opportunity

Over the past six days, I have seen old and new friends roll up their sleeves and show their support. I am completely humbled. This is not about a prize... it's about a dream. If you've just stumbled across this blog, I'm honored to have been nominated in the "American Made" awards by Martha Stewart. The winner will receive the opportunity to go to NYC for a workshop with Martha Stewart, will be featured in Martha Stewart Living, and will receive a 10k grant towards growing their business.

Here's the thing: I feel as though I've already won. No, not the grand prize. The opportunity to rub shoulders with such a phenomenal group of people. The friends and fans who have shown their support (many of whom I have yet to meet) has been overwhelming. One friend even created her own "mini sweepstakes", entering all those who voted and posted into a drawing for a Starbucks Giftcard. Seriously. Love her. All of your words of encouragement have meant so much to me. Trust me, it's nerve racking to put yourself (and your work) out there.

Interested in getting involved?

Vote daily now thru September 24th by clicking here.
Become a fan on Facebook to receive special offers and sneak peeks at future products by clicking here. 
Receive regular updates and follow the buzz by joining the Facebook event by clicking here.

I appreciate all of you so much... thanks for putting on your overalls with me.
In a figurative sense, of course. This girl is extremely grateful.

P.S.

United States of Inklings

You could say that we're currently in a state of shock. Yesterday morning, my heart was all-a-flutter when I learned that I had been selected as a finalist for the Martha Stewart American Made Awards!

In the words of the American Made Awards website, "Martha and the editors of Martha Stewart Living magazine are searching for the rising stars in a new generation of small-business owners. Ten American Makers will be selected. Their work will share the quality, beauty, inspiration, possibility, and creativity embodied by Martha. One American Maker will be selected by our audience for the Audience Choice Award. The winner will be honored at the American Made event in New York City, will appear in Martha Stewart Living magazine, and will receive $10,000 to further his or her business."

The voting period began yesterday, and runs through September 24th. Votes can be placed daily. Would you please consider voting for me here?

For those of you who are new to Inklings, you can read more about my story here. In short, we love to create little, beautiful paper goods that put a smile on people's faces. All of our products are made with love in the United States.

Some of our favorite products right now? Our Baby Bee Scratch-offs, which provide you with a honey-sweet way to announce your baby! And our Tangerine Bridal Scratch-offs, which are sure to be a hit for fall brides. And lastly, you'll swoon over our Blush Pink Stork Scratch-offs, which were recently ordered by a certain reality show star who will remain unnamed (for the time being).

But back to Martha. Who we hope to meet in NYC this October. This would also happen to be my husband and I's 10th anniversary, and we'd LOVE to spend it in NY, NY. Because my hubby Mark really is the other (more American) half of Inklings. Mark reviews all of the orders, packs every one with care, and takes daily trips to the Post Office with armfuls of manilla envelopes that are sent across the country, and even as far as Australia!

Just having being selected among the 2,000+ applicants is a huge honor, and we're humbled to be among such a talented and dedicated group of 100 finalists. Do check out their phenomenal work as well, and please take a moment to vote by clicking below. It takes just a second, but it would mean the world to us!

Love,

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!

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:

http://www.pantone.com/pages/fcr.aspx?pg=20948&ca=4#

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?

paper buzz

We've been busy as bees at Inklings! I'm pleased to share our bumble bee scratch-off design... aren't these baby gender announcements the sweetest? The soft grey background and yellow honeycomb back make these perfect for a boy or girl. These are printed on our premium 16pt cover with rounded corners, and each scratch-off card is packaged inside a glassine envelope with a freshly-minted 2012 penny. Slip it in a letter and send it to the ones you love to share your exciting news!

These are available as a set of 10 scratch-offs, and also as a suite. A suite gives you everything you need to mail your announcement: one fold-over notecard, one white A2 envelope (made with environmentally friendly FSC-certified paper), one scratch-off card, one glassine envelope, and a shiny penny. You'll enjoy all of the little details that we've been busily perfecting.

We've chosen French Paper Mill's Mod Tone for our fold-over notecards as part of our commitment to greener practices. French Paper Company has long been known as a pioneer in recycled paper manufacturing. They are the only paper mill to use fully renewable hydroelectric generators to create their premium papers, and their Mod Tone stock uses 50% recycled content. The finish is smooth and great to write on, with a subtle mod pattern in the background in a warm ecru that we just love!

We also plan on rolling out a baby shower game with this design, so stay tuned!

So... are you buzzing yet?

announcements

Who doesn't love a good announcement? When babies are concerned, one of the most exciting times when you're expecting is finding out the gender. For some, this happens when baby is born. For others (like myself) who choose to find out sooner, it's equally exciting! No, this is not the kind of announcement you may think it is... sorry to disappoint.

With that said, we're pleased to introduce the sweetest little member of our Inklings family... baby gender announcement cards! These are perfect to mail to out-of-town family members and friends as a way of sharing your big news. Our stork gender reveal scratch-offs come with a shiny, freshly-minted 2012 penny, and are already assembled in a little glassine envelope for safe travels. Slip them in a greeting card, and you're good to go.

And like all of our paper products, they're printed on premium, satin-coated 16pt card stock for durability and an ultra premium feel.

The color of these scratch-offs is a light robin's egg blue (we think it reads as a sky, and not as a "boy-themed" card). Scratching reveals "It's a boy!" in blue, or "It's a girl!" in pink. If you're ordering, be sure to specify the baby's gender when checking out.

All of our scratch-offs come packaged in a lovely frosted pillow envelope (shown below), and are wrapped in tissue paper to ensure that they arrive in perfect condition.

Like this design for a shower game? We'll soon be announcing blush pink and soft grey variations that will be great for a super chic, ultra-sweet shower game. Stay tuned!

We feel so honored to be part of this exciting time in your life, and have LOVED to be among the first to know your big secret before it's revealed.

Hope that the stork brings you good news today,