originals :: paper art & design

Before I left on my road trip to the Great Northwest I designed new business cards. As a designer you can imagine how difficult it was designing for myself. A million ideas going through my head and having to choose one.

I decided to make a business card that’s a miniature representation of my design niche. It’s slightly shorter than a standard business card, folds in half like a greeting card and has all my info in a clean and concise layout.

It perfectly proves my ability to do all the things I market myself to do!  Now that’s a successful design solution!  Agree?

I fold the business card in half and corner round the two right corners to compliment my round swirl and font, and then slip two cards into this miniature black envelope. BC ADVICE: Always give two business cards away, one for the recipient and another for the the recipient to give away!

For fun I take my business card to another level of fabulous!  I add an eyelet to really hit home my ability to truly create an original business card.  Besides, the point these days is to stand out, right? So do it, dare to be different and be an original!

I do this bindery step by hand and it’s  well worth it in the long run! Check these out!

Then I insert a natural thin cord through the eyelet and tie a knot, and like that, you have a functional tag and business card that’s sure to be a conversation piece for weeks and months to come.

So tell me this, if you received a business card like this, would you keep it or toss it? My bet is that you’d keep it. That, to me, is why spending a little extra on your business card is very important. Cheaper isn’t always better.

Have a great day!

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!

I just got to thinking I should have done “BEFORE & AFTER” pictures of this brochure.  Perhaps I’ll follow up with that idea later this week.

This is obviously a tri-fold brochure I designed for the Adair County Public Library.  It’s an informational self-mailer piece  marketing their Endowments and Gifts.

Glenda came to me and said they needed to step it up and hire a designer to overhaul the brochure and give it a professional look.  They provided me with all the copy, photos, and logos.  The brochure came together quickly and under budget.

With ample preparation and planning on your end… hiring a professional designer doesn’t have to break the bank!  If you’re looking at some of your own marketing materials that really need updating, contact me today and let’s talk!

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’ve always loved product packaging and package design. So when Dr. Cynthia Hayes from Cynergy Health contacted me to design a Kleenex box cover for allergy season, I jumped at the opportunity. They plan to cover dozens of Kleenex boxes and deliver them to local doctors offices to promote referrals to their Allergy & Asthma practice.  And we all know how bad allergy season is this year.  The two together ought to make for a successful campaign.

I started this project by creating an accurate template for the 2″ tall Kleenex box Cynergy Health chose to use. A key step to a successful cover up!

I used both the Cynergy Health logo (the clinic) and Cynergy Allergy & Asthma logo (the practice).  The filigree floral is a graphic standard of Cynergy Health and the floating dots represent allergens in the air.

Note how the white lines match up on the corners.  My husband has 20 years of print experience and this was the first thing he looked at!  He was impressed at my accuracy.

If you’re considering a marketing campaign or product promotion that includes packaging, be sure to consider me while shopping designers, I assure you, I’ll represent you well.  Have a great afternoon.

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!

Last weekend was the 2010 NEMO Bridal Expo.  Not only was Originals Paper Art an invitation vendor in the show, I was also a member of the Bridal Expo steering committee and the Kirksville Arts Center Bridal Expo committee! I was stretched a little thin last week.  It was fun… but I’m really glad it’s over for another year. Kristina, Katie and I put together a beautiful booth for the Kirksville Arts Center.  I ordered flowers and cupcakes, designed print ads and favors, and edited and recorded radio ads.

These little favors are printed on light weight vellum, adhered to skewers and curled with scissors (you know the method). They turned out really cute. My theory was the recipient would want to know what the message said and thus unroll the favor. I witnessed many unroll it which made the hours of assembly well worth it! The message read, “We have an elegant venue for your wedding celebrations in downtown Kirksville”.

Here are the cupcakes on the tiered cupcake stand in the Kirksville Arts Center booth at the NEMO Bridal Expo. Unfortunately I ordered too many cupcakes, however, I’d rather have too many than not enough.

Kristina researched chair covers, table design and floral arrangements. The round table dressed up beautifully. The most talked about feature was how the table itself was lit from below. It was stunning with the dim booth space. Many brides thought table design was a service we provided.  Hmm.  Sounds like an opportunity knocking… anybody there?!

Katie is a graphic designer and paper fanatic just like me! She designed the faux menus, place cards and table card to give this beautiful table a personal touch. She also designed our information card that has all the rental information.  It was a terrific team effort and so much fun.

So then, in addition to sharing my party favor design and snapshot photography, I want to plug the Kirksville Arts Center as a lovely space to rent if you have an upcoming event in northeast Missouri. Call Judy at (660) 665-0500 if you have questions about the space. Be sure to tell her I sent you!  Have a great day!

The 2010 Northeast Missouri Bridal Expo (brought to you by Tailor-Made Events) is this Sunday, January 31st and I’m getting my booth layout figured out this week.  Here is one of my display towers.  Each will present four original invitation ensembles.

Originals Paper Art & Design invitations do not come from an overflowing catalog or electronic template, but from a creative session between the bridal couple and me!  They are truly original and designed to represent the couple and their special day.

Whether your budget is average or ample, I can design an invitation for you. I must be honest, if you have a strict budget, Originals is not your best option. A set budget is beneficial prior to the creative session… it helps us stay on track when discussion your invitation options.

I’ll have hundreds of invitation samples at the Expo for you to look at and get ideas.  Your invitation is the first thing your guests see and it indicates what they can expect the day of your wedding.  Represent yourselves well.

Originals has a rainbow of paper colors, tactile textures and fancy finishes available in hot pink, rich red or chocolate brown, you name it, we’ve got your color scheme covered!

I’m an Envelopments dealer/designer and have access to their entire line of paper, dimensional pockets and original graphics.  Check out their website and let me know if I can be of assistance with your Envelopments needs.

See you at the Bridal Expo this Sunday! Be sure to drop by my booth and register to win a variety of Originals Paper Art & Design prizes!

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!

Here are two projects that are done and out the door!  I was hired to write on this over-sized picture mat.  I can see it now with a black and white family photo taken Christmas morning with everybody in their pj’s in front of the Christmas tree!  I guess I’ll never know… but it’s fun to imagine!

I spent about an hour with my calligraphy pen finding the right style of letters, letter spacing and dip of descenders.  Then I penciled very light lines and took the scary step of actually writing in pen… BIG deep breath… and GO.  Success.  I turned out well.

My client Snyder Engineering came to me with their own design idea and I brought it to life and got it printed for them.  It resembles the ad campaign I just finished designing for them!  A terrific choice for keeping your name in front of your clients and vendors.

Inside we personalized their greeting and pre-printed envelopes as well.  If you’re in the market for custom note cards (or Christmas cards in this case), be sure to contact me to discuss your options.  They’re really pretty reasonable and a great marketing tool.

Enjoy your weekend… we have just one week ’til Christmas! Cheers!

HEY LOOK! Some of my designs and interview comments were published in this book! Freelance Design in Practice by Cathy Fishel. If you’re considering freelance design as a career move, you should buy this book, it’s full of great information. Here are a few snapshots.

Do these invitations look familiar? They are two favorites that receive inquiries all the time.  The white and yellow wedding invitation was designed for Kristan and Bryant… you can find the original blog entry on my previous blog Snapshots! I first blogged about it on April 21, 2008. And the red and brown booklet invitation was designed for Nancy and Dave… it was the very first blog entry on my previous blog Snapshots! as well (dated February 3, 2008).  Enjoy!

The story below is referring to the inforward logo and posters I designed for MFA last year.  The original blog entry on this project is on my Snapshots! blog and is dated March 7, 2008.  You can read the entire story and see the posters as well.

Another MFA project on my Snapshots! blog… the redesign of  Today’s Farmer magazine that I was hired to redesign last year.  Check out the entire story back May 8,2008

And just for fun… I had to take a picture of the credits page that has my name and website listed.

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!

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.

It’s been a little quiet around the studio this week so I took advantage of my time and did some marketing for myself.  I updated all the pages of my website.  If you have a few minutes to spare, take a look around.  AND, if you have a project on the back burner you’d like to get started… now is a good time to contact me! Have a great day.