Studio Update: A Little Here, A Little There…

I finished up a range of projects this week—clearing the docket to start an update of banners throughout okaykate. Do you like the illustration above? How about a similar theme for Kate Writes and Kate Designs? In the meantime…

Maria Sanchez—who you've seen here a lot lately—has a new business card. This was the last stage in an upgrade I did for her vintage clothing online store. Here is the front and back…

I tried my darndest to talk Maria into Moo mini-cards. I suggested they'd make cute hangtags and grab bag enclosures, but Maria felt the size was insubstantial on its own and asked for a tradition card at 2 x 3.5 inches.

I agree with her choice, but golly the Moo minis are cute. Here's five designs using Moo's vertical and horizontal formats…

Next up: a new banner for Mandy Erickson of Mandy Eats the Bay to be posted next week. Here's the story on the original banner. Below is the Summer update. Plums are in season and now so is Mandy's banner…

Just in time to go along with her recent posting of a plomukaka (Scandinavian plum tart) recipe. For plum aficionados, those are Santa Rosas pictured in the banner. It's stone fruit season here in the Bay Area. Yum, I say. Plomukaka is my dessert of choice for this year's Independence picnic. Must bake one, but first I'll finish this post with two more projects.

CraftyAndy publishes his crochet hat patterns in PDF for the web and on paper for local yarn stores. We've been working on a format update since I redesigned his business card. Here's a look at the old and the new front pages…

Andy's designs in Tapestry Crochet remind me of a Kufi—the sturdy Middle Eastern cap. I've bought the yarn for a tri-color Pythagoras in shades of grey, brown, and blue. Here's to learning how to crochet over the summer even as I hand out my own updated business cards. Pictured here is the new front and updated back…

Happy Independence Day to everyone here and happy belated Canada Day to neighbors in the north. I'll think of you all as I eat plum tart under a fireworks sky and celebrate the country my immigrant ancestors came to call home.

PS. I love comments. To make a comment here, click on the Post a Comment link below, but be aware that the Submit button—labeled Create Post—sits at the top of the comments page along with a Preview Post button. Why is that? I don't know. Maybe these pesky buttons like being above it all. Some things just have a mind of their own.

Studio Update: Dolling Up an Etsy Storefront…

Custard Heart Vintage was top of mind this week. Maria has selected E from the matryoshka line up. Time to replace both the rubberstamps she was using to add a personal touch to her client mailings and get on with designing her other pieces including a new banner for her shop site.

While Maria headed for City Stamp & Sign with an order, I drew up comps for an Etsy banner. I love Etsy. The site is an affordable way for crafty folk to maintain their own online storefront even as the back shop provides a supportive community for small business. Plus it's a wonderful place to shop for gifts and supplies.

I started with a screen grab to use as a base in Photoshop. I wanted to see exactly how the banner would behave with the other elements on the page. Here is how Custard Heart Vintage's storefront looked…

Every Etsy storefront has three distinct areas where a seller's personality can come through: the banner, the little graphic that anchors the profile links and the product images. The overall look of the page is governed by a static grid. While that grid provides an ordered structure from shop to shop on the site, Maria's page risked blending in with of other sellers in her category. 

I tried several different approaches using the new doll and updated type treatments. Below are five. The first three feature Goudy Old Style— a serif face with an elegant, rounded hand. The last last three use Copperplate for a more traditional feel. The middle version is made with Footlight MT—a novelty face with a very silly Cap E.

Any one of these would make a worthy banner. Maria choose the second to last version, but wanted Footlight to replace the Copperplate. No problem. With a little fitting we were set to post her updated storefont…

Whew…happy to see the old banner gone. Now Custard Heart has a branded look and Ms. Sanchez holds the copyright. I'd say that calls for a party, but hey, there are still business cards and ads to do, so back to work for me. My client surprised me with a photo yesterday…

There's work ahead, but Maria hit the pause button to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for her new look. Oh, my. I'm going to be very sad when the Custard Heart project is over.

P.S. I love comments. To make a comment here, click on the Post a Comment link below, but be aware that the Submit button—labeled Create Post—sits at the top of the comments page along with a Preview Post button. Why is that? I don't know…but no amount of begging has moved that button any closer.

P.P.S. Go ahead call me a shameless shill, but Custard Heart's Summer Sale is still on. I am so scoring a schoolboy cardigan as the summer fog settles in.