Tag Archives for engraved stationery

Memorial Day Packing Essentials

 

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us! Whether you’re headed to the beach, the mountains, or overseas, we wanted to share a few of our staples for any destination.

The Beach

Endless Summer
Aquazurra “Wild Thing” Sandals
L.L. Bean Tote Bags
Endless Summer Sunglasses
  • The Bag: A classic tote bag for all of your beach essentials like this one from L.L Bean
  • The Shoes: Stylish sandals to slip on for happy hour. We love making a statement in these ones by Aquazurra.
  • The Stationery: Say hello from the beach with our Endless Summer Collection

 

A Long Weekend Abroad

Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bag
Chanel Lambskin Ballerinas
The Jet Set Collection
  • The Bag: A leather bucket bag in a neutral color like the Mansur Gavriel Flamma.
  • The Shoes: A versatile pair of flats are easy to fit in a suitcase and they’ll match any outfit. You can’t go wrong with the classic Ballerinas by Chanel.
  • The Stationery: Fly away with our Jet Set Collection and send letters from all over the world

 

A Camping Trip

Osprey Escapist 25
Vasque Breeze III
Schumacher Zanzibar and Lansdale Journals
  • The Bag: A backpack with plenty of space for a day hike like the Escapist 25 from Osprey. Make sure that your pack is weatherproof!
  • The Shoes: Sturdy hiking boots for all terrain like the Breeze III by Vasque.
  • The Stationery: Stash a Schumacher Journal in your pack wherever you go

 

We hope that you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! What are some of your packing essentials for the Holiday Weekend?

National Card and Letter Writing Month 2017

The U.S. Postal Service officially designated April as National Card and Letter Writing Month in 2001 “to raise awareness of the importance and historical significance of card and letter writing.”

We have always been strong proponents of handwritten correspondence and we firmly believe that there is no comparison to receiving a letter in the mail. In celebration of National Letter Writing month, the Dempsey & Carroll team has once again accepted the challenge of writing 30 letters in 30 days. Even if you can’t commit to writing a letter a day, we encourage all of our followers to pen a few notes to friends or family members who you have fallen out of touch with. Even if it is just a short note, the recipient will be thrilled to know that you took the time to think about them.

 

Write with us!

Throughout the month of April, we will have letter writing materials available at our flagship store at 1049 LEX for anyone who would like to take a few moments to write a letter. We have the paper, envelopes, writing utensils, and stamps; all that you need to do is write and we’ll send the letter off for you!

Letter Writing at 1049 Lexington

As a reminder, Our Annual Engraved Note Sheet Sale is taking place throughout the month of April for those of you who are fond of writing longer letters.

Get Social

Do you have a favorite place where you like to catch up on correspondence? Have you been practicing your calligraphy to add a special touch to your letters? Be sure to use the #nationalletterwritingmonth hashtag if you share any posts related to writing letters.Rumson Road

Don’t forget to follow  and tag us on social media:

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Real Weddings: Lauren & Sam

Real Wedding

Lauren & Samuel

Brooklyn Museum

December 17th, 2016

 

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Wild winter weather provided a spectacular backdrop to Lauren and Samuel’s ceremony. Sided by charming brickwork from the original Beaux-Arts structure that was designed by the legendary firm of McKim, Mead & White, ensconced guests could gaze past the chuppah, over a joyous gospel choir, and through a modern glass addition with evolving weather cascading safely beyond.

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Lauren first visited with Dempsey and Carroll’s Austin Ackles last June with her sister Carolyn and their mother, Wendy, in tow. The three (all sharp, design savvy and decisive) arrived with a very clear vision and with a great appreciation for the tried-and-true engraving process. Our Pewter ink and  Dempsey White paper thrilled them, while the hand calligraphed names of the bride and groom contrasted perfectly with the modern font for the text. After the calligraphy is handwritten, it is then etched into a copper plate that’s inked and pushed to paper, one by one, on an antique press. Finally, edges of the invitation were carefully beveled and hand painted with silver ink and envelopes were finished with a subtle, shimmering silver lining.

With cocktails in hand, guests mingled amongst masterpieces by Corot, Cassatt, and Degas in the colonnade before moving in under the impressive skylight space. The overall feeling was of a classic ice palace, but one given warmth and an edgy modernity, with magically-hued lighting effects in pinks and greens and lavenders.

A winter wonderland and subtle pine scent surrounded Dempsey & Carroll escort cards. Columns of birch echoed those of marble and massive scale that bordered the space.

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Additional lighting effects gave the impression of late in the day sun weaving its way through a cluster of swaying aspens.

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A smartly conceived floor plan ensured that the guests were wowed by the immense history of place while still close enough to one another for an intimate vibe. Lauren and Samuel’s marriage celebration carried on as everyone let go to classic Motown, R&B favorites and early hip-hop.

Dempsey & Carroll is pleased to have had a role in such a brilliant affair. Congratulations to a most lovely couple!

Credits:

Photography: Ira Lippke Studios

Wedding Planner: Vanda High Events

In the Mail: A “When-to” for Wedding Invitations

The beginning of a new year marks the beginning of a new wedding season.  Dempsey & Carroll’s Austin Ackles answers some of the frequently asked questions about the most optimal timelines for ordering and sending wedding invitations. 

Congratulations! You’re getting married, you’ve locked down your dream location, and now you need to spread the word. Here are a few tips for a wrinkle-free work flow that will result in perfectly timed wedding paper.

 

When is the best time to send Save the Dates?

Save the Dates are usually sent anywhere between six and twelve months before the event. Consider sending them out on the early side if your wedding is in a location with limited flights and accommodations such as Aspen or St. Barts. If the wedding is located in New York City, six months ahead is usually fine. Be sure to include the hotel block information with the Save the Date and not later with the invitation because that’s when guests need it most. If everyone is invited to Friday night festivities and Sunday brunch, call it a “Save the Weekend” so that your lucky guests will know to book a longer weekend.

 

OK, my Save the Date is in the mail! When do I need to start the wedding invitation process?

Trusty sources say that invitations should be posted between six and eight weeks before the wedding, but here at Dempsey & Carroll, our clients generally prefer eight weeks out. Working backwards, producing fine engraved papers with hand finishes takes about six weeks and calligraphy of the envelopes takes  a minimum of two or three weeks. For design time, allow about three weeks. Faster results are certainly possible when required, but to get the most enjoyment out of the process, come to see us at least five months in advance of your big day for a stress-free, luxurious experience of a lifetime!

 

And what about the paper I need for the day of?

We usually start working on menus, welcome notes, ceremony program booklets, escort cards, and place cards right after we send the wedding invitations to print. All the paper then has a congruent feel for a perfectly polished wedding!

 

Holiday Cards: A Brief History

Did you know that December 9th is known as “Christmas Card Day” to honor the anniversary of the first commercially sold holiday card? We found this article by John Hanc to be very helpful in its thorough account of the history of holiday cards.

During the 1800s in England, the British postal service introduced the “Penny Post” system which allowed people to send a letter anywhere in the country by affixing a penny stamp to the envelope. Sir Henry Cole, prominent patron of the arts and founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, found it difficult to keep up with the piles of mail that he would receive during the holiday season.

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Sir Cole’s first Christmas Card

Cole hit on an ingenious idea [in 1843]. He approached an artist friend, J.C. Horsley, and asked him to design an idea that Cole had sketched out in his mind. Cole then took Horsley’s illustration—a triptych showing a family at table celebrating the holiday flanked by images of people helping the poor—and had a thousand copies made by a London printer. The image was printed on a piece of stiff cardboard 5 1/8 x 3 1/4 inches in size. At the top of each was the salutation, “TO:_____” allowing Cole to personalize his responses, which included the generic greeting “A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year To You.”

Many of Cole’s Victorian aristocratic contemporaries started to send out their own Christmas cards in the following years, and the trend reached The United States several decades later. The custom of sending holiday cards quickly became an integral part of the season, and people would line up at card shops in order to catch a glimpse of the newest designs for that year.

Dempsey & Carroll’s founding in 1878 coincided with the recent boom in popularity for Holiday Cards. In our 1880 book The Art of Correspondence, Messrs. Dempsey & Carroll published the press release to announce their new holiday collections.

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We have imported the most elegant Christmas Cards ever brought to this city. We call your attention to the fact that WE SHALL OPEN ABOUT DECEMBER FIRST an assortment of fine Christmas Cards excelling anything ever offered. LAST SEASON A GREAT NUMBER OF OUR PATRONS were disappointed that they purchased elsewhere before seeing ours; stating that ours were the handsomest they had seen. Please call early to avoid the crush that delay occasions.

138 years later, we still take great pride in unveiling our new designs for the holiday season. In modern times, however, our new collections are usually done with production by the end of June and are on display for the press by mid-July. Many of our clients are already looking to order their Holiday cards by early fall so as not to feel rushed in December.

We’ve expanded upon our offerings in recent years by combining multiple printing techniques for many of our new holiday collections. Our commitment to providing the highest quality of craftsmanship to our clients remains strong as we continue to creative beautiful designs for 2017 and beyond.

Though technology has greatly changed since Sir Cole’s first Christmas card in 1843, the joy of sending holiday cards to family and friends is a feeling that transcends time.

Letter Writing Day 2016

The art of the handwritten note is something that we have cherished here at Dempsey & Carroll since our founding in 1878. In celebration of December 7th being declared “Letter Writing Day”, we wanted to share our thoughts on what inspires us to write letters.

Megan: “To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.”  – Phyllis Theroux width=

Carolyn: I love seeing other people’s handwriting! It’s your very own style–no one else can write the same way–To me, that’s one of the coolest things ever!

Austin: Perhaps my favorite thing about receiving a handwritten note comes years later when looking through a shoe box filled with them and having a special moment come back alive.

Ariel: I have always cherished the art of the handwritten note as it serves as a means to make sentiments tangible. Every letter I receive serves as a keepsake that I will forever appreciate.

Emma: There’s a wonderful quote by Haruki Murakami that speaks to my love of the handwritten note: “How wonderful it is to be able to write someone a letter! To feel like conveying your thoughts to a person, to sit at your desk and pick up a pen,
to put your thoughts into words like this is truly marvelous.”

Umara: For my contribution, I join Megan in citing the wise words of Phyllis Theroux: “To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.” In a day and age where technology has taken over and everything is done instantly, the art of taking the time to write a letter is something that really does require deep thought and care from one’s heart.

Marina: Hand writing letters brings back some of the fondest memories of my childhood. I loved sitting at the dining room table with my mother, eating snacks while she wrote letters to our friends and family overseas while we discussed what to write.

Chandra: With all of the alternative forms of communication that exist today, it’s easy to think that letter writing may eventually become a lost art. On account of that, I’ve found the significance of written correspondence has increased, becoming that much more unique, genuine, beautiful and appreciated.

Leo: My father and I spent an afternoon in the store selecting these note cards for him. It was great fun not least because they suit him perfectly and were hardly a first choice. Notes from him on these cards will always remind me how much I admire him.leo

We now invite you to reflect upon your favorite things about handwritten notes. Please feel free to share your own anecdotes with us on social media and be sure to tag our accounts!

Instagram: @dempseycarroll

Twitter: @dempseycarroll

Facebook Page: Dempsey & Carroll

The Art of the Condolence Note

The New York Times published an article, “The Art of Condolence,” about the importance of handwritten sympathy notes in the digital age. Our Creative Director Leo Mascotte offers some of his insight into how to properly craft a thoughtful sympathy note.

There are few pieces of correspondence one wants to write less than those sent to express sympathy, though notes of condolence are likely to be saved and cherished by the recipient. As an essential tool of communication, they allow the sender and recipient simultaneous access and remove, crucial during difficult and often demanding times.

1) Your starting point should be informed by how well you knew the deceased and how well you know the person to whom you write.  Let the note’s opening express your emotional reaction to the news of your recipient’s loss.  This may take many forms, from the shock of reacting to unexpected events, to a sort of relief-tinged sorrow that may accompany the loss that follows a prolonged illness.

2) It is important to offer a description of your own feelings, as they will often mirror those felt by your reader.  Avoid blanket phrases and resist the urge to detach.  Offering a window into your own feelings will help to validate the flood of emotions confronting the grieving.

3) When addressing someone not well known to you, include a line indicating your connection to the deceased.  A note of this type can be thoughtfully composed with your introduction at its core.

4) Writing to those most dear can prove especially difficult.   Write an anecdote about or memory of the deceased into the heart of your note.   Ideally, your story would be new to your addressee.  The most memorable notes are often the most offhand, narratives that draw energy from the everyday and bestow ease with a voice that is familiar.  Perhaps you might recall a favor bestowed, or laughter shared.  Describe a party at which you were a guest, or retell sport, either shared or observed.   Sensory references are especially enriching.  Commend the dapper, highlight a distinctive gait, savor the pleasures of grill or garden.  Allow your telling to become a description of the way you will remember.

Etiquette requires acknowledgement of the receipt of a condolence note by the recipient.  This may take the form of boxed cards or notes, though bespoke options are also available.  Stationery printed to meet these needs traditionally uses white or ecru stock and black ink paired with classic typestyles.