Hi friends! Happy Monday and WELCOME to the new NJP website and blog! I’ve been working hard this past month on branding myself, which meant lots of fun things like color schemes, site development and logo design! It also meant working on some new content for the blog and resources for brides.

Which brings me to today! I’m so excited to be kicking off this new series aimed at showcasing some of the fabulous wedding professionals in Chicago. So current and future brides, take note!

I figured there was no better way to start this series than with featuring the talented woman behind all the fun new logos you see around my site, Angelika Piwowarczyk from Design by Angelika! I got to sit down with Angelika over coffee and y’all…there isn’t enough room in this post for me to explain everything I learned that day about the intricacies of letterpress but, let me tell you, I was FLOORED. Angelika is a true artist in every sense of the word and I loved hearing her talk about her craft.

So without further ado, meet Angelika! 

I’m originally from Poland. I moved to Chicago when I was 8 years old and have been here ever since. Chicago is home now and I don’t think I’ll ever leave. Whenever I have the opportunity, however, I love to travel. Some of my favorite trips have been to Jaipur, Berlin, Dublin and Chefchaouen. This year I’ll be going to Copenhagen, Poland, and attending a lettering retreat in the Rocky Mountains.

What services do you provide?

The roots of Design by Angelika lie in illustration and design. From wedding stationery to tattoo design to branding and marketing to fine art pieces, projects with Design by Angelika can take on infinite forms and directions. We’ve worked with engaged couples, non-profits, small businesses, and art and design lovers in general to create unique, one of a kind designs for all sorts of uses.

How did you get started in this industry?

I had always been one of those kids that was creating things. I still have hand-drawn books from when I lived in Poland, drawings that I sold for pennies in fourth grade and all the high school art I’ve ever made. It was never really a question that I would study fine art in college and it was really just a matter of time before I figured out how to translate my love of art and design into a career. Once I started on a few freelance projects each has led to new opportunities and everything snowballed from there.

What is your favorite part about the work you do?

I always knew that I loved creating, but surprisingly, my favorite part has been owning a business. While I don’t love all the busy work that comes from running a business, there is such a satisfaction from growing something from nothing. Another benefit is that I regularly get to meet other hard-working creatives, small business owners, and clients who are equally passionate about intentional design!

What has been your favorite project so far?

The variety of projects has ranged so much over the years, that it’s really hard to choose! I love a good challenge and my clients usually come to me because they can’t find exactly what they’re looking for elsewhere. So I think in that aspect each of my projects is my favorite because each takes on a unique direction. One type of project that’s always flattering to work on is tattoo design!

What is something not many people would know about the work you do?

One of the things that people don’t realize is that each Design by Angelika project is created from scratch. To start, each of our clients receives 2-3 sketches with the initial idea and has the opportunity to provide feedback. We then go back and forth with the client as the edits are integrated into the design. If the project is for paper goods such as wedding invitations, we then go into the production stage where all of our digital printing and letterpress printing is done in house, ensuring not only great quality and attention to detail but also quick turnaround.

What are some industry trends you’re loving right now?

I absolutely love the latest surge of hand-lettering and watercolor. I’ve been slowly integrating lettering into my illustrations and have been learning from some of the people in the creative industry that I’ve long admired such as Gemma O’Brien, Molly Jacques, and Jenna Rainey.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone looking for Save The Dates or Wedding Invitations what would that be?

My main piece of advice is to take the opportunity to truly make them your own! The beauty of custom wedding stationery design is that it can tell your unique story. Whether it’s integrating a custom illustration of your venue or maybe some sort of symbols of how you met and your journey. When you’re working with your stationer, allow them a peek into your relationship so that they can infuse your custom pieces with your personal story.

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Want to get in touch with Angelika and see more of her work? Here’s all of her deets:

https://www.designbyangelika.com/

https://www.instagram.com/designbyangelika/

https://w
ww.facebook.com/DesignbyAngelika/