Personalized touches, from invitations & save-the-dates to centerpieces & guest favors, is what makes your event, whether it's a baby shower, birthday party, reunion, or wedding, stand out & leave a lasting impression on your guests.
This Paper Ship in Greensboro specializes in doing just that for each & every one of their clients. Husband & wife team Joel & Ashley Selby create custom paper goods & illustrations that truly capture the personality of their clients, using the events' theme, colors, & style to create pieces that are sure to wow guests.
Check out some of their recent works...
And meet the couple behind the creations...
Ashely & Joel Selby
Social Bee asked Ashley & Joel to tell us a little bit more about This Paper Ship....
SB - Tell us a little bit about yourself & how your business was started. Where did the name This Paper Ship come from?
A&J - "We met in a freshman drawing class and went through a graphic design program together, often in direct competition with each other! When we got married, we designed our own invitations & hand-drawn wedding map, and after the wedding, put pictures of them up on Etsy. That was almost 2 years ago, and we haven’t been without clients since!
The name This Paper Ship was originally from the phrase “God is piloting this paper ship,” referring to the gifts of creativity that we’ve been given."
SB - What products & services do you offer? (for weddings, showers, parties, etc)
A&J - "We offer fully custom wedding invitation suites, wedding photography, and non-studio portraiture. (Most often our work applies to weddings, but theoretically we can design for anything!)"
SB - What makes your designs/products stand out from the rest?
A&J - "The degree of personalization we strive for with every client. Since we started This Paper Ship with our own wedding invitations, we understand how meaningful they can be; to that end, we try as hard as we can to make each suite say something about that particular couples’ special day."
SB - What has been your favorite event that you have designed for & why?
A&J - "That’s a tough one! We have a bunch of favorites, but the best ones were probably the couples that had us design the most wacky and hand-drawn invitations. It warms our hearts when clients give us full reign on creativity!"
SB - What earth-friendly products do you offer?
A&J - "We do all of our printing in-house using French Paper, which is a 100% hydroelectric-powered mill on the St. Joseph River in Niles, MI. Additionally, we recycle our spent print cartridges and paper scraps."
SB - What is the process typically for clients from start to finish (inspiration to completion of print piece)?
A&J - "After clients contact us expressing interest in our suites, we try to find out from them information that will help make their suite unique; whether it’s hobbies, passions, favorite colors, favorite music, even life philosophies, every little bit helps. At that point, we design a draft, send it for review, and within 3 weeks a finished suite is in their hands!"
SB - Where do you get inspiration for your designs?
A&J - "Definitely first and foremost our clients. From there, to put our personal touch on things, we draw inspiration from contemporary hand-illustrated typography, advertising and childrens’ illustration from the 50’s–70’s, and Victorian design."
SB - What tips do you have for the modern bride or party hostess looking to offer guests something out of the ordinary?
A&J - "Be true to your own quirks—if you’re trying to avoid doing something stamped-out, we guarantee you don’t have to look any farther than your own unique combination of interests! Beyond that, offer delicious food and hire a good photographer. (For our own wedding, we got an awesome local restaurant and coffee shop to supply food and drinks, and we got Vantage Pictures to shoot it—definitely great decisions!)"
SB - What other creative avenues do you use to express your creativity & style?
A&J - "We love to cook; Joel’s enrolled in culinary school and is constantly bringing back new ideas that we get to explore together. Additionally, Ashley is a painter who’s inspired both by Michelangelo and by contemporary illustration, and Joel writes poetry and short fiction. When we’re not doing all that, we spend a lot of time raising vegetables and tending chickens. We definitely make ourselves busy, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!"
Visit This Paper Ship online at http://www.thispapership.com/
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Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 9:49AM 
