When to inquire

Looking online, there are a lot of options for wedding invitations. But for a lot of couples, there isn’t one already designed that perfectly matches their vision or tells their love story. It’s the personalized details that make your invitations truly one of a kind. This is where a custom wedding invitation designer comes in! If you’re looking for invitations that are truly unique and set the tone for your wedding, you’re in the right place!

When you work with me, everything is created for YOU from scratch in a process that takes an average of 3 months from initial sketch to final delivery. I put a lot of time into each invitation suite and therefore accept a limited number of wedding invitation clients per year in order to provide the best possible custom artwork and experience. Some planning ahead is definitely advised if you’d like to work together! I would recommend inquiring about wedding invitations at least 6-8 months before your wedding, but the sooner, the better. By booking early, you will guarantee your spot in my schedule and lock in the current pricing for your wedding invitations.

Invitations are typically mailed out 6-8 weeks prior to your wedding in order to give guests time to RSVP and you to give your final guest count and meal selections to your wedding vendors. I’m definitely one to consider traditions, but I also recognize that it’s your wedding! When we work together, we’ll create a timeline that works perfectly for you!

For save the dates, inquiring at least 8-12 months prior to your wedding is suggested. If you’re thinking of including a photo on your cards, a lot of couples will reach out after they receive their engagement photos. Save the Dates are typically sent 6-8 months before your wedding, but this timeline can vary based on a number of factors. I’ll work with you to come up with the perfect timing for your circumstances! 

When you inquire with me, you’ll receive a link to my schedule to book a call to chat about your custom designs. I’ll learn all about your love story and vision for your wedding, we’ll brainstorm together, and I’ll answer any burning questions you have before deciding to move forward.

Featured Wedding

Let’s talk about a real life example of a custom timeline as I walk you through the timing and process of designing this couple’s dream wedding invitations! They had a few unique situations that came up along the way that we were able to create solutions for together (more on this later!). Hélène and Mike inquired about invitation designs shortly after their engagement. With their wedding originally scheduled for August of 2020, we started working on designs for their Save the Dates in September of 2019 and Invitations in February of 2020. This gave us plenty of time to brainstorm, for me to create artwork and print the invitations, and then ship everything overseas in order to be mailed to their guests in time. I’m always sure to account for shipping times when creating timelines. This couple was so much fun to work with! They had a unique story and were looking for custom invitations to tell it. With the bride from France and the groom from the Netherlands, this couple wanted to highlight their unique backgrounds as well as their stunning wedding venue (a castle!!!).

The idea behind the designs

One of the benefits of hiring an invitation designer who is also an artist, is that we can create artwork that perfectly matches your vision! This all starts with learning all about your special day and unique love story. I’ll create sketches and get to know your preferences for wording, design and imagery that you’d like to include. During the initial sketching phase of the designs, this couple hand picked buildings that were meaningful to them and we created a layout with with one side representing France and the other side representing the Netherlands with the castle venue in the middle, representing where their lives were officially joined.

From there, we finalized the wording and I created final illustrations of each building and element. Keeping in mind their wedding colors, we found the perfect light pink paper and matching maroon envelopes. They loved a simple line work illustration style along with letterpress printing, which pair together perfectly! Letterpress printing allows line drawings to shine, adding a slight impression and luxury feel to the paper.

Unique & Unexpected Situations

Both unique and unexpected situations can benefit from having a custom invitation designer. Let’s start with the unique - I’m all for it!!! These may be situations you don’t even consider until you start looking for wedding invitations and you can’t quite find something that fits. Or you need advice on how to handle a specific circumstance - when you hire me for custom wedding invitation designs, we’ll figure it out together! A great example of this is creating bilingual wedding invitations. These invites had both English and French on each piece so all guests could easily read and RSVP!

Now for the unexpected… sometimes, you plan and plan - every detail is perfect and every guest accounted for. And yet, something unexpected happens. This couple was one of my 2020 couples. They ended up rescheduling their wedding twice and we got a little creative in keeping their guests up to date. Together, we created a digital change the date card. Not only did it match their original wedding invitations, but with a same-day turnaround, this digital graphic allowed them to quickly and easily communicate via text and on their wedding website.

When you hire me for custom wedding invitations, I’m always sure to leave a little extra time in my schedule in case anything comes up last minute. Most of the time, it doesn’t. But in the off chance that you have a last minute change, you can rest easy knowing that you have a designer on your side who will help you come up with the best possible solution for your unique situation.

I always recommend focusing on love and on what brings you joy throughout the wedding planning process and hiring vendors that you trust to assist. This couple stayed flexible, focusing on the health of their friends and family and had the most beautiful wedding day.

How will you tell your love story?

Do you have a unique idea for your wedding invitations? Is there something you’ve always wanted to include or that would be special to you as a couple? I can’t wait to hear all about it!

Join the waitlist today and I’ll be in touch!

Wedding Venue: Castle Wijenburg | Photographer: Florian van Roekel

Creativity Awaits

In the spirit of creativity, I’m excited to showcase more behind the scenes of my design process! From sketching to layout, font and materials selection, to the final paintings, artwork, prints and assembly, it is so fun to see wedding invitations come together. Are you interested in following along on the design process of your own wedding invitations? My custom design process is unique in that you’ll be able to see your vision come to life and have the opportunity to review sketches, color palettes and materials. Custom wedding invitations are truly that - custom. We’ll design your invitations from the ground up, focusing on all the details that are important to you!

What you can expect:

A fun, stress-free design process. With years of industry experience, a background in illustration, and a keen eye for detail, not only can you expect creative and personalized artwork, I’ll also guide you through the process and take the guesswork out of designing and mailing your invitations.

Working directly with a designer. One benefit of working with Bjork Design Co. is that I work directly with all of my clients from initial consultation to final designs. I’ll learn all about your love story, vision for your wedding day and translate that into beautiful and memorable invitations.

My full attention. I accept a limited number of fully custom wedding invitation clients per year in order to give my full attention and creativity to each project! The turnaround time for custom may take a little longer, but it’s well worth the wait! Prior to booking, we’ll create a timeline that fits perfectly with my design schedule and your wedding timeline. For this reason, it’s encouraged to inquire early in order to secure your date!

What’s included?

My standard wedding invitation suites include the following with pricing starting at $4,000 for 100 invitations. This is a great starting point for thinking about how you’d like to invite and impress your guests!

• Invitation

• RSVP Card & Envelope

• Additional Insert for Wedding Day Details

• Inner Envelope with Envelope Liner

• Outer Envelope with Addressing

• Custom Wax Seal

• Thank You Card with Envelope

Custom, CREATIVE & STRESS-FREE

My standard package includes envelope liners and custom wax seals, 2 unique elements that will really set your invitations apart. During the design process, I’ll take the time to learn about your love story and vision for your wedding and create custom personalized artwork!

The envelope liner is the perfect place to impress - it’s one of the first things guests will see when opening your invitations and is the perfect place to include artwork that sets the tone for your wedding! The wax seal will be in a color that matches your invitations and envelopes and will have a custom embossed element on it! This is a great place for a custom monogram or little detail that ties everything together.

Need something slightly different than what’s included in the standard package? I’ve got you! After submitting your application, we’ll have a chance to chat about your wedding vision, guest count, preferences and all the other details. Based on our discussions, if the standard package isn’t a perfect fit, I’ll create a custom special offer just for you!

It feels like I’ve lived multiple different lives. Some way more fun than others, but all of them were transformative and brought me to where I am today. Today, I am grateful.

Beginnings in Illustration

For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to be an artist. In terms of transitions, college was really the first transformational phase in my life. It’s interesting how certain decisions lead to a path you could have never imagined, but worked out perfectly. I went to school in upstate New York for illustration. Many sleepless nights completing projects and hours and hours of drawing, painting, and exploring different types of art helped me to develop my artistic skills and opened my eyes to the possibilities that lie ahead.

Even though I’ve worked in many different design roles, I have always been an artist first. The late night art projects started back in high school, painting late in the basement while listening to music and drinking coffee. It is where I felt most at peace. Creativity is at my core. Art has always been my passion and I dreamed of making a career out of it someday. Minoring in business, I had a feeling someday this foundation would also come in handy. It is the friends I met in college that helped shape my path and even introduced me to my husband.

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Starting out in NYC

When I want something, I tend to go for it. That’s likely how I’ve ended up in so many different cities, apartments, and working in different careers along the way. Each of which, taught me something that serves my current vision and clients.

After college, I moved to New York City and found an internship at a design studio which turned into a full time design position. This is where I first fell in love with wedding stationery and realized how much design skills would serve me in my career. Since I had majored in illustration, I learned graphic design on the job and perfected my Photoshop skills, teaching myself as I went. I realized that stationery design pairs perfectly with my illustration style and love of organization.

New York City has an incredible energy and for me, it was the perfect way to start my life and career after college.

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exploring another city

After some changes in my personal life, a friend from college asked if I wanted to move to Chicago with her? And the answer was an absolute yes! Sometimes, you just have to go with what feels right. I’m not one to turn down a great opportunity. A welcomed change, Chicago was where I was introduced to my husband (by my college roommate and her boyfriend who met my husband in Alaska - so random, yet seemingly meant to be!) and spent some time having fun and figuring life out.

In Chicago, I found a job as a cookie decorator at a high end bakery. I really did make some beautiful cookies, but it started to take a toll on my body leaning over for hours on end. This is when I first became a barista at a local coffee shop (I’ve had 2 barista jobs over the years!). I’ve always had a love for coffee and the people I worked with made it such a wonderful environment. I, of course, perfected my latte art, bringing creativity to this role as well.

“It was at this time the very first thoughts of Bjork Design Co. started.”

I didn’t realize at the time all that would come out of these initial thoughts. I didn’t have a business name or any sort of plan, but this was when I started doing freelance illustration and design and taking on projects of my own.

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Remember those college friends?

One day, I saw a Facebook post from an old college friend found a new job and was leaving his previous job in Florida. He had included the job posting where they were looking for his replacement. I had been following him on social media for a couple years and always thought it was so cool what he did. He was a Store Graphic Artist for Whole Foods Market. So, I reached out, applied and 2 weeks later, I was on my way to Tampa! I packed up my car with all of my belongings and found an apartment when I got there. My husband joined shortly and brought our kitty on her first flight (she really was the best!). During this time, we made some lifelong friends and truly had so much fun!

A chalk art design created with Tampa Artist Stefanie Storm to use across the Florida region in each store’s coffee bar.

Like I said, I tend to just go for it. And it all worked out, this was a dream job in a beautiful location! I worked with some of the coolest people and got to do art all day! From chalk signs to advertising design, I was in an amazing creative roll. After some restructuring about a year later, I was promoted to oversee the graphics for 5 stores on the west coast of Florida - sort of like a creative director for the local area. I also got a chance to work on new store openings across the state with other artists.

“I enjoyed creating concepts, designs, and artwork and working with a team to bring them to life!”

I’ve always been a very organized person (my business coach and previous coworkers can attest to that!) and in this position, I was able to develop these skills even further. I learned about sourcing, project planning and execution and leading a team. I also learned a lot about how people tend to view and process information. I started to recognize what people tend to notice first, what size fonts are readable, how the placement of signage affects the effectiveness of it and how to coordinate multiple sales and seasonal launches simultaneously across multiple stores.

Both time management and planning were key in this role, as they are in my current direction in business (more on that soon!).

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the start of something special

Deciding to leave Whole Foods and the wonderful people I worked with was a truly difficult decision. My husband found a new job in his home town in Michigan and we decided to embark on our own adventure, restoring an old farm house and spending time with family and our 3 adopted kitties!

Logo & Branding Design for Jennifer Neville with a custom alcohol ink background painting.

Having continued working on freelance design projects, my vision for running my own design business strengthened and in 2018, I officially began Bjork Design Co. I initially started designing logos and this direction took off for my business. When I started my business, I became well versed in branding design and worked with some really amazing clients and companies during this time, all the while continuing illustration work and designing an occasional wedding invitation or other wedding stationery for friends and family. This was something I still loved doing and was so excited every time I got a new project. I also created (and still create!) illustrations for other designers - I really do love the teamwork!

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In 2021, I realized I was getting to be pretty busy and needed some help making my business more profitable and stress-free. I was introduced to my wonderful business coach Nikita, with Thrive with Nikita in a co-working call with Babe Crafted, a community for women entrepreneurs that I’m a part of. Nikita is a business coach for women living with chronic illness. At the time, I didn’t have an official diagnosis, but I knew something wasn’t quite right with my health. She understood the importance of doing things in a way that worked for me and through our work together, I realized several things in my business needed to change. We worked on boundaries, pricing, processes, and leaned into my creativity.

This is when things really started to get exciting! One day, we were chatting and I had the realization that I wanted to transition my focus in business (back) to wedding stationery design. I realized how much I loved when I was hired for these projects. Designing wedding invitations allowed me to bring in a unique creativity and really focus on interpreting the vision of each individual client to deliver personal, beautiful and meaningful artwork. Most of all, it brought me so much joy. With wedding stationery, I would be able to combine my skills in organization, illustration, design in a way that creates a wonderful and stress-free experience for my clients throughout the design process.

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Illustrations for a wedding invitation design by Lauren DeFilippo.

Want to continue following along on my journey? Be sure to subscribe to my email list to be notified of future blog posts, behind the scenes content, updates and announcements!

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Tough times

While I was still processing this realization and brainstorming what my ideal business could look like, I had a follow up on a lump that I had found in my breast. Deep down, I knew I had cancer. Being in a bit of an uncertain place of waiting (I had a surgery scheduled for the end of December to find out for sure), I decided to spend some time leaning into my creativity.

“For the first time in years, I painted just for myself. And it felt so freeing.”

I painted a series of abstract paintings. For me, this was a creative outlet and way to process my thoughts and feelings during a particularly stressful time. This painting shown was the first in the series, titled “New Beginnings”.

New Beginnings painting. See matching journals, mini journals and notecards in the online shop!

See more of this series in my online shop, where it has evolved into journals and other stationery to share with others.

My life was essentially on hold. During this time, I journaled a lot and this lead to the idea of creating journals from my artwork.

I continued with my artwork and things took a turn in early January, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. These were some of the toughest times of my life, both mentally and physically. Some days, I honestly didn’t know how I would make it through, but a close friend helped me realize how helpful it can be to take things one moment at a time. All these moments added up and I finished active treatments in July. I was so excited to have turned a corner and finally start feeling better. There is sort of an expectation that once treatments end, life will go back to normal. I have since realized this couldn’t be further from the truth. In some ways, things did improve. I worked with a cancer exercise specialist, Foobs and Fitness, who helped me safely get my strength back.

Even though I was physically stronger, I kept feeling worse and worse. I went to numerous doctors, trying to figure out what was going on. Everyone blamed it on my cancer treatments or anxiety, but I knew something else was going on. Finally in early December of 2022, I ended up in the emergency room and received my chronic illness diagnosis. I left the hospital with a fantastic new doctor and plan to start feeling like myself again. This is really where things started to turn around. I had made it through the worst of times and was starting to see a glimmer of hope.

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Finding my calling & living a life I love

Hiking in the Valley of Fire State Park, NV.

During all of 2022 and most of 2023, I took time off from Bjork Design Co. to focus on healing. At that time, my business was not yet set up in a way that I could thrive and deliver my best designs while going through these health challenges. In a way, I’m glad I was able to take this time off to reset. This helped me not only process everything and heal, but gain so much more clarity about my priorities and what I wanted in life. As I healed, I was able to travel and say yes to opportunities once again. This was the perfect way to reset before coming back to work.

Going through an extended period of uncertainty with my health made me realize the importance of living in the present.

I am ready to design a life I love and find a community that lifts me up and brings me joy. I want to go to work every day and create beautiful artwork that brings joy to others. I want to have a balanced life and the space to say yes to the things in life that make me happy without hesitation.

I realized, now more than ever I needed to restructure my business in a way that works for my new way of life and allows me to thrive while living with chronic illness. I’m back working with my business coach Nikita, and couldn’t imagine navigating this transition without her. Together, we are creating plans and action items that I am truly so excited about.

Fully custom fine art watercolor wedding invitations.

We picked up where we left off in 2021 dreaming of transitioning back into wedding stationery. I have spent a lot of time expanding upon this dream, developing a clear vision and I am working to make it a reality. This transition to wedding stationery has been a long time coming. It perfectly combines my strengths and draws from my experience and in this industry. It is a career where I know I’ll be excited to come to work and have the privilege of being creative each and every day.

All of my jobs and phases of life have lead me to this one and contributed in their own unique way - some of which aren’t even mentioned here! I have learned about customer service, business management, using creativity to bring a vision to life, time management, and team work. Most of all, I have learned to prioritize, set boundaries and the importance of enjoying the present moment.

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more to come…

I don’t want to get ahead of myself, as we are still finalizing the details, but if you’ve read this far you might expect that Michigan isn’t the last of my phases in life. And that is 100% true! Michigan has been really good to us in a lot of ways. We’ve been able to spend time with family and I’ve had a chance to heal and grow. But, for me, being in our house is a constant reminder of all that I’ve been through. From covid to cancer treatments and being diagnosed with a chronic illness, every day I am reminded of some of the hardest days of my life. It reminds me of being sick and honestly, I’m more than ready to move forward.

This is the first time I’ve announced this, but we’re planning a move back to Florida! I have so many exciting details to come once they’re finalized, but I am confident that this is going to be a great move for us! I’m looking forward to having a more active social life and community of creatives and close friends. To being active, creative and healthy. More than anything, I’m looking forward to a fresh start.

Cancer changed my life in ways I never could have expected. It was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever been through. It made me realize my priorities, my strength and determination, and the value of time. I have learned to live in the present, find joy in the little moments and stopped living in the mindset of “one day” and started working to make things happen, saying yes to things that bring me joy, whether that be travel, a cup of coffee, or taking big leaps in business (more on this to come soon!).

I decided to share my journey as a reminder that cancer can happen at any age - if you notice anything unusual, please don’t wait to get checked. Something I have learned through hard times is that you are your best advocate.

a breast cancer diagnosis

I painted this watercolor painting the night before my biopsy in October of 2021. I didn’t know it at the time, but my breast cancer journey had already begun. After finding a lump, an ultrasound and mammogram lead to some suspicion, enough to warrant the biopsy.

When I arrived, I found out that they would also be doing a second biopsy of a lymph node. I’m not going to lie, I was nervous. Who wouldn’t be? I had so many emotions including fear and a lot of anxiety, but I was hopeful for good news.

The crazy thing is, both biopsies came back benign. Which was very reassuring. I cried happy tears of relief. Then I got a call from the nurse that even though the biopsies came back benign, they weren’t 100% sure. The biopsy results didn’t quite match what they were seeing on the mammogram so they decided to do a surgery to remove the lump, just in case. They thought the likelihood of it being cancer was low, but it was better to be proactive. And so began the waiting. In the almost 2 months before my surgery, I was able to enjoy a wonderful wedding, visit family and friends and go to Disney World. I enjoyed these moments, holding onto hope that everything would be okay. This surgery ended up leading to my breast cancer diagnosis. I had no idea all that was ahead of me, but I knew I would face whatever may come head on. I have since come to realize that somehow, no matter what, everything will be okay.

Painting for me has been a wonderful outlet, a way to explore my feelings and communicate in a visual and intuitive way. It’s also very calming. Sort of like journaling, it’s a way for me to get the thoughts out of my head and find a new place for them so that I can process and stay present.

A break from business

I have always been very determined and self-reliant. But during cancer treatments, I learned how to accept help from others and how to take a break. I learned that it’s okay to take a break. To rest. To prioritize self care. To set boundaries. To change your mind. To ask for help. To take things one day at a time. I know a lot of women continue working through cancer treatments, but everyone’s journey is different and I wasn’t in a place where I was able to deliver my best work. I gave myself permission to take the time to heal, so that I could come back as the best version of myself and I’m so glad that I did.

My cats cuddled with me for hours and I balanced taking it easy with going for walks when I could and doing crossword puzzles to improve my “chemo brain”. I also continued to paint when I could and focused on staying present.

treatments

After my initial surgery, I had a second surgery 2 weeks later to remove lymph nodes to make sure the cancer didn’t spread and thankfully, it didn’t. There are so many tests performed and decisions to be made in such a quick period of time and I have to say, this initial period after diagnosis was overwhelming to say the least.

Throughout this journey, I found it was so helpful to have doctors that I trust. The absolute lowest moment of my journey for me was my meeting with an initial oncologist. I had lots of questions, having just been diagnosed, and she told me she had other patients to get to and focused on making sure I knew the worst case scenarios. It wasn’t a clear cut decision as to whether or not I needed chemo and there were lots of factors to consider. In this moment, I needed someone to be open with me, but also someone who was caring and reassuring, and unfortunately, this was far from how the appointment went.

So, I got a second opinion and switched oncologists. This was one of the best decisions I made. My current oncologist is knowledgeable and honest, while also caring and understanding how much anxiety comes with a cancer diagnosis. She reassured me that I was going to be okay and together we made the decision to move forward with chemo. Ultimately, I wanted to do everything in my power to keep the cancer from coming back. I never thought this is something I would agree to, but you really don’t know until you’re actually in this situation.

Chemo was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I have absolutely no regrets. I tend to be sensitive to certain medications and chemo proved to be no different. During my second round, I had a hypersensitivity reaction to one of the chemo drugs. Thanks to a wonderful staff at the infusion center, I never felt in any danger. They were quick to react and we made some slight adjustments to the plan. With a new chemo, my third round was definitely the toughest. After a trip to the ER the following morning, calls to my doctors, and over 12 hours of chest pains and a racing heart followed by a fever and body aches, I found myself in tears waiting and hoping the next day will be better. And it was. I got through chemo by taking it literally one moment at a time and leaning on friends and family who I’m so grateful were there for me each step of the way.

My husband collected letters from friends and family and I brought them with me to chemo. Some of them were funny and some were heartfelt and I loved them all. They were the perfect distraction and brought me so much comfort knowing how much support and love I had. For the majority of chemo, I sat with my hands and feet in ice as a precaution to hopefully prevent neuropathy. It worked, but was definitely not the most comfortable. I am truly grateful for all of the support I received - it made a huge difference getting through chemo.

Losing my hair from chemo wasn’t at all as I expected. It was emotional, itchy and uncomfortable. There’s something about the loss of control and for a period of time no longer recognizing myself in the mirror. But, as this and all the other side effects of chemo came, I chose to look at it as a sign that chemo was doing it’s job. Even though it was tough, losing my hair was also empowering and freeing in a way. I loved feeling the rain and wind on my head, it made me feel alive. I felt more confident than ever before because I started showing up in a way that felt authentic to me, regardless of what others thought or expected.

Following chemo, I had 33 rounds of radiation. Everyone is different, but for me radiation was so much easier. I was really tired and had some radiation burns, but no major issues. For me, most of the side effects of radiation came after the fact, but with some physical therapy, stretching and paying attention to my body, these issues have been fairly manageable.

My cancer was hormone positive, so after active treatments ended, I started hormone therapy. The first option we tried was technically recommended and a bit more aggressive, but after some other major health issues, we decided it was too hard on my body and changed courses again and I’m feeling so much better. I’ll likely be on my current treatment for 5-10 years and am so grateful for the advancements in medicine that have made this possible. It has taken a lot of time to get my energy and focus back, but over time, I’m finally feeling like myself again.

Finding joy in tough times

Even though cancer treatments took a lot out of me, I refused to let them steal my joy. I also was so determined not to miss out on some of the special moments in life, like my sister’s wedding. The day after my second round of chemo, we drove 16 hours to go to my sister’s wedding (well actually I couldn’t drive so my amazing husband drove the whole way!). Luckily, we had some time to rest and recover a bit prior to the wedding. When the wedding day arrived, I wasn’t feeling great, but I put on my wig and mask and had so much fun dancing and celebrating. Being there meant the world to me. I was even able to create designs for their wedding stationery and give a speech. It was a moment I truly didn’t want to miss and my wonderful team of doctors made sure I would be able to attend.

After my active treatments ended, it took a while to start feeling like myself again, but I was able to enjoy traveling, tap dancing as I slowly gained my stamina back, and joined ceramics classes. Being able to enjoy these moments felt so amazing and gave a glimpse of what it might be like to move forward.

Back to business with a renewed sense of purpose

It’s hard to even explain what it’s like to go through cancer treatments. It was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever been through mentally and physically. Cancer changed me. It has a way of putting everything in perspective. I know that I will never be the same person I once was, and in a way, I’m grateful for that. I have a renewed sense of creativity and purpose and it completely changed how I approach both life and business.

I’m much more willing to take risks and focus on the possibilities. I’m less anxious, more confident and have taken a close look at what I want my business to be and how I want it to help others. Stay tuned to learn more about how my business has evolved and the direction it’s heading in! In case you haven’t guessed it, I’m following joy in my business, feeling more confident and saying yes to some things that I thought may never be possible.

My business has changed in both the products and services I offer. From the expressive paintings I created around the time of my diagnosis and treatments, I created journals to hopefully connect with and help others. I also decided to transition from offering branding design to going back to my roots and focusing on designing wedding stationery. I love creating custom artwork that is personal and unique, to help make the process as stress-free as possible, and get creative to deliver designs that impress both my couples and their guests.

2 years cancer free

As of my scans yesterday, I am officially 2 years cancer free! There were times when it truly felt like I didn’t know how I would make it to the next day, but I made it! I often took it moment by moment, which not only helped me get by, but gave me a greater appreciation for the present. Each year around my scans, waves of anxiety creep in, but I remind myself of the hope that got me through the past 2 years and how I have come to a place where I know that no matter what, I will be okay. I have learned to advocate for myself. I have learned to accept that sometimes things don’t go as planned, but it is possible to gain so much in the process.

Cancer will always be a part of my story and how I got to where I am, but I’m looking forward to it being less a part of my day to day life. My heart truly breaks for those who don’t have this opportunity. My health is something I will never take for granted.

a new outlook

I am excited to move forward with a new outlook. I have realized that life can be challenging and beautiful at the same time. That the worst thing I’ve gone through has also made me stronger, more determined, more confident and ready to live in a way that I had only dreamed of before. Cancer is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone, but in a way, it gave me a second chance at life. I have overcome so much and am able to put myself out there and not hold back in following my dreams.

giving back

Journaling also got me through some tough times and I decided to merge this with my love of painting and have been creating journals to help others as well.

People helped me in so many ways throughout my cancer diagnosis, treatment and beyond and I truly wanted to find a way to give back to others going through a similar experience. Hence the journal donation program was born! Through this program, I have been able to donate journals to others going through cancer treatments. Journals are currently being donated to Beautiful You by Profile, a nonprofit in Grand Rapids, MI that helps women and girls undergoing cancer treatment, as well as other ways to donate as I see fit. Read more about journal donations at the link below.

I always like to bring a sense of personal connection to my designs, whether for wedding stationery or custom artwork. I find inspiration in so many places - stories, emotions, memories and the beauty that exists in the world.

Sunflowers & Memories

This expressive sunflower painting was inspired by the multi-colored sunflowers in our fall garden. Sunflowers always bring a smile to my face and remind me of joyful memories picking flowers with my grandmother in northern Michigan. To me, sunflowers carry a sense of warmth that accompanies fall - pumpkin spice, warm apple pies, and curling up with a cup of coffee. 

Comfort during uncertain times

I started this sunflower painting last October during an uncertain time with my health. After finishing breast cancer treatments earlier in the year, I knew something else was off with my health. Throughout the past couple years, I have really gotten to know my body and to listen when something doesn’t feel right. In this moment, I was looking for a sense of comfort and a reminder that everything will be okay. Spending time with friends, family and being creative helped to bring a sense of peace during this time. In early December, during an ER visit, I finally received a diagnosis and things began to turn around.

Painting has the ability to bring a sense of calm and allows me to focus and get lost in my work. While sunflowers are typically blooming in the late summer and early fall, my hope was to create a painting that brings this sense of warmth and comfort year-round.

The creative process

Starting with a watercolor underpainting, this painting organically developed with layers of expressive watercolor and gouache paints. My process tends to vary slightly from painting to painting, but always starts with an idea that turns into a sketch and develops from there. With paintings like this and especially with my abstract paintings, it tends to be a lot about intuition. The painting evolves as I go and comes to life.

With the artwork I create for wedding invitations, the process starts the same with finding inspiration and learning about the couple and their vision for the wedding in order to create something unique and personal, just for them! This process involves more planning and a refined sketch. This gives the opportunity for couples to envision what the painting will look like when it comes to life and give feedback before the final artwork is created. It really is a collaborative process, as I want to make sure the final artwork is something that represents you as a couple and will be treasured for years to come, even beyond the day of your wedding.

The Final Artwork

After the painting is completed, it is scanned in and digitized to easily be added to the desired layout. Whether for wedding invitations or stationery designs, the artwork is further refined and formatted for print. This sunflower painting was printed on a full sized journal, mini journal, notecards and coasters. One of my favorite parts of the process is getting the final prints and products back from the printer. I love seeing my artwork come to life!

After printing, the journals and stationery are listed in my online shop. For custom stationery, like wedding invitations, each piece is quality checked, assembled and packaged to ship, along with mailing instruction, a keepsake invitation suite, photographer’s sample and a special surprise.

Are you looking for custom wedding invitations or artwork? I’d love to chat about your vision and create something unique just for you!