Ndebele Inspired Invitations
Ndebele Inspiration
Every so often, brides decide to go with a particular theme for their wedding. In our country, South Africa, we have such a vast difference in cultures and languages, but what's more, we have very rich cultures and the Ndebele is only but one of the many. Even though our cultures may differ we have one thing in common, we are all.....proudly South African.Initially when I started doing research for inspiration on this theme, I immediately looked at the rich colours and the different patterns the Ndebele use. I actually was very surprised, to find, that there were so many people that are inspired by this culture both in Africa and abroad.
Gathering the information was not to difficult but choosing pieces that inspire, well, completely different story. Choosing the most inspiring pieces to create an inspiration board was quite a challenge but in the end it all came together........
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Inspiration Board
1. Ndebele Bride (painting) by Cathlon can be found on Flickr 2. Inspired by the Ndebele print, colours and patterns, design sketches by Carla McBason 3. Ndebele Inspired Cake with Ndebele print pattern can be found on somemore.blogspot 4. Ndebele beaded bangles with the radiant colours in the Ndebele patterns 5. Kimora Lee Simmons in a stunning dress by Kevan Hall at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala 6. Christian Louboutin Shoes All boarders can be found on Dreamstime
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| Ndebele Inspired Invitation with Thank You card
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Creating the Invitations was much easier after all in information and pictures were placed together to provide a feel of the wedding theme. Using recycled paper and the Ndebele patterns, gives the invitation a real African edge.
I then came across a few other sheets of recycled paper that I had in my collection and then experimented even more. A few touches here and there and........
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| Recycled Paper with Ndebele Print and Wire and Rhinestone Butterfly detail |
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| The Inside Story
Using the African Beer Clay Pots as part of the invitation gave a little depth but made it feel even more traditional.
This was an exciting project to
work on. The entire experience
was great!!!
Learning about the Ndebele and seeing the vast variety of patterns and the beautiful colours makes me more curious to see what else this wonderful land has to offer.....
Handmade Invitations are time consuming, and one needs to be very careful, but seeing the finished product and the process that was used to get to the final product, makes it all worthwhile.
Inspiration comes from many things.
“Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work.” -Rita Mae Brown
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