Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Inspiration Board - Blush Pink and Gold

Okay, this one is for the ladies. Sophistication to me is most often understated elegance. Not anything over the top. What an elegant bridal shower or ladies luncheon color scheme!

Monday, March 7, 2011

New Discovery - Japanese Masking Tape

I can honestly admit that I get a little OCD when I lose things! With that said, I also get SUPER excited when I find something I was looking for or something NEW! So here is my latest find -

Japanese Masking Tape!


It comes in so many colors, patterns and widths. My mind starts spinning on the endless possibilities of this sticky rolls of tape. Imagine decorating your own gift wrap, bags or boxes, or scrapbooking pages. Or creating stripes on the walls in different colors or a glass vase. I know these will end up on some luminaries in the near future. I even like the idea of a book wrapped in different colors. Hooray for masking tape!!





Make sure to check out happytape.com, or Etsy's - Pretty Tape for hundreds of options!

I would love to hear what you will do with it!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The Club at Pradera - Stylized Photo Shoot


The breathtaking backdrop for our photo shoot was The Club at Pradera in Parker, Colorado. I can't wait to go back - It is an event designers dream venue! Jensen Sutta Photography did a phenomenal job capturing the details and photographing this event for us.




I designed and created a monogrammed burlap table runner for the center of the table. It is one of those diy projects that can be customized for any wedding or dining table - and so easy to make. Who knew that stenciling will become part of my repertoire!

The design concept was all about contrast and I love the subtle touches, that made the overall design so beautiful.

These jute-twine wrapped wine bottles were another simple diy project. The collection of different shapes make a beautiful display and will also be a unique unity candle presentation for a wedding.

The various shapes and size luminaries added a soft glow to the fireplace mantel and tablescape.

This dessert display was SWEET! A variety of handmade Chocolate truffles, personalized chocolate bars, and brownie pops were by Sweet Nothings Chocolate Co. Yumm!


The Papery Willow designed and hand-crafted the custom stationary. The combinations of textured papers were gorgeous and each piece from the invitations to the place cards and menu cards were so unique.


It was truly a pleasure to work with Nicole Iverson from Swank Stems. She always has such a unique vision and her floral designs for this event were no exception. The six foot long centerpiece arrangement were structured around real grapevine branches. She also incorporated the most beautiful textures of flowers and foliage like Hydrangeas, Queen Anne's Lace, Succulents and Dusty Miller. Truly Exquisite!



. . . and then there was the cake! Talk about a piece of art! Intricate Icings designed it especially for our shoot. Rachael Teufel added the lace details and when I saw her unique vision for the cake, I knew I had to incorporate some antique crochet lace into some other design elements.

These soft Turkish shawls (by Splendor) added an elegant softness. Who knew a wood chair could look so sexy!


Make sure to check out the Illuminations Design Studio facebook page for more great photographs!

Here is a list of all the great vendors who participated -
Floral Design - Swank Stems
Stationary - The Papery Willow
Cinematographer - Denver Wedding Films.
Event Designer & Decor - (Me) Illuminations Design Studio


I would love to hear your thoughts. What are the design elements you like the most?