Sam Allen Creates: January thru March 2019

This was an unusual start to the year for me! My shop usually gets busy in January but this year it was rather slow which left me plenty of time to focus on some 2019 goals… take a look!

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January

Going in to the new year, I had one major goal: to create and list more PRINTS! And this included printed versions of my godparent and bridesmaid cards! Since my shop was unusually slow, I got this goal for the year off my list right away!

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Shop bridal party cards here and godparent cards here.

Midway through the month, the amazing Stephanie Weber planned and photographed an amazing shoot that featured my watercolor wedding line, florals by Bloom Theory Design and tabletop rentals by Rustic Peony Co! When I first approached her last October about doing this product shoot, I never could have imagined such beauty… it truly was a dream come true and I can’t wait to share more in a later blog post.

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While I may work directly with brides more often than not, I love getting to work directly with photographers for their brides! These vow books were commissioned and photographed by Janita Mestre for her client welcome gifts! I love all her ribbon, textures and dishes. Such a pretty setting for my handmade books.

Much of the month was spent working on styled shoots that both took place in Southern California at the end of the month….

Next month I’ll be sharing a full post on this, but I have to share a sneak peek with you now! This Alice in Wonderland themed wedding was absolute perfection! Essentially it was a whimsical garden wedding but with the perfect touch of Alice scattered throughout the details: rabbits, clocks, and keys graced the grounds at Chateau Adare in Murrieta! Melissa Fe Chapman and Stephanie Weber dreamed up the perfect shoot for Alice!

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That same week, Jessica Schmuckle with Styled Shoots Across America designed a rustic purple wedding at Brick in San Diego. I loved the combo of shabby chic and galvanized metal… it gave the open space such a glam yet vintage feel. Photos by Jaymee Lynn Photography.

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One last project for the month was addressing these invitation envelopes for a wedding in South Carolina! I just love this writing style, it’s a favorite of mine for sure!

But of course can’t close out the month without sharing more handpainted cards… they’re a staple creation around here now…

Shop wedding day cards and bridesmaid proposal cards here.

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February

The month of February started with a trip to Europe for me and the hubby! We ate our way through Rome, experienced so much history, and then Andy consulted on a BBQ restaurant that has now opened in Barcelona, Spain!

While we were gone, Cassy Velazquez photographed some of my stationery at a styled shoot at the Ebell Club!

Also while we were gone, my feature in the SD Voyager was published! Go take a read!

Once we got back from our trip, I made up the time quick making those last 10 days of the month SUPER productive…

First up, more vow books! Both sets for photographer welcome gifts for their new clients.

And lots and lots of painting… from bridesmaid cards to placecard tags! I’m so thankful for these customers who were patiently awaiting my return from Europe!

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Plus these cute little banners for a Cancun wedding! Photos by Sarani Photography.

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And just before the month was over, I created a free printable monthly calendar for my email subscribers! I had been thinking awhile on what type of freebie I could give to my followers and grow my email list. I really love how it came out and enjoy releasing a new one each month with my Floral Letters. Want to get your own? Get your download here.

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March

After taking off so much of February, the month of March felt super productive as I started gearing up for my Mother’s Day sale in April!

But first, I want to share this dusty rose invitation suite from a styled shoot that took place in Washington under the spring cherry blossoms! Photographed by Stormy Baldwin.

And then here’s a sneak peek from another shoot I worked on in the month of March… This my own image but will definitely be sharing more of the gallery from the amazing Selycia Yang!

Before I get into the gifts for Mother’s Day, I have to share this painting I created for my mama friend Hedder and her sweet baby boy, Drew Bear. For the baby shower gift, I had asked for some general ideas of the nursery decor: woodsy, bears, rustic browns and grays… and then she gave me this verse from the book of Matthew. Between all of that, it was easy to come up with a custom painting for his room by placing his very name within the verse itself! I love how this piece came out so much and by the look on sweet her face when she opened it, she loved it too!

And as a belated Christmas gift, my own mama commissioned these canvases for some of her best friends. I don’t often work with acrylic paint so this was a fun challenge for me! But of course I love how they came out featuring the lyrics to the song “Beautiful Savior!”

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Now on to Mother’s Day (and anniversary) gifts! Creating watercolor portraits truly is one of my favorite projects that cross my desk. Turning those favorite photos into watercolor paintings is a joy for me! Adding a wedding portrait to the mix was a fun new challenge too, but that bouquet was SO fun to paint!

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Handlettering truly is my passion… many years ago I fell in love with typography, the design and the flow of letters. So when Sandrina from Rustic Peony Co commissioned some bible verses to be painted for her house, I was so excited!! These 16×20 paintings were painted with so much love!

In case you haven’t heard me talk about Stephanie Weber enough in this post, she was gracious enough to photograph these flatlays for me of my watercolor cards and tags! She has such an eye for detail and I’m thankful she shares her talents with me!

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And of course, the month included all the Etsy orders that came in… like these menus for Sheila’s 40th birthday dinner!

And although this wedding JUST happened last weekend, it was in March that I painted this keepsake for Candice’s husband to be! With subtle touches of pink, peach, and gold the paper alone is a work of art but the sweet words to her groom are my favorite.

And more and more and more watercolor cards! You’d think I’d be sick of painting these but I really truly am not. I’m so thankful to get to spend my days with my paint brush in hand…. although I’m running out of Netflix shows to binge watch listen to while I work.

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Last, but not least, Julia had me paint up some signage for her wedding…

I always like to take photos before I ship everything…

But then I got these photos straight from Julia’s photographer, Michelle Preau Photography… whoo hoo!! I’m always so excited to get REAL wedding photos back!!

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Thank you so much for reading! I love my work so much and I am happy to share it with you!! If you ever have any questions, please reach out! My inbox is waiting for you!