Meet the Designer
Melissa has been a web and graphic designer since 1998. She started by learning how to hard code HTML on UNIX to create custom websites and later began using Dreamweaver to streamline her work. Freehand, Photoshop and Illustrator were the tools of choice to create custom graphics and design layouts. In 2001 she took her first dabble into the print realm as she and her husband could not find the perfect invitation for their Hawaiian wedding. Since then, her luxe invitation suite designs have won multiple awards and her work has been featured in various bridal magazines including Modern Bride and Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine. In addition, Melissa also designs wedding, holiday, graduation, birth announcements and other social stationery for Minted.com where to date she has accumulated 75 design awards.
She has designed for letterpress printing, thermograph printing, embossing and foiling and digital printing, as well as screen printing for clothing and pattern design for fabric. She has created custom fabricated metal yard signs, silver jewelry, felt pennants, canvas art, fine art prints, brochures, magnets and mugs to name several popular promotional items. In recent years she’s explored the use of laser printers to create custom art and ornaments for companies, organizations, schools and local municipalities both with logos and custom created art.
Melissa currently resides in Batavia, Illinois with her husband and their children. Since 2017 she’s volunteered for the local marching band to design their yearly show shirts, spirit wear and gear and helped with their competition and senior photography. Additionally, Melissa sits on the board for the local school districts music organization.
Hobby One:
Photography
West Elm wood print
Melissa’s husband learned early, love me, love my camera. She and her family travel as much as possible and enjoy visiting National Parks during which times the camera is always close at hand. On one of these National Park camping trips Melissa took the photo shown here. Via Minted.com her photo of the Grand Tetons was selected by West Elm in a photography competition to be sold in West Elm stores and online for a period of time as a wooden art print. Currently it can be found for sale on Minted.com as a framed art print.
A future goal is to add paper and canvas photo and art prints to the shop so Melissa can share her passion of design and the outdoors.
Minted.com framed print
Hobby Two:
Home Improvement
If there’s a project going on at home, it’s usually because Melissa’s had an idea. She’s renovated almost every room in the house at some level. From designing and building custom built-in closets in the basement (which seriously added much-need vertical storage and organization), to designing custom board & batten wall scapes, there’s no limit to the project (well, except maybe budget). She tries to repurpose and upcycle as many things as possible.
Hobby Three:
Gardening
Melissa loves working in the garden, as well as, coming up with new ideas to try for the front door and window box planters.
Lilacs in early spring and peonies late spring are two of Melissa’s top favorites while dogwoods are a year-round beauty to enjoy as the branches add a beautiful red contrast against the cold Illinois landscape. She can be found out in the garden once the weather is warm enough, prepping beds for spring and moving and dividing plants. In the summer it’s about enjoying the work done in spring and in the fall it’s all about mums and mulching the leaves into the beds and cleaning for winter. Each season has its unique beauty.
