We've reached the end of our Save the Date recap - and we wanted to finish with some lovely, classic examples of card announcements.We really like this simple calendar design with the heart-shaped date marker - can't you imagine guests keeping this on their mantlepiece or fridge as a pretty reminder of the upcoming wedding?

These seersucker cards are ideal for a spring or summer wedding and could be printed in any thematic color...

We really enjoyed working on this destination wedding. All of the separate items fit into the custom envelope and they have a wonderful 1920s vintage travel feel!

Finally, I'm a sucker for anything with a nautical or maritime theme so these whale-printed cards make me swoon...

- Jana

Most of the business cards we print are rectangular. This follows on from the earliest examples of calling cards which would always be this shape. However, we also like the individuality implicit in a card with an unusual shape or dimensions. We recently printed this gorgeous square business card and now most of us here in the workshop are coveting them!

In the 19th Century, it wasn't just the information printed on the calling card that mattered, subtle adaptations to the card itself could convey meaning:

If a gentleman folded over the left hand upper corner of his card, it implied that his visit was congratulatory in nature.

A fold to the lower left hand corner meant that he sent his condolences.

If a gentleman was taking leave for a considerable amount of time, this would be communicated by a fold in the lower right hand corner.

I'm not sure people would pick up on these distinctions nowadays, but perhaps we should start experimenting with our own business cards:

- Jana

Here at Sesame, we print lots of business cards. Even though they are a relatively simple item, we really love the challenge of designing something memorable and unique within the quite small parameters.

I've been investigating a little more about the humble business card and I wanted to share some anecdotes with you. This is also a great opportunity to post some photos of our favorite business cards.

During the 19th Century, the practice of “calling” upon relatives, friends, and acquaintances was a middle and upper class social ritual with strict guidelines and rules. Visiting etiquette hinged upon the calling card. Upon arrival, a gentleman placed his calling card on a silver tray, held by the servant who answered the door. This served to 'announce' him to the person he was visiting.

If a gentleman was visiting a home for the first time, he would leave a card and then depart. If the new acquaintance wished to receive a visit, he or she would send a card in return. If no card was sent, or if the return card was sent in an envelope, this signaled that the new acquaintance did not wish for a personal visit to occur. It was basically the well-mannered brush off. All those subtle little social clues...a little different to "un-friending" someone on Facebook!

- Jana

Our spooky Bags of Mystery have been featured on the lovely Discover Paper blog. They posted a round-up of 13 awesome Halloween paper goods and we're thrilled to be mentioned!Here's the full list - we're number 9...

Many of our clients choose to send a Save the Date which is formatted like a postcard. These are great because they often do not require an envelope (you can write the recipients' address directly onto the card) and they can be printed on two sides. The Save the Date is often the perfect opportunity to come up with a design that highlights the location of the wedding - an exciting teaser for your guests!Here are a few examples that we particularly like:

And here are some lovely NY-centric Save the Date postcards:

- Jana

Following on from last week's post about Save the Date coasters, I was looking through our archive of photos and I found some lovely images of a Save the Date bookmark we made for a couple. What a great idea? This would be the perfect stationery for a couple planning a book-themed wedding: antique books as centerpieces, pages of text used as envelope liners, notebooks as favors. The possibilities are endless!

- Jana

Okay, this post is largely an excuse to share an irresistible picture of two goats. It is also an opportunity to share with you a beautiful new website Hudsonmadeny.com featuring artisan-made products from the New York area.  There are gorgeous items such as copper flasks, flame-blackened ladles, our letterpress tags, cards and books and black soap made from the milk of the adorable pasture-raised Nubian goats pictured above.

With the holiday season approaching, this is a great site to check out and a nice way to support people who make things with their hands.

- Breck

We love working with couples to design their Save the Dates. It's so much fun at the very start of the stationery-planning process to discuss colors, designs and formats. Over the past few years, we have printed a whole bunch of Save the Date coasters and we wanted to share some of these with you. We like the functional nature of these items; any leftovers are a lovely keepsake for the married couple to use after the wedding!Here's a classic design with a fun twist: as a Brit, I love the cursive "Cheers!"

If you're going to use a coaster as a Save the Date, why not include a recipe for your favorite mixed drink:

We really like the silhouette of the couple in the coasters below - and these could be customized in any colors:

I'm a big fan of a pop of bright green, so the simple design below immediately caught my eye:

And finally, my personal favorite...I love cycling around the city so anything with a bicycle theme appeals to me!

- Jana