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LOVE IS EVERYWHERE...

Almost the weekend and you made it through tax season, phew, you're still breathing and I thought you could use a little ray of hope, a little eye candy to bring a smile to your pretty face.  I am dubbing this "Love is Everywhere," since it surely seems to be...

GENIUS!

I have always had an appreciation for delicious  and ingenious marketing pieces, but I was nearly knocked off my chair when I received this piece of marketing genius in my paws.  I am showing this at risk of being kicked out of my 'secret society' to hopefully inspire you to get creative with your marketing efforts.  You see your efforts don't have to be boring and by the book (unless it's my future book than you should follow it step-by-step, I jest..)  Back to your marketing, if you have a client base and competition, than you need to set yourself apart from the competition and find creative ways to make yourself stand out.  I always feel the most successful pieces are ones that the recipient wants to keep and even better use, something that keeps your name in their radar without being say an ugly magnet, with an equally ugly logo or some other offensive promo piece, that being said lots of successful real estate agents have used the ugly magnet to great success...

So when I got this piece in the mail from Veer, one of my favorite sites, I was truly inspired to step up my efforts to another level:

The piece was an embossed, faux leather handbook for membership into their secret society for creatives. The 'handbook' had fun 'rules of conduct', riddles to figure out to get discounts off of future purchases, of course secret handshakes and code phrases, my new membership card (yes, I am going to laminate and put in my wallet)  and a key for more good stuff.  I loved every inch of it!  It achieved everything it intended it had me at 'hello' and then some, so get on over to Veer and buy yourself out of house and home a and maybe you too can get your invitation to join the Order of Creatives...

ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES....

This has always been one of my favorite images.  Don't they both look alike?  Happy Monday!

MATERIAL WORLD

As promised I am going to review some of my booty from my recent Amazon.cm shopping frenzy.  The first book that arrived was this pretty, patterned number by Cat Wei:

I honestly didn't have to open it to know that I would like, I was judging a book by it's cover and what a cover it is!  There are about 3 projects that I feel are a must.  One being these fabric file holders, makes me think, why didn't I think of that?:

Sorry for the rotten scan, I did ask for assistance on this as it seems I am scanning impaired.  The book will teach you how to make from all fabric, but I was thinking it might be easier to iron the fabric on to the open folder with fusible webbing or wax paper in between the fabric and paper folder.  Then I was thinking, what if I printed my own pattern?  Here's a cool tute on printing on fabric from your home inkjet printer, then you could really make these customized! Here's the link...

There's also a cool serving tray project that I would like to try, not that I use a serving tray or anything, but I like the idea of it, hmmm....

TUTE LINK HEAVEN...

No, this is technically NOT a download but it is free information, does that count?  From time to time, I mosey on over to this great graphic designers blog called 'How about orange', she has a great conversational voice and what I really like is that she gives a boatload of links to tutes for very cool random things, like this 'Howcast' link which has a video for re-covering a lampshade. I personally never knew 'Howcast' existed but it was pretty fun going through some of their videos and finding out more junk I can make on a daily basis...ahem, I mean how much stuff I can 'upcycle' on a daily basis...This was a particularly cool link on how to make a lamp from a vase:

It's from Hallmark magazine of all places, but is so darn cool, here's the link.  Segueing now from lampshades to heads bands, (well they technically could be considered head accessories in certain circles), this lovely lady at 'Altered cloth' has some fab tutorials:

Plus she has even MORE links, if you decide you never want to get anything done....Have a happy Friday!!!!

NEEDED: TIPS + TRICKS

Okay, I know the peeps that stop by this boring 'ol blog are super crafty and creative, so I need to get some info from you'all.  I figured it would be easier than emailing individually, especially since I don't know everyones email.  I am having some technical difficulty of grand proportions.  I noticed that everyone (it seems) and their mother's have all successfully scanned and posted images from mags on their blogs or sites.  I on the other hand scan and it looks like crap.   I would love some scanning tips + tricks, suggestions for a new scanner anything, anything, anything that can help me with this very frustrating dilemma!

Thanks!!!

HOLA...

If you gathered my mother is a foreigner you would be spot on...Well, she's American but her English is peppered with a heavy, heavy accent and yes, she is from foreign lands.  The funny thing is she thinks she doesn't have an accent.  Wha?  I can barely understand what she says half the time.  Which brings me to what I am getting in the mail..I have decided after many years on this earth and in this relationship, it should be about time I can actually communicate with her.  I mean I know when she's screaming at me in Spanish, I understand every word, maybe because I've heard them so many times?  Latin women seem like they are always yelling anyway even when they are in a good mood.  if they are amongst family and friends bring your ear plugs, it's going to be LOUD.  I know how to speak fluent 'Spanglish', it's pretty common in California, most natives can speak Spanglish--the hybrid of English and Spanish.  This of course, drives my mom INSANE.  She speaks Spanish with a lisp, she says it's "proper" Spanish--I say it's embarrassing...I figured that after being her daughter for almost four decades I would make an effort to learn how to speak Spanish (without the lisp..). 

I really have never had an aptitude for language, which is odd since I think you are supposed to use the same part of your brain for language as science and I rock at science.  I had been seeing ads for a company for years that was supposed to be a revolutionary way to learn a new language, the C.I.A. used it, all sorts of heavyweights, it seemed very legit but it was also VERY expensive.  Then I saw an ad on TV and the company was offering a FREE disc to try, free, no shipping, no handling, f-r-e-e, in any language you want to learn (that's on their roster).  I called them up, you have to call you see, the offer isn't available on line, but the number is and you can tell them you too saw it on tv and get your FREE cd.  I don't know if it will work, but I sure hope it does, because I have my heart set on learning French and Italian now as well...

The company is Rosetta Stone, no I am not affiliated, but if you want to try it here's the site. Adios!

SHOPPING SPREE!

Confession..I have been on a shopping spree of epic proportions, shhh, don't tell my Fancy!  Nope, I didn't come into an inheritance, win the Lotto, or have decided that my credit card needed some exercise.  I have a little secret to share, no, no, nothing illegal.  Maybe, you know about this already, if so, just skip this, but if not I will share...

About a year ago when my mom was moving we had a little yard sale and I brought out all the books.  This neighborhood girl came by and promptly offered me $20 for the whole lot, I said sure take as many as you like.  My mom then preceded to inform me that the girl makes a fortune on Amazon, she sells her books.  Really?  'Oooh ya, sheee goes to all thee jhard zales in theee arhea ahnd buys bookz for cheeep ahnd rezells theem ahnd does reelly whell.'  I wasn't sure my mom had this story quite right, she tends to embellish and also get the facts all off.  I figured it must be like Ebay, which is still foreign to me, in which case I didn't have an interest.  "Noooh, es eeeezeee," my mom explained in her thick Latin accent.

In a fit of curiosity, when I got home I looked up Amazon.com and details of opening a Seller account. It was really easy and I promptly went to my bookshelf and made a pile of books that I didn't mind giving up.  A lot were reads that I would be embarrassed to have out in the open on my book shelf--Chick Lit from airport gift shops and the like.  I started selling immediately.  It wasn't piles of dough but $40 here, $50 dollars there.  I decided instead of getting money transferred into my bank account I was going to get an automatic gift card.  After a while I slowly let the balance grow and this weekend I just "shopped" like a wild banshee!  I've listed some of the books and when I get them I will let you know if it was worth it or if I'll be selling again!

So this is what I bought:

You know I have got to support 'mom'.

I mainly picked this because the description reads that it has patterns for a bench seat and I have been wanting to create a window/bench seating area somewhere in my world..

What?  Is it weird to be thinking about Christmas in April?

The description read 'for the fabric obsessed', check, that would be moi....

Hey, I was on a crafty roll...

Amy Butler, fabric designer extraordinaire, tells her story of going from corporate America to queen of textiles.  I figured  it can't hurt, might help...

I am going to be a wife soon, I should be prepared for the occasional get together, no?

This is supposed to have a KILLER mac + cheese recipe.

There were a few others, but I am having amnesia from the whirlwind shopping and I guess I will have to be pleasantly surprised when they arrive.  I highly recommend getting yourself a Seller's account at Amazon, it's free and it's fun AND I don't think you have to spend your certificate on books, I think you can buy anything they sell, which from what I can tell is pretty much anything and everything...

RITZY ME....

As you know I am terrible at Google searches, I never-ever find my attended search, but I always seem to find something completely unrelated and utterly fabulous.  This time I found a great blog by event planner Maria Cooke of Ritzy Bee Events, her blog 'Ritzy Bee' is to die!  She gives a ton of details on her mentions, interviews creatives and the blog just is all around goodness.  So imagine my beautiful surprise after emailing Miss Maria and letting her know how much I enjoyed her lovely blog she wrote back and wanted to feature me, me?  OMG!  She mentioned my Envelope Label Wraps which I have been super busy coming up with some new designs:

This was a recent custom project.  I was asked to make a label to complement this Save the Date:

The actual Save the Date in person was much more muted in color and not so ivory but still pretty darn adorable.  I came up with this for my bride-to-be:

 

Now for some learnin'--It's always a thrill when I get a mention, because I so wish I could do this full-time.  I really love the design aspect as much as assisting people realize their vision.  For me it's so much fun.  Being a publicist for so long you would think this would come easy to me, but it is near impossible to PR myself.  My confidence is not the same as when I was promoting other people, I just get all flustered and bent out of shape. I am mentioning this because like myself a lot of you are starting your business and wanting to promote yourself and can't afford the services of a publicist.  The one thing I have to keep in mind (and you too) is that these people you are targeting need to write about good things and if you really, really believe you have a good thing, than you are actually helping editors,bloggers, etc.  I know that when I was designing the wraps I couldn't find anything like them, now there's a slew. So I was hoping to create a niche, or rather fill one and that becomes 'news' because well, it's new. 

If you have specific questions about PR|MARKETING just leave them in the comments and I will try to answer in a future post.  I know there was a request to see how a press kit is laid out and I promise to get around to a fine example sooner than later BUT I think before the press kit I want to make sure that the very basics are covered and understood.  I know it's frustrating and overwhelming but it doesn't have to be.  Now I can't help you on getting up your nerve, but if you figure it out just mosey on by with your two cents...



The Save the Date is by a great little company called Wedding Paper Diva

 

 

THE DETAILS....

Ever get a song stuck in your head? I've had 'Don't go breaking my heart" stuck in my brain for about three weeks now.  I'm sure you've heard it, it's a cute little ditty between Elton John and Kiki Dee, 70's lite.  It also happens to be my karaoke 'go to' song, not that I have ever done karaoke, but if I did I am sure I could belt this out without a hitch.  I finally downloaded it on Itunes because I needed to hear it, in the hope that once I did it would be knocked out of it's resting place in my cerebrum, but alas no--It has made it worse.... 

I asked my Fancy if he wouldn't consider this for our "song" for our upcoming nupitals.  I thought it might be funny for us to do a duet, he's incredible at impersonations and could pull off a flawless Elton OR Kiki.  He's usually up for my hair brain ideas but he nixed this.  Sheesh, I so don't want my future mother in-law planned wedding to be b-o-r-i-n-g...I do have a secret to share with you though.  I do have the song I am going to walk down the aisle to....Well, it was a toss up I thought it would be really amusing to have the Rolling Stones 'Wild Horses'--"Wild horses couldn't keep me away..." But alas, I decided to embrace the bane of my existence.  My first name is Tristan, my middle name is Shout, put it together you have (drum roll..)Yes--Tristan Shout, get it?  'Twist and Shout', you see my mum has the same cheeky sense of humour as I inherited. So instead of fighting it I am going to  go for it make her proud.  There's a reggae version that I am particularly fond of...

Do you want to know how far my future m.i.l. has gotten with our wedding?  Well, thankfully teal is out since she's not sure if she will be fitting into her teal dress by September, phew!  They have hired a jazz quartet that my future father in-law saw at some event.  He liked them and asked them if they would play at our wedding, they liked ol' Howard and said, why not?  The future in-laws don't like cake so we won't have cake.  Fine by me, I don't like cake either, my Fancy likes anything with sugar in it so he's easy.  I don't mind cheesecake, so I made a suggestion and they have been on a tasting frenzy.  My Fancy was adamant that this be a non-religious affair, no churches, temples . mosques, etc.  The F.I.L's have obliged by renting the courtyard outside the synagouge.  "It's so lovely and modern...", says my future m.i.l. 

I have not designed the invites yet, I am awaiting their feedback, lol... This is so not how I imagined my big day, but to tell you the truth I didn't really imagine it.  Maybe all those people are right you have to 'visualize' what you want and it 'poof' comes into fruition.  I mean we will do one thing I imagined, we are doing to San Francisco City Hall to get the marriage license and make it 'legal'.  I have always loved this building since I was a kid and knew I would get married there, but I didn't really think beyond that.  The building is sooooo Miss B.:

It's classic, it's clean, it has beautiful light and history. I am excited about this, because it will be our special day, just me and my Fancy...