Bella Ink Blog

Bella Ink Designs Brews up Beer Invites

 
(Bella Ink's PT-76 and PT-112, bellaink.com for stores)
 
According to the latest Greetings Etc. newsletter, Americans are embracing invitations and greeting cards that feature beer bottles and beer mugs.  Many manufacturers, like ourselves, think a brew, mixed with blues, browns and greens, is an effective way to lend a little manliness to an otherwise frilly product.  

An invitation that features a beer mug, or sign, is the perfect way to invite friends and family to your best man's birthday party, retirement party, or other celebratory event.

Keep in mind that St. Patrick's day is coming up, a holiday well-known for its beer consumption by rowdy revelers. Whether you're heading into the basement or out to the bars, bring your friends along and let them know where the party's at with an informal invitation that's more fun and accessible than an evite! 

Visit Greetings Etc. to sign up for their industry newsletter, today!

Bella Ink's Top Selling Stationery Products of 2009

This year Bella Ink's best selling stationery products range from stationery sets to folded note cards.  Still popular, but not ranking quite as high as last year, are BT-27, "Apple's Cart," and PT-57, "My Chihuahua." Everything else on the list is a brand new entry.  Here's a look back at what you loved in 2009: 

  
(Pictured left to right: WP-1 "Butterfly" writing paper, WP-7 "Green Crocodile" writing paper, WP-8 "Polka-dot Shoe" writing paper) 
 
Stationery sets were a new product for Bella Ink in 2009.  We created 20 designs on a luxurious cream paper.  These three, from the Spring 2009 release, remained the most popular throughout the year. Each stationery set comes with 10 sheets of writing paper, 8 folded note cards, and 19 envelopes.  All stationery sets are packaged in a sleek, brown box, which won't leave a desk or countertop looking cluttered.  

Our Spring 2010 release, yet to hit stores, includes 7 new, two-sided writing papers available in boxes of 20.  Keep checking back for a preview of these new designs! 

 
(Pictured left to right: WCH-10 "St. Kitt's," and WCH-18 "Table for Six")

For fans of our wedding watercolor collection, WCH-10 and WCH-18 were tops.  Hand-painted by Bella Ink's president and designer, Melissa Danaher, these invitations, matching folded notes & correspondence cards took the Bella Ink line in a new direction.  By printing these invitations on a textured, cream stock, Bella Ink gave brides a sophisticated and luxe option for their big day without the hefty price tag.

The Spring 2010 release will be all watercolors, from wedding to baby and everything in between, printed on the same cream stock that you all fell in love with this year.

(Pictured: EF-78 "Anna")

In 2009 Bella Ink's folded note cards, printed on the same cream stock that most of the other products on this year's list are printed on, flew out of our warehouse.  Available blank or pre-printed with "Thank You," each card is a successful mash-up of color and pattern in true Bella Ink style.  Anna, above, just happened to be the best-seller folded note card of the year.  

Spring 2010 will blossom with our Initial Program, a series of 16 folded note card designs available blank or pre-printed with either the letter A, B, C, D, E, G, H, J, K, L, M, P, R, S, T or W.  Each of these designs coordinate with the designs on Bella Ink' new, two-sided writing papers, note cubes and self-mailers.  Keep on an eye on this blog for a preview of these designs!

 
 
(Pictured left to right: BT-35 "Star Shower," and Baby Announcement from the Bella Ink Album)

Bella Ink's ability to mix color and pattern on whimsical invitations and announcements has won a place in the hearts of many new moms throughout the U.S.  "Star Shower," pictured above, was one of the best-selling baby invitations of 2009, as well as BT-27, "Apple's Cart" (not pictured).  

When we released the Bella Ink Album in 2009, we were so happy to discover that many of our customers couldn't wait to get their hands on one!  Pictured above is a favorite baby announcement included in the Album.  The Album will provide you with custom invitations for any party in the year ahead.
 
To find a Bella Ink retailer near you, visit http://www.bellaink.com and select the "Find a Store" link on our home page.  You will also find a list of authorized online dealers.

Thank you for spending 2009 with Bella Ink!  We hope to see more of you in 2010, the year of our 5th anniversary.  There are many exciting new products and partnerships we can't wait to share with you.

Have a safe and happy new year!  

 

Give a Gift Card in a Mailer by Bella Ink!

(Bella Ink Gift Card Mailers, Clockwise: GC-22, GC-26, GC-24, GC-32)

The National Retail Federation predicts that gift cards will be the #1 gift purchase this holiday season.  A down economy has shoppers watching their pocketbooks and retailers choosing to hold less inventory, while offering smaller discounts than last season.

Some shoppers view gift cards as an impersonal fall-back purchase when stumped for what to buy a friend or family member.  If you purchase a general gift card from a credit card company, you do risk falling into this category, but Bella Ink Designs believes these hurdles can easily be overcome with a little thought.

Before purchasing a gift card, take a moment to understand the recipient.  Here are three basic questions to ask yourself before heading out:

1. Where does he/she like to shop?  

2. What, or where, do they like to eat?  

3. What are their hobbies? 

Your answers to these questions should help you select a retailer, or other business establishment, from which to purchase the recipient's gift card.  For example, if your father likes outdoor activities such as fishing or camping, select a gift card from a nearby outdoor/sporting goods store.  Do you have a friend who's a major Foodie?  Get them a gift certificate to the hot new restaurant in town.  If your daughter is a Shopaholic, take note of where her allowance goes each month.

By purchasing a gift card for their general interests,  you allow the recipient to get what they want or need, and may not be able to splurge on at this time.  And you don't risk going to their favorite store and picking out the one thing in there that they would never buy for themselves.  

Now that you know how to select a gift card, you need to know how to wrap the card.  No other present would be handed over without the appropriate accouterments.  Continue to make the present personal by selecting a Gift Card Mailer from Bella Ink Designs.  A Gift Card Mailer is a folded note card that has all the room you need on the inside for your hand-written message (a must!), while on the outside you get a signature designs from Bella Ink, along with a sparkly envelope in which to securely "wrap" the gift card.

Merry Shopping!

     

(Pictured, Above: GC-27, GC-31)

Bella Ink Sniffs Out a "Scent"sible Gift

(Above Left: EF-71 "Bradshaw" folded note by Bella Ink Designs.  Above Right: Michael Kors' Limited-Edition Very Hollywood Signature Pen.  Image from nitrolicious.com)

We at Bella Ink Designs have found the perfect accompaniment for a box of our colorful, personalized folded note cards in Michael Kors' scented, Limited-Edition Very Hollywood Signature Pen!  To activate the fragrance embedded in the ink you simply take the time to write a heartfelt note.  

With each swoop of the pen a complex fragrance, which Now Smell This has pinpointed as a mix of white florals, including wet jasmine, gardenia, orris, and soft white moss, will linger on the page.  The golden pen also has a croc-embossed grip to provide lovers, well-wishers, and many other authors with the utmost comfort as they pour out their hearts.  

By tying the pen to a box of note cards with a coordinating ribbon you'll make any birthday gal or hostess feel glamourous.  

Pictured clockwise from the top left: SF-20A, SF-15A, SF-14A, SF-11A

Bella Ink's PT-61, "Prince," is Back By Popular Demand!

  

In 2008 Bella Ink released PT-60, "Princess," and PT-61, "Prince" (pictured above).  Not being a company attached to traditional color schemes, like pink and blue, these were an unusual addition into the Bella Ink collection.  

In 2009 we replaced PT-61, which had sold out, with BT-37, a gender-neutral invitation.  (We love our greens, purples and yellows when it comes to baby cards)  People welcomed this new design, but many still longed for the true baby boy blue of "Prince."

This past week we sent numerous cards to press for re-printing, and we're happy to announce that PT-61 was among them!  

Thank you to our retailers for communicating the needs of their customers to us.  We wish you all a safe and joyful weekend!

Bella Ink Designs' Chandelier Invitation Featured in Greetings Etc. Newsletter

Chandeliers have moved out of the house and onto your invitations.  Greetings Etc. has highlighted this home decor item as an invitation design element in a 7-7-09 post by Kathy Krassner.  One of the featured invitations is Bella Ink's PT-92, "Light of the Party."  We have re-posted Kathy's entire article, below, so you can make the decision to swing from the chandeliers or keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. We hope you'll come fly with us, though.

 

Posted On: 7/7/2009 Chandeliers Light Up Sales By Kathy Krassner, editor-in-chief, Greetings etc. Chandeliers evoke elegance and are a charming design element now appearing on invitations, notecards, stickers and other stationery items. Bella Ink Designs, for example, offers a tea-length imprintable invitation, show at right, featuring two chandeliers ($14.50/box of 10; also available embellished, $16.50/box of 10).  Says Melissa Danaher, owner/designer of Bella Ink Designs: "Chandeliers are not just for dining rooms and grand entryways anymore.  They add glamour and whimsy to any room they're in.  Many brides make those themes a focal point on their wedding day.  Using a symbol of tradition and elegance on our invitations, like a chandelier, caters to the more traditional bride while maintaining the glamour and whimsy found in our other designs. "Chandelier imagery seems to evoke a 'vintage-chic' feeling that consumers love," states Elizabeth Upchurch, v.p. of sales at Inviting Company.  "They are popular whether they are done in an elegant, watercolor format or a contemporary graphic silhouette."  A chandelier is shown with an image of a bride on the 6" x 9" imprintable invitation ($26/box of 20), shown at left, from the Inviting Company's "Mindy Weiss Collection." William Arthur, Inc. offers a chandelier-themed card ($20/10 with lined envelopes), shown at right, in its "Pattern and Silhouette" collection.  According to Sean Tabb, v.p. of marketing and new product development: "We found our inspiration for this item at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, where chandeliers have grown in popularity over the past few years.  A great lighting fixture sets a mood to a space and, as a symbol, a chandelier on an invitation sets a tone for the event.  It's an easily recognized image that says, 'this party is fanciful and elegant." Chandelier images can also be found on Swarovski-crystal-embellished custom invitations ($326/100 with envelopes) from the "Social Butterfly" all-occasions album of Checkerboard Ltd., as show at left.  Additionally, chandeliers appear on acid- and lignin-free "Clear Stickers" ($2.49) from Hambly Studios; as well as on a "Love" bookmark ($3.99), which features the artwork of Art of Possibility Studios' physically disabled artists, and is available from Trends International. ###                                                                                                                    (Pictured, above, PH-28, CT-35), WCH-16) Bella Ink Designs is available at card & gift shops nationwide.  Visit www.bellaink.com and select the "Find a Store" link for a retailer near you.  Retailers,

Bella Ink Has A Secret!

Bella Ink has a secret, but today's Greetings Etc. email newsletter has let the cat out of the bag.  Surprise party invitations are HOT.  Invites that tell you to keep mum right out of the envelope are gaining in popularity at boutique card and gift shops nationwide.

Let it be a secret no more! Bella Ink Designs has it's very own "Shhhh" invitation.  PT-106 is fittingly named "Surprise," and is a great example of Melissa Danaher's ability to mix color and pattern on a single card.  She's combined some of today's most popular color choices with classic zebra and polka dot designs.  

Be sure to carry the theme of grey and green into your surprise party decor. You may start by setting your table with mercury glass candlesticks and votives.  A green tablecloth with a zebra print runner would make quite an impact, as would a bouquet of white anemone flowers in a silver vase.

For snacks, scatter silver mint julep cups filled with candy and trail mix about the space.  May we suggest one for yogurt covered raisins, another for wasabi peas, and a third for chilled, dark chocolate covered almonds?  

If only keeping the surprise party a secret from the guest of honor were as easy as planning and setting up for the event.

Stationery Trends For 2009

Bella Ink Designs has it on good authority from a couple of industry publications, Stationery Trends and Greetings Etc., that the year ahead, as bleak as it may look financially, will be sporting some uplifting themes.  Here are five that we think will take the lead.

1) The trend that most closely resembles the mood of Americans in this economy is... GRAY!  But don't be too quick to tack a rain cloud over the heads of those in the stationery business.  According to Greetings Etc.'s Jan/Feb 2009 issue, one popular move is to pair low-key neutrals like gray, black and brown with colors that like to pop such as greens and purples.  Turns out this gray trend isn't all that dreary.

    

(Above: Bella Ink Designs WT-27, WT-25, & WT-28 in taupe, brown, green and purple)

2) Foie Gras may be banned in Chicago, but certainly not Faux Bois.  That means fake wood... we had to look it up, too.  Not only is the trend of wood grain stationery sprouting up in Chicago, it has gone national according to Dan Collier of the Daniel Richards Rep Group.  He was interviewed by Greetings Etc. for their trends issue and predicated that this theme would be a big hit in the year ahead.

(Above: Bella Ink Designs WCH-9) 

3)  Stationery Trends magazine is dreaming of Damask, and so are we.  Designers are updating this classic pattern with modern color combos for everything from wallpaper to stationery.  This pattern will give your personalized stationery a luxe look, making both you and your note's recipient feel extra special.

(Above: Bella Ink Designs EF-66)

4) One of the most delightful trends for 2009 is the mixing of patterns, leading to invitations and folded notes with a whimsical nature... just what the doctor ordered for Mid-January!

(Above: Bella Ink Designs EF-68)

5) And finally, Bella Ink Designs would like to promote a trend that has become timeless: Helping others whenever we're financially able to do so.  Purchasing a single note card at your nearest card & gift boutique is perhaps one of the easiest ways to make a contribution while acquiring an inexpensive item to brighten somebody else's day. 

(Above: Bella Ink Designs SF-5 and EF-77.  10% of our proceeds from each card will be donated to PAWS and American Forests)

Bella Ink Designs feels that the year ahead will be an exciting one.  We're trying out some new things, such as sophisticated watercolor prints on a premium cream stock, and stationery sets.  As usual, though, all of our invitations and note cards are printed on paper that consists of at least 10% post-consumer fibers and are either Green Seal or FSC certified.  We will also be donating 10% of our proceeds from EF-59, "Think Pink," to another women's cancer research organization.  

Be sure to pick up a copy of Stationery Trends and Greetings Etc. for more 2009 trends!

Bella Ink Designs' Top Selling Cards of 2008

We're about to ring in a new year and we thought there would be no time like the present to take stock of the last 12 months at Bella Ink Designs.  A few quick keystrokes revealed the past year's bestselling cards.  There were some surprises and some not so surprising results.  The Images in this post represent Bella Ink Designs' Top 10 cards of the year, and are pictured in no particular order.  (Above, from left to right: GC-17 "Wedding Wishes Gift Card Mailer, GC-18 "Miss D'Vine" Gift Card Mailer, and P-17 "Ace Of Cakes" Folded Note)

We couldn't be happier that the Bella Ink Gift Card Mailers were such a hit!  4 mailer designs made the Top 10.  Whether you're shopping for your favorite bachelorette or dear old Dad, there is truly a mailer for everybody and every event throughout the year.  You can read more about our mailers in an earlier post. (Pictured above, from left to right: GC-5 "Grad" Gift Card Mailer, GC-29 "It's In The Bag" Gift Card Mailer, and W-13 "Will You Be My Bridesmaid" Folded Note)

The PT-57 "My Chihuahua" invitation is the card that won't quit.  After Spring and Summer were over, this card kept selling beyond our expectations.  It's incredibly popular with the folks down in Texas. Debbie at Papers You Love can back us up on that in her Shop Girl Focus post.  (Pictured above, from left to right: PT-57 "My Chihuahua" Tall Invite, BT-27 "Apple's Cart" Tall Invite, and NP-2 "Bride's List" Notepad)

Our bestselling Holiday Photo Card was the PC-43 "Candy Cane," pictured above.  The girls at Blink Photography graciously donated a few of their professional photos for use on our Photo Card samples. You can re-visit their post to learn more about Blink and see examples of their work.

So that's the Bella Ink Bestsellers List for 2008!  Thank you to all of our retailers and their customers for making 2008 such a fabulous year.  And thank you to the following businesses for participating in our monthly Shop Girl Focus feature:  Papers By Design, Ashley's Custom Stationery, Blink Photography, Where's the Party, and The Inviting Place. 

Best wishes to everybody this holiday season and in the year ahead!  

Bella Ink Dresses Up The Gift Card!

To all the husbands & wives, sons & daughters, brothers & sisters, friends & lovers out there... as the holiday season approaches and you begin to ponder what to get one another, we at Bella Ink Designs encourage you to purchase a gift card.

A gift card is NOT the easy way out when it's time to gift those near and dear to us.  Attention still needs to be paid to what it is the recipient may truly need or enjoy.  A gift card ensures that the people on your list get what they want; you just need to know from where they may want it.

There's not much room for excess right now, so make the most of your hard-earned dollars and put your thinking caps on.  It's not too hard to help those around you indulge in their favorite treats.  Does somebody in your life have a coffee fixation?  Hook them up with a coffee card; don't guess which flavor they like best and then buy them a bag of beans they'll never use.  Know anybody you wouldn't recognize without earphones?  Score them some new music.  Have a favorite fashionista but all you do is buy them embroidered sweatshirts year after year?  Let them do their own shopping at their favorite store!

At Bella Ink, we believe that etiquette dictates all gifts, big and small, be accompanied by a personal, hand-written note.  On top of that, every gift should be uniquely wrapped.  A gift card is no different.  Check out our sampling of  holiday Gift Card Mailers, pictured above and below.  These are a stylish way to make sure your gift card doesn't fall unceremoniously into the lap of its recipient.  Each folded note comes with a little pocket, which often doubles as part of the design, giving you all the room you need for your message on the inside and a secure place to "wrap" your gift card on the outside.

Bella Ink Gift Card Mailers are available at various boutique card & gift shops across the country.  Vistit Bella Ink's Find A Store page to locate a retailer near you!

Merry Shopping!