Today we’re exited to introduce you to July’s Design of the Month – Hendrix by Jessica Hische. It’s pretty, playful and a touch whimsical, and one of our favorites from our 2010 collection. We think it’s perfect for a garden party wedding or an outdoor celebration under the stars. As our Design of the Month, all orders of our Hendrix design over $1000 placed between now and August 15 will receive free letterpress thank you notes – don’t miss out! (Flat thank you notes, letterpress printed to match your invitations with unprinted envelopes.)

Meet the Designer – Jessica Hische
In honor of our Design of the Month, we thought a little Q & A session with the talent behind the design was in order. Brooklyn-based Jessica Hische is an incredibly inspiring designer, typographer and illustrator. In addition to her amazing art prints and Buttermilk, her first typeface of which we just can’t get enough, we are obsessed with her blog and her Daily Drop Cap project. Without further ado, meet Jessica Hische.

What was the inspiration behind Hendrix?
My friend, illustrator John Hendrix, had a baby girl and commissioned me to design his baby announcement, which I letterpressed for he and his wife in exchange for one of his original drawings. The Hendrix wedding invitation design takes elements from the original announcement and tweaks it and expands it to a full wedding suite. Everyone loved the original design so much I was so happy to be able to share it with others!

When did you know you wanted to be a designer? How did you get your start?
I actually didn’t know what graphic design was until I was in college. I always knew I wanted to do something art related, I just didn’t really know exactly what that was until I took my first design class in my sophomore year at Tyler School of Art. I loved that design isn’t really self-expressionistic — it is about solving problems and doing what is appropriate for a client / project.

{Jessica notes, “I love breakfast.”}

If you were an ice cream flavor, what would you be?
This is a tough one! I think the closest one might be Ginger, but if “Almond Croissant” was an ice cream flavor I’d be that.

What’s your favorite PMS shade?
PMS Warm Red U or something a bit more orangey.

What’s the most memorable vacation you’ve ever taken?
I was invited to speak at the Semi-Permanent Conference in Sydney this year and went a week prior to vacation with my boyfriend. It was the most fun vacation I’ve ever been on. All we did was eat amazing food, drink amazing coffee and get our pictures taken with koalas.

What other designers/illustrators do you admire?
I’m surrounded by so many awesome illustrators and designers its hard to name a few. The community in New York and the online community of illustrators and designers never ceases to keep me motivated and inspired. I of course admire Louise Fili, who taught me so much about design. And Chris Ware, his work is amazing in every way.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Anywhere close to a large body of water and within an hour of a major airport. If I were going to settle somewhere permanently, it would just need to be a place that made traveling easy and in my dream life I would live on a lake.

What five things on/in your desk could you not live without?
computer, mouse, extra monitor (for netflixing and all the distracting windows (email, email, twitter, gchat, etc), mechanical pencil, coffee

Can you share a favorite childhood memory?
I grew up in north-east Pennsylvania so my favorite memories probably revolve around Autumn and Halloween. I loved going to pumpkin patches and ESPECIALLY loved sucking down dozens of flavored honey sticks. Also corn mazes. And haunted hay rides. Good lord I love Autumn.

What’s something about you that no one would ever guess?
This is a hard one since I’m such an internet oversharer! I guess maybe that I am a closet Taylor Swift fan (the songs are so catchy!)

Thanks, Jessica! For everyone else, we hope you’ll check out Jessica’s gorgeous letterpress wedding invitation designs exclusively for Bella Figura – Hendrix and Weber.