If you’re a paper addict then this post is for you! I’ve always loved gorgeous paper products. From bespoke notecards to designing my wedding invitation back in the day – I’m always excited to get creative with paper. The obsession only grew when I started thinking about sending out Carter’s birth announcements. I wanted them to be truly special – a keepsake for everyone who received it. That’s why I was thrilled when the interwebs black hole magically led me to graphic designer Carla Fahden and her beautiful site Color Me Carla. I’m pretty sure it was a Pin of her stunning living room that landed me on her blog, but it was Carla’s graphic design work that stopped me dead in my tracks. I immediately knew I needed Carla to create Carter’s announcement.

Just take a look at the final product. Do I even need to explain why?!

But of course I can’t resist digging into the details for you – because there are so many sweet ones that I think really make Carla’s work stand out from the crowd!

Working with Carla started with the mood board below. Carla immediately understood my style. The muted, but chic color palette? Perfection. Her font selection offered a mix of typefaces with a handwritten feel juxtaposed with some crisp san serif options. Brilliant. And I really wanted to feature a picture of Carter’s little baby feet, because you know, who doesn’t love baby feet!

Carla really prides herself on create unique personal touches so we started with custom patterns. Carla hand illustrated both the background of the announcement card as well as the envelope liner. I decided to go with a moons, stars and clouds motif after the theme of my Seattle baby shower {thrown by the inimitable Cassandra of coco + kelley}. The soft grays give the sweet illustrations a sophisticated touch. The look felt charming without being overly saccharin.

For the card itself, we decided to go with a flat cardstock that would have images on both sides. I loved Carla’s idea to use a printed photograph on the card’s front rather than printing directly onto the stock. Carla adhered the black & white image to each card with washi tape. The combination of the luxe moment of the printed photograph combined with the washi tape DIY really elevated the entire suite’s feel. We then printed the image of Carter’s cute baby toes on the back of the card, superimposing the text over the top. The final effect was just perfect.

Carla also kept what would make the process of sending cards easier for us new harried parents top of mind. She not only pre-printed all of the mailing and return addresses on the envelopes, but she also pre-sealed all the cards! All I had to do was add the stamp {I picked this one} and drop them in the mail. Genius. Carla added another dash of washi tape to connect the outside with what recipients would find within. Swoon. Really no attention to detail was spared and I couldn’t be happier.

And now Carla has launched a full assortment of baby announcement options. They’re so cute it almost makes me want to have another kid to be able to get to pick another gorgeous design. Almost.

From Carla herself: For the past few years I have offered hand-painted wedding stationery to couples around the world. I’ve always loved illustrating and painting and when we had our baby boy last summer I was excited to create custom birth announcements to announce his arrival. Our son’s name is Woody so the announcement featured a forest full of woodland creatures with mix-matched patterns that reflected our own personal style. I included special touches like envelope liners and had the pieces printed on a thick 100% cotton paper stock. The end result was a very special keepsake that our friends and family loved.

Since I’ve designed wedding stationery for so many newlyweds over the past couple years, I thought offering birth announcements would be a great way to work with some of the same clients again. I now offer an array of different birth announcements that mix patterns, fonts and color palettes in a way that feels unique yet timeless. I’ve really enjoyed working with new moms and dads as they go through such an exciting time in their lives!

For more musings about mama-hood CLICK HERE.

For a peek into our nursery and loft design CLICK HERE.