Originally, I was planning to write one post recapping 2014. But then I started writing, and it turned out we did a lot of stuff in 2014. Way too much for one post. So I'm posting this recap one quarter at a time. We had a pretty intense year, with a lot of success AND a lot of mistakes, and I think it's important to share stories about both of those things.
I could seriously write a book with all the lessons I learned in 2014. It wouldn't necessarily be a GOOD book, or useful to anyone else yet, but 2014 was nothing if not filled with lessons. Some people might call those lessons "mistakes," but I don't look at it that way. I can't.
I have a lot of heart for this piece -- it's one of my favorites even though we've recently discontinued it.
All the new cards we debuted at the National Stationery Show are now available in our shop! In the next couple of weeks, we'll be adding all the rest of the new products: notepads, gift tags, postcard sets, and prints. And a new tote is coming in July. Here they are, for your perusal:
So the National Stationery Show starts in six days, and we've been busy figuring out all the millions of things that go into that, from booth lighting to press kits to last-minute sample printing. I launched my line last year at NSS, but leading up to the show, I was kind of blissfully ignorant about what I was walking into.
*DISCLAIMER: I am not an intellectual property lawyer (nor any other kind of lawyer) and this post should not be taken as legal advice or permission.* I get asked a lot about the issue of using famous quotes on products, and this post is my attempt at shedding some light on this (very complicated) topic. I know this isn't a fun thing to hear, but in most cases, the answer to the question "Can I legally use X quote on my products?" is going to be no, with a few exceptions (which I'll get to in a minute).
When I was a junior art director, I remember showing my creative director some print ads I’d designed. He pointed to the little abstract decorative element I’d created in the corner and said, “What is this and why is it here?” “Um… It’s just a thing. For visual balance? Because I like it?” He told me that wasn’t a good enough reason, and then we had a conversation about how every visual element in a print ad should always relate somehow to the content of the message.
When I started illustrating, I was doing most of it by hand, scanning it, and cleaning up and finishing it in Photoshop. If you've ever done this, you know that it can be kind of a pain in the ass. So, last year, I changed it up.
These tiny 2"x3" love note cards come 10 to a pack, and are the perfect way to surprise your favorite people with a warm and fuzzy feeling. Slip one into your kid's lunch or your best friend's bag, or pull a Seth and put them in your significant other's off-season shoes. The front of each card has space for you to personalize the "I love you because" sentiment, and the back is printed with a colorful heart pattern.
This week, I'm taking a detour from the stationery show talk to address a question I get a lot, which is "How do you come up with your ideas?" OK. The answer to this question has a lot of different pieces, but I want to start with something that might not sound obvious at first, but is super duper important:
Hi guys! Please excuse the slightly belated nature of this post; it's been the busiest couple of weeks yet around here. We've just released our first 5 temporary tattoos and tea towels, and I'm working on some licensing deadlines and holiday orders are coming in and and and. Bottom line: it's a lot. Anyway! I was really happy to hear that the first post in this series was so helpful to so many of you.
The thing I probably get asked the most is some variation on “so… how are you doing this?” The answer is long – waaay too long for one blog post – but I’m going to try and address it as well as I can over a series of posts. I also would like to say up front that part of the answer to this question is “I’m not entirely sure” and “I’m making it up as I go along,” which may either be disappointing or comforting to read.
