Finding Peace During the Holidays

> I started my holiday promotional gift in the Fall, and it's a good thing! I knew it would take a long time, but I didn't realize just how long. Most were mailed a week before Christmas, which is really late for my "normal", but in all the feedback I got, no one complained about the timing (or about anything else—yay!) 

> Here are several photos of the process of making the wood block perpetual calendars.

> I made 50 of the production-heavy wood block calendars, but that quantity didn't come close to how many people I enjoy send promotions to, so I needed to come up with an alternate. I was so excited when I found a vendor who prints on thin sheets of wood. I designed a business card sized calendar, and placed my order. Everyone got an mGraphicDesign custom calendar, on wood. Happiness! And now that they're finished, peace.

Branding It All

> I just received the printed pieces for some of my holiday promotion recipients. Ever since I got the proof in the mail a couple weeks ago, I was SO excited. They're cards—printed on thin wood. And they look fantastic!

> I'll share pics of the actual pieces soon. (I want the recipients to have them in their hands before they see them here) You'll have to wait a little longer!

> The thing I want to share here is this company's brand. Every email I get, whether it's a sales promotion, or the response from a customer service rep; even down to their packing tape is branded thoroughly. Not just logos all over the place—that's not a brand—but a true extension...what the world would look like if they had created everything in it...the language, the expressions, even the name of the state they're located in. I just love it. This is a company who "gets" what branding is "owl" about.

> And the quality of their products is something else for them to be proud of. Check them out: Night Owl Paper Goods.

It Wanted to be Green

> Not too long ago, I posted an in-progress photo of the perpetual block calendars I'm making for my holiday promotion. At the time, I wanted to let them be "natural"—letting the wood show through, and using natural earthy colors. 

> And they were okay, but they were just "there". They needed some pop! I tested out a few color combinations and taped the colored squares onto the blocks. Wow...hands down, the green looked the best. I admit I'm biased, so without saying anything, I took the color combos to my husband and asked his opinion. And guess what, he chose the green! Now, he knows I have an obsession with a certain shade of green...so you might think he's an unfair judge, but if he thought one of the other colors looked better, he'd have told me so. I promise!

> Here's an updated look at the blocks. See? Don't you agree the green is so much better than the natural wood? 

> Because this gift promotion is so labor-intensive, I'm only making a small number of this type of calendar, and I have a super-cool alternative that I'm sending to the rest of my client/vendor/friend list. 

> I've got one more step in the process, then I'm going to post with photos of the whole process, so once again, this is just a teaser...stay tuned!

It's a Flyer...or is it a Flier?

> I'm working on an invoice for a client. I created 2 email flyers (or is it fliers?) Seems like it's one of the more inconsistently-spelled words I come across. I've got a client whose been in advertising and marketing for more years than I've been in design, and he spells it "flier". Others I have worked with insist it's spelled  "flyer". 

> To me, it seems like "flyer" is better. Why? Well, if you fly a lot, you are a  frequent "flier"—right? So if "flier" is the correct spelling in that instance, then the spelling "flyer" seems more appropriate for a very different use of the word—such as a single page design which communicates an event, service, product, or activity. Without using any style guide or dictionary, that's just what seems right to me.

> Hoever logical my own reasoning is (you agree, right?), apparently both are technically correct. I ran across this article that gives credence to both. What do you prefer?

Very New, and Revitalized Old Type

> Ask anyone I've been with in an antique shop...I'm obsessed with wood block printer's type. Even though I don't even have space to properly display my current collection, I can't pass it up when I find it! In fact, when I realized how much I had spent on my collection, the practical side of me banned the impulsive side of me from even getting on ebay anymore (turns out when you "win" an auction, it just means that you are the one who was willing to pay the most $ for something). You see, I could easily justify my purchases with the fact that once it's gone, it's gone! It's not like anyone's making new wood block type. Duh! 

> Well, my justification/excuse (call it what you will) is now gone! Someone IS making new woodblock fonts! Revitalizing old fonts, creating entire sets, in multiple sizes, and making them available for purchase. I still love the discolored letters that were used for years, but it makes me feel less desperate knowing that there will be more, when my practical side loses out to the ebay winner in me.

Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas...

> I learned a long time ago to start on my holiday promotion a couple months before Christmas. It's easier to squeeze time in between actual work projects to get it finished if I don't leave it to the last minute.

> You should know that while I love the holidays, I'm one of those people who finds it ridiculous that we are still weeks away from Halloween, and yet most retail stores have already decked their halls with Christmas! So, despite knowing I need to start thinking about Christmas early (where my clients are concerned), it still seems "wrong" to be working on Christmas gifts. However, today turned out to be a good day to start working on the assembly. A cold front came through, and since my home office sits at the mouth of a canyon, with a little higher elevation, it snowed today! Now, typically I'm not a fan of the snow. It's pretty, but I don't like being cold, or wet—I don't like scraping it off my car windows, I don't like bundling up, and I don't like walking or driving in it. It's just pretty to look at—that's it. But today, well, as a backdrop for working on Christmas gifts, well, it was fitting (and then it melted...perfect!)

Inspired by...Better After

> I think I've mentioned before how much I LOVE before and afters. I recently discovered a blog that feeds my obsession...Better After.

> Featuring everything from furniture to rooms, to home exteriors, it's a great resource—whether it's ideas for your own projects, to simply being wowed with the results of the vision and efforts of others—this is one of my favorite blog reads.

> If you're a fan of makeovers, you will love this blog.