Syd Design is a custom stationery company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a small business, we strive to promote and support the local community while working towards a healthier planet.
I seriously wish my hubs and I would have thought of this.
We have lowered the price of the invitation album! Check out details and gallery through the link above.
Happy Graduation Logan!
I wish I had better {more} images of my baby brother’s graduation party, but here are a few snapshots of the lovely munchie display mom had set up with a couple items I brought in (like the delectable cupcakes from Arnie’s).
My favorite part of his graduation was their class motto (ironically, the same quote we used on his invites):
What lies behind us and what lies before us
are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
Henry S. Haskins
My least favorite part was forgetting the giant “Congratulations Logan” bunting banner back in Michigan:( Oh well…
I was looking for statistics on West Michigan wedding-related purchases and found this site (Cost of Wedding). It seemed like a great tool until I looked at the numbers. They are extremely low in all categories and I’m sure there has just been a lack of people taking the survey. (It’s all crowd-sourced statistics, so if only very low-budget brides are taking the survey, then the “average” is highly skewed!)
So, give a few minutes to share with other brides and grooms in your area what your wedding costs were or are. If the site statistics were more accurate, it could benefit not only budgeting couples, but vendors too!
I have gone through my 2011 NSS directory a couple times since the show, circled and recircled companies that i love, who had exciting new products at the show this year. I was hoping to share them all here, however there are just too many and I can’t hardly narrow them down!! I did have a few minutes at the show to walk around and so I decided to point out four companies/products that caught my eye in the little time I had to browse…
Mighty Wallet: Awesome product aside, I grabbed the above pin “Be Mighty” at their booth and the affirmation definitely lifted my spirits thru-ought the show. So I thank them for that. Their product is a wallet made out of (re-used) paper, so much paper that it’s quite strong (and mighty). I am always looking for fun things to do with all the paper scraps that I try to re-use before they go into recycling, so to see a company finding inventive ways to use paper is inspiring!
Fig2Design: Claudia’s bright color pallete in letterpress form is quite impressive & unique compared to any other letterpress out there. Her designs bring the 80’s color trend to the old/new process of letterpress, pure delight!
Gabe & Co: I’m not sure if I just fell in love with their enthusiasm, or maybe it was the lovely, poetic text that Gabrial writes for his greeting line, but I just whole-heartedly fell for Gabrial & his brother William! I could go on and on about how real & passionate they were about their products/goals & how much I look forward to seeing their growth, but instead, read for yourself:
“It’s much more than
The flowers, the dress
Or even the ring;
It’s about the moments
That haven’t yet come,
The joy you can’t yet know,
And love that hasn’t yet grown.”
De Milo Design: I’ve been following De Milo sense the first show I attended in 2008 (slightly creepy, I know:) and look forward to finally having some ideas to start using her gorgeous, sustainably made and fair trade handmade papers.
So I know I toot the Michigan horn a lot, especially on twitter, but this time I have every reason to!
Michigan houses some amazing design talent, both on the East and West sides, but I was pleasantly surprised with all the Mitten-state talent displayed at National Stationery Show last week.
Here is a list of MI companies who jumped over a couple ponds to make the trip to NYC:
Avanti
B.Shackman
Cool Cups/Design Design/M.Middleton
Dotmine Dayplanners
Gwyneth Paige
Journals Unlimited
Maple Street Paper Company
Meant to be Sent
It seems like there are more studios emerging from this state every week, which many would warn is bad for business. But I so enjoy seeing true talent being supported and new, smaller companies gain success from the resources in our great state. Me {and my rose-tinted glasses} believe there is enough room for all of us in this business!
I would like to give shout outs to some amazing people who shared tips, supported & helped me to prepare for the National Stationery Show:
Give Studio, Gwyneth Paige, Pearls Events, Stationery Trends, Kelp Designs, Greer Chicago, The Sweetest Occasion, the NSS team, Neenah Paper, LCI, Dingbat Press, Fig.2 Design, nic studio, Center Aisle Group, MyMomShops, Pushing Papers, Paper Crave and Crow & Canary. These paper people were very helpful & friendly during my pre-show prep with everything from fire-proofing my floor to how to prep a line sheet! Plus I had the pleasure of meeting many of them for the first time this week.
Also, I couldn’t have made it without the help of friends, family & hubs who spent neck-kinking hours tying little yarn bows and stuffing envelopes for my handouts.
My two employees (or pillars of stability, as i refer to them) who work so so well with my whim, Erica & Stephanie, were more than amazing for the work before and during the show. Erica worked extra hours leading up to the trip to help get everything done and Stephanie was there to help setup and rocked the booth so I could bop around a bit during the show.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Stay tuned for a list of fun products/exhibitors that I must share, all the Michigan presence and most importantly some product updates and more in-depth album info for retailers!
National Stationery Show, here we go… After a long day of travel & taxi rides, (a barefoot run to my airplane and a last minute trip to ikea tonight) our booth for National Stationery Show is set and we are ready to show you around!
Please stop by and say hi to me (Abbey) & Stephanie in the next couple days. We have lots of goodies to give away; naught elf samples, wedding album packets (with a coupon & a fun NSS greeting card), oh and we give out hugs and smiles freely too!
We can’t wait to meet you! Booth 2255 (next to all the cool kids:)
I’m excited to share that we had two products chosen to be in the finals for the National Stationery Show’s Best New Product Competition! Naughty Elves will be in the Paper Style category finals and the wedding suite, Andrew, will be in the All Things Wedding category finals. Wish us luck!
If you will be attending the show, please stop by my booth (#2255) for a sample of the Naughty Elves and/or an info packet (with coupon!) for the Syd Design Wedding Album.
