No Ties Management & Willow Model Management

Hanging Mason Jar Candles {Tutorial}

Here is the little tutorial for the hanging mason jar candles seen in the vender shoot I did in this post here.  I know this is a pretty simple idea but people have been very curious on how this all came together so hopefully this will help you out a bit!  

I hope that makes sense. :)  Let me know if you have any question and I'll try and help!

Bridal Shower Vender Challenge

I was asked to participate in a bridal shower themed vender challenge for Brenda's Wedding Blog, which will be a part of The Best Wedding Site Magazine.  Kristin Rogers, Jacqueline Ahne and I teamed up and came up with a lovely spin on the color pallet that was assigned to us (lemon, mango, and periwinkle).  We wanted this evening bridal shower tea to have an eclectic, aged feel with lots of fun details, and warm light all around.

We used Kristin's backyard as the backdrop for this shoot, it was just the perfect mix of rustic and charm needed.

Jacqueline Ahne of Floral Design By Jacqueline Ahne did such an amazing job on all the floral arrangements. The flowers were so stunning in person and smelled amazing!!

I used a salvaged door as the table top, it made for such a unique base and added all the more character to the table.

The guest favors were individual bags of tea with little tags that read "Brew a pot of tea in honor of the bride to be"

Brenda wanted the table design to be affordable and realistic for the average reader.  Other then the items collected form Etsy venders (list below) I tried not to purchase anything for this challenge just to show what can be done with all the trinkets lying around your house.  Below is a vintage tea pot my great-great-grandmother brought over on a ship from Finland.  Delicious Christy's Southern Red Velvet Cupcakes from Suite 106 Cupcakery.  Everything else are thrift store finds purchased over the years.

As a fun spin on a place card I used hand stamped vintage silverware placed in a mini flower arrangement to mark the spot for each guest.

Lots of mismatched china, candles, vintage globes, and mini chalkboards...

...Tea cups full of buttons...

...And lots of old books and cute knobs from World Market.  It's quite fun to see what can be pulled together with things from around the house!  Hope you all enjoy it!

Up next... Quick tutorial on how we hung the mason jar candles.

Photography - Kristin Rogers Photography
Flowers – Floral Design By Jacquline Ahne
Cupcakes – Suite 106 Cupcakery (Winners of Cupcake Wars on Food Network!)
Vintage Engraved Silverware – Wooden Hive
Personalized Tea Bags – Idea Chic
Invitations and Thank You Cards – Lemon and Lavender

Bridal Shoot {Inspiration}

I really enjoyed working on this bridal shoot.  It was a great collaboration from a group of crazy, talented people!!  We had just got a bunch of rain, followed by sunshine which was just enough to make this field burst with wildflowers (and they were yellow, which went nicely with the shoot colors).

I wanted to keep the table simple but still filled with pretty things to look at.

I used a mixture of blue and white dishes, antique silverware, and small white ramekins filled with ripe strawberries.

The table was draped with simple white lace.

The (there are no words for how beautiful these are) flowers were done by Jacqueline Ahne of Floral Design By Jacqueline Ahne.  She is the kinda gal that you give an idea to and she runs with it and she ALWAYS delivers.  Beautiful.

I layered the table using cake stands, picture frames and baskets, all stacked in different ways to add some interest to the table.  I also added some antique trinkets, amber jars, glass votives, and a vintage crocheted lace runner.

The adorable pale green cake was displayed on a small side table.  It was backed by an old window resting on a large wooden easel.  This was perfectly lovely till a big gust of wind came in and knocked the window right on top of the cake. :(
For more images check out Kristin Rogers post or Bill Blakey post on this shoot.
Thank you Kristin for putting this all together, I know it was quite a task to pull off!  Here is a list of all the people involved in this shoot.  It really was such a pleasure working with this group, I definitely felt out of my league!!  

Hair – Dianna Lopez

Make – Up – Amy Clarke

Hair Pieces – A Touch of Vintage

Jewelry – Nicolenjoli Jewelry

Flowers – Flower Design by Jacqueline Ahne

Wardrobe & Styling – Rodellee

Wedding Cake – Cakes ‘N’ Bake

Bride Model – Allie Dayhuff

Bridesmaid Model – Tracy O

Groom Model – Rodrigo Nicolau

Groomsmen Model – Jon Riv

Farm Engagement {Inspiration}

This engagement session was fun to do and I had the chance to work with a great bunch of talented ladies! Lots of natural elements and I love all the great details that went into this shoot.

I thought it would be nice to break the shoot down and give all the details and info to those of you who may be interested in using some of these ideas for your own.

Table Setting ideas

Vintage lace (found at a local thrift store) becomes an instant base for a unique plate setting.

Camping dishes mixed with vintage milk glass. The mixture of casual camping dish and smooth white milk glass adds interest.

Carmel apples are a fun dessert, replace the usual popsicle sticks with twigs or cinnamon sticks to make things extra special.

I found these wooden spoons at Michaels (pack of 2 for $1), but you could order similar ones here. Print your guests names, Mr & Mrs, or your wedding date... instant wedding favor. Use simple jute twine or bakers twine to tie the utensils together.

Mini birdcages purchased at my favorite store in Carmel, Ca before Christmas, but you could make your own as a special wedding favor.

Old crates ($5 each on craigslist), birds nest, bird, eggs and paper doily add a little something extra to the table. The little green plant and tin pot are both from Ikea... and eeeek, it's actually artificial (still looks good!)

Signs are another great way to personalize your photo shoot or special day. Paint "Getting Hitched", "Just Married" or "Thank You" on just about anything and you have instant charm.

Accessories add SO much to a photo! Throw a large, lace flower in your hair, add a necklace, scarf, or vintage broaches... add things that make it feel more "you" and put together.

Hope you like it!
Photos- copyright Kristin Rogers PhotographyMake up artist- Sheila NorthcuttHair- Jennifer HernandezModels- Maxine & David