Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Etsy Store Makeover: E.Co Burlap

A very dear friend of mine recently opened an Etsy store, where she is selling burlap bags. A product with a world of potential for crafters, event planners, people who sew, landscapers... you name it. I was pleased to give her store a bit of a facelift. Everyone loves a good "before" and "after", so with her permission I'm sharing it with you.

The goal? To position her on Etsy as a premier seller of burlap supplies by giving her store a trendy, industrial look that would appeal to a diverse audience. In addition to a new store banner image, I designed a fun avatar / profile image that has an industrial feel, as well as a "custom listing" crest.

One idea was to tweak the name from "Eco Burlap Bags" to "E.Co Burlap" as a fun play on the word "Eco". We're still testing this to see how it flies. In the meantime, here is a look at the before and after.

BEFORE: 

AFTER:


Whether your shop is on Etsy or in Times Square, having a story to tell and a cohesive and compelling visual language for your brand is of equal importance. Consider your audience, and the desired personality you want your brand to convey. Then look at your store (or brand) and ask yourself if it aligns with that personality, or if there is a disconnect. What are all of the elements saying about your company, from the typography to the textures to the tone of your voice (written or spoken)? All of these elements (and more) create your brand.

Now go and buy some burlap!





Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Pantone's 2012 Color of the Year = A perfect fall wedding

Pantone has just released their Fall 2012 Fashion Color report, and we were excited to see a number of colors that are shared by our Inklings palette make an appearance on the top colors for the season! I will disclaim this entry by saying that we're not suggesting any affiliation to Pantone in any way... we are just inspired by their colors, and are excited when we see that our products are on trend.

Here's what's going to be hot in weddings and fashion this fall, according to Pantone:




Like Pantone's Pink Flambé? (Pantone 18-2133)
Try our Fuchsia Bachelorette Scratch-offs!

Like Pantone's Honey Gold? (Pantone 15-1142)
Then you'll love our bridal scratch-offs in Honey Yellow (coming soon!)

Like Pantone's Tangerine Tango? (Pantone 17-1463)
Then you'll love our bridal scratch-offs in Tangerine!

Like Pantone's Ultramarine Green? (Pantone 18-5388)
Then you'll love our bridal scratch-offs in Jeweler Blue!*
*This shade is a bit lighter and brighter than Ultramarine Green


Like Pantone's Titanium? (Pantone 17-4014)
Then you'll love our bridal scratch-offs in Platinum Grey!

Like Pantone's Rhapsody? (Pantone 16-3817)
Then you'll love our bridal scratch-offs in Rich Purple!*
*This shade is richer and deeper than Rhapsody, but is a great compliment.

Like Pantone's Rose Smoke? (Pantone 16-3817)
Then try our bridal scratch-offs in Blush Pink or these sweet baby stork scratch-offs in blush pink.
*Our blush pink is a bit more pure and not quite as "smoky" as Rose Smoke.

And while we're talking color, below are some of our favorite combinations from our bridal collection. The great thing about these designs is that they are all coordinated, so you can mix and match to create a palette that's a perfect expression of your style.

My favorite these days? It's a toss-up between Yellow + Platinum  and Tangerine + Platinum.

What about you? Whats your favorite color pairing?




        



















little robots

A few weeks ago, a customer contacted me about making scratch-offs for a robot-themed baby shower. How could I resist? And so the Inklings Robot was born. Scratching the shiny screen on his belly reveals "System Error" for the losing cards, and "You Win!" with a heart on the winning cards.

Inklings "little robot" scratch-offs are available in sets of 24, and also in smaller sets of 12 that make them a perfect little game or goody bag stuffer for children's parties or showers. They are in our "Pool Blue" which is a great gender-neutral color that works for boy or girl themed events.

What will you use them for?