branding project: logo stamp

One of my favorite things about crafting is the pleasure of creating something with my own two hands. That's a pretty awesome feeling.

I recently started working on some packaging and branding concepts for my little company. Usually, I jump into this part of the process head first, but this time I decided to let things simmer a bit and really think about what I wanted to convey with my brand.

In many ways, it's a reflection of who I am. A little (okay, a lot) geeky. Enthusiastic (often overly). Colorful (have you seen my collection of bright tights?). Unconventional.

I want people to feel my excitement about handmade items. I'd love to fill my whole closet with clothing that isn't mass produced, but instead crafted by people who really love what they do. I want to be able to talk directly to the person who made my shoes, my lipstick, my wooden spatula. That's something I appreciate about Etsy - it's a platform to really connect with the makers, the creators, the artists.

Anyway, back to the branding... I found myself struggling to design a simple logo and minimalistic packaging that would fit those qualities. I kept going back to the idea of something handmade that represented me. I did some Pinterest perusing for inspiration and then looked through some notes I'd created in Evernote for branding ideas.

And this is what I came up with: a picture that I'm using as my logo and turned into a stamp for packaging.

How I Did It

1. Took a self-portrait my phone
2. Modified it in PicMonkey (using the 'Posterize' effect)
3. Printed the image
4. Placed it ink-side down on the rubber block
5. Burnished the back side of the paper
6. Used my stamp carving tool to carefully remove everything that wasn't black
7. Tested (as shown in the picture above)
8. Did a bit more cleaning up of the outline

I'm going to use the stamp (along with some fabric ink) on muslin bags that I bought to package up the cowls. They are scheduled to arrive today - I can't wait to test out the stamp!

I love that it's personable... unconventional... a little geeky. Just like me.

yay, more cowls!

Yesterday, a sweet friend of mine joined me in the cold to take pictures of all the new cowls that I've created over the past few months.

It started to snow as soon as we stepped outside! Despite the falling flakes, we managed to get through the whole stack.

It feels great to finally get these all listed, along with a few matching earring sets.

Here are some of my favorites that are now available on Etsy:

Turquoise & Metallic Magenta (Wool) - with matching earrings

Metallic Green & Turquoise (Wool) - with matching earrings

Metallic Purple, Turquoise & Black Sequin - with matching earrings

Purple & Blue Watercolor Ribbon

Earrings to match a sparkly white wool cowl

My favorite earrings! So sparkly! They match this cowl.

These lavender glass earrings pair beautifully with this cowl.

my first craft show

In just another week, I'll be selling my handmade cowls at my first craft show. Yay!

It'll be at Medical Lake Middle School. I'm not sure exactly where my booth will be yet, but it'll likely be in the gymnasium. I'll post an update on Instagram and Facebook when I arrive.

If you're in the area and might be able to attend, here are the details:

Location
1010 E. Lake St, Medical Lake, WA 99022

Time
Saturday - November 29th from 9am to 4pm

If you can, I'd love to see some familiar faces!

I'm crocheting up a storm getting ready for the show!

new additions to my personal collection - reflective & baby alpaca yarn

Despite the heat of summer in Eastern Washington, my mind just can't stop thinking about winter.

I'd much rather be layering my clothes under a heavy peacoat, snuggling a cowl against my neck and clutching a steaming cup of coffee (or tea!) in my hands.... than standing in front of the air conditioner, sweating. 

But, I'll just have to wait and enjoy the wonderful things about summer - fruit fresh from local farms, a morning jog through sprinklers, an evening ride in our little convertible with the top down - until the warm weather is gone.

In the meantime, I've been working up ideas for cold weather crochet projects. In fact, I recently added two new cowls to my personal collection, made out of interesting yarn that I was able to find locally. 

The first one is a thick blend of purples, blues and greens. A strand of reflective thread is woven throughout. 

I plan to wear this cowl on evening walks, making myself just a bit more visible to passing motorists.

I kind of fell in love with the second cowl. In fact, after I finished it, I said to myself "I think I'll stop using any other yarn and just use this baby alpaca." 

It's deliciously soft and warm, despite being feather-light. It also lays nicely and is very flexible. The only drawback is that it tends to shed a bit, which I would expect of a natural yarn like this. It's worth it. 

I keep reminding myself to wait until summer has faded before I let loose some new ideas for cowls. So, until then....

memorializing the moment

Have you ever seen a framed dollar bill hanging on the wall of a restaurant?

From what I hear, that's often their first transaction. They memorialize it.

So, that's what I'm doing here.

Yesterday, I received a notification that I had my first Etsy purchase (or at least, my first one with this new little shop). And, I was delighted to see that the customer was someone that is so dear to my heart.

getting started

After months of brainstorming shop names and doing research on branding, sales tax, marketing, etc... I finally decided to just go for it.

I'm looking forward to sharing my little story of how I got to this point, upcoming projects and inspiration.

In the meantime, the following cowls are available now:

Thanks Maria for being my neck model!