who r we?

"We're a "squiggly" little division of Autumn Writings--digital calligraphy and..."

"STOP!"

You don't want the "Press Ready" story? You can read about that by clicking on the "Who R We?" button at the top of our blog. You want the "Behind the Scenes" info? {Grab a snack! This may take a bit.}

Now presenting the REAL story...

We'll begin with introductions. My name is Do Driver. Like the song, "...Do, a deer, a female deer..." from "The Sound of Music." It's a nickname.

I'm the voice of Oink! as well as Hank, the Piggy Bank. My job titles include lead designer, event planner, party stylist, photo stylist, photographer, marketing manager, accountant, customer service rep, quality control specialist and all-around top pig! (The picture is my "Suzie Homemaker 2002" pose!)

I have always loved handcrafting cards for family and friends. In the beginning I used what was readily available--construction paper, glue, tape, crayons and markers. It was just a hobby. I never dreamed it would become my career!

At the beginning of 2000, I was working as a corporate event planner. We shared an office  with a social event planner and she desperately needed hand calligraphers. I enrolled in a workshop and opened "Autumn Writings: Calligraphy for All Seasons" as a part-time gig.

A month or two passed and we received a sample of computerized envelope addressing at the office. Let's just say, it looked like a truck ran over it! It became my mission to perfect it. A couple of months later "Autumn Writings: Digital Calligraphy for All Seasons" was off and running and my calligraphy pens started collecting dust.

Two months later we received an invitation vendor's new catalogue. A co-worker said, "You can create invitations like that!" Her daughter's 18th birthday invitation was our first "official" custom handcrafted invitation. It makes me smile for two reasons....(1) it was our 1st invitation and (2) it's.....let's just say, "We've come a LONG way!"

Fast forward 10 years...."Autumn Writings: Digital Calligraphy & Stationery for All Seasons" turned away clients for the first time in 2010 due to an overbooked schedule.

If business is so good, why start a new division? I was tired and uninspired. Custom designing invitations had become, "Can you copy this exact invitation for a cheaper price?" I had dreamed of helping people create memorable celebrations. Celebrations that reflected the person not the image. Celebrations that were over the top without being over the budget. It's taken 5 years for my dreams to come true. The tears of joy running down my face are welcome. Today is finally here...Piggy Bank Parties is a reality...let the celebration begin!

{sniffle, sniffle, applause, applause}

WAIT! We're not done yet! There's another introduction...

This is J Driver. Yes, another nickname. He's the co-owner of Piggy Bank Parties, our lead artist, the IT department, website and blog designer, shipping & receiving, messenger and my amazing husband!

J joined the business in late 2000 as a silent partner. He provided technical support since he was in the software development field at the time. In 2002, he became a co-owner once he placed a ring on my finger and worked part-time on the assembly line for the next couple of years.

In 2004, J decided the corporate world no longer inspired him and he joined the invitation business full-time. J was also on a quest to discover a new direction and signed up for a drawing class. The drawings he brought home were AMAZING! After 4 years of designing invitations, I discovered the most amazing artist was sitting right across the work table from me! Needless to say, I put him to work right away.

Fast forward to 2010...J's artwork still amazes me! Anything I ask him to create turns out better than I pictured in my head and it inspires me to be a better artist and designer.

And last but not least...

This is Nicholas Driver. He is in charge of maintaining the daily schedule. He let's us know when it's time to take a break for a belly rub and he will be celebrating his 18th birthday in August. You will often find him curled up in an empty invitation box or sleeping in a pile of paper scraps.

Introductions complete. You've officially met Team Driver. The crew behind Piggy Bank Parties.

Now it's our turn to meet you! We would love to hear your feedback, ideas and see pictures of your parties. You can become a fan of Piggy Bank Parties on Facebook, receive all the latest updates on Twitter and grab Hank's button (on the right) for your own blog.

Stay tuned to Oink! for more inspiration...