Stuck on design of invitation

[dsrt16]

So I am designing my daughter's one year birthday party invitation. I liked the chalkboard idea, but now I am a bit stuck on design (embellishments that go along with it).

 

Embelishment Options

Option 1: The brackets I have put in the corner of the chalkboard

 

Option 2: The pink chalk flowers and hearts and cupcakes (but then is that too much chalk stuff)

 

Option 3: Some sort of string border embellishment---an image/shape connected by string( I am looking through my collections to try and find one.....I am thinking those upside down triangle shapes connected by a string....not sure if I have an embellishment like that) where I put the black pencil line

 

Option 4: A string embellishment where I put the red pencil line

 

Any other embellishment ideas? Or a combination of my options.

 

 

The other side will have a picture of my daughter.

 

 

General Questions

Is there too much purple on the bottom with the purple frame around the date info and then purple text below it?

[dsrt16]

I haven;t taken the picture I am going to use yet. I'm thinking of taking one of her sitting in the grass outside at a park for pretty scenery, but I don't know...

[JenniferZ]

You have a good start here. One thing I would change is the font. The script font for Brinley's name is fine, but I would choose a lighter weight font for the rest and decrease the size and/or vary the size. I might do away with the corner embellishments and instead of using a full on enclosure to set the date/time/location apart, I would find a delicate border (like a long, shallow flourish, or even a line of dots and a solid line, but thin) to use.

 

Hope this helps a bit -- happy birthday to your little one!!

[dsrt16]

Thanks. I was confused at first when you said pick a light weight font and vary the font sizes because I had done that, but then I realized bold was turned on, so it didn't look like a light weight font anymore. I turned it on just for the is turning ONE! part....I thought that part should be bolded. But, I didn't mean to bold any of the rest. SO anyway, I took the bold off (even for the part I meant to bold) and I changed the brush frame.

 

When you said do away with the corner embellishments which ones were you referring to? I am trying to decide between the corner brackets or the pink chalk designs in the corner. I am not going to use both. Were you meaning get rid of the corner brackets and keep the pink chalk designs OR did you mean get rid of all of them?

 

Here is what it looks like now with a new border and the text not bolded.

 

SHould I have the bottom text in green like the others or keep it in purple?

[lindarobin]

I love the whole chalkboard look. Personally, I would just do the whole card as chalkboard art (no border, no strings, no corner brackets) with the picture of your daughter "drawn in white chalk". That requires some styles and filters, but I think it would look very cool.

[JenniferZ]

Oooh...I really like this cleaner look!!

 

The lighter weight font (I guess I should have said thinner... ) is much easier to read. Take a look at the bottom section. Your other text is centered but the RSVP and other line are not. If this is intentional, then leave it!

 

The corner embellishments I was referring to are the metallic-looking triangles. As far as text colors, I like it the way it is.

 

Keep in mind that all art is subjective, so if YOU like something, then that's how you should keep it.

[dsrt16]

LIndarobin,

 

That would look way cool, but that is way above my abilities. I would have no idea how to make my daughter look like drawn in white chalk. If I could do that, that would look awesome!

I was worried it was too much chalk stuff, which is why I was trying to bring in one embellishment that wasn't chalk---the string thing!

 

JenniferZ,

 

I wasn't sure I liked the metallic corners. I just thought there was maybe too much chalk stuff, so I was trying to branch out. I was going to delete the pink cupcake, heart, and flowers because I thought it might be too much chalk and use the metallic corners instead. But, I wasn't sure I liked them. I was just trying to decide. Those have been deleted, and I am going with the pink chalk pictures....I just hope it isn't too much chalk.

 

Now, I found a string border on google images and then just recolored it, but it doesn't have the right curvature. I am thinking I need it to curve like the black pencil line I drew, but that would probably mean making the string embellishment myself since I can't find one to curve the way I need....I have no idea how to do that. haha. And then to tie it in, I thought I might put a smaller string thing in the corner of my daughter's picture.

 

 

THANKS so much, ladies. I am not a very good designer, but I wanted to try this.

 

Any ideas on the sting border? Take it off entirely? Follow the black pencil curvature? Use the smaller one in corner of picture with daughter or delete that one and just keep the main one?

[MariJ]

You're invitation is looking great.

I think it's lovely and I don't think you don't need the flags or string border as my eyes went right there and focused rather than to your content. Once you put your daughter's sweet photo there I'm sure that's where my eye would go, but again. As Jennifer said it's up to YOU to like it!

 

There used to be an action or style in the Boutique that turned photos into chalk portraits, but the Designer isn't here anymore.

I just looked in my PSE program and there is a Filter>Sketch>Chalk & Charcoal option, but I don't know how well it works.

 

Good luck and happy Birthday to your daughter.

[CRS]

I like the chalk look and it will look great next to a photo of your daughter! Happy Birthday to her and to you!

[JenniferZ]

LIndarobin,

 

That would look way cool, but that is way above my abilities. I would have no idea how to make my daughter look like drawn in white chalk. If I could do that, that would look awesome!

 

I was worried it was too much chalk stuff, which is why I was trying to bring in one embellishment that wasn't chalk---the string thing!

 

JenniferZ,

 

I wasn't sure I liked the metallic corners. I just thought there was maybe too much chalk stuff, so I was trying to branch out. I was going to delete the pink cupcake, heart, and flowers because I thought it might be too much chalk and use the metallic corners instead. But, I wasn't sure I liked them. I was just trying to decide. Those have been deleted, and I am going with the pink chalk pictures....I just hope it isn't too much chalk.

 

Now, I found a string border on google images and then just recolored it, but it doesn't have the right curvature. I am thinking I need it to curve like the black pencil line I drew, but that would probably mean making the string embellishment myself since I can't find one to curve the way I need....I have no idea how to do that. haha. And then to tie it in, I thought I might put a smaller string thing in the corner of my daughter's picture.

 

 

THANKS so much, ladies. I am not a very good designer, but I wanted to try this.

 

Any ideas on the sting border? Take it off entirely? Follow the black pencil curvature? Use the smaller one in corner of picture with daughter or delete that one and just keep the main one?

 

The banners look nice. Maybe just try a thinner border, or the same thing you used to set apart the date, time, place, and see what you think.

 

Also, what program are you using? That will help us in giving you techniques or product recommendations that are compatible with it.

[dsrt16]

I am using Photoshop Elements 14. I will try the chalk/charcoal filter.

[dsrt16]

I will play around with placement of string border or delete it. I just thought I needed something non-chalky but maybe not...

[lindarobin]

I am using Photoshop Elements 14. I will try the chalk/charcoal filter.

This was pretty simple, using a combination of threshold and charcoal. It doesn't look like someone drew with white chalk, but it's kind of nice, and may co-ordinate with the chalkboard theme. Perhaps applying the overlay blend (or some other blend mode) with the chalkboard image underneath, will have the desired effect.

[dsrt16]

So I was going to take a picture of her playing in the grass for scenery purposes. But, since I was trying the chalk idea, I took a picture of her standing up against our couch.

 

I tried the chalk look....I used a blending mode and the filter>sketch>charcoal. Not sure it looks right...I tried to mess with settings. Threshold made things super dark and you couldn't see her at all.

 

I posted a version without the chalk...obviously that picture doesn't look right....maybe if I could extract her from the background, and then just have her standing up, but then there would just be all this empty white space all around and then just this extraction of her standing. Maybe in that case get rid of the white border and just have the picture and chalkboard on the purple paper?

 

If I don't apply a chalk filter, I have no idea how to make a picture look good near the chalk. She can't stand up on her own yet. So the only way to get a picture of her standing is her holding on to things, so the background of photo would be a room in my house. Or I could get a cute one of her sitting in the grass. Then background would be green grass, and i dint know if that would match either. I just don't know what kind of picture would work with this chalk invitation.

 

I want to pass out invitations this Sunday, so I have to decide and take the correct picture either today or tomorrow.

 

Any ideas? I really don't know what to do for the picture.

[Smiles]

I just wanted to chime in that I think this is adorable, and I like your design.

[dsrt16]

Thanks! While in the shower this morning, I thought maybe to tie in the chalkboard with the picture, I would put in 2 pictures on the chalkboard background, and write captions. Or maybe to tie in the chalkboard, I would use a chalk frame around the picture.

 

Do any of these designs work? With the chalk frame one, I used the skinny border because that matched the picture I took yesterday. But I could use a wider chalk border and different picture, so there wouldn't be so much white space.

[lindarobin]

 

This is very cute. The chalk frame goes well. Try a cropped in close-up version of the photo as well, and see how you like it.

[MariJ]

 

This is very cute. The chalk frame goes well. Try a cropped in close-up version of the photo as well, and see how you like it.

 

 

That looks great and you can really see Brinley!

[lindarobin]

When using the lighten blend mode, the photo background takes on the look of the chalkboard. Cool.

[MariJ]

When using the lighten blend mode, the photo background takes on the look of the chalkboard. Cool.

 

That is VERY cool! I know darken will sometimes make that effect to the backround but this is really neat!

[dsrt16]

Super cool. Thanks you ladies have been SOO helpful!

 

It was cool to blend it into the chalkboard, but my hubby thought it looked weird since she was standing, and then when the background was gone, her hands were just suspended there.

 

So I with not blending it, but cropping it in.

 

I also scooted everything over, so that there wasn't so much empty white space between the invitation info and the framed picture of her. I just exposed more of the purple paper and made the chalkboard part not as wide. Was this the right move? I thought there was too much trapped white space, but now maybe it is too squished? I am still new to the world of design, so I would like your expert opinions even if you get back to me after I already print the invitation off; it will just be good info for future. So did the previous design have too much trapped white space, so my change was good? Or is now this design too squished and the trapped white sapce wasn't a problem?

 

For fun, I have attached the version with the photo blended into background, but we aren't using that one since hubby thought it looked weird with her arms just hanging there. It would have looked good if she had her arms down at her side. So thanks for the tip!

[diannecp]

It's looking great. Love seeing the process of batting ideas around and trying different things. Your creativity really shows thru here!