wax seals:

are. just. plain. awesome.

the spectrum of appeal ranges from romantic to modern. they add that little something extra to an invitation or envelope. and the colors are endless!

my favorite wax is from nostalgic impressions - and get this: it comes in sticks that fit into a large glue gun! oh, yeah...you got this, let's make this process easier.

now, when i first heard of glue gun wax sealing techniques - i was like: "finally! a no mess solution!" now, whereas they do help make the wax sealing process more fluid and less disastrous - please do note that you will still make a mess. the glue gun likes to spurt out wax randomly, so make sure you have it sequestered to its own area (and completely away from anything that you do not want wax on). because of this + the river of wax that will run down from the tip of your glue gun - ensure that you do purchase extra sticks of wax. the website says that one stick can do 10-15 wax impressions. this is a fairly accurate estimate which will vary on the size of your seal + the extra wasted wax. i always do the math based on 10 impressions, and add three more sticks for good luck. always best to be more prepared than not.

last piece of advice, keep a stopwatch on hand (or the stopwatch feature on you phone, that's what i use) - because you do not want to press the seal down automatically. give the wax 30+ seconds to finish bubbling, and slightly begin the hardening process - then press the seal down. definitely do a trial run before moving on to the real deal, wax will set differently depending on the temperature in your house too. a cool day will quicken the hardening of wax, for example. 

as for the glue gun you used - i would keep that particular glue gun just for that color of wax. buy glue guns in bulk if you can, or use the coupons always offered through michael's or joann's fabrics to get a gun here and there for 40-50% off. 

don't want the mess or timeliness of wax? seals do come self-adhesive as well. i order these by the bag, because they are great to have on hand for styled shoots or mockups for clients. 

have fun!


xo,

​raina

i love to collaborate. get me in a room with other creatives and professionals and i will be in heaven! the typical collaborations that i have done in the past have been mainly styled shoots - but keep a look out on my instagram for an AWESOME  collaboration and opportunity.

these vendors are included in this special announcement come march 1st:

+ samantha, of memory making events and saúde mobile bar service
+ erin, of gusto on the go
+ reanna, of something bridal in san luis obsipo
+ nena, of vino therapy events
+ and moi, of fête & quill

if you are looking to relax and rewind before the craziness of wedding season - keep a look out on our social media pages for this wonderful opportunity...


xo,

raina

ser·en·dip·i·tous
ˌserənˈdipədəs/
adjective
adjective: serendipitous

1. occurring or discovered by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
   "a serendipitous encounter"

there is no better word to describe the fortuitous happening that i am about to announce! let me tell you a little about the journey to this..

+ moved to central coast four years ago
+ took korinna peterson's, of le festin events, wedding intensive (which if you are looking to get into the event planning industry, i highly recommend taking her insanely informative workshop!)
+ korinna's intensive lit a fire in me, and propelled my own calligraphy and hand lettering business plans forward
+ from there, korinna and i met for a drink - which then led to introductions into the wedding community
+ samantha ward, of memory making events, happened to be at the same intensive (and a good friend and colleague of korinna)
+ samantha and i met over coffee to discuss signage for an industry event that i we both were participating in
+ that coffee date led to collaborating on a styled shoot together (which was actually published on borrowed and blue), and a super fun site visit to montana de oro
+ a couple months ago, i began toying with the idea of getting my own studio space - since my current calligraphy clutter is rapidly taking over my cozy (ahem - small!) household
+ a text and meeting with samantha came out of the blue (serendipitous!), asking me if i'd like be a suite mate along with her and other wedding vendors 

so here it is (yay! yay! yay!):

i am officially joining the lovely ladies at the wedding space in san luis obispo! 

i cannot tell you how excited i am for this opportunity! to tell you the truth, i had already said yes - in my head and heart - before even meeting with samantha. i felt how right it was from the beginning, and that fate had brought me to this newest chapter in my life. all the steps from point a to point b aligned up, and i continually look back with wonder to see the incredible journey that i have been on + the wonderful people that i have met and have supported me throughout it all. 

thank you to my suite mates for embracing me and my business - i am truly looking forward to forging lasting friendships and having a strong camaraderie with such fabulous people and lady bosses. readers, if you get a chance, check out the work of these incredible ladies of the wedding space:

+ samantha ward, planner & designer, memory making events
+ nikki caldwell, floral design, fluid bloom
+ shannon mcmillen, photographer, town country studios
+ lisa hess, coffee & lawn games, slo coast coffee
+ brit tart, hair & makeup, brit tart hair & makeup

cheers and salud! this is going to be awesome.


xo,

raina

when i first started as a professional calligrapher - i dived wholeheartedly into it, and purchased a staggering amount of supplies. i was so-oooo excited to use everything, and wanted it all so i could experiment. i think my husband thought i was loony. check that - he didn't think: he truly thought i'd gone bonkers as package after package arrived from places like blick and paper ink and arts. 

years later...i still have all of these inks and whatnot. and, unfortunately, do not use a lot of them. sometimes, for my personal use, i will dip into the beautiful hues of magenta or lemon. but, professionally speaking, there are not many projects that require them.

so if you are just starting out in calligraphy, this post is for you! of course, get all those lovely inks if you'd like, but if you want the nuts and bolts of inks - i have highlighted them below:

+ sumi moon palace black ink: smooth. shiny. flows beautifully off your nib, and works with all types of papers. this is my everyday standard black ink. i buy it in the big 15 ounce bottle, and pour it into dinky dips when writing and practicing. i prefer this so much more over higgins eternal (which i find will bleed on some papers, whereas the sumi does not). this ink also is intensely black, and is great for digitizing. 

+ walnut ink: i use daniel smith walnut, but there are a ton of other options. all of them are great. i use walnut ink on envelope orders, for clients who want that lovely sepia tone and romantic vibe. it is just hands down, awesome to work with.

+ gouache: get tubes of black, white, gold and silver to start. copper if you really want to splurge! gouache is fantastic for those tricky envelopes - ones that have a sheen to them, are slippery, or are very porous. gouache will sit on top of the paper, as opposed to absorbing into. mix gouache with filtered water, till you get a viscosity of coffee creamer - add water little by little, until you get the right flow off your nib. gouache is great for creating custom colors - but make sure to mix the gouache first, before adding the water to liquify it. 

+ dr. ph martin's bleedproof white: incredible ink. perfect white tone. like gouache, you need to add water to get it to work correctly. this is my number one go-to for white ink! it is awesome.

so these are what i use on a daily basis as a professional calligrapher! hope this was helpful, and you have a ton of fun using all these great products.


xo,

raina

my husband knows that i am not a huge fan of valentine's day - so instead of following the rules, he sends me flowers either a couple days before, or a few days after 02.14! it's his way of acknowledging my antipathy towards the commercialism - but still wanting to do something special for me for valentine's. 

and i find it super cute. he made me blush this year.

one of the main reasons i enjoy working in weddings is for the raw and uninhibited love that is shown - not only between the couple, but the obvious endearment shown by all their family and friends who are there to support them. 

i will admit - the moment when a couple is exchanging their vows - chokes me up every time. especially if they start getting emotional, i turn into a puddle! that singular instance of fervent emotion - there are no exact words that can describe it. it is just a moment that leaves a mark on my heart, in the most special way. 

"i love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. i love you simply, without problems or pride: i love you in this way because i do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no i or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when i fall asleep your eyes close.” -- pablo neruda

have a wonderful day and year filled to the brim with love!


xo,

​raina

this stunning image was captured by jen rodriguez at kestrel park in the santa barbara countryside. swoon-worthy. love at it's rawest moment. xo