Personal gift-giving at its best....with custom designed stationery & stamps

Sometimes finding a gift that fits someone perfectly is a challenge.  Sometimes people deserve more than the run-of-the-mill typical mall stuff for gifts.  If you'd like to step up your gift-ability this year, then try one of our beautiful, hand-designed personal stationery designs. 

We'd love to help you create a personal monogram "logo", stamp and stationery set for the ultimate in custom-designed gifts.  Colors, paper stock, envelopes, designs and ink colors can all be customized just how you'd like them to represent their personality.

These will be one-of-a-kind designs and we'll keep them in case you ever need to change an address, phone number, re-order more, etc.

Please contact amy at amy@aha4creative.com for a custom price quote based upon what you'd like (stamp, thank you cards, blank note cards, paper, envelopes, stamp, stamp pad, business/calling cards, etc.), how many you'd like printed and the design idea you're looking for—contemporary, classic, whimiscal, whatever fits!

An example of one of last year's designs is shown here.

Where to begin?

So many things to catch you up on these days.  Wow.  Let's try the speed reader version.

1. We've moved the office.

2. Our new address is 103 Wall Street, Huron, Ohio 44839.  Here's a map.

3. 2009's lovely pink tree has been donated to be a part of the "Light Up Huron" charity auction taking place at Admiral's Pointe in Huron on December 12th.  If you'd like to bid on it, make sure you attend the event (contact me at amy@aha4creative.com for details).

4. We have a new, shiny pink tree that will be up in the next week to bring a bright splash of color to the gray winter beginning here.

5. We're having a party to celebrate all the things listed above!  Hope you can come.....details are here!

More coming soon :)

Take a trip to touristville

I gave a really fun presentation last night on some tips, tricks and techniques for good brochure design.  Since I hate to sit through boring people talking, I decided to make it a bit interactive and fun for everyone.  Our businesses rely on tourism in a major way around here.  If you've never played tourist in your own town, you're not doing your homework.

About three times per year or so, I try to play tourist and consumer (not critic) of advertising.  I hit the local visitor centers and some big brochure displays to see what everyone in touristville is doing.  As a creative, this is fun on so many levels.  It's great to see what other folks are doing that looks great and, sometimes, depending upon my mood, it's really fun to just poke some shameless fun at the brochures that are so bad no one will ever pick them up.  Yes, it's not very nice, but it's my job to be critical of poor design, poor planning and even more poor execution.

So, in preparation for my presentation, I played tourist in touristville and stopped into the unknowing Lake Erie Shores and Islands (maybe now they'll be posting my photo on a wanted poster) to peruse the endless brochure racks.  I pulled a large random (as random as a designer can get) sample of a variety of rack cards from every type of business to become a part of my interactive presentation.  Viewing a huge cloud of brochures on the table really is fun—to see which ones clearly stand out above the rest—and it was enjoyable for me to see some "aha" moments in the crowd of people looking at designs in a different light.

Besides being lots of fun to see what local treasures exist, this is a very important exercise for anyone who has a business that relies on attracting new customers.  Play tourist.  Stop in the local visitors' bureau, look over the brochure racks and see which ones catch your attention, stop into a hotel where there is a brochure rack—see what visitors see upon their arrival in touristville.  Are you making the right impression in your "invitation" to visit your business?

Make sure you check out my latest download, Brochures: marketing to get noticed, available for download on the aha creative web site.  I shared these tips in my presentation last night, with examples galore from the local brochure rack.  Maybe they'll help you think about your introductory brochure in a new way.

Wow, now this is advertising

Obviously, you can see the photo here.  Would you want your logo on a pizza?  I'm a bit speechless on this one.  Part of me thinks its brilliant, part of me thinks it's disgusting to consume, and I mean literally consume, advertising. 

Read the article here....and tell me what you think!

The real meaning of bittersweet

So, we had Chinese food this week (definitely not my favorite, unless it's from Hunan on the Falls) and, since it's not my favorite, I like to make shameless fun of the fortunes inside the fortune cookies.  I have had some really, really bad ones over the years.  However, the deep-rooted journalist in me just can't stop laughing at the huge amount of grammatical errors that make the fortunes almost incomprehensible at all.  Imagine my excitement when this week's fortune cookie really had some good news on it, though, as it sent me to www.myfreefortune.com where I could go to get my own personalized fortune!  A personalized fortune—could it be better?  I decided to check it out for a good laugh, but I nearly fell off my chair when I received my fortune!  I think it really IS a personalized fortune for a stickler like me, and it's like I hit the lotto jackpot with this one:  "Life to you is a full of fortune."  I have nothing left to say to that.


This made me think about another fun take I recently saw on the same crispy topic.  If you want to play a great trick on your friends, or you just like dealing and receiving insults, then these little toasties are just for you.

ThinkGeek (which is really a fun web site for those who value smart humor) offers "Cookie Misfortune Evil Fortune Cookies," described as the following:

The cookies hate you.

• Fortunes range from rude to insulting to mean to hilarious.
• 10 cookies in each package, each with a different fortune.
• Packaged in a quart-sized take out box.

You could open a fortune cookie that reads "Your friends don't really like you,"  but I sure like these cookies.  I'd hardly be offended if any of you floggers want to bring in a box we can share together (along with many laughs)!

Meet my new friend, RR

Being surrounded every moment of the day by technology can sometimes be creatively stifling.  Yes, the iPhone makes it so much easier to keep in touch on the go, find color combinations on the fly and do billing with one touch.  However, these things that are supposed to make life easier, can sometimes get in the way and block the creative process from revealing interesting ideas.  This is when it's time to go unplugged.  There are many moments throughout the week when I must unplug--close the laptop, turn off the computer, turn the iPhone ringer off (come on, I'm not really going to turn it off)--just to brainstorm, sketch and let the ideas out.

I have a new little friend here in my office, that helps me unplug and get some old school creative juices flowing.  I am pleased to introduce you to my Royal portable typewriter, circa 1935.  I love it sitting on my desk because it is a constant reminder that creative ideas don't come from a computer or a piece of software, they come from within me and this, sometimes, twisted brain of mine.  My new Royal shiny black beauty is a recent find from a relative's attic and once belonged to my grandfather-in-law.  In his honor, I have named this the Royal Raymond.  Amazingly, he must not have used it that much as it is in wonderful condition AND the ribbon still has ink and is working!  I have already used this for some idea generation and "offline" writing.

And, funny enough, if you've been to my office this is just the piece I was looking for to fit this century-old building.  Ever since the day I moved in I have been picturing the time when rows of women in fuzzy sweaters sat in this building typing at typewriters just like my Royal Raymond.  My love of "Mad Men" certainly doesn't help this romantic and sweet vision of my office, either.  You can imagine that show captivates me on so many levels, so I decided to "Mad Men" Myself on the show web site, so you can see how you would find me if I were dropping in on Sterling Cooper.  Enjoy!

Come on in...

Yes, it's definitely been a while since you've heard from me.  Life has been pretty chaotic on every single front there is.  I'm spending the little bit of free time in other ways (drinking island coconut coffee) right now, until life reaches a little more of a calm.

I did come across something today that has just rocked my world!  I have to find a good place for one of these amazing 3-D creations.  I'm not sure yet where it will be.  Maybe the door to my laundry room is fitting for several of these images.  I'm really digging the boat image, or the beach, or....  There are so many good ones, it's just tough! 

Check out all the 3-D door images on style-your-door.com.  So cool!  How would you like to have this guy awaiting at your door...

New Addition

I wanted to make sure I posted a photo of my fun new book shelf at the office!  I am loving actually having a way to store and easily get to my books and reference materials now.

I ordered it from SmartFurniture.com and they were incredible with customer service!  They have some really amazing designs on this site, and I looked forever to find just the right piece to inspire my creativity and reading. I have looked through their pieces again trying to figure out just what I'll order next.  Happy Shopping and feel free to stop in for a coffee and you can feel free to peruse any of my resources for design ideas and inspiration!

And to think it's just paper

Sometimes I come across something that makes me so jealous.  Jealous for more time to do fun, artistic things like I used to do when I was a child.  I was just sharing with my children stories about my grandmother and the great artistic and creative visionary she was.  She and I used to do so many great creative things together--she taught me origami and cookie decorating I just didn't appreciate at the time.  She used to make decorated Christmas cookies for her friends that would rival any gift you could conceive; she would hand paint a Santa Claus face that made you place the cookie on the tree or in a place of prominence, but you would never be able to eat it (even though it was delicious)!

When I came across this fun collection from Real Simple Magazine this week, I wanted to share it with all of you.  It's amazing you can do these things with paper alone.  And let me tell you, there's nothing simple about these paper creations.  Enjoy this treat and break from your busy day!

Rest that spoon with style

As you've surely guessed by now, I am a fan of simple, clever and fun designs.  When I see them I like to share them with you (though I'm tempted to keep them all to myself).  I have recently been shopping for some sort of unique or interesting bookshelf for my office, as my reference collection is growing more quickly than my places to keep them.  I am pretty sure I have found the unique piece I'm planning to add to the office, but in my online shopping quest for great, fun design, I came across some pieces you might like to purchase for me, I mean yourself.

I have been enjoying the funky, chunky designs by Chicago's Circa Ceramics.  Right now I am leaning toward the one shown here that looks quite a bit like the gears of creativity here at aha creative, but I will probably have to order more than one for the office to share when you come in for coffee.  These are right up my alley with the lively colors and black sketches that just match my office perfectly.  Make sure you check out their site here and their etsy shop here.  

I sure wish I were going to be in Chicago for their upcoming sale....that sounds quite fabulous.

Passion for...

Fashion!  I just finished the site design for my favorite new friend and client....Erik Anderson at Erik's Clothing for Men.  He's a neighbor, just a couple blocks away here in lovely downtown Sandusky and I had so much fun creating and developing his site.  You have to meet him to see his true passion for fashion, but I try to give just a little taste of that in the site.  Feel free to check it out--it's aha creative from the ground up, including photography, development and design.

Stop in the store and do some shopping for the best men's clothing you'll find within a 50-mile radius or more.

In honor of old-school day at aha creative...

I have deemed today to be old-school day at aha creative.  The waters of Sandusky Bay are rolling by, white cap by white cap, and I have decided to make today "manual" work day, getting back to my creative roots.  I've handwritten the first draft of a client's newsletter with scribbly pen ON PAPER, the elevator isn't working so it's 6 floors up and down on the stairs, and I have just assembled a cute little mini paper cut & paste mock-up of an idea/project I've been working on recently.  What fun!  As is typical, you probably think I'm a little nutty for getting giddy about that kind of work--but it's inspirational and sends me back to my days as an entry-level graphic designer.  Okay, this is WAY more fun, but sliding the keyboard away is good for all of us once in a while.

To honor this old-school mantra, I am sharing the fun little tool that currently tops my most-wanted list.  And, no, it's not the iPad.  Of course that's on the list, but I didn't really think I wanted or needed an iPod at first either....  Right now I would just love to get my hands on 2010's answer to the ultimate old-school rebel-rousing device:  The Polaroid Instant Camera. 

Have you seen the modern version—the Fuji Instax Mini Instant Camera?  Wowie...here it is.  Doesn't it even just look modern and cool on the outside?  I imagine that nice white exterior could cause a little problem with late-night diner photo sessions or crazy mud-sliding teens at Lollapalooza, but hey, it will look good for a while.  This thing looks just great, pumping out cute little credit-card sized mini prints for the crazy middle-schooler in all of us.  

And in case you want to buy it, I'm sending to you a store I found that I've just fallen in love with-the Photojojo store.  It's a magical must-see for everyone who likes photography (even if you're like me and don't have much time for it).   Make SURE you check out the sweet jelly camera phone filters.  I have to get some of those for certain.  Happy snapping!

Thinking about design in new ways

The days at aha creative can't get much more busy than they are right now!  Phew....new clients seem to be pouring in at an alarming rate and new projects even more quickly than that.  I think about getting on here to share things with you (and the list is a mile long right now!), but every time I begin I get swept away by a ringing phone or 37 emails that have come through.

I have been thinking quite a bit lately about how design pervades each aspect of our lives: the drive to work, our purchases, leisure time, meals, events, news and information and so much more.  Design (the good and the bad) affects us all in profound ways; it can cause us to be comfortable, content, angry, safe, healthy, hungry, informed, entertained, irritated, beautiful, and cautious just to name a few.  Think about the feeling you get when you enter a building or home that is well-lit, warmly decorated and inviting.  Is this the feeling you get when you enter the typical hospital?

Metropolis Magazine had a great article (click here to read it) about the future of designing for the senses, part of which was design for hospitals.  It includes design and aesthetics in everything from the carpet and the technology all the way to the smell of each room.  I love thinking about every sense when I design a piece, even if it will only be used by one or two of the senses. 

Medal metal

I've decided on a, yes, timely post regarding the 2010 Olympics.  I enjoyed watching the medal ceremony last night for the men's moguls competition because I just love the story of silver-medal winner Dale Begg-Smith.  He was shunned and pushed away for being successful and he just threw up the finger and came back to the Olympics with another country showing that he's an amazing athlete and first-class businessman.  A big tongue out to all those who didn't believe...

From the medal ceremony last night I was reminded of a recent article I read in Metropolis and so I wanted to share it with everyone.  It is all about the design process and final design of this year's medals, which looked stunning last night when they were draped on the winners.  I think it's most fascinating that the original design included a self-enclosed pendant for the winner to remove from the actual medal and wear as jewelry.  Bummer the money ran out for that one—it was a novel idea.  Here's my idea: maybe Academy Award winners should receive a little gold stomach-shaped pendant inside of the statuette, so they could remove the jewelry and wear it anytime to show off the guts it takes to get the award-winning glory....

Check out the Metropolis article here.

It all really does come down to color—now there's proof of my madness

For any of you who have followed my flog for some time, you know I just might be obsessed with the concept of color.  It pervades every single aspect of our lives, like very little else does.  I just couldn't be happier to share with you that I just might be correct about this one.  There is some evidence and proof out there now.

Granted, this was reported in an article in USA Today.  As much as it pains me to cite USA Today as a source, I will (I shiver).  They have a wonderful article about color testing CEOs for personality traits and qualities: "Favorite colors test shows CEOs are different; take the test".  I took the test myself and am happy to share it with you.  I feel like the CEOs quoted in the article, because this test is more spot-on than I'd like to admit.  Nevertheless, I will share it with all of you, so you can see for yourself. (Click here to read my report.)  Perhaps after this you'll know me a bit better than you did before.

I would really love it if my flog readers would take this test and send me the results at amy@aha4creative.com.  Also, tell me if you think they are accurate.  I think this is an amazing test and it requires no specific knowledge of any industry or subject.  Anyone can take a color test, and I just can't believe how much it really does say about our personalities and how we view the world.  It is from this that everything is framed in our own environments.  So please take the test here and let me know what you think of the results!

A brand in crisis

I don't take too many opportunities here to share tips, tricks and insight into the fascinating world of public relations.  It seems like design and the "visual" are so much easier to share via little quips and anecdotes on the web.  I certainly try not to bore you to death with material only insiders would ever care to read.

In light of certain events, and a general confusion and lack of confidence in Toyota's surprising handling of its recall debacle, I thought it would be good to touch on a little PR this week.  I found a really good article about crisis management and Toyota.  Managing a world-scale fiasco like they now have on their hands requires attention on so many fronts: social media, traditional media, auto dealers, internal and external communications, and so much more.  The most important thing to remember is that everyone deserves your honesty and accessibility. 

Take a quick read of The Drum's article "Can Toyota be successful in brand damage limitation?" by Jonathan Hemus and "Top 10 things Toyota must do to handle PR car crash," also by Jonathan Hemus.  These are great articles about the concepts of crisis management and communication.

Which came first, design or function?

I just love thinking about everyday objects and their designs.  A beautifully carved wooden spoon that has withstood the test of time, my red Cuisinart coffee maker, my mom's circa 1960's mint green handheld mixer, the interesting shape of my antique collander...so many designs, so little time.  Then, of course, that makes me think of the other end of the spectrum and the designs I use but don't like.  Typically, if we don't like something in the kitchen it's because it doesn't work to its full potential or has some annoying flaw that makes it really annoying to use.  We don't always think about the design and its impact on the product itself.  Take my cheap toaster, for example. I could care less that it has a special setting just for "Pop-Tarts" but really just wish it did not have razor-sharp edges and that it worked without me having to beat it to death every time.  Design can surely make or break a product.

Sometimes products are designed to be aesthetically pleasing, sometimes they are designed solely for function, and other times they are a perfect mixture of both extremes.  We all have our kitchen favorites and some brands do a better job of creating the tools we love to use.  One of my favorite kitchen brands is Bodum.  I love every single Bodum item I've ever purchased—my teapot, my french coffee press, my frothing pitcher and a few other miscellaneous pieces.  I recently checked out their web site for some design inspiration and came across a little bit of toasty love....their incredibly cool Bistro Toaster in a color that would match my kitchen just perfectly.  And, somehow, I just feel the confidence that this item would make my lowly toaster wilt with envy.  Add this to the list of wants for 2010!  And if you really love kitchen goodies, here is a list of some amazing locales for culinary fans like myself: http://www.dwell.com/maps/shopping-list.html (Thanks Dwell Magazine!)

Internet 2009

Want to know who's on the Internet?  Here is a great report from 2009 co-mingled with some FABULOUS graphics to illustrate the point.  Click here to check it out!

I brake for Bodoni

Yes, creatives like different things than the rest of you normal folks.  We're a bit off sometimes (okay, so sometimes might be pushing the envelope), and we appreciate (and criticize) things other people don't even see: the leg of a chair, product packaging, creative building signage, color combinations, annoying clip art, glaring errors and typos on billboards and signs, and, yes, fonts.

I love fonts and the art of typography.  Perhaps you didn't even know typography was an art, but it most certainly is.  Someone had to create that great script font that constitutes the Coca-Cola logo or the header of The New York Times.  I have the sick, and often cursed, ability to identify fonts when driving down the road and passing billboards in the distance.  While you're still trying to figure out what those 87 words were on that jam-packed billboard, voices in my head are screaming with each new view: "Arial Narrow, Optima, Tahoma (oh my gosh, it's Tahoma), Franklin Gothic, Helvetica Rounded and Hobo, oh my!"

Once in a while I take in some beautiful typography online and I thought I'd share some of these sites with you, the typo newbie.  There are some spectacular and inspirational designs here for anyone who appreciates how words themselves can be art.
Hoefler & Frere-Jones
Typography Served
I Love Typography blog, which in this posting shares some fabulous iPhone apps for typo fans
And, a fan favorite: What the Font? (where you can upload files to tehnologically figure out what they might be--it doesn't get any cooler than this!)

Creative deadzone? Not exactly....

Sometimes I feel like I'm in the middle of a bit of a creative deadzone (at least in respect to creative cultural and interesting artistic events and happenings, like independent film showings, modern art, museum exhibitions, high quality public speakers, etc.)  Toledo and Cleveland both have world-class quality art museums that offer wonderful special events and exhibits; but I'm smack dab in the middle of the two of them and not particularly close to either.  One of my current clients, the Port Clinton Artists Club is bringing some wonderful workshops and artists to the area, including an event this weekend (see www.portclintonartists.com).  They are trying to get me to join, but I'm not much of a visual artist when it comes to paints, charcoal, pencil, crayon or anything else that requires me to leave my safe haven of the computer mouse and tablet.  At least, I should say, right now I'm not much of an artist without my technology; someday I would love to have more time for painting and creative visual expression that is outside my comfort zone.

I do make it a point to get to as many events as I can at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where I am a member.  In my recent e-newsletter they showcased a film screening that is coming up on January 27, 2010.  I have never seen a photography exhibit I didn't enjoy, and my love of architectural design grows by the day.  This screening, of a film about the amazing works of Julius Shulman, looks like an amazing showcase of his talent and brilliant eye.  Make sure you check out the trailer here and the info about the Cleveland screening here.  I am hoping it works out that I can make it to the screening, so if any flog readers want to meet up there, just drop me a note at amy@aha4creative.com.

I love it when an identity comes together...

I was out for some meetings today and happened to pass by a client for whom I designed a new logo recently.  It was very a very fun design, giving me a chance to capture the emotion of this amazing organization.

As I drove by today I noticed their new sign, which I had not yet seen.  Sometimes these are such emotional moments; I feel like it's that first day your little "baby" goes to kindergarten or college, when they leave the nest and really come into their own.  That probably sounds beyond corny to all you flog readers, but it is such a beaming moment to see firsthand how my work can change the direction and face of an entire organization.  I become the proud parent, happy about passing the torch on to new ventures.  I'm certainly not saving lives, curing disease or changing the world, but it pleases me when I can help represent and present an organization such as Joyful Connections in the light that it deserves.

Taking it to the next level

It's the new year....fresh snow, fresh hope and fresh resolutions.  This year I've decided I'm going to make this flog a priority.  Whether you still want to tune in....well, that's to be determined!  I promise to share as many helpful tidbits and creative inspirations as I can in 2010.  It seems to me every business needs a booster shot this year, or at least that's what we're being fed from the big dogs.  I don't take this lightly and I've really been doing my homework on finding information that will really help you market yourself and your business.
There are so many things in the works here at aha creative, that I can hardly contain myself (but, for your sake I'll try) and I look forward to sharing these new developments soon.
Today, I want to share a success story and tips to recreate it for yourself.  A client of mine just recently told me how she finally took my advice and sent out hand-written holiday/thank-you-for-your business cards.  She took the time to hand write a personal note to each and every one of her clients.  The work she does for her clients is mostly virtual, in fact, she has only met a few of her clients in person.  Sometimes we all forget that email, facebook, LinkedIn, mail, texting, tweeting and faxes leave a cold and impersonal touch on the business day.  I've been telling her (probably more times than she wanted to hear) that good, personal communication with clients and thanking them sincerely for their business can create so much goodwill that it translates into loyal, happy, lifelong customers and clients.
Needless to say, she now believes me.  She made a point to let me know that about 20% of her clients picked up the phone to thank her for the personal notes.  20%!  Simple, handwritten notes of honest gratitude....remember that, people!  Think about the return on investment of some generic holiday cards and postage.
For a few more suggestions along this line, I hope you will download and read my new download, Thank you. Thank you very much., which is the first download available in the aha creative learning resources library.  Many more documents and resources are in development right now, so check back often to see new creative resources to help you and your business!