originals :: paper art & design

What will I do with my time when this marathon is over?  I’m certain Allen will come up with some other multisport event… do I hear Century Ride?!  For those new to the blog… my husband is the Director of the first Kirksville Stars and Stripes Marathon that takes place on Saturday, July 3rd.  In addition to designing the marathon logo, below are some of the marketing materials I designed for this awesome event. This is our 11×17 full color poster. I added runners to compliment the single runner in the logo itself. I really like the way it turned out.

Here is the Registration Form we posted on the marathon website and mailed to an established runners list.

This is the Sponsorship Form which mirrors the Registration Form… continuity is important in branding an event (or business). We used this form to solicit sponsors that we know enjoy the sport of running. We hope to build on this base next year. Interested in the title sponsor?  Somebody, anybody?

Here is the current T-shirt design. It’s not final yet, but we’d better be by the end of the week! HA!

This was a new project for me, a Race Number Bib! Are you familiar?  I’ve worn a handful, but never imagined designing one. Fun. Fun.

Last, but not least, the Finisher Medal. It’s a simple 2.25 round medal that hangs from a ribbon and every runner/walker receives one as they cross the finish line. It’s a symbol of completion, satisfaction and bragging rights!

So, as you can see, if you have a sporting event that needs a designers touch… I’m here to assist you! Waste no time… contact me soon for your 2011 Event!

If you didn’t already know, I’m behind all the Stars and Stripes Marathon marketing materials. We’re fine tuning the sponsor logos on the poster and preparing it for press.  Here’s what it looks like as of 7:35 pm:

Are you in the midwest neighborhood… like any state touching Missouri? If so, please consider this first time marathon/half marathon run and or walk. The race itself is in conjunction with the weekend long Red, White and Blue Festival put on by the Kirksville Chamber of Commerce.

I’d like to introduce one of my new clients, Billiards on Broadway. They’re located on Broadway in downtown Columbia, Missouri. They came to me with a well thought out plan and lots of graphic frustration. After a two-hour meeting absorbing all of their ideas and information, Les looked at me and said, “Can you do all this?” Molly replied for me, “Look how comfortable she is standing there, of course she can do it.” I cherish that moment!

This is the logo they’ve been working around for two years. It’s caused them much frustration and cost them many dollars. So as you can imagine, it was the first project we tackled on their list. I reproduced their existing logo into a vector format so that they and all their graphic vendors can work with it.  I felt so good when Molly asked, “Where were you two years ago?”

This is just the beginning of my many design assignments. I’m helping Billiards on Broadway fine tune their already fabulous branding efforts. One thing we’re really focusing on is getting the message out that they serve food. And let me tell you… if you’re a burger and fries fan, you MUST eat here! Their burgers are pattied fresh every day using fresh (never frozen) chuck beef and their fries are also cut on-site and deep fried to order. I ate lunch with Les and Molly last Friday during our meeting and OMG… they’re delicious! Go by and try their Famous Billiards Burger and tell them Brooke sent you!

This post not only promotes one of my design projects… it also promotes my wonderful client Pawsitive Animalworks, and friend, Laci Cook. I got the pleasure of designing her custom logo, standard ad templates and exterior sign a few years ago… and this full page newspaper ad just last week.

At the time Laci came to me with this ad project she didn’t have access to her business images taken by fabulous photographer and friend Hector Contreras of Studio 1004, so I scanned through images I’ve taken of my five dogs and was able to develop my idea.  She was very pleased with the final ad.

If you live in the northeast Missouri area, have a dog, and haven’t been to Pawsitive Animalworks… perhaps now is the time to check it out!  She has lots going on this spring.  Tell her Brooke sent you!

A few words from Laci:
Brooke, Thank you, thank you, thank you! The ad was PERFECT and I appreciate the fast result after my short notice. I wouldn’t recommend, or personally use, anyone else! You’re AWESOME!

I was approached by Seattle Central Community College to design a department logo for their Distance Education and eLearning program.  The SCCC logo is shown in the upper left corner of my sketchbook.  My first round of sketches are shown below and my thought process behind each sketch in writing below it.

Every once in a while I don’t connect with the vision of my client (the first time) and this was one of those times. I was so focused on making the DEeL logo compliment the existing SCCC logo that I didn’t expand the creative field. My client asked me to send a round of new ideas and to please provide a rough electronic version of each rather than sketches… and so I did. Here is round two of the sketches (per their feedback and focus) and quick electronic versions.

Why sketch? you may ask… I’m a believer that by sketching you can get lots of ideas in a short amount of time and then elaborate on the strong ideas. When I work on the computer I tend to perfect everything… and that’s a waste of my time and the client’s money. It doesn’t always work… like in this case, however it usually does. Here is the DEeL logo finalized.

What are your thoughts on the final logo? Care to share your feedback with me? I’m happy with it and believe it’s a nice compliment to SCCC, graphically represents the program and has nice icon appeal. Gotta run! Have a great day!

Months ago I designed this blended logo and every time I see it I’m very proud to say I did it. Saturday night we went to a wine and chocolate tasting hosted by West Winery at Jackson Stables & Mocha Hut and had a great time. Delicious wine paired with Belgian chocolates… what could be better on Valentine’s Day weekend?!

If you’re following my blog and live in the midwest, you should escape to this little piece of heaven.  West Winery at Jackson Stables is a beautiful place to visit and enjoy an evening of quality time with friends and family.  They encourage you to bring your own picnic basket with snacks and treat yourself to some wine.  They occasionally have musicians play too!  Check out their events schedule on their website.  And tell them Brooke sent you!

Hello Brooke,

Went to Jackson Stables last night and ended up buying a pair of wine glasses because I liked the logo so much. Later, when I got back home, I found your site and just wanted to tell you what a nice job that you did making the combination logo. It is very attractive. In fact, it has a floral bouquet with a hint of oak and yet a surprising finish. Or something like that.

Thanks again for the great glasses and take care,
Kevin Casey

Allen Goans is organizing the first Kirksville Stars and Stripes Marathon & Half Marathon for July 3, 2010 at 6:00 AM. Not only am I his wife, I am his graphic designer, marketer and PR gal! Here’s the logo we developed together:

The STARS symbolize our midwest athletes… anybody that can run a marathon or half marathon is a STAR in my book! The STRIPES represent the country roads in which the runners will travel for 13.1 or 26.2 miles. And of course the summer sun that will be greeting the runners at 6:00 AM! Your thoughts on our logo…? An official website will be up soon for the Stars and Stripes Marathon/Half Marathon… but for now check out the KIRKSVILLE MULTISPORT blog for race details.

Originals Paper Art (OPA) has had the same logo for ten years (1999-2009). It carried us through two retail stores, numerous bridal shows and business expos,  a home design studio and now an office in town. Yep, that’s right… Originals has changed and developed through the years and I felt the logo needed to reflect that change in the new year.  Here’s the OPA logo the first ten years…

For those who didn’t know – the name Originals was created using my handwriting (A).  I used the tag line Paper Art (B) to define what my retail store had to offer (back in 1999). I added the rectangle box (C) as an second logo option to solidify the logo and used these two versions for a few years.  I added the swirl graphic (D) into the mix and it changed colors through the years based on the marketing piece.  In the last three years I combined the rectangle box logo and green swirl (E) and worked on branding the logo via my blog and printed materials.

TA-DAH! Here’s the updated OPA logo that will lead us into 2010 and beyond! It’s a nice transition from the “original” logo without compromising the hard work I put into my branding efforts through the years.

I switched out my handwritten Originals for a nice round, contemporary font (A & B) and kept the swirl by incorporating it as the O.  I really like the way they work together.  I added (& DESIGN) to the tag line since my business has really transitioned from a retail paper store to an invitation and design studio.  I softened the rectangle box by adding rounded corners and removing the outline (C & D).  Each version of the logo has a black version and a color version… perfect for different print and media needs.  I’m working with a variety of savvy brides and business clients and want to reflect that characteristic with this flourish (E).  It can stand alone or with the OPA logo.  I love it and am very excited to implement it into all my marketing efforts.

How about you?  Do you like it?  I’d love to hear your feedback… do share.  Happy New Year!

Business Cards = the best and most inexpensive investment you can make to flood the market with your business information. I highly recommend purchasing them in bulk and giving them out in multiples! A friend once told me, “always give two cards, one for the recipient to keep, and the other for them to share!”  Now that’s advice that makes perfect sense! Word of mouth is so powerful… and an extra card for them to give away works in your favor!

I designed three business card concepts for Jackson Stables and each person chose the style of their liking.  Below is the one-sided vertical version that Andrea chose… and I love the way it turned out!  Crisp, clean and subtle lines.

And here’s the two-sided horizontal version.  Robin wanted to incorporate a picture and so I put her most important contact information on front with the photo and all other information on back.  She also wanted room to write notes on the back… so it’s set off to the right to compliment the front… AND give her room to write.  I gave her a white Gel pen to write with… it looks great, is fun and most impressionable.

I just tried their website and see that it’s not up yet, but check back often, they’re working on getting it live.  If you live, or plan to visit northeast Missouri, I know they have a Facebook page, so search for West Winery/Jackson Stables and become a fan to learn more.  It’s a beautiful space to taste (and buy) fabulous wine and visit with friends.  Cheers!

West Winery at Jackson Stables hired me to hand write their wine list on a chalkboard… and I jumped at the opportunity. I love pushing back from the computer and being hands-on with creative projects like this!

First I hand drew the the logo I just finalized on the computer… and let me tell you, it was much easier on the computer… especially when I made a mistake… I wished I had an “EDIT/UNDO” command! HA!

After completing the logo I listed the wines and added swirly-gigs to jazz it up a bit. They give it a vineyard feel.

Do you have a handwritten sign that needs a professional make-over? Contact me today… I’d be happy to work with you.

Two local businesses are joining forces and hired me to design a blended version of their two logos.  One business is West Winery of Macon, Missouri (be sure to check out their website).  Here is their existing logo:

The other business is Jackson Stables of Kirksville, Missouri (website coming soon)… an amazingly beautiful venue for special events.  Here is a snapshot of the website in-the-works.  You must see the stables in person to truly appreciate the incredible woodworking and design details.

This is the logo Jackson Stables had in-the-works prior to bringing me on board. It’s a terrific representation of the stables and so easy to work with:

They really wanted to incorporate the West Winery oval and keep the Jackson Stables structure from the above logo. This is the final logo embraced by my clients. And I must agree… I really like the way it turned out!

Check back soon to see their fabulous new business cards and custom chalk board I’m writing on (designing) tomorrow! Lots of fun projects going on this fall. Have a great day!

This just in!  I received this photo from my client RED BARN.  It’s a picture of their High Point Showroom in North Carolina last week.  Isn’t it beautiful!  I absolutely love their furniture! Be sure to check out their website at www.redbarnreclaimed.com.

I designed the following items in this picture: Can you find them all? Red Barn logo, story tags, catalog sheets and three ring binders. I also recommended Mpix Standouts to Sandra for the photos on the back wall. She had pictures of structures, from which they collect the reclaimed barn wood, enlarged for their showroom display. They’re incredible!  Nice job Sandra and Max… you did a fantastic job of branding your product.

When it rains… it floods at Originals! It’s been a crazy few weeks. Funny how one week can be so quiet and the next so insane! This is just one client that called with time-sensitive design projects for me. RED BARN is going to market in North Carolina (from Minnesota) and needs all that comes with that commitment. Below is what we call their Story Tag. It began as a tag for their furniture and has been recruited into their marketing efforts.

It’s oblong, folded in half, hole punched and strung with hemp cord.  Inside is their story and a little history about the process in which they manufacture their furniture.  My vision for this as a marketing tool is that the recipient will keep the tag, hang it on their bulletin board and that visibility will keep RED BARN fresh in their minds when it’s time to order.

Here they are, 1500 Story Tags, hot off the press ready to ship to North Carolina.

We can’t forget that at Trade Shows you need to be prepared to takes orders!  I designed this three-part, carbonless, numbered, Order Form for RED BARN to use during the show and after.

When I designed the RED BARN logo earlier this year,  I incorporated the star to represent the fact that their furniture is made in the USA.  A very important fact most consumers like to know.  I have since extracted the star and placed it along side the line Made in the USA on every marketing piece I’ve designed for them… even the order forms.

The white original is for the buyer, the yellow copy is for RED BARN and the pink copy goes to the manufacturer.  Do you need good old-fashioned pen-to-paper forms?  Contact me today and I can work with you on design and print.

And, finally, there are Catalog Sheets… each RED BARN product has a catalog sheet with picture and product specs.  I created 35 catalog sets and by the end of the day my head was spinning.  You should take a minute to visit their website www.redbarnreclaimed.com.  They do beautiful work.  Speaking of work… I need to get back to some wedding programs for a wedding this weekend.  Thanks for stopping by!

Here’s another logo I designed for a start-up business in Columbia, Columbia Chimney Sweep. It’s the perfect time of year to offer this service to the community. If you have a fireplace and it’s been a while since you’ve had maintenance done and you’re in the Columbia area… call Donald at (573) 256-8555!  Tell him Brooke sent you!

Here is the door hanger I designed for his door-to-door marketing campaign. What better way to truly TARGET your market! It’s a fitting method for reminding home owners the importance of keeping your fireplace and chimney safe.

No, I haven’t fallen off the face of this earth… I’ve been buried alive! Send in the troops to find me, please! One of the many joys of being self employed… it’s always feast or famine. I went one week with no projects and had a panic attack… and then WHAMO! I was hit with a load of projects with quick turns and long hours at the office!

This is one of them… Nickols Construction. I met George Nickols and immediately knew he was my kind of client. Why you ask… because he said something along the lines of… I trust you, you’re the designer. Those words are music to my ears. He’s a handyman and does what he does WELL… I’m the designer and do what I do WELL… we’re going to have a long and successful business relationship! Thanks George.

George is building his handyman business in Columbia, Missouri and liked his logo from a previous business in California. He described it as a simple house with his business name and a horizontal line. “I can do that.”  I recreated his vision with this simple house, masculine type, and a block of green grass that flows and creates the horizontal line using his business name.

If you’re in the Columbia area and in the market for a handyman, call George.  No project is too small!  Check out his website here www.nickolsconstruction.com.