emi ink invites

carmel + lani

it's all about the details for wedding stationer stacey shiroma of emi ink who mixes hand selected papers with carefully chosen embellishments and die cut details of her own design to announce your big day with the perfect balance of personality and style.

the importance of making a good first impression carried over from stacey's career in marketing which she traded in to open up her own design shop in 2005. that means no detail is left to chance with everything from enclosures to envelopes coordinated to create a presentation guests will definitely remember.

alana + malia

you can preview the collection on the official website which made its debut a few weeks ago or stop by the wedding café which keeps an emi ink look book on hand for customers. since each invite is composed of multiple layers, it's best to book your consultation early since the handcrafted nature of the designs requires an estimated turnaround time of 8 to 10 weeks to complete your order.

no wedding on the horizon? you can still order up emi ink invites since designs double as event stationery for celebrations of all occasions.

click over to the emi ink blog for a peek at stacey's virtual inspiration board.

the luxe life

bird of paradise

tina from joie studio just buzzed me with news that LUXE letterpress is finally ready to make its official debut! LUXE is tina's brand new line devoted to announcing your big day in style with a gorgeous mix of designs featuring romantic flourishes, chic asian elements, and vintage island illustrations printed in modern designer colorways that make the details of each impression pop (custom colors are also available).

seville

bonsai

the semi-custom invites are printed on tree-free cardstock and coordinating cards can also be ordered to round out your nuptial arsenal of paper goods. turnaround time is about 4 to 6 weeks once the proofs have been approved.

to celebrate the opening of LUXE letterpress, tina is offering h|h readers 20% off all letterpress invitation orders!

• secret code: goLUXEaloha
• expires: fri, aug 15th

kat uno designs

geisha on moped

at times blogging can feel like you're in a self made bubble but occasionally a note of encouragement lands in my inbox which confirms there are others out in the world who love the same modern island designs as me. recently, i received happy news from freelance designer kat uno who made a design connection of her own while shopping at alliway (after discovering the ward boutique on h|h - yay!).

originally from maui, kat landed on oahu to study art at uh manoa and earned her graphic design chops while working for a local company after graduation. she has since hit the freelance scene balancing work, school (studying web design), and the launch of her paper goods line.

when i first started h|h a few years ago, girl about town illustrations were everywhere online but no one quite captured life of an island girl as fabulously as kat who blends her lifelong love of design with the culture surrounding her. kat's illustrations are fun, flirty and filled with all the sweet details that make life in hawaii oh so internationale.

tropical sunset

i love sushi

you can scoop up kat's note cards at alliway as well as in her newly minted etsy shop which will soon stock a menagerie of handmade amigurumi designs (custom work is also welcome - convo kat for details).

keeping up with kinohi designs

quilted floral

the other day i dipped into my stationery stash happy to find a few remaining thank you cards left over from my wedding from way back when. while a graphic designer friend pitched in to create our invites, the thank you notes came from kinohi designs who was first on the scene with modern island wedding invites that i swooned over and coveted very much but, alas, were beyond my budget.

when i clicked over to see what's new with kinohi, i discovered that designer jennifer tanabe has quietly shuttered the custom paper goods side of her business to focus on other projects. luckily, she continues to offer her charming designs in a fresh mix of island motifs via wedding paper divas and tiny prints, an online print house that helps you craft semi-custom invites and announcements to celebrate life's big moments.

beach stones

baby fern * under the sea

all of the designs are digitally printed to keep the cards at an appealing price point for personalized stationery. and, if you find the perfect card but the sample text doesn't quite do it for you, just remember that a few clicks will allow you to tweak the wording to better reflect your event.

sister act - kapuanani designs

ipu heke + mahalo

as you know, it's etsy day but today i decided a double feature was in order after discovering two very talented sisters who shared a crafty childhood in hawaii and who both continue to create lovely handmade goods on opposite sides of the mainland.

first up, kapuanani designs, the etsy showcase of graphic designer amy antonio who whips up everything from hand printed stationery to sweet accents to pretty up your space. the portland based designer honed her design chops while working at the legendary powell's book shop and now splits her time doing freelance work and serving as the pr director for the ke kukui foundation, a cultural/arts non-profit for the pacific nw's hawaiian community.

amy's work seamlessly blends her two worlds from the note card series that gives a little love to the culture
of the islands via the age old art form of block printing to the playful magnet board that promises to tidy up a messy desk with a little lighthearted flair.

woodgrain magnet board

custom design work is welcome (contact amy for details) so click over to kapuanani's etsy shop for a peek at the in stock designs for a little inspiration!